Nama Om Vishnu padaya Krsna presthaya bhutale
Srimate Jayapataka swamin iti namine,
Nama Acharya padaya Nitai kripa pradayine
Gaura katha dhama daya nagara grama tarine
Dearest Guru Maharaja, Please accept my respectful obeisances again and again! All glories to Srila Prabhupada!! All glories to you on this most blessed of days!!
This past year has been exceptional, perhaps unprecedented in that nearly everyone on the planet has been impacted by the global pandemic. Undaunted, seeing everything as coming from Krishna and an opportunity to propagate Krishna consciousness unlimitedly, you have “upped the ante”, setting more and more challenges for yourself and your disciples. Making “lemonade out of the lemons”, you have seized the opportunity to reach countless souls through the Internet- preaching, blessing, informing, inspiring. It’s what they call “striking while the iron is hot!”
It’s what you do!
Everything you do is with purpose. Never leaving your quarters, via the Internet, you have traveled the world over, visiting different projects to critique and encourage. You want ISKCON’s Internet presence to be current and vibrant, informative and appealing. You know how important it is to use the Internet as a tool to spread Krsna consciousness! Right now the Golden Age is the digital age!
It is significant that recently you recalled how in Mayapur on Gaura Purnima, 1975, Srila Prabhupada addressed the devotees and declared that he wanted 10,000 acaryas! At the time it must have seemed inconceivable but you have been meditating on that instruction and how to implement it. It will require what you call a paradigm shift within ISKCON, to create many more initiating gurus. Already you are telling your disciples to study Prabhupada’s books and become Bhakti Sastri, Bhakti-vibhava and Bhakti-sarvabhauma certified.
Applying another of Srila Prabhupada’s instructions to you, “Think big!”, they must prepare themselves to take on that role. And with your mercy and by your desire, it will come to pass!
Then, as a loving father only wants what’s best for his children, you are giving us the priceless gift of hearing Mahaprabhu’s lila, directly from you, who are representing the Lord and the Guru Parampara. Daily and without fail, you escort us into the sublime, esoteric pastimes described in Lord Caitanya’s many biographies. The result will be the “Sri Krsna Caitanya Book Compilation”, a masterpiece that has never before become manifest!
Even during your Covid crisis, you didn’t miss one day of giving this class! On January 25, while still battling the covid, you had just finished a two hour marathon meeting and your servants suggested that you skip the daily class. You responded, “Caitanya lila is my life!!” And then gave the class!
Dear Spiritual Father, by hearing from you, these pastimes of Gaura Hari, you know that we will achieve the highest destination- prema bhakti, pure love for Lord Sri Krsna and that is why you are so intent on giving us this special mercy! Our thanks is insufficient! You are our only shelter!
An added benefit to the daily class is that afterwards, you make virtual visits to devotees in attendance. We have a chance to offer you different preparations that you like, fruits, flowers and smiles. So too, you are blessing and encouraging, “Kṛṣṇe matir astu!” This daily, loving exchange serves to increase our attachment for you. There is no escaping your loving care!
Every morning when I wake up and offer obeisances to you, I contemplate what you will accomplish that day and I am overwhelmed when I consider that you are doing SO much, using every millisecond of your life to fulfill the orders of Srila Prabhupada and please the Supreme Lord! Your glories are endless!
Please bless us here at New Talavan to somehow manifest this project according to Prabhupada’s desire. So many of us who have been here for decades, are in our twilight years. The need for young people who will commit to carrying the project forward, who will inherit Prabhupada’s mission to make the whole world Krsna conscious, is great.
Please bless me to keep trying to glorify you and to encourage and care for the devotees thru my Facebook posts. Please bless me to always love and serve you!
Your spiritual daughter,
Haridhvani devi dasi
Diksha disciple
New Talavan, ISKCON Mississippi Farm, USA