namahatta.org - Congregational Development Ministry

by David Haslam

This is for me the essence, this is the crucial lesson from Srila Prabhupada: that we have the cure and we have the measure to see if it works. This is our only standardization; the rest can only be achieved by forming relationships, getting to know the person, warts and all, and helping and guiding them on a single individual basis—encouraging and ever adjusting until the ultimate goal of self realization is achieved.

Like these core care plans, we need to individualize and personalize the way we administer and give the medicine. We will never be able to make a "one size fits all" devotee society, but we can make a society that recognizes individual traits, individual weaknesses, and individual strengths.

Then we can see how each one can help others in one way or another, and we will see externally the internal changes: the rough diamond becoming the glittering, all attractive gem it really is.

One can understand the Supreme Soul and one’s position in relationship with Him when one is completely freed from the unwanted association of ordinary men. In this way one can become fit to cross the ocean of nescience. The cause of conditional Life is attachment to the external energy. One has to conquer these mental concoctions: unless one does so, he will never be freed from material anxieties.

Although mental concoctions have no value, their influence is still very formidable. No one should neglect to control the mind. If one does, the mind becomes so powerful that one immediately forgets his real position. Forgetting that he is an eternal servant of Krishna and that service to Krishna is his only business, one is doomed by material nature to serve the objects of the senses. One should kill mental concoctions by the sword of service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead and His devotee (guru-krsna-prasade paya bhakti-lata-bija).

SB 5.11 Summary

by Devaki dd

The highlight of my visit to Mayapur this year was Anuttama Prabhu's seminar on leadership and management—an extremely valuable course, which teaches so many important skills and principles of effective leadership and management.

Taking this course confirmed my realization that there is another reason why we have lost so many devotees worldwide over the past years besides the fact that we have failed to create a supportive spiritual culture which would give nourishment and shelter to each and every devotee joining this movement. We have also failed to educate and train our leaders systematically and equip them with the necessary skills in order to become true servant-leaders, who lead with affection and detachment. Rather we have so often allowed that dangerous weed to grow and flourish: the attachment to power, position and facilities...

by Devaki dd

After arriving in Australia, I was eagerly anticipating the first Sunday Feast, hoping to meet well-known faces. However, to my surprise and disappointment I could hardly discover any. I thought to myself, "Let's wait until visiting sannyasis and gurus will come—surely devotees would then attend the temple programs." But I was to be disappointed again. My last hope was for Janmastami and Srila Prabhupada's Vyasa-puja, but again, not many of the older devotees turned up.

The situation made me wonder; I couldn't stop contemplating why it was so difficult in the Western world to keep devotees active in their spiritual life. I had been truly shocked how few of the "old faces" were still coming to the temple. It seemed that many devotees had stopped chanting, and quite a few marriages had broken up. This was not just a phenomenon in Australia, but all over the Western world—something which indeed pained me. As we are always proclaiming, "Srila Prabhupada has built a house in which the whole world can live." With pain in the heart we have to admit that although so many conditioned souls do enter the front door of this house very eagerly, many also leave again through the back door.

by Akrura das

You can learn from the past--but don’t get stuck in it. Don’t cling to it, don’t dwell on it, and don’t grieve over it. For example, the old way of leadership of command and control doesn’t work anymore. Both in spiritual and material organizations you experience the same. You can’t lead people as you used to. There has to be a new style, a new type of leadership. I think that right now our leaders are staggering between the old and the new style.

I had a good experience of what I call the new style of leadership in ISKCON. I had a conversation with our GBC secretary about an important question. During the conversation he took notes. When I finished he said:  ”Let me see if I understood everything correctly.” He read his notes for me. He asked a couple of questions to be sure that he had understood everything correctly. You can imagine how I felt. I felt completely understood and very inspired over the fact that this leader was interested in what I had to say. I spoke 95 percent of the time.

From Vaisnavas Care, by Gunamayi dasi, New Jersey, U.S.A.

After joining the International Society for Krishna consciousness (ISKCON) in the early 1970’s, Radhanatha dasa was initiated by Srila Prabhupada in New York in June, 1976 at the age of 21. Since then, he has faithfully served Srila Prabhupada as a sankirtana devotee. After an unsuccessful operation on his neck, contracting tuberculosis, and even after having both of his legs amputated, Radhanatha Prabhu continues to distribute Srila Prabhupada’s transcendental literature from his wheelchair. He presently lives in Southern California (U.S.) and gives books to everyone he meets while selling flowers in order to support himself.

Unfortunately, Radhanatha’s health continues to fail and he is now going blind in one eye. His godbrothers and friends report that he never complains about his situation. In fact, we heard about this incredible devotee after receiving a letter from his dear friend. Radhanatha Prabhu is an extraordinary person, a staunch follower of Srila Prabhupada, and he deserves help from our worldwide devotee community. 

By bringing this “saint” to the spotlight, we are hopeful that devotees pledge a monthly donation of $1, $5, $10, $21, $51 etc. or give a one-time donation to help with Radhanatha Prabhu’s living and medical expenses. All donations can be sent directly to Vaisnavas C.A.R.E. so they are tax deductible. You will receive a receipt for your tax purposes. One hundred percent of the money collected will be directly sent on a monthly basis by our V-CARE treasurer to Radhanatha Prabhu.

Please become involved by offering your monthly pledge or send a one-time donation in order to help Radhanatha dasa, a wonderful book distributor and cherished disciple of Srila Prabhupada.

Link to VaisnavasCare's donations-page

[ End ]

Satyavati devi dasi Bornholz, RN
Triple Springs, North Carolina

Given the importance of focusing one's mind on Krishna during the last moments of life, it's no surprise that the hospice movement carries great importance in Vaishnava society. However, before we leave our bodies, we have a lot of living to do in them, and as those bodies get older, they require more care.

There does not seem to be much of an interest in long-term, convalescent, skilled nursing or custodial care in our society. Perhaps because it is just now that we're seeing the reality of aging and disease, or perhaps because just no one's thought of it; but a great and urgent need is going to exist very shortly, if not immediately, for this kind of facility for devotees.

July, 2006

Hare Krsna.

Welcome to the July newsletter for Vaisnavas C.A.R.E. (Counseling, Assistance, Resource, and Education for the Terminally ill and Their Families). As a reminder, our website is www.vaisnavascare.com We are here to serve you, so kindly contact us if you or someone you know is in need of our services.

Prayer Partners Needed:

Volunteers are needed on a continuous basis to post prayers on our website for devotees, friends, and families who write to us asking for the blessings and well wishes of our worldwide Vaisnava community. Many devotees have written to thank our Prayer Partners who post their prayers for those who request them. This service only takes a few minutes a week, but means so much to so many.

Harinam in front of the cathedral of Arequipa.

Arequipa, in the South of Peru, is known as "White City" because many of the old buildings in the center are made of a whitish stone from the lava of a nearby volcano; and the white flag is the universal symbol of requesting a truce. ISKCON Arequipa has been traditionally marred by interpersonal and inter-groups conflicts and tensions (for a change…). Somehow it seems that presenting the "Vaisnava Self-Reawakening Course - Level One - Sattvik Introspection & Effective Communication Skills" has helped ease the burden among the devotees. It seems that they opened up a lot to each other and shared deeply, with emotion and sincerity. This was the eighth time I presented this course and, in one sense, it had the most impact, also because the devotees took it very seriously and because they all knew each other so well (or so they thought…).

Here in South America it's a popular practice, in supermarkets and other commercial situations where they sell food, to give out free samples: sausages, granola, whatever. In our propagation work on behalf of the acaryas our main "product" is the holy name, and devotees all over the world endeavor to spread the Yuga-dharma. Now, this (I intend the whole Sankirtan Movement) is the Nama-hatta, the market of the holy name. Although "Nama-hatta" is often used to indicate