Date: 10/22/19

Dear Sriman Damodara dasa,

Please accept my blessings and well wishes in remembrance of my Divine Masters.

After some time, I listened to your lectures and distributed them. Then my friends attacked me, threatened hell, etc.

We must follow the Absolute Truth wherever He leads us. He wants and demands that His devotees will not compromise their surrender to Him in any way. This often means, as Srila Sridhara Maharaja stated it, “By His will, friends may turn into foes, and foes may turn into friends.”:

Friends may be converted into foes, and foes may be converted into friends. But I must stick to my ideal. By His will, friends may turn into foes, and foes may turn into friends. But in my progress, some elimination and some new acceptance, it must be. If there is progress real, then some sort of elimination and some sort of newcomers. It must be. It can’t be avoided, if I’m progressing. If I’m of a progressive nature then there must be elimination and must be new beginning, new friends. It can’t be stopped, in our realization.

When we begin our education in the school, or class, so many, all may not pass, they fall back. And we are to make new classmates. And again go up, new classmates, new classmates, and old classmates may fall back. It is quite natural. But it does not mean that we are envious of them. We’re sympathetic; we shall try our best to help them. But still, it may happen that I can’t help. But this is the nature and this cannot but be the nature.

Gaura Haribol. Gaura Haribol. Gaura Haribol. Gaura Haribol. Gaura Haribol.
Gaura Haribol. Nitāi Caitanya. Kṛṣṇa. Gaura Haribol. Nitāi Caitanya Dayal.

Is this to discourage you? That our friend may not remain friend all along, is it discouraging?

Akṣayānanda Mahārāja: This gives us life. We’re getting new life.

Śrīla Śrīdhara Mahārāja: This is the truth in life and we cannot but face that.

Akṣayānanda Mahārāja: You’re giving us life.

Śrīla Śrīdhara Mahārāja: But at the same time we must not be non sympathetic. Always we must be sympathetic to our friends, our environment. But we cannot ignore the fact that His, Lord’s dispensation we can’t avoid. We must take it on our head. His dispensation is above all. With this we are to march on: what to do.

— 81.08.12.C

Then came strong mental anxieties. How can I forget about the past and start a new life?

“If I’m of a progressive nature then there must be elimination and must be new beginning, new friends. It can’t be stopped, in our realization.”

It is not an easy answer to accept, but it is the only answer.

I pray this finds you well in health and spirits.

Sincerely,

Swami B.K. Giri