from Gunavati Dasi – Ukraine, Chortkiv

Dear Srila Gurudeva,

Please accept my humble obeisances in the dust of your lotus feet. All glories to Srila Prabhupada! All glories to you, dear Srila Gurudeva! All glories to all ISKCON gurus!

On this auspicious day of your Vyasa Puja let me humbly try to glorify you and a small drop from the vast ocean of your wonderful qualities.

It’s been fifteen years since you accepted me into the family of your disciples. Thank you very much for that. Many things have happened in my life over the years, and I have become completely disappointed in the illusory happiness of this material world thanks to your lectures, instructions and personal example.

Srila Gurudeva, you have revealed the sweet service to Krishna for me through chanting His holy names, kirtans, festivals, sadhu sanga and service to the holy dham. And these trying times of pandemics have become the best period for me as I got a chance to travel with you and other devotees to the sacred places by sound and to see the priceless jewels of transcendental knowledge that you share so generously with us. As you started your series of webinars you said that it was a good opportunity to go deeper into oneself. So by your blessings I have improved the quality of my japa, I try to chant attentively with you and to reflect upon the scriptures I’m reading now, Srimad Bhagavatam, Sri Caitanya Bhagavata and Sri Caitanya Siksastakam.

Chanting japa, studying sastras, associating with devotees, waking up early in the morning, obeying the rules of cleanliness, making evening reports and other activities have become an essential part of my life. It’s you, dear Srila Gurudeva, who turned me to the way of conscious spiritual life.
As I look back, I see that you are the cintamani that turns iron into gold. Dear Srila Gurudeva, you have rescued me by pulling me out from the abyss of
grief and suffering, you gave me hope to obtain the highest goal of life, which
is love to Krishna, Vrindavan, Brijabasis and Vaisnavas.

Two years ago you gave me Sri Giriraja, that became a source of never-ending joy for me, and made myself the parafernalia in Your hands to serve Him.

Fifteen years ago you blessed me to cook and distribute prasadam. And now I cook samosas in the temple for Their Lordships and distribute them therefore sharing the mercy of Srila Prabhupada with the people.

Dear Srila Gurudeva, I am so happy in Krishna Consciousness. I love ISKCON and I pray at your lotus feet to be always engaged in the service to the mission of yours and Srila Prabhupada, the mission of spiritual knowledge distribution.

I feel so indebted and grateful to Srila Prabhupada, you and all the kind and big-hearted Vaisnavas. I hope so much to gain the mercy of your blessings and I pray to be useful in your service to Srila Prabhupada and to be a good instrument of love in your hands.

Thank you so much, I pray that Lord Krishna gives you good health and longevity, so that you could turn as many stone hearts of the people in this world in liquid gold of love to Him as possible.

Forever yours and full of love, faith and gratitude, Gunavati Dasi