"Closer Than The Air We Breathe"

Dandavat Pranams! Sri Sri Guru Gauranga Jayatah!! Nitya lila pravistha Srila Bhakti Vijnana Bharati Goswami Maharaja ki Jaya!! Srila Guru Maharaja ki Jaya!! By your mercy, Srila Guru Maharaja, I may hopefully offer some puspanjali words in glorification of your lotus feet. It was some time in 2012 or 2013 when I came to know of Srila Guru Maharaja. Somehow or other, some controversy surrounding Srimati Syamarani Didiji's inquiries seeking reconciliation about the hue of Yashoda Maiya in Damodara lila had arisen and I bore witness. Still not knowing of Srila Guru Maharaja's glory, words naturally flowed out in defense of Didiji and Srila Guru Maharaja. "Srila Bharati Maharaja's reconciliation proves that he is 100% in line with Srila Gurudeva (Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Goswami Maharaja) and Srila Prabhupada, and thus, he is in line with our Rupanuga Guru Varga." These words only came by the mercy of my beloved Srila Gurudeva and beloved Srila Guru Maharaja. And in 2017, one week before Srila Guru Maharaja concluded his manifest pastimes, he mercifully accepted me and others as his diksa disciple. Since 2012/13, I only aspired from him and just see how he mercifully fulfilled my heart's desire, despite not being physically close to him. Srila Gurudeva always mentions that "I am closer to you than the air you breathe." Thus, Sri Guru is always present, especially in the heart's of his sincere disciples. Sri Guru is truly one and may manifest in a different form or rupa. While I am not sincere nor even a real disciple of either of my spiritual masters, they have causlessly given their mercy to such a foolish person like myself. I only pray they keep me under the shade of their lotus feet and that I may please them in some way. A few years before my diksa, my Mother, Sunita dasi, also experienced Srila Guru Maharaja's glories in an indirect way. Somehow, she began honoring the appearance and disappearance days of Vaishnava Thakuras like festivals. It felt like the right thing to do and she insisted on doing so. When she began reading the glories of Srila Guru Maharaja and how he spoke of the importance of honoring the Vaishnavas on their specific tithis, otherwise it would incur aparadha, this only reaffirmed her actions and strengthened her conviction to honor all Vaishnava tithis as she had been. When I took diksa, I put a picture of Srila Guru Maharaja on the altar, who my Mother offers to everyday alongside her beloved Srila Gurudeva, Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Goswami Maharaja. She felt a connection with Srila Guru Maharaja through the mercy of her Srila Gurudeva and through the compassion and mercy of Srila Guru Maharaja, both of whom entered our home and we pray they enter our hearts and never leave...becoming closer than the air we breathe. Srila Guru Maharaja, my Mother and I may have been bereft of your close and personal association, however, your divine words and lotus feet have forever left an imprint in our hearts. We pray we can serve you always. Your lowly aspiring servants, Anuradha and Sunita dasis