iMonk | April 2010

Navadwip, India — Thursday, April 8th

Srila Acharya Maharaj

For some time it was His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj's desire that his foremost disciple and most outstanding servitor, Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj should be the next acharya of our Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math. Srila Gurudeva publicly declared the same to us on his Vyasa Puja day here at the Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math in Navadwip, on December 4th last year.

The shastras warn of the turmoil and confusion that inevitably follows the disappearance of the guru. To minimize the disturbance to our devotional lives and to ensure that our service was uninterrupted, Srila Gurudeva therefore appointed Srila Acharya Maharaj as his successor. All sincere devotees and disciples who have faith in Srila Gurudeva and his instructions wholeheartedly support and embrace Srila Gurudeva's selection of Srila Acharyadev to be our future guardian and protector.

For ten days, culminating in the grand disappearance festival earlier this week, we have been honoring and glorifying Srila Gurudeva. Now it is time to do Srila Gurudeva's bidding, to fulfill His Divine Grace's desire by faithfully following his instruction to continue his mission under the guidance of Srila Acharyadev.

Today is aksaya-tritiya, an auspicious day to begin something new. This morning, in a brief, simple ceremony attended by all the devotees here at the Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, Srila Acharya Maharaj's picture was installed on the altar in the temple, to take his place next to Srila Gurudeva, Srila Guru Maharaj, and all the other gurus in our sampradaya.

I was quite despondent and pessimistic after Srila Gurudeva left, but here in the association of Srila Acharyadev and all the Vaishnavas who have come to the Math to remember and honor Srila Gurudeva, it is difficult to stay that way for too long.

The mood here is positive. All the anxieties and fears that we have for the future are alleviated and diminished when we openly express these concerns to devotees we respect and whose guidance we trust. I feel more inspired every day in the association of all these venerable Vaishnava mentors — and ever so much more confident about the future of the Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math under the guidance of our new Sevaite-President-Acharya, His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj.

Tags: Gurus & Guardians

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