The Chanting For Unity Project
BY: RUPACANDRA DEVI DASI
Mar 26, USA (SUN) — A submission for the Mayapur Meetings and open letter to Gurukulis.
Recently I was able to reach 21 U.S. temples by phone, asking if they had a routine harinama party. Half said they DO NOT: Austin, Baltimore, Chicago, Detroit, New Orleans, Phoenix, Seattle, Spanish Fork, Tallahassee, and Tucson. Honolulu goes out twice a month; New York and San Jose once a month. Berkeley, Denver, Kansas City, Miami, San Diego, and Washington, D.C. DO PERFORM WEEKLY; Los Angeles TWICE A WEEK!
Srila Prabhupada mandated everyone living in a temple community to perform harinama in public weekly. Lord Caitanya became dissatisfied chanting amongst His associates for their own benefit and took His parties to the streets. Yet many leaders are not setting an example by following this cornerstone. ISKCON expanded globally. It seems, however, that temples have become an extension of the Indian community's Deity worship, not a place where Lord Caitanya's preaching mission of arousing Krsna consciousness everywhere is implemented. Please believe Krsna will provide whatever is needed financially to put this specific religious service for increasing devotion and conversion (mission) on ISKCON's front burner.
In the 70's, devotees seemed to be everywhere. Now their visibility is a rarity. Even in India, chanting parties are not a common sight. It is important that temples are a place for aspiring devotees to learn the essence of Krsna consciousness: that one may perform occupational duties according to position in the social order, but if in such execution one does not surrender to the will of guru and Gauranga, all one's activities are in vain. Harinama sankirtana easily and immediately puts the newcomer on the highest platform of preacher. PLEASE PUT DEVOTEES WHO ARE OF THIS PREACHING MINDSET IN CHARGE OF TEMPLES.
On the even of Srila Prabhupada's Centennial I had a powerful dream wherein I emotionally felt his sorrow at the state of his beloved ISKCON. That emotion erupted upward and took my breath away; I stopped breathing and awoke. From that, the Chanting For Unity Project evolved espousing: perform public chanting on a regular basis along with book distribution… the potency being that everybody does it. It's such a simple message, yet that is how it happened in ISKCON's heyday and how it can happen again… globally.
Please fire us up to renaissance glory. Make Lord Caitanya's prediction that the Holy Name will be heard in every town and village your accomplishment (glory)!
OPEN LETTER TO GURUKULIS
Please accept my humble obeisances.
The Chanting For Unity Project can fulfill the aspirations of Kuli Mela:
- Found a group dynamic
- Combine different nationalities and groups
- Draw the estranged gurukulis together
- Take actual serious action that goes on
- Unite the family of Hare Krishna's
- Give this knowledge out to everyone
- Provide opportunity for temple participation
- Benefit the movement as a whole
- Be part of a common goal or purpose
- Associate with the outside world
- Mentor
- Preach and infiltrate society
- Change the world!!!
- Develop/accomplish a spiritual project
Nagaraja dasa in his BTG editorial (Jan/Feb 08) said, "We can easily get sidetracked by secondary aspects of Krsna conscious culture. For example lots of enjoyable things are part of the Krsna conscious way of life. But we have to carefully remember that the essence is service."
May I humbly suggest bypassing years of Kuli Melas and instead dovetail laksmi, energy, and devotion directly in service to Lord Caitanya's mission: Organize and equip traveling harinama and book distribution teams; fun can co-exist with sacrifice (spiritual recreation)… day caravans to outlying areas give rise to opportunities for picnics, frisby, swimming in lakes/rivers, scenic drives, and at times campouts; and gas dollars are a tithe! Post parties on the web for those wishing to join.
Caitanya Mahaprabhu desires that the sight and sound of sankirtana continue throughout Kali-yuga. Today His Movement continues to be "novel" (new and different), but is "stagnant" due to lackluster harinama activity. Here is the "baton" if you choose to be instrumental in changing that… firing up ISKCON… helping to manifest the global "Hare Krsna explosion" Radhanath Swami alluded to.
Thank you,
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Rupacandra dasi
