ISKCON—Sydney & Melbourne

Dear Srila Prabhupada,

Upon one subcontinent in that subcelestial region about thirty souls were mired, who, due to ignorance, were, dancing a ghastly ballet of degradation. Day after day they would sleep like bears, eat like hogs, have sex like cats, fight like dogs, then brag about it like the frogs. So fallen were they that because, it offended Your taste, You picked them up with a loving hand and kind words, and at length they aspired to serve in Sydney Yatra at the feet of Your Divine Grace.

You even visited this Yatra during the past year to teach that Krsna is far away, yet by serving His friend, the Guru, we can reach that Spiritual Sky, with no more difficulty than it takes to turn one's face from the darkness to the light!

We remember the installation ceremony of Radha and Krsna murtis. You were biting Your lower lip while dressing Them so carefully after Their bath in milk. We remember Your renaming Tamarama Road, Harer Nama Road. We remember Your saying, "This Australia has no culture, so we will give them Krsna consciousness." We remember, when asked, "What practical good is chanting Hare Krsna," Your answering firmly, "It saves you from death!" We remember Your explaining how the now Jewish people were once known as the dynasty of Yadu, and how 5,000 years ago this planet, Bharata, was peaceful and prosperous under the direction of the brahmanas and the saintly kings, Pariksit and Yudhisthira. And finally we remember Your reading in the purport to Text 18, 4th Chapter, 2nd Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam: "A Vaisnava is powerful enough to turn into a Vaisnava even the Kiratas (Africans), Abhiras (Muslims), Yavanas (Turks), Khasadayas (Chinese), etc.," and saying, "The scientists and philosophers-why do they not come to learn this great science of Krsna consciousness? They are not successful in bringing peace to the world, but … I THINK WE CAN DO IT."

Oh, Prabhupada, never has a great soul such as Yourself appeared to us before, and we are only praying that our remembrances of Your loving attitude sustain us in Your continued service life after life, just as, when wandering along a bleak and desolate highway, one sees lotus petals on the way and knows that he is nearing the journey's end, that he is finally approaching Vrndavana, where Krsna is eternally manifest as Syamasundara, in abodes built of spiritual gems, surrounded by millions of purpose trees, and always served with great reverence and affection by hundreds of thousands of gopis, or cowmaidens.

Oh, Prabhupada, never has one such as Yourself appeared to us, and we are only praying that our remembrances of Your Transcendental pastimes sustain us in Your continued service. Just as a traveler, weary to death, might suddenly see a familiar landmark and know that, finally, after so many difficulties, and having almost lost the way, he is near to his home, similarly, Prabhupada, never let us forget You and the heartening remembrance that You and Krsna are our only friends.

ISKCON-Sydney

ISKCON-Melbourne