Dont be depressed or feel alone
compiled by Padmapani prabhu
“I understand that you are feeling my absence. Krishna will give you strength. Physical presence is immaterial; presence of the transcendental sound received from the spiritual master should be the guidance of life. That will make our spiritual life successful. If you feel very strongly about my absence you may place my pictures on my sitting places and this will be source of inspiration for you.”
January 19, 1967)
“But always remember that I am always with you. As you are always thinking of me I am always thinking of you also. Although physically we are not together, we are not separated spiritually. So we should be concerned only with this spiritual connection.”November 13, 1969)
“To feel separation from the Spiritual Master or Krishna is very good position. That means one who is in pure love with Krishna and His Representative, Spiritual Master, he thinks always of Them. And this thinking process is Krishna consciousness. If we can think always of Krishna even in separation, that is Krishna Consciousness. And in the absolute platform, there is no difference of separation and meeting. The separation is also meeting, rather in separation one relishes the loving relationship more tasty. So don’t be disappointed that you are separated from me, I am also always thinking of you how you are making progress there.” October 21, 1968)
“Spiritual Master is along with you by his words. Just like my Spiritual Master is not physically present, but I am associating with him by his words.” August 18, 1971)
“As far as my blessing is concerned, it does not require my physical presence. If you are chanting Hare Krishna there, and following my instructions, reading the books, taking only Krishna prasadam etc., then there is no question of your not receiving the blessings of Lord Chaitanya, whose mission I am humbly trying to push on.” June 30, 1974)
“So we should associate by vibration, and not by the physical presence. That is real association.”
June 18, 1968 )
“There are two words, vani and vapuh. Vani means words, andvapuh means this physical body. So vani is more important than the vapuh. Vapuh will be finished. This is material body. It will be finished. That is the nature. But if we keep to the vani, to the words of spiritual master, then we remain very fixed up. It doesn’t matter. Just like Bhagavad-gita. It was spoken five thousand years ago. But if you keep to the words of Krishna, then it is always fresh and guiding. Not that because Arjuna personally listened to Krishna about the instruction ofBhagavad-gita, therefore he knew it. That is not the fact. If you accept Bhagavad-gita as it is, then you should know that Krishna is present before you in His words in the Bhagavad-gita. This is called spiritual realization.” March 2, 1975)
“When we feel separation from Krishna or the Spiritual Master, we should just try to remember their words or instructions, and we will no longer feel that separation. Such association with Krishna and the Spiritual Master should be association by vibration not physical presence. That is real association.”
(Elevation to Krishna Consciousness, p. 57)
“Reception of spiritual knowledge is never checked by any material condition.”7.7.1, Purport)
“The potency of transcendental sound is never minimized because the vibrator is apparently absent.”
SB 2.9.8, Purport)
“So although a physical body is not present, the vibration should be accepted as the presence of the spiritual master, vibration. What we have heard from the Spiritual Master, that is living.” January 13, 1969)
“Krishna is almighty and is especially the cause of fearlessness for the devotees. A devotee of the Lord is always fearless because of the protection given by the Lord. Material existence is something like a blazing fire in the forest, which can be extinguished by the mercy of the Lord Sri Krishna. The spiritual master is the mercy representative of the Lord. Therefore, a person burning in the flames of material existence may receive the rains of mercy of the Lord through the transparent medium of the self-realized spiritual master. The spiritual master, by his words, can penetrate into the heart of the suffering person and inject knowledge transcendental, which alone can extinguish the fire of material existence.”SB1.7.22, Purport)
“I also do not feel separation from my Guru Maharaja. When I am engaged in his service, his pictures give me sufficient strength. To serve master’s word is more important than to serve him physically.”
, July 7, 1970)
“Regarding your request for your deliverance from the clutches of Maya, please rest assured of being delivered, because we have captured the strong chain of disciplic succession. This chain is coming down from the highest platform, Krishna. Just like a rope comes down the well so that anyone who may catch the rope from any position is sure to be delivered; so our aim should be to not give up the rope. We must capture the rope very tightly. Then our deliverance is assured. So far as I am concerned, in relationship with my disciples who are so kindly cooperating with me in the matter of my rendering service to my Spiritual Master, for them I am always ready to come back from Goloka Vrindaban, if they are not delivered along with me. So don’t be worried about the clutches of Maya. Be fixed up in your determination and go on serving the Supreme Lord, Krishna, with determination as you are already doing.” November 15, 1969)
“So far as I am concerned, I have accepted you as my disciple and you have accepted me as your spiritual father. This relationship cannot be ended anymore. It is eternal.”, July 9, 1969)
“Please be happy in separation. I am separated from my Guru Maharaja since 1936 but I am always with him so long I work according to his direction. So we should all work together for satisfying Lord Krishna and in that way the feelings of separation will transform into transcendental bliss.”
May 3, 1968)
“So continue your activities with great vigor. I shall always pray to Krishna for your steady advance, but try to follow the principles which are necessary to strengthen oneself in the matter of spiritual advance. Never think that I am absent from you. Physical presence is not essential; presence by message (or hearing) is real touch. Lord Krishna is present by His message which was delivered 5,000 years ago. We feel always the presence of our past Acaryas simply by their immutable instructions. I hope you will understand me right and do the needful.” August 2, 1967)
“The Spiritual Master is present wherever his sincere disciple is trying to serve his instructions. This is possible by the Mercy of Krsna. In your attempts to serve me and in all your sincere devotional sentiments I am with you as my Guru Maharaja is with me. Remember this always.” Dec 1, 1973
I am always with you. Never mind if I am physically absent.” September 16, 1967)
“I shall remain your personal guidance, physically present or not physically, as I am getting personal guidance from my Guru Maharaj.” Vrindavan, July 14, 1977)
“In the spiritual world, separation is more relishable than meeting. In other words, in spiritual life, there is no separation. Separation is eternal, and meeting is also eternal. The separation is simply another feature of meeting.”April 3, 1969)
“There is no difference between me and my picture. Therefore we should honor and keep pictures in that spirit. If we throw pictures this way and that way, that is offense. The name and picture are as good as the person in spiritual world. In the material world either picture or person, everything is illusion.” September 4, 1972)
“Next you ask if I am present in my picture and form? Yes. In form as well as in teachings. To carry out the teachings of guru is more important than to worship the form, but none of them should be neglected. Form is called vapu and teachings is called vani. Both should be worshiped. Vani is more important than vapu.”, December 14, 1972)
“In my room at Radha Damodara Temple you should keep one photo of me and offer to it Prasadam of Sri Radha Damodara.” March 18, 1977)
“There are two conceptions: the physical conception and the vibration conception. So physical conception is temporary. The vibration conception is eternal. Just like we are enjoying or we are relishing the vibration of Krishna’s teachings. So by vibration He is present. As soon as we chant Hare Krishna or chantBhagavad-gita or Bhagavata, so He is present immediately by His vibration. He’s absolute. Therefore vibration is more important than physical presence. When you feel separation from your spiritual master you just try to remember his words of instruction; you’ll not feel separation. You’ll feel that he is with you. So we should associate by the vibration, and not by the physical presence. That is real association. Sabdad anavrtti. By sound. Just like we are touching Krishna immediately by sound. Sound vibration. So we should give more stress on the sound vibration, either of Krishna or of the spiritual master. Then we’ll feel happy and no separation. When Kṛṣṇa departed from this world, at that time Arjuna was overwhelmed with sorrow and he began to remember the instruction of Bhagavad-gita. You’ll find in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Then he was pacified. He immediately began to remember the teachings which was taught to him in the Battlefield of Kuruksetra, and he was pacified. He was his constant friend, so when Krishna went to His abode he was feeling overwhelmed, but he began to remember His teaching. So whenever we shall feel separation, the best thing is to remember the teachings. Then it will be very nice. Is that clear? Yes. So you can chant Hare Krishna.” Lecture, Montreal, August 18, 1968)
“Krishna and His representative is the same. Just like Krishna can be present simultaneously in millions of places. Similarly, the Spiritual Master also can be present wherever the disciple wants. A Spiritual Master is the principle, not the body. Just like a television can be seen in thousands of places by the principle of relay monitoring.”Letter, May 28, 1968)
“It is sometimes misunderstood that if one has to associate with persons engaged in devotional service, he will not be able to solve the economic problem. To answer this argument, it is described here that one has to associate with liberated persons not directly, physically, but by understanding, through philosophy and logic, the problems of life.”SB 3.31.48, Purport)
“If you think of me and work for me, then I am in your heart. If you love somebody he is in your heart. It is common thing, everyone understands it.”, September 4, 1972)
“What is this alone? Vaisnava is never alone. When I first came to the United States I was seemingly alone for one year. But I never felt alone. I always felt the presence of my Guru Maharaja. Myself, I was cooking, I was printing books, I was selling books, everything seemingly alone. But I did not lose my determination. Actually you should know this, you are never alone.”, December 27, 1974)
“You are doing solid work, even alone, and I am very pleased. This is the test for a sincere devotee. Simply by depending on the mercy of the Lord and carrying out the order of the spiritual master, one’s success in spiritual life is guaranteed. I thank you for your endeavor.” November 4, 1975)
“I thank you very much and all the devotees for offering me a garland daily as you were doing when I was physically present. If a disciple is constantly engaged in carrying out the instructions of the Spiritual Master he is supposed to be constantly in company with hs Spiritual Master. This is called Vaniseva. So there are two kinds of service to the Spiritual Master One is called vaniseva and the other is called vapuseva. Vaniseva means as above mentioned, executing the instructions, and vapuseva means physically or personally rendering service. So in the absence of physical presentation of the Spiritual Master the vaniseva is more important. My Spiritual Master, Sarasvati Gosvami Thakura, may appear to be physically not present, but still because I try to serve His instruction I never feel separated from Him. I expect that all of you should follow these instructions.”
Letter, August 22, 1970)
“If you don’t keep in touch with the original link, then it will be lost. And if you keep touch with the original link, then you are directly hearing Krishna. Similarly, Krishna and Krishna’s representative, spiritual master, if you keep always intact, in link with the words and instruction of the superior authorities, then you are always fresh. This is spiritual understanding.”, March 2, 1975)
“So there are two phases, prakata and aprakata, appearance and disappearance. So we have nothing to lament on account of disappearance because Krishna and Krishna’s devotee… Not only devotees, even the nondevotees, nobody disappears. Nobody disappears because every living entity… As Krishna is eternal… It is confirmed in the Vedic literature, nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam (Katha Upanisad 2.2.13).”(Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati’s Disappearance Day Lecture, Los Angeles, December 13, 1973)
“The disciple and spiritual master are never separated because the spiritual master always keeps company with the disciple as long as the disciple follows strictly the instructions of the spiritual master. This is called the association of vani. Physical presence is called vapuh. As long as the spiritual master is physically present, the disciple should serve the physical body of the spiritual master, and when the spiritual master is no longer physically existing, the disciple should serve the instructions of the spiritual master.” SB.28,47, Purport)
“You can associate with Krishna by reading Bhagavad-gita. And these saintly persons, they have given their explanations, comments. So where is the difficulty? Everyone is helping you.”
Morning Walk, Paris, June 11, 1974)
“The secret of success in the matter of Krishna Consciousness is devotion to the Lord and the Spiritual Master. In the Vedas, the secret of success is described as follows:
Yasya deve para bhakti yatha deve tatha gurau
Yasya ete kathotha hi artha prakasyanta mahatmanah
‘Anyone who has developed unflinching faith in the Lord and the Spiritual Master can understand the revealed scripture unfold before him.’ So continue your present aptitude and you will be successful in your spiritual progress. I am sure that even if I am not physically present before you. Still you will be able to execute all spiritual duties in the matter of Krishna Consciousness; if you follow the above principles.” September 29, 1967)
“We are not separated actually. There are two – Vani or Vapuh – so Vapu is physical presence and Vani is presence by the vibration, but they are all the same.”letter, June 22, 1970)
“So in the absence of physical presentation of the spiritual master, the Vaniseva is more important. My Spiritual Master Sarsavati Goswami, may appear to be physically not present, but still because I try to serve his instruction, I never feel separated from him.” August 22, 1970)
“So my Guru Maharaj will be very, very much pleased upon you and bless you with all benefits… It is not that he is dead and gone. That is not spiritual understanding. Even ordinary living being, he does not die. Na hanyate hanyamane sarire (BG 2.20). And what to speak of such exalted authorized personality like Bhaktisiddhanta. He is seeing. I never feel that I am alone.”
(Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati’s Appearance Day Lecture, Atlanta, March 2, 1975)
“Yes I am glad that your centre is doing so well and all the devotees are now appreciating the presence of their spiritual master by following his instructions, although he is no longer present. This is the right spirit.” September 13, 1970)
“He lives forever by his divine instructions, and the follower lives with him.”
(Srimad-Bhagavatam Dedication to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja)
“He reasons ill who tells that Vaishnavas die,
When thou art living still in sound!
The Vaishnavas die to live, and living try
To spread the holy name around!”
(Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura)
“Just like I am working, so my Guru Maharaja is there, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. Physically he may not be, but in every action he is there. I think actually I have written that… So I am not going to die. Kirtir yasya sa jivati: ‘One who has done something substantial, he lives forever.’ He doesn’t die. Even in our practical life… Of course, this is material, karma-phala. One has to accept another body according to his karma. But for devotee there is no such thing. He always accepts a body for serving Krishna. So there is no karma-phala.” Conversation, Vrindavan, May 27, 1977)
“All of you please chant Hare Krishna, and hear the sound vibration, and serve Krishna and Spiritual Master to your best capacity and everything will be all right.” Letter, October 6, 1968)