Exceptional Promise by Guru Shree Mahaprabhuji

At Mala Pehramni of Mrs Lalitaben Vallbhdas Thakker by Vaishnavacharya Shree Dwarkeshlalji Mohadayshree

Full Recording of Guru Speech in Gujarati ( Translation below)

https://soundcloud.com/bhupen-thakker-952272315/exceptional-promise-by-guru-mahaprabhuji?si=c1d023e2ab144b8f976c60a2cc125e10&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Translation

a Vishesh( exceptional) Manorath

and for a vishesh(exceptional)  person

This haveli (holy home)we see- the start of the haveli journey, the start of the Australian Vaishnav ( divine worshipper)  sangh started at her house

I stayed with her when I first stepped on the ground of (RED) Australia. A person who inserted extreme efforts towards this journey.....she could not walk, but by phone calls reached out to older, young and child Vaishnavas for monthly satsang. (A gathering for truth.)

She looked so busy, but her heart was for Shree Vallabh. Satsang and the forever Vallabh chant were her creeds. She had utmost faith in Shree Vallabh. I know, and all her friends, wherever they were, knew. She also knew where I was at any time. Her networks were worldwide, but her heart was forever in Shree Vallabh and her love for God, Guru, Satsangis, and divine love, even when she was unwell. 

As the pitcher of Yamunaji water entered this hall, I knew that if she were around, she would be the first to start dancing.

She had such enthusiasm...and when such a person leaves, we celebrate.

In every culture, when a person leaves, there is a satsang. In Pushti Marg, this is not a memorial service...she had brahma sambandh...and she wore a kanthi, so Thakorji took her to his leela. I say this with trust and commitment. This is a guru instruction and a promise made by Mahaprabhuji to Thakorji. 

So the journey is not about Moksh(enlightenment). It is a festival... not a down moment... comes from joy, not sadness. We often hear "with great sadness we announce," the precursor to a passing.

In Pushti Marg, we have a festival as the soul has joined the leela (party), and they will be celebrating there -the attainment of Thakorji's feet. Thakorji had promised a non loikik( non materialistic)  life.Thakorji's leela is beyond even heaven. Heaven is the gift of good karma...but a pushti heart rejoining leela is everlasting joyfulness. To join the celebrations there, here, we do mala peharamni. 

The people attending here are not blood relatives but relatives through Kanthi. Once you go,  you lose blood relatives,  but kanthi relatives remain permanent, including in the leela with Thakorji. 

The word Mala pehramni means "Garland Return Gift". So we will gift Kanthis from Lalitamasi to all as a gift. We will also utter Jai Shee Krishna from Lalitamasi. And the   Kanthi gifting?, because we all here are all related through that.

Why do we wear a kanthi just around the neck? The neck joins the body and mind. In the mind rests knowledge. The virtue which joins mind and body is Bhakti, which Kanthi ( Basil seed necklace) resting on the neck demonstrates.  And via this bhakti, access is given to Thakorji 

Prithvi Jal vayu tej Akash..... are elements of existence, and in Pushti Marg,  these are

Prithvi charanmut.. earth

Jal yamunaji..water

Tej Vallabh..light

Akash Giriraji..sky

Vayu thakorji..divine

Vaihnavas come from the 5 elements, and these 5 elements are present today ( loti water, charanmut earth, jeje light thakorji divine... inc girijaji..sky in each vaishnava present here). 

Yamunaji is here, and she was the first witness of the first Brahma Sambandh (Initiation). The five elements are present here to give assurance that this soul has joined Thakorji Leela. Yamunaji will take the soul to Leela, with the most loving generations of Kirtinya ( musicians)  like Krishnadas and Jai present here, too.

She has reached Thakorji... because Vallabh was forever in her heart, even when ill in the hospital. When she first arrived and there were no Vaishnavas, she used to sit with a tree and do satsang

All is not just in books ...learn from the habits of older Vaishnavas

Tradition and generations of worship and Gurus show us the way. 

Lalitaben is in seva of Thakorji

_____________________________________________________________________________________

A Thank you by Raju K ( Sydney) 

My Humble obeisances to Pujya Je Je Shree.

Jay Shree Krushna to all Vaishnavs present here.

On the auspicious occasion of Mala Pehramani for everyone's beloved Shree Lalita Masi, the first Vaishnav of Sydney (as she was the instrument and architect of assembling all the Vaishnavs of Sydney together) and my aunty, I sincerely thank Smita ben and Bhupen bhai for giving me this opportunity to express my gratitude on behalf of Je Je Shree. 

The day that marked the beginning of the Vaishnav Sangh of Sydney by Je Je Shree lighting up the (ghee) lamp at Smita Ben's house, is still in front of my eyes. I came to Lalita Masi's home in Waitara to offer my humble obeisances to Je Je Shree on that auspicious day. It feels as if this day has just gone past (or in the blink of an eye). 

Pujya Je Je Shree has very nicely explained the purpose of Mala Pehramni to everyone.

Twenty-five years ago, for the first time I saw Pujya Je Je Shree as the Acharya at such a young age. I had full confidence in Pujya Je Je Shree, but I cannot possibly imagine the mercy and amount of hard work that Je Je Shree has given to all Vaishnavs of Sydney to hold us together in this good direction by holding our hands. 

There was a lot of pressure from other Sampraday 25 years ago. It is very difficult to even fathom what might have happened if Puja Je Je Shree hadn't arrived in Sydney for us.

I still remember the "Seva Shibir" camp. From how to fill Jhariji to helping us understand that all the items used in Thakorji's seva are swarupatmak (same as Krushna), Puja Je Je Shree taught us everything. When Je Je Shree went to India, He used to take our kids to Holy places in India and explain to them very nicely the religious importance and sacredness/purity of these places as well as the vigilance/alertness that needed to be exercised around those places. 

Pujya Je Je Shree graced one Vaishnav's home even at 10pm in Nowra after driving for 3 hours. Puja Je Je Shree has granted us more than we deserve by gracing us with His presence even in the hospital. We, the entire Vaishnav Parivar, will be indebted forever to Puja Je Je Shree for this. 

In Your speech we have been asked to express our gratitude to Thakorji, so I am presenting here a true story of a Vaishnav to express my gratitude to the mercy of Shree Vallabh - This family's car was broken down and then the well-known Vaishnav requested them to come along to Haveli with them and then they will be dropped off to their place. This family had darshan of Thakorji and also listened to your speech and after that they said that they will regularly come to the Haveli. Today, after 2 years, this Vaishnav has taken initiation from you as well as established Thakorji and His seva in their home. What more can be the direct experience of Shree Vallabh's mercy?

I humbly request that you Je Je Shree, maintain your mercy and love towards us, Sydney Vaishnavs. We know that Nairobi's Vaishnavs are very dear to you, and we don't intend to overtake or replace them, but we want to come in the same elevated category for you. Please forgive us and tell us about it if we ever made any mistakes. You are the shelter of us orphans. My favourite kirtan pad of Sagundas comes to my mind: "Leela Hoti Juni Nataje, Leela Hoti Juni. Jo Pai Shree Vallabh Pragat Na Vaite, Vasudha Raheti Chuni."

In 25 years, He gave us Vaishnav parivar and also Sanskar (great upbringing). Follow the orders/instructions of the Guru, and we have experienced and are still seeing the results. When we didn't follow Guru's instructions, the challenges came to us, but the time has passed to reflect on that. In the Seva Shibir camp, Je Je Shree taught us about how to fill Jhariji, etc. 

Shree K K and Jai Bhai,

According to my memory, K K visited here for the first time around 2002, and Jai bhai's entry took place after some time, just like the entry of the Sholey movie. Your contribution has been immense in growing the Vaishnav Sangh in Sydney. Your kirtans like "Aavo ShreeNathji aavo and tamne chhabchhabiya kari navdaavu" or "Vaasaldi dor kom charchar chakdol chaale" or Mahaprabhuji's Vadhayi (Dev havmanan adha chadh hov) still echo in our ears. 

Lalita Masi has expressed her thanks to both of you. She calls me regularly and says, "Dear son, I see and understand everything." She gives me emotional support.

By Thakorji's grace and Je Je Shree's blessings, I wish that you maintain your friendship with Sydney like this and continue to give us your bliss (anand). 

Original text in Gujarati beautifully translated by Vikas S ( Australia)