Srila Gurudeva Holland 1996

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On May 5th, 1996, a new Gauḍiya Vaiṣṇava era began, as SriSrimad Bhaktivedanta Narayaṇa Gosvami Maharaja, Bhakta Bandhav Srila Gurudeva, began his first world tour in Holland. Four days prior, in Sri Kesavaji Gauḍiya-maṭha, Mathura, prominent sadhus, scholars, and priests from around Vraja glorified Srila Gurudeva in an auspicious ceremony they conducted and prayed for his success in his preaching in the West. To call it a success would be a great understatement. Within a year, the devotee communities Srila Gurudeva visited around the world were swept up in the transcendental flood of nectar katha and vraja-bhakti, and the devotees began to follow behind Srila Gurudeva wherever he traveled and preached. Over the next fifteen years, Srila Gurudeva went on thirty-two world tours, and thousands of devotees would congregate each year for the annual Vraja-maṇḍala parikrama and Navadvipa-dhama parikrama that he led. Śrila Gurudeva also preached extensively throughout India in the months when he was not traveling in the West. Tens of thousands accepted initiation from Srila Gurudeva into the path of pure bhakti in the line of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Sri Sri Radha-Krsna.

During his classes in Holland, Srila Gurudeva revealed his mission in traveling to the West. On May 7th, Srila Gurudeva said:

In 1965, Srila Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaja requested me so many times that, "You should come with me," but I said at that time, "I cannot give up my guru-seva, so later on I can come and join you." But I think that the mahapurusa-do you know what is mahapurusa? The great persons, great devotees, who are not attached to mays, who are beyond maya; what they say becomes true. They are sat-sankalpa, they are established in truth, so they cannot tell anything thatt is a lie. They will not. That is why at that time, he told me to join his mission and come to the Western countries to help him by my kirtanas and words. Now, for this he is dragging me here. So he is the main cause. But I think Caitanya Mahaprabhu is the main cause, and after, he is the secondary cause. Caitanya Mahaprabhu has said in the Sri Caitanya-caritamrta that everywhere in the world, His name, Krsna's name, Gaura-Nityananda Prabhu's name, and Radhika's name, will be spread and krsna-prema will be given everywhere.

On May 12th, while glorifying his bosom friend and siksa-guru,Srila Bhaktivedanta Svami Prabhupada, Srila Gurudeva spoke as follows:

My motive in coming to the Western countries is to fulfill two purposes: The first purpose is to have darsana of all the places decorated with Svamiji's lotus foot dust. I resolved, "I must go to those places Svamiji preached in, and take his very sacred foot dust on my head and heart." Svamiji did such splendid preaching work! In a very short time, he traversed all the parts of the world. He completely transformed drunkards and hippies. These recipients of his mercy did not know who Krsna is, what sankirtana is, for before meeting him, they were always engrossed in eating, drinking, and making merry. But Svamiji magically turned all these people towards his Lord. He made them good and qualified devotees. I am seeing this miracle by my own eyes.

I will now explain the second purpose. When I was in Mathura, I heard for five or six years that many sincere, senior devotees, who worked so hard for Svamiji, who helped him and served him like myself, were being neglected. Thus, they were bound to leave ISKCON. I know that some of them, who are very sincere devotees and want to serve Svamiji-your Srila Prabhupada-with all their heart, are not getting a chance to serve him from the ISKCON devotees, especially not from the leaders. So I wanted to go to those places and help unite the devotees again. Some inspiration should be given to them. They should eagerly advance in chanting Hari's name and in their devotional services. In this way, they should progress in their Krsna Consciousness.

The message of our Guru-parampara, in whose line Svamiji is, is the same message that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu came to give us. Bhakti is like the current of a river. With the intention of controlling the current of a river, if you place a huge mass, the current of the river will be blocked. Without finding a way out, the water will stagnate and dry. Bhakti is like the swift flow of a river, and it should develop up to prema. Bhakti has been divided into three parts-sadhana-bhakti, bhava-bhakti, and prema-bhakti...

Satam prasangan mama virya-samvido. By telling each other the pastimes of Krsna, this hari-katha is so powerful that it will enter your heart through the medium of the ears, and your heart will be cleared of all evils. In this way, a sweet sitting place for Krsna will be made in the heart. And Krsna will take His seat there. We should have the association of Vaisnavas who speak such harikatha. The bhakti of such Vaisnavas will not be stopped. Your bhakti should blossom from sraddha, to bhava-bhakti, to prema-bhakti. If the devotee is on the same level of bhakti for a hundred or thousand years, having sraddha for lakhs of births, then his sraddha may be destroyed. Your sraddha should blossom up to bhava. From bhava, your bhakti should blossom into prema. Then you will go out of this illusory maya and will enter Goloka Vrndavana.

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