Hare Krishna Gurudeva,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
I hope this letter receives you well.
It was an enlivening happening to talk to you recently on the Whatsapp. I'm not sure how to move on from there. Is it alright if i send you a voice message occasionally if i am dealing with bhakti related personal questions that i would like to put forward to you?
HpS - ASA -- Daily basis now we see our body dwindling. Eg. our eyes can only handle so much computer time now. Only possible way for us to handle correspondence is if devotees, people, write here first with their preoccupations in a general sense and then we can give a general answer that will answer six more people with the same general question. If there are need for more confidential details, then, yes, we can try to do that.
Of course, there is Paramatma, Srila Prabhpada's books, local devotees, and then we decide if it is a good idea to start the battle of Kuruksetra.
Naturally i would deal with this privilege thoughtfully.
Besides this i wanted to give you some feedback on some of the developments of our congregation. Saturday may 7th was the day we organized our first Amsterdam Kirtan Mela, which was very well received. We had about 250-300 people in the peak.
-- SUper!!
Hrdaya Caitanya Prabhu was there, and several kirtan singers from Radhadesh, London, Paris and Goloka Dham. His Holiness Sachinandana Swami was so pleased with our effort that he pledged to be there next year and host a Holy Name Retreat as a part of it. We had about 70 volunteers and all expenses were donated, 95% crowdfunded in advance. Overwhelming!
ASA - Gauranga! Gauranga!!
The caretaker of the protestant church we've rented was very much impressed with our ISKCON and congregation. We've become personal with him and were able to help him philosophically in his understanding of Godhood.
We are furthering our bond with him, and as chairman on the board of the Amsterdam Protestant Church he offered his help to see if procuring a building from them is an option. The board of ISKCON Amsterdam is looking for purchasing a building.
We also were in contact with His Holiness Kadamba Kanana Swami for his presence both this year and the next, but things move a little more difficult with him, so our team is working on that.
HpS - We just saw a notice from him that he is moving into terminal cancer stages and is doing programs to consolidate things before he leaves.
His amount of disciples in The Netherlands has expanded with a handful devotees the last two years but still his presence in the country is rare.
Another big program with Kadamba Kanana Maharaja was the annual national celebration of the Kings birthday, which Maharaja traditionally celebrates by having a large all day Harinam on the streets of Amsterdam (madness!). It was interrupted for two years, and although slightly smaller than before, it was a blast!
Parasurama Prabhu from Food for Life UK and the Nama Ruci chanting group were there. We've seen countless teenagers and grownups chant Mahamantra for the first time, very potent and enlivening!
One thing I have noticed about my intention in organizing the AKM, is that prestige; being recognized by senior devotees (kirtaneers) as a person who wants to serve and does something important, is unfortunately an Anartha in my heart.
HpS - Ha! Ha! Hare! You and 99.999% of the rest of us in ISKCON, no?
At the same time i'm eager for their blessings, but wanting to be recognized is this annoying voice in my mind that keeps on rattling.
HpS - It will probably be there until the day you die, but if you engage in devotional service you will not be bothered by it.
Hare Krishna!
Your servant,
Raghava Pandita dasa.
LINK: a roughly cut compilation of the Kingsday Harinam
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nclJwMwc7dE
Super, Super! More news as it comes. Japa. Japa. Japa.
SUper!
