–    One year after
During a satsangh to which he had invited me at Ruimzeight, Prakashji riveted my attention when he said: “A country’s richest treasures lie in its burial grounds,” but his explanation proved absolutely enlightening, as it always did. According to Prakashji, persons are buried with a treasure trove of talent, knowledge, memories and intelligence that are forever lost to posterity.
In Guyana’s figurative burial ground (because he was cremated) lies wealth unmatched, because this national treasure was lost to the millions of persons worldwide whose lives he had enriched in one way or another.  Revered and having attained the status of a religious and musical icon, this legendary Bhajan singer was simple, modest, humble, gracious, soft-spoken, peaceful peace-loving, respectable and respectful to all –even those who hurt him with unkind words and actions.  Another Hindu icon, Pandit Reepu Daman Persaud, recalled the days of Prakashji’s boyhood, when he had to be persuaded to enter the singing competition that won him a ticket to Canada, and eventual international fame as a singer of exceptional merit, because he was so humble he doubted his own talent.
Savitree Gossai wrote: “Shri Prakash Gossai was born in Handsome Tree, Mahaica Creek, Guyana, into a devout Hindu family. His parents are Pandit Bissondial and Shrimati Rewti Gossai. He has two children, Pratiksha and Arun Gossai. From an early age it was evident to those around him that the depth of his awareness and interest in Sanatan Dharma was beyond ordinary.
In 1983 he immigrated to Queens, New York in the United States of America where he began teaching Marine Biology with the New York Board of Education. This was a great opportunity for Prakashji to interact with many Hindu youths. He saw our children drifting from what we consider a very rich culture and a lack of spiritual upliftment. He quickly realized that it’s the information age and children when asked to perform Pooja want to know the reason behind the rituals. They want to know why the Murtis has several hands, why we make offerings to the fire and so on.
Prakashji consulted with family and friends and in 1984 he founded the Bhuvaneshwar Mandir in Brooklyn, New York. He saw a need for more spiritual and academic activities in the Temples to attract the youths from off the streets and to promote Sanatan Dharma in its entirety with particular emphasis on involving our children in more spiritual activities. In 1992, his passion for the Ramcharitamanas became so intoxicating that he gave up his Science career to follow his aspirations and spiritual life.
In 1993, Shri Prakashji went to India to study with his Guru, Brahmrishi Vishvatma Bawraji Maharaj of Pinjore, Haryana. India. In the hermitage of this great master he spent the better part of the next year receiving Swamiji’s strict but loving spiritual discipline. During this period, he met many of India’s sages and saints and his love of Goswami Tulsidas’ Shri Ramcharitamanas intensified.
His ardent desire to consecrate his life to the love and service of God thus found fulfillment. Prakashji has traveled and lectured widely, speaking to capacity audiences in many of the largest Temples and other venues in the United States, Canada, England, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Jamaica, Venezuela, the British Virgin Island and returned several times a year to his homeland of Guyana. He emphasized the underlying unity of the world’s great religions, teaching applicable methods for attaining consciousness of God.
His emergence as a spiritual leader and messenger of the Lord is remarkable in the history of the modern world. Prakashji is well versed in several areas of Hindu philosophy. His expertise in the interpretation of Goswami Tulsidas’ Sri Ramacharitamanas has surprised even highly erudite scholars. His lectures and songs are typically characterized by the absence of any criticism on other paths and religions. He inculcates a spirit of universal acceptance, coupled with intense faith and steadfast devotion. Shri Prakashji’s vision is to develop a team of inspired youths who will serve society by disseminating the profound truth revealed to us by our great saints and sages and shows the path to God’s realization. He is the spiritual Guru for more than a thousand Chelas (disciples) around the world.
On April 19, 2002 Shri Prakashji was recognized at Devi Mandir in Pickering, Ontario, Canada for his contribution to the Canadian Hindu community. He was presented with an award from the Premier of Ontario and the honorable John Hastings, Member of Provincial Parliament for his contribution to the Hindu community in the Province of Ontario, Canada. The Federation of Hindu Temples also presented him with an award for his dedication, commitment and support to the Hindu Temples of Canada. The final award of Lifetime Membership was given by Devi Mandir recognizing his fund raising contribution to the Mandir in excess of $200K over the last four years. In the presence of over a thousand devotees, he was given a standing ovation while he accepted his
awards with great humility.
In 2002, the Government of Guyana presented Prakashji with the Medal of Service award on the anniversary of Guyana’s Independence, for his positive contribution and commitment to his native land. In his acceptance speech, he said: “I am deeply touched and honoured to be offered the Medal of Service Award on the anniversary of our Independence. I feel tremendous gratitude in being recognized as having made a positive contribution to my homeland. Upon reflection, I am convinced that the enriching experience of my childhood in Mahaica Creek, being exposed to religion from an early age, as well as, the relentless encouragement and nurturing of my educational goals and aspirations by my parents, teachers and peers, have all contributed for such an award. Like most Guyanese, who now live abroad, our hearts continually dwell on the memories of our past days, living in our country of birth. Having the good fortune of returning to Guyana and encourage my fellow brothers and sisters in their spiritual journey, will forever remain one of the most precious achievements of my lifetime. One of the many aspects of the Ramayan, which I enjoy emphasizing in my sermons, is the meeting of Lord Rama and his loyal devotee Hanuman. The essence of this meeting, of servitude and loyalty to duty and God, I see as the most important of all lessons we need to learn, in order to benefit humanity and ourselves in general. I accept this award on behalf of all Guyanese who live abroad and continue to contribute selflessly to our homeland. I wish to thank the people and the Government of Guyana for bestowing me with such an honour”
On June 9, 2005 New York City Council and the Tri-state Alliance recognized Shri Prakashji for his humanitarian services, as well as his contribution and commitment to the community in the field of culture and religion. The Honorable Leroy Comrie and Yvette Clark, Council Members presented him with an award from the City of New York. Several dignitaries were present for this event, including the Honorable Brentnol Evans-Consulate General of Guyana and Mr. Robert Persaud from the office of the President of Guyana. Shri Prakashji expressed his gratitude for being recognized, in his acceptance speech, he said “there are many who are qualified to receive this award and I humbly receive it on all their behalf. This supplies a catalyst for us to work more assiduously to make a better New York City and make our President and the people of Guyana proud of the work of Guyanese living in New York”.

Shri Prakashji has emerged as a powerful
spiritual messenger in a long line of spiritual giants that Guyana has produced.
Those graced by God with exceptional talent are subjected to acts of malice by lesser beings and Prakashji experienced that vindictive malice in abundance during his lifetime, yet he climbed ever higher in glory without resorting to responding in any way to his protagonists, but remembered pain was evident in his voice when he tried to comfort me during a particularly bad phase in my life with the simple words, which carried a profound message: “No-one pelts an empty mango tree.”  The message therein was that malicious persons covet the worth of the people they pelt with lies and rumours.
Among the many enlightening lessons Prakashji imparted was that the Lord’s power is embodied in all of us, a phenomenon he calls KRIPA, which is acrostic for the potentials residing in everyone: K-indness, R-eason, I-ntegrity, P-urpose of life, and A-ttitude.  According to Prakashji, the Lord invested in every human being, along with those potentials, the right of choice to our lifestyle options.
As he explained, inherent in everyone is the potential to climb the heights, or descend to the depths, because the Lord created everyone in equal measure; and that is why some who are born into the depths of human existence achieve unsurpassing wealth and status, while many others who are born into decent families descend to unfathomable depths.
There are many whose spirits have been uplifted by dedicated propagators of religion through enlightened and practical interpretation of the holy books of mankind – whether it is the Koran, the Gita, the Torah, or the Bible, and the role of responsible and humanitarian religious leaders within societies is incalculable in its potential to create the synergies that would herald the fulfillment and attainment of the global imperative of peaceful conflict-resolution for the perpetuation of humankind on a prosperous and thriving Planet Earth.
Prakashji’s religious epic of choice was Tulsidas’s Ram Charit Manas and, using this as base, his effortlessly magical renditions in praise of the Lord are immortal and irradiant testimonies to the fact that the Lord blesses the special persons whose souls have evolved through good karmic acts with special gifts – in Prakashji’s case the gift of a sublime voice that he has raised to the heavens all across the globe in praise of the Lord.
The Lord has recalled the conduit of that voice that has propagated in sublime splendor  the messages and philosophies of the Hindu scriptures throughout the world, but his magical renditions resonating in the quintessential resonances of human existence will continue to enrapture generations to come and provide enlightenment through his scintillating interpretations of the sacred texts to heal the soul and empower the mind – without borders and without divides.
Just a few weeks before he died he had conducted a Havan for my birthday.  Although we spoke many times after that, it was the last time I saw him and his hand on my head was the last time he had touched me.  This blessing is a memory that will last me a lifetime.  The last time we spoke – very late at night, he had expressed his concern about Indian wedding houses – both moslem and Hindu, setting up bars for the barriati; and his sorrow at the deepening rifts between religious leaders.  He was planning (had actually initiated it in the Corentyne) a campaign to discourage drinking at weddings, and a programme to unite religious leaders so that they could impact in more holistic ways at community levels.
He was one of the persons who always made me feel special, because he always reached out to me, as he did to many others, regardless their status in society.
A country’s richest treasures indeed lie in its burial grounds – and today the gemlike talent in the jewel that was Prakash Gossai has been added to that treasury.