Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept our humble obeisances at your lotus feet on this wonderful day of your appearance! All glories to you!
We glorify you on this day and on all other days throughout the year, and from year to year. Every ISKCON devotee feels gratitude toward and love for you. There is no official membership in our society, but we are united by one goal – pure devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, performed by a pure soul. And you are the personification of this goal, our inspiration, and an amazing example – our ācārya. Therefore, the day of your appearance is a special celebration, and the feelings we experience on this day are accessible only to us, your followers, and this is our treasure.
In our yātrā, devotees always really want to make a special festival on your appearance day in order to somehow express their gratitude and their emotions. Despite the difficulties that the modern world is trying to overcome, devotees continue to serve Kṛṣṇa and glorify Him in all situations. We have learned this from you through your books, lectures, and personal example. We continue to study further, and along with this, our feelings of love and gratitude toward you are constantly increasing. Every time we read your books – over and over again – new aspects of sublime spiritual knowledge are revealed to us, and our desire to improve devotional service to Kṛṣṇa and give up our material attachments increases.
Every time we listen to stories about you, we are amazed at the example of your purity, simplicity, and single-mindedness in wanting to satisfy your spiritual master. Every time we come in contact with your disciples, we see their boundless devotion and appreciation for you. Every time we come in contact with the company of devotees, we remember the purpose of our existence and are filled with happiness and the mood of selfless service to Kṛṣṇa.
How fortunate and blessed we are now to see the smiles of the Vaiṣṇavas. For us, there are thousands of positive sources of Kṛṣṇa consciousness that have come and continue to come from you.
We would like to change our lives so that we can truly call ourselves a “Prabhupāda man.” Thanks to you, all the riches of the spiritual world are open to us, and we have the power to turn everything you wanted into reality. All we need to do is to let you into our hearts, removing all barriers, and this can be done if we continue to follow your instructions and adhere to the society of ISKCON devotees.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, please accept our attempts at service and give us your smile.
Aspiring to be servants of your servants,
Devotees at ISKCON St. Petersburg, Russia