Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept our most humble obeisances at your lotus feet. All glories to you, our ever well-wisher, eternal spiritual master, and savior of the world.
On this most auspicious occasion of your Vyāsa-pūjā, we offer our heartfelt gratitude for the causeless mercy you have bestowed on us. You alone are responsible for bringing the most confidential transcendental message of Lord Caitanya to America and thereafter distributing it throughout the world.
Of the hundreds of ISKCON temples throughout the world, your Alachua, Florida, community, where we are honored to serve, is one of your most diverse. We have devotees here from over twenty countries, and around two hundred of your initiated disciples live in the surrounding area. Then there are also second- and third-generation devotees, who are offering their experienced service, along with newcomers who have enthusiastically embraced the path of devotional service.
Among the devotees are doctors, nurses, lawyers, realtors, artists, contractors, musicians, accountants, farmers, writers, business people, and those who work in the service industry. We also have teachers, most of whom teach in the two temple-affiliated schools. Along with the diversity in occupation and nationality of the devotees, there is also a wide range of religious, cultural, and social backgrounds among the devotees.
In spite of such diversity, there is, by your grace, real unity. All are engaged according to their propensities and means in devotional service under your guidance. Along with the two temple-affiliated schools, we have elaborate Deity worship, campus prasādam distribution and preaching, street harināmas, monthly kirtan festivals, six to eight annual Festival of the Chariots programs, an annual and now famous Festival of the Holy Names, large-scale vibrant observance of various festivals like Śrī Janmāṣṭamī and Gaura-Pūrṇimā, and, of course, book distribution.
In your purport to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.30.8 you write: “The unity of the individual souls attempting to satisfy the Supreme Lord or rendering service to the Lord is real unity. In the material world such unity is not possible. Even though people may officially unite, they all have different interests. In the United Nations, for instance, all the nations have their particular national ambitions, and consequently they cannot be united. Disunity between individual souls is so strong within this material world that even in a society of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, members sometimes appear disunited due to their having different opinions and leaning toward material things. Actually, in Kṛṣṇa consciousness there cannot be two opinions. There is only one goal: to serve Kṛṣṇa to one’s best ability. If there is some disagreement over service, such disagreement is to be taken as spiritual. Those who are actually engaged in the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead cannot be disunited in any circumstance. This makes the Supreme Personality of Godhead very happy and willing to award all kinds of benediction to His devotees, as indicated in this verse.”
On this sacred day, we pray for the strength to remain united, to honor one another as your servants, and to continue growing as a community that reflects your vision of a worldwide spiritual family.
Thank you for not only giving us Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but one another.
Your servants at the Alachua devotee community