My dear devotees of Murwillumbah and associated sanghas.
Reflecting on the results of the recent social and political upheavals in Murwillumbah I have come to the conclusion that, assuming everyone else's consciousness suffered as did my own, we are in need of some spiritual healing, so, it makes sense that we come together without lies, without cheating, without anger, without any ulterior motive and just be bros and sisters, chanting Hare Krishna together.
Remember: harinama sankirtana is the soundtrack to the story of universal, spiritual development.
With Sriman Tirtha Maharaja coming to Murwillumbah in the very near future, I guess that his tour represents the perfect time to commence the healing of our yatra. I wrote an email to some senior devotees overseas requesting them to appraise my idea and to offer their own suggestions. Some very nice ideas were forthcoming. Some, like the below, very pertinent.
Remember that we are surrendering our independence. It is important to seek advice from senior devotees whenever important decisions are to be made. It's important to have faith in spiritual guidance. Taking shelter of the Dep't or Justice and fighting for your karmic rights is not any shelter.
We need the shelter of the "Dep't of Mercy," Srila Gurudeva, available via his senior disciples and followers.
:) :) :)
Mercy by email
What follows is a back and forth series of emails between tarunkrsnadas and our esteemed senior sister Syamarani didi and another (anonymous) devotee ...
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From tarunkrsnadas
to Syamarani
My dear devotees, most esteemed senior devotees and faithful guides of our wonderful world wide sangha.
Please accept my very humble obesiances to the dust that glitters on your ... feet.
As, I am sure that you are all aware, Srila Gurudeva has recently tested the devotees here in Mura-willumbah and, judging by the mess we've made, we didn't fare all that well. Even, despite attempting to keep out of the foray myself, once I realised how much criticism was flying around, I feel that my level of consciousness is at an all time low. How easily disturbed we are. It's as if the entire community are spiritually linked together and ups and downs of one devotee affect the stability of the whole community, what to speak of a divided community, each side championing its own cause, employing any or all of political campaigning, misleading information, criticism, anger and ill-will against the opposing team.
The general level of consciousness within the community is damaged but I am sure that if enough of us are sincere, then Srila Gurudeva will show us how to get back to where we were at an all time conscousness high when Srimati Uma didi and Srimati Syamarani (to mention only some of the positive influences) were here with us, as I am sure you all are, in spirit, right now.
Myself, I am pushing to re-connect in a humble, loving mood with my beloved Srila Gurudeva, japa, bhajana and harinama, my deities, and my fellow devotees, with Radha-Krsna pastimes featuring as the focal sadhana and sadhya.
On a community level, I think that the next step for our community is to raise our level of krsna consciousness and re-establish peace in the heart. I feel that we all need to settle back into a positive routine.
With Sriman Tirtha Maharaja visiting Australia soon I intend to encourage all the devotees who have already contributed towards the purchase of the Masonic Hall, to request a refund, which can then be applied (if they wish) towards making a successful Hari-Katha Sadhu-Sangha festival for as long as His Holiness Tirtha Maharaja is willing and able to stay with us. I believe the hiring the Masonic Hall for this festival would not be untoward.
Anyway, I am hoping for the best for the devotees of Murwillumbah, and I pray that you will all comment on what I have written above, perhaps adding new and better ideas, wishing all encouragement to the Murwillumbah sangha which I shall pass on to them.
I could write to you all about "who did what" and "who was a cheat, offender, etc" but I am convinced that you have neither need nor wish to hear such accusational hearsay. My main concern is that the spiritual health of our community is restored, quickly and effectively. Any assistance in this urgent matter would be greatly appreciated.
tkd
An evil demon cleverly disguised as a devotee, and even fooling himself into half believing it.
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From Syamarani
to tarunkrsnadas
Dandavat Pranams Tarun-Krsna prabhu,
All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga.
Thank you for your sincere letter. I feel I am to blame for the contamination of warring, because I was there and I am so impure. L
You ask for comments. It is stated in scripture to associate with those who are likeminded. I have seen all over the world that when there are teams of likeminded devotees, they can do wonders. I have been encouraging the Murwillumbah sanga, whenever I am asked (since the past so many years), that instead of having groups that try to get the other groups on their side – like a tug of war – let each group of like-minded devotees do their own projects (or buildings, or temples, or whatever), and respect and appreciate other devotees and devotee-groups for what they are doing. It is not necessary that everyone in a city has to do the same thing. J
Even in Vrndavan Gurudeva has 4 good temples (Krsna-Balarama, Rupa-Sanatan, Gopinath Bhavan, and Giridhari Gaudiya Matha in Govardhana), and another one across the river (Durvasa Ashrama), and another one in Mathura (Kesavaji Gaudiya Matha). In Delhi there is the Raman Bihari Gaudiya Matha, and an hour from there is the group of Rohini-nandana prabhu, which also has about 100 devotees.
It’s not that you need a ton of devotees to do a project. There are millions of non-devotees we can engage to help.
Anita and Vasanti and I have a couple of projects that we are doing together, like the gvp booksponsorship program and the library program and the prison program.
They are all smooth-running because we get along and are like-minded.
The GVP publishing group is also going on successfully for the same reason.
Etc., etc.
Vaisnava-sevabhilasi,
Syamarani dasi
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tarunkrsnadas
Apr 22
to Syamarani
Thank you very much my Syamarani didi.
I shall take your advice on board because I see that there is already an inclination to form the sangha into groups.
When you were here in Murwillumbah we were at our peak, you share absolutely no blame for our foolish choices.
...
Thank you again my Didi.
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Email from a devotee who wishes to remain anonymous ...
I would like to share this quote from an article by Srila Vamana Gosvami Maharaja. It may or may not apply, but it is a point worth hearing:
Whenever one who had had any connection with Prabhupada came to Gurupada-padma, be he a temple devotee, a renunciant, a householder or an ordinary person, Gurupada-padma would become overwhelmed with bliss, thereby open-heartedly manifesting his deep intimacy with Prabhupada. “Guru-sevaka haya manya apanara – the servant of guru is honourable for us.”
Gurupada-padma would feel grateful and indebted to anyone who had served Prabhupada in any way and thus would develop a relationship with that person. And since Prabhupada was the sole object of his heart’s affection, he would even offer that person financial assistance if needed. He was naturally bound in affection with those connected to Prabhupada. On the other hand, he was as hard as a thunderbolt with those who, on the pretext of performing seva for Prabhupada, acted against him. All this is natural when there is a true relationship. [NB: This does not refer to those with opposing opinions, even if you think they are acting against Gurudeva, lol. It refers to something insidious, like openly opposing the tattva-siddhanta of one's gurudeva and gathering support for that, or desiring to enjoy the opulences of one's gurudeva, like temples and money, even followers. No one in M'bah fits into this.]
Gurudeva is the sole custodian of all service to Sri Sri Radha-Govinda. Any type of service to Them is in fact service to gurupada-padma. Gurudeva is so adjusted with the pleasure of Krsna that his only bliss lies in giving Him pleasure – he has no other source of happiness. Therefore, in rendering service to Krsna for His pleasure, one indeed performs service to sri gurudeva. In this way, everyone is in fact the servant of gurudeva. Since Prabhupada is the only wealth of his heart, Gurupada-padma would feel indebted to anyone who had ever served him, even if for but a moment.
This unprecedented guru-nistha of Gurupada-padma is his primary quality. His countless other qualities, specialties and characteristics are all subordinate to this main quality. For want of time, it is impossible to appreciate or discuss all these divine characteristics.
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From Syamarani dasi
(regarding the above quote)
Dandavat Pranams,
All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga.
I forgot to say what I got from your excellent quote in relation to Murw.
It is that we can have different sub-sangas, and at the same time appreciate the services of the other sub-sangas, even though their views on how to serve are different from ours – knowing that our guru-varga accepts all kinds of services, big and small from our point of view, and they love all kinds of servitors. Is that right?
Vaisnava-sevabhilasi,
Syamarani dasi
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From tarunkrsnadas
to Syamarani dasi
This is how I understood it myself. Groups within the main group, functioning somewhat separately so as to avoid conflicts but still respectful and appreciative, even of those who are not so in tune with sadhu's mood of love and compassion since those people cannot be expected to understand who has lower, and who has a little elevated consciousness, thus are unable to appreciate the qualities of their brothers.
Those of us who have been fortunate enough to have some of sadhu's mercy need to understand the limitations of many devotees and accept them as they are, and encourage them, acting, ourselves, as brahminically as possible.
That, I believe is the problem in Murbah, a shortage of brahmins to advise the ksatric leaders. We cannot expect smooth sailing when we place kanisthas and vaisyas at the helm.
I have found that all I can do is to watch others and learn who they think they are and try to be their friend. I am not strong enough to act as a proper brahmin given my environment, but I slowly learn, because, ultimately, Srila Gurudeva assembled this sangha and it is perfect for those who hang in, tolerate and cooperate, and eventually earn the right to advance to higher association.
Srila Gour Govinda Swami taught me that my surrender is conditional, so whilever that prevails it's important to create favourable conditions. It makes sense that the entire community can benefit from favourable conditions.
I very much appreciate any assistance available to further that aim. You are ... gems and are helping considerably. The problem will be getting the devotees to accept your advice; if they don't listen to Gurudeva, they're certainly not going to listen to me, but still I must try, for everyone's sake.
tkd
Your humble, lowly brother.
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From Syamarani
to tarunkrsnadas
Dandavat Pranams prabhu,
All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga.
Thank you for your beautiful and excellent letter. Srila Gour-Govinda Maharaja and Srila Gurudeva taught you well.
You need
not convince all the devotees to follow our suggestion. Again, we don’t need to convince anyone to think like us. You can share with everyone our letter exchange, and that is sufficient. If you can get a small group of devotees who are like-minded to you and you can join to do something wonderful, then you are teaching by example.
Vaisnava-sevabhilasi,
Syamarani dasi
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From tarunkrsnadas
to Syamarani dasi
OK, thanks Didi. I look forward to your sweet vaisnavi association in the future.
t
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:) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)
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So there you have it. Make of it what you will.
Another thing that surfaced as a result of this exchange of emails was this beautiful letter by Srila AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada to Atreya Rsi ...
Bombay
4 February, 1972
72-02-04
My Dear Atreya Rsi,
Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your very nice letter of January 10, 1972, and I am very much pleased by the sentiments expressed therein.
It is not so much that because there may be some faults in our godbrothers and godsisters, or because there may be some mismanagement or lack of cooperation, that this is due to being impersonalists, no. It is the nature of the living condition to always have some fault.
Even in the Spiritual World there is some fault and envy--sometimes the Gopis will quarrel over Krishna's favor, and once Krishna was so much attracted to Radharani that by mistake he tried to milk the bull instead of the cow, and sometimes when the Gopis used to put on their dress and make-up for seeing Krishna, they would be too much hasty and smear kumkum and mascara in the wrong places and their ornaments and dresses would appear as if small children had been trying to dress themselves and they were not very expert, like that. There are so many examples. But it is not the same as material fault or material envy, it is transcendental because it is all based on Krishna. Sometimes when one Gopi would serve Krishna very nicely, the others would say, Oh, she has done so nicely, now let me do better for pleasing Krishna. That is envy, but it is transcendental, without malice.
So we shall not expect that anywhere there is any Utopia. Rather, that is impersonalism. People should not expect that even in the Krishna Consciousness Society there will be Utopia. Because devotees are persons, therefore there will always be some lacking--but the difference is that their lacking, because they ave given up everything to serve Krishna--money, jobs, reputation, wealth, big educations, everything--their lackings have become transcendental because, despite everything they may do, their topmost intention is to serve Krishna. ``One who is engaged in devotional service, despite the most abominable action, is to be considered saintly because he is rightly situated.''
The devotees of Krishna are the most exalted persons on this planet, better than kings, all of them, so we should always remember that and, like the bumblebee, always look for the nectar or the best qualities of a person. Not like the utopians, who are like the flies who always go to the open sores or find the faults in a person, and because they cannot find any utopia, or because they cannot find anyone without faults, they want to become void, merge, nothing--they think that is utopia, to become void of personality.
So if there is sometimes slight disagreements between devotees, it is not due to impersonalism, but it is because they are persons, and such disagreements should not be taken very seriously. The devotee is always pessimistic about the material world, but he is very optimistic about the spiritual life; so in this way, you should consider that anyone engaged in Krishna's service is always the best person.
I am very pleased that you are assisting your godbrothers so nicely. Yes, this is our real position, to be servants of the servants of the servants. And by your quiet and humble attitude, you shall set the example of Vaisnava so that all may learn from you, and very soon their puffed-up attitude will disappear and they will come to you and seek your advice in matters.
I am also encouraged that you are preaching to many businessmen acquaintances. That is very important work, so speak to them very frankly and with strength and conviction, and they will see, that even you are yourself a big businessman with high position and salary, still, you are a devotee, and they will also become devotees if you ask them. And if only a few of such big businessmen become devotees, they can change the whole world. So it a very great and responsible task, now do it very boldly and Krishna will reward you with all success. The secret is to engage everyone, even big businessmen; so at first engage them in some small way so they will not feel threatened, but they will enjoy that small service so much, automatically they will desire for more, and then gradually you convince them by strong arguments and engage them more and more, and then they will perfect their lives in Krishna Consciousness, and go back Home, back to Godhead.
Hope this will meet you in good health,
Your ever well-wisher,
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
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Please try to calm down, be understanding rather than offended and please, please remember that pleasing Srila Gurudeva by your sweet compassionate mood is much more important than any activity done in the mode of passion.
Servant to ALL the devotees
Humbly
The lowly
tarunkrsnadas
