Dear Srila Jayapataka Swami Gurumaharaj
Please accept my respectful obeisances in the dust of your lotus feet
All glories to your divine lotus feet
All glories to His Divine Grace A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Last year I had the great fortune to attend the 70th Vyasa Puja of your divine grace. It was a monumental occasion celebrating your ranking not just in ISKCON but as the senior most member in the wider Gaudiya Vaishnava family.
Since then I had two opportunities to render some menial service at your lotus feet during your trips to the UK. It's always a striking contrast seeing your divine grace revered amongst an ocean of devotees compared to bring with you in closed quarters where one can intimately experience your warmth and compassion first hand.
Now, reflecting on these moments I simply desire to increase my meditation on serving you incessantly without reservation. However I recognise I am deeply entangled by the modes of nature which pull me away from my determination. I am highly unqualified and undeserving and am realising more and more the extent of your compassion upon me. So I resolve to submitting a humble prayer to Sri Sri Pancha Tattva who are each unlimited oceans of mercy. They are the Lord's of my Lord and can grant any benediction to those with sincerity of purpose.
yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo
yasyāprasādān na gatiḥ kuto 'pi
On one occasion Srila Prabhupada translated as follows.
If the spiritual master is pleased, then Kṛṣṇa is pleased. That is the test. If he is not pleased, then he has no other way.
This year I was extremely fortunate to have witnessed the milestone opening of the Temple of Vedic Planetarium's Pujari Floor in your presence. It was a highly ceremonial occasion and the ISKCON world is greatly blessed to have your auspicious participation in the lead up to and unveiling of the first floor opening.
Preceding this event was the ISKCON Leadership Sanga, where I got the opportunity to meet many senior devotees and Srila Prabhupada disciples who were speaking from different perspectives of our diverse and growing society. Intermittently I had the opportunity to speak to them in more details about their projects, and during the course of these conversations, I was in complete awe of their high regard for your divine grace. My gratitude for taking shelter at your lotus feet has multiplied. It became more solidified and evident to me that your glories pervade across the widest spectrum of Srila Prabhupada's ISKCON.
Prior to my trip I was listening a room conversation recording you had with His Grace Ramesvara Prabhu who quoted a wonderful statement from Srila Prabhupada about you - "here is the proof that our movement is a success". He continued to say that Srila Prabhupada was so proud of you and that he would often give your example as the success of his western preaching. So I was also reminded of the same resplendent message in the words of your Godbrothers and Godsisters.
My personal life has been one of significant changes this past year as I have moved home close to the Bhaktivedanta Manor community with the hope of intimately associating and serving with the sincere devotees here to increase my own taste for spiritual advancement. I humbly seek your blessings in this endeavour to grow a solid spiritual foundation in life from which I can offer myself further, in a way pleasing to you, in the service of Srila Prabhupada's mission. As numerous opportunities for service present themselves both here and further afield, kindly bless me with the vision to choose wisely so that my progress is enlivening and sustainable.
Your insignificant servant
Sacinandana Karuna das
(harinama diksa disciple)
Bhaktivedanta Manor, UK
