Dearest Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Our heartfelt obeisances at your lotus feet, which we know are always moving. We can recog-
nize the great fortune you have bestowed on us – and continue to bestow – as we live our lives
trying to appreciate this matchless gift, the multifaceted gem of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
We have been graciously granted another precious year to distribute this unimaginable treasure
of bhakti-yoga to whomever will receive it, and we are meeting with some success. Given the tur-
bulence in our society and the world, not unlike when you were present in our midst, the suffering
of Mother Bhūmi’s inhabitants is almost tangible. Many humans are looking for the silver lining,
seeking the truth, and for lack of spiritual knowledge they are disappointed, confused, bewil-
dered, and bereft. So we are attempting to reach out to them, offering them some little glimpses
of the beauty of bhakti, that thing which is eternally real, which will relieve their tremendous
suffering. As Kali-yuga progresses, we see the increased degradation of human society; indeed,
it appears as if Father Dharma’s last leg is about to crumble and collapse. As you have so kindly
relieved our intense suffering, Your Divine Grace, we pray that you will empower us to deliver
your loving message to others.
Time is a very elusive thing to fathom; however, we do know that there never seems to be
enough of it. As you told us again and again: (1) Not one moment should be wasted; and (2) We
can never buy back any “unused” time. We can practically see that the whole world is on fire. You
have tasked us to be the fire brigade insomuch as we should attempt to spread the holy names
around, distribute your precious literatures, and interact exceptionally with the various souls we
meet. The impetus to fight the creeping forest fire of Māyā has been instilled by your mercy alone,
O Patita-pāvana! How else could we reasonably function in this phantasmagoria? Your faithful
adherents witness many miracles whereby a momentary meeting with your local representative
has irrevocably changed the life of an unsuspecting spirit soul. Please give us presence of mind in
all such encounters so we may impress a bit of bhakti on those sincere spiritual seekers.
The assembled Vaiṣṇavas lead very busy lives, supporting their families and themselves some-
way or other while endeavoring in their real business in this world: sādhana-bhakti, outreach and
sharing Kṛṣṇa with others, worshiping the arcā-vigraha, and keeping body and soul together to
do all of the above. Somehow all of this seems minuscule in scope compared to your life’s work.
When we remember that you sacrificed your very self to bring us all salvation, we can only pray
to be so surrendered in the service of others. You are incomprehensibly selfless, and your abject
humility in all interpersonal dealings seems unattainable to us, so we can only persist in chanting
the mahā-mantra, as you instructed, to neutralize our false ego. We have understood: purification
is perceivable and palpable if we persevere in our practice. We beg you to shower us with your
inconceivable mercy to follow you closely, as a small child enjoys following their loving father.
O Vaiṣṇava Ṭhākura, we beg for the spiritual strength and discrimination to continue our journey
down this difficult and uncommon path, which is also very sweet, simple, and sublime. We are
deeply indebted to you, as well as eternally grateful to have been gifted this most divine of all
boons, pure devotional service to Lord Kṛṣṇa.
Your eternal servant,
Līlā-śakti Devī Dāsī, temple president
on behalf of the devotees at New Goloka Dhāma

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