The Preaching of ISKCON Sannyasis
BY: SATYAHIT DASA
Jul 23, ALACHUA, FLORIDA (SUN) — I want to thank you for what I feel is one of the most positive insight articles about ISKCON that I have heard for a long, long time, namely "Sannyasa Report 2006/07". The activities of these highly sincere celibate godbrothers, is highly informative and inspirational. Their activities are certainly glorifiable on many levels, although one may find problems with the higher administration of which they are a part. Bhakti Raghava Swami for example, I had not heard of at least for over a decade. I met him a long time ago in Ottawa, Canada, perhaps somewhere close to where he joined. He has also offered at least two web sites of his domain to keep up with, as have several other stalwarts, i.e., Hanumat Prakash Swami.
This sort of general information concerning the preaching activities of ISKCON's sannyasis should be made widely available for all devotees to hear and be inspired about. And, for that matter, any exemplary preaching activities by anyone, aimed purely at or stemming from developing love for God and building places of sanity in this present insane world, in the countryside and cities, is wonderful to hear about.
As your header on the front page left side of Sampradaya Sun points out, there is no lack for unlimited positive knowledge concerning the spiritual world and it's related activities here from this material world.
Why ISKCON itself has not, and does not make the glorifiable activities of their worldwide sannyasa comunity of devotees, along with all their preaching efforts and successes, a well know and publicized aspect of ISKCON literature and web sites, I don't know. It is a great loss for all the assembled worldwide devotee's of the Lord. This is the single most positive ISKCON news that I have heard in years. And, this news has come via a non-ISKCON formally affiliated website. Why is this? Why are they not proudly broadcasting the saintly activities of their worldwide sannyasa community? Certainly there are articles now and then by these sannyasis posted here and there on official ISKCON websites, but no where have I seen a posting concerning so many of them or most of them in one large report. These men, in this case, are doing the pioneering work for spreading Krsna consciousness in this world, and it is being kept a secret unknowingly. So inspiring it is to hear of godbrothers and other disciples of godbrothers, who have pushed on in preaching activities worldwide, despite all the political difficulties ISKCON has undergone since the disappearance of "our" beloved by all, Sampradaya Acharya, super Maha Maha guru, Srila Prabhupada, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada, to whom no one comes even close, (by a long shot), to equaling.
As Chandramauli Swami pointed out along with his synopsis of his 2006/07 preaching places and activities, preaching to the westerners in North America is sadly lacking at present. The emphasis is on temple and grihasta maintenance.
The Mormons have a good idea in this regard: new Krsna conscious recruits, especially the males and why not also the females, can be recruited into a 2/3 year bhakta preaching program stemming from all temples, wherefrom they vow not to marry and to focus on preaching for those 2/3 years. because as we know ,once marriage is there, then children, then there is simply work for procuring and maintaining households along with all the multitude of expenses, coupled with the desires for continual improvement in all these areas, i.e., house, vehicles, education, travel, etc., etc.
Just as Indradyumna Swami's preaching activities, Diary of a Traveling Preacher has been so massively popular, so are all the exploits of our most wonderful sannyasa godbrothers greatly inspiring to hear about. Bhakti Marga Wwami, on his third walk across Canada, now comes to mind. Again and again, all the exploits of our esteemed godbrothers should be readable in or on one web page, or at least linked to, so that everyone may be inspired by what Srila Prabhupada has started in the 1960's in North America, and how He has inspired these men to continue in His footsteps. This includes the ex-Alanath Swami who is not a part of ISKCON, but who has opened practically 100 city temples in South America, many of which are connected with successful farm communities.
It is very important for this information to be made broadly available so that the people and devotees in general may know what and where spiritual activities are going on worldwide and thereby take an interest and participate somehow. At least it must be made as much available as is the constant and continual highly distressing karmi news broadcasted daily on tv, radio and news papers, and on web sites like Yahoo Mail. In short, it is everywhere and it is highly distressing without any redeeming qualities. My 95 year-old mother told me that after listening to a tv show about the war in Iraq, she found it so sad that she cried for hours, not being able even to sleep. The vast amounts of misery broadcast daily, hourly, unwittingly or knowingly by the public news media is in reality all highly distressing news.
Sampradaya Sun News took "particular note" of the infamous, for some, Jayadvaita Swami and his seemingly negative input concerning his lack of association with ISKCON programs and it's GBC, with whom he has developed some sorts of vital differences. with. This is all quite ironic given the extremely controversial subject matter he undertook to commence years ago in re-writing Srila Prabhupada's use of the English language in His already published scriptures, i.e., Bhagavad Gita As It Is, Srimad Bhagavatam, and Chaitanya Caritamrita, only to mention the main ones. This has generated websites both in favour and vehemently opposed to his re-writing activities. Ironic, poetic justice, or whatever, Sampradaya Sun chooses to point out Jayadvaita Swami's comments as most interesting, whereas although interesting, I choose to point out the fantastically positive preaching information concerning the worldwide community of sannyasis within ISKCON, which for myself was hitherto unheard of in one compelling article.
ISKCON authorities no doubt have known of these activities but have not taken the time to glorify their sanyasis communities' intense worldwide preaching activities by posting this information widely and broadly for the benefit of all the world's devotees of Lord Krsna. Thank you, Sampradaya Sun, for this compendium of ISKCON sannyasis articles concerning their preaching achievements worldwide.
[Editor's note: Our readers will find much more reporting on the ISKCON sannyasa program at the Sannyasa Ministry website.]
