2013 Letters

Only a Handful of devotees are Willing to Dedicate Their Lives (05/27/13 Dear _____ Dāsa, Yes, its probably all true or at least most of it. Fortunately, I have been aware of this type of stuff my whole life. My father was military, my uncle FBI, my sisters husband CIA and my younger brother spent a lot of time working in the Pentagon. Astronauts Read more...

Instructions on Kīrtana and Prasādam (06/02/13) Dear _______ Dāsī, Nice report. The Holy Name is the center and the instruments are to accompany the kīrtana, not dominate. Chanting "oṁ namo bhāgavate vāsudevaya" is OK, but not always necessary. Let others read also. An initiated devotee is preferable to lead kīrtanas, but to encourage others, they may be asked to lead, but not forced if Read more...

Please Spare Me the Vomit (06/12/13) Dear _______Prabhu, Here is my final statement. I have kept my eye on Iskcon for a long time and their philosophical position worsens by the year. There is not even one tattva of Gauḍīya-siddhānta that Iskcon leaders understand completely or correctly. They may have a partial understanding of a tattva, but not a complete understanding of the tattva. Read more...

They Have No Understanding of Kṛṣṇa Consciousness (06/14/13) _______ and a select committee of born again Iskconers are propagating that Śrīla Prabhupāda is/was the 5th Sampradāya-ācārya. These people have no understanding of Kṛṣṇa consciousness whatsoever. I may write an article "5th Sampradāya or Apa-sampradāya" but I want to see them make their final proclamation first. Then they are thoroughly condemned. SN Read more...

Regain Your Normal Kṛṣṇa Consciousness (06/16/13) Dear ______, Unfortunately, I cannot report that all is well in _______. On the contrary, things could not be worse. I think this should come as no surprise to you. The devotees here (more than half) are on the verge of leaving and the straightforward reason that they give me is that you have become a stranger to Read more...

Are They Fools, Idiots or Unfortunate? (07/01/13) _____ wrote me an email. I was expecting that he might have something worthwhile to say, but it appears that even after a lifetime, he and others like him, cannot approach the meaning or essence of pure devotion. I replied to his email simply by saying, "Sorry I cannot help you about the dreams." I don't know Read more...

Dreams and the ‘Silver Cord’ (07/01/13) The fact is that dreams are of little or rather NO concern in bhakti. Yes, sometimes dreams are part of a sādhu's life when he dreams of guru or Kṛṣṇa or Mahāprabhu etc. But how dreams happen…the silver cord, no cord or whatever, are of no concern. The ‘silver cord thing’ is either Tibetan or Egyptian…but NOTHING to Read more...

Sad and Angry (07/03/13) No doubt _______ has done some very useful service at our projects in ____ and _____ over the past three years but he has reached his end. It makes me sad actually as well as it makes me angry. Sad because he is suffering and angry because the only cause of his suffering is his own self... therefore it need Read more...

Vaiṣṇavas are the Only True Religious People (07/09/13) Dear ____ Dāsa, I read your response and it was very good. In future you may also want to remember that Śaṅkara actually employed violence against whoever did not willingly accept his doctrine. He used the Nāgās for this purpose, having them attack āśramas and even kill people. So that means that Śaṅkara is in the Read more...

Happiness in Material Life is Temporary (07/16/13) Dear _____ Dāsa, Nice to read your email. Yes, the change in your work might be a welcome experience for you. From the photos I would say that your family life looks peaceful and the wife and children are happy. But always remember that happiness in material life is temporary and limited. Do your duty and depend Read more...