Winnipeg

Dear Srila Prabhupada,

Please accept our humble obeisances at your lotus feet.

O beloved spiritual master, sometimes, due to the material diseases of the conditioned soul, we find it very difficult to fully appreciate the causeless mercy which you are freely bestowing upon us. We are all so weak and devoid of intelligence; please allow us to be with you always. Being the direct representative of Lord Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu, you also are patita-pavana, friend of the fallen. Since we have no spontaneous attraction for serving the lotus feet of Prabhu Nityananda (nitai pada-kamala), how else but by your inconceivable mercy can we maintain any kind of enthusiasm and determination in our devotional service? For so many births and deaths we have been maddened by a false concept of bodily life and bound up by hundreds and thousands of material desires. But now we have all the mercy necessary to cross over the ocean of material suffering. We simply have to take it. As Govinda dasa prays:

You are so compassionate upon the fallen conditioned souls, now it is our duty and responsibility to follow your instructions without deviation. At every moment, let us pray as Bhaktivinoda prayed: "It is so difficult to find the strength to carry on alone the sahkirtana of the holy name of Hari. Please bless us by giving us one drop of faith with which to obtain the great treasure of the holy name of Krsna. Give us all help. Give us all strength. Let us be as you are, without desires or aspirations."

Being fully absorbed in the transcendental pastimes of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu and being a soul thoroughly surrendered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna, we understand that everything emanating from your lotus mouth is the Supreme Absolute Truth. The Lord, being situated within your heart as the Supersoul, reveals perfect absolute knowledge to you from within. We must always pray for the desire to hear from you and to execute your instructions without restriction.

Although we do not deserve your mercy and are so offensive in our actions, you are still benedicting us with your immeasurable loving kindness and blessing us with the most valuable jewel, the maha-mantra: Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

We are humbly thanking you and prostrate ourselves at your lotus feet on this holiest of all holy days. May we please you with our lives and always strive to increase our service to your transcendental feet just as you are always increasing the ecstasies of your beloved Gurudeva Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja Prabhupada.

Your eternal servants,