From Prema Radhika dasi – Russia, Troitsk

Dear Srila Gurudeva,
Please accept my obeisances in the dust of your lotus feet. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
I congratulate you on your birthday, and I want to thank you for the mercy that you showered upon me by accepting me as your disciple. Thank you for appearing in my life. That happened when I chanted the pranama mantra to another ISKCON guru and I doubted that I had chosen the right one. One day you came to me in a dream with Bada Haridas prabhu and Chaturatma prabhu; you were sitting at the bus stop and I was walking by and saw you. I thought: ‘What is he waiting for? What is this guru Maharaja waiting for here, at the bus stop? How can I know that?’
Senior devotees advised me to listen to your class, and so I did, and that was the first time I listened to your lecture. My mind calmed down and I realized that you are my guru.
I always admire the power of your preaching. You always see the real spiritual path and the right way to preach in different situations. You can engage anyone, both devotees and non-devotees, in the devotional service, you are kind to everyone and your huge heart is full of love and compassion.
I admire your devotion to Srila Prabhupada and the way you have been loving your guru and following all his instructions over the years. You really do this and you are an example for me. My heart feels so much joy when you are staying in Vrindavan or Mayapur or in another place in the Holy Dham because it is the best place on earth.
Thank you for giving me an opportunity to be engaged in the service of transcribing your lectures. I am very happy to be in your family, dear guru Maharaja.
Recently I often recall the verse that only by the mercy of the Spiritual Master we can cross the ocean of material existence and obtain mercy.
Dear Spiritual Master, thank you for your example of service over the years. I often recall the story about the maha maha-prasadam orange peel that was given to you by Srila Prabhupada and that you were biting for many days and gave to no one. The story is very dear to my heart and I am very excited when I hear it. It happened in the same year when you were distributing books and incense sticks in a skyscraper with an elevator where you were caught by a police officer. You ran away from him, but he caught you and then let you go.
I worried for you so much when I was listening to this story and I remember it, dear Gurudeva, and it made me realize how many obstacles you had in your preaching.
Your kirtans always let me enter into the spiritual world and it becomes a reality with eternal happiness and bliss and many devotees; material anxieties don’t trouble me there and I want to fly. I do not always have the determination, but I try.
Please bless me to chant the Maha-mantra attentively and to have the same taste to chanting as you have. I want to wish you good health, many opportunities for preaching, intelligent and serious disciples; I also wish you to satisfy Srila Prabhupada with your service and to have the opportunity to stay very close to your guru and follow his instructions
Your eternal servant, Prema Radhika dasi