Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept my most sincere and humble obeisances at your lotus feet.
nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale
śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāminn iti nāmine
namas te sārasvate deve gaura-vāṇī-pracāriṇe
nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi-pāścātya-deśa-tāriṇe
On behalf of ISKCON Hong Kong, I am writing your Vyāsa-pūjā offering for this year. This is the first time I have had the opportunity to write for the official ISKCON Vyāsa-pūjā book for Your Divine Grace. Your glories are unlimited, and therefore by your mercy, please allow me to write something in your glorification.
The Vyāsa-pūjā of Your Divine Grace is the most auspicious event and a blessing to all of us. You appeared just to save the fallen souls of Kali-yuga and ultimately bring us to the lotus feet of Śrī Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa.
The whole world is in complete ignorance and bereft of spiritual knowledge. Hong Kong is an example of that. In this concrete jungle of buildings, there is barely even a place to sit down peacefully. People here are simply busy working day and night, without any spiritual purpose. It is so sad to see the condition of the people here. Without your kindness, teachings, and ISKCON society, we ourselves would be in this group of spiritually aimless people.
In the midst of all this māyā and forgetfulness of Kṛṣṇa, we have your ISKCON temple and the most beautiful Śrī Śrī Gaura-Nitāi Deities presiding over it. Their presence brings glory to this city. This is your mercy and kindness on all of us. Your lotus feet touched down and blessed this part of China in the 1970s. Your ISKCON society has continued to develop and expand since that time.
You live forever in your instructions. We can still associate with you through these instructions by staying fixed in our devotional sādhana, serving our beautiful Gaura-Nitāi Deities, hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and also going out for harināma-saṅkīrtana to share the holy names of Lord Kṛṣṇa with the public.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, your mercy is overflowing continuously. There is no room for complacency in our endeavors to reach out for your mercy.
I heard a lecture of yours. The point you made inspired me so much that I wanted to mention it in this Vyāsa-pūjā offering to Your Divine Grace. In this lecture, you gave the example of a rocking chair, with a person simply sitting on it but not making an effort to get up. Similarly, one may have a lot of knowledge, but if that knowledge is not used in practical services to Kṛṣṇa, that knowledge is stagnant and useless.
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, my humble request is that you please continue to shower your blessings on us in the ISKCON Hong Kong community. We pray for your encouragement and compassion that your movement in Hong Kong will continue to develop and become more and more successful in every way. Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Your insignificant servant,
Devarishi Dāsa
On behalf of ISKCON Hong Kong