Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet. All glories to Your Divine Grace.
I recently heard a recorded answer you gave to someone who asked what would happen to your movement in the United States after your departure. In your usual witty and profound manner, you replied, “I will never die. I shall live in my books, and you will utilize them.” In the recording, one can hear how the disciples present erupted in joyful cheers upon hearing your powerful words.
Based on my own personal experience as well as that of many people I know, I can testify that your prediction is manifesting exactly as you said. Many people are utilizing your books and receiving guidance from your living instructions, and as a result, they are undergoing wonderful transformations in their lives.
As you wrote in dedicating your magnum opus – the translation of and Bhaktivedanta purports to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam – to your spiritual master: “He lives forever by his divine instructions, and the follower lives with him.” In this connection, you personally shared that during the early days of the movement, while you were on the streets of New York seemingly like a vagabond, you never felt alone – even though externally you were by yourself in a foreign country, without material resources, far from your beloved Vrindavan. You always felt the presence of your spiritual master.
Thus, by your own example, you demonstrated the guru-paramparā principle that the disciple always lives with the spiritual master by faithfully, gratefully, and lovingly following his instructions.
As for how your divine instructions are affecting my own small life, the more I read, study, preach, teach, and write about your books – and the more I hear your lectures and read your letters – the more inspired I become to follow the beautiful process of devotional service to Kṛṣṇa that you compassionately gave us. Moreover, I feel inspired to share this gift with others.
I humbly pray at your lotus feet that as you live through your divine instructions, I may always live with you by following them and by helping distribute them wherever I go – especially in the prabhu datta-deśa you entrusted to me through your representative.
May I always remain a servant of your followers, who are living with you by faithfully following your instructions.
Eternally your servant,
Yadunandana Swami