nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale
śrīmate jayapatāka svāmin iti nāmine
nama ācaryapādāya nitāi-kṛpā-pradāyine
gaura-kathā-dhāma-dāya nagara-grāma-tāriṇe
My dear Guru Mahārāja please accept my respectful obeisances!!!
All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda!
All glories to Śrī Śrī Guru and Gaurāṅga!
According to the instructions given to Arjuna by Lord Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad-gītā, You are infinitely dear to the Lord as You preach His glories to His devotees.
Since joining Śrīla Prabhupāda's movement, You have been preaching incessantly throughout the world to bestow the mercy of Lord Caitanya and Nityānanda to as many souls as possible.
As everyone knows, no obstacle has ever stopped Your preaching; neither the obstacles of the body, nor the pandemic, nor the social restrictions that have prevented travel from one country to another.
Since I was born in this body, the difficulties of life have gradually worsened.
The historical period we are experiencing seems the most difficult to face; it seems that man wants to demonstrate stupidity in all It’s manifestations with all his strength, and I remember that at the beginning of the tragic events (first lockdown), in a zoom link with all the Italian God- brothers, You turned to me saying:
“Remember that this battle is not fought with swords, but with Japa”.
I am realizing how severe social problems are putting a strain on our level of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. I am thinking for example of the devotees and God-brother in Ukraine who are facing the war. Such trials often stimulate fear, anger and apathy towards life, but the devotee should always remain impassive, calm and abandoned to Kṛṣṇa.
There are many ways You have taught me in this difficult time to take Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings and chanting the Holy Names even more seriously and I am eternally grateful to You.
The Guru always teaches by example, and observing You for thirty years, I denote how You have always dedicated Your life without reserve to the mission of Your Spiritual Master, by declining to Him all the merits and successes of Your service. I also observed and studied the impressive mission and work of Śrīla Prabhupāda, who also sent all glories and honors back to His Guru Mahārāja, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhnata Sarasvatī Goswami in the same way.
So in the same way, I am striving to follow Your humble example, leaving the credit for my closeness to Kṛṣṇa Consciousness, to Your incomparable mercy, without which I would not even be part of this transcendental movement.
And it is precisely in this difficult period that I humbly ask You to keep me in the shadow of Your lotus feet, with the sole purpose of serving You in a feeling of love and devotion, thus transforming my service from miserable to sublime for Your satisfaction.
I will never tire of being infinitely grateful to You!
All glories to my beloved and merciful Spiritual Master!
All glories to Śrīla Prabhuada!
Your foolish disciple,
Murāri-Caitanya dāsa (dīkṣā)
Catania, Sicily, Italy
