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EDITORIAL April 1, 1999 VNN3477 See Related VNN Stories GBC Resolution Against Puri Maharaj BY GIRIDHARI EDITORIAL, Apr 1 (VNN) — It seems that the GBC can't help but to offend a pure devotee of Krishna each year. In the 80s Srila Bhaktiraksaka Sridhar Maharaj was offended, though Srila Swami Maharaj considered him his siksa-guru. Then in 1995 Srila Gour Govinda Maharaj was offended, though Srila Swami Maharaj regarded him as his dear son. Then in 1996 Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayan Maharaj was offended, though Srila Swami Maharaj wrote to him :"In all the Gaudiya Maths, I think that you are the real guru-sevaka, so I will always correspond with you and give my full love and affection to you. 17-5-1967." Now in 1999 the GBC resolutions target Srila Bhaktivaibhava Puri Maharaj. It is forbidden for His Holiness to speak hari-katha in any ISKCON temple in Italy, where Maharaj has hundred initiated disciples. Srila Puri Maharaj disciples who served ISKCON for many years in Italy are now treated as outcasts. Srila Puri Maharaj personally told me how in 1972 he lovingly accommodated Srila Swami Maharaj and over a dozen of his disciples in his temple in Vishakhapatnam. He lavishly praised his God-brother during his stay in Vienna. Here are some interesting facts from the Srila Prabhupada-Lilamrta, Let there be a Temple, Chapter "Puri Maharaj, as Prabhupad called him, had a small ashram in Visakhapatanam, on the Bay of Bengal between Madras and Calcutta. Hearing that Prabhupad was going next to Calcutta, Puri Maharaj invited him to visit... Puri Maharaj«s asram was a simple single-story building of about eight rooms. When he offered Prabhupad a room next to his own, Prabhupad was pleased, accepting it as an expression of friendship. Prabhupad relaxed with his Godbrothers,... Repeatedly Prabhupad invited Puri Maharaj to come and preach in the West. He requested him to at least come to Mayapur for ISKCON's international gathering of devotees." Last year, when Srila Puri Maharaj came to Vienna from Berlin, where he was hosted by Vrinda, we had no temple. The two local ISKCON temples, being faithful to the GBC, refused to accommodate him. Somehow we managed to organize a small place for Maharaj and his disciples. Today the two ISKCON temples in Vienna have closed down with massive financial losses, whereas the members of the Gaudiya Math family and GBC-indepenedent, open-minded ISKCON devotees have established two new temples. Both temple communities (Gaudiya Math and GBC-independent ISKCON) are cooperating in a brotherly Vaisnava-manner. Srila Puri Maharaj will visit Vienna in June. This has caused a "fight" between the two temple communities - both want to have the mercy to accommodate His Holiness and make their temple a tirtha. See Related VNN Stories | Comment on this Story This story URL: http://www.vnn.org/editorials/ET9904/ET01-3477.html
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