RE: Car accident.

[Guest guest]

Dear Bhaktiman dasa,

 

Hare Krsna. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

 

Forgive me for bringing this matter up at a time when everyone is shocked by

this recent

event, but I feel the need to say something.

 

I am a 100% fanatic when it comes to this point about driving during the night.

We have

lost so many devotees by this careless mode of passion. It is the

responsibility of temple

leaders to STOP this madness whenever it is noticed!! I am preaching this point

to temple

leaders whenever the opportunity arises. Whenever devotees are driving long

distances, the

FIRST THING I say when I learn of this is, "DON'T DRIVE DURING THE NIGHT!!!!

Stop and rest

no later than 11:00 PM. If it costs money to stop and rest then spend it!!!

Everyone

should sleep at night so that there are other devotees always awake in the

vehicle while

the vehicle is being driven. Not that somebody drives and everyone else

sleeps!"

 

I must have said the above sentences at least 200 times, and I am dead serious.

Unfortunately, I have not said it in Riga so I'm saying it now.

 

We lost devotees during Srila Prabhupada's time this way, and I remember Srila

Prabhupada

saying the same thing. It doesn't make any difference about switching drivers.

It should

be condemned, and I beg you, now, while everyone is shocked by this news, to

hammer the

point so something like this never happens again to any of the Riga devotees.

We are not

controllers and I can't say that there can never be another car accident. But

why should

we invite it by such passionate carelessness? How many times does it take

before we learn?

 

Yours in Srila Prabhupada's service,

Niranjana Swami

 

P.S. I have forwarded two other letters to you on this subject, one from me to

Acyuta

Priya (when there was a car accident last year in Kiev which killed two

devotees), and one

from Indradyumna Swami on the same subject.

 

 

>

> Bhaktiman (das) RNS (Riga - LV)

> [bhaktiman.RNS (AT) pamho (DOT) net]

> Friday, October 08, 2004 10:49 AM

> Bhakti Caitanya Swami; Bhakti Visrambha Madhava Swami;

> Niranjana Swami; Prabhavisnu Swami; Mahadyuti (das) ACBSP (TP

> Soho St. London - UK); Purnacandra (das) ACBSP; Ganga IDS

> Car accident.

>

> Dear Maharaja's and Prabhu's.

> Please accept my humble obeisances.

> All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

>

> I asked my daughter to write about this car accident, which

> happened to our temple devotees, dear friends and wonderful

> vaishnavas...

>

> Four devotees were coming back to Riga from Divnomorsk "Sadhu-Sanga"

> festival. It was:

>

> Gatis prabhu (driver, around 30 year),

> Aleksei prabhu (driver, 26 year),

> Bhaktin Karina (23 year),

> Bhaktin Maya (21 year).

>

> The distance they had to drive was around 2400 kilometres.

> Two drivers where changing each other, so car was moving all the time.

>

> Yesterday, on 7th October, at 6:00 AM by Moscow time,

> tragical car accident happened to them. On 263rd kilometer

> from Moscow to South. Around 100 kilometres after Tula. Gatis

> Prabhu was driving, and he falled asleep. In motion, they

> crashed with right side of the car into moving autotruck. The

> effect of hit was that the shore of the truck wheels was

> knocked out to the road and car turned under truck.

>

> Bhakta Gatis and Bhaktin Maya was siting in front seats of

> the car, Aleksei and Bhaktin Karina was sitting in the back.

> The hardest hit was on bhaktin Maya and Bhaktin Karina. They

> where sitting in the right side of the car.

>

> Bhakta Gatis and bhakta Aleksei have got medium injury.

> Bhaktin Karina has got heavy injury. They were brought to

> hospital in Volovo town. Bhaktin Maya left her body at the

> place of accident.

>

> Bhaktin Maya was regular temple devotee from 1999 year. While

> living in the temple, she was doing service in the Deity

> department. She took excellent care of Tulasi devi and she

> was making garlands for Sri Sri Gaura-Nitai and she helped to

> cook Sunday feasts. Besides her service, she was styding

> psychology in Latvian University. She was always very soft

> and humble devotee. She never refused to help others and do

> some extra service. It is a big lost for our temple, to lose

> such wonderful, young, and devoted Vaishnavi.

>

> Now Aleksei, Gatis and Karina are in hospital. There is no

> danger for Gatis and Aleksei lives. Gatis got hurt his back,

> but he can walk. Aleksei has broken jowl bone and concussion

> of the brain. His face doesn't function.He can not talk.

> Karinas life is still under danger. She is in conscious. She

> has cerebral haemorrhage, broken backbone and paralysis of

> both legs. She doesn't remember what happened to her. As her

> doctor said, next 3-4 days may be critical.

>

> All this devotees - are regular temple devotees. They do

> service in the temple, work and study.

>

> In the temple we will have special events like - protective

> yajna and day-long kirtan. We will pray for healing of

> bhaktin Karina. Also we will collect donations for parents of

> this devotees who will go to Russia today.

> Also there will be need to bring bhaktin Maya's body to Riga.

>

> For this moment, this is all we know.

> Please give Your blessings and prayers for this devotees and

> our dear friends.

>

> Your humble servant Radha Madhava dasi.

> ---------------------------

> Your servant Bhaktiman das.

>

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 10/9/2004 3:00:40 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

nrs108 (AT) worldnet (DOT) att.net writes:

 

FIRST THING I say when I learn of this is, "DON'T DRIVE DURING THE NIGHT!!!!

Stop and rest

 

 

 

May I please add: DO NOT DRIVE WITH YOUR HAND IN YOUR BEAD BAG. YES, TAKE IT

OUT. YOU CANNOT CONTROL THE VEHICLE WITH YOUR HAND IN A BEAD BAG. YOU CAN

HOLD ON TO YOUR BEADS AND CHANT WITH OUT THE BEAD BAG,THEN IF YOU MUST TAKE

SUDDEN CONTROL OF THE WHEEL, YOU CAN JUST LET GO OF THEM. WRAPPING THEIR HAND

IN

A BEAD BAG WHILE DRIVING IS ANOTHER WAY DEVOTEEES LOSE CONTROL AND CRASH AND

LOSE THEIR LIVES AND THE LIVES OF PASSENGERS. JIV JAGO, DEAR SOULS.