Euro GBC Statement on German Devotees
BY: HG DINA SHARANA DD
Feb 13, CANADA (SUN) — An official statement by the Euro GBC for Germany, Mother Dina Sharana devi dasi.
ISKCON EURO GBC
Dear Malati Prabhu,
Dear Kalatuta Prabhu,
Dear Kishora Kishore Prabhu,
Dear Mangal Maya Prabhu,
Dear Sunil,
Dear Krsna Ksetra Prabhu,
Dear Ravindra SvarupaD,
Dear NCmembers,
Dear Vedanta KritD and Arjunia GopiDD,
Dear Mataji Nara HariDD family members,
and all other devotees concerned,
Thank you very much for your concern and taking the time to talk to me.
We are indeed very sorry that after 3 years of intense endeavour to try to solve “the farm’s problems" to everybodies best interest, the situation took this outcome. This is not what we hoped for or expected.
Nobody of a sound mind wants to loose dedicated devotees, especially devotees who served Lord Nrsimhadev (!!) for 25 years and certainly no matajis and very specially no older mataji. What to speak of mother Nara Hari DD!
After three years of discussions, Istagoshties, private talks, personal care, meetings with the personal guru, GBC, EURO GBC, NCMeetings, taking advice from experienced devotees in other yatras, temple devotees, TP authorities, friends, guests etc..., after fearing that, if the general situation did not calm douwn, we may be forced to close down Nrsimhadeva’s temple, fearing Lord Nrsimhadeva’s personal anger and after so many warnings and second chances for everybody concerned, finally, against our wildest expectations, the situation took such a turn that Mataji Nara HariDD took her destiny in her own hands by acting against our repeated pleas to all the assembled devotees:
Especially to please refrain from physical violence,
to please work with the TP authorities,
to please attend the temple program,
to please visibly chant 16 rounds and
to please perform at least 6hrs of daily service (4hrs in her case).
After due consultation with all above mentioned persons, the conclusion was that it would be best if Mataji Nara HariDD mouved to anew situation. This change was intended to provide a breeze of fresh air, an opportunity to break out of the daily rut and new opportunities to make further advancement in Krsna Consciousness. After some time the situation will calm down and the good relationships can be resumed.
Mataji Nara HariDD agreed to make this change in her life, and a time frame was set for the 15 of February 2008. In order to help the situation calm down, it was agreed that she would not visit the temple for some time(one year?).
The length of time will depend on how the situation develops. The next NC-meeting in May could reconsider the whole situation.
This decision did not apply to her sister and her daughter. Her sister was visibly happy about this and confirmed her desire to stay on the farm. Due to different adjustments in the temple management later on, she changed her mind and decided to follow her sister, an understandable decision since they used to live together.
As a matter of solidarity, her formal husband (divorce is being filed), feels responsable for their bad marriage and on his own accord, decided to also leave the temple by the 15 of February 2008. He has promissed to return the money that she brought into the marriage and help her move her belongings to her new home. She was very happy to hear this and said that this would alliviate her resentiments.
Because of his visible efforts of cooperation with the temple authorities in the past few months, his willingness to comply to the request of our Woman Protection Team (control his temper, even if provoked by violence) and his taking responsibility for his behavior in his marriage, he is allowed to come to the temple and continue to serve.
A couple of weeks later, to almost everybodies surprise, her sister’s daughter, got married to a young bhakta. He had just left the temple without informing the temple authorities, and taken an appartment in town.
He still has 150,- EURO of Lord Nrsimhadeva’s money in his possession. He has been asked to return the money and explain his behavior in order to resume his good relationship with the local temple authorities. He has not yet done so.
An even greater surprise was that already in October last year they had, along with a brother from England, bought a house nearby and had already moved a great part of their belongings there, almost 4 month before the recent events, without ever informing any of the authorities!
Despite all the above mentioned, on the request of some friends the following arrangement was agreed upon:
Mataji Nara HariDD will be allowed to visit Lord Nrsimhadev’s Tempel room in the company of Mr Sunil Zavery. In order to savegard everybodys peace and avoid further disputes, all parties concerned are requested not to speak to each other as well as to present guests. Since Sunil is attending a job he probably can only come once a month for one hour.
Our next consultation meetings will take place in May. Some time will have past and agitation will have hopefully calmed down. At that time the situation will be reconsidered.
We are very much looking forward to resume and maintain a good relationship.
Further advice on this matter is welcome.
However, a great commotion is being done world wide making the ISKCON look bad as usual,
not considering the great care devotees are taking to solve problems.
(... doomed if you do, doomed if you don’t...)
I cannot repeat often enough, as I already repeatedly did to Mataji Nara HariDD personaly and all other devotees concerned, that I am personaly very, very sorry that things took this turn. I asked everyone involved in this matter, for the past three years, to please, please try to solve the problems in such a way that no one will be affected in a bad way and no one will be pushed to make unpleasant decisions against their will.
Hopefully, I will find the time and the right frame of mind to write a letter to the public that will not be missunderstood or missinterpreted.
Please, let’s be patient. With the desire to please Srila Prabhupada and to serve his mission as the main focus of our endeavours, I trust that things will be handled to everyones best conscience. These are trying tests of faith for everyone of us to learn to grow closer together in order to serve for many more years in Srila Prabhupada’s mission.
Again I want to apologise to the public,
to my godbrothers who intrusted me with this service,
to HG Krsna Ksetra Prabhu,
to my GBC HG Ravindra Svarupa Prabhu,
to the NCmembers,
to the Tempel authorities in Simhachalam
Vedanta KritD and his wife Arjunia GopiDD,
to M. Nara HariDD her family members,
and all other devotees concerned,
for not having been able to avoid this outcome.
Usually I am always available on the phone to personaly answer any further questions someone may have. Unfortunately I am leaving for India GBC Meetings today.
If you consider this letter appropriate for publication please feel free to do so.
I trust in the Lord’s best outcome for everyone and
convey my very best wishes to all!
Hare Krsna!
Ys. M. Dina SharanaDD
ISKCON EURO GBC Germany- Austria
12th of February 2008
