In2-MeC

Sridhama Mayapur, West Bengal
4 March 2003

Today is the anniversary of His Holiness Tamal Krishna Gosvami Maharaja's disappearance from our physical vision.

At about 9:30 AM today in ISKCON Mayapur his samadhi mandira was formally established with a yajna, a series of homages offered by his Godbrothers, Godsisters and disciples, a puspanjali offering, a bhoga offering, and an arati and kirtana.  It was very sweet--intimate actually, even though there was a large gathering of at least 500 devotees.

It was a historic event, the establishment of the first samadhi of a disciple of Srila Prabhupada. I know everyone present felt Tamal Krishna Maharaja's presence very strongly.
 

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Since arriving in Mayapur on 17 February, I have not been able to regularly write for In2-MeC due to circumstance beyond my control. Now that the GBC meetings have ended, things are more peaceful. So henceforward you are sure to see more journal entries.

Here's an update about myself. I attended the GBC meeting which began on February 20 and ended on March 1. This was the first meeting I participated in for two years. That was because in 2001 I took a leave of absence from the GBC for reasons of health. In particular, I was suffering from depression. In those two years I was able, by the grace of Srila Prabhupada and Sri Krsna, to (after a great struggle) overcome the depression by a four-pronged attack of 1) Ayurveda, 2) arcana-seva to Shaligram-shila, 3) spending more time in India, and 4) what HH Bhaktividya Purna Maharaja calls "an extreme sattvik diet."

During the two-year leave of absence I put the question of, "Shall I stay on the GBC Body?", completely out of my mind. My plan was to answer that question at this last GBC meeting in year 2003. And answer it I did.

I came into the first day of the meeting feeling quite refreshed and optimistic after my preaching tour in Maharashtra. But after four or five days I found myself sinking into depression again. A number of reasons became very clear to me why I am not able to continue with this service.

So I met with a subcommittee staffed by HG Ravindra Svarupa Prabhu, HH Bhakti Tirtha Maharaja, HH Bir Krishna Maharaja and other GBC Godbrothers and requested that I be allowed to give up my zonal duties. But because I remain very concerned about the creeping influence of non-Prabhupada philosophies upon the members of ISKCON, I also requested that I be admitted to the SAC (the Shastra Advisory Committee, made up of Drutakarma Prabhu, Mother Urmila, Krishnaksetra Prabhu and chaired by Purnachandra Prabhu). The SAC was formed last year to assist the GBC in answering philosophical challenges.

Both of my requests were approved by the GBC Body. So this means that I now a "GBC Emeritus" (or in other words, an honorably retired member of the GBC Body). I have no zone to manage. I am no longer the GBC representative for Norway, Finland, Benelux, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Bulgaria, and Greece. I suppose that HH Bhaktivaibhava Maharaja will continue to act as the zonal secretaries for most of these countries, although I am not sure about that. I will continue to visit these countries as part of my yearly preaching tour. But I intend to gradually, year by year, expand my preaching to the whole world.

As I mentioned above, I feel much better in my physical and mental health. But I will wait one more year before giving initiations. I have been advised by my Godbrothers to be very sure that my condition is stable before accepting new disciples. Another point in this connection is that I shall no longer act as "an institutional guru." Which means that I will not agree to accept aspiring disciples just because they are recommended to me by a temple president. Those aspiring disciples that I have already accepted may receive initiation, after I speak with them personally. But after that I will only consider giving initiation under special conditions that are stricter than the standard set by the ISKCON institution.

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