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EDITORIAL February 25, 2000 VNN5551 Comment on this story The Fruit And The Seed BY SWAMI B.V. TRIPURARI  EDITORIAL, Feb 25 (VNN) — "Faithfully distributing what another has drawn down from the infinite should enable that distributor in time to draw down something himself. This is the fruit of the seed that Sri Guru plants in the heart of the disciple."Preface to 'Bhagavad Gita, Its Feeling and Philosophy' by Swami B.V. Tripurari Early one morning in the spring of 1973 I was invited to accompany my spiritual master on a morning walk. As the sun rose to a sleeping Los Angeles, I climbed, wide-eyed at the prospect of intimate association with my guru, into a small white Toyota station wagon along with two of my godbrothers and our Prabhupada. This was Prabhupada's car, one that I also used in his service, the distribution of his books.
We drove to Cheviot Hills, one of two places that Prabhupada would take his morning walk when in Los Angeles. He preferred Venice Beach, but variety has value. On this particular morning, the park was damp and the ground had just been aerated. After Prabhupada indirectly let us know his preference for Venice Beach through his critique of the park, he spoke to us about the shortcoming of modern science. In the course of questioning the potential of something arising out of nothing, the conversation itself dissipated and we walked in silence. The little clumps of earth scattered all about appeared like stools to the uninformed, and I found myself questioning why we had brought Prabhupada to this place. Were they stools? Prabhupada broke the silence to ask this very question. Too embarrassed and ignorant to answer, I left it to the others, one of whom explained in brief the science of aerating the earth. The silence continued, and I felt the need to absorb my mind in spiritual thoughts, lest it not take full advantage of the opportunity at hand. As we crossed the field, as if influenced by a force beyond myself, I thought spontaneously of Vrndavana, Krsna, and his cowherds and cows. Almost effortlessly my mind conjured up a sense of the pastoral setting of Vrndavana and Krsna's lilas of cowherding with his friends. Where were we really? Clad in saffron robes, an elderly man of five feet four or five, no more, walked with an eternal youthfulness that questioned the apparent youth of those who walked beside him. With his cane in hand, head held in absolute confidence, he challenged the metanarrative of modern science, as if the missing link were a poke from his cane. His glance so captivating, benedicting, his eyes tinged with the ointment of love of Krsna, our beloved Prabhupada wanted the world to stop and just love Krsna. He wanted us to be his instruments through which this would be accomplished. Prabhupada compellingly told us to write articles, publish them, and replace the prevailing paradigm with Krsna's message. Then someone mentioned my name and success in the field of distributing his books. Prabhupada turned to me and said, "By distributing these books, you are doing a great service to Krsna. He [Krsna] wanted to say to everyone: sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja. He comes, therefore. So anyone who is doing the same service, he is recognized by Krsna very nicely. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita: na ca tasman manusyesu. In the human society, nobody is dearer than he who is helping preaching work." In his first words to me, Prabhupada cited three verses from the Bhagavad-gita, all from the eighteenth chapter. First he cited the conclusion of the Gita: "Abandoning all consideration of dharma, just surrender unto me." Then he cited Krsna's two verses of praise for those involved in disseminating this conclusion. The actual verses run thus: "For one who explains this supreme secret to the devotees, pure devotional service is guaranteed, and at the end he will come back to me. There is no servant in this world more dear to me than he, nor will there ever be one more dear." In his Gita commentary, Prabhupada comments on Krsna's words regarding those who explain his message: "Anyone, however, who tries sincerely to present Bhagavad-gita as it is will advance in devotional activities and reach the pure devotional state of life. As a result of such pure devotion, he is sure to go back home, back to Godhead." By the term "as it is," which became the subtitle for Prabhupada's edition of the Gita, Prabhupada meant explaining the Bhagavad-gita from a devotional perspective. Only one who loves Krsna is privy to the implications of his eloquent speech. After Prabhupada encouraged all of us to write and distribute books about Krsna, one of my godbrothers commented, "We are simply your puppets, Srila Prabhupada. You're giving us the books." This did not seem to satisfy Srila Prabhupada, as he made the following reference to the guru-parampara. "No. We are all puppets of Krsna. I am also a puppet. This is disciplic succession." While he humbly gave all credit to his own guru and Krsna for anything he had accomplished, he implied that becoming the puppet of Guru and Krsna in a dynamic sense as he had done involved not merely circulating one's guru's writings, but writing books oneself. This was the example he set. While writing his own books, he considered that he was merely acting as a puppet of Guru and Krsna. Becoming the puppet of one's guru is about getting a spiritual life, and thinking for oneself within the parameters of that which is actually spiritual. Looking back at that spring morning in Los Angeles's Cheviot Hills, I felt that my life would be incomplete if I did not author an edition of Bhagavad-gita in contemporary language. Faithfully distributing that which another has drawn down from the infinite should bear the fruit of enabling such a distributor in time to draw down something himself. This is the fruit of the seed that Sri Guru plants in the heart of the disciple. In the form of this edition of Bhagavad-gita, I have been able to taste this fruit to some extent only by my spiritual master's grace, and he sent several persons to assist me in this effort. I am grateful to all of them. May he bless them, and may Sri Caitanya, who is none other than Radha-Krsna combined, continue to bless the world with his doctrine of love of Godhead. May that blessing come in the form of devotional literature written from within the cultural context of devotees of Krsna who are now taking birth all over the world. Swami B. V. Tripurari At this time I would also like to thank my godbrothers, godsisters, friends and followers for their contributions towards the publishing of this work. Although already indebted to all of you, who have been so kind as to keep me engaged in divine service with your sincere and thoughtful questions and ongoing spiritual interest, shamelessly I ask more service of you. If any of you can help me to raise the considerable balance still required to publish and publicize this commentary on Bhagavad Gita, however small, I will be eternally indebted. Please contact the Sanga moderator at sadhusanga@swami.org regarding your donation, however small. In service, Swami VRINDAVAN SANGA, India, March 2000 Join our international Sanga community in Vrindavana, India where Tripurari Swami will be holding discourses morning and evening during the month of March, 2000. All friends and members of our internet Sanga are cordially invited to attend. Meals and accommodations, as well as recommendations for discount air tickets, can be arranged in advance by contacting sadhusanga@swami.org. The Vrindavan Sanga program is as follows: Morning, 7:00 a.m. Bhagavad-gita discourses, from Swami's recently completed manuscript, 'Bhagavad-gita: It's Feeling and Philosophy' followed by breakfast prasad. Afternoon, 12:00 p.m. Arotika and lunch prasad. Evening, 5:00 p.m. Caitanya-caritamrta discourses, from Adi-lila, followed by Arotika and dinner prasad. For more information and a map to Vrindavan Sanga visit: http://209.235.193.78/Pages/vrindavana.html Questions or comments may be sent to sadhusanga@swami.org. [Reprinted with permission from Sanga 2/20/00 http://www.swami.org] About the Author  Other Stories by this AuthorComment on this story Contact VNN about this storySend this story to a friend
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