From Ranchor-rai das – Australia, Brisbane

nama om vishnu-padaya krishna-preshthaya bhu-tale
srimate bhaktivedanta-svamin iti namine
nama om vishnu-padaya krishna-preshthaya bhu-tale
srimate indradyumna-svamin iti namine
om ajnana-timirandhasya jnananjana-salakaya
cakshur unmilitam yena tasmai sri-gurave namah
Dear Srila Gurudev, Please accept my humble obeisance.
All glories to Sri Sri Gaur Nitai.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
All glories to you.
Prahalad Maharaj advised to his demoniac friends, Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 7 Chapter 6 Verse 10,
kaumāra ācaret prājño
dharmān bhāgavatān iha
durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma
tad apy adhruvam arthadam
Translation by His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada:
“One who is sufficiently intelligent should use the human form of body from the very beginning of life — in other words, from the tender age of childhood — to practice the activities of devotional service, giving up all other engagements. The human body is most rarely achieved, and although temporary like other bodies, it is meaningful because in human life one can perform devotional service. Even a slight amount of sincere devotional service can give one complete perfection.”
Gurudev, I am focusing on doing my services to Sri Sri Gaur Nitai and Srila Prabhupada sincerely.
Please bless me I can continue to do that.
With your blessings Srila Gurudev, and mercy of Srila Prabhupada, I am continuing Srila Prabhupada
Dressing Services once in a week. I feel immense pleasure and bliss doing Srila Prabhupada Dressing
Service. An occasional thought of having done this service for long, how about taking a break, vanishes as soon as I enter the temple room and bow down in front of Srila Prabhupada. I feel charged up. That’s the mercy of Srila Prabhupada and of course your blessings.
H.G. Viraj Krishna Das, a senior Devotee in Brisbane yatra, last year asked me about start giving Srimad Bhagavatam class. It was a challenge for me. It was a transformation from being passive listener to start giving classes. I am nowhere near to senior Brisbane Yatra Devotees. Fortunately, received positive responses from Devotees who tolerated me, listened to me patiently whenever I attempted. My gratitude to H.G. Nand Kishor Das, a senior Devotee in Brisbane yatra, who has been rescuing me whenever I get tough questions from Devotees at the end of class. One of the best feedback I received was from my daughter Gopika just after the 1st class I gave. She said to me “Papa you are doing great. Good job” and a thumbs up.
Action items until next Vyasa Puja celebration next year:
a. Chant more attentively and aim to finish at least 8 rounds before going to work on weekdays and all 16 rounds early in the morning on the weekends
b. Taking 2nd initiation exam
c. Involving in Feast cooking service
d. Involving in Book distribution service
e. Increasing frequency and improving Srimad Bhagavatam classes by reading more of Srila
Prabhupada scriptures and your classes Srila Gurudev
f. Keep endeavouring providing Krishna conscious environment to my children Param and
Gopika for their development.
Lately, I have been thinking about science of karma, reincarnation etc. Many thanks to H.G. Chaitanya Charan Das, a great ISKCON thinker, and one of his many books, Demystifying reincarnation, that has also spurred me trying to understand science of karma.
Why Isaac Newton was able to discover laws of Gravity, why Albert Einstein was able to discover E=MC2, why nuclear weapons were invented, why some person becomes CEO of an organization and another one becomes a monk, these are very few examples from 8 billion (Earth current population) where in my opinion laws of karma or in other words, science of karma, are applied or re-applied or keep applying.
My aim is to get out of this cycle.
I would like to use this human form of body not to get into another body in next birth.
You are the saviour who will help me to cross the ocean of nescience, not to return to any of the billions of material worlds Krishna has built to fulfill jiva’s material desires, perpetually attain a place in Lord Ramchandra’s abode where I can do service to Lord Ramchandra’s lotus feet forever.
Gurudev, for any known or unknown offences caused by me at your lotus feet, please forgive me and give me blessings not to offend you and Vaishanavas. I beg for your mercy.
Lastly, I’d like to use this opportunity to humbly request you to visit Brisbane Yatra soon. It has been a long time since your pure and divine feet haven’t touched land of Brisbane. Awaiting…
I continue to pray Sri Sri Gaur Nitai to protect you and give you strength to take all your disciples across the ocean of nescience back to Godhead.
Please continue to shower your mercy upon me, Rukmini-Dwarkadhish, Param, and Gopika.
Yours servant and disciple, Ranchor-rai das