Ramananda Raya dasa and Manju Radha devi dasi
Most Respected Guru Maharaja,
Hare Krsna, Please accept our most humble obeisances in the dust of your lotus feet. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Maharaja, we are learning and personally realizing that the greatest gift of a saintly person is his teachings and instructions. It is so amazing that the great ācharyas can condense the essence of entire Vedic teachings in just few verses and simple songs. Although this age is full of faults; but there is one great quality: ‘kirtanad eva Krsnasya, mukata-sangah param vrajet’. We are realizing that the ocean of faults is not outside, but it is actually in our hearts; all that is required is to deeply feel it all the time and such a person only can helplessly take shelter of this most merciful process of Sankirtana, which is so carefully handed down by the great ācharyas through disciplic succession.
Maharaja, of late the realization of our insignificance and lack of any good quality is becoming clearer in our hearts. Sir has shown us how to find deeper shelter in helplessly calling the holy names of the Lord and in simply repeating the wonderful prayer songs of the ācharyas. By singing these bhajans feelingly, we are not only connected to the essence of Vedic knowledge; but more importantly we are reminded of the life and very deep devotional qualities of our ācharyas. A simple appreciation and remembrance of such pure devotees can make our life successful. This appreciation and feeling of indebtedness to the devotees is contagious. A materialistic person is so self-absorbed that he cannot appreciate even the sun or the moon, who provide us life force. But, when we hear from the pure devotees even about a blade of grass or a tree, we begin to appreciate the wonderful creation and gifts of the Supreme Lord and we begin to respect all living entities (‘sakale sammana korite sakati..’). Without such appreciation of everyone’s service one cannot get the taste for chanting the holy names (‘tabe to gaibo hari-nama-sukhe..’).
Maharaja, we are very grateful to you for your mercy especially in the form of your dedicated loving disciples and representatives Sir and Mataji. You have especially empowered them to save very fallen souls as ourselves, who were champions of atheistic thoughts through the medium of so-called higher education. Thus, a similar appreciation has been kindled in our hearts by hearing from Sir about the unfathomable devotional qualities, sacrifices, and compassion of members of entire disciplic succession. When we hear the songs of the acharyas, we feel as if we are in their presence and we lose the taste of hearing about mundane topics. We realize very deeply that by this submissive hearing process carefully handed down in parampara, we are able to deepen our appreciation and gratitude for the great compassion and selfless sacrifices of all the pure followers of the most magnanimous Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
On this most auspicious day, we most humbly pray at your lotus feet that somehow this appreciation and gratitude for pure devotees keeps growing in our hearts and some day we may also get the trace of their wonderful qualities.
Your aspiring servants,
Ramananda Raya dasa and ManjuRadha devi dasi