Following is an excerpt of a beautiful letter of H.H Jayapataka Maharaj to one doubting devotee who had stopped visiting Iskcon temple.
.... I am very sorry that you do not like to visit ISKCON temples. Srila Prabhupada has described that the temples are like Hospitals. If you go to Hospital, you find disease if you are looking for it. If you go to Hospital, you also find hope of getting a cure for someone who is suffering. If you go to the temple looking for anxiety and unhappiness, certainly you will find that amongst neophyte devotees in the Temple. If you go to the Temples looking for Krishna Conciousness and hope expanding this spiritual right of realisation of Krishna, I am sure you also find that.
Certainly such and such... devotee is in real substandard situation, yet at the same time we have to hand it to them that somehow or the other they arestill keeping the service to Lord Nitai Gaurachandra going on.In India you find many temples, thousands of years old,with very low standard of service, and devotees would criticise them. BUt Srila Prabhupada would say"Well you have to hand it to them that still after this time,they are still serving Krishna. will you be able to keep the service going in all the temples after I Leave?".
we see after Srila Prabhupada left,many devotees are trying to find excuses why not be attached to Srila Prabhupad's mission, not trying to work together to keep his temples going. Who is responsible? every one of us is responsible. I am trying to do something in this regard, although i feel a lot more needs to be done. What we really need is positive suggestions and positive input. Some one like yourself who is attached to Srila Prabhupad's Vision should not be pre occupied with whatever are the deficiencies. There will be always deficiencies.
Srila Prabhupada had to work very hard under so many deficiencies. when the devotees asked him how it was in the god old days, referring to the 60's and the early 70's. Srila Prabhupada said,"Those were not good old days, those were the difficult days.Now are the Good days."Srila Prabhupada had to work under so many deficiencies, teaching devotees how to wear saris and dhoties and go to Bathroom, and so many things.
Still we have to deal with so many problems at the present time, to keep things upto Srila Prabhupada's vision and upto the standard he wanted. So any positive input,service that you can do,Srila Prabhupada will certainly give you all blessings for that.Whether you are successful in this life time or not,in achieving completely,Srila prabhupada's dream , let it go down in history that we tried our level's best. Inspite of all obstacles, we have simply served, trying to achieve srila prabhupada's vision ...................................................
You are seeing many incongruities in ISKCON. In this regard, Srila Prabhupada used to preach to devotees who also saw such incongruities, that ISKCON was his body. During other times in a more light tone he said the English Slogan,"Oh, England with all her Faults! still i love thee."
ISKCON is the boat to take us back to Krishna,with the association of devotees,with the teachings of Krishna conciousness. one can practise those principles in his house, but practically speaking, without association it's very difficult......
We want to make ISKCON the ideal place that Srila Prabhupada has envisioned. Let us all work together as brothers or as Family Members with the same objective.
We are in the common BOAT crossing over the ocean of birth and death, even if the boat has a hole in it and water is rushing in,does it make sense tojump off the boat and try to swim across the ocean? obviously let us plug the hole and keep rowing. we are better off in the boat than swimming in the ocean filled with sharks and other predators......
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