Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
On this sacred occasion of the sixtieth anniversary of ISKCON, we offer our most humble and heartfelt obeisances at the dust of your lotus feet. You have made immeasurable sacrifices for the upliftment of all conditioned souls, and through your boundless mercy, you have given the entire world the priceless gift of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Whatever śāstras we study – Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam – the true inspiration comes alive through the shining example of great ācāryas like you. Your life proves that the teachings of the śāstras are not mere philosophy but living truths that can be practiced in every circumstance. Through your divine example, you have given us unshakable faith. No matter how difficult the situation, you have shown us how to remain fixed on the ultimate goal and live with deep spiritual understanding. You have revealed that it is possible to live free from anxiety and to progress toward an eternal, spiritual existence. You taught the whole world that even a simple life, centered on devotion, can lead to the highest consciousness. From an apparently ordinary family life, you rose to an extraordinary position of spiritual strength and universal influence. With unwavering faith in your spiritual master, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, you dedicated your entire life to service, and with great compassion, you passed that same faith into our hearts. You are truly a great ācārya for the whole world – a genuine mahātmā.
Your childhood itself stands as a divine arrangement. By the grace of your exalted father, the great Vaiṣṇava Gour Mohan De, your life was carefully molded in Kṛṣṇa consciousness from the very beginning. He nurtured your every spiritual inclination, valuing even your smallest devotional sentiments. With deep vision, he raised you not just materially, but spiritually, ensuring you received both a material and transcendental education. Like a sculptor who sees the deity within stone, he saw your future greatness and shaped you into a dhīra – steady, wise, and spiritually awakened. You recognized him as a pure devotee and understood the invaluable importance of his association. Through his guidance, you demonstrated to the world the true responsibility of a parent: to guide a child toward the ultimate goal of life – service to guru and Kṛṣṇa.
Because of this perfect upbringing, when you met your spiritual master, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, you immediately recognized his true position as the representative of sādhu and śāstra. Your doubts were dispelled, and you deeply realized the urgent need for every jīva to take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. From your very first meeting, when you were instructed to spread Lord Caitanya’s message in English, you accepted that order within your heart as your life and soul. Your only question thereafter was, “How shall I serve you?” – a perfect expression of surrender, faith, and eternal connection with your guru. Through this mood, you established the highest example of the guru-disciple relationship and dedicated your life fully to fulfilling his instruction.
Despite living as a householder, working, and managing responsibilities, you were always absorbed in how to serve and spread the message of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Though you faced many challenges – within family, society, and materially – you never deviated from your mission. Even when support was withdrawn, when your business failed, and when you faced opposition even at home, you saw everything as Kṛṣṇa’s arrangement and mercy. Your transcendental faith never wavered.
You endured deep loneliness after the departure of your father and spiritual master, yet you remained grateful, holding tightly to their final instructions. While publishing Back to Godhead, you tolerated neglect and insult. Even when your Bhagavad-gītā manuscript was stolen – twice – you did not lose heart; you simply wrote it again with greater determination. For nearly forty years, you patiently waited and struggled to fulfill your spiritual master’s desire. No rejection, disrespect, or hardship could stop you, because you were firmly situated in the truth given by your guru.
Finally, in 1966, by your causeless mercy, you established ISKCON with the clear mission of giving bhakti to the entire world and awakening pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness in every heart.
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, you carried Kṛṣṇa consciousness across oceans and offered it freely to all humanity. You shaped your life completely according to the desire of the Lord, dedicating yourself to uplifting conditioned souls. You did not merely teach philosophy – you established a living path for all of us to follow. You emphasized that true spiritual life is not just about rules and regulations but about reviving our lost spirit of devotion. You taught us to take shelter of guru, sādhu, and śāstra, and through their association, to reconnect with genuine Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Traveling to the Western countries at an advanced age, you endured unimaginable hardships, yet your determination never weakened. Your life stands as a radiant example of surrender, selflessness, gratitude, and unwavering faith. You have shown that when one fully depends on the spiritual master and acts with sincerity, Kṛṣṇa provides all guidance and support.
Now, by your mercy, it is our responsibility to follow the path you have so compassionately given – to cultivate humility, service attitude, and surrender to guru, and to share this message for the benefit of all living beings with cooperation.
If one has the association of a pure Vaiṣṇava in life, it is more valuable than anything else in this world. Your own life stands as the perfect proof of this truth. By your causeless mercy, you gave this priceless opportunity to your disciples, and through them it continues to flow – from one to another – spreading that same divine mercy to all.
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, we remain eternally indebted to your sacrifice, your compassion, and your boundless mercy. Your insignificant servants, offering our humble obeisances again and again.
Your humble servant
Śrīdhara Gopāla Dāsa and the devotees of ISKCON Seattle