Text COM:1990914 (179 lines) [W1]

From: Bhakti-tirtha Swami

Date: 06-Jan-99 02:19

To: Apocalypse 1999? (Are you ready?) [358]

Cc: UK Management Council [4511] (sender: Kaunteya (das) JPS (Mayapur -

IN))

Cc: UK National Council [1557] (sender: Kaunteya (das) JPS (Mayapur -

IN))

Cc: Bhakti Purusottama Swami (Mayapur - IN) [2386] (received: 09-Jan-99

11:44) (sender: Kaunteya (das) JPS (Mayapur - IN))

Cc: Bhakti Raghava Swami [4520] (forwarded: 07-Jan-99 13:50) (sender:

Kaunteya (das) JPS (Mayapur - IN))

Cc: Basu Ghosh (das) ACBSP (Baroda - IN) [10670] (received: 07-Jan-99

16:03) (sender: Kaunteya (das) JPS (Mayapur - IN))

Cc: Nityananda Ram (das) BCS (Sacramento - USA) [806] (forwarded:

07-Jan-99 13:50) (sender: Kaunteya (das) JPS (Mayapur - IN))

Subject: Y2K, world order problems and preaching

------------------------------------------------------------

>-----Original Message-----

>From: Bhakti-Tirtha Swami <btswami@ibm.net>

>To: news@chakra.org <news@chakra.org>

>Date: Tuesday, January 05, 1999 7:56 PM

>Subject: Y2K, world order problems and preaching

>>-----Original Message-----

>>From: Bhakti-Tirtha Swami <btswami@ibm.net>

>>To: COM: GBC Discussions <GBC.Discussions@com.bbt.se>

>>Cc: global.free.forum@com.bbt.se <global.free.forum@com.bbt.se>;

>>varnasrama.development@com.bbt.se <varnasrama.development@com.bbt.se>;

>>social.and.economic.development@com.bbt.se

>><social.and.economic.development@com.bbt.se>; dasarath@compuserve.com

>><dasarath@compuserve.com>

>>Date: Tuesday, January 05, 1999 3:07 PM

>>Subject: from Bhakti-tirtha Swami

>Dear Maharajas and Prabhus,

>Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to ISKCON founder-acarya

>Srila Prabhupada.

> By now we should all be aware of how companies and major

>businesses are spending millions of dollars and countries are spending

>billions in trying

>to address the Y2K problem. Particularly countries like Britain and Canada

>are much more openly explaining about preparation for impending disasters.

>Practically all honest, rational and intelligent people who have looked

into

>these concerns deeply have come to the conclusions that serious problems

are

>ahead. It’s just uncertain about how serious the problems will be.

> Some of the topmost international media is coming out more

>and

>addressing these serious concerns. Recently very mainstream, conservative

>programs like 60 minutes and Dan Rathers (in the USA) have presented to

tens

>of millions of people in America some of the dangers addressed by those in

>the know and in very high positions. This is not a fanatical message, but

>usually one of

>my favorite sayings these days, “a wake-up call.” Something very serious is

>now happening with material civilization. The Y2K problem is just one of

>many that’s gradually coming to a head. Serious earth changes are on the

>rise like anything. For instance, last year over 50,000 people worldwide

>were killed and over 300 million were displaced due to so much abuse of

>Mother Bhumi. There is also increase in war-like conflicts and massive drug

>abuse. Also an increase in racial conflicts, tribal conflicts, gender

>conflicts, religious conflicts and a rise in so many diseases such as

mental

>illness, heart disease, cancer, AIDS, etc. Most of these diseases are also

>connected with so much abuse of Mother Bhumi’s body as well as our own.

> Srila Prabhupada was very emphatic that material civilization controlled

>so many atheists and raksasas cannot last. He also has taught us how to

>remain on the battlefield and use every opportunity for preaching.

> I strongly suggest that no leaders come to Mayapur without having

>looked

>closer into some of the worldwide problems that we are confronted with. As

>we do this, it will simultaneously give us more insight into the nature of

>our personal and institutional problems. Hopefully it will also help us to

>understand even more why we must come together with strong devotion to make

>a difference at a very important time.

> In general, the present world karma looks very bad. To the

>degree

>that we do not access a higher spirituality, we will also be directly

>subjected to

>much of the karmic fall out. All over the world our movement is undergoing

>so many challenges, just as all institutions are. These are interesting

>times of denial, revelation, separation and hopefully acceleration. Massive

>exposing and cleansing is going on everywhere.

> As leaders, we must individually and collectively

try

>to position

>ourselves to lead from the front and not from the back or from the

>sidelines. Material

>nature, in one sense, seems to be forcing us into an almost do or die

>situation to come together better and create environments that are

genuinely

>based on Vaisnava siddhanta on simple living and high thinking. As leaders,

>in order for us to hold the vision, we have to understand the field of

>activities better. That is, our immediate environments as well as the

>surrounding ones. We must understand clearly what we are trying to become

>well as what we are trying to avoid, i.e.- we must have greater eagerness,

>hunger, for the goal and greater fear of the maya and stagnation. For

>instance, if we have sufficient fear of some of the present maya, we would

>have already looked thoroughly into some of the present patterns that are

>unfolding and we would already be in the process of intensifying our

>devotion and creating a greater sense of community. Any projects where I

>have significant influence, I have for some time been focusing on community

>building concerns, which I will be more than pleased to discuss with any of

>you at the upcoming GBC meetings.

> Yesterday I received a letter from one of our godsisters in

>Alachua on

>some updates of some of the preparations our devotees are making there.

>Given

>that it is the largest devotee community in the world with so many senior

>devotees, I was refreshed to hear of some of their continued progress. The

>devotees at the Prabhupada Village community are also going full speed

ahead

>in intensifying their devotion and infrastructure. I’m sure there are other

>communities that are doing like wise. Some of us will be presenting very

>soon a paper to the North American GBC and then to the International body

>with some ideas and plans that temples might want to consider. At least as

>we all have more variables in front of us, we can position ourselves better

>to expand the protection of our devotees and our preaching.

> As we all have so many day to day problems that we have to deal with,

>having to do some re-focusing is just overwhelming for all of us, but do we

>really have a choice? Below are some excerpts from the letter sent to me

>concerning recent events at the Alachua community:

>>>"Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to ISKCON founder-acarya

>>>Srila Prabhupada. All glories to your tireless service to Lord Caitanya's

>>>mission.

>>>We had a community meeting last for preparedness. The turnout was really

>>>nice, as there were many new faces. There was so much information shared.

>>>Two devotees have obtained their ham operators license and a tower

antenna

>>>has been set up at the temple. I am not used to the lingo about radios,

>but

>>>they can communicate with the military, access thousands of bands, etc.

>>>Each family is to purchase an inexpensive hand held radio to communicate

>>>with

>>>the temple and they will inform us of what is going on. Each smaller

>>>community, like ours, Balavanta Village, is to have a larger one. So, we

>on

>>>the airways.

>>>A representative from FEMA is to come and train the devotees in emergency

>>>rescue. Some devotees have already taken the course. It is free and

>>supplies

>>>are given to course members. Since our community is so large, they will

>>come

>>>out here to save all the devotees from driving into Gainesville. A

>resource

>>>center, from Winfall, our devotees business here, and a brohcure is being

>>>prepared for those just starting out. There is a lot of networking with

>>>other

>>>groups and individuals that have important information to share. Another

>>>nature walk, with the devotee from New Talavan that has an herb business

>is

>>>planned for early spring. This will involve identifying local herbs and

>>>preparation, etc. Information on ordering at the best prices was shared.

>>>What seeds to buy, hybird, etc. It was a very informative meeting.

>>>Purchasing of gold or silver was discussed. Of course, so was security

>>>discussed. We have an adopt a family program for those devotees in the

>>>apartment complex in town. I adopted one mother with a seven year old

>>>daughter, who is also into healing, etc.

>>>Also, it was discussed how in national emergency FEMA could take your

>>stored

>>>food if you have too much!!! So, it seems that in the case of emergency,

>>the

>>>devotees can come together and focus."

> I have added several other conferences as receivers of this message

>so

>that it can help us all reflect more on these issues in a non-alarming, but

>integrative, holistic, and transcendental fashion. As always,

>Yours in Srila Prabhupada’s service,

>With love,

>Bhakti-tirtha Swami

>Return address: btswami@ibm.net

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