Date: 6/22/19

Dear Vedran,

You asked:

I came from Croatia. What do I need to join the movement in India?

It is a good question which I am happy to answer.

The “movement” you refer to is the preaching and practicing of Krishna Consciousness as they have been disiminated by Sri Krishna Chaitanya through His direct instructions and those of His most devoted followers, as enunciated in the teachings of Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakura.

Those teachings and practices fruictified, flourished and were further embellished by those I will refer to as our trinity of Gurus. They are: Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, my initiating spiritual master; Srila Bhakti Rakshaka Sridhara Maharaja, my sannyasa guru and Srila Bhakti Sundara Govinda Maharaja, my instructing spiritual master.

What Read More...

Date: 6/16/19

Dear Devotees and friends,

This morning Sriman Uddharan dasa brought this to my attention under the subject “Passing of a vaisnava.”

— Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Seva Ashram website

Sripada Parvat Maharaja was a very dear friend to me. I knew him to be very demanding while maintaining a stance of wonderful humility and softness; qualities that are difficult to align.

Years ago I asked him to look after our New Jersey Math while I was visiting and travelling with Srila Govinda Maharaja. It was a big responsibility for which he had no obligation except as a favor to me. He happiy accepted my request and continued the programs here in my absence. He also personally served our Deities, Sri Sri Guru Gauranga Gandharvika Giridhari jiu to a higher standard than I could Read More...

(Preaching in Odessa, Ukraine 2014)

Date: 4/19/19

Dear Sriman Hrdaya Krishna dasa,

Please accept my blessings and well-wishes in remembrance of my Divine Masters.

Yes, from time to time I can give classes on Sundays.
And yes, I quote my acaryas again and again, depending on the subject of the class.

While this is encouraging news, I am sure it violates the rules, laws and spirit the ISKCON GBC, as the ultimate ISKCON authority—both managerial and spiritual—promotes and demands of all those serving in ISKCON.

The preaching and guidance you are giving with reference to Their Divine Graces, Srila Sridhara Maharaja and Srila Govinda Maharaja must, therefore, take place only in the shadows and back alleys of ISKCON where it is tolerated while the prevailing view and governing doctrines Read More...

Srila Bhakti Kanan Giri Maharaja sent the below email to Uddharan dasa on the 12th April 2019.

My dandavats Prabhu Uddharan.

As a Yank I would probably do best to keep my mouth shut about Brexit. But the UK invites comment from people like me by keeping the subject alive at all costs. So then… ?

Perhaps you know this story told by Srila Prabhupada:

There is a nice instructive verse in Sanskrit. One saintly person was giving his blessings to different kinds of persons. So he first of all saw one boy, he was a prince, son of a king. So he blessed him, rāja-putra, “My dear prince,” ciraṁ jīva, “you live forever.” Then he saw one brahmacārī, a disciple of a spiritual master, he said, mā jīva muni-putraka: Read More...

Date: 3/14/19

Dear Sriman Hrday Krishna dasa,

Please accept my humble obeisances in remembrance of my Divine Masters.

Prabhu, I have read the email you just sent me [Dated 3/13/19]. Because of the differences in our two languages there is some difficulty in fully understanding each other’s positions and perspectives.

As much as I can understand, however, you are living in a state of spiritual confusion with no clear direction for proceeding in the line of your Gurudeva, Srila Govinda Maharaja.

As a substitute for a clear path of devotional service under the guidance of a higher Vaishnava, you say things like this:

I serve Srila Prabhupada and other Vaisnavas in ISKCON.

and this:

I’ve been singing at ISKCON for several years and Read More...

Date: 3.3.19

Dear Sriman Hrday Krsna das,

Please accept my dandavat pranamas in remembrance of our Divine Masters.

Thank you for your inquiry regarding new transcriptions of Srila Sridhara Maharaja’s audio recordings.

You wrote:

“Soy discípulo de Govinda Maharaj, vivo en Caracas Venezuela Me interesan las nuevas transcripciones de Srila Guru Maharaj” (“I am a disciple of Govinda Maharaj, I live in Caracas Venezuela I am interested in the new transcriptions of Srila Guru Maharaj”)

I am not sure about which recordings you are referring to as you were not specific on that point.

All our transcriptions are posted here: https://scsmathglobal.com/ssm/ along with audio and video recordings.

This morning we received 58 “new” transcripts which I asked our webmaster to post as Read More...

“Happiness” from TrulyMind’s Video

Jivana Pavana put the video above in my Facebook timeline along with this comment “Award Winning Animator’s Short Film ‘Happiness’ is Absolutely Brilliant”

My comment—

The animation “Happiness” from “TrulyMind’s Video” is not “Absolutely Brilliant”. It is foolish.

For a thing to be “Absolutely Brilliant” it must accurately and fully represent the “Absolute”, which this video does not.

In addition, the predicate must follow a subject. The subject is “Krishna” because He is the only thing that can give happiness. The animator introduces the predicate “is not here, not here, etc.” but without the subject (Krishna).

Happiness cannot be found simply by illustrating what it is not. That Read More...

Introductory notes:

In an effort to remove a great deal of junk that had accumulated on our Facebook sites I recently “unjoined” all the Facebook groups to which I had been joined. To the best of my knowledge I did not intentionally join any of these groups. One of the groups I “unjoined” was this one: “Srila Prabhupada’s Disciples, My Godbrothers & Godsisters.” I knew little about it except that within the last month or so I had a short exchange with Sripada Mahadhyuti Maharaja and, along other observations, developed a general opinion that the group was very similar to many others I have mostly avoided due to their being long on hyperbole and speculation, short on substance and discrimination.

Before you make me out to be the Grinch Read More...

Note: some names and places found in the original email have been changed to protect the innocent.

Date: 2/10/19

Dear Sriman Chinna Krishna Das,

Please accept my humble dandavat pranamas.

I apologize for being so late with my reply to your last email. I hope you will find my response to be “better late than never.” I try my best to answer all my correspondence. Unfortunately I am not always able to do so in a timely manner. Your email directs us to some points of great interest. As a result, I shall attempt to address them below.

I am very thankful to you for this very beautiful response to my letter.

It is very kind of you to say.

What will 2,500 Rupees buy?

Let me tell you maharaj how things happen in India .
Read More...

Dear Sriman Jagadananda dasa,

I do have one quick question. Yesterday I noticed Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has announced that she will be going after the presidency in 2020. As I’m sure your Divine Grace is aware, she is a devotee. What are your thoughts on this?

I was not aware she is a devotee. Who is her guru?

I noted when we were preaching in South India, that whenever any gentleman who was a renowned devotee in a particular place approached our guru maharaja, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura Prabhupada, he used to ask such men, “Under whose guidance does your devotional service to Krsna go on?” Generally they used to say, “No, no, I am directly concerned with Lord Krsna, and Lord Rama.” Then, when they went Read More...