Bhaktavasya

Sorry, I just re-read your post and somehow missed this part. There reason we may not know each other is that I was leaving Evanston for Toronto just as the 'battle' for leadership was in mid stream...but it is interesting that my memories of that time differ from your's. My memory is that Tripurari and Uttamasloka had an uneasy peace...over the number of BBT book salesmen being 'deployed' at the O'Hare, competing with the Evanston temple sankirtan devotees. But that could have come later, after you left.

Thanks again; a few comments in regards to the responses: post #5, I was in Evanston during the change of tp from Sri Govinda to Uttamasloka and, for the record, Uttamasloka was the tp for Toronto, not Ottawa (I know this for a fact as I was in Toronto when Uttama was tp, he originally came from Montreal where he was tp), Tripurari had nothing to do with the decision to replace Sri Govinda with Uttamasloka, as he wasn't a GBC and didn't interfer with temple politics in that regard. Common knowledge at the time was that it was Tamal Krishna who wanted Uttama there. Out of curiosity, what was your initiated name at the time, because I was very familiar with most of the devotees there, and I also was one of the sankirtan devotees who went out to the O'Hare airport, although I was never a 'famous book distributor', just steady from '74-76, with a few months break back in Toronto temple, my home temple. I also knew Subal Vilas and his wife very well, but that's another story (not in my book). Shivaram was from the Winnepeg temple in Canada, and you are correct that he closed that temple and brought the devotees to Chicago with him, although he was never co-tp. He started up a temple in Minneapolis, and eventually, of course, took a leadership role in England. post #8 Yes, Stone-hearted, things change. Sri Govinda of very pro-grhastha and there was, as you may recall, some family feuds between the householder leaders and the sannyasi faction, waged from the pulpits of Bhagwatam classes. I do have to say again, that Tripurari Swam wasn't part of that ''we sannyasis are better than the grhasthas" immature bickering. I know because I was the only woman, for a while, to go out to the airport in the van with the men. Tripurari or one of the men usually read from one of Prabhupad's books, usually the one that had just been released. Class at noon prasadam time in the airport was a reading from the Srimad Bhagwatam or Chaitanya Charitamrita with Tripurari giving a class tieing the verse into Lord Chaitanya's sankirtan movement, the auspiciousness of the Holy Names.

Thanks for the replies. I'm wondering if it's another Sri Govinda who took sannyas because the Sri Govinda from Evanston, husband of Sri Leka, never seemed like the type of devotee who would ever do that. Sonic Yogi, who was the tp when the temple was moved, and do you remember approx. how many devotees were in Evanston before the move. Do you know where some of those devotees from that time went? Some of them went to Hawaii (Prasad das, Damayanti dd) and do you know what happened to Ramaii, who was also a pujari from that time and I believe moved to the new address.

I hope this is the right place to ask this; is there anyone here who was in the Chicago (Evanston) temple during the mid 1970s? I am writing the final draft of a memoir, which of course includes the years that I was in Iskcon. Some of my best memories were of the Evanston temple, especially during the time that Sri Govinda was temple president. I remember when the Radha Damodar buses descended on the temple during Prabhupad's arrival in 1975, but I would like to hear more details from others who were there at the time. Thankyou

Mahaksa, this is a hot topic, and i like what you said here. I also like your advise to Satsvarup to ''head North, live the life of an avadhuta, travel to the holy places.'' In my opinion he would be better off away from the tight noose of the GBC, monitoring his every word and move. It would be good if Satsvarup read some of the advise from his godsiblings over the internet...unless of course the GBC have forbidden him internet access!

this version of my sweet Lord by nina hagen is worth checking out; there is some video from the Toronto Temple circa mid 1970's. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LLDbP4DAR8&NR=1

A godbrother (SP disciple) has composed a song called ''Nityananda Kicks', which he has made a CD of. When questioned about the origin of the inspiration, he said that in the Chaitanya Bhagwat there are 2 incidents of Lord Nityananda actually kicking someone in the head. One instance involved a Buddhist monk who was eating meat and in the other Nityananda kicked Sivananda Sena in the head. Is there any truth to these alleged pastimes? He is going to be performing this song, amongst others, at Vancouver Rathayatra this weekend. My objection to him is that, without knowing the glories of Lord Nityananda as the most merciful and deliverer of the most fallen, this song makes Lord Nityananda sound like a thug, going around kicking people in the head.

No, I don't to the idea that 'everyone is here (in the material world)for crimes against the Supreme Lord, because I believe that a devotee lives in the spiritual world. Srila Prabhupad once said that his disciples were sent back Srila Bhaktisiddhanta to assist him in spreading Lord Chaitanya's message of divine love and compassion for the fallen souls. Although I don't believe I fit into that catagory (and that Prabhupad was also trying to encourage 'newcomers' on the path)I have no doubt that most of my Godbrothers and Godsisters fit the definition of Vaisnava. I mean, you're the one who claims to be Stone-hearted, but I don't believe it for a second! I offer my respectful obeisances to all the Vaisnava devotees of the Lord, who are oceans of mercy and are just like the desire trees in the spiritual world, able to fulfill the (spiritual) desires of everyone and who are full of compassion for all the conditioned souls.

Because I just got hooked up on the internet at home, an old favourite web-site has temporarily shut down and I haven't been able to come up with a 'brief biography' of what made me what I am today with Gaudiya Discussions. That left Audarya-fellowship, Theist lamenting over the ruin of his material life, Stone-hearted's pleas of innocence...'hell, fire and brimstone' to be poked fun at. What better way to spend a portion of one's evening?

"in this endeavour there is no loss or dimunition" and even one percent surrender is accepted by Krishna ("If one offers me, with love, a fruit, flower or water, I will accept it.") Recall the story of the man who came to replace the roll of toilet paper in the first store-front temple in NY; Srila Prabhupad exclaimed "Just see; his devotional service has begun." When someone is really surrendered 100% (the mahabhagwat, parmamahamsa stage) he or she sees everyone as serving Krishna better than themselves (source CC). The sand in the sweetrice may be just the mote in one's own eye. (Think about it)

I've been out of touch on the net for a while, and with minutes to spare I'd like to give an objective comment after reading this thread. Nowhere did I sense any hatred, hostility or bigotry in responses to the (mis)leading question, which really isnt' a question at all but a blatant insult towards faith in chanting the holy names, a cornerstone belief of the devotees posting here. Accusations of hatred, anger and bigotry are red herrings, and I feel the respondents (G-Hari, Theist, etc) have shown tolerance, tempered with a bit of (understandable) annoyance towards the ignorant question posed. Maybe some references to the divine nature of the holy names may help, but probably not as the provocateur has been reading for a while now.

Yes he did, in is own name; A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

As I read about most people being annoyed over abbreviations, I squirmed a bit, having being 'guilty' of using initials and letters for Srila Prabhupad (SP) and even Hare Krishna (HK) but then I have to come clean and say that no offense was intended; it was usually the result of typing something that refered to certain personalities and the Hare Krishna movement many times in a long paragraph. I actually never realized some devotees would be offended by it. I'm hesitant to say this, but isn't it a little bit nit-picking to take offense when at least the person is thinking about Krishna (even someone's mother who used HK) rather than a million other things unrelated to Krishna. I'm just saying that most people who use abbrev. don't mean any offense..we committ so many offenses to each other consciously and unconsciously. Maybe we shouldn't take offense so easily.

In response to your question, I'd say that BG is for devotees who are still practising Bhakti Yoga, even if it's just reading and trying to understand Krishna's words in the Gita. Everyone, except the fully enlightened person, is at some time confused about one's spiritual duty and experiences weakness of heart. A devotee turns to Krishna at such times and takes comfort and inspiration in the Lord's advise to rise up.

Maybe it's something 'in the air' (devotees getting moody and seeming to drop out of the forum circuit)but although I mostly read the forums and don't really feel like responding much, I noticed that you, 'Theist' (aka M.)were conspicuous by your absence and felt a little sad to think of the possible reasons why you were no longer posting. Strange how some of us have never met in this lifetime but have formed an invisible bond of camradarie over the years. Even though you and I used to sometimes get in heated disagreements at times (particularlly on the old VNN forums) I have come to appreciate your KC and your senses of humour. I am also relieved to see that you are 'in one piece' and still here. a big devotee hug for you