Alliance Of French Vaisnavas (AVF) First Meeting

[Guest guest]

I am happy to inform all the devotees and followers of Mahaprabhu that a very interesting meeting took place at ISKCON New Mayapur France. On the month of August 2003, after the Balaram festival, AVF organised its first meeting. The goal of AVF association is to create union amongst all french devotees in the diversity of Maths. We had the chance to receive his holiness Bhakti Tirtha Maharaj (ISKCON sannyasi and guru) and his holiness Bhaktivedanta Bhakti Sar Maharaja (Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti )

 

By this summer experience, we would like to express to everyone that it is certainly possible to live all together in great brotherhood relationship.

 

Devotees from all over France were present, such as Srila Prabhupada's disciples, Srila Bhakti Promode Puri Maharaja's disciples, Srila Narayan Maharaja's disciples, Srila Bhakti Ballah Tirtha Maharaja's disciples, ISKCON devotees of Sripada Bhakti Svarupa Damodar Maharaja and other gurus etc.

 

Sripad Bhakti Tirtha Maharaja and Sripad Bhakti Sar Maharaja took their prasad together in great fraternity. These two men were acting in an intelligent way by sharing Sriman Mahaprabhu's Love. Here is a an extract of some interviews that they kindly gave us:

 

AVF: What are your feelings about this french vaishnava Alliance and the cooperation among different vaisnavas factions in France?

 

H. H. Bhakti Tirtha Swami: Somehow the differences between vaisnavas have became so strong, that we are not working on things that we have in common. This association could be an example, a model to help the whole world. Right now, France is suffering, there is so many devotees all around, with a lack of unity, this can be like an umbrella that more devotees can work and support each other.

 

H. H. Bhakti Sar Swami: I am very encouraged to see its formation and very enlivened to be present at its first meeting. For the cooperation among different factions of vaisnavas,if the french devotees take it upon themselves to have good relationships based on Guru, Sadhu and Sastra without outside interference, then I would say it is definitely possible ! and you are already off to a good start, but if temporary, worldly institutional considerations take precedent over guru, sadhu and sastra then it may never happen.

 

AVF: Do you think that Srila Prabhupada would appreciate the "Alliance Vaisnava"?

 

H. H. Bhakti Tirtha swami: If this happen, it will be wonderful. Obviously, every acarya wants to see people becoming krishna conscious and at the same time with their own flavor, their own way to serve their guru.

 

H. H. Bhakti Sar Swami: Yes. As Srila Prabhupada wrote about cooperation amongst vaisnavas " I am a man of constructive ideas.

 

At my demand, these two Maharajas accepted to support and to become honorary members of AVF. I thank also our affectionate guardians and honorary members of AVF as Sripad Bhaktiananda Gosvami, Sriman Padmanabh Gosvami from Radha Raman temple, Docteur Fakir Mohan, Docteur Rao and his wife.

 

This first successful meeting opens a friendly dialogue between devotees of different groups, which is very positive, and we should all absolutely continue along this path, with the help of the WVA that I salute.

 

Krsna Bhakti das

France

E. Mail: kbtranchant@free. fr