(From right) Sri Radha, Sri Madan-Mohan, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (Pictures courtesy of “Jorge Bardina)
By Girish Parikh
INTERVIEW WITH HG VAISESIKA DASA
ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) of Silicon Valley (ISV) was started in a suburb of San Jose by a small group of devotees who moved from Los Angeles to the Bay Area in 1998. ISV moved to a rented storefront on Union Avenue in San Jose. It soon outgrew that venue with a variety of programs and moved to the current rented location at 951 South Bascom Avenue in San Jose, where it has been for the last several years.
ISV is known for its friendly family atmosphere and its diversity of membership.
HG Vaisesika Dasa began visiting ISV Hare Krishna Temple in 1999 and was invited to join its advisory board in 2000. He became the Temple President in 2007.
He has recently been appointed as Zonal Secretary for ISKCON in Northern California. He will be checking in with ISKCON centers throughout the region, helping them to maintain their high standards and connecting them to devotees from other centers so that they can share best practices. He will also be assisting in opening new centers throughout Northern California.
He joined ISKCON in San Francisco in 1973, when he was a teenager and soon afterward accepted initiation from His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the Founder-Acharya of ISKCON, becoming his direct disciple. He is well known throughout ISKCON for his steady dedication and enthusiasm for distributing Srila Prabhupada’s books, which he has done continuously for 37 years.
HG Vaisesika Dasa is one of the dynamic disciples of Srila Prabhupada. He has a vision of building a state of the art ISKCON Hare Krishna Temple in Silicon Valley. Girish Parikh interviewed him about his vision, and the festivals and activities of ISV.
Q: Hare Krishna. Let’s start with your name, HG Vaisesika Dasa. HG is acronym for His Grace. How to pronounce ‘Vaisesika’?
A: Vaisesika: ‘Vai’ like ‘K-a-i’ in Kailas. ‘Se’ like ‘s-a’ in say. ‘Si’ like ‘s-i’ in sister. ‘Ka’ like ‘c-u’ in cup.
Q: What do the names ‘Vaisesika,’ and ‘Dasa’ mean?
A: ‘Vaisesika’ comes from the root word, Visesa, meaning specific or special. Everything in God’s creation is unique and special. There is no one particle or living being quite the same as another. Krishna is the source of all these unique creations. He is the supreme, unique and the source of all uniqueness.
The “Dasa” in Vaisesika Dasa, means that I am a servant of Krishna.
I received this name from my spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, when I received spiritual initiation from him.
Q: What is your religious background, and how were you drawn to Sri Krishna and ISKCON?
A: I come from a family of intellectuals who were not connected to any church or religion. My father and mother, who recently passed away, were university professors in Psychology and Sociology respectively.
Even though my parents never introduced me to religion of any kind, somehow or other I was irresistibly drawn to search for God when I was around fourteen years old. At that time I became a vegetarian and began reading many books about philosophy and God consciousness.
Nothing completely satisfied me though until one day, a high school friend gave me a ‘Back to Godhead,’ the magazine of the Hare Krishna movement. My friend had purchased it on the street from a devotee thinking that I might like it. I did.
After reading the issue of ‘Back to Godhead’ — that explained how the knowledge of the Vedas is passed down through a disciplic succession and how by chanting the names of God one could become perfect — I searched out other books by Srila Prabhupada and found the “Bhagavad-Gita As It Is”, “Sri Isopanisad”, and “On the Way to Krishna” at a book store in Berkeley, California, named Shambhala Books.
After reading the books carefully, I visited the ISKCON temple in San Francisco that was on Valencia Street in the Mission District. After meeting the devotees who lived there that summer day in 1973, I knew for certain that I wanted to live with them and devote my life to Krishna. A few weeks later after much negotiation with my parents and the temple authorities — as I was still only sixteen years old — I entered the brahmachari ashrama in the temple with the permission and blessings of my loving parents and became a full time devotee. On that day, I felt like a fish who had been rescued from dry land and had been placed back in a cool, refreshing lake. After all these years, I’m still happily swimming.
Q: The Deities of ISKCON Silicon Valley Hare Krishna temple are called Sri Sri Radha Madan-Mohan. Please describe the significance of the names ‘Radha’, and ‘Madan-Mohan’.
A: The name Madan-Mohan means, “The attractor of Cupid.” In the material world everyone is looking for beauty, and the most compelling form of beauty is epitomized by Cupid, the god of love. The beauty of Krishna is so great however, that even the attractive Cupid is attracted to Krishna. Hence, His name, Madan-Mohan, “The attractor of Cupid.” Radha is the name for Krishna’s eternal consort. She is the best devotee of Lord Krishna through whom devotees offer their worship to Krishna.
Q: Please describe your vision of the new Sri Sri Radha Madan-Mohan Temple of ISV in San Jose, California.
A: ISV devotees work together to organically grow a home base for our Lord and His devotees.
My vision for the new temple, our new home base, is:
A welcoming environment comfortable for hearing, chanting and meditation.
A base from which we feel strong to fight with Maya, illusion.
Secure and safe.
A meeting place that attracts new people.
A place for education, learning, high culture.
A spiritual center.
Open to the public.
A pure environment.
Clean, attractive and green.
Perfect for Kirtan (group singing of the names of God).
A center for the Lord’s glorification.
A home and base for the Lord and His devotees.
Kid-friendly.
The heart of Bay Area Sankirtan.
Q: What is ISV’s uniqueness?
A: It has:
Family atmosphere.
Huge book distribution, teaching.
Lots of Kirtan.
An ideal atmosphere for learning.
Exemplary loving relationships among devotees.
An individual, spontaneous and voluntary mood for service.
Kid-friendly environment.
Q: What is your plan to raise the funds needed to build the new temple?
A: Most of the funds we have now have come from members and patrons who like the atmosphere at ISV and would like to see it expand and succeed in the Valley. We have held several fund raisers, selling tickets for dance and musical events also.
We invite anyone who thinks that this is a worthwhile project to help out in any way that they feel they can.
Q: You are a Master Book Distributor. I understand ISV’s book distribution program under your able leadership will help raise part of the funds. Please describe ISV’s book distribution program.
A: The devotees at ISV have become well known for their prolific distribution of transcendental literatures. In fact, out of dozens of North American ISKCON temples in the United States, Mexico and Canada, ISV ranks #3 in volume of books sold.
Each month the devotees at ISV hold a Monthly Sankirtan Festival (MSF). Using all modern organizational techniques, the devotees mobilize all over the Bay Area at least one weekend out of every month to distribute Bhagavad-Gitas, other small books, invitations to the temple and thousands of pieces of Krishna prasadam, sanctified food (offered to the Deities by a priest at our temple). This group called, Team ISV, has as its motto, “always better service” and they operate on the principle that “lots of people each doing a little” is the best way to keep things fun and easy for all. Team ISV invites all of its members to go out into public as ambassadors of goodwill, meeting people door-to-door and in other locations, to make friends and to give them an opportunity to read “Bhagavad-Gita”, “Sri Isopanisad”, and “Srimad-Bhagavatam”.
The Team ISV members find that people all across the Bay Area are interested and receptive to hearing the philosophy of Bhakti Yoga and Krishna consciousness.
Team members accept donations, but their prime directive is to give something valuable and to leave each person they meet with a good impression. This goes well with Team ISV’s mission, which is to serve all living beings through the mass distribution of the holy names of God, spiritual food and literatures like the Bhagavad-Gita.
Team ISV also recently inaugurated its Panchajanya project that places Bhagavad-Gitas in motel rooms all across the United States. To date, team members have placed nearly 30,000 Gitas and they are poised for distributing exponentially more than that in 2010 and beyond.
Another branch of Team ISV’s book distribution program is called Smart Box, a small “help yourself” system that places a small rack of books and a donation box in stores across the Valley. From the Smart Box people interested in the literature can pick up a Bhagavad-Gita or other small books and leave a donation on the honor system. Through the Smart Box program, Team ISV distributes hundreds of books every month.
Q: How will the new temple benefit the residents of San Jose and neighboring towns? How will the national and international devotees and visitors benefit?
A: The new ISV temple will benefit the residents of San Jose by bringing the rich culture of Vedic India, including Yoga, meditation, Ayurvedic medicine, vegetarian cooking, philosophy, music and drama — into their midst.
National and international guests who visit ISV will go away with a sense of inner peace and will uncover a treasure trove of information and books about self-discovery.
Q: What are the major celebrations of ISV during a year? What are other activities?
A: At ISV we hold several major celebrations during the year. The most highly anticipated and well attended of them are: Janmastami, the birthday of Lord Krishna; Rama Navami, the appearance day of Lord Rama; Nrisimha Caturdasi, the appearance of Lord Nrisimha; Gaura Purnima, the appearance day of Lord Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu; Nityananda Trayodasi, the appearance day of Lord Nityananda; Radhastami, the appearance day of Srimati Radharani; and Gita Jayanti, the day the Bhagavad-Gita was spoken. ISV holds many other festivals, including a weekly Sunday program and a monthly Sankirtan festival.
According to the popularity of each festival, we receive between 150 to 600 guests.
ISV has outgrown the present location and needs to build its own bigger temple to serve the ever increasing number of devotees and visitors. With a burgeoning membership, our establishing a permanent residence for the Deities and the ISV members is more than just a need, it’s an imperative.
As we have plans in the works for a Child Development Center, a school, and to facilitate our music academy (called the Vaisnava Academy of Kirtan) — which is already in progress — we are seeking a large enough property that is also aesthetically inviting.
ISV Hare Krishna Temple is located at:
951 South Bascom Avenue.
San Jose, CA 95128
Phone: 408 293 4959
Web site: http://www.virtualtemple.org/
(Girish Parikh is author and journalist based in Modesto, California.
E-mail: girish16@yahoo.com).
Dear Vaisesika Prabhu
Please accept my humble obeissances.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada. All glories to Sri Guru & Sri Gauranga.
Despite my being born in France and still living there for the time being, I have had the opportunity to come twice to the San Jose temple on South Bascom Avenue, on the occasion of some business trips, which brought me to the Silicon Valley.
The first time I brought an Indian couple and their son, settled in California as many qualified IT engineers of Indian origin. I was surprised by the small size of the house, and short number of devotees present, but nevertheless appreciated that the Supreme Lord was present in the Silicon Valley to grant darshan via His arca vigraha. However, I felt that the potential was certainly so much bigger than this humble dwelling in an area where so many potential vaishnavas of Indian origin were certainly living.
The last time was on a Sunday morning, last January. The house was closed and nobody was there to open. Fortunately, I could peak through one window and have a remote darshan of the Deities, which still made the ride worthwhile… The funny part was the advertisement on the forefront of the house of a tradition of hospitality since 1998 !
Then I headed back to Berkeley and got a bit reassured by Mother Aditi who told me you had taken over and that the devotees were certainly out distributing Srila Prabhupada’s books…
A few days later, I could speak near Seattle with my friend Harivilas Prabhu, who also gave me further hope.
At last, reading this interview of yours confirms that you too have an eager desire to offer the Supreme Lord the shrine they deserve… which will be great…
To achieve that goal, I would humbly suggest that you may draw some inspiration from two neighboring successful projects, namely in Sammamish, near Seattle (Washington) and Spanish Fort, near Salt Lake City (Utah).
Beyond what one may think to be traditional ways of spreading Krishna consciousness, such as Harinam and book distribution in the streets, in malls or at airports, I would humbly suggest that we emphasize a structured cultural approach.
As a matter of fact, the more educated is our audience, the more our presentation of Vedic Culture, with Vaishnavism as its supreme attribute and ornament, has to be attractive and performed in a very professional way, so that the audience may find it valuable to be associated with the image of our Movement.
…/…
Beyond what one may think to be traditional ways of spreading Krishna consciousness, such as Harinam and book distribution in the streets, in malls or at airports, I would humbly suggest that we emphasize a structured cultural approach.
As a matter of fact, the more educated is our audience, the more our presentation of Vedic Culture, with Vaishnavism as its supreme attribute and ornament, has to be attractive and performed in a very professional way, so that the audience may find it valuable to be associated with the image of our Movement.
To the contrary, if we maintain in a more less stereotyped and rigid way, the recipes which worked in the sixties at the time of the hippie movement, we are more prone to fail, as many an empty temple throughout the world bears testimony of that inappropriate communication…
A recent decision in LAX airport should enlighten our leaders further in the necessity to change and adjust and refine our strategies, according to time, place and circumstances.
Therefore, we can set up cultural programs, where we can present Indian art and spiritual culture, via, dance, music and bhajans, paintings, philosophy and obviously our secret weapon, prasadam (to be preferably served in a classy way).
Another aspect is to do everything in a legal and non controversial way, so that again well established people may identify to us. A desirable result of such an approach in the mode of goodness is that the class of people may be willing to help us, by giving support in different ways, and especially in the form of donations.
Charu Prabhu and his wife have built a beautiful temple for Sri-Sri Radha-Shyamasundara, mostly via selling cookies and astonishingly lamas, beyond attracting donations, by the credibility they would emanate. Harivilas Prabhu has set up a legal business on his side and has cultivated intelligently the Indian community and gained both their trust and respect. Once this is done, Lakshmi Devi is eagerly waiting to be engaged in the service of Madhava, via the embassy of Her qualified servants and depositaries, i.e. successful Indian born American citizens.
Beyond the content of an expert presentation, our key word should really be “hospitality” and as a matter of fact suitable ways for the elderly class of men and women. Respect for elders, tables and chairs, mellow bhajans and palatable preaching, etc. should attract the generation of those who belong to the top earners of the American society.
Hoping this may help, I remain at your disposal for any further brain storming and discussion…
Anuttama Prabhu, our Communication Minister and other senior devotees may fruitfully be associated in refining our strategies in presenting Krishna consciousness, so that we may revive and develop further our North American temples and congregation…
Yours in service
Puskaraksa das
I have read the constructive comments by Puskaraksa das. For example, it would be advisable to keep the currently small temple open during regular hours, so that people may drop in for darshan and inspiration. Also, regular classes on a daily basis can take place in order to meet the needs of such devotees. Vaisesika also can appreciate the fact that Srila Prabhupad wants his students to not only distribute his books, but also to study them scrutinizingly. Currently, our ISKCON San Jose is focused on a beautiful group of many families that come Sundays, and also perform Sankirtan and book distribution. These are high forms of service, no doubt. So perhaps, the continuity of programs can be expanded at the temple, giving a schedule for devotees to serve in the temple to fill in the gaps.
His Grace Vaisesika das is my Godbrother, a friend, and now giving diksha to local bhaktas so that they may enhance their attachment for service and have deeper commitment to the principles of vaishnavism. He is very capable of answering questions related to Krishna consciousness. As the program in San jose evolves, so too will the programs evolve to meet the needs of every visitor and inhabitant of the temple.
The current building is small and is usually overflowing on Sunday programs. While there is little room for many chairs to be placed in such a small space, fortunately the back wall has a long bench for individuals who need it to sit. When, by Krishna’s sweet will, a new larger temple will be purchased, then greater facility can be undertaken in this regard. It does seem that the pace of collecting for a suitable tample has slowed somewhat. I personally instigated the temple building fund after giving a talk on Goverdhan Puja in the old rented storefront no less than 7 years ago. Really, the community needs to contribute more money from the congregation, in my opinion, to get this done. While we do not like to be heavy about this, it is necessary to make the final temple a reality. Sometimes we may consider that many of the Indian guests are here in the Bay Area temporarily, working in the high-tech industry, and then eventually they may go home to India. That may be true, but in reality, we are all here “temporarily”, with death being the exit door. Please listen: When the opportunity exists for service, we must not wait, for such opportunities may not again arise. Pusta Krishna das
True it is a mostly householder congregation, with only one full-time pujari couple staying on site, and sparsely attended programs on most week days.
The main hours of temple programs (as posted on www.virtualtemple.org, the temple website) are Wednesday evenings at 6 p.m. (Bhagavad-gita class, but an intensive class which also studies other books like Sri Isopanishad and has wide-ranging, interactive involvement), Saturday mornings at 7:30 a.m. (Srimad-Bhagavatam class, but also involves study and recitation of the entire extant Brahma-Samhita, Sri Rupa Goswami’s Namasthakam), and the Sunday evening program starting at 4:30.
The darshan hours are posted on the website (soon to get a better URL) and the temple is open every day at least from 4:30 a.m. to 6:30 a.m. and from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., and often one will find it open beyond those hours.
The morning program is sparsely attended because most devotees have jobs, and do not live close to the temple, but there are usually at least 5-10 devotees at mangala arati on Sundays.
We have been discussing bringing in a second pujari couple to perform other services including increasing the hours the temple is open.
One thing I can say without question about Vaisesika Prabhu is that he is committed to promoting study of Srila Prabhupada’s books and follow up after distribution, not just distributing the books. In fact, I would go so far as to say that he is committed to the idea that real, sustainable and effective book distribution programs are based on a solid foundation of hearing and chanting including regular and intensive study of Srila Prabhupada’s books.
It is (sadly) true the temple is too small for our congregation’s needs. Pusta Krishna Prabhu has been one of the large donors to the “new temple fund”, as have Dilipbhai Patel and others. We have been investigating potential properties for years, but have not yet found anything suitable that meets our budget in the right location. We do not regard the next temple purchase as necessarily the “final” temple, but we do want to proceed carefully and deliberately and not make any hasty and ill-advised commitments. It really is an expensive area (in spite of a soft real estate market) and we want to grow organically and sustainably. Our congregation of mostly young software engineers has been very generous and we appreciate all their support.
I think the “structured cultural approach” is more or less what Vaisesika has been doing…
I do believe we are trying at ISV to present Krishna consciousness in an intelligent. professional and respectable way, certainly with due regard to obeying the laws and good manners of society.
I am sure we have much room for improvement, but I believe we will see big things from ISV in the years to come, and we are already seeing big things.
I do think that Harinama and profuse distribution of Srila Prabhupada’s books will remain important vectors for disseminating Krishna consciousness, and are essential aspects of the practice of Krishna consciousness as taught by Srila Prabhupada.
We may have nice cultural programs of dance and music and wonderful prasadam (the L.A. Ratha Yatra is a fantastic spiritual festival, for example). But those who come in closer to our circle of association and want to take up the sankirtan movement seriously will become addicted to reading and discussing Srila Prabhupada’s books together, and that addiction will compel them to go out amongst the general public and try to share these valuable books with others.
I would like to eventually see beautiful billboard advertising and more mass-media awareness of Krishna consciousness, with devotees appearing on TV and Radio and in print media explaining the precepts and benefits of Lord Caitanya’s sankirtan movement.
“Hare Krishna” has already become a household word throughout the world, but few people really know much about the Gaudiya Vaisnava tradition, the Srimad-Bhagavatam, or even really the Bhagavad-gita.
[There is so much misinformation about the Bhagavad-gita, and many people who think they know Bhagavad-gita still somehow think it is a mayavadi scripture.]
At ISV on many Saturday mornings, beyond the regular morning program, there are also Bhakti-Sastri classes or other, skill-oriented classes like mrdanga lessons and lessons in cooking for Lord Krishna.
It seems we have been having baby showers once every couple months and we have a bumper crop of young and infant devotees. The Sunday School program is big and is expanding, too.
One thing I’d like to see at ISV in the future is a simple dormitory for highly-qualified vanaprasthas to serve full-time in retirement and perhaps some young brahmacaris and ‘carinis to get trained up.
I agree with Puskaraksa we should expand the festival programs (SF Ratha Yatra seems to me to lack energy and impact — I would like to see big, public Janmasthami and other programs, but it takes hard work and $)
I liked the part about Aditi at Berkeley explaining that the ISV temple was closed on Sunday because the devotees were out on book distribution. :-)
They probably were. Of course they came back for the Sunday Feast. The Monthly Sankirtan Festivals generate a lot of enthusiasm among the devotees. They come back with stories (“Good News Action Broadcasts”, or GNABs) of people they connected with and thereby played a role in the blissful transmission of Lord Caitanya’s mercy, His eternal lila of delivering Krishna to the fallen souls of kali yuga.
There are great things happening at ISV and of course there is still much room for expansion and improvement. We want to expand in a manageable way and not get too much in the mode of passion about big projects that end up being unsustainable. Our devotees are mostly householders who live balanced lives with jobs and bills and families who squeeze their sadhana and seva into already busy lives.
While most of our congregation are from India, we do have a diverse community and we are dedicated to keeping Krishna consciousness relevant to all people of the Bay Area and Northern California generally. We are not trying to position ourselves as a general Hindu temple or cultural center (there are already many Hindu temples in our area), but feel it is important to remain as Srila Prabhupada’s mission for spreading Krishna consciousness as taught by Srila Prabhupada in parampara for those who want the authentic chance to associate with Krishna through strict Gaudiya Vaisnava teachings and practices.
I see a very healthy and vibrant community in ISV that is doing that and is growing in a real, sustainable way.
Mainly I guess I would like to invite Puskaraksa to email me at bernstein.law@verizon.net and to discuss any room for improvement. I am sure Vaisesika would be happy to discuss and brainstorm with him as well.
Of course ISV is committed to developing a state of the art temple for our beautiful Deities as a home base for hearing and chanting and worship and education, which is what this article was about.
However, one thing that came to mind in this discussion is the unique and primary place of sankirtan (harinama sankirtan and book distribution) in the Hare Krishna movement of Lord Caitanya.
At ISV, “sankirtan” is never a euphemism for collecting money or selling candles, paintings, stickers or trinkets. Sankirtan is about sharing Krishna consciousness with all jivas. “Jive doya krsna nama sarva dharma sar.” Specifically, we distribute Srila Prabhupada’s books on their merits, and this is an overflowing of our appreciation from reading these transcendental books.
In Dvapara yuga opulent Diety worship was the yuga dharma, but in this age sankirtan is the order of the day. “Kalau tad dhari-kirtanam.”
Sankirtan is not just a means to some other end, like obtaining a better temple or improving the standard of care for devotees and the standard of deity worship. We do seek to improve in all those areas, and our motto is “always better service.” However, sankirtan is our very reason for existence, it is what we do, above everything else. It is Lord Caitanya’s lila in which we can all participate. “Come join us in this kirtan, Lord Caitanya’s kirtan.”
Vaisesika believes in clarifying our objectives through mission statements and proper planning, as is evident from Girish’s article.
Our mission at ISV is to serve all souls by profusely distributing the holy names of Krishna. Our mood is not just to create a nice temple for those who have the good sense to come to the temple, but to reach out to all humans or even to all jivas in our area to give Krishna consciousness.
Some Mayavadi had a slogan, “Service to man is service to Madhava.” However, the real service to man is to engage him in actual service to Madhava. That is the para upakara, the highest welfare work. If you serve man by simply giving a more comfortable material life, that is not really serving Madhava, nor is it really serving man’s higher interest. It is like saving the coat of a drowning person.
On the other hand, if you simply have faith in Deities in the temple but do not know how to properly treat other living entities, you remain on the neophyte platform. Real service to Madhava requires sankirtan, which involves sharing the overflow of Krishna consciousness with everyone.
Vaisesika, Akruranath, and I all know how wonderful the programs are in San Jose. That of course is easy to express, and the engagement of so many Indians here in America in book distribution by His Grace Vaisesika Prabhu is remarkable in and of itself. The preaching programs are also wonderful. What I would like to entertain is the possibility of (1) expanding the temple program and (2)place a little more urgency on collecting contributions to the temple fund from the local members. This is not the first “Indian Temple” to be considered and built. The Jains have a lovely place and there are Hindu temples in Sunnyvale and in Fremont and in Livermore. The Sikh community has a very remarkable property and facility. We really should express, in my opinion, the necessity to pull together more of the communities’ wealth in order to be capable of purchasing a suitable property. It is do-able.
I have confidence in Vaisesika Prabhu’s qualities in preaching, in chanting with ecstatic and lively kirtans, in distributing books, and in explaining what is contained in Srila Prabhupad’s books. You cannot expect him to also necessarily take the lead in requesting the community of devotees to contribute more toward the purchase of a property for the Deities Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Sri Sri Radha Madana Mohana, Sri Sri Lakshmi Nrsinghadeva and Prahlad. I am hoping to stir up a little more renewed interest in collecting the funds for the ISKCON Silicon Valley’s Temple.
When you experience the wonderful program in San Jose, it is easy to say that this is enough. But, we all know that the Deities and the congregation deserve a suitable facility to expand the many spiritual and cultural programs that are in the works. Therefore, lets see if this can happen. It will not detract from the great programs that are already taking place. Puskaraksa has stirred up the kettle a little, and if you read his descriptions, you can’t help but shake your head up and down in agreement that more financial help is needed from the local San Jose community of devotees to take the project to the next step.
I hope that I have not offended anyone by my agreement with Puskaraksa, as I am not super active in the programs locally. But, I am super eager to see the program succeed and evolve as it should.
Hare Krishna. Pusta Krishna das
Haribol Pusta Krishna!
Of course you have not offended anyone, nor has Puskaraksa. The good wishes of both of you are evident, and such constructive criticism is always helpful.
Dandavats is a great place for devotees from around the world to brainstorm about how best to serve Srila Prabhupada’s ISKCON mission, and I took it for granted that you and Puskaraksa were contributing nicely to that discussion.
I did not want anyone to get the incorrect idea that Vaisesika is doing nothing about raising funds and purchasing a temple for the San Jose congregation, or that the ISV temple is not open during regular hours each day, as posted on the website, or that the only regular weekly program was the Sunday Feast.
Also, everyone should know that Vaisesika has been quite active in working with different groups of devotees to provide a nice, new “State of the Art” temple, as the above article reports.
I agree with you that we should not make Vaisesika do all the work. He really has taken on tremendous new responsibilities with great energy and gusto. We should all help out under his intelligent direction. He is never shy about delegating responsibility to those who step up and ask for it. But we should rally around him and let him guide everything.
Even if you are not “super active” in the ISV program, Prabhu, all of us at ISV think your activity is “super.” :-)
I also am not super active. I mostly attend the Saturday morning programs. It is nice that we can now watch all the programs in live broadcasts at www.virtualtemple.org, and can also download audio and video programs there.
I have attended some of the recent “new temple committee” meetings, but I am not serving on the committee. I know Vaish is always willing to keep the devotees informed as to new developments.
I agree we can and will be able to pull more support from the local Indian community, while at the same time we should be straightforward about who we are and what we are doing.
The Jain temple in Milpitas, the Sikh Gurdwar on Quimby Road and the Sunnyvale, Fremont and Livermore Hindu temples (and the Milpitas Pusti Marg, Vallabhacarya temple) all have their own constituencies and their own missions. We are specifically a Srila Prabhupada, Lord Caitanya, Hare Krishna, ISKCON temple, and we want to draw support for that from wherever we can find it, by showing how nice Hare Krishna and Prabhupada’s books are. It is working, gradually but surely.
Letter from HG Satchitananda Prabhuji of Chicago to Girish. Prabhuji is a disciple of HH Bhakti Charu Maharaja.
Hare Krishna,
Dandvats. Shrila Prabhupada & Vaishnavas ki Jai! Nice article and interview. Your talents are an asset and you have always used them in service of the Lord. We miss this particular seva in Chicago but Krishna and Krishna’s devotees are everywhere so we can serve. Shrila Prabhupada’s mercy has spread in every town and village.
Haribol
Servant of Vaishnavas & Guru Gauranga