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WORLD January 12, 1999 VNN2831 See Related VNN Stories Y2K Preperation BY BHAKTI-TIRTHA SWAMI USA, Jan 12 (VNN) — (from COM) Dear Maharajas and Prabhus, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to ISKCON founder-acarya Srila Prabhupada. By now we should all be aware of how companies and major businesses are spending millions of dollars and countries are spending billions in trying to address the Y2K problem. Particularly countries like Britain and Canada are much more openly explaining about preparation for impending disasters. Practically all honest, rational and intelligent people who have looked into these concerns deeply have come to the conclusions that serious problems are ahead. It's just uncertain about how serious the problems will be. Some of the topmost international media is coming out more and addressing these serious concerns. Recently very mainstream, conservative programs like 60 minutes and Dan Rathers (in the USA) have presented to tens of millions of people in America some of the dangers addressed by those in the know and in very high positions. This is not a fanatical message, but usually one of my favorite sayings these days, "a wake-up call." Something very serious is now happening with material civilization. The Y2K problem is just one of many that's gradually coming to a head. Serious earth changes are on the rise like anything. For instance, last year over 50,000 people worldwide were killed and over 300 million were displaced due to so much abuse of Mother Bhumi. There is also increase in war-like conflicts and massive drug abuse. Also an increase in racial conflicts, tribal conflicts, gender conflicts, religious conflicts and a rise in so many diseases such as mental illness, heart disease, cancer, AIDS, etc. Most of these diseases are also connected with so much abuse of Mother Bhumi's body as well as our own. Srila Prabhupada was very emphatic that material civilization controlled by so many atheists and raksasas cannot last. He also has taught us how to remain on the battlefield and use every opportunity for preaching. I strongly suggest that no leaders come to Mayapur without having looked closer into some of the worldwide problems that we are confronted with. As we do this, it will simultaneously give us more insight into the nature of our personal and institutional problems. Hopefully it will also help us to understand even more why we must come together with strong devotion to make a difference at a very important time. In general, the present world karma looks very bad. To the degree that we do not access a higher spirituality, we will also be directly subjected to much of the karmic fall out. All over the world our movement is undergoing so many challenges, just as all institutions are. These are interesting times of denial, revelation, separation and hopefully acceleration. Massive exposing and cleansing is going on everywhere. As leaders, we must individually and collectively try to position ourselves to lead from the front and not from the back or from the sidelines. Material nature, in one sense, seems to be forcing us into an almost do or die situation to come together better and create environments that are genuinely based on Vaisnava siddhanta on simple living and high thinking. As leaders, in order for us to hold division, we have to understand the field of activities better. That is, our immediate environments as well as the surrounding ones. We must understand clearly what we are trying to become as well as what we are trying to avoid, i.e.- we must have greater eagerness, hunger, for the goal and greater fear of the maya and stagnation. For instance, if we have sufficient fear of some of the present maya, we would have already looked thoroughly into some of the present patterns that are unfolding and we would already be in the process of intensifying our devotion and creating a greater sense of community. Any projects where I have significant influence, I have for some time been focusing on community building concerns, which I will be more than pleased to discuss with any of you at the upcoming GBC meetings. Yesterday I received a letter from one of our godsisters in Alachua on some updates of some of the preparations our devotees are making there. Given that it is the largest devotee community in the world with so many senior devotees, I was refreshed to hear of some of their continued progress. The devotees at the Prabhupada Village community are also going full speed ahead in intensifying their devotion and infrastructure. I'm sure there are other communities that are doing like wise. Some of us will be presenting very soon a paper to the North American GBC and then to the International body with some ideas and plans that temples might want to consider. At least as we all have more variables in front of us, we can position ourselves better to expand the protection of our devotees and our preaching. As we all have so many day to day problems that we have to deal with, having to do some re-focusing is just overwhelming for all of us, but do we really have a choice? Below are some excerpts from the letter sent to me concerning recent events at the Alachua community. Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to ISKCON founder-acarya Srila Prabhupada. All glories to your tireless service to Lord Caitanya's mission. We had a community meeting last for preparedness. The turnout was really nice, as there were many new faces. There was so much information shared. Two devotees have obtained their ham operators license and a tower antenna has been set up at the temple. I am not used to the lingo about radios, but they can communicate with the military, access thousands of bands, etc. Each family is to purchase an inexpensive hand held radio to communicate with the temple and they will inform us of what is going on. Each smaller community, like ours, Balavanta Village, is to have a larger one. So, we on the airways. A representative from FEMA is to come and train the devotees in emergency rescue. Some devotees have already taken the course. It is free and supplies are given to course members. Since our community is so large, they will come out here to save all the devotees from driving into Gainesville. A resource center, from Winfall, our devotees business here, and a brohcure is being prepared for those just starting out. There is a lot of networking with other groups and individuals that have important information to share. Another nature walk, with the devotee from New Talavan that has an herb business is planned for early spring. This will involve identifying local herbs and preparation, etc. Information on ordering at the best prices was shared. What seeds to buy, hybird, etc. It was a very informative meeting. Purchasing of gold or silver was discussed. Of course, so was security discussed. We have an adopt a family program for those devotees in the apartment complex in town. I adopted one mother with a seven year old daughter, who is also into healing, etc. Also, it was discussed how in national emergency FEMA could take your stored food if you have too much!!! So, it seems that in the case of emergency, the devotees can come together and focus. I have added several other conferences as receivers of this message so that it can help us all reflect more on these issues in a non-alarming, but integrative, holistic, and transcendental fashion. As always, Yours in Srila Prabhupada's service, With love, Bhakti-tirtha Swami See Related VNN Stories | Comment on this Story This story URL: http://vaishnava-news-network.org/world/WD9901/WD12-2831.html
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