Good Gaudiiya Vaishnava association - where to find it?

[krishnas]

Originally posted by jndas:

I thought the San Jose gaudiya matha was Chaitanya Sarasvata Matha, Govinda Maharaja's disciples.

 

The ISKCON temple in San Jose is very nice, old style. The devotees there are very dedicated and work hard and sincerely. They would certainly be a very beneficial association for anyone. They have a website somewhere, but I can't seem to recall the exact name.

 

[This message has been edited by jndas (edited 07-02-2002).]

You are right, they are Chaitanya-Sarasvati Math. Sorry for the confusion.

 

I saw the website. What do you mean by old style? I thought it was just a storefront preaching center. I think Berkley has more of a temple, but it's a renovated church I believe.

 

 

thanks

 

- k

 

[muralidhar]

Originally posted by krishnas:

You are right, they are Chaitanya-Sarasvati Math.

 

Sri Sri Guru Gaurangau Jayatah!

 

Hare Krishna!

 

Some info about the Soquel - Santa Cruz community of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math...

 

As JNDas Prabhu said, it is the temple of Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Maharaj.

 

The community is not small - perhaps 200 devotees attend regularly. There are a large number of devotees who received Harinama and Gayatri diksa from Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, and who have been involved in Krishna Consciousness for perhaps 30 years (in this lifetime -- God only knows what we were all doing before that!) There are many, many devotees there in Soquerl who have been members of the community of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math for 20 years. These devotees spent some years in the holy association of Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Mahraj prior to his disappearance. The newer devotees who came after Srila Sridhar Mahraj passed away are mostly disciples of Srila Govinda Maharaj.

 

The leading devotees in our Soquel centre are mostly initiated disciples of Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Two devotees who are based in Soquel are Sripad B. S. Goswami Maharaj, and Sripad Bhakti Pavan Janardan Maharaj (who used to be known by the name of Panca Dravida Swami). Panca Dravida Swami was selected by Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada to be ISKCON GBC in South America, in the old times when Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada was still present.

 

In the early 1980's when the GBC was heavily attacking Srila Sridhar Maharaj and making resolutions ordering devotees not to associate with Srila Sridhar Maharaj, Panca Dravida Swami came to take shelter of Srila Sridhar Maharaj. Panca Dravida Swami told Srila Sridhar Maharaj, "I have fallen down from sannyas, due to my keeping bad association with the GBC, so will you please give me sannyas again." At that time, he was given Srila Sridhar Maharaj's connection and the name "Bhakti Pavan Janardan Maharaj".

 

Another devotee you will often see in Soquel is Bhakti Sudhir Goswami Maharaj, who was the editor of most of the books of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, such as "Search For Sri Krishna" and "Loving Search For the Lost Servants". Bhakti Sudhir Goswami is now working full time to preach on behalf of Srila Govinda Maharaj in Russia and other places. He left our Mission for several years, and he even gave up his sannyas for some years. But when he came back to visit Srila Govinda Maharaj, he became very inspired to do some service for Srila Govinda Maharaj again, and so Srila Govinda Maharaj gave him sannyas again and sent him out to travel and preach all around the world.

 

Bhakti Sudhir Goswami is going to Russia again in a few days, together with several of the other sannyasis of our Math from America and other places. They are making preparations for the coming visit of Srila Govinda Maharaj to Russia.

 

Anyhow, in regard to a questions made earlier about the behavior of devotees in our mission in regard to "dating and divorce, etc.." .. well... what can I say... These things are not sanctioned, but Srila Govinda Maharaj will not ban or exclude devotees from entering our temples if they do these things. And if the devotees are addicted to drugs, they are not banned either. Drug addicts need to be treated with kindness and given encouragement and service; banning is not going to help them.

 

In fact, Srila Sridhar Maharaj did disconnect and excommunicate one disciple in London in the 1980's because he had an affair with the wife of another disciple. That was the standard in our temple in the 1980's. But Srila Govinda Maharaj is much more tolerant. I know that the misbehavior of some disciples causes him heartache, but he is a compassionate person and he doesn't like to hurt other people's feelings, so he usually doesn't chastise devotees.

 

Muralidhar das

 

 

[Jahnava Nitai Das]

What do you mean by old style?

By old style, I mean early ISKCON. The devotees involved have the early ISKCON inspiration and dedication. The carry out their preaching from a storefront.

 

[krishnas]

Originally posted by muralidhar:

Anyhow, in regard to a questions made earlier about the behavior of devotees in our mission in regard to "dating and divorce, etc.." .. well... what can I say... These things are not sanctioned, but Srila Govinda Maharaj will not ban or exclude devotees from entering our temples if they do these things. And if the devotees are addicted to drugs, they are not banned either. Drug addicts need to be treated with kindness and given encouragement and service; banning is not going to help them.

 

In fact, Srila Sridhar Maharaj did disconnect and excommunicate one disciple in London in the 1980's because he had an affair with the wife of another disciple. That was the standard in our temple in the 1980's. But Srila Govinda Maharaj is much more tolerant. I know that the misbehavior of some disciples causes him heartache, but he is a compassionate person and he doesn't like to hurt other people's feelings, so he usually doesn't chastise devotees.

 

Muralidhar das

 

 

 

Thanks for the detailed info, Muralidhar Prabhu. I really appreciate it.

 

I think it's very compassionate to accept a fallen devotee back into a temple community. Nobody should be banned from a temple of Krishna.

 

But as an aside, I am of the opinion (and it is just an opinion) that devotees who clearly demonstrate an inability to follow regulative principles should not repeatedly be put back into positions of responsibility. We talk about how varna and aashrama must be based on qualification, but we must adhere to that principle too. Thread initiation and sannyaasa should be reserved for those who can follow these respective duties. I think that fallen devotees should be encouraged to return to the temple and serve, but not in the capacity of a brahmin or other spiritually advanced position.

 

Anyway, it's just my opinion. If I end up in San Jose, I'll probably still check out Soquel.

 

Thanks,

 

- K

 

[muralidhar]

Originally posted by krishnas:

I think it's very compassionate to accept a fallen devotee back into a temple community. Nobody should be banned from a temple of Krishna.

 

But as an aside, I am of the opinion (and it is just an opinion) that devotees who clearly demonstrate an inability to follow regulative principles should not repeatedly be put back into positions of responsibility.

 

Yes Prabhu,

I can appreciate what you say. But if you take a look at the website of that Sripad B. S. Goswami Maharaj you will see what he is doing now, and I think that it is better that he is travelling and preaching instead of simply washing the pots in some temple or sweeping the floor.

 

Take a look at

http://www.sudhirgoswami.com/

 

Murali

 

[Guest guest]

hari bol prabhuji,

I am in the same quest.right now I m at Newcastle and the association with the priests here is very blissful.I personally feel a vaishnava is a vaishnava.As long as we are willing to take part in temple service hence service to Prabhupadas mission any temple is Transendental