DENUNCIA DE ALTERAÇÃO DOS LIVROS DE SRILA PRABHUPADA

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108 Changes To Srila Prabhupada's Bhagavad Gita As It Is

http://krishna.org/ISKCON/BookChanges/108changes1.html

Resposta Oficial da "BBT"

Informe das Alterações - fonte http://krishna.org/ISKCON/BookChanges/bgcs.html

ALTERAÇÕES

• Sense Control, Regulative Principles, etc
• 
  
• • Constant Practice
  • Controling the Mind and Senses

• Mode of Goodness
• • 
    
  • Acting in Goodness Leads to Knowledge?
  • Acting in Goodness Purifies One?

• Fruitive Activities
  • Give Up Fruitive Activities?
  • Renouncing Fruits of Action?
  • Devotees are Not Anxious for Fruitive Rewards?

• Mayavadis, Jnanis and Yogis...
  • Sat-Cakra-Yoga?
  • Reading Many Books?
  • Void Philosophy Causes Frustration?
  • Without Humility Understanding is Harmful?
  • Meditation On Other Than the Visnu Form?

• Spiritual Master
  • Many Spiritual Masters?
  • Not through the Independent Study of Books...
  • Spiritual Master Can Drive Away All Nescience?

• More palitable for the public?
  • Fighting for Krishna?
  • Material Existence is Suffering Only?
  • Sacrificing the Material Body For the Sake of Religion?
  • The Soft Line for Ksatriyas
  • Devotees are Liberated and Their Minds are Peaceful?
  • Brahmacaris Are Austere and Simple?
  • Devotees Should Live Simply?
  • �Faithfulness� is one of the Opulences of a Woman?

• Philosophy
• • 
    
  • The Changeless Soul?
  • Brahma is the �creator god"?
  • We Can�t Create Matter From Nothing? And �Krishna is the supreme creator of all individual souls�?
  • �OM� Eminates From Krishna?

• Various
  • Swans �Digging into� the Lotus Flower?
  • What Happened to the Purport?
  • Brahma has 4, 8, 16, 32, etc heads?

"Too much editing is not required. If Satsvarupa has already edited it, there is no need of further editing." (Letter to Rayarama 21-Dec-67)

"Consequently, Srila Vyasadeva is a guru. He does not misinterpret the words of Krsna, but transmits them exactly as they were spoken. If we send a telegram, the person who delivers the telegram does not have to correct it, edit it, or add to it. He simply presents it. That is the guru's business." (Science of Self Realization Chap. 2)

Regarding your proposed program of editing, the Bhagavatam First Canto is already edited, so when making final typing, you shall simply see it for proofreading. (Letter to Rayrama 15-May-69)

REPOSTA OFICIAL SOBRE A DENUNCIA DE ALTERAÇÃO DOS LIVROS DE SRILA PRABHUPADA

Resposta e Justificativa Oficiais das Alterações do Livro de Srila Prabhupada

ALL GLORIES TO SRI GURU AND GAURANGA

His Grace Sriman Amogha Lila Dasa, 188 New Chetty Street, Colombo 13, Sri Lanka

ISKCON Padayatra Sankirtan Bhavan P.O. Jhusi Allahabad 221 506, U.P. India

[July 1986]

Dear Amogha Lila Prabhu, Please accept my most humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

I am in due receipt of your letter, dispatched June 21, and have noted the contents carefully.

You’ve heard strongly expressed objections to the second edition of Bhagavad-gita As It Is, and you’ve written to me because you want to investigate the matter more fully.

I’ve been silent about this, so as not to overindulge in the animalistic propensity of defending. But since you’ve raised good questions, it’s my duty to answer.

First: To my knowledge, Srila Prabhupada never asked us to re- edit the book.

As you know, and as we kept in mind while doing the work, Srila Prabhupada staunchly opposed needless changes.

You write that Kirtanananda Maharaja told you I regretted having done the editing and that if I’d known of his feelings or read his paper commenting on the work I wouldn’t have done it at all.

This is a misunderstanding. What I regret is that I didn’t have the benefit of Kirtanananda Maharaja’s comments while the work was still going on, long before the book was published.

In fact, a full year before the book went to press, I sent Kirtanananda Maharaja a letter telling exactly what I was doing and why. I included a copy of every change I had made in the translations. And I earnestly asked for any comments, questions, or suggestions he might have. To save us from exactly the kind of controversy he has now raised, the letter pleaded that doubts be voiced then, while time was ample and the work was still on our desks.

I sent the same letter not only to Kirtanananda Maharaja but also to every other member of the GBC, most English-speaking ISKCON sannyasis, various other senior ISKCON devotees, and every ISKCON temple president in the English-speaking world.

What I regret, therefore, is that those who now speak out were silent when their wisdom was sought.

I do *not,* however, regret undertaking the task of revision, and now I shall tell you why.

As mentioned in the “Note about the Second Edition” that appears in the book, the editors of the first edition are to be praised. They did a fine job of making a tough manuscript ready to print.

They also, however, made lots of omissions, goofs, and blunders, which I see no need to immortalize in print.

I suppose that what disturbs some devotees most is the changes in the translations. As you know, Srila Prabhupada considered the translations less important, and so do I. For me the more important revisions, therefore, are the ones in the purports. Of these there are easily several hundred.

To answer your letter, I spent an hour or so going through the book to pull out some samples for you. To examine them you should have before you a copy of both editions ¾ the old one and the new. To look at the samples carefully may take you a couple of hours. But it’s the best way I know to answer your questions, and I’m sure you’ll find your time well spent.

Here goes.

There are different categories of corrections.

1. SIMPLE BOO-BOO’S

For example, simple obvious spelling errors. Who would be willing to insist that the reference to the province of “Behar” (old edition, page 185) should not be changed to “Bihar”?

Chapter 16, verses 1-3, purport. Read the first line of the last paragraph in the old edition. Despite what the purport says, the transcendental qualities add up to 26, not 16. Someone typed a “1” instead of a “2,” so the count is off by 10.

2. MISSING EVIDENCE

Here’s something more serious. In the old edition, dozens and dozens of Srila Prabhupada’s Sanskrit quotations ¾ Vedic evidence, sastra-pramana ¾ have simply been edited out.

In the Introduction of the new edition, for example, here are some of the quotations you’ll find restored:

pg. 8: mayadhyaksena prakrti, etc.

pg. 12: muktir hitva anyatha rupam, etc.

pg. 14: parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate

pg. 17: yad gatva na nivartante, etc.

pg. 26: visnu-sakti para prokta, etc.

pg. 28: kirtaniyah sada harih

pg. 30: tad vijnanartham, etc.

These are Srila Prabhupada’s words. The Introduction is still available on tape, and you can hear them for yourself.

And if you want something bigger, how about this: The old edition, on page 27, adds a verse Srila Prabhupada didn’t speak (nehabhikrama-naso ‘sti) and then leaves out every one of the renowned verses from the Gita-mahatmya with which Srila Prabhupada’s original Introduction concludes.

I’m not even slightly sorry that these verses have now been restored.

Throughout the new edition the editors have restored dozens and dozens of Sanskrit quotations, large and small, the old edition simply scratched out.

For a few more examples, you can look at the purports to the following verses: 2.43, 2.56 (two quotations), 2.63, 9.4, 9.6 (three quotations), 9.7, 9.9, 9.11 (new edition, pg. 469 ¾ three quotations), 9.12, 10.15, 11.43 (three quotations). In 11.54, no fewer than eight quotations have been restored.

And there are dozens and dozens more. The verses you now see are not editorial speculations, guesses, helpful additions or any other such nonsense. They are the very words of our acarya, jumbled by typists and scratched out by editors in the 1960’s, now restored to their place in Srila Prabhupada’s book.

3. POINTS WITHOUT PINS

Here’s another, related sort of omission. Sometimes when Srila Prabhupada comments on a Sanskrit word, the editors have kept the comments but edited out the word .For example see the references to avasam (9.8) and udasina-vat (9.9). Or, at the end of the purport to 13.12: “The beginning of knowledge, therefore, is amanitva, humility.” To me, these references add immensely to the value of Srila Prabhupada’s purports. With these references, we can clearly see how Srila Prabhupada’s comments directly illuminate specific words of the verse. And, again, these are not editorial whimsies ¾ they’re Srila Prabhupada’s original words.

4. GLOSSES TOTALLY LOST

Sometimes Srila Prabhupada’s comments on a word are *entirely* left out. For example, see his comments on the word na (11.54) and tad-arthiyam (17.27). And these are but examples ¾ there are more.

5. SANSKRIT SLIPS

Sometimes the Sanskrit editors just goofed.

Example: In 7.18, the Sanskrit quoted in the purport doesn’t match the English translation that follows it. Why? Because the Sanskrit editor supplied the wrong Sanskrit verse. (If you check in Ninth Canto, you’ll see for yourself.) The new edition has it right.

7.25. A tired typist or sleepy English editor may have helped screw this one up. The prayer the old edition attributes to Queen Kunti was never spoken by Kunti at all. It’s from the Isopanisad! The new edition follows the original manuscript and sets things right.

9.29. The Sanskrit editor guessed which verse to put in ¾ and guessed wrong. The correction is obvious.

10.4-5. Is bhayam (old edition, pg. 498) really the word for “fearlessness”?

13.15. Sarvatah pani-padam is not from the Svetasvatara Upanisad at all. It’s from the previous verse of the Gita. When the mistake is corrected, you get the brilliant Bhaktivedanta purport of the famous, often misused verse apani-pado javano grahita.

6. MANGLED MEANINGS

Sometimes the inexperienced editors just misunderstood the meaning of a Sanskrit verse.

Example (a small one). 5.2. Aside from being a pretty tough sentence to read, the old editing of Srila Rupa Gosvami’s verse scrambles the meaning. The verse doesn’t mean that things related to Krsna, “though they are material,” should not be renounced. The point is that because they’re related to Krsna, they’re not material at all. *That’s* why giving them up, as the Mayavadis do, is dry renunciation.

7. GENERAL BLUNDERS

Then there’s what you might call good old-fashioned screw-ups.

2.1. Have you ever had to explain the last sentence of this purport? “This realization is made possible by working with the fruitive being situated in the fixed conception of the self.” It’s just an editorial mistake, and it doesn’t make a damn bit of sense.

2.43. In the last paragraph, what are the “four monthly penances”? It should be “four-month penances” (caturmasya).

3.35. In the old edition, look at the second sentence of the purport. How often we’ve heard devotees insist that their prescribed duties must “complement their psychophysical condition.” That may be a good idea. But look in the new book and see what Srila Prabhupada actually said.

7.15. The old purport (bottom of page 383) talks about “the swine who eat the soil.” I always thought that strange. Do hogs really eat soil? What the original text says is “the hogs who eat the *night* soil.” But some editor put a question mark next to “night,” and out it went. What in the world is “night soil”? Srila Prabhupada knew ¾ it’s a polite name for that good old stuff we all know hogs love to eat.

7.15. Two sentences later, a typist has left out a line. If you want to find out what Srila Prabhupada said the foolish worker will untiringly continue to hear of, you have to look in the new edition.

10.27. They once took a “sea journey.” Hardly. Our old friend Neal the typist, the college kid who walked into 26 Second Avenue and volunteered to type, simply heard things wrong. It was “sea churning.” But back in the old days in the storefront, no one knew the real story.

10.29. A “planet of trees”? Fa-aar out! But if the Swami says so, it must be right. Sorry, boys. Srila Prabhupada never said so. It’s Neal the typist again. It’s a planet of ancestors (pitas), or pitrs (pronounced “pi-trees”).

10.35. Where has the Lord “already explained” that the Sama-veda is “rich with beautiful songs”? Ask Neal the typist. Or else look in the new book and read things right.

13.2. In the old edition (page 621) you’ll read “Sometimes we understand that I am happy, I am mad, I am a woman, I am a dog, I am a cat; these are the knowers.” This is straight-out nonsense. It’s not right, it’s not sacred, and it’s not the words of my spiritual master.

15.2. Is the old second paragraph of this purport supposed to stay screwed up and incomprehensible forever?

18.31-32. Back in the 60’s, the editors somehow changed the word “ignorance” to “passion” and put the purport in the wrong place. Should it stay there?

8. TOO HELPFUL

It’s the job of the editor to try to help the reader. But sometimes an editor can be too helpful.

Example: 5.28. In the old second paragraph you’ll find a reference to the pratyahara (breathing) process.” On the manuscript you can clearly see that the editor, for the benefit of readers new to yoga, has penned in the parenthetical word “breathing.” But pratyahara is not the breathing process at all ¾ it’s the process of withdrawing the senses from their objects. The breathing process is pranayama. Should this goof be granted sanctity merely for its presence on the page?

15.2. “The Gandharvas (fairies).” The editor is being helpful again. But is Narada Muni really a “fairy”?

9. THE RED-PENNED PURPORT

When our editors back in the 60’s came to a passage too hard for them to figure out, they did what was expedient ¾ crossed it out and kept going. Sometimes it was just a few words, sometimes a sentence or a few sentences, sometimes a whole paragraph.

Sometimes, while trying to prune a paragraph, they cut off valuable fruits and flowers. Sometimes they seem to have thought that Srila Prabhupada was being too heavy. Or sometimes a passage just got inadvertently left out.

Examples:

8.11. The old edition loses the first two sentences of the purport.

8.6, 8.13, 8.14, 8.19. When Srila Prabhupada spoke the whole mahamantra, the typist often just typed some shortcut, like “HK etc.” The new edition restores the full mantra: Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Just see how in this chapter ¾ “Attaining the Supreme” ¾ Srila Prabhupada repeatedly emphasizes the chanting of these 16 holy names.

8.28. In the new edition, start reading on page 445, from “The words idam viditva. . .” and go on till the purport ends. Just see all that has been restored. And appreciate, especially, Srila Prabhupada’s beautiful exposition of how Krsna consciousness grows, from sraddha up to prema.

9.26. The first edition loses the whole first paragraph.

11.52. In the new edition, page 599, on the last few lines of the page, the fool who offers respect only to the impersonal “something” within Krsna finally gets what he deserves ¾ Srila Prabhupada’s boot in his face.

13.5. Srila Prabhupada’s gloss on chandobhih has returned to the page, the next paragraph now makes proper sense, and the last paragraph has been recovered.

13.19. Two whole paragraphs lost! For me, Srila Prabhupada’s summary of verses 6 through 18 opened up a new understanding of a chapter that had long perplexed me.

16.7. The history of religious editing is not without its humor. Srila Prabhupada’s manuscript clearly says, “One should always be careful to keep his body clean by bathing, brushing teeth, shaving, changing clothes, etc.”

But back in the 60’s, we kept our beards ¾ and trimmed off the word shaving.

You’ve now had a glimpse of the hundreds of omissions and mistakes in the first edition of Bhagavad-gita As It Is.

Should what was lost have stayed permanently lost? Should what was screwed up in the 1960’s have stayed screwed up forever? I leave it to you to decide.

One final point. The first edition of Bhagavad-gita As It Is not only preserved errors and omissions but actually *multiplied* them when the book was translated into other languages. What does a translator do with something like “the fruitive being situated in the fixed conception of the self”? A translator faced with a passage that seems wrong or doesn’t make sense does just what the English editors did in the 1960’s ¾ he leaves it contradictory or confusing, he guesses and speculates, or he scratches it out.

If you’d like any more information about the second edition of Bhagavad-gita As It Is, please feel free to ask.

I’m grateful you’ve taken the care to inquire.

Since both Sridhara Maharaja in Bombay and Ravindra Svarupa Prabhu have asked me for similar information, I’m sending copies of this letter to them.

Mail can reach me here at Jhusi up to September 25. Then I’ll go to Bombay to renew my visa. Padayatra will be starting by then, and our mailing address will be c/o ISKCON Delhi.

Hoping this finds you in good health and a joyful mood,

Your servant, Jayadvaita Swami

Resposta

Dear Wolfgang, Hare Krishna. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

I was saddened to see your letter about the changes in the Bhagavad-gita As It Is. You are rightly concerned that the sanctity of Prabhupada’s books be preserved by not changing anything in them frivolously. I’m sure you’ll be relieved to learn that the changes you pointed out in the purport to 4.34, for instance, are wholly based on Prabhupada’s original transcript. The changes are not “deviations” or “concoctions” but rather restorations.

Concerning your protest against the statement in the new Gita that “independent study of books of knowledge can [not help one] progress in spiritual life,” this is an idea expressed repeatedly by Prabhupada. Check Bhagavatam 2.1.8, par. 1; CC Adi 16.11, par 1; and the explanation of srutayo vibhinnah in a lecture on Sept 8, 1971, in London: “Tarko ‘pratistha srutayo vibhinnah. Scripture. There are different scriptures. If you simply... Scripture means Vedic, Vedas. There are four Vedas and many other also, corollaries. So by studying at home these books, that is also not possible to understand.”

Of course, this injunction doesn’t pertain to Prabhupada’s books. Anyone who reads Prabhupada’s books, whether independently or not, will progress in spiritual life. So, you may say, why should we add something in the purport that might be misunderstood to mean that even by studying the very Gita that the reader is holding in his hand he will make no progress unless he is under the guidance of a spiritual master? Well, Prabhupada said “Nor by independent study of books of knowledge can one progress in spiritual life.” Would you have us print “Nor by independent study of books of knowledge [except the books of Srila Prabhupada] can one progress in spiritual life.”? *That*, in my view, would be unwarranted tampering with the text.

The reality is that there are many such statements that need to be understood in context with other sections of Srila Prabhupada’s books. Then it becomes clear to all intelligent readers what is meant.

The following is a letter Jayadvaita Maharaja, the editor of the new Gita, wrote 10 years ago to explain his work in revising the MacMillan edition. I hope it resolves your concerns. Hoping this meets you well, I remain Yours in Lord Krishna’s service,

Dravida das Senior Editor, the BBT

fonte ;

http://guardioes.com/alteracao_livros.htm

jaya srila prabhupada !

CARTA DE CONDOLÊNCIA

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Om Visnupada Astottara-Sata

Sri Srimad Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja


Esta carta de Srila Prabhupada foi escrita originalmente em Bengali na ocasião do desaparecimento de Srila Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Goswami Maharaj. Ela foi endereçada a Srila Bhaktivedanta Trivikrana Maharaj, um dos proeminentes discípulos de Srila Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Goswami Maharaj. Ela também foi traduzida para Hindi por Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Goswami Maharaj e impressa na revista Sri Bhagavat Patrika em Dezembro de 1968. O que segue é a tradução (da tradução) para o Inglês dessa carta.


Todas as glórias a Sri Guru & Gauranga

Seattle, Washington

22 de Outubro de 1968



Eu ofereço minhas humildes reverências prostrando-me aos pés de lótus de todos os Vaisnavas.


Sripada Trivikrama Maharaj, 1

Ontem eu recebi a sua carta datada de 12 de Outubro, e seu conteúdo foi de partir o coração. Por favor, me informe todos os detalhes do súbito desaparecimento de pujyapada Maharaja (Srila bhakti Prajnana Kesava Goswami Maharaja). Eu tinha um relacionamento muito íntimo e de longa data com Srila Maharaja. Eu costumava visitar Sripada Narahari Dada 2 e Sripada Vinoda Dada 3 com grande afeição. Eles eram meus amigos e eram extremamente amorosos. Também em Calcutá sênior Tirtha Maharaja, Professor Nishikanta Sannyala, e Vasudeva Prabhu eram muito queridos para mim. Mais tarde, eu costumava visitar e me associar espontaneamente com Sripada Sridhara Maharaja, como se fossemos membros próximos da mesma família. Com exceção de Sripada Sridahara Maharaja, todos os vaisnavas citados acima foram gradualmente desaparecendo. Nossa hora também se aproxima, por isso será melhor ter a oportunidade de servir por mais tempo a Srila Prabhupada, enquanto ainda é possível.

Eu tenho uma conexão muito próxima com a Sri Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti. 4 Você mesmo, e particularmente Sripada Vamana Maharaj, 5 sabem bem que eu fui uma das três pessoas que fundaram a Sri Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti em Bosapada Lane, Calcutá, antes mesmo de Srila (Bhakti Prajnana Kesava) Maharaja aceitar a ordem de sannyasa. Com apenas alguns dias de formação da Samiti, Sri Narottamananda Brahmacari (atualmente Tripandi Swami Sri Srimad Bhakti Kamala Madhusudana Maharaja) separou-se dela. Naquele tempo Sripad Vamana Maharaja, que na época era um brahmacari, visitou nossa casa em Sitakanta Banaraji Lane. Ele me fez o presidente da revista Bengali, Sri Gaudiya Patrika.

Respeitando a ordem de Srila Maharaj, eu comecei a escrever artigos para a Gaudiya Patrika regularmente, e Srila Maharaja apreciava muito qualquer coisa que eu escrevia. Depois disso, eu também fui nomeado como o presidente da revista Híndi, Sri Bhagavata Patrika, e muitos dos meus artigos foram publicados nela. Mais tarde eu não poderia mais apresentar artigos devido à falta de tempo. Agora eu me tornei um residente de terras estrangeiras e tenho que viajar por vinte mil milhas todos os anos.

A maior compaixão de Srila Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Goswami Maharaj para comigo foi ele ter me feito um sannyasi. Eu tinha feito um voto de que eu jamais aceitaria sannyasa, mas Srila Maharaja forçosamente me fez aceitar. Ele certamente estaria muito satisfeito hoje em ver o sucesso da minha pregação. No ano passado eu o visitei em Calcutá juntamente com meus discípulos, e apesar de estar ‘de cama’ ele ficou muito contente em nos receber. Eu tenho total confiança que tanto em sua presença manifesta quanto após o seu desaparecimento, ele deve estar muito satisfeito em ver minha pregação generalizada da mensagem de Sriman Mahaprabhu nos países ocidentais como America, Canadá, Inglaterra, Alemanha, e Havaí (Honolulu), situado no Oceano Pacifico, bem como nos países orientais como Japão (Tokyo) e assim por diante.

Eu era um grhamedi firmado (alguém cuja inteligência está absorta em assuntos domésticos). Srila Prabhupada costumava vir a mim em sonhos de vez em quando, e me chamar a renunciar a vida familiar e seguir junto com ele. Tais sonhos me assustavam e me faziam pensar que eu deveria aceitar sannyasa. Eu não tinha nenhum desejo de tomar sannyasa. No entanto, depois de repetida insistência de Sripada Narayana Maharaja, Srila Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Goswami Maharaja concedeu infinita misericórdia sobre este homem cego e teimoso, forçosamente me dando a ordem de sannyasa. Parece que o desejo de Srila Prabhupada foi transmitido para seu coração, e deste modo o meu voto de sannyasa foi realizado.


Então eu estou eternamente endividado com Srila Maharaja. Portanto, imediatamente após ter recebido sua carta, eu organizei um viraha-sabha, uma reunião no templo de Seatlle em honra ao seu desaparecimento. Estou enviando o desígnio de condolência do encontro junto com esta carta. Gentilmente aceite isso como nosso sraddhanjali, nossa humilde homenagem. Em meus outros centros (a lista está em anexo), particularmente em Londres, Hamburgo, e Honolulu, eu dei instruções para o arranjo de um viraha-sabha e igualmente estão oferecendo suas sraddhanjali homenagens.

Você ficará contente em saber que eu formei três facções de sankirtana compostos por jovens e casais americanos sob a minha orientação. Uma destas facções está atualmente viajando para cidades da America, e eu também estou junto com eles. A segunda facção, de seis devotos, está executando kirtana em lugares diferentes de Londres. Os indianos que vivem lá ficam surpresos em vê-los. Esses indianos desistiram de sua pátria e percorreram todo o caminho para o mundo ocidental para alcançar fama e riqueza, mas os americanos estão executando harinama-sankirtan. De algum modo, as atividades de pregação estão indo muito bem.

Eu estou interessado em saber que tipo de constituição você está formando. Neste ponto você vai receber minha completa cooperação, pois eu sou um homem de ideias construtivas. Eu não gosto de políticas destrutivas.

Era o desejo de Srila Prabhupada e de Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura que americanos realizassem kirtana em Sridhama Mayapura, e essa oportunidade chegou agora. Infelizmente, aqueles que invadiram Mayapura a consideram como sua propriedade pessoal, e esses dias outras pessoas ficam restringidas de visitar esse lugar. Srila Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Goswami Maharaja costumava lidar com estes guru-tyagis (aqueles que renunciam seu guru) e guru-bhogis (aqueles que desfrutam da propriedade de seu guru) com a espada na mão.

A respeito disso, ano passado ele mencionou que iria arranjar cinco hectares de terra para mim em Sridhama Mayapura. Você estava presente naquele momento. Se você me ajudar nesse assunto, eu tenho intenção de fazer um asrama em Mayapura. Garotos e garotas da América podem visitar e permanecer lá para receber uma formação adequada. Por nossa cooperação, as atividades de pregação podem ser muito bem feitas. Portanto, eu estou ansioso para saber os detalhes de sua constituição.

Eu estou indo para Montreal amanhã. De lá eu vou para Santa Fé (Novo México) e para Los Angeles. Eu estou enviando os endereços de nossos centros com esta carta. Nós estamos executando um plano para construir uma Nova Vrindavana em três mil hectares de terra. Por favor, responda para o endereço de Los Angeles-Hollywood, pois eu irei ficar três dias em Montreal, sete dias em Santa Fé e quase um mês em Los Angeles.



Prthivite dche yata nagaradi grama

Sarvatra pracara haibe mora nama



“Em todas as cidades e aldeias, o cantar do Meu nome será ouvido”. [Sri Caitanya-bhagavata (Antya-khanda 4.126)]



A pregação pode ser espalhada amplamente no mundo inteiro sobre as bases deste sistema. Eu acho que sua constituição deve ser feita imediatamente, de acordo com a profecia acima. Espero que seu bhajana esteja indo muito bem.

Seu servo obediente,

Sri Bhaktivedanta Swami



Notas de rodapé:



1 Srila Trivikrama Maharaja é um dos três discípulos proeminentes de Srila Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Goswami Maharaja. Ele tomou sannyasa de Srila Kesava Maharaja juntamente com Srila Narayana Maharaja e Srila Vamana Maharaja, e desde então eles têm pregado juntos e entusiasmado centenas de milhares de devotos.



2 Srila Narahari Dasa era um discípulo sênior e muito intimo de Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. Ele era considerado a “mãe” e o “rouxinol Florence” da Gaudiya Matha. Ele sempre fez arranjos para o cuidado e a alimentação de todos os devotos. “Dada” significa velho irmão espiritual.



3 Vinoda Dasa é o nome de brahmacari de Srila Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Goswami Maharaj. Seu nome completo era Vinoda-bihari Brahmacari. Ele era o diretor da Gaudiya Math durante a época de Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura.



4 Após o desaparecimento de Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada, Srila Kesava Maharaja queria pregar vigorosamente em seu nome. Srila Sarasvati Thakura anteriormente estava muito satisfeito com Kesava Maharaja por sua pregação e seu grande conhecimento das escrituras que deu a ele todas as suas escrituras, e Srila Kesava Maharaja entendeu o significado – que seu gurudeva queria que ele pregasse o verdadeiro significado do Vedanta – como bhakti. Assim ele desejava estabelecer uma sociedade para a pregação do Vedanta, o que Sri Gaurasundara queria dar ao mundo – rupanuga bhakti. Portanto, ele iniciou a Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti.



5 Srila Vamana Maharaja era o braço direito (homem de confiança) de Srila Kesava Maharaja e ele agora é o acarya da Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti, conforme a vontade de Srila Kesava Maharaja. Ele também é o presidente da sociedade.



(extraído do livro "Their Lasting Relation - An Historical Account")


=================================================================================

tradução por Lakshman Das

pela misericórdia de gurudeva

fonte :


http://www.guardioes.com/condolencias.htm


Hare Krsna !

Escreva para ele para tirar suas dúvidas!

Queridos Maharajs, prabhus, didis,

por favor aceitem minhas reverencias.

Eu tenhou ouvido que nosso Srila Prabhupada tinha dito que nós podiamos se aproximar de duas pessoas para conhecimento: Seu irmão espiritual Srila BR Sridhara Maharaja, e Srila Narayana Maharaja da Kesavaji Gaudiya matha em Mathura.

Quando Sua Santidade Tamal Krishna Goswami pessoalmente me admitiu no começo de 1985 que Srila Prabhupada não apontou nenhum deles como gurus, eu estava prestes a deixar a Iskcon devido “politicas de gurus”.

Eu estava orando intensamente a Srila Prabhupada para me enviar um sadhu genuino para me ajudar. Eu entao encontrei Srila Gour Govinda Maharaja, e estava tão impressionado pela sua devoção, conhecimento e caráter santo que eu decidi, que enquanto houvesse um sadhu como ele na Iskcon, eu não teria que partir e tomar abrigo de outro Vaisnava santo. Eu me aproximei dele para siksa e ele me disse claramente que uma vez que eu estava orando para Srila Prabhupada por ajuda, Prabhupada lhe contou para me ajudar.

Eu recebi siksa dele por dez anos. Quando nós lhe perguntamos porque ele não ia para Vrindavan e somente ficava pouco em Mayapura, ele respondeu que ele não tinha que ir para Vrindavan para pregar uma vez que Srila Narayana Maharaj
estava lá, nem para Mayapura uma vez que Srila Bhakti Promode Puri Maharaja estava lá, e que eles três estavam “cobrindo” as necessidades de pregação nos três principais dhamas dos Gaudiya Vaishnavas.

Nós lhe perguntamos sobre Srila Narayana Maharaja e ele disse que ele era um Vaisnava puro. Quando nós argumentamos que ele não estava na Iskcon, ele respondeu, “are baba! Iskcon, não Iskcon, Vaisnavismo não é tão estreito! Vaisnavismo significa mente-aberta, não sectário.”

Portanto, quando Srila Gour Govinda Maharaja partiu em 1996, eu imediatamente fui consultar Srila Narayana Maharaja em Mathura, lhe contando que eu estava desolado, em luto pelo meu siksa-guru. Com grande compaixão ele me contou que se ele pudesse me ajudar de alguma forma, ele teria prazer em fazê-lo.

Eu comecei a ler os seus livros e estava impressionado. Mas, como todos nós na Iskcon, eu tinha sido vacinado intensamente, contra a Gaudiya Matha, portanto eu estava desconfortável apesar da atração eu estava sentindo da sua personalidade benevolente e despretensiosa. Depois de o visitar na Englaterra na sua primeira turne em 1996, eu tive a surpresa de ver que ele viria a França no próximo ano. Eu vi que todos os devotos franceses, incluindo irmãos espirituais que eu nao via a uns dez, quinze ou vinte anos, vieram.

Parecia que nosso Srila Prabhupada tinha reunido todo mundo, dando a todos uma chance de ouvi-lo. Eu estava traduzindo suas aulas, e ele estava literalmente derramando uma chuva de néctar e demonstrando grande compaixão e cuidado a todos. Seus discipulos indianos disseram que eles estavam impressionados e que nunca ouviram ele falar assim mesmo na India.

Eu comecei a traduzir seus livros como um seva, como Srila Gour Govinda Maharaja tinha nos perfurado sobre importancia de sadhusanga e sadhu-seva. Eu não achei nenhuma diferença em siddhanta, somente um ângulo diferente de visão, e ao debater com muitos irmãos espirituais seniors que o seguem, todas as minhas duvidas foram esclarecidas.

Eu tive a boa fortuna de comparecer em muitos parikramas e receber dele muita atenção e muitas instruções pessoais que, eu sinto, me ajudaram tremendamente para aprofundar meu apego e entendimento de nosso Srila Prabhupada. Não é este o papel do siksa-guru, fazer devoto em discipulos melhores do seu diksa-guru? Eu nunca ouvi ninguém glorificando nosso Srila Prabhupada de uma maneira tão profunda e não superficial.

Eu acredito que Srila Narayana Maharaja está dando a próxima dispensação de conhecimento e misericórdia que nós precisamos para progredir mais em nosso entendimento e realização de nossos ensinamentos Gaudiya Vaisnavas.

Nosso Srila Prabhupada pediu a ele, poucos dias antes de partir, para ajudar seus discipulos, pois ele não tinha tempo para treina-los suficientemente. Maharaja tem ajudado a Iskcon tremendamente, aconselhando muitos devotos senior, salvando a Iskcon no caso da corte em Bombaim ao testemunhar. Por anos, ele se absteve de dar iniciações para membros da Iskcon desiludidos e desprivilegiados, não querendo criar nenhuma confusão na instituição de nosso Srila Prabhupada ao qual ele considerou como um amigo pessoal e entre seus siksa-gurus. Foi somente quando ele foi criticado vergonhosamente e blasfemado pela liderança da Iskcon que ele começou a dar iniciações.

Eu não entendo, ou então eu acho que eu somente entendo tão bem o porque de todas essas politicas e criticas contra ele, porque eu ouvi o mesmo contra Srila Gour Govinda Maharaja: Quando pessoas santas, gurus altamente qualificados, pregam ao redor do mundo todo, parece que estas pessoas que assumiram a posição de guru prematuramente se sentem ameaçados de serem expostos como estudantes brincando de professores próximo a professores de verdade. O resto me parece ser somente palavras e jogos politicos.

outros criticando alguém que aos 88 anos ainda está compassivamente viajando por todo o mundo para ampliar sua associação, é simplismente uma demonstraçao da sua infelicidade, que eles agravam por vaisnava-aparadha, ou uma demonstração de duplicidade disfarçada de lealdade a nosso Srila Prabhupada “não leia blasfemia; leia suas publicações, venha ver por si mesmo, associe com seus seguidores, escreva para ele para dissipar suas dúvidas.
Humildemente,

seu servo,

Bv Suddhadvaiti Swami, (antigamente Jayanta Krishna dasa ou Jayantakrid dasa)

Tradução: Ramananda Das

Vaishnava aparadha

Vaishnava aparadha – Suicídio espiritual – o caminho de uma instituição.

Este artigo é especialmente dedicado ás pessoas que tem dúvidas sobre o que é vaishnava aparadha, quem pode ser considerado vaishnava e também por que alguns grupos ou instituições estão sendo rejeitados devido a graves ofensas aos pés de lótus de reais vaishnavas do Gaudiya Vaishnavismo, sagrada missão que foi fundada por Jagad Guru Srila Bhaktissidhanta Sarasvati Goswami Prabhupada, quem é o principal seguidor e associado de Sriman Mahaprabhu.

Antes de mais nada, prestando reverências á todos os associados de Mahaprabhu que vem pregando a divina mensagem do amor divino pelo mundo, devemos compreender quem pode ser considerado Vaishnava, ou, quem pode ser chamado de Vaishnava.

No Chaitanya Charitamrta, Mahaprabhu disse: “Aquele que cantou os santos nomes de Krishna, uma só vez, pode ser chamado de Vaishnava”. Este verso tem criado uma confusão na cabeça de muitos. Para esclarecer isto, Bhaktivinoda Thakura deu sua explicação, esta se encontra na revista Rays Of Harmonist de N:20.

Ali, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura esclarece todos os pontos, ele diz:

“De todos os diferentes tipos de ofensas que as jivas (entidades vivas) podem cometer, nenhuma é mais severa do que Vaishnava Aparadha, então é essencial compreender o significado de vaishnava ninda de acordo com as escrituras. Isto é escrito no Skanda Purana:”

Hanti nindati vai dvesti

Vaisnavan nabhinandati

Krudhyate yati no harsam

Darsane patanani sat

Aquela pessoa tola que critica um vaishnava exaltado cai até o inferno conhecido Maha-raurava, junto com seus antepassados. Aquele que; 1- mata um vaishnava, 2- critica, 3- usa de malícia contra ele, 4- não o recebe apropriadamente ao vê-lo, 5- fica irado com ele, 6- não sente prazer ao vê-lo, certamente se degrada como resultado destes seis tipos de conduta errônea.

Por este verso, citado por Bhaktivinoda Thakura, vemos que vaishnava aparadha vai mais além do que criticar o vaishnava, até mesmo se não nos sentimos felizes ao ver tal personalidade, isto também é considerado ofensa, o que dizer de usar malícia e critica-lo?

Depois, Thakur Bhaktivinoda descreve quem pode ser realmente chamado de vaishnava. Isto esclarece o verso citado por Mahaprabhu, pois Bhaktivinoda diz que apenas aquele que cantou suddha nama , ou seja, nome puro ( e não qualquer nome) pode ser considerado vaishnava como Mahaprabhu disse. Thakur Bhaktivinoda diz ainda:

“De acordo com os ensinamentos de Sriman Mahaprabhu, aquele que murmura krishna suddha nam (nome absolutamente puro), está na categoria de ser chamado de Vaishnava. Kanisthas adhikaris são chamados de vaishnava praya, madhyama adhikaris de vaishnava tara e os uttama adhikaris(devotos puros são chamdos de vaishnavas tama, ou, reais vaishnavas.”

Assim, vemos que a palavra vaishnava, pode ser apropriadamente usada, apenas para o uttama adhikari, ou seja, o devoto de alta classe, o maha bhagavata, ou devoto puro e não qualquer outro tipo de devoto. Esta e a conclusão dada Por Thakur Bhaktivinoda.

Infelizmente algumas instituições ou grupos, estão não apenas degradando a imagem do seu Acharya fundador, o qual o mais conhecido é Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, mas também estão se arruinando e também arruinando a vida dos outros, por cometerem tantas vaishnavas aparadhas contra devotos realmente puros como Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar-dev Goswami Maharaj, Srila Bhakti Promode Puri Goswami Maharaj, Srila Bhakti Vaibhava Puri Goswami Maharaj, Srila Bhaltivedanta Narayan Goswami Maharaj e tantos outros santos auto realizados. Como Bhaktivinoda descreveu, o rumo que estas pessoas estão tomando é muito horripilante e sério. Os aspirantes sinceros na busca por Sri Krishna, hão de realizar este fato.

Sem associação com reais sadhus, devotos puros, ninguém pode avançar na Consciência de Krishna. Srila Prabhupada disse uma vez. “Busquem sempre a associação de devotos elevados, só assim vocês podem fazer algum progresso.”

Srila Rupa Goswami colocou sadhu-sanga como um dos cinco mais importantes processos de bhakti.

Infelizmente, os então chamados discípulos de Swamiji, proíbem seus discípulos(os quais acham ser sua propriedade) de até mesmo ver os devotos puros. Parece que o medo de perder suas propriedades é muito grande.

Um discípulo de Swami Prabhupada, chamado Isa das prabhu escreveu:

“Não há consciência de krishna na iskcon desde 1977, o ano que Swami Prabhupada deixou o planeta. Como pode isto acontecer, que uma instituição permite que 85 por cento de suas crianças sejam estupradas? E quando os pais vão ao tribunal, eles dizem á elas para não fazer nada, que eles vão sustenta-la com dinheiro a vida toda e que estes casos devem ser vistos apenas pelo próprio gbc?”

Então, temos que acabar com esta visão de “movimento hippie, mentalidade hippie”, o movimento de Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu é muito mais que isso, é a sagrada missão do amor divino que fluiu através de Bhaktissidhanta Sarasvati Thakura, o fundador da Gaudiya Math.

Aí surge argumentos: “Mas foi Prabhupada que fundou a Iskcon. Ele é o único Acharya”. Qualquer pessoa sincera e que possui uma visão não sectária e destemida vai perceber que isto é sectarismo fanático e cego. Fez Srila Prabhudada aprender toda a filosofia Gaudiya Vaishnava sozinho? Ele criou uma coisa que nunca havia tido antes na terra? Ele tomou sanyassi por conta própria também? Ele teve um guru? Teve também siksha Gurus? Se estudamos a vida de Swami Prabhupada como ela foi, e analizamos suas palavras veremos que há muita coisa há se explicar sobre a vida dele. Uma vez ele disse: “isto que eu estou dando á vocês, não é coisa nova. O próprio Krishna ensinou isso á Brahma, Brahma á Narada e assim por diante, até chegar no meu guru Srila Prabhupada Sarasvati Thakura”.

Infelizmente as pessoas ignoram este fato. Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada recebeu iniciação de Jagad Guru Bhaktissidhanta Sarasvati Thakur, aceitou Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Maharaj como seu siksha guru(o qual deve ser respeitado da mesma forma que o diksha), e tomou sanyassi com Bhakti Prajnana Keshava Goswami Maharaj, quem é o guru de Bhaktivedanta Narayan Goswami Maharaj. Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayan Goswami Maharaj o ensinou a vestir sua kaupin(roupa interna) a usar a danda etc.. e á pedido de Srila Prabhupada foi ele também quem fez seu samadhi(cerimônia fumeral). Tudo isto está escrito em livros, conversas gravadas de Srila Prabhupada em fitas k7. Ninguém pode negar isso.

Pode também agora surgir na mente das pessoas, que tal artigo é uma ofensa aos devotos desta tal instituição e que isto é perda de tempo. Por que não nos preocupamos somente em cantar os santos nomes? Não é esta a ordem de Mahaprabhu? Bhaktivinoda Thakura (Rays of harmonist n:20) explica também sobre este ponto.

“Quando, por motivo de encorajar outros a aceitar o refúgio dos pés de lótus de um verdadeiro vaishnava, abandonando o falso(os assim chamados pregadores da religião), tal pessoa não comete nem vaishnava aparadha(ofensa ao vaishnava) e nem tampouco vaishnava ninda(sadhu ninda). Em tais casos, até mesmo a crítica direcionada á uma especifica pessoa(ou instituição) está livre de faltas. Estes são exemplos de criticar com motivo apropriado.”

Assim, com estas palavras de Thakur Bhaktivinoda, podemos entender que alertas como estes citados acima, são ao invés de críticas, uma ato de misericórdia para com os inocentes, e aspirantes pela verdade e não são de forma alguma “ofensas”como muitos pensam que é.

Fica aqui então, este alerta ás pessoas que realmente desejam praticar bhakti-yoga sob a guia de um guru fidedigno, ou seja, aquele devoto puro que realmente viu a verdade e é capaz de ajudar outros a vê-la, corram atrás dele, sem demora e sem medo de ser feliz.

Sadhu sanga sadhu sanga sarva sastre kay

Lava matra sadhu sanga sarva siddhi hay

“Apenas um momento de associação com um real santo, a pessoa pode conseguir o sucesso em sua vida. Esta é a conclusão dos sastras védicos”

Brahma Madhva Gaudiya Vaishnava sampradaya Ki Jay Ho!

Baladeva Das Brahmacari

Fire in the Hole!

Dandavat pranams, Prabhus e didis,

E poraí VAEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!! Tão vendendo tudo, Quem vae querer????? E o que vão Fazer com essa Dinheirama????

Certamente algo pra esquecer Krsna e Srila Prabhupada!!!!!!!!



http://www.harekrsna.com/sun/editorials/03-10/editorials5900.htm

Fire in the Hole!

BY: JANMASTAMI DAS

A Chesapeake Appalachia employee works on a drilling rig in Wetzel County
[Photo: Chesapeake Appalachia]

Mar 22, WEST VIRGINIA, USA (SUN) — The vile acts of desecration being performed by the current administrators of the New Vrindaban Community makes it clear to us that we were not the only ones sleeping in Bhagavatam class. Surely NVC's General Manager, $80,000 US per annum Arthur Ailla, aka Kuladri das, as well as GBC Malati Swami, and their illustrious spiritual guide, Radhanatha can explain in their own words how Srila Prabhupada's instructions on the matter of extracting gas and oil from the planet have now come to be disregarded in favor of financial gain to benefit the few remaining merchants of ISKCON memorabilia living in "The Holy Dham".

This was proudly posted in the ISKCON website:

Gas Rush Is On Around New Vrindaban

By Casey Junkins for The Intelligencer on 7 Mar 2010

"A Chesapeake Appalachia employee works on a drilling rig in Wetzel County.Natural gas from the Marcellus Shale formation is a hot commodity in the Northern Panhandle.
Members of the New Vrindaban Hare Krishna Community in Marshall County can attest to that, as they are set to gain roughly $10 million in lease payments from AB Resources.
With Ohio-based AB Resources set to pay the community a lease rate of $2,500 per acre for about 4,000 acres - and 18.75 percent production royalties if the company begins pumping natural gas - community member Gabriel Fried said he believes now is the time to sign.
"We could wait two years to see if the price goes to $5,000 per acre. But we wanted to get the production going because the royalties are the real source of revenue," Fried said.
AB Resources, Chesapeake Appalachia, Trans Energy Inc. and CNX Gas Corp. are just some of the companies sending representatives throughout the Northern Panhandle in efforts to lock up land for gas exploration and drilling. These companies have signed landowners to contracts for wide-ranging lease and royalty payments.
Current lease contracts range from as low as $5 per acre to as high as $2,800 per acre, with production royalties ranging from 12.5 percent to 18.75 percent. Landowners are being urged to think carefully before signing any contract. Per acre lease amounts are paid even if no drilling occurs; percentage royalties kick in only if natural gas is produced.
In Marshall County, Chesapeake has drilled 26 Marcellus Shale wells, with 45,000 acres under contract.
Last month, the Marshall County Board of Education signed rights to 177 acres in Sherrard to Chesapeake for $2,800 per acre and 18.75 percent production royalties. That's $495,600 coming to the board, without even producing any gas. "These wells are providing us, and our competitors, the necessary data that continues to drive leasing efforts throughout the county, and has recently increased the market value of this acreage," Sheppard said.
Michael D. Schriml, an independent contractor for A B Resources, did not know the exact number of active wells his company has in Marshall County, but said the number was "several."
"I have worked on several 'major plays' in my career - Marcellus Shale is a very big deal," Schriml said. "The shale has been there, but new production technology has made it more profitable."
The Marcellus Shale formation likely will have a positive impact on the local economy for years to come, as it is believed to hold enough natural gas to fuel the nation for decades. Experts believe this could help the United States alleviate some of its dependence on foreign oil.
Tim Carr, a professor of geology at West Virginia University, said, "People are drilling more and more wells and having success. Many people are trying to get in on this rush."
He said the Marcellus Shale has a "tremendous amount of gas" attached to it. St. Marys, West Virginia-based Trans Energy has been drilling into the shale to retrieve natural gas for two years, according to Land Department Manager Mark Woodburn.
"Right now, we own and operate over 300 wells in Marshall, Wetzel and Marion counties. ... We have about 40,000 acres under lease," he said.
With Trans Energy looking to broaden its operations, Woodburn said the run on shale "is a lot bigger than some people realize."
"Marcellus Shale will forever change the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia. It could lead to a major overhaul of our national energy policy," Woodburn said."

Read more: ISKCON.org

We have Srila Prabhupada's instructions on this matter, quite at variance with the current trend toward usurping assets, on dozens of occasions in lectures and letters. Here a but a few:

"First of all this artificial way should be stopped, and the bulls should be engaged in ploughing and transporting and smashing the grains. To avoid machinery, petrol, machine oil, by nature's way. Your description of the Tennessee farm is very nice."
(Letter to Balavanta das, January 3, 1977)

"The New Vrndaban idea is that persons who live there will accept the bare necessities of life to maintain the body and soul together and the major part of the time should be engaged in development of KRSNA consciousness. The whole Vedic principle is to develop KRSNA consciousness, without creating much botheration for the program of sense gratification. Industrial development or mining industry in the neighboring places will mar the whole idea. Now you have to consider, yourself, looking forward to the future of the land, and then decide what to do. I do not like to have New Vrndaban with industrial or mining areas. I have got experience in them in India, that the mining areas are simply next to dungeon. The workers in the mines are considered to be working in hell. And we never expect any good behavior from such workers. We must think of the atmosphere around Vrndavana. In India, in our present government, they are trying to develop industries in the vast tracts of land around Vrndavana and creating a hellish atmosphere. So, I request you to be assured of the future of the land and do the needful."
(Letter to Hayagriva, July 17, 1968)

August 17, 1968
Montreal, Quebec

My Dear Hayagriva,

Please accept my blessings. I am so glad to receive your note dated August 13, 1968, with the copy of lease agreement and I have gone through it carefully. When you were here I suggested to purchase the land out-right. But I think it has not been possible. But on the face of the lease, it appears as good as sale document.

But the clause, "Excepting and reserving however, all of the coal within and underlying said property, and subject to the mining rights and privileges set forth in the deed conveying said coal, made by Joseph E. McCombs, et al., dated March 30, 1903, recorded in said Clerk's office in Deed Book 98, at page 185," has caused my headache. I do not know what is written there in the Clerk's office in Deed Book 98, but on common sense, it appears that the area is coal mine or oilmine.

Under the circumstances, if in future coal industry is developed and if it is required, the government may at once ask us to vacate and no law can stop it. Even if the government does not acquire our land, if in our vicinity some such industry (coal or oil industry) is started, the whole idea of Vrindaban will fade away. Vrindaban conception is a transcendental village, without any botheration of the modern industrial atmosphere.

My idea of developing New Vrindaban is to create an atmosphere of spiritual life where people in bona fide order of social division, namely, Brahmacaris, Grhasthas, Vanaprastha, Sannyasis, or specifically Brahmacaris and Sannyasis, and Vanaprasthas, will live there independently, completely depending on agricultural produce and milk from the cows. The life should be simplified without being hampered by laboring day and night for economic development, without any spiritual understanding.

The New Vrindaban idea is that persons who live there will accept the bare necessities of life to maintain the body and soul together and the major part of time should be engaged in development of Krishna Consciousness. The whole Vedic principle is to develop Krishna Consciousness, without creating much botheration for the program of sense gratification. Industrial development (or mining industry) in the neighboring places will mar the whole idea.

Now you have to consider, yourself, looking forward to the future, of the land, and then decide, what to do. I do not like to have New Vrindaban with industrial or mining areas. I have got experience of them in India, that the mining areas are simply next to dungeon. The workers in the mines are considered to be residing in the hell. And we can never expect any good behavior from such workers. So we must think of the atmosphere around Vrindaban.

In India also our present government, they are trying to develop industries in the vast tracts of land around Vrindaban, and creating a hellish atmosphere. So I shall request you to be assured of the future of the land, and then do the needful. The summary is that the face of the lease agreement appears to be all right, but I am thinking of a spiritual development. I hope you have received my previous letter and I am expecting your reply as soon as possible.

Last night we celebrated here Janmastami festival very gorgeously, and many Indians in large number attended and they contributed also very liberally. One Madrasi gentleman demonstrated a Krishna dance by his two young daughters, and it was nice. At the present moment, many devotees from San Francisco, New York (specifically your intimate friend Umapati, is present here) have come here.

Today they will observe Vyasa Puja ceremony (my Birthday Anniversary), so from this day, I will be stepping on the 73rd year. I hope the remaining days of my life may be utilized to serve you all Western devotees of Krishna.

Please pray to Krishna that he may give me the necessary strength to discharge the duty entrusted by my Spiritual Master.

Convey my blessings to Kirtanananda, and I hope you are all doing well."

Your ever well-wisher,
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

We bring the readers attention to the part: "But the clause, "Excepting and reserving however, all of the coal within and underlying said property, and subject to the mining rights and privileges set forth in the deed conveying said coal, made by Joseph E. McCombs, et al., dated March 30, 1903, recorded in said Clerk's office in Deed Book 98, at page 185," has caused my headache." and we understand again how great was the prophetic speech of His Divine Grace. This is why so many feel that changing even one word of Srila Prabhupada's books, a position Radhanath critcized as an ISKCON exile, is heresy and will derail any long term, future success. So, if success is already denied by changing Srila Prabhupada's words, and now clearly His Meaning, if such behavior, in Srila Prabhupada's own words, "has caused my headache", and if "this movement can only be destroyed from within", then how far do we have to look for some of the most vile characters on this planet?

And the excuses, "Well at least they do something", "They are still in the movement", "Don't find fault with devotees", will not save them from the reaction they are due for their current actions. Nor will their "Prabhupada will take all of His disciples karma" bull droppings philosophy protect them when KRSNA decides to re-level the playing field. You wouldn't want to be a little Romaharshan Suta, sitting on your vyasasana, waiting for that homage you so desperately crave, when Lord Balarama uses simple blades of grass to bring down the biggest and most arrogant of these pretenders.

That ISKCON news chose to print the utility conglomerate's press release, with no ISKCON commentary, is not unlike the modern politician who would not personally have an abortion, but does not feel that he can limit someone else's right to choose. We're not saying that it's a good thing, we're just pointing out that the utility company is very pleased with the outcome. Now with the 1,500 acres the KRSNA commune sold back to them, that land that Srila Prabhupada had told us to "never let fall back into the hands of the karmis", that land has been sold for thirty pieces of silver by the same band of rogues that brought you the heyday years of the Kirtanananda Swami era. Now that this has been sold back to the power conglomerate, local residents have no choice but to sell their mineral rights because as they are told by the company, "we already got the KRSNA land and we're gonna work from there. It doesn't matter whether you sell to us or not, we're gonna get it all anyway". This is the same owner who recently left miners to die in the ground in the Crandall Canyon mine collapse. That is who NVC has sold the gas and oil drilling rights to.

Would you buy a used, no holds barred, fund raising approach to collecting? Would you scam the Indian community because "everything belongs to KRSNA and we, as His servants, deserve it more than those karmis that have the Laxmi in their hands"? Would you default on your child abuse settlement obligations, in light of the record year in ISKCON donations since the Sulocana assassination? Would you do all that, and still try to say that you were trying to please Srila Prabhupada, and not to just trying improve your bottom line? Then I think I would have to call you a liar. SHAME ON THE GBC WHO DO NOT SPEAK OUT AGAINST THIS RAPE OF THE HOLY DHAM !!!