Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare,
Hare Rāma Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma Hare Hare
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
Most respected and dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to you!
When our congregation reads, listens, studies, and discusses your books or lectures, we feel enlivened, our minds are purified, and we clearly see that the purpose of our lives is to perform sincere devotional service unto your lotus feet.
In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, you mentioned that Śrīla Vedavyāsa felt incomplete despite being fully equipped with everything required by the Vedas. In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.4.31, Vyāsa Bhagavān says:
kiṁ vā bhāgavatā dharma na prāyeṇa nirūpitāḥ
priyāḥ paramahaṁsānāṁ ta eva hy acyuta-priyāḥ
“This may be because I did not specifically point out the devotional service of the Lord, which is dear both to perfect beings and to the infallible Lord.”
In the purport you kindly point out: “Unless one is fixed in the normal condition of service, neither the Lord nor the living being can become fully satisfied. This defect was felt by him when Nārada Muni, his spiritual master, reached him.”
In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.5.8, Śrī Nārada Muni says:
bhavatānudita-prāyaṁ yaśo bhagavato ’malam
yenaivāsau na tuṣyeta manye tad darśanaṁ khilam
“You have not actually broadcast the sublime and spotless glories of the Personality of Godhead. That philosophy which does not satisfy the transcendental senses of the Lord is considered worthless.”
In your purport to this verse, Śrīla Prabhupāda, you point out that constitutionally we are eternal servants of the eternal master. Lord Kṛṣṇa expands himself to accept loving service from us, which satisfies both us and the Lord. “Dry philosophical speculations even on the transcendental subject of the Absolute have very little attraction without directly dealing with the glorification of the Lord.”
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you are always present in your books. If not, how is it possible that your books continue to transform the hearts of so many people each day? Your mysterious workings are beyond our comprehension. We only hope and pray that you continue to inspire and guide us through your devotees so that we can carry on your mission to the best possible extent, with consistency, and without any material motives – to please you.
We have been a small congregation in Minneapolis, MN, operating under the banner of Krishna Sankirtan Society (KSS). Always fascinated by your books and teachings, we have been performing daily maṅgala-ārati, weekly classes on the Bhagavad-gītā (Fridays) and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (Sundays), organizing major festivals and a Ratha-yātrā. Devotees here organize weekly Gopal Fun School classes, both online and in-person. Some devotees organize online and in-person reading sessions to study your books. We have a monthly kīrtana and reading program at the University of Minnesota. Devotees here regularly participate in book distribution at the university, and at fairs and festivals, other temples, and outside grocery stores.
We feel that your books, like parents, have the power to sustain preaching centers by nourishing us with devotion, wisdom, and other resources. In February 2024 we acquired a 5.5-acre piece of rural land, with a house and pole barn on it that could become an ISKCON temple.
By your kind mercy, we recently got over the hurdle of getting the Conditional Use Permit approved from the city of Corcoran. We fervently pray for your continued mercy so that we can come up with a devotionally vibrant Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa temple. We are now in the process of raising funds for both temple and a farming project under the banner of ISKCON New Mahavan Temple and Ecofarm Community.
We pray at your lotus feet to please keep us under your shelter and continue to guide us in the form of your books and lectures. May we serve under the guidance of your able disciples, such as the ISKCON GBC members, senior devotees, and initiating spiritual masters, so that we can sincerely serve you and glorify Lord Kṛṣṇa sincerely and consistently, with love and care.
Yours truly,
The devotees at the ISKCON New Mahavan Temple and Ecofarm Community