Below is an excerpt from the"Uttama-Bhakti", a essay penned by the hand of Srimad Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Goswami Maharaja.
As you well know A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj wanted to take the renounced order (Sanyass) from His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Maharaj but was advised by him to go to Kesava Maharaj.
Kesava Maharaj received sanyass from Sridhar Maharaj who received it from Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Maharaj so in fact there is no difference, the link is established. In the Back ground prior to this event they ( Sridhar, Kesava and Swami Maharaj) were all good friends and shared a deep devotional affection for one another, including the respective members of their temples i.e Narayan Maharaj and Govinda Maharaj.
As you well know A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj wanted to take the renounced order (Sanyass) from His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Maharaj but was advised by him to go to Kesava Maharaj.
Kesava Maharaj received sanyass from Sridhar Maharaj who received it from Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Maharaj so in fact there is no difference, the link is established. In the Back ground prior to this event they ( Sridhar, Kesava and Swami Maharaj) were all good friends and shared a deep devotional affection for one another, including the respective members of their temples i.e Narayan Maharaj and Govinda Maharaj.
Getting back to the original article; of the many reasons articles like this exist, one is so we can learn from them by recognizeing and avoiding the many dangerous obstacles that will fall before us in OUR very lifetimes. - AJD
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"Pleasing Srila Gurudeva Gives Me Life"
Many of the disciples of our Srila Gurudeva, jagad-guru paramaradhyatama Sri Srila Prabhupada ( Bhaktisiddhanta ), gave their bodies, minds, words and wealth to assist in fulfilling his heart’s deepest ambitions. Although he was immensely pleased by their service, or anusilana, it is seen that some of them, even after serving him in this way for so many years, were willing to abandon him, their own guru (guru-tyaga), and that others have developed gurubhoga, the propensity to exploit him. That is, instead of striving to imbibe the ideal and character of our Sri Gurupada-padma, who was perpetually rapt in bhajana, they have simply imitated his external activities and audaciously costumed themselves as gurus. Not even the first stage of bhakti has manifested in their hearts.
If we contemplate the cause for this, we find that as they served him, they failed to maintain the attitude, "Srila Gurudeva will be pleased by accepting my service and pleasing him gives me life." Since they served him with many other motives and not exclusively with the hope of pleasing him, they were cheated out of obtaining the principal fruit of serving a sadhu and have instead attained whatever they secretly desired. If someone’s purpose is genuine then as bhakti appears in his heart all its symptoms, which are mentioned in the scriptures, will manifest in him and all hankerings and aspirations opposed to bhakti will gradually diminish.
If we contemplate the cause for this, we find that as they served him, they failed to maintain the attitude, "Srila Gurudeva will be pleased by accepting my service and pleasing him gives me life." Since they served him with many other motives and not exclusively with the hope of pleasing him, they were cheated out of obtaining the principal fruit of serving a sadhu and have instead attained whatever they secretly desired. If someone’s purpose is genuine then as bhakti appears in his heart all its symptoms, which are mentioned in the scriptures, will manifest in him and all hankerings and aspirations opposed to bhakti will gradually diminish.
