Dear Guru Maharaja,
Please accept my humble obeisances.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Thank you so much for your kind letter(s). It helped me reflect more on my situation.
Here in ISKCON Pula, I try to serve in simple ways โ by cleaning the temple, participating in kirtan and bhajan, reading and discussing together with devotees, and trying to be present in conversations, both to speak and to listen sincerely.
I also try to stay steady and cooperative amid occasional political tensions โ trying not to get caught up, but to keep the spiritual focus and maintain good relationships.
HpS - GOOD MAN!
Lately, Iโve been seriously considering retiring from the local political dynamics, even though that might create some distance between me and certain devotees. I find myself desiring a quieter (non โpolitical), more focused atmosphere โ to chant japa with more quantity, more depth, and more sensitivity.
Here, we often have a lot of political โ and โpoliticalโ โ discussions: who can or cannot do something, how, when, and under what authority. As a small group with diverse ideas and personalities, this tends to fragment the community and drain the energy that could otherwise nourish Kแนแนฃแนa-kathฤ and cooperative devotional service.
In this context, Iโve been reflecting on the example of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, who, before organizing the Gaudiya Math, spent years performing solitary bhajan. I find that inspiring โ that even such a powerful preacher gave priority to personal purification and inner connection with the Holy Name before taking on larger preaching responsibilities. Iโm wondering if a similar approach โ on my small scale โ might be now spiritually healthier for me and perhaps even more beneficial to others in the long run.
Would you kindly share your thoughts on this idea?
HpS - I think we are all individuals both in our Bhauma lila, earthly pastimes, and eternal pastimes.
This text: https://vedabase.io/en/library/cc/antya/13/132/
and especially the following one have touched us strongly. Others of the six Goswami's may be running around knocking peoples heads to act more strictly etc. In Iskcon we feel that we get criticized for not being more aggressive, but then we see different people have different political natures.
Personally, I find that the regular daily Sadhana time is really 90% of what I need to introspection and purification to deal with the day's politics as long as I am careful not to get too much involved in politics.
As we get older, I think it is more natural to become a resource that is available on demand rather than an active promoter and supporter.
I also feel that a well-organized non-hierarchical style community might be more practical for us here.
HpS - That is natural style for Brahmanas, no?
There are only a few of us, and we get caught in hierarchical structures that don't always reflect the natural devotional flow of a (small) sangha. A more flexible and, hopefully, spiritually grounded approach could help us focus more on hearing and chanting together.
At the same time, I continue to assist my parents, who are going through very difficult health situations. That service is humbling and grounding, and it shapes my time and priorities.
As you said, even service in a small place โ done sincerely โ has value. I try to remember that every sincere effort contributes to Srila Prabhupadaโs movement in some way.
Nirgata is doing well โ steadily teaching and developing in her work of Iyengar Yoga teacher. She also helps my parents a lot, which is a big support. Between the two of us, weโre carrying nearly 108 years of combined wisdom, mistakes, and backaches!
In โourโ Krishnaโs garden we have lemons, tangerines, a lot of pumpkins, sage, rosemary, lavander, basilico, roses and other kinds of different flowers, few tortoises, two cats, spiders (which sometimes come on the altar with the flowers offerings), mosquitoes, etc.
Thank you again for your encouraging words and your example. They help me stay steady and hopeful.
๐ Your servant,
Namacarya Das
HpS - Do you remember our quote from Stanslavskii about people who have "small parts in a drama"?
So, many times in history we see that one person in the end, by the arrangement of "destiny" decided the course of the world.
