Hamburg

Our most beloved spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada,

Lord Caitanya recommends hearing as the most important means of self-realization in this dark Age of Kali. If we eagerly try to hear the transcendental words flowing from your lotus lips then one day we will become freed from all material hunger, thirst, fear and lamentation and be able to leave behind the dark dense forest of illusion on this material world.

This is your promise to us, the most fallen souls. You are an endless ocean of mercy and one who dives into it will find no end. That ocean can swallow all misgivings and purify everyone by its waves.

Please let us help you to carry these waves of your supreme message to the last dry spot, even if all we can say is "My dear sir, you are so nice, so intelligent, so rich, so learned, but please forget it all for a moment and chant Hare Krsna."

The basic principle for spiritual advancement is that one has to accept a spiritual master. This you showed us by your own example. You are obeying the orders of your Guru Maharaja perfectly. You are setting the highest example of what devotional service means. You are always giving us freely what no one else is able to give but you are never tired. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam you stated: " Spirit is never old and therefore on the spiritual plane, service is never tiresome."

On the Absolute platform of rendering service to Krsna, devoting the senses to engagement in the work of Krsna, and spreading Krsna's message, one can transcend all designations like nationality, birth, race, etc. How can we ever conceive how much you are giving? You said on the spiritual platform there is only giving, but we have nothing to give you in return. We can only hope, that by your grace we will develop a little drop of serving mood.

You are like a cloud, that showers water everywhere. Somehow we have also been showered by your mercy, even though we are lower than dogs. By your great mercy you have made it possible for such fallen souls of this Kali-yuga to go back home, and the only qualification necessary for this is that we take shelter at your lotus feet. Your lotus feet do not touch the swamp of this material world and that is why anyone who lifts himself out of the swamp, taking shelter at your lotus feet, will be freed from all miseries. It is said that by the mercy of the spiritual master we receive the blessings of Krsna. Without the grace of the spiritual master, advancement is impossible. Thus since we have no intelligence or desire to serve Krsna, we can only seek shelter at your lotus feet. But even of this we are not capable because we are servants of our senses and have therefore lost all intelligence. But by the association of a pure devotee like you, Srila Prabhupada, even the most perverted of men can develop love of Krsna. That is why it is our honest desire that grant us shelter at your holy lotus feet, O Srila Prabhupada. We are only dirty beggars but you are so kind to engage us in holy activities. Please do not thrust us from you. Please forgive offenses that we commit again and again. You are our only rescue. Repeatedly we offer our worthless obeisances unto you. When will you bestow upon us your blessings so that we can understand your purity and become serious to serve you, O Srila Prabhupada?

May Krsna be so merciful to us and help us to finally surrender unto your lotus feet and appreciate your appearance in this material universe more and more.

Your most fallen servants,