Vyasa puja offering

Hare Krishna
dear Srila Prabhupada, you are missed, I miss you.

My dandavats are at your feet eternally.
I had in mind of speaking about your endless compassion today. How you found a way to teach mlecchas and yavanas, of all caste and genders, about the real purpose of life. I would have also spoken about my utter lack of compassion and my inability to pass on your message effectively.

I wanted to show how you took your spiritual master's words and gently re-arrange them so we could digest his divine message with perfect organization and intelligence. This had been my meditation this year.

Lately there has been a barrage of discussions on women and their observance of stri dharma, their ability or disability to preach like their brothers..... It led my meditation astray. I asked myself, why did I join Srila Prabhupada? what was he teaching me that drew me and my life to his service? did it have anything to do with social development? or was it rather its transcendence to social affairs that attracted me. I know it was the later. Being fed up with the boredom and futility of living in the material world I looked for a change, an alternative. That change was, being able to hanker for my eternal life, my life of loving service to my eternal Best Friend, Companion, Father, Mother, Son, Husband, Lover, Best friend's Lover, my everything, Sri Krishna; all the while walking through the duration of this French Canadian young and then old, little and not so little mother's body.

At times I may even forget about my current coverings and catch a glimpse of being absorbed in Krishna alone. How refreshing are these few and far between moments!

HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA
KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE
HARE RAMA HARE RAMA
RAMA RAMA HARE HARE

The fuel that propells us is Jivadoya, Vaisnava seva and Nama ruchi
The vehicle is varnashram dharma
The path is the Holy Name
Destination? Suddha Nama, Suddha Bhakti and Krishna Prema