An open letter to the leaders of the Hare Krishna Movement

September 19, 2001

Dear Ramabhadra Prabhu,

Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Thank you very much for your "reality check" on the horrific situation in New

York. Also you mentioned the following:

> 2)Create a storage room with essential supplies in case of Biological or

> Nuclear disaster.

> 3)Develope a plan of escape to an ISKCON Farm or Safe Haven far away from

> Major Cities.

>

> If devotees are thinking, "how will we preach during a Major War" I'll tell

> them. Get out of the Cities to Farms and Safe Havens and "Save yourself and

> the other devotees". ISKCON is a Brahminical Society and we are not equiped

or

> qualified as a Search, Rescue, and Protection agency.

Unfortunately ISKCON Farms are not equipped to give shelter to not only

devotees but also the masses of people that Srila Prabhupada said would come

looking for food, employment and shelter when the next third world war comes to

this planet. This does not mean that they can not be made ready, but that

ISKCON Leader's priority of what deserves moral and financial support and

development be changed to rural development based on the worship of Lord Krsna

and the protection of the cows.

Cities are now even more dangerous places to live than ever before, espescially

for the rearing of children. There are so many quotes of Srila Prabhupada that

can be given as to how we as a devotees can set an example for all the world of

a joyful, simple life, full of all the necessities of life based on the land

and cows. Yet the development of our farms has dwindled and the present farms

are just maintaining at best.There has been a cry for help from these farms and

from the ISKCON Ministry for Cow Protection and Agriculture to recognize their

importance and to help their development. This cry has not begun today, but has

been there for years.

Our farms have so much land that is not being used.The farm devotees hardly

feed themselves from the land. Even in our 1/4 acre garden we have preserved

for this winter over 500 jars of vegetables, not to mention additional dried

vegetables. Soon we will harvest the apples. Each jar can feed 2-3 people. This

is just the tip of the iceberg. Over twenty years ago Srila Prabhupada was

coming to Gita Nagari to establish Varnasram because the devotees there at the

time had the "food problem" solved. Twenty years ago Srila Prabhupada was

looking to the future needs of this world and now those needs have arrived.

This letter is not meant to minimize your idea of presenting a check of around

$50,000 given to the Victim's Relief Fund. The sufferring of these people is

too extreme not to be recognized. And the offerring will bring favorable

consideration to ISKCON. But in the long run it does not supply an answer to

the present and future problems of this planet. As we all know Srila Prabhupada

had the answers, all we need to do is implement them and that does not mean

just one or two devotees that means all the devotees joining forces to provide

rural havens for the devotees and the lost souls of this planet.

Please contact iscowp (AT) earthlink (DOT) net and /or cow (AT) pamho (DOT) net (COM conference of

devotee cow protectors) to find out how this implementation can begin.

Your servants,

Balabhadra das & Chayadevi

ISKCON Ministry for Cow Protection and Agriculture

September 20, 2001

Haribol! PAMHO, AGTSP! Hurray! I loved your letter, it was very well

put. I am so happy and fortunate to have made your association,

especially in light of recent world events. For these past few years

since reading Prabhupada's teachings, I have been wondering how to

convince the public at large about the importance of self-sufficiency in

food production, and how if I had a few hundred million dollars to spend,

(like so many American investors actually do), I would immediately buy up

all the prime ag land here in northern Cal. that's being used for wine

grape production, and I would install massive dairy cow and fruit/veggie

production.

Anyway, that's a pipe dream compared to the actual reality of what you

guys are now doing. Now, if only we could just shift public awareness,

get investments, and employ the never-ending flood of Mexican farm labor

in food production instead of wine production! These hispanic immigrants

are very faithful, simple and devout people, and they much more easily

appreciate Krsna Consciousness than do most native American born whites

do. Who knows? I feel that the future is bright for sincere devotees!

Your servant,

Bhakta Jim Seymour

______________

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September 20, 2001

In a message dated 9/20/2001 7:10:58 AM Eastern Daylight Time,

Samba.SDG (AT) pamho (DOT) net writes:

> a booklet that explains just how you managed to develop such a nice self

> sufficient program on your small land holding, so that others can

> immediately begin to learn.

>

> One thing I can tell you is that Balabhadra Prabhu and his family work

> hard. He has an evening job as telemarketer and puts in good hours to

> maintain his family and project. His son drives a tractor-trailer (a great

> big truck) to support his growing family of three children and a wife, and

> their daughter is a contributing force to the family project. They

> definetly deserve

September 20, 2001

On 19 Sep 2001, ISCOWP Balabhadra Dasa & Chaya Dasi - USA wrote:

> Dear Ramabhadra Prabhu,

>

> Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

>

> Thank you very much for your "reality check" on the horrific situation in

New

> York. Also you mentioned the following:

> > 2)Create a storage room with essential supplies in case of Biological or

> > Nuclear disaster.

> > 3)Develope a plan of escape to an ISKCON Farm or Safe Haven far away from

> > Major Cities.

> >

> > If devotees are thinking, "how will we preach during a Major War" I'll

tell

> > them. Get out of the Cities to Farms and Safe Havens and "Save yourself

and

> > the other devotees". ISKCON is a Brahminical Society and we are not

equiped

> or

> > qualified as a Search, Rescue, and Protection agency.

>

> Unfortunately ISKCON Farms are not equipped to give shelter to not only

> devotees but also the masses of people that Srila Prabhupada said would come

> looking for food, employment and shelter when the next third world war comes

to

> this planet. This does not mean that they can not be made ready, but that

> ISKCON Leader's priority of what deserves moral and financial support and

> development be changed to rural development based on the worship of Lord

Krsna

> and the protection of the cows.

>

> Cities are now even more dangerous places to live than ever before,

espescially

> for the rearing of children. There are so many quotes of Srila Prabhupada

that

> can be given as to how we as a devotees can set an example for all the world

of

> a joyful, simple life, full of all the necessities of life based on the land

> and cows. Yet the development of our farms has dwindled and the present

farms

> are just maintaining at best.There has been a cry for help from these farms

and

> from the ISKCON Ministry for Cow Protection and Agriculture to recognize

their

> importance and to help their development. This cry has not begun today, but

has

> been there for years.

>

> Our farms have so much land that is not being used.The farm devotees hardly

> feed themselves from the land. Even in our 1/4 acre garden we have

preserved

> for this winter over 500 jars of vegetables, not to mention additional dried

> vegetables. Soon we will harvest the apples. Each jar can feed 2-3 people.

This

> is just the tip of the iceberg. Over twenty years ago Srila Prabhupada was

> coming to Gita Nagari to establish Varnasram because the devotees there at

the

> time had the "food problem" solved. Twenty years ago Srila Prabhupada was

> looking to the future needs of this world and now those needs have arrived.

>

> This letter is not meant to minimize your idea of presenting a check of

around

> $50,000 given to the Victim's Relief Fund. The sufferring of these people is

> too extreme not to be recognized. And the offerring will bring favorable

> consideration to ISKCON. But in the long run it does not supply an answer to

> the present and future problems of this planet. As we all know Srila

Prabhupada

> had the answers, all we need to do is implement them and that does not mean

> just one or two devotees that means all the devotees joining forces to

provide

> rural havens for the devotees and the lost souls of this planet.

>

> Please contact iscowp (AT) earthlink (DOT) net and /or cow (AT) pamho (DOT) net (COM conference of

> devotee cow protectors) to find out how this implementation can begin.

>

> Your servants,

> Balabhadra das & Chayadevi

> ISKCON Ministry for Cow Protection and Agriculture

Dear Balabhadra Prabhu,

Pamho AgtSP

I appreciate your opinion and hope you accomplish your goals.

Your insignificant servant,

Ramabhadra das

September 20, 2001

i can't help but feel the urgency that devotees like Balabhudra, and

Chayadevi, Niscala, Syma, and others share. you see, being a 31 yr young body,

i'm torn, like many others,

between chanting a "blue guys name", and the irony of uncultured city life.

B-more is like other hellish cities, rates top in crime, homicide, poor

education, etc.; but there is a semi-strong economy here that other places

don't have.

then there's the other side. Krsna has blessed me with the association these

seriously "fixed up" devotees. there message, - loud and clear. there example,

- worthy of praise.

but there's no simple answer to why devotees, such as myself don't live on

the land, and get Prabhupada's message of " plain living and high thinking".

perhaps its money, lack of faith, complacency, being tiered of being preached

to by the wrong people, all, or some of these. no matter the excuse i'm not

there either. although i do have a 38 acre lot adjacent to ISCOWP's new

Vragapuri's farm, i'm not able to get there as often as i hope. it's

definitely not easy without money or help, as Balabhudra and Chayadevi know for

fact.

so in the city i stay to work for funds -to help promote Prabhupada's plan

and help develop communal living- to build a barn suitable for the 26 of

Krsna's herd,( presently in ISCOWP's care), with a simple living area- to

garden the land not just for eating, but for trade too-and to replow the soil,

not just of the land, but of my own heart as well, and to nourish the krpa

that Krsna has given.

so away the struggle continues, obstacle after obstacle- some larger than

others- from the lack of faith- to the slaughter of millions (human and animal)

bodies i humbly petition Krsna's devotees and others to pray to Him- not for

peace (that's rediculous-it's a bit late for that) not for justice (that seems

a bit egotistical) but for His kind mercy to spiritually enlighten the masses.

i seem to remember Prabhupada saying, he wasn't here to convert anyone, but to

make Christians better Christians, Jews better Jews, Hindus better Hindus ect.

only by Krsna's mercy can the killing stop. He is at the mercy of His own

devotees. Kali-Yuga has quite a bit more time left- so its inevitable of some

of His mercy- lets just pray for more.

ys, bk. dave

-

ISCOWP (Balabhadra Dasa & Chaya Dasi - USA)

Wednesday, September 19, 2001 5:51 PM

Kavicandra Swami (GBC Japan); WWW: Ramabhadra (Dasa) ACBSP (Brooklyn NY -

USA); Tattvavit (das) ACBSP (NE-BBT); Aniruddha (das) BJD (Melbourne - AU);

Ganga IDS; Cow (Protection and related issues)

Re: An open letter to the leaders of the Hare Krishna Movement