Portland

Dear Srila Prabhupada,

We beg to offer our most humble obeisances at your feet, on this most blessed appearance day of Your Divine Grace. Had you not appeared before us with the transcendentally sublime Vedic wisdom, surely our dilemma of repeated birth, death, old age and disease would have remained unsolved for thousands of years, As imperfect and conditioned souls, our own sentimental words are inadequate expressions of thanksgiving. Instead we refer to Srimad-Bhagavatam (3.7.36) where Mahatma Vidura declares:

Any intelligent person who is sincerely endeavoring to expand his knowledge of the absolute realm should seriously consider the advice of Lord Krsna in Bhagavad-gita (4.34):

Such a seer of truth is Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, who came in a line of pure disciplic succession from Lord Sri Krsna. Because you, Srila Prabhupada, heard patiently from Srila Bhaktisiddhanta, your words now echo the transcendental potency of the Lord Himself. By your transcendental books and lectures, you are so kindly distributing Krsna's message all over the world. Thoughtful citizens who can understand your literature receive practical spiritual direction in accordance with all revealed scriptures and all saintly persons of the world. You are Jagad-guru: you are working for the benefit of all.

The Upanisads have instructed us that "Only unto one who has implicit faith in both the Lord and the spiritual master are all the imports of Vedic knowledge revealed." (Svet. Up. 6.23) Faith is awakened simply by executing regulated devotional service under the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master. As recommended by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, any lowborn disciple who, humbling himself, engages everything in the service of the spiritual master, quickly attains the desired results. This is confirmed in Srimad-Bhagavatam First Canto, Chapter Two, text eighteen. Those complacent souls who accept worthless fakes as guru, and those who feel no need to approach a spiritual master are condemned throughout the Vedic Literature. In Bhagavad-gita (3.32) Lord Krsna states:

We, in Portland, as your most incompetent students, have decided to stay in each other's association and stick tightly to your divine instruction. We are told in Bhagavatam (3.7.29):

On this we all agree.

Your humble servants in Portland,