2010 Letters

My Formula For Āśramas (09/13/10) Daṇḍavats _____, YES, long hours of hari-kathā are the life and soul of the Vaiṣṇavas. If you get me going then I’m sometimes good for talks up to 14 plus hours a day for as many days as we have available. I am sure we will find many interesting topics to discuss. In your Read more...

A Hundred Devotees, or One Devotee… (09/12/10) Daṇḍavats _____ Prabhu, Yes, I guess there are thousands of similar stories of devotees out there, yet each devotee has his or her own intimate, touching and traumatic experiences. I have often thought to write a book combining my experiences in the movement with those of other devotees, change the names to Read more...

Looks Are Important When You Are Running a Mission (09/11/10) _____ Mahārāja, YES, I am sure I will like the offering when it is ready. But when your offering is not in the Vyāsa-pūjā book, it really does not look good. And this is not the first time. Before we offer something grander or more complicated, we must first Read more...

Contact With Them Saddens My Heart (09/01/10) Dear Mahārājas and Prabhu, In relation to my recent emails with B______ of San Diego (iskcon), I wanted to mention to all of you that iskcon people only remember the critical or harsh things that Śrīla Prabhupāda may have said about Śrīla Śrīdhara Mahārāja. They never remember the good, the affectionate or Read more...

Time Will Ultimately Be the Judge of Us All (08/31/10) ______ Prabhu, Thank you for your thoughtful reply. I am also not wanting to argue. I am growing old like everyone else and I have better things to do with my time, as you must also. ISKCON will go on with its preaching the way they think that ISKCON Read more...

I Am a Friend of Iskcon (08/31/10) B_____ Prabhu, I hope you have received the email from G____ with instructions on how you can get higher resolution images directly from our website of the photos you want. I know Janmāṣṭamī will be a big day with the Hindu community at your temple and I hope the photos of our Read more...

Gaura-Nitāi in South Africa and Nairobi (08/27/10) Dear ____ Goswami, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda. Nice to hear from you. The Gaura-Nitāi originally from South Africa had one arm up and one arm down. The Gaura-Nitāi originally from Nairobi had both arms up. On my way to India to take sannyāsa in 1976, I Read more...

Three Suggestions (08/25/10) B_____ YES, I have a suggestion. Plan 1 - You should continue with your plan of returning to Rādhā-Dāmodara Temple and resume your service. That is your greatest desire. We will arrange with Goswami that you can keep a certain amount of the collection to cover your maintenance (as before). Your international travel will mostly be Read more...

“You Are An Offender and a Mahā-Aparādhi!” (08/15/10) Daṇḍavats R______ Prabhu, I read your comment below with interest. I can't say that I disagree with you, or that I fully agree either. There are definitely two opposing sides of the ‘Ratha-yātrā in Navadvīpa’ issue and I have heard the worst of it from Śrīla Śrīdhara Mahārāja himself. I objectively Read more...

Śukadeva and the Bhāgavatam (07/23/10)   If this verse "ahaṁ vedmi śuko vetti" is saying that Śiva and Śuka know the full import of the Bhāgavatam while Vyāsa's knowledge of it is questionable, how is it that Śuka is as a loudspeaker or machine? It would seem that the verse indicates dynamic knowledge similar with Śiva's knowledge. Is there Read more...