nama om vishnu-padaya krishna-presthaya bhu-tale
srimate jayapataka-swaminn iti namine
nama acaryapadaya nitai-krpa-pradayine
gaura-katha-dhama daya nagara-grama tarine
Dear Guru Maharaja,
Please accept our humble dandavat pranams! All glories to you!
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
All glories to your seventy-second Vyasa Puja!
We had a very blissful Gaura Purnima festival in March 2020. A dozen or so young westerners joined that celebration of ecstatic kirtan, energetic dance, and nectarine prasadam. Within few days after the festival, the whole world plunged into COVID 19 lockdown. So did we in Arizona and stayed away from in-person devotee association and public peaching activities.
While lockdown is emotionally taxing, in a way lockdown removed unnecessary activities and given us time and space to focus on our sadhana and sastra study. Like all devotees, our association became Zoom-centric.
The blessings and sunshine in the miserable dark days of lockdown are your continuous and countless virtual presence, virtual home visits, lectures, accepting devotee offerings and so many other events. Honestly, we felt we are with you much more than we ever felt. That presence kept us sane in the insane world, encouraged us to be strong in our sadhana, deity worship, and sastra study. Your mercy flowed into our hearts and homes and kept us enlivened.
Another special blessing in the year of lockdown is Purusottama masa. We strictly followed your instructions and felt so much bliss while the outside world is in so much agony and strife. Chanted more, read sastra more, worshiped our deities more. More of everything devotional and less of everything non-devotional.
Guru Maharaja, during the last 12 months more than ever we realized
- Your mercy is the shield from all sorts of material disturbances
- You are an inspiration to be strong in our sadhana and share with others
- Your example of unwavering faith in Nitai-Gauranga and Srila Prabhupada is essential to navigating our life safely
Sobhini Radha Devi Dasi started daily regular sastra study with our extended family in India via Zoom in Purusottma masa and continuing. At least 10 to 15 people join every day and reading Krishna, Bhagavad Gita, and Gaura Lila books. She distributed 10 Telugu Srimad Bhagavatam Sets, 32 Bhagavad - Gita, 24 Krishna Books, and 25 Gaura Lila books. Here in the US, we distributed two English Srimad Bhagavatam sets. We started a little library in front of our home and so far distributed 50 medium and small books.
Raganuga Gaura volunteered to coordinate the Bhakti Home project for CDM under the direction of HG Seva Svarupa Prabhu. He feels he is connected with Sridham Mayapura thru his service.
We are having monthly JSSS AZ sanga virtual gatherings, sharing our realizations of your mercy to stay inspired.
Last week we celebrated Gaura Purnima with devotees in person, first since 2020 Gaura Purnima. We are hoping to put behind a year of lockdown and restart in person devotee associations and public preaching activities
Guru Maharaja, from the depths of our hearts, we are grateful to you for your mercy and inspiration. We are forever indebted to you and hope we can be of more service to you in your service to Srila Prabhupada.
Guru Maharaja, we petition to Sri Sri Radha Madhava Hari, Sri Sri Gaura Nitai, Sri Sri Nimai Nitai, Sr Sri Krishna Balarama, if they are willing, continue to empower you thru your exemplary acts to guide us in our devotional service and allow us to assist you in your service to Srila Prabhupada.
Srila Jayapataka Swami Guru Maharaja 72nd Vyasa Puja ki Jaya
Your undeserving spiritual children
Raganuga Gaura dasa
Sobhini Radha Devi dasi
Diksa disciple of Srila Jayapataka Swami Acharyapada
Scottsdale AZ 85254 USA
