Response to Solai's letter on Chakra [2/3]

September 23, 2005

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"solai"=20

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"India (Continental Committee) Open (Forum)" <<A=20

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:=20

Wednesday, September 21, 2005 8:43 AM Response to Solai's =

letter on=20

Chakra > =

=20

=

=20

=

=20

=

=20

MINOR > The Long Term Impact of Criticizing the /\ Mission of the=20

Founder-acarya >=20

______________________<=

BR></DIV>

<DIV>Mataji says, > The temptation to ignore the complaints of =

"Solai"=20

("The Long Term Impact > Of > Urbanizing Mayapur," Chakra, =

September=20

19 2005) is a strong one. Yet when > Srila Prabhup=E4da's mission =

and=20

followers are criticized in an attempt to > justify one's =

viewpoint, it=20

becomes a matter of necessity rather than > choice > to =

ignore such=20

criticism and speak on behalf of Srila Prabhup=E4da. In his > =

final=20

Vyasa-puja offering to Srila Prabhup=E4da, HH Tamal Krishna =

Goswami > asked=20

the question: "Who speaks for Srila Prabhup=E4da?" His answer was =

that >=20

everyone has their place, and our contributions to the mission of =

Srila >=20

Prabhup=E4da, even while riddled with faults, should be taken =

into >=20

consideration. > > Yet while Solai's interest in the =

ecological=20

impact constitutes a great > portion of his text, his points are =

based on=20

the faulty misconception that > the pursuit of fulfilling the =

spiritual=20

master's desires is a burden to > certain aspects of society, and =

should=20

be reconsidered so as not to upset > the status quo of the street =

and the=20

ecological balance of the area, which > is, I'm informed, a =

shifting=20

balance, and one that the Sri M=E4y=E4pur Project > staff have =

taken into=20

consideration in their years and years of research > into the =

construction=20

of the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium: Srila > Prabhup=E4da's =

dream for Sri=20

M=E4y=E4pur-dh=E4ma. Can anyone come forward to publicly disclose =

how much=20

money has been spent or wasted so far on this preoperative =

feasibility=20

studies? Do you know it is mind boggling! Our main mission is =

preaching=20

and book distribution. Traditionally we have simple places of =

worship, temple=20

worship is less important in our sampradaya, do we wish to depart =

from this=20

tradition and</DIV>

<DIV>convert ISKCON devotees in to labors to build magical temples in =

the=20

guise of fulfilling SP's mission? SP our beloved spiritual =

master also gave=20

us a loop hole, adapt to changing needs and =

circumstances intelligently, can=20

we not use this liberty in this issue? If we are serious in our =

environment=20

and sustainability concerns, we should Prove it first by maintaining =

the Bath=20

rooms in the ground floor of Chakra or Long building to the =

acceptable=20

standards of our Authorities. </DIV>

<DIV>Why the authorities should maintain locked bathrooms, near the MP =

office=20

</DIV>

<DIV>in the second floor of long building?</DIV>

<DIV>It is obvious that filth is not tolerable to vested interests and =

the=20

common laymen </DIV>

<DIV>devotee should endure this filthy environment.</DIV>

<DIV>We want to cage ourselves in a green, clean environment =

and not=20

bothered </DIV>

<DIV>about others. This is the logic of sustainability of SMPDC=20

authorities. Our greatest achievement is, we have built long rows of =

toilets=20

on the banks of mother Ganges during last year's GP festivals!</DIV>

<DIV>we were concerned about the spread of deadly disease like Calera =

etc </DIV>

<DIV>and provided Bath rooms in the river bank for public use, an NGO=20

activity!</DIV>

<DIV>The cause of this pathetic situation is, ISKCON =

promoted=20

unsustainable tourism in the Dham.</DIV>

<DIV>I have completely studied the report prepared by ENVIRON, these=20

proposals will never work and will never be implemented by ISKCON, If =

any one=20

wants to know why, I can elaborate and substantiate my claims =

scientifically=20

with the help from "The Indian Institute Science", =

Bangalore. There=20

are several acharyas and spiritual masters every where, if =

their disciples=20

start implementing the fanatical desires of their achryas against the =

law of=20

the land in a democratic country, it will create havoc in=20

the society. Mataji says, > I'm not qualified to respond =

to=20

ecological issues, but I'm certainly sure > that offensive doesn't =

fall=20

into the category of "uniting us all and > understanding that our =

strength=20

lay in differences" that Tamal Krishna > Goswami was referring to =

when he=20

spoke of everyone being encouraged to > =

contribute. > > Solai=20

writes: > > Authorities in ISKCON are not willing to take =

the local=20

population > or other Vaishnava communities in to confidence to =

establish=20

the > need for such a massive temple and infrastructural=20

facilities. > > The "need" for such a massive temple is not=20

dependent on the whims or > opinion of local villagers who remain=20

mostly ignorant of the mission of > Lord Caitanya-an =

ignorance that=20

other maths have found just as difficult > to > address as =

ISKCON.=20

Nor is Srila Prabhup=E4da's mission dependent upon the > approval =

of maths=20

run by his godbrothers. This statement shows a complete > lack of=20

knowledge of Srila Prabhup=E4da's history with his own =

godbrothers, > and=20

his entire life purpose. Is it too much to expect that one who is =

so >=20

determined to make public statements might be armed with knowledge=20

first? We are part of a democratic society, we cannot arrogantly =

assume=20

that others are ignorant, it applies to us also! I am not boasting I =

am=20

knowledgeable, But I know I have wisdom and intuition! Data---> =

When=20

organized leads to Information--- when assimilated leads to =

Knowledge---=20

condensed through expertise leads to Wisdom!!!!! Gathering =

knowledge is=20

never ending, we can be sure our knowledge is infinitesimally small =

compared=20

to the world of knowledge. (There is a saying in Tamil "Katrathu =

Kaiman=20

alavu, Kalathathu ulgalavu!) Vedanta literarily means the end of =

Knowledge,=20

and we are continuously studying Vedanta with the hope of reaching =

the=20

end! > After ISKCON invested so much of money on=20

infrastructure in the > past, the level of filth and pollution =

increased=20

manifold. ISKCON > attracted tourists and the local people lured =

by the=20

opportunity > established business catering to them. Wine, women =

and meat=20

entered > the market. This trend will be accelerated by the new=20

temple > project, if this is the ultimate result of such hard work =

of=20

ISKCON > devotees, do we need it? What other great purpose it is =

going=20

to > serve? The land is already holy, how can new temples make it=20

holier?</DIV>

<DIV><FONT face=3DArial =

size=3D2><FONT=20

face=3DArial size=3D2><FONT =

face=3DArial=20

size=3D2><FONT face=3DArial=20

size=3D2> Mataji Says,</DIV><FONT face=3DArial =

size=3D2><FONT=20

face=3DArial size=3D2><FONT =

face=3DArial=20

size=3D2><FONT face=3DArial =

size=3D2>

<DIV> > First we are asked to =

believe that=20

the presence of ISKCON in the holy > dh=E4ma > was the cause =

of "wine,=20

women, and meat" in M=E4y=E4pur. A more naive remark I > would be =

hard-pressed=20

to find. Here we are being asked to believe an > unfounded =

statement that=20

prior to ISKCON's creation, no such sinful > activity > =

would have=20

possibly existed here. Even if it didn't at the time (something > =

that is=20

almost inconceivable, but an allowance I'll make for the sake of > =

argument), was the arrival of these elements only because of ISKCON, =

or >=20

might it have had something to do with the influence of Kali-yuga? =

In >=20

fact, > the point Solai makes is that ISKCON is to blame for the=20

advancement of > Kali-yuga: a statement that flies in the face of =

the=20

entire mission and > purpose of Srila Prabhup=E4da. I have =

missed the=20

relative term- entered the market "in a big way" My contention is, =

ISKCON is=20

promoting tourism and the consequent damage to the spiritual and=20

environmental sustainability of the Dham. It is simply urbanizing the=20

Dham. You have to study the environment from the point of pre and =

post ISKCON=20

era. This will clearly indicate the contribution by ISKCON for the =

damage to=20

the environment. I will forward the research paper submitted by the=20

eminent Prof. K.N. Mukerge Retired head of the Dept. of Geography, =

City=20

College, Calcutta, retired lecturer of the Dept. of Geography, =

University of=20

Calcutta, Secretary of ILEE and Director of the Research Cell of Sri =

Caitanya=20

Research Institute, Calcutta, in this regard. We are accelerating and =

inviting Kali to settle in the Dham by our fanatical desires against =

the law=20

of the land with the excuse of fulfilling the desire of our founder=20

acharya. > > What other great purpose it is going to serve? =

The land=20

is already > holy, how can new temples make it =

holier? > >=20

Here it might serve some purpose to post so many quotes on "what =

great >=20

purpose" this temple will serve, according to Srila Prabhup=E4da and =

our >=20

previous acaryas, and according to scripture. These quotes might go a=20

long > way in helping to explain what this holy land exists for, =

and why=20

Sri > Caitanya Mah=E4prabhu came here, and what He came to =

establish. For=20

the sake > of brevity, I'll exclude these quotes, which I'm sure =

most have=20

either > seen > before, or have access to via Folio or =

publications=20

by Srila Prabhup=E4da > and > those who represent his =

institution.=20

Suffice to say, Solai's speculation > that Srila Prabhup=E4da =

might be=20

content to leave things as they are and be > satisfied that we are =

the=20

most successful math on this road seem more than > just a little=20

far-fetched. > I have the right to speculate because we are =

pursuing a=20

minor(may be major to others!) priority of SP against the law of the =

land. I=20

will go one step further to claim that our activities are illegal in =

this=20

regard and as a citizen of India, I have the constitutional right to =

defend=20

on the preservation of Mayapur from abuse by vested interests. I =

wish to=20

point out, why Mataji has conveniently ignored on the Black =

money transaction=20

and binami trusts of the land department and SMPDC =

to mobilize funds for=20

the new temple? Do you want proof? > Ignorant of our =

founder-acarya's=20

mission and purpose; content to ignore > the > teachings and =

mission=20

of our disciplic succession; oblivious to the > reasons > =

for the=20

descent of the Supreme Lord in this age---perhaps those who =

labor > under=20

the burden of these afflictions should consider that their best >=20

avenue > might be silence. In that way, they might offend less and =

learn=20

more. In > the > ensuing silence, an avenue of proper =

approach may=20

reveal itself to them. > If > one's desire is to truly =

better the=20

actions of the institution he is > addressing, they would do well =

to=20

remember that criticism will turn an ear > deaf more swiftly than =

they=20

realize. > I fully agree on this view point, I also understand =

silence=20

will pacify these emotional issues in my heart, One point still not =

clear to=20

me is, how I am offending the Vaishnava's in my presentations? May be =

I have=20

to substantiate and be humble with the logic, that I am lacking=20

spiritual Sadana </DIV>

<DIV>and I do not have the locus standing to project this issue, as per =

my=20

daughter Vaikuntha Lakshmi dd. </DIV>

<DIV>I do not want to stop with criticism, I want to escalate it =

to the court=20

of law if ISKCON gets the proposal approved by the state Government. =

Also I=20

am inviting eminent environmentalists and media people to project it =

to the=20

world community during the next festival in the year 2006. May be =

ISKCON has=20

the might and clout to face it, but I am sure environmental </DIV>

<DIV>issues are more dominant than the whims and fancies of devotees as =

per the=20

existing environmental protection laws of India. I have also =

consulted=20

eminent lawyers and environmentalists in this regard and their =

opinion is=20

favorable to my views. > Our mission is not to restore the =

forests and=20

bring back the tigers: one > who > pursues such noble ideals =

would=20

be well advised to seek a zoological > society > whose =

values they=20

can embrace. Until then, despite the obvious desire some > have to =

see=20

M=E4y=E4pur maintain its status quo, the mission of Lord =

Caitanya > and His=20

most beloved associates and followers will continue---with or > =

without=20

us. > Ok. But do you agree that our mission is, not to abuse =

the=20

environment? I wish to live with nature and pursue KC. Simple living =

and high=20

thinking, </DIV>

<DIV>I will add sustainable livelihoods also! It may be a Zoological =

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