from bhaktin Alicja Wasowicz (Syama Sundari)

Dear Srila Gurudeva,

All glories to You! All glories to Srila Prabhupada! All glories to the sankirtana movement and Lord Gauranga!

Happy Birthday dear Srila Gurudeva!

I may not have a direct connection with You because I am still too fallen to take shelter of Your lotus feet. However, Your grave, free and unconditional mercy motivates me to try and progress in spiritual life. I deem myself Your secret servant.

I would like to share with You tiny memories which I hold very dear in my heart and which keep me going… I have seen in old photographs from about nineteen years ago how You showered me with mercy: You held me as a baby in Your lotus аrms and fed me cream from Your Vyasa Puja maha-cake — guess what, I love cream until now!

Another memory of Your immense mercy I have, happened in 2019 on Woodstock. One time I saw from the far You dancing in a circle and holding hands with others in the kirtan tent — I had to be there! Funny thing was that You were holding a hand of my friend named Damodara. I felt a strong desire to hold Your hand, but I chose not to separate You from other devotes, I couldn’t do it. Instead I grabbed Damodara’s hand and joined the transcendental dance! So there I was, dancing in the ecstatic kirtan holding Your blissful hand through Damodara’s hand. I found it so ironic and amazing, it couldn’t be a coincidence! Krishna’s name is no different than He Himself… I experienced a deep and strong connection with You then. I could see it very clearly that wherever You go, Krishna is with You. And just like You said in one of Your webinars, “If a devotee chants while lying down, Krishna sits beside him. If he chants while sitting, the Lord stands by him, if he chants while standing up the Lord dances next to him and if the devotee chants the holy names while dancing, Krishna embraces him!”

I could feel Krishna’s embrace then, thanks to Your causeless mercy! Thank You dear Srila Gurudeva for all Your mercy! All glories to You!

P.S. When I was a newborn, You told my parents my name would be Syama Sundari, so I use it sometimes if You don’t mind.

Your humble servant,
bhaktin Alicja Wasowicz (Syama Sundari)