Offerings 2008
My dear guru-maharaja, Srila Niranjana Swami,Please accept my humble obeisances in the dust of your lotus feet. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Dear guru-maharaja, on this auspicious day, the day of your vyasa puja, please accept my heart wishes to you to be in good health for many years to come, and please let me share some of my realizations in my Krishna consciousness and offer it to you as a very small and humble gift.
On my level of human life, where I am just making first steps as a devotee, I had come to realize how important it is to maintain friendly and caring relationships with all living entities and, especially, with devotees.
Recently, I opened a free magazine "Natural Awakenings", dedicated to a healthy living on a healthy planet. My husband picks these kind of magazines in our nearest organic store Nutrition S'Mart. And what I found there was that even ordinary people, non devotees, throughout the world are very concerned about true compassion that starts from forgiveness, peace and nonviolence. While I was reading the article "The Higher Path of Compassion: How to Truly Forgive," a thought crossed my mind. This is regular people talking about compassion,
but I want to be a devotee. Shouldn't this be my first concern, too? I must immediately step on the path of true forgiveness. I offended so many people in my life, hurt their feelings, and often didn’t apologize for that.
According to this article, opening our hearts and forgiving ourselves and others is a healing process that mends bodies, minds and spirits. Also it advises to make a list of people who have offended you, and you them, and contact, if possible, those people, to begin the process of reconciliation. It says, that often a simple "I am sorry" restores a broken relationship. Therefore, I made a list of devotees, who I think I offended, and contacted practically everyone on that list and asked every person to forgive me for my rude words or behavior towards them in the past. Only one person didn’t answer my message so far; I don't know the reason; it simply could be the change of email address in many years or something like that. The rest of the devotees graciously said to me, "Never mind. We are not angry with you anymore." I was touched to the core of my heart: how kind devotees are.
I was glad to know that not only devotees are concerned about peaceful harmony in human society but regular intelligent people too. That’s why I decided that I don’t want to break that harmony; I want to carefully fix those breaks in friendly relations to contribute to world compassion. Unfortunately, these pious thoughts didn’t come on to my mind from nowhere,just like that. I’ve been through some health problems, and when time was critical, I got scared. I recalled Vraja Lila’s dairy, where she said something like that, “Do we really need critical conditions or strong disease or near death experience to surrender to Krishna? Why couldn’t we do it earlier before the disaster strikes?” Vraja Lila was a disciple of Indradumna Maharaja, and she wrote her famous dairy before we lost her to leukemia.
Thinking upon all of it, I got determined to stop being a materialistic rude person and start surrendering to Krishna right away. And I knew that my devotion to Krishna should start
from devotion to His devotees. That’s why today, I say to all of you, my dear guru maharaja, my dear god-sisters and god-brothers, please forgive me for my mistakes and improper behavior; I’ll try to avoid any of this from now on. I am truly sorry for all the bad things that were already done by me in the past.
Your humble servant,
Taraka devi dasi
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Please accept my prostrated obeisance’s at the dust of your lotus feet. All glories to your beloved spiritual master and savior of all fallen souls Srila Prabhupada!
So many matchless gifts you had presented to us. Your visit to Baltic Summer Festival this year and giving your valuable association is one more outstanding matchless gift. Thank you for do not forgetting us and keeping us engaged in devotional service. Though I’m completely unfit and unqualified for such most exalted activity, still, being an elevated devotee, you notice something valuable and worthy to use in your service to Srila Prabhupada’s mission. Thus first of all I would like to thank you for your unprecedented tolerance and unique kindness for this fallen soul.
On this auspicious day of your appearance in this world I would like to express my gratitude for one very unique treasure you are giving constantly to me, which is nourishing and maintaining my devotion. That is the association of my god-brothers and god-sisters. They not only reflect your wonderful qualities and thus remind me about you. Dedicating themselves to your service and thus by their personal life showing an example, they constantly remind me who am I and what should I do.
First of all I would like to thank you for giving me the wonderful association of Vaikunthanatha prabhu. He is an exemplary brahmana in our society. His abode, New Gokula is a shelter for all who need to recharge their spiritual batteries. He’s expert in so many fields, but the most inspiring in him is that like a cintamani stone he turns others into devotees or inspires devotees to sacrifice themselves more to devotional service. Together with mother Vrindavana Vilasini they show unprecedented example of vaisnava hospitality and with deep taste continue their sadhana and service, as uninterrupted as the lines on the stone.
Mother Taruni most probably is already known in all three worlds for her unparallel cooking and with that service satisfying you and your godbrothers. But she is also a deep ocean of krisna katha and then she starts to share it, it’s impossible to stop hearing; it’s so sweet.
Hearing Asvini Kumara bhajans brings tears to the eyes. Even such stone iron coated heart as mine melts and by his mercy Holy Name forcefully enters into the ears. Shatakula prabhu is an unlimited ocean of wisdom; he is capable to speak uninterruptedly for hours. Unfortunately we as listeners are not so qualified. He’s also exemplary in taking care of Krsna’s devotees, especially of smallest one.
Mother Amritamani for so many years already annually offer us priceless gift - Baltic Summer Festival, which is a main source of inspiration for the whole year ahead. She also shows a unique example of drowning into sravanam, the most important for us, the beginners, activity. Srila Prabhupada states in SB 3.5.42 purport “by following the process of hearing from a bona fide devotee one can achieve the highest result”.
It’s not possible to enumerate in this small offering all your wonderful diksa and siksa disciples, which you carefully raised up in this little country. It’s really amazing. Thank you for opening my eyes and helping me to realize how many wonderful vaisnavas are nearby, filled with compassion to this fallen soul and ready to help. All together they form a high defense of sadhu sanga which allows my devotional creeper to grow up, and nourish it with constant shower of Krsna and guru katha. Thus though completely helpless I still maintain hope to someday achieve the level of pure devotional service, the goal you would like me to achieve.
Humble servant of your servants
Doyal Govinda dasa
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Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Please accept this humble congratulation on this wonderful day of your appearance in this world. Actually this day is more important for us, your disciples, because especially during that day we think more about you, about your qualities, about that you gave to us, and how we could better meditate on your instructions. This is actually wonderful, because such deep meditation is not different from direct association with you. And for us it is the most important to have more of your association.
It is stated, that even a moment of association with pure devotee of the Lord can give the biggest gain. Each year I try to understand, what was the most important I learned from your lectures, which I heard during that year. The most important for me it was, that the devotee must always be dependent on Krsna’s mercy and in everything what happens in his life to see Krsna’s will. In all circumstances devotee must understand: if that did Krsna, that is good, let it be so. Because what Krsna is doing with his devotee, it is always beneficial for him, even though temporally something can appear to be unfavorable.
From your lectures I also realized how you are completely devoted to your spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada. You show us the example how the disciple must have love to his spiritual master and maintain this attachment for the whole of his life, dedicating it to his service. I only hope that by your mercy someday I would also be able to achieve such attitude. Meanwhile I can only express my gratitude for your association, which you so generously offer.
Please forgive me that I do not write letters to you. Unfortunately I do not have the abilities to express my feelings on paper. But wholeheartedly would like to thank you that by your mercy, and by mercy of the devotees, who are nearby, every day can get inspiration, wisdom and experience.
Your humble servant
Yuga Priya devi dasi
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This offering is a proof that I have not stopped of you as my guide in my eternal journey.
You have very important part in my life. Were you not there, I would not feel this good as now. I would feel emptiness. I would think that I have not been lucky enough to find my spiritual master or that I am too bad to have such a great personality in my sinful life. It is your presence that makes me feel that I am a somebody, I am a person. Otherwise I would be unsure about my life: confused and wandering around. Now that you are there I feel fixed for I have got you as my spiritual father, who is my eternal well-wisher.
Just a thought of losing you makes me petrified. This is your constant giggling and laughing that gives me a show that spiritual practices are not always cheerless and serious. Actually spiritual life can be sweet and fun. Only thing is that I have to find the way to derive this sweet happiness. Please keep guiding me in finding this and let me still have you as a key part of my life. What else I can ask from you, I do not know.
Your servant,
bhaktin Helis (Estonia)
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Please accept my humble obeisances at the dust of your lotus feet. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Everytime I write an offering for Your vyasa puja day, I understand that I should be many times more grateful. And now I try to apprecieate how much You are important in our lives. Guru this is the person who revives our lost relationship with Krsna, because if in our life there is no Krsna, then such life is meaningless. Like many "zeroes" standing in line, without any "one". So Guru should be in main place of our lives. If we follow You it means that ultimately we will reach the Supreme goal of life, because You are follwoing the path given by Srila Prabhupada, the chief commandor of devotees. You follow Him with great devotion, love and strictness. How important is for us your example in devotional service! How great the power that You posses! Sometimes I try to compare my service and service of other devotees to understand what else should I learn. I want to say that your example is such an high ideal for us, that we cannot even appreciate it by some mere categories. And how important is your personal care, that You are ready to offer even at the cost of great efforts and austerities.
Your instructions, Guru Maharaja, are great wellfare, which gives light for the mind and feeling of not mundane bliss. How important is constant remembering You and understanding your mood of absorbtion in pastimes of the Lord.
When we speak among ourselves about You - guru-katha - we learn from each another devotion for spiritual master. All of this and all this what is connected to You Guru Maharaja is very important for us. Now when I wrote it down, I understand even more that following in the footsteps of spiritual master is our whole life and soul.
Thank you very much Guru Maharaja that you are here and with us.
Your servant
Manmohini devi dasi
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Please Accept my most humble obeiscances at your lotus feet. All Glories to Srila Prabhupada. All Glories to Guru and Gauranga.
Srila Prabhupada, Krsna have bestowed their mercy on me by bringing into my insignificant life which is full of materialistic darkness the light and the sound of your presence. I do not have any qualifications to get this mercy but one of your worthy disciple's desire to serve you so sincerely made me hear about Krsna, Srila Prabhupada from you You mentioned in one of your lectures that the electric current flows only when their is a proper connection in the wires. The desire to serve Krsna and Srila Prabhupada has flowed from you to your disciple and to me thereon. Even though I am not yet physically connected to the disciplic succession and await your mercy for this yet the your vani has made a strong impact such that life seems to be incomplete without association and opportunity to serve you,Srila Prabhupada and Krsna.
The power of your Vani is phenomenal, and the desire to serve Srila Prabhupada is contagious. Even a hard hearted, selfish person like me feels the pain of separation of Srila Prabhupada, the ecstasy of following his instructions flowing in your lectures.
Through your vani, your writings you exemplify how to remain connected to the Disciplic succession, how to remain humble. Your kirtans inspire a person to chant and experience the taste in chanting the holy names of Krsna.
On this wonderful occasion of your appearance I feel separation from you and resolve that Krsna willing I may be able to serve the vaishnavas and sincerely try to make Krsna the center of my life. I am eternally indebted to you for you to giving me an opportunity to use this human life for the purpose it is meant for.
Please forgive me for the lack of understanding of proper Vaisanava etiquette in addressing you.
Your Aspiring Insignificant Servant of Servant of Servant
Karan
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I offer my humble obeisances towards your lotus feet.
While worshiping Ganga one is taking water and offer it to Mother Ganga. The same is with me. I'm trying to offer obeisances with the body, which is not mine, hearing your bhajanas and lectures with the ears which are also do not belong to me. The only sound thing which I may do - is to offer my sincere love to Your lotus feet and deep gratitude for everything You've done and are doing for me.
Your, unworthy disciple
Galina Pasichnyk (Lviv, Ukraine)
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Please accept my humble obeisances at Your lotus feet. All glories to Srila Prabhupada! All glories to Your Divine Grace and this Sankirtana movement which You are spreading!
This day is the most auspicious in my life because You have come to the Earth to help so many fallen souls including me and bring us to Lord Krishna. I am highly grateful to You for deciding to help me. Your support is the biggest gift to me.
I remember that some years ago in New Gaudadesh (Lithuania) festivals I was only swimming in the lake and playing football. But during one festival I met You. I do not know how, but You gave me so much inspiration to progress in spiritual life, so much taste. You let me feel so happy being together with devotees. So after that all my festivals were only kirtans and lectures. For all of that I should thank You. Because of Your mercy I understood what a life I would live if I accepted Krishna. You gave me a strong desire to serve Krishna, to be always with devotees. Only You gave me the taste for Holly name, kirtans and other service. I am so indebted to You because of that. If not You, I maybe would go to discos, pubs and other horrible places. But now you gave me Krishna and I can dance in kirtans instead of discos, and eat wonderful Krishna’s prasadam.
But I am really sorry that I do not use this gift so much I should do. Please forgive me that sometimes I do not chant all my rounds. I am really trying to chant all sixteen rounds every day, but sometimes (maybe because of lack of time or determination) I chant only part of my rounds. But now I am distributing books and I chant all my rounds everyday and sometimes more. So I want to ask You to help me. You are so dear to lord Krishna, please help me, I know that I am not worth, but please help me in my spiritual life.
I want to thank You that You come to Lithuania’s festivals, lead so many powerful kirtans, give very inspiring lectures. Your spiritual qualities inspire me to serve. When I heard about Your book distribution I also became so inspired and started to distribute books, because I know how sankirtana is important to You and Srila Prabhupada.
I would like to wish You, if my low condition allows to do that, a lot of health and happiness. I know that You always are happy because of founding shelter at Lord Krishna’s lotus feet, but still I really want to see You happy. I would like to wish You everything the best!
I want to thank You again because of inspiration You always give me. I will be always indebted to You. Please forgive me all my mistakes and please help me.
Thank You very much for everything You gave me!
Your fallen servant,
Bhaktin Ananda
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Please accept my humble obeisances.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada. All glories to Your Divine Grace.
On the auspicious day of Your Vyasa-puja let me again and again express my endless gratitude for Your incomparable mercy to my fallen soul. Thank You for Your wonderful realizations, given by You in your lectures. Thank You for Your kind support and unlimited forgiveness. Thank You for Your overwhelming power to be not only a perfect guru for each and every disciple of Yours, but to always be a friend and a well-wisher. I can’t stop thinking about Your divine qualities and powerful ability to attract everybody to Krishna consciousness. You are the perfect embodiment of divine features of Lord Sri Krishna, contained in His beautiful spiritual name – Niranjana. Let me offer this small verse to Your divine attention. It is a little bit sentimental, but coming from the bottom of my heart.
To my beloved Spiritual Master
You are impeccable. That is your name.
You are resplendent, my Sun and my flame.
You are the wisest – you see from within
I’m not able to hide any sin…
You are my dream of the highest abode…
You are my Teacher, and Master, and God.
You are my Friend, my support and my life
You are my mantra, my service, my love.
You are the Knowledge I want to obtain,
Giving me light and relieving my pain.
You are my soul and my heart and my mind,
All that I have, all I had, all I find.
You are in everything. How can it be?
You are Lord’s energy – perfect and free,
Kind, irreproachable… That is your fame!
You are non-different…You and Your name!
I am always indebted to You.
Please forgive my offences, shortcomings and stupidity.
With respectful obeisances to Your lotus feet,
Your servant,
Kalpataru d.d.
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Please accept my humble obeisances at the dust of your lotus feet and the lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada!
I really would like to glorify you on your appearance day but unfortunately my heart is empty. You are most dear to me but I am so dry that I can not express my gratitude to you. I was sitting in front of my computer for more than one hour and even before that I was contemplating about what to right in this offering but nothing appeared in my heart.
Dear Guru Maharaj when I see how you totally dedicate yourself to Srila Prabhupada mission's service, my body bows down to your feet by itself. You gave up all material desires and completely took shelter at the lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada and Krishna. That is why you are able to do so much service to satisfy your spiritual master. Despite the obstacles and poor health you unceasingly go on with your service. Your determination and enthusiasm are always very strong. You are a source of inspiration for continuing to render devotional service even if there is no strength to do it.
Dear Guru Maharaj, the only thing why I would like to live is to serve you but my mind is so stupid that it deviates at its own whim.
By your mercy I spend a lot of time in the Holy Dham but unfortunately my heart did not change. As soon as I thought that I totally surrender to you and was ready for everything, I found out that it is not so. During the last year a lot of material desires appeared in my heart and they completely bewilder me. I thought that I no longer look for material enjoyment, and that lust, greed and anger do not bother me a lot, but now I see that I am entirely under their control. That is why my heart is still silent. You gave me the Holy Name and I try to chant it every day but in my heart only anarthas come up. And worst of all I try to remain happy while I better be crying and crying for mercy.
Dear Guru Maharaj, I know that you are very merciful and compassionate towards the fallen souls. I have not strength to follow all the vows and instructions and I noticed that I even do not want to get rid of the material desires. Looks like I want more to leave Krishna that to come back to Him. I am just swimming with the current and only trying not to go under. The Holy Name which you gave me is the only thing which is left. I try to grasp it but my mind takes me away again and again. Please do not deprive me of your mercy. Please attract my mind for Srila Prabhupada's and Krishna's service. Let my heart be attracted to Krishna more than to the sense enjoyment. I am so unfortunate that I still hope for material happiness and I am satisfied with drops of poison instead of drinking the full cup of nectar of eternal service to you and Srila Prabhupada.
Your ungrateful and useless servant,
Rasasundari d.d.
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Dear Srila Niranjana Swami, Hare Krsna!
Please, sorry for my bad English. I use a dictionary to write this letter.
I worship towards Your Spiritual Master and You. I sincerely thanks to God for have opportunity to write this letter – present for You. I don’t know how it is - correct write this kind of letters. I just try to say cordially for You about my innermost things.
For a long time I want have a talk with You. But I don’t know English language and in interpreter presence complicate innermost talk with You. It is difficult to say about innermost thoughts by words. Remain hope to the heart and eyes.
When at the first time I was visit devotes in Simferopol in 2000 year it was Your Vjasa Puja. Your pupil Ekavrata das studiously with love decorate Your photo and perform all ceremony. Many of things I was not understand. I with interest has a good look at Your photo which prepossess in have faith.
Like this exactly from Yours Vjasa Puja spiritual practice started for me in a Krishna Consciousness. It is very symbolic and valuable for me.
Then in autumn 2000 year at the Festival in Odessa I’m at the first time seen and hear how You was lead a kirtan and sing a Holy Name. It seemed my heart was stop. This Holy Sound was so native and valuable. This way Your glorify of Holy Name touch my Soul… And ever since I always hold one's breath listening how You tell about God Games and glorify Holy Name. And I want such listen and glorify infinitely.
I sincerely thanks to Srila Prabhupada for have opportunity communicate with You and Your God Brother and Sisters. Listen Your directions and in common glorify, learn to how love The God.
I sincerely thanks to You for opportunity communicate with Yours pupils. Take care of Them and learn to how develop relationship in Krishna Consciousness.
And I thank very much Yours pupils: especially Ekavrata prabhu who take care about me and my son when we join in movement. I thank to my curator – Ekobhakta prabhu and his wife matadjy Madana Sundary, Deva Vishvambhara prabhu ad matadjy Shjamapriya for them care and help.
Also with gratitude I want to tell about candidate for Your pupils – elderly matadji Tokareva Lidiya Alekseevna. She is a leader of Namahata in a Bahchisaray (town near Simperopol). She is oneself and self property (apartment) completely give to service Deitys Sri Sri Nitay Gaurachandra and devotes. As a matter of fact She is turn her apartment into a temple. She is also responsible for organization a meeting of Your pupils in a Yatra of Simferopol. Especially it is touching to see how she’s every time make for You beautiful garland.
Meeting of Your pupils are very interesting. With help of senior devotes we all easily carried away by Gurukatha. We can’t see how time flies nobodies want to go and we all need for communication and Holy katha.
We dreams and hope for one time You can visit our Namahata in Bahchisaray. And all together will glorify Holy Names for Sri Sri Gaura Nitay!
Thanks for sharing Your revelations in the letters for us. We hardly waiting them and Your letters so valuable for us and be instructive example for us.
Allow sincerely wish for You effective, active activities and realization in initiative, maintenance and completion of different project in a Krishna Consciousness! Also prosperity of Crimean Festival! Faithful followers and assistants!
We pray for Your health for helping in Mission of Sri Chaitania Mahaprabhu and Srila Prabhupada.
With everlasting gratitude for Guruparampara and You!
Yarmilko Elena (Ukraine)
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On the most favorable day of Your Divine appearing to the material world, please, accept my profound respectful and submissive bows.
May all Glory to be with His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada!
This is my first time to do the offering on the day of Your appearing so I am a little bit exited. Please, forgive me if there will be something wrong.
May all Glory to be with You because You have such disciples as Lakshmi Narayana prabhu, who was able to waken my memory of my being the servant of the servant... of God. I could not realize for so long who I am, why I am here and what for. And then thanks to the mercy of Krishna, Srila Prabhupada, You,dear Niranjana Swami, Lakshmi Narayana prabhu I found my way, which will be able to lead me to the God. Listening to You lectures, reading Your books and letters to your disciples, who are imbued with such strong devotion and love to the Guru and Krishna I wanted to become Your servant and learn to love and to serve You as You love and serve to Your Guru Srila Prabhupada. In respect and humility I bow to Your feet and beg You to take one more fallen soul as your disciple. Without Your Grace, Your blessing I will not be able to reach Krishna. I do not dear yet to call myself Your servant and disciple because I did nothing for it. Though You highly gave me refuge at Your lotus feet and spiritual name, which I did not deserve. I will try hard to deserve Your blessing and to become Your competent servant and disciple, of course if You allow me. To get Your admonitions and to follow them, to learn love, humility, unselfishness and compation form You. I will try to repeat Holy Names without insults and to listen to the Holy Names carefully. Please, bless me to feel once the taste of Holy Name. Please, believe that this is the wish of many of Your followings. You give so much attention to your disciples, You have copmpation for each of them. You are worrying if everything is Ok with them and try to make their lifes better. You feel responsible for every follower because they are dear to You. Also You feel responsibility for many of Your brothers in God, the disciples of Srila Prabhupada. All those concerns require from You many attention and energy. As Your disciples are not always able to come to You, You have to travel so much because You always believe that it is necessary to give Your communication to every of Your disciples. All this takes your health that is why I pray that Krishna would continue to give his mercy to You and You would have enough of strength and health. Because without You we will not be able to reach Krishna. We need you so much!
I bow in deep respect and humility in the dust of Your lotus feet.
Your servant,
Vrinda Kunda d.d. (Bratsk, Irkutsk region, Russia)
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Guru Maharaj, I am very happy that in this life I have met Srila Prabhupada, devotees and you. Thank you so much for your soft, loving preaching and for making me happy. And may you also be born one day in my heart as you are with all your spiritual qualities.
Happy birthday to You!
Thank You for Your loving care about myself.
Gauraseni Gopi d.d.
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srimate niranjana-svamin iti namine
anahata prayasena prabhupadasya tushtaye
sankirtana pravrityartham iha te gurave namah
Dear Guru-Maharaja,
Please, accept my prostrated obeisances at the dust of your lotus feet. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
One more year passed since I wrote my last Vyasa-puja offering. And, looking deeply in my heart, I’m again trying to understand what have happened in my devotional life, what lessons I have learned by your causeless mercy. Although it may seem that I had to face to so many obstacles and difficult situations, I can understand that all my problems are nothing in comparison with what you have to deal with, having taken responsibility for all of us, your unworthy and unqualified disciples. Srila Prabhupada used to say that in order to make somebody a devotee one has to spend gallons of blood! And, finally, it is only your mercy and prayers that gave me the intelligence and strength to pass all this testes and to somehow continue my devotional service. We can see in this material world how people, exposed to severe suffering, become angry and in order to revenge for their pain start doing the same things with others. Only in Krishna Consciousness on can make progress at the time of difficulties and become more sincere and mature in his spiritual life. Humble surrender and taking shelter of spiritual master’s instructions make possible what may seem to be completely impossible to overcome and brings one closer to Krishna. Therefore for me the most important realization for this year will be the feeling of great gratitude. For one, who is unable to directly approach Krishna, relationships with Him are developing trough His Holy Name, trough the Deities and trough the words of Vaishnavas.
For me it was a very important realization - to make efforts for attentive chanting of the Holy Name, for satisfying Vaishnavas and for pure worshiping the Deities and to see how great the reciprocation is. Certainly, that it is only a slightest glimpse of what krishna-ananda, the bliss of devotional service, is, but even these small glimpses give me so much inspiration to continue working in this direction. At the same time I feel that I’m not able to do it by my own strength - I depend on your mercy! I can only imagine how painful is for you to see my stupidity, pride and selfish material desires - from your platform of pure devotion and dedication to Srila Prabhupada's service. You expressed that my sinful mentality in one of your recent lectures on Srila Bhaktisiddhanta’s “Amrita Vani”: “I serve the Lord so much. I have already served the Lord. I have become a Vaishnava. ” Certainly, for me there is a very long way to go in order to achieve Krishna, but still I have a great hope, because there is such a merciful shelter of your guidance and loving care. In your lectures you always stress only what is most important - pure devotion to Krishna, and therefore this determination, greediness to achieve that most precious gift is burbling in the hearts of your sincere disciples. You once mentioned that for you the greatest happiness is to see your disciples happy in serving Krishna. Sincere disciple is thinking only of satisfying his spiritual master and the Supreme Lord. You also mentioned that it is not something sinful - desire to make progress in Krishna Consciousness, although it may look like something selfish. Krishna is relishing the activities of His pure devotees, their service brings Him the greatest pleasure. And, in his turn, such a Vaishnava is very anxious to share these realizations with others, who due to either being completely ignorant about what devotional service is - in case of non-devotees - or because of inattentiveness and familiarity in discharge of devotional service - in case of neophyte devotees - are bereft of this higher happiness. Therefore I pray for you - please, help me to become pure, to give up all ulterior motives, even if you need to punish and severely chastise me. And I hope that one day I’ll be able to express the gratitude similar to that of Srila Raghunatha Dasa Gosvami - in his wonderful prayer to his spiritual master:
nama-shreshthan manum api saci-putram atra svarupam
rupam tasyagrajam uru-purim mathurim goshthavatim
radha-kundam giri-varam aho radhika-madhavasam
prapto yasya prathita-kripaya sri-gurum tam nato'smi
"I bow down to the beautiful lotus feet of my spiritual master, by whose causeless mercy I have obtained the supreme holy name, the divine mantra, the service of the son of Saci-mata, the association of Srila Svarupa Damodara, Rupa Gosvami, and his older brother Sanatana Gosvami, the supreme abode of Mathura, the blissful abode of Vrindavana, the divine Radha-kunda and Govardhana Hill, and the desire within my heart for the loving service of Sri Radhika and Madhava in Vrindavana."( Mukta-carita 4)
But even before that I want to try to repay my great debt to you by helping others progress in devotional service.
Your unworthy servant
Sarvajna dasa
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Hare Krsna,
Today is the most celebrated and auspicious day of Your Vyasa-puja. How fortunate am I that I am able to write this attempt in glorifying You.
Dear Guru Maharaja I want to thank You for being so selfless, merciful and tolerant in undergoing so much trouble just to save degraded persons like us. I feel so ashamed that I cannot offer You the true gratitude, respect and thanks due to You.Your esteemed and selfless service to Srila Prabhupada is greatly appreciated.
Whenever You preach You always mention Srila Prabhupada's name, in this way I can see how much You respect and love Your Guru Maharaj. Not only that Maharaj, I see You respect every living entity and showed us how to be humble through You.
YOU Maharaja are the PERFECT devotee, disciple and acarya. The more I read and hear about Srila Prabhupada, the more I understand what ISKCON is about, the more I appreciate everyone connected to Srila Prabhupada and eventually, the more blessed I feel.
My ardent prayer today, is that You, Guru Maharaja, constantly reside in my heart. And I can only beg for Your mercy, so that I can continue my struggle for existence in this material world. And please, please bless me that I will be able to follow in Your footsteps in pleasing Srila Prabhupada .
Thank You.
Your insignificant servant
Baktin Asta (Ireland)
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Hare Krishna. Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Thank you very much for your mercy to us. Without this mercy we cannot chant Holy Names, that is important for us. Only by chanting the Holy Names we feel our eternal connection with our Lord Krishna.
sa guruh sa pita chapi
sa mata bandhavo' pi saha
shikshayech chet sada smartum
harer namaiva kevalam
You are more dear to us than our own father, we feel that you are our real well-wisher. Thank you very much, you have inspired us into our new existence. We wish you good health and the fulfillment of your plans.
Your eternally devoted disciples.
Hare Krishna.
Sincerely, your servant-maid,
Govinda Vallabha d.d. (Germany)
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Please accept my humble obeisances to your lotus feet on this most auspicious day. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
om ajnana timirandhasya
jnananjana salakaya
caksur unmilitam yena
tasmai sri gurave namaha
O Gurudeva, you are so merciful. I offer my humble obeisances unto you and I am praying from the core of my heart that, with the torchlight of divine knowledge, you open my eyes, which have been blinded by the darkness of ignorance.
"My path is very difficult. I am blind and my feet are slipping again and again. Therefore, may the saints help me by granting me the stick of their mercy as my support."
This causeless mercy, your mercy, guru maharaja, is a lifeline of my hope that I hang onto tightly. I was thinking back to when I first decided to come to the Boston temple by my dear brother, Yamuna Jivana dasa’s mercy, who had encouraged me to come. I had just traveled around the world and had been searching for a place to live in Asia that would make me happy. After traveling and returning back to the place I had started with no results I came across one of Srila Prabhupada’s books and on the back cover it said, “Every one of us is searching after happiness, but we do not know what real happiness is.” I remember bursting into tears with relief as I finally felt some hope.
That hope has so kindly been fulfilled by your association as you reveal about the real happiness of unalloyed devotional service to Lord Govinda, who so kindly gives it personally.
I feel so blessed to have this association, as your exemplary behavior of dedication and absorption is so inspiring. You have this precious jewel, such faith in the holy name, knowing that is everything, the greatest jewel in our life. Continuously glorifying its value, you reveal how to put everything into a proper perspective and kindly show us what really is reality and the true necessities of life beyond this body.
I am so very thankful and indebted for the continuous inspiration and faith you give to me. As I pray and hope for future mercy to one day truly understand that the holy name of Sri Hari is everything, I have to say how grateful I am for all the mercy you have already given me. Your kindness, compassion, thoughtfulness and patience always overwhelm me.
Praying to be always caught in the strong waves of your absorbed association, which are like waves of a river of mercy coming towards me.
Your servant,
Gita Priya devi dasi
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Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Sri Guru and Gauranga! All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
Thank you for an opportunity to serve you and to Vaishnavas. Whole our family very grateful for your causeless mercy and participation in our life. For your pleasure we offer you to watch a musical slide show of Krishna's illustrations:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWDw6Gvn1dE
If you like those illustrations we can send you a copies so you may use them as you like. We always glad to be useful to you.
Your servants
Govinda das, Adina,Yamuna d.d., Nitya Tarangini d.d.
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Please accept my humble obeisances, all glories to Srila Prabhupada. I always think with love to those days, when you were staying in Hungary. I thank you for your benediction. I wish you good health and I hope that you would come soon to Hungary again to associate with you.
I wish you "Happy Birthday" and a fast recovery in the name of the occasion of your appearance day.
Your servant
Acyuta priya d.d SRS
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("Ohe! Vaishnava Thakura" from "Sharanagati")
Dear Guru Maharaja,
Please accept my humble obeisances in the dust of Your lotus feet,
Let all the favorable conditions be always with You. Let Your health will always be good. Let Lord Gauranga always poor His mercy on You. While I am happy just by remembering Your lotus feet.
All the expectation have not been fulfilled again
It is the tricky destiny takes off all the masks
As innocent children we believe in this world
That the best costume on the masquerade will be ours
But the lights are turned off and manikins stand still
We are along again and cared away from the scene
All the hopes for bodily happiness have been broken
So tell me what is the purpose of life of this poor though eternal soul?
Where is the wonder world in reality?
Where can we get peace and no sadness comes to us?
Where is the sacred wall and the golden key?
I can not see in the dark - even more I am blind
Who can show me the happy way to peaceful eternity?
Who will not leave me on the way, but will forgive both my sins and carelessness?
He will help me to become myself
He will give me this pure love
And will not charge anything for this difficult and invisible job.
As he knows that this poor soul has nothing to pay with
The soul has lost both its love and its good on life turns
Where is this holy person who will warm up this lost soul?
He spends all His energy and warm helping people
If I could see him my soul would become stronger at once
And would rise as Phoenix immortal from the aches.
Your humble servant,
Pritha d. d. (New Koladvipa Mandir, Murmansk, Russia)
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Dear Guru Maharaja, please, accept my humble obeisances into the dust of Your lotus feet. All glories to Shrila Prabhupada!
Guru Maharaja, this blissful day of Your Appearance lets all Your disciples and well-wishers glorify You. And as always, it is difficult to find proper words to express how dear You are to us. Your disciples can endlessly glorify Your wonderful qualities.We all are expressed with Your pure desire to serve to Your spiritual master, what ever happens arround. In spite of Your health, You do all Your best to serve to Shrila Prabhupada and help Your disciples to overcome all the difficulties in their spiritual life.
Dear Guru maharaja, today I want to wish You every happiness, strong health and spiritual power to go on with Your service to Krishna and Shrila Prabhupada.
Trying to be Your servant
Dana-Keli d.d. (Murmansk, Russia)
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nama om vishnu-padaya krishna-preshthaya bhu-tale
shrimate niranjana svamin iti namine
anahata-prayasena prabhupadasya tushtaye
sankirtana-pravritty-artham ihate gurave namah
I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace Srila Niranjana Swami, who is very dear to Lord Krishna, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.
I offer my humble obeisances to my spiritual master who with constant, infailing endeavor is always trying to push forward the sankirtana misiion to please Srila Prabhupada
Please accept my most humble obeisances in the dust of your lotus feet. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
This is the first time I’m writing my offering for you on Vyasa-puja’s celebration as your disciple. I’m kindly asking your permission on this opportunity day of your Vyasa-puja to glorify your devotion and dedication in following the track showed by Srila Prabhupada, your remarkable qualities of the pure devotion, your kind service for devotions and us - your disciples, who are fallen souls to which you are generous to give a holy name. I’m kindly asking you to accept my heartfelt gratitude: that you have kindly given me chance to become your disciple, showing true compassion to me seeing my fallen position; that you are giving me a chance to save myself from infernal living conditions in material world; that you gave Krishna for me in a holy name form; that you kindly grant a comprehension how to change seeds of bhackti which you putted into my heard in liana’s devotion; that you are like Lord Nityananda who is compared to a drunk merchant giving out all his riches to everybody who wants it; that you give us a holy name; that your heart is a treasure-house filled with priceless treasure is a holy name and you are giving it to each of us not asking anything in return.
One can't overestimate your mercy, as you always support us with your blessing and instruction, no matter how hard it is.It’s impossible to enumerate everything you have done for devoted, because there are no limits for a pure devoted person in what he can do for Lord.
Dear Guru Maharaj, accept hearty thanks from your eternally debtor Gopala Priya d.d. who is ready to put all efforts to serve you - a perfect Shila Prabhupada’s disciple who accepted frame of mind and mission of Srila Prabhupada’s. I'm eager to become your perfect disciple the same way as you are the perfect Srila Prabhupada’s disciples. I understand that I can’t say that I’m your perfect disciple unfortunately; actually I’m a perfect rascal who is constantly losing her devotion service’s way. My heart is filled with numerous desires which are totally different from complete devotion to your lotus feet. But despite everything you give me your mercy and instill confidence if I will follow your instruction I will grow into your perfect disciple. I constantly feel your mercy and care about me. I feel it in your instructions, books, lectures, ecstatic kirtan, nectar bhadjan which I like to listen to.
Your blessings support me every minute and give me sensation of throughout protection, they give me determination to follow the track showed by Srila Prabhupada, and even I – still being fallen rascal Gopala Priya d.d. – I am charmed with mixture of love for Krishna and love for you , my dear Maharaj. You reveal concealed secret bhakti in your lectures, help me to see anarthas in my heart and give instructions how to clean my heart and to develop pure love to Krishna.Thanks to yours books and lectures I feel attachment to following your instructions growing in my heart. You teach us affection towards Srila Prabhupada, his books and ISKCON. Allow me to glorify you for your colossal efforts and all the sacrifices you make for the devotional service to Srila Prabhupada and because of compassion to us - to the fallen souls. Dear Gury Maharaj, on this opportunity day of your appearance I pray that you allow me to be in society your pure servants.
Dear Guru Maharaj, my consciousness is vastly distant from the consciousness Srila Prabhupada and you predecessors have prescribed. And it is also so far away from attachment to the required practices that would lead me to the cherished position of truly being your servant. I am deeply embarrassed by this. What to do? I am already fifty years old, and there’s little hope of a drastic change within me. As your servant, I keep trying as I await your mercy. My only hope is your causeless mercy. Please bless me and keep me on the proper track so that I can serve you better and better under the guidance of your disciples.
Hoping to remain at your lotus feet, your insignificant humble servant of your servants eternally.
Gopala Priya d.d.
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Please accept my most humble obeisances in the dust of Your lotus feet.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
Dear Master, not only on the day of Your appearance, but every day I am falling at Your lotus feet with the deepest gratitude and appreciation for that You have revealed to this fallen and sinful soul an opportunity to learn about Your actual position. With Your instructions and example You are teaching me purity, selflessness, humility, tolerance, forgiveness… so that at the end I could awaken love for the Divine Couple Sri Radha and Sri Krishna.
Thank you, Guru Maharaja, that you are purifying my heart from material contamination and watering it with nectar in the form of Your lectures, books, instructions, divine kirtanas.
I am grateful to You that You are igniting in me urgent desire to achieve the eternal, real, beautiful and perfect spiritual world.
I am grateful to You that I can serve devotees, Srila Prabhupada, Deities. Thank You that I can live in the spiritual world already now.
Your useless servant,
Lilananda d.d. (Riga, Latvia)
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Please accept my humble obeisancies in the dust of your lotus feet. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
On your appearance day I would like very much to subscribe to all the wishes and glorifications of my god brothers and god sisters and also I wish you good health. I beg your pardon, sincerely wishing you god health at the same time I cherish a hope for a chance of association with you. Certainly we are striving to develop pure unalloyed devotion to the Lord and spiritual master, but it is not so easy. The desires for my own enjoyment are always mixing with the desire to surrender to you and Krishna. My only excuse today is that the desire to see you and associate with you is spiritual although it arises from my personal feelings.
Guru Maharaj, I wish you good health. Please, give us you matchless association! I am nothing without you.
Your useless servant,
Vidagdha Siromani das (St.Petersburg, Russia)
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All glories to Srila Prabhupada! All glories to Gaura-Nitai!
Please accept my humble obeisancies in the dust of your lotus feet.
Dear Gurudev I am very happy that you accepted me as your disciple. I am very grateful for this. Your life is very inspiring for me. I wish you to have strong health and achieve ultimate goal in your spiritual life.
Your disciple
Lalita d.d. (Turkmenisatan)
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Dear Guru Maharaja, please, accept my humble obeisances into the dust of Your lotus feet. All glories to Shrila Prabhupada!
Guru Maharaja, this blissful day of Your Appearance lets all Your disciples and well-wishers glorify You. And as always, it is difficult to find proper words to express how dear You are to us. Your disciples can endlessly glorify Your wonderful qualities. We all are expressed with Your pure desire to serve to Your spiritual master, what ever happens around. In spite of Your health, You do all Your best to serve to Shrila Prabhupada and help Your disciples to overcome all the difficulties in their spiritual life.
Dear Guru maharaja, today I want to wish You every happiness, strong health and spiritual power to go on with Your service to Krishna and Shrila Prabhupada.
Trying to be Your servant
Dana-Keli d.d. (Murmansk, Russia)
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On this auspicious day of your appearance, I would like to thank you for your association during the year 2008 and also for hawing fulfilled my dream, to participate in a kirtana with you.
By your causeless mercy my desire to distribute Srila Prabhupadas books grow stronger. Your preaching mood is very inspiring for me. I want to learn from your example that living means preaching. Your visit to the temple in Munich was a special happening for me. Thank you very much, for permitting me to chant your pranama mantra. By your causeless mercy I got a permanent service in the temple, that makes me happy.
Thank you very much for handling me so carefully. You appreciate me like nobody else does, this gives me strength. I pray that your instructions enter into my heart, and never again leave it.
Your servant
Bhaktin Oksana (Germany)
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Please accept my humble obeisances in the dust of Your divine lotus feet! All glories to Srila Prabhupad!
Every time when I write this offering to You I am trying to find proper words to glorify spiritual master. All the words that come to my mind seem to me not worth enough to suit the format of offering to spiritual master on the Vyasa Puja day. But this year attempt is different from the others as by Your mercy dear Guru Maharaje and by Lords mercy I've got an understanding that I will never manage to glorify spiritual master in such a way that I would feel that it is really 100% the way I want it. Despite of this fact I will try my best. Such understanding empowered me to continue this writing.
First of all I would like to express my deep gratefulness to You dear Guru Maharaja for all You have done for me, continue doing and will do in the future to help me on the way of developing Krishna consciousness. You are just like loving and caring father taking care of my sprout of devotion from all the dangers of this world. It was done in different ways. But there is no doubts that it was done by Your mercy.
Despite of many obstacles and challenges I got great inspiration for staying with preaching mission when I knew that You are personally interested in my life which I got to know from different devotees. It was especially important in the beginning of my spiritual path. Even now I am getting inspired and empowered when I get to know that You care.
You came to me in my dreams in most difficult moments of my life. You were saying some simple words which were full of power and meaning. It made me strong enough not to break when facing the challenges - I felt that You are nearby and give me power to tolerate it. Thank You so much dear Guru Maharaja that I am still enrolled in preaching mission otherwise I would just struggle for survival in this world.
Gradually the goal of my life transforms into following Your instructions. What else should one live for in this world? This is something which should become the life mission and the centre of all disciples' activities. When I will realize it in full I will become by Your mercy the useful tool in Your divine hands. Please help me to realize it as soon as possible.
Pleas accept my most humble obeisances dear Guru Maharaja as well as my gratefulness. I am also sorry for all those worries and sufferings that I caused You by my deeds.
Always Your insignificant servant,
Vanamali Kaviraja das (Russia)
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All glories to Srila Prabhupada. All glories to you Guru Maharaja. I pray that seeing the humility you live by, and how you are always chanting Krsna's Holy Name, one day, my stone heart will melt and my false pride will be destroyed. To see your full surrender to the service of Srila Prabhupada and how you have dedicated yourself to spreading Krsna Consciousness and how you are compassionate to fallen souls like myself, is the inspiration that fills my heart.
Guru Maharaja, I have no words to express my feelings. Your pure example is everything for me. You saved me Guru Maharaja from the worst position that one can have in this universe. Guru Maharaj, you have saved me from this dark hole of ignorance. Even though I am a fallen sinful soul, you accepted me in your shelter and bestow your mercy upon me by planting the seed of the Holy Name in my heart. This precious jewel, this unique shelter.
Your words and instruction are full of such potency that can make a dumb man speak. It is only because of that potency that I have a chance to be part of Lord Caitanya's mission. Our preaching programs are going on only because of your mercy Guru maharaja and I humbly pray that you always bestow that mercy upon us. With deep gratitude in my heart for all that you give this undeserving soul and with a prayer that one day I can render some service to your lotus feet.
Your humble servant
Premavati devi dasi
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Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to you. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
Over the past few years, and more recently in the past few months, it’s been so painful to hear about everything you are having to undergo regarding your health. But throughout the various treatments, you are showing all of us how we must use every minute to deepen our Krishna consciousness by taking shelter of the holy name, sastras and Vaishnavas.
I remember reading that just before a recent surgery, you had wanted to chant before the anaesthetics were administered, but it was administered too quickly for you to do so. You used this example to remind us of how we must always be prepared, as death can come at any moment. And the only way to be prepared and achieve success at the time of death is by remembering Krishna, and therefore chanting constantly the Lord’s holy name.
Similarly, the delicate state of the health of His Holiness Jayapataka Swami also reminded us that death could be imminent, and in your letter to him in November, you helped to understand how we must treasure the valuable association of devotees.
Now as you are recuperating from your own health treatments, we see that in addition to taking shelter of the holy name, you are also taking shelter of Srila Prabhupada and the disciplic succession by utilizing your time to listen to Srila Prabhupada’s lectures and to read from the scriptures. You said, “I'm trying my best to drink deeply the words of my spiritual master, which is really the only cure for my diseased condition of life.”
I similarly pray for the same thing - to be nourished and cured by drinking deeply the nectar of your words and instructions. This is my only hope to become free from material attachment and hopefully one day become qualified to be of some use to you.
Your eternally grateful servant,
Sri Radha devi dasi (Ottawa, Canada)
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caksur unmilitam yena tasmai sri-gurave namah
I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance, with the torchlight of knowledge.
Dear Guru Maharaja,
Please accept my humble obeisances in the dust of your lotus feet on this most auspicious day of your appearance. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. All glories to you.
Although I wasn't able to follow your instructions, and remain in the Boston temple to serve Sri Sri Radha Gopivallabha, I am relieved by your compassionate attitude towards me, by encouraging me to serve wherever Krsna wants me to, as long as I am in good spiritual standing. Unfortunately I have very little devotion to Krsna and faith in your instructions, still you see this little spark, and try to fan it. Similarly, Krsna neglects the bad characteristics of His devotee and sees only the good in him. You are a pure and bona fide representative of Srila Prabhupada and Lord Krsna.
I am writing this letter on a very auspicious day, on the day of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura's dissappearance day. This day is especially memorable for me. Exactly six years ago, on this day, you mercifully initiated me into the chanting of the Holy names, for the second time. Thank you for this mercy, Guru Maharaja, not only for the diksa, but for the unlimited siksa that you poured upon me over the years. You tirelessly visited Toronto and Ottawa, giving your precious, personal association and instructions through your lectures and kirtans. I am eternally indebted to you. I can never repay this debt. In spite of your health difficulties, which periodically return, you continue to preach with great enthusiasm and guide us, Kali-yuga people, back to godhead.
Lord Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita Ch.18 Text 68, 69 "For one who explains this supreme secret to the devotees, pure devotional service is guaranteed, and at the end he will come back to Me. There is no servant in this world more dear to Me than he, nor will there ever be one more dear."
You are such a devotee. You have the ability to convert many fallen souls to devotional service. You are a front line fighter against maya and an exemplary Vaisnava.
Guru Maharaja, please continue to take care of your health, slow down with your preaching, you already gave us everything we need to go back home back to godhead and you are always with us through your instructions.
Your unworthy, fallen servant,
Gauracandra dasa (Canada)
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Please accept my respectful obeisances in a dust of your lotus feet. All glories to Srila Prabhupad.
Your divine qualities attract everybody to you, and I want to glorify them in this auspicious day of Vyasa-puja.
In your offering 2007 you address to Srila Prabhupad: “You often quoted this words of your Guru Maharaj: prana ache yanra, sei netu pracarana. “Those who are alive can preach”. Preaching is a necessity of life. Of course, sometimes we think, that for life we need food, water, cloth, habitation, but these are not the necessities of life, but conditions to maintain life in the body. “Life” has his own necessities and doesn’t depend from the body. And you gave us these necessities – preaching with confirm faith in Guru’s order. But this is not only your order, but your pure and ideal example”
This your offering is filled with so deep compassion!
titiksavah karunikah
suhridah sarva-dehinam
adjata-satravah santah
sadhavah sadhu-bhusanah
“Sadhu is patient and merciful; he is a friend of all living beings. He has no enemy, he is pacified, strictly following sastra’s prescriptions and endow with all virtues” (SB, 3.25.21)
mahatmanas tu mam partha
daivim prakritim asurah
bhajanty ananya-manaso
jnatva bhutadim avyayam
“O son of Pritha, those who are not deluded, the great souls, are under the protection of the divine nature. They are fully engaged in devotional service because they know Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, original and inexhaustible” (Bg. 9.13)
Srila Prabhupad writes: “In this verse the description of the mahatma is clearly given. The first sign of the mahatma is that he is already situated in the divine nature”. And in the purport to the verse in Bhagavatam 3.25.21 Srila Prabhupad writes: “Accept Krishna Consciousness. Become Krishna’s devotees. Don’t spoil your life indulging the brute. Human life is giving us for achieving perfection of life that is developing Krishna Consciousness”. That is how sadhu preaches. He isn’t satisfied with his own liberation, he always thinks about others. His compassion to condition souls is unlimited. That is how one his quality manifests - karunika, great compassion to fallen souls”.
“Every word and every our act should become an offering to a spiritual master, not only what we write on Vyasa-puja day” (from your lecture on centennial Divine Apearance of Srila Prabhupad)
Dear Guru Maharaj, your deep compassion and mercy to condition souls is unlimited. Please allow me whole-heartedly aspire to follow your perfect example and be fully concentrated on your instructions so that deeply understand them.
Thank you very much for that all my life become a prayer to you and for you: prayer for forgiveness - with hope; prayer for mercy - with gratitude; glorifying prayer - with love; prayer for your health - in separation; prayer for your happiness - for no particular reason…
Thank you very much for your mercy which you give us out of compassion. I’m always hankering this mercy although I don’t worthy of it.
Your eternal servant
Jarati devi dasi (Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine)
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Please accept my humble obeisances in a dust of your lotus feet. All glories to Srila Prabhupad.
Dear Guru Maharaj, in this wonderful day of your appearance I want to glorify your deep devotion to Srila Prabhupad. It’s easy to see it. And this devotion steeps every your lecture and each meeting with disciples.
A meeting with disciples in Kyiv on May 1st, 2008 impressed me deeply. At this meeting you said: “I beg you, please, don’t drift away from Prabhupada’s books. Prabhupad is giving so much of himself in his books».
Telling us your realization you opened your heart and we all saw that your heart is filled with love to Srila Prabhupad.
And also you said: «I see that is my way of serving Srila Prahupad is by serving all of you. I know I have a direct connection with him and that will never be lost. And I know that he has some service waiting for me, when I ‘m ready to take it up, he will give it to me. And he’s giving me some service here in this world. And I see how intimately connected all of you are in that service. And this increases my hankering to please Srila Prabhupad by offering to you what he is giving to me which is hope for perfection in spiritual life. These your words touched me to tears. There were so much devotion to Srila Prabhupad and compassion and love to us in these words. For sure Prabhupad are proud to have such a disciple as you are.
You said on this meeting, that “the essence of bhakti is just pour the heart out for hankering for the association of whose we love”. In your interview about the Holy Name you said that we should try to chant with some feeling toward the Holy Name, not chant mechanically. And you shared with your feelings when you are chanting.
Guru Maharaj, a fragrance of your bhakti to Srila Prabhupad and the Holy Name conquers my heart again and again! I admire his intensity again and again!
Dear Guru Maharaj, our vaisnava-acaryas in their prayers often say that one can achieve the perfection of life only by the mercy of Guru. This is the secret of successes in spiritual life. Explaining this you often quoted the verse written by Krisnadas Kaviraj Goswami in Caytanya-caritamrita (Antya, 1.2):
durgame pathi me ‘ngasya skhalat-pada-gater muhuh
sva-kripa-yasti-danena santah santv avalam-banam
“My path is hard. I’m blind and I’m stumbling at every step. Let the saints help me, allowing leaning on the staff of their mercy”.
Dear Guru Maharaj, in this auspicious day of your Vyasa-puja I’m praying to be always guided by your instructions and to be engaged in your mission, helping my Godsisters and Godbrothers in their service to you. This is those staff of your mercy, which I want always to hold firmly in my hands, walking through my life. It is my only shelter and the only chance to return back Home to Godhead.
Your eternal servant
Indumati d.d. (Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine)
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Please accept my humble obeisances to the dust of your lotus feet. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. All glories to you!
On this auspicious day of your Vyasa-puja I’m unlimitedly grateful to Srila Prabhupada for giving me an opportunity to associate with such person as you.
Your Divine Grace, you are always absorbed in pure devotional service to Srila Prabhupada. Fulfilling his instruction, you are generously distributing Bhagavata-prasadam to all the living beings, you are doing so much for us, without asking anything in return. You stay in complete harmony and satisfaction, realizing your eternal spiritual nature and also keeping in your heart the compassion for us.
You are always engaging your disciples in the devotional service to Srila Prabhupada’s mission, because only this can bring pleasure to the Lord. Lord Caytanya is always pleased with you and gives you His divine blessings.
Guru Maharaja, I understand that I’ll never be able to repay the debt to you. So I’m just asking you to let me simply remain your humble servant. Please let me be a particle of a dust at your lotus feet and be engaged in pure uninterrupted service to your lotus feet, the lotus feet of the Lord, the lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada and the lotus feet of all Vaisnavas.
Your servant
Lalita Hridaya d.d. (Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine)
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Please accept my humble obeisances in the dust of your lotus feet.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada! All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga!
Please accept my most cordial wishes on this day of your appearance. I want to join in with the hundreds of voices of all your disciples and well-wishers that will be congratulating you on this most auspicious day. I would also like to make my humble effort to glorify your wonderful qualities that I came to experience.
One of them is, without a doubt, your compassion. All your life in devotional service is an illustration of all the principles of compassion, given by Srila Prabhupada.
1. Preaching is the essence. When you explain the philosophy of the Bhagavata during your classes, you delve into its very depths. When you speak of the pastimes of the Lord or sing in kirtan, I wish for the time to stop in its tracks. Where there’s no time, a spiritual reality begins and everyone around become submerged into it. Dear Gurudeva, thank you so much for all your lectures and instructions that describe the unique glories of the Spiritual Realm and beckon us to start our journey back home back to Godhead…
2. Purity is the force. Only a pure devotee can turn people towards Krsna Consciousness and inspire as much sincere followers as you do.
3. Books are the foundation. For many years, you have been dedicating yourself, fully and unconditionally, to the most merciful task of distributing Srila Prabhupada’s books.
4. Practicality. It is a principle that you have also successfully applied, expertly adjusting to time, place and circumstances, without deviating from the teachings of the parampara as you began preaching in the former Soviet Union. Without a doubt, the duty of the pioneer preacher in a communist country required truly heroic efforts on your part.
Guru Maharaja, my heart becomes filled with gratitude as I remember the mercy that you bestowed upon me in 2001, when you cast upon me your merciful glance. This glance penetrated my heart and caused it to beat with enthusiasm for days to follow. It is very hard indeed to describe those feelings. It was as though a window had opened and a dazzling ray of sunshine entered into the dungeon of the material life where I had lived all that time. This light was both long forgotten and unexpected and therefore even more beautiful. I offer my respectful obeisances unto the person who had opened this window! This is all I have to offer to signify my deepest gratitude for the mercy I never deserved. I am so happy that today, on the day of your blessed appearance, I can finally put down in writing all that there is in my heart.
Today, the thing I would like to do most is to give you a garland of beautiful fresh roses and a box of saffron, which is both known as the spice of the kings and a king among the spices. Saffron is the color of your sannyasi robes, the most fragrant spice and the most expensive incense. It is also the most universal medicine which proved to be effective in treating about 90 different ailments over the research period of 4000 years.
Again and again, I bow down respectfully to your lotus feet. I always feel your presence next to me, although all I have is your picture to which I address my prayer in times of need. Starting December 10th, right after I read the worrying news concerning your health, right after your surgery, I’ve started steeping saffron and raisins and offering it to your picture. While doing this in a mood of service to you every morning and every night, I also pray for your speediest recovery. This is all I can do at the moment. Hopefully, if you will have a chance to see Kisori in the future, she will give you a box of saffron so you could use it to further improve your health.
I have but a little hope to remedy you by my actions. It is more likely that you are the one aiding me by clearing my heart of all the anarthas, while I am remembering you and praying for your recuperation. The mahaprasadam saffron and raisins, which I offer to your picture, have truly miraculous qualities. They quench hunger and after taking them I am able to chant my japa very easily and with renewed inspiration. Only with your help, things such as this could be possible. How can even a single intelligent thought be born in my head without your help? How can my hand write even a single sensible word without your mercy?
My only desire is to always cultivate love for Krsna, Your Holiness and all the vaisnavas within my heart. I pray that someday this love will become genuine and my senses would become purified so I myself can come into contact with the divine reality.
Dear Gurudeva, please also accept the humblest obeisances and the very best wishes from my husband Eugene and my daughter Kisori. Please, bless them with your causeless mercy.
Sincerely aspiring to become your humble servant,
Bhaktin Victoria (Seattle, WA)
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Waiting for your Vyasa-puja I feel the necessity to write words of gratitude and ask to forgive my numerous offences I had made on the level of body, speech and mind, besides I had not written an offering for your previous Vyasa-puja.
This year I was fortunate enough to visit Minsk and Kiev with you, listen to you how you stay in Krishna Consciousness and share it with others. Those moments are preserved in my heart. When the influence of material energy grows the memory of you and Srila Prabhupada helps to continue the process of devotional service. I begin to understand what a difficulty and bondage for you to bear such unqualified person as I... Unfortunately I can not follow all your instructions yet. I am not free from bad qualities and offenses, yet in my heart there is a hope that someday thanks to your causeless mercy, my efforts and help of Vaisnavas I will become qualified. On this auspicious day I want to wish you good health and fulfillment of all your really spiritual desires in spreading the mercy of Lord Chaitanya to conditioned souls. I hope you will allow me to try to help you in this mission.
Your unworthy servant,
Maheshvara das
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Hare Krsna!
Please, accept my most prostrated obeisance in the dust of Your lotus feet. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and You!
In this most auspicious day I'd like to wish You good health and longlife and attentive disciples, because anything else You have already got.
The best thing a disciple can do for his spiritual master is following instructions. I try to accept Your instructions by reading Your books. I was most impressed by Your lecture that Sri Krsna does not want to be God. Not because this knowledge was new for me: it is explicitly expressed in Sri Sri Damodarastaka, but because You have revealed some deep idea that Sri Krsna is more than God. Bhagavan is something like His post, position; perhaps, that is why Srila Prabhupada called Him 'Supreme Personality of Godhead'. I'd like to develop deep and personal relations with Sri Krsna.
Due to reasons You are aware of I do not lead a nama-hatta now. By themercy of Srimati Prema Padmini some of our nama-hatta have migrated to some special nama-hatta lead by Sriman Angira Muni and Srimati Kaveri. However our previous efforts were not in vain: we keep warm relations, feel separation with each other and plan to gather together again (please, excuse this pun).
By Your mercy troubles in my life have taught me a good lesson. I hope they have added some qualification for me. Unfortunately I am still on the level of ~anisthita~ and neglect my vows. You teach that even if a devotee feels unqualified and has no taste he must act on behalf of the Parampara, so I preach, distribute `The Golden Age' newspaper and try to add a drop into the ocean of book distribution.
Please let me serve Vaisnavas and help atheists life after life.
Nitya dasa dasanudasa
Mike Golub
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Please accept my most humble obeisances at the dust of your lotus feet.
All glories to you! All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Before trying to write I beg your mercy that you give me, who is very unqualified, the mercy and the strength to glorify you on this most auspicious day of your appearance in this world.
I, like many other fortunate souls became the object of Lord Gauranga's mercy (the name you have given to me is clearly indicates this if there were any doubts) who kindly brought me in contact with Srila Prabhupada, his books and his wonderful movement. Then Srila Prabhupada gave my life to you - one of his very dear disciples. Sincethen life of this useless fool has become most fortunate. You have being so kind, loving and caring to put me through all the lessons I needed to go through (and still so many to face) to carefully purify my heart from tons of dirty and unwanted things accumulated there and make it one day ( when, oh when this day be mine? :-( ) wonderful place where the lotus of pure love for our most beloved Lord Krishna will manifest. I know it is a long way to go, but I also know that if I just keep holding to your lotus feet, hearing your instructions and serving you humbly, the success is guaranteed! Your mercy is manifested everywhere: in every moment of precious sadhu-sanga, in any enthusiasm and inspiration I get, any realizations (even as meager as they are). If I to think that I get all this and much more other than by your kripa - I'd be a dumbed fool. Please, Guru Maharaja let me always remember that I made of your mercy, please let me always keep crying and begging for it and please keep on showering you kripa on me for otherwise there is no hope.
Eternally at your lotus feet, your unqualified disciple,
Doyal Gauranga das
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Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories To Srila Prabhupada.
On this blessed day of your Vyasa Puja I bow down at your lotus feet with gratitude for the fact that you are my great spiritual master.
Constantly I get the realization of how special mercy and fortune is to meet you in this life and to be the object of your unlimited compassion and even more - to get your permission to be my spiritual master and to be constantly under your caring guiding . I always have the same feeling that you are nearby, supporting, protecting, guiding my life and my path in KC.
Listening your lectures , reading your books I always find answers and support, always next realization and enlightenment come. Sometimes even few your words enough to get it. Where does the power of your words come from? Because you deliver words and instructions of and the connection with Srila Prabhupada and previous great acariyas very pure. Your loving caring vaisnava heart is pure. You live only because you can offer your service in this body to Srila Prabhupada and great acarias. Nothing else attracts you here, although this world has been offering you everything as fame, name,followers, etc. But everything which comes to you you see as an offer to Lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada and as something which you can use in service of Sri Sri Gaura Nitay.
Your numerous followers feel the purity of your heart , your unmotivated personal attention to them, your kind care, your desire to help them and to rise them above this temporary world, and to change their consciousness and make them happy and bliss.
You teach us by your own example how sincere and attentive , deep and serious we should practice our spiritual life. You teach us how to develop faith in Holy Name and instructions. You worry for us, you save us, you support us, you never leave us in spite of thousands miles separate us. You always with us spiritually.
I pray to remain an object of your compassion and love and be engaged in your service to Srila Prabhupada.
Your unworthy eternal servant,
Lila Smarana d.d.
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Please accept my humble obeisances in the dust of Your lotus feet! All glories to Shrila Prabhupada!
I congratulate You heartily with Your birthday, with Your appearance day, with Your Vyasa-puja!
Since I have been trying to be Your disciple, this day becomes very joyful for me every year. As I address You personally I immediately feel the connection with You. The less I bring my selfishness into the relations with You, thinking about how You can estimate me - good or bad, the more I feel a connection with Krishna, through You. This proves me that for me You are a transparent medium between me and Krishna. Unfortunately, it's not permanently (birthday is only once a year), because I still cling to my false ego. But in the day of Your appearance, owing to Your mercy and the mercy of all the vaishnavas, I have a chance to touch Krishna, through You. Does it mean that Your mercy is not accessible every day? May be this mercy can be got once a year? Of course, not. The deepness of meditation to the Spiritual Master depends on vision, and vision depends on consciousness. But this day seems to be very favourable for our realization.
Once during Your class You said that if a disciple repeats mantra attentively, meditating to his Spiritual Master, then the disciple connects to his Spiritual Master, and that is true. That is why I'm in eternal debt to You because just by simple repeating of Lord names I can be connected with pure followers of Shrila Prabhupada, with all the parampara and Lord Chaitanya. Recently listening to Your old class in 1999 in Boston for the bhajan of Bhaktivinoda Thakur from Gitavali I have been inspired for devoted service and understand a little more how deeply is possible to be absorbed into Lord Chaitanya games and to be inspired by this order of Lord Chaitanya - "bolo Krishna, bhaja Krishna, koro Krishna shiksha". And this was possible only owing to Your inspiration and that is why I'm in eternal debt to You.
Try to understand Your Spiritual Master who is always in full of nectar Krishna Consciousness. Meditate on Him and get inspiration, because He inspires You. It's guru gayatri, which also connect us with guru and Krishna and I thank You for that.
In the day of Your Vyasa-puja we are inspired to do something especially pleasant for You and I think that You are glad for this, and that is our present for You - to bring You joy that we get attached to Krishna through You. And once again and once again I thank You for that.
Trying to become Your true disciple
Shrinathaji das
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Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
I would like to try to express my gratitude to you. There are many material desires in my heart and therefore it is difficult for me to realize and appreciate all that you do for us in full. Sometimes I try to think how much Srila Prabhupada is satisfied by you and how much devoted to Srila Prabhupada's mission you are, how much overwhelmed by the desire to satisfy Srila Prabhupada you are and you are so much ready to offer yourself fully to fulfilling Srila Prabhupada's desire - to give us Krishna consciousness, to make us happy in Krishna consciousness.
I would like to thank you for your clear and vital instructions, for your convincing example of sadhana, happiness of chanting, preaching and association with devotees, and for your prayers for us. I am very grateful that you are perfect instrument for me in Krishna's hands which very fine and delicately works on my purification.
Thank you very much for the hope of perfection which you grant us like Srila Prabhupada did by granting it you. In May you said these inspiring words in Kiev, and that impressed on my heart.
After last Crimean Festival some realizations have come to me and I convince more and more that the process works. Although I perform the service mostly mechanically or out of material motives, but the realizations show that something changes in my heart. In this letter I would like to share you with one of them. I started to note it during the last festival in Mayapur. While looking at devotees in kirtans and classes I felt some amazement and happiness coming. Watching them I understood that all of them were on the different spiritual level, many of them maybe had material goals of life or thought about material desires, but nevertheless they chanted Hare Krishna mantra with enthusiasm and this was the most important. And at the same time this is amazing that they want to chant it. In the mundane society everything helps to forget Krishna therefore this is a miracle that people are attracted by singing the Lords Holy Name, that they try to practice Krishna consciousness. This is amazing and at the same time it is natural, because Krishna's Holy Name is so powerful.
The biggest and convincing realization for me for last two years (I wrote you about that several times) is that basis of our happiness in spiritual life is true vaishnava relationships, based on proper association, especially with equals.
And something else... I like to look at photos capturing moments of your association with devotees. So much love is reflected in your face there...
I'm eager to have same love to devotees and to fully dedicate myself to Srila Prabhupada's mission like you.
Thank you very much for staying my ever well-wisher.
Aspiring to become your humble servant,
Vrndavanesvari d.d.
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Please accept my humble obeisances,all glories to Srila Prabhupada!Hare Krishna.
Dear Guru Maharaja, Your faith in Krsna and Your spiritual master Srila Prabhupada is very strong and brilliant,crystal pure.
yasya deve para bhaktir yatha deve tatha gurau
tasyaite kathita hy arthah prakashante mahatmanah
'Only to one who has staunch faith in both the words at the spiritual master and of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are the secrets of Vedic knowledge revealed'(Svetashvatara Upanishad 6.23)
You have indeed satisfied Your Guru Maharaja Srila Prabhupada being cent percent obedient to his sankitan mission.My understanding as a being Your's shiksa disciple is that in order to get in this pure stage of faith of Krishna consciousness, it is not so easy to get in and it takes lots of internal endevours on the spiritual path,so even many lifes.You have full faith and achieved incomparable results.It is very clear to see and understand: You have Krsna on Your side and all fortune.
kali-kalena dharma-krsna nama-sankirtana
krsna-sakti vina nake tara pravartana
'The fundamental religious system in the Age of Kali is the chanting of the Holy name of Krsna.Unless empowered by Krsna,one can not propagate the sankirtana movement.(C.C. Antya 7.11)
12 years ago when I joined in ISKCON in Czeck Republic...somehow I have accepted on my head an instruction giving by Srila Prabhupada to distribude His wonderfull books,I was thinking that must be it means I have become empowered im His mission giving out books everywhere, but I see in myself more and more that my mind is still looking s shelter and enjoyment within this material world.O Krsna, Dear Maharaja may I also please You one day to become like You Maharaja with brilliant prema and crystal faith in Guru and Krsna.Sometimes I think if I whenever could know a time or how much time I have to spent more on the streets giving out books in order to get your 's spiritual gift, even not in this life if neccecary,soon or later..it does not metter..but to know for sure, that a hope will inspire me the most, that one day I will get a pure faith too...the same like You have Maharaja, by Your mercy...a top level vaishnava.Then I will be empowered to distribute a pure Holy name, being armed with having this pure faith ,like You are doing Maharaja around the world.And that gift is a spiritual pure faith in Guru and Krishna...
yasya prasadad bhagavat prasada
yasya prasada na gatih kuto pi
dhyayan stuvams tasya yasas tri sandhyam
vande guroh sri charanaravindam
'By satisfaction of the spiritual master,the Supreme Presonality of Godhead becomes satisfied.And by not satisfying the spiritual master,there is no chance of being promoted to the plane of Krsna conciousness.I should,therefore,meditate and pray for His mercy three times a day,and offer my respectfull obeisances unto Him,my spiritual master'.
Begging for Your mercy
Your servant
Yajna Gauranga das
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Please, accept my humblest obeisances in the dust of Your lotus feet. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Yesterday, for the first time we formally celebrated the day of Your vyasa-puja here, in Lima... Since I'm the only disciple here, I was very nervous... I really wanted to arrange everything really nice and inspiring, create the appropriate atmosphere for glorifying You...and thanks to the devotees we could do this...
I was trying to share with the devotees the most inspiring (for me) things about You – how wonderful vaisnava You are, preaching and taking care of the devotees so selflessly... how nectareously loving Your relationship with Srila Prabhupada and Your godbrothers are... During the last week and specially yesterday, I was meditating on the meaning of Your appereance in this world. And simlpy thinking that You are here for me too...that You came to save me...makes me feel extremely shameful... Maharaja, I will never be able to pay You back...
Maharaja, thinking of what I can really offer to You, I see I have nothing appropriate for being offered... I have no love, if not, I just wouldn't be able to commit all these stupid mistakes I'm committing daily... I even don't feel grateful enough to You, if not, I would have much more determination and dedication in service... I also cannot offer You my heart since, I don't dare... it's too impure...
Gurudeva, the only thing I can do is begging You... Please, Maharaja, keep protecting and taking care of me as You are doing... It's the only opportunity for me to do something good in this life... to make any progress in Krisna Consciousness... Please, Gurudeva, in spite of all my defects and offenses, please, don't reject me... Please...
Aspiring to become Your servant,
Jahnava d.d. (Lima, Peru)
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Please accept our prostrated obeisances to your divine lotus feet. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
On this most auspicious day of your appearance on this planet we want to express our deep gratitude for everything you are doing for us.
We want to thank you for giving us an opportunity to do some personal service to you, for your instructions which bring us closer to Krishna, for your personal care about us, for keeping us in association of many wonderful devotees and for showing us by your personal example what means to be a devoted servant of Srila Prabhupada and the Lord.
By your own example you show us the way we have to follow to achieve the most desirable goal which is the eternal loving service to the lotus feet of Radha and Krishna.
We know that we still have a long way to go before we will achieve that goal and there will be many obstacles on that path but we are confident that sooner or later it will be achieved because you want that. Whatever desire pure devotee of the Lord has the Lord fulfills it. And it is not a secret that one of your innermost desires is to bring to the lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada and Krishna as many spirit souls as possible. You have unlimited compassion to those who struggles in this material world and you dedicated all your life to help others to become Krishna consciousness.
In one of your lectures you mentioned that our movement is like a big family and Srila Prabhupada wanted this family to increase and being taken care of properly. Some of us are stronger and some face difficulties which would be difficult to overcome without support from those who have firm unflinching faith in the Lord and His instructions. And you give yourself completely to those who need this support.
Trying to help others you stretch yourself beyond the limits because your heart is very soft, full of compassion and love. During personal meetings with you many devotees feel their eyes become filled with tears of gratitude because they have never experienced before such level of love and care which you bestow upon them. This love and care which come from you are the greatest source of inspiration in spiritual life. Naturally one develops desire to reciprocate to this love by following your instructions and trying to do something that will please you. This gives us an experience of what the spiritual relationships are based on and you help us to get this experience. Such experience as rear in this material world as rear an opportunity to meet a pure devotee of the Lord.
Few years ago in Mayapur you met one of your godbrothers who came to India first time in the last thirty years or even more. He left ISKCON after Srila Prabhupada departed from this world and since then that was his first visit to Mayapur. You were walking by the road towards Conch Building to attend GBC meetings and that devotee was walking by the road towards you. When he came closer he folded his hands and stopped.
You did the same and then this devotee started to cry. With trembling voice he said that after Srila Prabhupada's departure from this world he left ISKCON and association of devotees. For long time he became covered by illusionary energy to such extend that he could not really understand where he was all this time. Somehow or other after long time he came to Mayapur again and that was the next year after His Holiness Sridhara Maharaja left his body. The day before you met that devotee you gave a speech during a program dedicated to Sridhara Maharaja and your words touched his heart to such extend that he told you that your words brought him back and opened his eyes again. During mangala-arati he could see the Deities again. He was so grateful to you and tears were coming from his eyes.
You spoke from your heart and your words reached the heart of this devotee. They went through the thick layer of covering which maya put around his heart and made his heart soft and opened for Krishna again.
On this most auspicious day we pray to the Lord for his mercy to keep our hearts always open for your words because your words is the extension of your heart which is filled with love for Krishna and Srila Prabhupada.
Dear Guru Maharaja, please continue bestow your mercy upon us and never let us turn away from your words which are the source of great inspiration and faith. We hope that by your mercy one day our hearts will become soft enough to experience at least some portion of that love and compassion which you feel for others.
Thank you very much!
Your servants
Vraja Kumara dasa, Rangavati devi dasi & Sudevi
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anahata prayasena prabhupadasya tustaye / sankirtana pravrtyartham ihate guruve namah
nama om visnu-padaya krsna-presthaya bhu-tale / srimate bhaktivedanta-svamin iti namine
namas te sarasvate deve gaura-vani-pracarine / nirvisesa-sunyavadi-pascatya-desa-tarine
My most beloved Guru Maharaja,
Please accept my most humble obeisances at your lotus feet. All glories to ISKCON’s sampradaya acarya, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
As the blessed day of your appearance approached, I felt renewed inspiration in my devotional activities. Your Vyasa-puja has always been a great inspiration to me. I remember the 2006 Ukraine celebration. On the Vyasa-puja day we received news that you were not coming. Oh, the feelings of disappointment! I got a glimpse into how feelings of separation are the most intense spiritual emotions. Then when it was time for me to read my offering, I became too emotional and could not continue. I cried and cried and even tried to conquer my emotions by remembering Lord Caitanya’s lotus feet. (kathancana smrte yasmin duskaram sukaram bhavet: By remembering Lord Caitanya difficult things become easy.) It did not work. Then a prabhu came to me and said, “Guru Maharaja wants you to know that he can see you [via Internet camera] and that he is with you.” Immediately I regained my composure and was able to read my offering. Again this showed me how fully dependent I am on your mercy. You reciprocated my feelings of love and gratitude fifteen minutes later by sending the most heart-warming letter a disciple could hope to receive from his or her guru. You acknowledged the trouble I took to come a long distance for the ceremony and promised that my sacrifices would bear fruit.
That fruit, and it was very sweet, came in Udupi several months later when I was able to cook for you for three weeks. Specifically during that time, I remember the night we went to the Sri Krsna temple - in one car in a small group. I felt so happy to be so close to you. It was like the perfect evening, almost surreal. I felt fortunate, like those who got close association with Srila Prabhupada as a rare treat must have felt.
Recently while taking my daily dose of Nectar of Devotion, the following passage made such an impact on me that I now read it every day before continuing where I left off.
“In the Aparadha-bhanjana a pure devotee expresses his feelings: ‘My dear Lord, I am ashamed to admit before You that I have carried out the orders of my masters named lust, anger, avarice, illusion, and envy. Sometimes I have carried out their orders in a way most abominable. Yet in spite of my serving them so faithfully, they are not satisfied, nor are they kind enough to give me relief from their service. They are not even ashamed of taking service from me in that way. My dear Lord, O head of the Yadu dynasty, now I have come to my senses, and I am taking shelter of Your lotus feet. Please engage me in Your service.’”
Of course this is a prayer directly to Krsna, but when I read it, I think of it as my prayer to you. You are the perfect loving master. You have surrendered to your perfect master, Srila Prabhupada, and I know that by surrendering to you, you will take me to the lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada and Krsna. This is my aspiration - that I can give up serving the bad masters mentioned in this prayer and serve only you. Sri-guru-carane rati, ei se uttama gati.
This evening in Caitanya-bhagavata class, Mahaniddhi Maharaja was describing the pride of a devotee. The devotee is not proud of himself (amanina), but he is proud of his guru and Krsna. Hearing that reminded me of how proud I am of you, to have you as my spiritual master. Your character is so spotless that even the naysayers can find no fault with you.
I would also like to express how happy I am to have received the name Guru-seva from you. It makes me feel very connected to you. Whenever I am doing a service that is especially pleasing to you, for example distributing books, I completely overcome any fear that I have about not “making it” in this life. I know that the most important service to you is to chant the maha-mantra purely. Please give me your mercy so that I can please you in all ways, and especially by chanting with pure devotion.
Your insignificant servant,
Guru-seva devi dasi
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Dear Niranjana Maharaj, please accept my humble respectful obeisances in the dust of Your lotus feet!
There is no language in material world for expressing all the gratitude, all the thankfulness that I would like to express for You, my deliverer, my true spiritual master! This is You who continuously show and tell during the lectures and darshans the reality of spiritual world and the illusion of material world. This is You who always guide, who always convince such untalented person as me of returning home, back to Godhead. Nobody but You during millions of lifetimes did, does and will do so much for me as You do; You want to bring me to Krishna, and what could be more important?
Dear Guru Maharaj! Only due to You I have understood how important the devotional service is, how important it is to be a servant of devotees, to love Krishna. I desire and hope very much that Your spiritual master Srila Prabhupada and Krishna would be always satisfied with You.
Your worthless servant
Sergey Chuyko (Chernigov, Ukraine)
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Please, accept my humble obeisances on the day of your appearance. In the distant 1989 you visited our country for the first time. At that time, we didn't understand the glory and sublime position of the spiritual master. A hundred of the devotees in the small room have listened your lecture on the day of Janmastami, but many of them have perceived You only as a guest and Srila Prabhupada disciple. That attitude wasn't very correct, because besides You had already had all qualities to be the spiritual master.
That's what the Lord Caitanya was talking aboutin His conversation with Ramananda Ray:
kiba vipra, kiba nyasi, sudra kene naya
yei krsna-tattva-vetta sei 'guru' haya
"Never mind whether he's a brahmana or a sudra or a sannyasi or a householder. Never mind what he is. That doesn't matter. If he knows the science of Krsna, then he is the bona fide spiritual master."
To this famous verse, His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada gives very detailed and deep commentary on the guru qualities and types of the spiritual masters. And talking about qualifications of Siksa guru Srila Prabhupada states: "A spiritual master, who instructs a disciple for his elevation, is called Siksa-guru. In fact, the qualifications of a spiritual master is determined by his knowledge in science of Krisna".
And during those many years, I could see that these words of Srila Prabhupada are describing You. No matter what situation you are in or what problems you are dealing with - You are always trying to elevate Your consciousness and consciousness of the others. Your sublime instructions, full of compassion and mercy, have helped me to make a progress and be more determined and focused in Krisna Consciousness.
You are trying to give Krisna consciousness in every situation, appealing to reason and changing the hearts of the disciples. So, thanks to Your compassion and mercy, one can understand how the Lord Caitanya gives mercy to the conditioned souls, not making conditions or taking into consideration merits of the person.
Thanks to Your compassion and mercy, Your instructions inspire and penetrate deeply into the heart cultivating Bhakti sprout. Only because of Your compassion and mercy all complicated situations are resolved and the impossible becomes possible.
By possessing all these qualities of compassion and mercy You become very, very dear to Srila Prabhupada, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Sri Krisna Bhagavan! Please, let Your instructions to be heard again and again ever in my heart, and then I can probably learn to be merciful and compassionate for all living beings, reminding them about their eternal friend - Sri Krisna.
Sincerely Your servant,
Yuga-Priya d.d.
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Please accept my most humble obeisances at your lotus feet. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
As usual, I would like to express my attitude of gratitude for constantly bestowing your mercy on this fallen hopeless soul. The only hope for this soul to put an end to this material suffering in the agony of constant material desires is your ongoing flow of mercy and blessings that destroy the concepts of material life. Your understanding of the suffering of the living entities in the material world makes your heart very soft and compassionate. This compassion and support that you give your disciples regardless of their fallen condition is our only hope. Indeed in this age of Kali, the most difficult and destructive times for spiritual endeavors when the world is being ruled by demons, it would be impossible to make spiritual progress or become at least uplifted to a higher level of consciousness if it wasn't for Krishna Consciousness. Because Krishna Consciousness is not a religion, it's not a mystical path where there are so many strict rules and even more punishments, KC is not a cult or a sect where the leaders are narrow minded and only interested in personal profit or power or fame. KC is a way of life, it's a lifestyle system that changes one's habbits, association, ideals and goals. And by your preaching and support and compassion your disciples are able to gradually make progress in spiritual life receiving your personal instructions, example and coaching on different practical spiritual subjects. I see this as an entrance gate into a spiritual realm where I could receive your actual training on devotional practices toward the supreme personality of Godhead. That place where your qualified disciples receive direct training from you on devotional service is unavailable to me, because I'm very fallen. And for my own benefit I'm not allowed in there because I'm always committing offenses. But from being hopeless in this material world, because of you, I do see some hope. There is some hope that I wouldn't go lower into the hellish state of life, because this is where I was going and am still sometimes trying to go. I was, by my karma on the way to hell, I was born in a very unfortunate family with a demoniac father and no means for education or another way for a better life in a spiritual sense. You are the only person that stops my travel into the hellish planets and makes me turn around. Why the only? There are so many spiritual masters out there, even in ISKCON, why would I say the only? Because nobody else cared, nobody else really cared as much as you did for me and many other disciples and I'm sure so many would agree with me on this. And this may be just my personal opinion, but I do hope that everybody else in ISKCON feels the same way about their spiritual master. Again why nobody else could have done this for me? Because nobody else was able to put so much faith in my heart in this false and deceitful world. And my faith only keeps growing because you, Guru Maharaja have never let me down, despite the many times I have.
My gratitude must resemble my advancement, therefore I don't even feel qualified enough to thank you.
Your servant,
Ananta Acarya Das
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