Hare Krishna Dearest Gurumaharaj,
Please accept my humble obeisance at the dust of your lotus feet.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada. All glories to you on the most auspicious day of your 70th Vyasa Puja.
Gurudeva, me and my family are always praying to Lord Narasimhadeva to protect you and give you more strength so that you can continue to follow your Guru Maharaj’s instructions in preaching Krishna Consciousness throughout the whole world. To me, you are my biggest inspiration. I have printed a quote from you where you said ‘Please tolerate all difficulties...always continue serving Guru and Gauranga’. You are the epitome of mercy and whenever I am struggling with anything, I simply think of you and it gives me abundant strength. Thank you Gurudeva for always showering me with so much love and mercy.
Gurudeva, I last saw you when you gave initiation to my parents, Ganasraya Nitai Das Adhikari and Gitanjali Jahnava Devi Dasi, in Birmingham 2016. I also took aspiring from you there, and you called me your spiritual daughter. It filled my heart with so much joy and my eyes with so many tears of love. I saw how merciful and caring towards your children you are.
Gurudeva, I want to take this opportunity to inform you about my spiritual progress since last year. With your kind mercy I am able to continue my sadhana and follow regulative principles in my Krishna Consciousness journey. Since finishing my education, I have no more studying and so I am using my free time in reading Srila Prabhupada’s books and hearing lectures.
- I am chanting 16 rounds daily
- I have been reading many of Srila Prabhupada’s books
- I am starting to read Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 1 Part 2
- I am always listening to lectures, even whilst cooking
- My parents have started outreach programme in our home, and I help with preparation of food items
- I continue going to Namahatta in Nottingham every Friday
- We are visiting Vrindavana Dham this August 2019
Gurudeva, I also want to take this opportunity to tell you about something very special that Lord Krishna has given me. For the first few months of 2019, I was having a difficult time, facing many issues and mental disturbances. Since finishing my masters study in September 2018, I have been looking for jobs. I really had a desire to find a job in London Gurudeva, because there are many service opportunities at Iskcon Soho (for Sri Sri Radha LondonIsvara) and Bhaktivedanta Manor (for Radha Gokulananda) and lots of devotee association. I really thought that spiritual desire would not be fulfilled but how kind is Krishna that by his mercy, and Srila Prabhupada’s and your mercy, I have secured a job in London which starts this September 2019. I want to use every ounce of my time to serve at the temple, sing for the deities, cook for the deities, and go on book distribution and harinam.
This is my first offering to you Guru Maharaja at your lotus feet and it may be having many faults and mistakes. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to show my love and appreciation for you Guru Maharaja.
I pray to Sri Sri Jagannatha Baladev and Subhadra to keep you in good health always so that we are able to celebrate many more of your Vyāsa Puja’s in the future. Please continue to engage me in your service, so that one day I can have some attraction for the holy name.
Your aspiring servant always,
Shilpa Kumar (Nottingham, England)