Hare Krishna Gurumaharaj,
Please accept my most respectful obeisance unto your lotus feet
All glories Guru and Gauranga
All glories to Srila Prabhupada
Thank you for giving me shelter at your lotus feet and that too on such an auspicious occasion as your 50th anniversary day and the most intimate festival for Gaudiya Vaisnavas, Radhastami. I still cannot believe how, in the midst of so many challenges and obstacles, the arrangements were made that week, and that day, for me to receive your shelter. All I could do was surrender and let you take control of my life. I never really appreciated how powerful your mercy and compassion could be until that Radhastami day, 26-08-2020.
The truth is, the more I hear from you, Srila Guru Maharaj, and the more I try to actually listen to your vani, the more I realise how little I appreciate and know your glories. Your love for Srila Prabhupada and your conviction to serve in Lord Caitanya’s mission is phenomenal, inspiring and one that a polluted heart like mine may never even begin to appreciate. Still, I know that you so sincerely want your disciples to assist you in serving Srila Prabhupada, and as your disciple I have tried to make some steps to assist you in your life’s-work, Guru Maharaj.
Inspired by your senior disciples, I have gotten involved in promoting in the UK the compassionate work of India Tribal Care Trust. I have had the fortune of getting the blessings of your dedicated disciple HH Bhakti Purshottam Swami who is encouraging me in this endeavour.
Srila Guru maharaj, I know how much value you put on distributing Srila Prabhupada’s books and in preaching. As you may recall, I do have some challenges, but I did try to participate in a small way in the December Book Marathon. I pray that you bless me with strength and courage to do this service much more in the future as I know this is very dear to you.
Towards the end of December 2020, I pushed myself to take on the service of starting a virtual sanga for children from the ISKCON South London community. By your mercy guru maharaj, there was a very nice take-up by children and genuine enthusiasm from parents. So much so that in January we have had to split the group into two, one for under 11s and a second group for over 11s. As my service to you Guru Maharaj, I’m trying to co-facilitate the children’s group for 5 to 10 year olds. There are 20+ children and parents joining each Saturday evening and it is very encouraging. We are studying Srila Prabhupada’s Bhagavad Gita. I am not a natural preacher and my own knowledge of sastra is limited, but by your mercy Guru Maharaj and simply as a gesture of some small service at your lotus feet, I will try to continue this service and reach out to more families.
Although you know that I am such a fallen soul, but by Srimati Radharani’s mercy you have somehow taken me under your shelter and given me your protection. When I say that taking diksha from you Guru Maharaj has changed my life, I mean it has literally changed my life, from the inside. My thoughts, my priorities, my desires, my feelings have all been refocused – or at least are being refocused. Having experienced this protection of the Lord’s devotee, I have felt inspired to share this journey with others so that other aspiring devotees can also find solace at the feet of a guru. I have joined other devotees from ISKCON South London to start two mentorship groups for matajis. The service actually is as much for my own purification and learning as it is for others, but I hope by sharing my own personal experience it may help others to be inspired to look to initiation in ISKCON. Along with one mataji I have taken on the service to care for 5 matajis. I pray that you give me the intelligence to represent Srila Prabhupada’s mission nicely, and to not cause any offence to you Guru Maharaj by my impudence and naivety on spiritual truths. I simply want to become your humble servant.
Please continue to bless me.
Your servant
Antaranga HariPriya Devi Dasi
Iskcon South London