Letter to Hayagriva dasa

As you are remembering our old meeting days on the second avenue, when I first started my lectures there, similarly I also remember the incidents and speak to so many friends and disciples. So our meeting was Krishna’s desire. Apparently it was accidental but actually it was Krishna’s plan.

Los Angeles 18 November, 1968

My Dear Hayagriva,
Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter of Nov. 12, 1968, and I am very much pleased to note the contents. The handbill of Dr. Frog, Ph.D. is very funny, and we should try to fight with these frog philosophers overcrowding all over the world. Your success in kirtana performances in the University campus is also very encouraging.
New Vrindaban should be taken up very seriously because actually I want to develop a replica of Old Vrindaban. I have got ambition to construct there 7 temples as follows: 1. Radha Madan Mohan, 2. Radha Govinda, 3. Radha Gopinatha, 4. Radha Damodara, 5. Radha Raman, 6. Radha Gokulananda, 7. Radha Syamasundara.. The whole modern city of Vrindaban was established originally with these temples, started by different Gosvamis. And later on, many kings and princes started their own temples and thus the present Vrindaban is now full with small and big 5000 temples. We have to make such scheme in our New Vrindaban, gradually expanding to an area of one mile long and one mile broad. Vamanadeva is still here, and I have advised him to construct some thrones for Radha and Krishna, because Nara Narayana is attempting to get some pairs of Radha Krishna Murtis 24″ high. We shall require so many pairs of Radha Krishna Murtis at different temples. Anyway, do not feel discouraged. As soon as New Vrindaban is connected with a link road as well as electricity, very soon it will develop into our idea. I shall personally go and stay there and see it is developed.
Regarding Srimad-Bhagavatam, please send me the chapters which you have already revised. I want to see it, how it is being done. I am glad that you are not omitting anything, but just making grammatical correction, and phrasing for force and clarity, and adding Pradyumna’s transliteration, that is very nice.
Yes, henceforward, as I have already told you, that Srimad-Bhagavatam will be ultimately seen by you, before being printed. That will keep consistency, I quite agree with you. My present plan is to stay in Los Angeles, perhaps at least for more than a month, which will cover Christmas holidays. And so, during that time, if you come here, it will be very nice. In January I may go to Hawaii, if Gaurasundara takes me there. As you have given up the idea of marriage, I think you can give up the idea of seeing your parents annually. You just prepare yourself for further advanced spiritual life. After all, our mundane relationships with father and mother, or wife and children, cannot protect us from the trap of maya. It is said by one Vaisnava poet that in every form of life, one gets a father and mother, because without father and mother, nobody is able to get a material body. So father and mother is possible in any form of body, but only in this human form of body one can get in touch with Krishna and a bona fide Spiritual Master. That is the highest gain of our travelling in different species of life in different planets.
I am so pleased that you are feeling for me and listening to my old tapes with pleasure. As you are remembering our old meeting days on the second avenue, when I first started my lectures there, similarly I also remember the incidents and speak to so many friends and disciples. So our meeting was Krishna’s desire. Apparently it was accidental but actually it was Krishna’s plan. So we should always remember this plan of Krishna and must continue to work jointly for advancement of Krishna Consciousness movement in this part of the world. I shall always pray to Krishna to give you more and more strength and confidence in this great responsibility and I shall pray for your long life to execute this mission.
Thank you once more for your nice sentiments, and I hope you are all well.
Your ever well-wisher,
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
P.S. I would like to know whether if two young boys come there, if you can take charge of them as teacher for them. They are very nice young Krishna Conscious boys, and their mother is very much in favor of them being trained up in our philosophy. They are between 10 and 12 years about. By teaching I mean teaching them The Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Bhagavad-gita, and Srimad-Bhagavatam, not preliminary education; preliminary education they already know. Please let me know about this.

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Akshaya Patra hit by price rise too

TNN | Jan 30, 2011 | 05.04 am IST | BANGALORE: Spiralling food rates are also affecting Akshaya Patra, the largest non-government school meal programme by Iskcon, which is gearing to combat the price rise. “We are looking at procuring dal from neighbouring Andhra Pradesh where the price is around Rs 40 per kilo.
Our meals, with a combination of dal and pulses, retain nutritional value. As a long-term measure, we held talks with agencies to see whether we could import dal directly from other countries,” Chanchalapathi Das, vice-chairman, Akshaya Patra, told Sunday Times of India. In Karnataka, around 5 lakh children are covered under the scheme.

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Hare Krishna organization sued for alleged child abuse

Today 44 young adults filed a $400 million dollar damage suit against the "Hare Krishna" for sexual, physical and emotional torture inflicted upon them as children. The suit says Plaintiffs were sexually, physically and emotionally abused, along with hundreds of other children, who were kept during two decades at Hare Krishna’s boarding schools.
The suit, filed in the Federal District Court in Dallas, Texas, names the INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS (ISKCON) as the lead defendant, along with sixteen other ISKCON entities and seventeen individual members of its GOVERNING BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS, including the Estate of the movement’s founder, BHAKTIVEDANTA SWAMI PRABHUPADA. The Plaintiffs reside in various cities in the United States, Canada and England.

Dallas trial lawyer WINDLE TURLEY, attorney for the plaintiffs, said today, "This lawsuit describes the most unthinkable abuse and maltreatment of little children which we have seen. It includes rape, sexual abuse, physical torture and emotional terror of children as young as three years of age. The worst of the practices spanned two decades, starting in 1972 with ISKCON’s first school in Dallas, Texas. The abuse continued in a half-dozen other schools in the United States and eventually at two boys’ schools in India.
"Although the leadership in ISKCON has long been aware of the mistreatment and abuse inflicted upon little children entrusted to it to raise, the full scope and profound maltreatment of its children has only recently been exposed.
"We believe the facts as they are developed will reveal more than a thousand child victims, many of whom have already taken their own lives or are today emotionally and socially dysfunctional.
"Elements within this new religious movement have attempted to operate outside the child protection laws of a half-dozen states. As a result, a generation of ISKCON children are permanently, and many profoundly, injured."
The suit also seeks a Federal injunction to force ISKCON to stop all forms of child abuse.
More details of the child abuse and of the plaintiffs’ legal claims, including Racketeering-Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO), are set out in the Complaint

Turley Case

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Phoenix: ISKCON announces a legal battle against the developer of McDonalds

If McDonald's continues and settles on the car park opposite the headquarters of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Iskcon) , located on Hare Krishna Land , Phoenix, movement, supported by other socio-cultural organizations Hindu threat of go "further" to counter this process. This emerges from a press conference on united front seat of the Hindu Iskcon on Tuesday 25 January.

She does not want the burger king face at its center. The Mauritian branch of Iskcon said he had a first meeting for this purpose with the owner of the shopping center of Phoenix, Ascencia Ltd, and sponsor of the McDonald's, Robert Chane.
According to the Director of Communications and Public Relations of Iskcon, Srinjay Das, they have shown "rigid." He suggests that there will be other meetings between both parties. But if the mall owner and developer of Phoenix McDonald's restaurant continue to camp on their position, Iskcon "take further steps" after consultations with his lawyers.
The movement Hare Rama Hare Krishna believe that the shopping center in Phoenix is pretty big and can accommodate McDonald's food court that is located inside the building or another site on the complex grounds. And it is further from the current location chosen to host the restaurant located on the former parking area overlooking the Hare Krisha Land .
The spokesman stressed that the Iskcon holding the press conference this Tuesday, January 25, aims to "dispel all doubts." He says that Iskcon has received many calls from people who s 'interview on that position, while others showed their support for him.
"We knew that the mall was on an extension of Phoenix as part of its renovation. But it was only towards the end of December that we saw the 'banner' of McDonald's. And that's when we realized that the restaurant would move as close to us, " says Das Srinjay.
31 December 2010, Hare Rama Hare Krishna convened its executive to decide how to proceed. He has since written several letters to express its objection to the installation of the restaurant, including the proponent, or to request an explanation from the Mayor of Vacoas-Phoenix.
The Iskcon would emphasize that it is not against the development of the country, as long as it is done in the "mutual respect" and "the spirit of good neighborliness." " As civilized people in civilized society and the rule of law, we are not against the development of the country. But we think it should be done with mutual respect and the spirit of good neighborliness. To our right, our left and Jumbo, Phoenix Les Halles, there are several food courts but they are well contained and we respect that " , says the director of communications and public relations of Iskcon. The company points out that ten years ago, she had already objected to the opening of a McDonald's restaurant at the current location of Phoenix Les Halles.
"That is, it seems, bad faith, since he was ten years ago we had objected and now the location for the restaurant is closer to our headquarters. McDonald's will be practically under our noses. Our main objection is that we worship the cow and McDonald's, killing the cow, is this animal cruelty. This is intolerable, unthinkable to conduct business face to such a restaurant, not to mention the smell of meat they emerge, " Das continues Srinjay.
The Iskcon see lots of disadvantages. Currently, the Hare Krishna Land , there is a temple Radha-Krishna , Iskcon a building used for other spiritual activities, as well as for yoga, music and dance. The company also indicates that each year, "the great nights of Krishna, the premises of the host Iskcon 60 000 to 75 000 people.
The company soon announced that it will build a new temple on his land, which goes beyond the current premises. For this project, it is already in discussions with the authorities. Other Hindu socio-cultural organizations have joined the movement Hare Rama Hare Krishna in this "battle".
Officials they were present at the press conference this Tuesday, January 25. Notably, Somduth Dulthumun, president of the Sanatan Dharma Temples Federation , Ajeet Gopal, President of Kranti and Veerendra Ramdhun, president of the Hindu House.

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