05/31/98 - 1837

Reply to Situation in Brasil

USA (VNN) - by Kesava Swami

All glories to Sri Guru and Gauranga!!!

To the vaisnava community:
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. In a reply to the letter of the situation in Brazil I have to respond for the real benefit of the sincere devotees working with faith and devotion to Guru and Gauranga. Today it is very easy to make comments in the Internet and many devotee trust in this inaccurate information. I spend nine years in Brazil. Four in Nova Gokula farm where the gorukula is and supposedly the place of the child abuse and corruption. In this farm there are 200 devotees living and it is the principal program in Brazil. I have never seen that situation, but in that letter they say that the boys are in total promiscuity, they only spent some days in the farm and made a very fast declaration about the situation there. I lived there for years and nobody amongst the 200 persons made any complaints, but two people with some disturbance and very problematic lives have the right to make this irresponsible declaration to the vaisnava assembly.

In another point, Dhanvantari Maharaja has one shop in the shopping center, with big profit of $60,000 US. This small gift-shop is in one non-commercial area in a small house for one Preaching Center of the Nova Gokula farm with five or six brahmacaris, and I have my doubts about the money because of the bad situation for collecting in Brazil, especially in this third world country, and only with books. I know very well the good character and behavior of Dhanvantari Swami and I cannot remain silent in this irresponsible and unjust accusation. Also I see the austerity and penances of Maharaja for serving Srila Prabhupada with love and devotion.

About Iswara Prabhu I have too much respect and consideration. For now he has spiritual problems, but we need to remember that he spent most of his young life for the service of Srila Prabhupada. And also he printed more than 13 millions book's of S.P. and translated all literature in Portuguese language. He preached and traveling a lot in Brazil. I pay my obeisances for this great soul and his devotional service to Sri Krsna. And no one socalled "disciple" said that he is homosexual with the hypocrisy that signed with his spiritual name. Is it possible for somebody writing a letter in that mentality? We pray for this unfortunate disciple and we cry in lamentation for that have happened.

In my concern, I travel and preach with a total detachment and my mind clear and with a very important serious mood of surrender to the mission of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Because at this predisposition I have total confidence that my conscience is clean and free from any contamination. I have proven that situation is the result of a very sick mind in the letter sent to me by this supposed mother of my son, she said very clearly that the trouble should be in her mind and her apology for this bad behavior and calumny. All congregations and authorities in Brazil know this and also my sincerity and open mentality in this matter. Really I have acted in full trust and confidence because I have not too much association freely with a woman, I can overpass very easily the intrigues and due to this behavior nobody put too much care in these crazy things. On the other side my teams of devotees are 12 men and three ladies. Two of them are married devotees. I never speak alone with ladies and only one has come to Miami, because she has no service in Brazil. She is working in the deitie kitchen and has a 5-year old girl and is in the movement for the last 15 years serving the deities. Also she has come on her own decision and I have never promised a green card or other facilities. She is the only lady from Brazil.

The other devotees in Miami are 14 men mostly from Argentina, Uruguay, Peru and Brazil. Concluding, we are collecting only with books in Brazil, in this poor and economically difficult country, that means great austerities for raising money. When we construct the Puspa Samadhi of Srila Prabhupada the only one outside of India, (is one article of mine in the last Hare Krishna World of March/April), we collected with four devotees and when for the occasion of the inauguration of the Memorial I presented the account to the temple presidents, Maharajas and friends of Krishna and in that public letter, ( they put in the Sat Sanga Magazine of Brazil), I said that the bills and notes for the expenses are in New Gokula for free consultation. The total amount for the building is $39,000 US collected with great penury and sacrifice. About that I cheat twenty people with tickets to India for $1,000 US each, I travel many times with 30 to 50 devotees and never has anybody made any complaints or become frustrated. Most of the time I need to pay for devotees that have no money. And also the free ticket I give every time to some temple presidents or devotees without Lakshmi and I also pay for my ticket. I think that 20 people are too arduous to cheat.

I have never a bank account or Credit-card and all money is there in my work of nine years: 570.000 book's of srila Prabhupada distributed with no bad debits. More than 70 devotees serving Krishna. 108 Nama Hatta programs are open between 1996 and 1997 in Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile and Paraguay. Most of these devotees are now initiated and have regularly programs and Preaching Centers. That means traveling three times at year visiting by car these centers with my Sankirtana Party, art performance group, more than 15,000 miles for each trip, and prasadam distribution.

With 35 or 40 programs in one month giving lectures for more than 1,500 people. I pay for two farms of 80 acres that are in ISKCON names. We constructed one temple in Curitiba and one small farm of 8 acres, with ashram and three small bungalows for grihastas. Also, we pay for cars for all temples in South Brazil. We opened two Govinda's restaurant. We constructed a car of Ratha-Yatra and we did five festivals. At Nova Gukula farm I opened the Bhaktivedanta Institute of Philosophy and we have 10 seminars in two countries (Brazil and Argentina), with the participation of more than 250 devotees in all. We conduct Bhakti-sastri examinations in all Latino-American festivals. The Institute published the Study Guide of the Bhagavad Gita in Spanish and Portuguese, The History of Srimati Tulasi Devi and Remembering Srila Prabhupada by Hridayananda das Goswami. And we constructed the Puspa Samadhi of Srila Prabhupada and also the murti of S.P. are made by my devotees with love and devotion.

I am very happy in Krsna consciousness and I can also work tireless for Srila Prabhupada, because I don't lose my faith in the Sankirtana Movement of Sri Caitanaya Mahaprabhu. My insignificant service in my humble capacity is prove of this. Thank you.

Your humble servant,
Kesava Dasa Swami.

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