oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā
cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
“I was born in the darkest ignorance, and my spiritual master opened my eyes with the torch of knowledge. I offer my respectful obeisances unto him.”
Hare Kṛṣṇa dear Guru Mahārāja,
Please accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet!
All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda!
All glories to you on your appearance day!
Guru Mahārāja, though I have been associating with the temple community and various of your disciples for nearly a decade now. It was only following my acceptance of the glories of the paramparā and yourself as a bonafide spiritual master some few months ago, that I experienced true and awe striking spiritual growth. In such a short time, thanks to your instruction, and my finally heeding the advice of your disciples, I have been able to chant happily and serve wholeheartedly. I am learning prayers and mantras that I never thought I would be able to remember thanks to the myriad banyan seeds of your mercy that your wondrous disciples distribute. In a similar way I am finding myself more and more open to the glories of this magnificent movement and its beautiful philosophies but hearing the glories of your own pastimes, Guru Mahārāja. Because of my desire for your mercies I have finished a book by my own volition for the first time in many years, and it was wonderful - I very much look forward to completing the library of Kṛṣṇa conscious texts in due time, thanks to your instructions.
Guru Mahārāja, I am still just a neophyte and whilst many have said that I am humble it pains me to know the truth is I am still very timid. I often find myself unable to request positions of service or put my experience to good use in our congregation due to shyness and feelings of lowliness. For this I have much regret. I suffer from a learning disability and although I am well-spoken and have been blessed with intellect, I often struggle to initiate or complete tasks without direct guidance which makes studying the Vedas difficult on my own. This is easily tempered through association. More concerning, however, is how badly it affects my memory: I fear I will never be able to memorize a full verse from any text, let alone the entirety of a Sanskrit prayer. And I greatly fear that these things will hamper me on my path to receiving dīkṣā and on my path in service to the Lord.
Guru Mahārāja, I am hopeful, and I seek to one day be your dīkṣā disciple. I am working hard to follow the principles for initiation: I am feverishly reading any work of Śrīla Prabhupāda that I can get my hands on, I am chanting a minimum of 16 rounds every day and am following the regulative principles that even if you may leave me brokenhearted I would still be endeavoring to become a righteous devotee of the Lord through the instructions of Śrīla Prabhupāda and his disciples. You are such a loving and merciful inspiration to me, and your humility fills me with bliss. Your recitation and narration of Gaura-līlā fills me with such intense love and separation that I am verging on tears even thinking about it. I yearn to one day have an atom sized fraction of the knowledge you display, the love of Godhead you have attained, and the fervor with which you serve Śrīla Prabhupāda. I have begun to serve one of your disciples, His Grace Vijaya Gopikeśa Dāsa, in the Youth Program for ISKCON West Sydney and another, Ghanaśyāma Govinda Dāsa, through various small services at the North Sydney Temple. I wish to further serve your disciples wherever I can.
You have softened my heart through the darśana I take in images of you and videos of your lectures. I am deeply excited to see what happens when I take your darśana in person. I am deeply humbled to be able to touch the soil where you have stood. I ecstatically await the prema bliss that emanates in the presence of your Lotus Feet.
Your humble servant,
Dylan Philip Fogarty (aspiring)
Sydney (Australia)