from Bhakti-tirtha Swami

[Guest guest]

Dear Maharajas and Prabhus,

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to ISKCON founder-acarya

Srila Prabhupada.

By now we should all be aware of how companies and major businesses are

spending millions of dollars and countries are spending billions in trying

to address the Y2K problem. Particularly countries like Britain and Canada

are much more openly explaining about preparation for impending disasters.

Practically all honest, rational and intelligent people who have looked into

these concerns deeply have come to the conclusions that serious problems are

ahead. It’s just uncertain about how serious the problems will be.

Some of the topmost international media is coming out more and addressing

these serious concerns. Recently very mainstream, conservative programs like

60 minutes and Dan Rathers (in the USA) have presented to tens of millions

of people in America some of the dangers addressed by those in the know and

in very high positions. This is not a fanatical message, but usually one of

my favorite sayings these days, “a wake-up call.” Something very serious is

now happening with material civilization. The Y2K problem is just one of

many that’s gradually coming to a head. Serious earth changes are on the

rise like anything. For instance, last year over 50,000 people worldwide

were killed and over 300 million were displaced due to so much abuse of

Mother Bhumi. There is also increase in war-like conflicts and massive drug

abuse. Also an increase in racial conflicts, tribal conflicts, gender

conflicts, religious conflicts and a rise in so many diseases such as mental

illness, heart disease, cancer, AIDS, etc. Most of these diseases are also

connected with so much abuse of Mother Bhumi’s body as well as our own.

Srila Prabhupada was very emphatic that material civilization controlled by

so many atheists and raksasas cannot last. He also has taught us how to

remain on the battlefield and use every opportunity for preaching. I

strongly suggest that no leaders come to Mayapur without having looked

closer into some of the worldwide problems that we are confronted with. As

we do this, it will simultaneously give us more insight into the nature of

our personal and institutional problems. Hopefully it will also help us to

understand even more why we must come together with strong devotion to make

a difference at a very important time.

In general, the present world karma looks very bad. To the degree that we

do not access a higher spirituality, we will also be directly subjected to

much of the karmic fall out. All over the world our movement is undergoing

so many challenges, just as all institutions are. These are interesting

times of denial, revelation, separation and hopefully acceleration. Massive

exposing and cleansing is going on everywhere.

As leaders, we must individually and collectively try to position ourselves

to lead from the front and not from the back or from the sidelines. Material

nature, in one sense, seems to be forcing us into an almost do or die

situation to come together better and create environments that are genuinely

based on Vaisnava siddhanta on simple living and high thinking. As leaders,

in order for us to hold division, we have to understand the field of

activities better. That is, our immediate environments as well as the

surrounding ones. We must understand clearly what we are trying to become as

well as what we are trying to avoid, i.e.- we must have greater eagerness,

hunger, for the goal and greater fear of the maya and stagnation. For

instance, if we have sufficient fear of some of the present maya, we would

have already looked thoroughly into some of the present patterns that are

unfolding and we would already be in the process of intensifying our

devotion and creating a greater sense of community. Any projects where I

have significant influence, I have for some time been focusing on community

building concerns, which I will be more than pleased to discuss with any of

you at the upcoming GBC meetings.

Yesterday I received a letter from one of our godsisters in Alachua on some

updates of some of the preparations our devotees are making there. Given

that it is the largest devotee community in the world with so many senior

devotees, I was refreshed to hear of some of their continued progress. The

devotees at the Prabhupada Village community are also going full speed ahead

in intensifying their devotion and infrastructure. I’m sure there are other

communities that are doing like wise. Some of us will be presenting very

soon a paper to the North American GBC and then to the International body

with some ideas and plans that temples might want to consider. At least as

we all have more variables in front of us, we can position ourselves better

to expand the protection of our devotees and our preaching.

As we all have so many day to day problems that we have to deal with,

having to do some re-focusing is just overwhelming for all of us, but do we

really have a choice? Below are some excerpts from the letter sent to me

concerning recent events at the Alachua community.

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to ISKCON founder-acarya

Srila Prabhupada. All glories to your tireless service to Lord Caitanya's

mission.

We had a community meeting last for preparedness. The turnout was really

nice, as there were many new faces. There was so much information shared.

Two devotees have obtained their ham operators license and a tower antenna

has been set up at the temple. I am not used to the lingo about radios, but

they can communicate with the military, access thousands of bands, etc.

Each family is to purchase an inexpensive hand held radio to communicate

with

the temple and they will inform us of what is going on. Each smaller

community, like ours, Balavanta Village, is to have a larger one. So, we on

the airways.

A representative from FEMA is to come and train the devotees in emergency

rescue. Some devotees have already taken the course. It is free and supplies

are given to course members. Since our community is so large, they will come

out here to save all the devotees from driving into Gainesville. A resource

center, from Winfall, our devotees business here, and a brohcure is being

prepared for those just starting out. There is a lot of networking with

other

groups and individuals that have important information to share. Another

nature walk, with the devotee from New Talavan that has an herb business is

planned for early spring. This will involve identifying local herbs and

preparation, etc. Information on ordering at the best prices was shared.

What seeds to buy, hybird, etc. It was a very informative meeting.

Purchasing of gold or silver was discussed. Of course, so was security

discussed. We have an adopt a family program for those devotees in the

apartment complex in town. I adopted one mother with a seven year old

daughter, who is also into healing, etc.

Also, it was discussed how in national emergency FEMA could take your stored

food if you have too much!!! So, it seems that in the case of emergency, the

devotees can come together and focus.

I have added several other conferences as receivers of this message so that

it can help us all reflect more on these issues in a non-alarming, but

integrative, holistic, and transcendental fashion. As always,

Yours in Srila Prabhupada’s service,

With love,

Bhakti-tirtha Swami

Return address: btswami (AT) ibm (DOT) net