06/25/98 - 1883

To All Devotees Of The Lord

by Sasha

Why all this strife, condemnation and slanderous words?
Anger has no voice when one speaks of Satya.

After all, do we not hold the truth close to our hearts?
Like the pearls of sweat that bead on the forehead of our golden avatar.

It is those small grains that we look for as devotees and take pleasure in their examination.
This is our conscious effort to understand and embrace the Lord.

Those of us, that prostrate ourselves before Lord Krsna and his many manifestations, hold this consciousness in the highest regard for it is the way to our Lord and ultimately Govinda's Land.

As devotees, we should focus on educating the masses, and in doing so, developing positive and creative applications of the ancient scriptures. Outside of Asia, most have not read these texts or their commentaries and, on rare occasion, have they had the opportunity to listen to and discuss issues related to the Vedas. The World: not a forum for resentment or jealousy but a constantly evolving tool for transmitting a wide array of ideas, insights and guidance on this conscious we hold so dear.

Spiritual guidance is and will be a subject of much debate. Suffice to say, self-appointed gurus and bogus teachers serve to illuminate the brilliance of those masters truly dedicated to the pastimes of the Lord. We must be tolerant as there are many paths to the Lord that we may not be acquainted with or fully understand. It is the blessing of the Sankirtana movement in this age that has contributed to our God realization, whether partial or full. It should be our desire to share this consciousness and inspire others on their journey.

The golden one has instilled in us devotees the confidence to rise above. Often, we have been forced underground. Today, we are on the fringe. The world is large and brutal. There is rampant disrespect for Vaisnava philosophy and the doctrine of ìecstatic unionî faithfully expounded by devotees in the West. Steadfast in our devotion, we become more conscious of tolerance and patience, and their important role in our service to the Lord.

In this Kali Yuga, we see that the true servants exhibit genuine qualities of patience and tolerance coupled with the all-embracing love of and for the Lord. As we the devotees move forward, this era draws to a close. Thus it is imperative that this forward movement concern itself more with feeding the starving masses than the institutionalization and material aggrandizement of our collective consciousness. In this way, we can empower others spiritually not alienate them with our rituals. As a result, the community of devotees will expand and those intoxicated with their own self-absorption will shrink away without need for accusations or verbal abuse.

I offer these words with the sole purpose of further exposing the Glories of the Lord.

ALL GLORIES TO THE DEVOTEES!!!

Sasha, one of many humble servants