Pujaris from Isev in ISKCON temples
Hare Krsna Beloved Gurudeva:
AGTSP
PAMHO
Hope this meets U in really good health ¡¡¡
Gurudeva I was requested to write this email to U from Yamunesvara das (President - wilson) and Rohini kumar das (Head pujari - wilson)
The situation is this: We do not have pujaris to do all the turns. Even if we have invented all the devotees in general and even if U do not need second initiation to worship them still we have lack of pujaris.
There is one mataji M Damodara (she talked with U several times in schel once she cried because the authorities did not allow her to do pujari in ISKCON due to she is an initiated devotee from ISEV) the thing is that she told Yamunesvara Prabhu that she took shelter from U as her SIksa Guru (she says that she has a document ) umm I do not know what is this document about but the thing is that P Yamunesvara told me that due to we do not have enough pujaris and the mataji always have the desire to serve The Lordships can she enter to the altar??? because she has iur shelter as SIksa Guru they say that for that she may enter to the altar, and if she can Rohini kumar was wondering which picture she may use in order to do the ceremonies ¡¡ Umm I thought the Murti from Srila Prabhupada is enough ¡¡
I write to U here in public no private because I do not want to be the cause of misunderstandings, and plus she is taking your name (as siksa guru), and I do not want that people start to commit offenses unto U ¡¡
Then I also thought that your answer is going to be useful for all of us, whenever a same case appears.
Also I know that mataji for several years and she has this desire and love to serve the Lordships for so long, she is a nice person , and I want to help my temple too.
But for me your instructions, and opinions are the most important thing, and we are goint to follow them as iur a bonafide representative of our Guruparampara
So sorry to bother U
Thanks in advance
Trying to be useful
Candramukhi dd
HpS - ASA -- AGTSP!!!!..a.a.a.!!! Yes, I remember Damodara Dasi. I hope she is well. She is very nice person. In many ways this is also a question for GBC et al. Of course, Brahmana's should make some advice based upon scripture, but in these institutional standards there has so be a GBC statement.
As far as I know it is a GBC rule that only devotees who have Brahminical initiation in ISKCON can do service on ISKCON altars that require second initiation, but, Head Pujari in Vrndavana, Mukunda Das (?) was initiated by Naranyana Maharaja long ago. Everyone has adjusted this very well and we have NEVER heard any complaints.
May be very nice Catholic priest but he would not expect to do service on our altars and we not on his.
Does ISEV let ISKCON brahmanas do service for their installed deities?
When I last talked with Paramadvaiti Swami he had a very different standard for 1st initiation than we have taken from Srila Prabhupada, so I don't know what is his standard for 2nd inititation.
So, it must be a GBC authorized decision, local administration authorized, and generally speaking should be devotees initiated by the same Acharya. Maybe ISKCON wants to make a reciprocal agreement with some Gaudiya-math, ISEV, groups. Maybe there are special cases like Mukunda Das.
It would require the Junta de Wilson to understand very personally Damodara Dasi's consciousness and then make a decision on the individual case. We can't say from this distance.
