From Premavista Dasi – Kazakhstan, Almaty

Dear Srila Gurudev,
Please, accept my obeisances to Your lotus feet!

Long ago, in 1949, on May 20th You appeared in this world, bringing such a great happiness to Your parents! As for us, this is our great
mercy and luck that You appeared in this world and became our spiritual father.
My heart still remembers, and will remember forever, the moments, when You came to Almaty, and I tried to be a good driver for You, or when I was in a very difficult situation, and You called us, thanks to Bhakti Bringa Govinda Swami Maharaja’s mercy. Hearing Your voice, so caring and peaceful, my heart was fulfilled with happiness that we have such Gurudev, who was given to us by Srila Prabhupada’s mercy.
You are the real example of how to go through difficult trials courageously. After such trails, You become even happier, You reflect spiritual reality. Sometimes I remember Your festivals, after participating in which none of the people can ever forget them. And sometimes I remind myself about times, when I was living without devotees in hopeless suffering without Your guidance and knowledge which turns from letters and words into spiritual reality. I think of myself as a small living being, that has in its arsenal feelings, that are constantly attracted by matter, and mind, that is a servant of these feelings, but dominates over intelligence. Mind dominating over intelligence is like a husband, who gave his rights to his quarrelsome wife, and following her guidance, he loses all power and authority, and becomes unable to fulfill his purpose. Being in such an unfortunate situation and being completely confused, how can one achieve any goals? How can one think that he has found Guru?
Seeing sufferings of all living entities, who cannot get out of this material existence, and who are condemned to a lower existence, Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda sent us Srila Prabhupada, who wanted to help us. Srila Prabhupada’s heart is made of prema. Srila Prabhupada gave shelter to all.
Once I heard in a lecture that the greatness of Siva in him accepting all the ghosts, pisacas, mlecchas and demons as they are, without wanting to improve or correct them. And they are willing to follow him, because of it. Srila Prabhupada does not discriminate anyone, and gives shelter to all, despite the fact that we are, similar to yavanas — the worst of men.
Srila Prabhupada came in my life when I really needed him. His books gave me light. I realized the purpose of life, to which he leads the way. Then he gave me Vaisnava society. But the most important thing that he gave me, gave to al of us, — is You, dear Gurudev. You, being a disciple of such a great Guru and Acarya, have inherited his qualities. You came, and saved us, by giving us shelter. You are like a father to us, who takes tenderly each hand that reaches out to him, and who leads us on a very difficult, but great and bright path of Bhakti, to present us as a garland to his dear Spiritual Master.
I would like You to teach me how to be a servant of Your servants, to be the Instrument of love in Your caring hands. Please, teach me how to serve as You do, overcoming diseases, with determination spreading glories of the Holy Name, glories of Srila Prabhupada and the entire parampara. You are making a transcendental exchange: You are exchanging pain and suffering for eternal happiness!
I wish You good health and may the whole world dance with You and chant Hare Krsna!
Your disciple, Premavista Dasi