In Honor of my dear godbrother His Grace Sankirtana Das Prabhu, I would like to share the last Vyasa Puja offering he wrote to our dear Guru Maharaja, His Holiness Lokanath Swami, on July 16th 2015.

My respected Master,

Please accept this humble servant’s obeisances. All glories to you and your service to our Founder-Acarya, Srila Prabhupada.
I have been postponing the writing of this offering mainly because of the likely unpleasantness to you and other readers. After all, what pleasantness can a dying cancer patient share?

I am now residing with my sister in Switzerland where I try to recuperate from medical treatments so far received. Unfortunately to this day however, the doctors and myself are still unclear, eagerly waiting for a sign indicating betterment. The fact is, I could be leaving this body anytime. The tumour-growth is in a precarious position in my throat with the result that I regularly get congested with heavy mucus and consequent choked breathing. At other times the accumulated swelling bursts into messy bleeding.

I do not wish for this to be simply a depressing medical update however. I wish to share something more uplifting, something more pleasing to you. I prefer to tell you of whatever realizations and resolves I have experienced in such tiring, trying, and difficult circumstances, through the increased flow of mercy.

From hearing the transcendental message for a long time, one is expected to progressively embrace the conclusion of the teachings: that the ultimate spiritual objective is to please the Supreme Lord, via the media of pleasing the Spiritual Master. Accordingly, I wish to deepen this truth in my current deprived condition.

Dear Master, by your blessings I have so far been able to bear all “trials and tribulations.” Also, perhaps due to frequent pain and the constant nearness of death, I notice that the “striving for personal honour” is decreasing. Instead, the primary emotion dominating my consciousness is gratitude.

In this regard, dear Guru Maharaja, I wish to thank you first and foremost. As you may likely recall, when I joined the association of ISKCON, your personal friendship opened many otherwise barred doors. For example, in the course of serving you, you generously acquainted me to your numerous God-brothers and sisters. In this manner, over the span of several years, you gave me the privilege to directly assist you in managerial affairs and whilst attending the GBC meetings in Mayapur.