From Kamyavana Dasi – Hungary, Somogyvámos

My dearest Srila Gurudeva,

Please accept my humble obeisances on your appearance day. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. All glories to you.

Another year has passed, and this wonderful day, the day of your Vyasa Puja has arrived. The day, when together with my dear godsiblings, we can express our love and gratitude towards you.

Dear Srila Gurudeva, I always listen with wonder to your disciples’ offerings full of love and devotion. I’d also like to thank you and express the same feelings towards you, but I’m not sure which one would be the most appropriate from the millions of thoughts that are running through my mind. I can never express the gratitude, that I feel for you accepting me as your disciple over twenty five years ago, and for you trust to allow me to become a member of your family. You’ve accepted me with all my faults. You’re my spiritual father, who always keeps an eye on my spiritual progress. You scold me if you need to, but you never let me fall. Your incredible strength and love is what keeps me and takes me forward on this path that you started me on. In 1995 in your first letter you wrote to me: “So your future is bright. Knowing this you should always remain happy and hopeful in devotional service. Somehow or other you have been saved from the great ocean of Kali Yuga and have been placed safely in the boat of ISKCON — with Srila Prabhupada as the perfect captain. The boat will take you safely to the shores of Vaikuntha — so you have nothing to worry about.”

I can always hear these sentences in my mind. Srila Gurudeva, you’ve saved me and you lead me even when I feel there is no hope left. You’re the one I hold onto, day after day, because I know, you’d never let my hand go. You are always encouraging me with your unlimited love, and I will never be able express and put into words, how happy I am that you are my spiritual master. To me, you are the perfect captain!

Please Srila Gurudeva, always keep me in the shadows of your lotus feet.

Your spiritual daughter and servant, Kamyavana Dasi