Durban

I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada who has taken full shelter at the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

Of all the qualities of the spiritual master, "mercy" is the most extraordinary. We learn from the Upanisads, "Om pūrnam adaḥ pūrnam idam…" that everything is perfect and complete because it has emanated from Krsna, who is perfect and complete. Therefore, despite the fact that our presence in the material world is ordained by divine will, the spiritual master is beyond the coverings of the material universe. This is the "causeless mercy " of Krsna's pure devotee, who sees the ultimate frustration and futility of material existence for all living entities.

Once while in Paris, an illiterate vagrant came to our Temple. The devotees offered him prasadam and a bath. Later, he said that he would like to return. We informed him that we had aratika at 4.30 each morning and that we welcome anyone to take part in our activities. He was there at aratika the next morning and also asked to chant japa with us. He could not even read, as was apparent when I showed him a sheet of paper on which the mantra was written. But, nonetheless, he was able to chant the holy name and thereby derive the greatest benefit possible in this human form of life. Even the greatest material scientists of today, who are glorified by the general mass of people and who are generally too proud to chant the Lord's holy name, in millions of years of experimenting could not derive the benefit that this illiterate man derived in one utterance of Hare Krsna.

I simply hope that I shall always remember such instances of my spiritual master's mercy upon even the most fallen creatures. In such a way, I hope I shall never lessen the importance of my Gurudeva's mission. By taking full refuge at the lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada, we find the mercy of Lord Caitanyadeva Himself.

Oh, Srila Prabhupada, please bless me that I may be attracted to bathe in your mercy, even if only for a short time. I beg to remain with full-heart your mental servant, and the servant of your servants, eternally,

ISKCON South Africa