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WORLD January 22, 2000 VNN5323 Comment on this story Purpose of The Saraswati Charitable Trust (TSCT) BY SATYANARAYANA DASA USA, Jan 22 (VNN) — Dear Maharajas and Prabhus, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. As described in the "Resources" section of www.chakra.org, The Saraswati Charitable Trust (TSCT) was established to help facilitate the translation, printing and distribution of Srila Prabhupada's books in specific, undeveloped areas of the world. It is also involved in funding prasadam distribution to the children and other residents of Vrndavana dhama. For example, besides regular distribution along the parikrama path, during the Kartik month we were able to a feed 1,000 small children living in Varsana -- Smt. Radharani's village -- with nutritious prasadam feasts. This is something we want to increase more and more. TSCT is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit Trust strictly governed by Charter law for the above mentioned non-profit purposes. Although it is common practice for foundations and Charitable Trusts worldwide to both request and receive funding from outside sources, TSCT is in the unenviable position of still being 100% self-funded. To be blunt, this means that I am spending my own funds (which I should be), but it also means that I am not getting any other monetary help. This means that the Trust cannot expand in the way it really should. This is unfortunate since (a) personal funds are very limited and, (b) we have received an overwhelming amount of urgent requests from devotees worldwide to help with Srila Prabhupada's transcendental book distribution. This includes fund requests for both translation and printing help in Korea, Vietnam, Pakistan, Burma (Myanmar), the tribal languages of Africa, Nepal, Peru and other countries in South America, Ghana, Nigeria, Manipur, Ukraine and many other areas. Unfortunately, only a few of these places can be helped by this Trust at present. But I feel very fortunate to have had, and continue to have, wonderful experiences working with the devotees in those areas. These devotees inspire me and inspire us all with their sincerity, determination, self-sacrifice and general good hearts. For example, I have had nothing but warm and wonderfully-inspirational association with both Niranjana Swami (working in Ukraine) and Kavicandra Swami (working in Ghana and Nigeria). I have known these mature and sincere devotees for decades, but this active joint service to Srila Prabhupada, helping to put his books in the hands of many thousands of spirit souls, has brought our appreciation and love for each other to a deeper level. And I thank them for the opportunity to help them, because I feel it is a privilege to be a part of their sincere efforts. I am also very interested in somehow, in my own insignificant way (as it will always be), helping to fulfill Srila Prabhupada's desires to see his books printed in the Muslim countries. This is actually of special interest to me since I once was fortunate enough to have seen Srila Prabhupada's direct reaction to the issue (of having his books put into Muslim hands). As a member of the original BBT Library Party, I had spoken with the professors of one school and was able, by his grace, to put his books into Anantnagar University, a Muslim institution in Kashmir. Soon after that, I had the privilege of visiting and speaking to Srila Prabhupada in Vrndavana. Although we had a wonderful discussion (everyone learned that Srila Prabhupada had been the first one to put his books, the original 3 volume Srimad Bhagavatam set, into the libraries of Kashmir!), it was his physical reaction that stays with me today as the most lasting impression, and as one of the main inspirations to do this Trust work. Prabhupada was beaming, eyes wide, and I felt bathed in his brilliant, oceanic smile. He was giving me happiness for simply trying to try to try, in my fault-filled way, to do something right. And he was giving me credit when he was actually doing everything with his spiritual potency. I certainly do hope to be able to see that smile once again. In this regard, along with the other countries mentioned above, I certainly have a desire to help devotees who work in the Muslim countries. With the same enthusiasm and trust that I had working with Niranjana Swami and Kavicandra Swami, I was hoping to develop that same mutual service attitude and trust with Airavata Prabhu. I have described above why I started this Trust and what I am doing with it and some of the devotees with whom I am working. With those two sannyasi devotees, since I knew them so well, there was no question in my mind that the funds that I gave to them could or would possibly ever be misused. My relationships with them were simply sweet, constructive and full of enthusiasm for the mission. Those feeling are still there but deeper now, and I want to help them more when I can. As we worked together, it was unspoken, but they naturally understood that when a donor gives them a significant amount of laksmi, there is a responsibility for them to both use it properly and be accountable for it. Accountability is a very important concept, and it builds trust between devotees and between people in general. So these two devotees automatically wanted to keep me informed, without my even having to ask. They understood that this was not only right, but that it would also enliven me, and make me feel a part of their particular mission. And it worked -- I do feel I want to help more and more if possible. In fact, for Ukraine I personally guided the devotees in how to get the best printed product for the laksmi, since I have been helping the BBT print books in America since 1988. Naturally I was hoping this same enlivening situation could happen in Turkey, and I was also wanted to go beyond Turkey to help in other Muslim regions. And I definitely still do. Concerning myself, if anyone is interested, I invite them to contact either Kavicandra Swami or Niranjana Swami (in whose areas I have worked more than any other) and ask them what I am doing through this Trust, exactly what it is like to work with me, and where my heart is. With all due respect to Airavata Prabhu, he has made statements that are untrue, misleading, and incomprehensible, and I think this is another attempt to divert attention away from the main issue. The main issue still remains the same, and the simple questions still remain unanswered. My personal request to Airavata Prabhu is the same one that I made to him about 7 months ago when I felt that his actions and words required that I ask for some reasonable accountability for his actions with my donation. I am simply requesting that he confidentially tell either myself or Sesa Prabhu -- or his GBC, or any neutral party, anywhere -- the following: The name and contact info of the printer he used. It would also help to see any related paperwork, and get confirmation of the present whereabouts of the books. That's it. These are very simple and reasonable requests, the answers to which could be confidentially confirmed in the region. I didn't think that this was an unreasonable request on my part back then, and I still don't think it is an unreasonable request. And it would put all of this to rest which would certainly be to everyone's benefit. All that put aside, I pray that everyone feels increasingly joyful through their personal expression of devotional service to Sri Sri Radha and Krishna, and I pray to you all to please give me your transcendental blessings and your association (which is life itself).... Your servant, Satyanarayana dasa Comment on this story  Contact VNN about this storySend this story to a friend
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