Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,

nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale
śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine
namas te sārasvate deve gaura-vāṇī-pracāriṇe
nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi-pāścātya-deśa-tāriṇe
We are very grateful to you for giving us the simplest yet best process to understand ourselves, the
Supreme, and our relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We are all trying to
read and understand Your Divine Grace through your books and the message of Lord Caitanya.
As we read and understand Your Divine Grace’s books, we feel very fortunate and protected
from the material influences and misunderstandings about God. If we don’t read Your Divine
Grace’s books, it is not at all possible to understand the simplicity of devotional service and to
develop loving consciousness toward all living entities, Vaiṣṇavas, and the most loving Lord Śrī
Kṛṣṇa.
As we continue in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we feel great value in devotee association, which
gives us the opportunity to remember Kṛṣṇa, hear about Kṛṣṇa, and increase our inner strength
and faith in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
To progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, Your Divine Grace gave us books, ISKCON and the
Seven Purposes you devised for it, devotees, and spiritual educational centers (temples). Along
with these Your Divine Grace blesses each of us who follows your instructions.
Your Divine Grace mentioned, “Your credit is that you had not changed any message and
instructions of Śrī Kṛṣṇa and guru.” Similarly, we seek empowerment to use our intelligence to
practice and preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness and its purposes without changing the essence. We seek
to be able to reach out to the Japanese in understanding their cultural sensitivity and require-
ments, and embed this valuable jewel of Kṛṣṇa consciousness in their lives.
In a small center in Yokohama, Japan, we are giving this opportunity of Kṛṣṇa consciousness
to the Japanese by arranging music festivals (kīrtana-melas), prasādam, and yoga study groups,
where we read systematically through Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. We hold Japanese devotee retreat pro-
grams with the sole intention of increasing the respect and love among the devotees. It is surely
helping all of them to easily take Kṛṣṇa’s names and open their hearts to hearing about Kṛṣṇa, the
Supreme God who is our controller and protector, and a loving God who is waiting for us.
After a couple of retreat programs, five or seven of the devotees out of the thirteen who
attended started chanting. They also developed the desire to be vegetarian and attend the
Bhagavad-gītā classes regularly. We see Your Divine Grace’s mercy and empowerment in those who
are simple and strict in following the process.
With all humility, and feeling the great fortune and gratitude in our hearts, we fall at your lotus
feet and seek your shelter, blessings, and empowerment to continue preaching in the Yokohama
and Tsukuba centers.
Your granddisciple,
Sudāmā Dāsa (KCS)
On behalf of the Yokohama devotees

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