Kadamba Kanana Swami
Dear Srila Prabhupada,
Please accept my most humble obeisances at your divine lotus feet. All glories
to Your Divine Grace!
I am a disciple of your disciple, and your mercy continues to live in my spiritual master. How can I say that I never met you in person, when no one in the entire world influenced my life as much as you did?
Who can understand the glories of your blessings in the past, how much we depend on you in the present, and what more you will do in the future? We worship you every day, but we have no idea who you really are! You continue to affect the hearts of many around the world; some might have just met you somewhere, and others became your dedicated disciples and followers, who would do anything on your order. It is through people that Krsna consciousness will spread all over the world, far into the future.
Toward the end of last year I met a visitor in Mayapur, a man in his sixties from America. He was an artist and dressed the part, with a beret and a Salvador Dali walking stick. Every day he could be found in the temple, from early morning until evening. One day I was talking with him and he explained that he was trying to spend as much time as he could in the temple. He would complete seventy-two rounds of japa by the noon arati and would stay in the temple for all the aratis throughout the day. While walking in the temple and meeting different Vaisnavas, he would fold his hands and offer respects.
So I was wondering where he got the strength for all of this, and one day I asked him, �Who are you? Are you a demigod or something?� He simply gave one of those secretive smiles and said �Maybe!� - an answer that still didn�t unravel the mystery.
Then not too long ago I received an e-mail from him:
I remember the scene in the east village
back in the 60�s�, the acid was flowing
we used to go to happenings
impromptu frolicking�,
anyway, saw this beautiful old guy�, saw
his people, saw how much he changed them
I knew that he was dangerous�,
only to be viewed from afar�
Vaisnavera kriya-mudra vijneha na bujhaya. Who can understand what blessings you gave him in a moment�s association? (Lava-matra sadhu-sange sarva-siddhi haya.) Here was a hippie from the Village in New York, and later San Francisco, who saw you but did not surrender. He tried to keep a safe distance, but you captured him anyway. He saw how you preached, and as a result he developed strong faith. He nonetheless chose Maya! But that faith never left him, and eventually it matured and brought him to Mayapur at an advanced age.
How fortunate this devotee was to have seen you back in the sixties, what to speak of the devotees who saw you then and actually did surrender their lives to you at that time. You took those boys and girls from 26 2nd Avenue and San Francisco, lifted them up, and engaged them in pioneering work to spread Krsna consciousness all over the world. And whenever we meet them, they can only talk about you. Their love for you is above anything else in their lives, and by their association we feel more and more drawn to you, even more than we already were. By the time I came to Krsna consciousness so much was already there - so many had joined, and we took advantage of their service. Dear Srila Prabhupada, I bow down to you unlimited times, and I bow down to all those who surrendered to you and dedicated their lives to fulfilling your desire.
Finally, I am noticing the effect of all the devotional service that I�ve been allowed to do. It�s been a lot of struggle from �Day One,� what with distributing books on the street and then working on big projects in austere India - all the heat and hard work. But little by little I am learning the most difficult thing: how to establish and maintain loving dealings with people. Through that service I can feel how your mercy is chiseling away at my stonelike heart, and I am beginning to realize more and more that it is all about pure love for Your Divine Grace and Krsna.
Please allow me to always remain in your service.
Kadamba Kanana Swami