Vyas Puja Homage
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(Part 2)
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by Gurudas
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7) A Wonderful linguist.
When You first came to the U.S.A. Your English was choppy and now You have produced so many succinct volumes, smooth, poetic, and the wording exact. Who else but You could do this?
And who else sings to Krishna like You, and Krishna's flute speaks every language, even that of the birds and frogs.
All glories to Your Divine Grace.
8) Truthful.
You have instructed us to tell the truth even to enemies, and so many times in social or diplomatic situations You have spoken the Absolute Truth, uncaring for protocol, and for this reason so many sincere souls have come looking and finding the Absolute truth from You.
You once said in the midst of some impersonalists, "Krishna is God. God is God, You will not reach God by pressing your nose." And at Vedanta semalin (conference), as so much speculative verbage was blasting loudly over the microphone, You said, "They are simply talking with no conclusion. They know I disagree with them; they have invited us to see the kirtan of foreign boys and girls. Everyday I speak to them."
Later on You said to a gathered crowd, as the microphone sounded in background, "They are laboring so hard without coming to any conclusions, and we will reach God by eating." And you popped a sweet piece of prasadam into Your mouth, for example, and smiled convincingly.
All glories to Your Divine Grace.
9) Talks pleasingly.
Once when a distressed mother came and said that we were taking her son away from her, You said, "If your son is happy why would you object?" and she understood and became pleased.
Once when the negotiation for Your residence visa was being discussed, You said, "I prefer it in the U.S.A., and I have heard that if somebody adopts me as a child, or something else, I can get this permanent visa. But if you adopt me as your child, probably the visa department will laugh, 'What will you do with an old child?' But if there is a possibility to adopt me as an old father, then you can try for it."
And regarding how You never are unpleasing or quarrel unnecessarily, You told us this nice Bengali proverb: "It is not wise to pick a quarrel with a crocodile while living in the jurisdiction of the water."
Once I said, "Oh Prabhupad, You say everything perfectly," and You said, "That is because you hear perfectly."
Your words are always honey-combed and sweet, and pleasant.
All glories to Your Divine Grace.
10) Can speak fluently in all languages.
Your knowledge of Bengali, Hindi, English, and Sanskrit was appreciated by all in India. And You have taught us the universal language, love of Krishna.
All glories to Your Divine Grace.
11) Highly learned.
"When a person is highly educated and acts strictly on moral principles, he is called highly learned. A person conversant in different departments of knowledge is called educated, and because he acts on moral principles, he is called morally stout. Together these two factors constitute learning." (Nectar of Devotion, p. 164)
So many times in London at John Lennon's estate, you taught me world history. You are always teaching us economics, politics, practical applications of devotion, social ethics, sociology, chemistry, the analysis between material and spiritual worlds, how to be gentlemen and ladies, how to cook, even how best to wash the floor (as demonstrated in Allhabad), or how to cut a coconut or wrap a dhoti, and even how to please a wife with bangles and sweets, as explained to us in Bombay. All departments of knowledge are known to You.
You once said knowledge is "to know where to find something out." And we know to go to You as You know everything and You reveal to us only what we can understand at the moment, but you can never run out of new knowledge to give us.
All glories to Your Divine Grace.
12) Highly intelligent.
"A man is called intelligent if he has a sharp memory and fine discretion."
You demonstrate this, as You always quote from scriptures to support a point. Such a vast, clear memory is very rare.
All glories to Your Divine Grace.
13) A genius.
You have never been defeated in an argument. And you can refute anyone on scriptural basis, and they will eventually admit defeat.
For anyone to do so much in such a short time, with so few facilities, must surely be a genius. Even by material standards You have accomplished a great thing by establishing I.S.K.C.O.N.
One man, here in India, said that You have done more in four years than anyone else has done in twenty-one.
All glories to Your Divine Grace.
14) Artistic.
Once You looked over during kirtan and You saw two young girl disciples dancing and swaying together, and You directed me to photograph them.
Another time You took a closed lotus, and as we watched what You were doing carefully, You pushed the end of the lotus into your other palm and deftly opened each petal.
Your directions on how to build the Rath, how to construct a temple, and how to proceed in seven kirtan parties of seven are artistic and adroit.
These are just a few descriptions of how automatically a pure devotee takes on the munificent qualities of Lord Krishna.
All glories to Your Divine Grace.
(Cont'd on next page.)
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(*Click here for more information about Gurudas and his website.)
