My dear His Holiness Jayapataka Swami Maharaja, Guru Maharaja!
Please, I beg You to accept my respectful obeisances. I invoke Your mercy to allow me to reach the shadow of Your divine lotus feet.
All glories to His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada.
All glories to Sri Gauranga and Sri Nityananda, all glories to His Holiness Jayapataka Swami, Srila Guru Maharaja!
On this day in which we celebrate Your Vyasa Puja, the first one I participate in, I feel that whatever I can offer You, even from the depths of my heart, will be little because You deserve more than what someone like me can give You. I hope I can serve with obedience and discipline, always following Your instructions without deviating.
Every day since 5.9.2020, when You welcomed me at the shadow of Your lotus feet, I am grateful for Your infinite mercy on me. For me, it means a lot that a pure and liberated soul like You has given protection to me, as insignificant as I am. Who was going to tell me that one day I was going to feel this peace? When I approached Krishna consciousness 3 years ago, I felt so old and having some health issues I thought it was too late for me.
I started little by little, respecting the four principles and chanting my 16 rounds, interacting with devotees (I was extremely lucky to have the help of Akarsini Radhika Devi Dasi, who helped me and helps me a lot on my spiritual path), listening to lectures, collaborating when I was able to help and reading Srila Prabhupada's books, I surrendered a little more every day.
Immediately when I saw You the first time, You captivated me, I did not have a single doubt that I had found my spiritual master. Your humility, Your dedication to the devotees, how nothing prevented You from being with them, not even Your health, all this struck me deep in my heart. Very recently, when You contracted covid 19, we could see all that. Day after day You continued with Your services, being an example for all of us, showing us that we are not this body and Your incredible strength became our strength. Your love for Krishna and for His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada, together with our daily prayers, showed us that Krishna listens to His devotees. The miracle that we all wanted, happened! From that moment I wanted to depend on You and I pray each day that Your Holiness, never abandons me.
I pray daily for Your health, and for me to be able to receive initiation from You and I pray Krishna to help me to serve You and always obey You with humility, sincerity, and love. I hardly dare to consider myself Your disciple, I am afraid to disappoint You. Please forgive all my mistakes and my audacity, and I beg you, to continue to bless me with Your incredible mercy. Without Your guidance, everything is meaningless. Your strength is my example, Your incredible dedication to others attracted me since the first time I saw You, and I reaffirm that only You could be my Guru, I feel this with an enormous force within me. You are a great example for all of us who seek to return to Krishna.
Your incredible wisdom will always be the light that illuminates the way, of those who like me, try to flee from the darkness of ignorance.
Thank you very much for existing, Jaya Gurudeva!
With all my love, devotion, fidelity, and obedience.
Your eternal aspiring servant, who needs You so much and loves You so much more
Bhaktin Marian Manzano
OM TAT SAT
