BY BHAKTI CAITANYA SWAMI
ORIGINAL ARTICLE: Dandavats.com
My dear Radhe Syama devi dasi,
Please accept my blessings. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
You have left us, but we feel your presence spiritually. You were a wonderful example of a sincere devotee who is dealing with the responsibilities of household life in this world.
I remember when I first met you, on one of my first visits to Singapore around 20 years ago. Your husband, Gauracandra prabhu, was an active devotee in the ISKCON temple at the time, and was very enthusiastic about Krishna consciousness. We met, and immediately developed a nice relationship.
He took me to your flat, and I met you, and stayed with your family. At the time you were not so convinced about Krishna consciousness, but as we discussed over a short period of time you became convinced and then took up the active practice of devotional service.
From the time you seriously got into it you immediately became an exemplary devotee. I remember on so many occasions you appealing to me to get Gauracandra and your son Ashvin to become more serious in their spiritual lives. Practically every time I would come you had a list of concerns about their practices in Krishna consciousness, and you expressed them to me strongly.
It was clear that your heart had become completely focused in your spiritual life, and I was so impressed to see the wonderful transformation that had taken place in your life.
I think I first became aware of your health challenges when we were on parikrama in India some years ago. Gauracandra prabhu informed me that it was difficult for you to walk or climb stairs because of your heart condition. I was surprised as you seemed as fit as anyone else, but little did I know then that it was a serious health problem which would bring us to the situation we find ourselves in today.
However, despite your health you continued in a fully dedicated way in your devotional service. You did Deity worship in the Kuala Lumpur ISKCON temple, and regularly cooked for the Jagannatha Deities there. You also became a counsellor for younger female devotees.
Then you returned to Singapore when your health situation worsened, but you continued being nicely focused spiritually here also. You performed the Damodar programme with the Sindhi community on a number of occasions, and would regularly tell me how you were concerned that the Sindhis somehow become more involved in their spiritual heritage. You also remained concerned about how your mother and siblings were doing in Krishna consciousness.
Like this your heart was always full of selfless concern for the spiritual lives of everyone, and you maintained this to the end.
I remember, the day before yesterday, when we were able to have our last proper communication, I said to you that when you go to Krishna you must put in a good word with Him for us who are left behind in this world. Although up to that point in our exchange you had not expressed much emotionally, other than feelings of pain because of your physical condition, when I asked you to speak to Krishna on our behalf when you meet Him, you smiled broadly. It was really wonderful to see.
So now you have gone to Him, and we are left behind, missing you. However we will meet again for certain in Goloka Vrndavana, in the Kingdom of God. I am sure of that. We will all be together eternally in the company of the Supreme Lord, Sri Krishna in the spiritual world.
Thank you for the wonderful association you gave me. Thank you for the wonderful cooking you did for me. Thank you for your dedication to the practice of Krishna consciousness. I will never forget these things.
And, finally, please don’t forget the request. Please put in a good word for us left here in this material world. Please tell Lord Krishna and Srimati Radharani that we are trying our best to serve Them, and that we want to come and join you before too long.
Hoping this meets you well.
Your ever well-wisher,
Bhakti Caitanya Swami
“The widows who migrate to Vrindavan should be rehabilitated in their native states. There are temples and pilgrimage places in their native states too. The state governments should build widow shelter homes in their respective states,” said Hema Malini, the Member of Parliament from Mathura.
She wondered, “When the temples and other religious places are already there in those states, then why do they migrate here?” She was visiting some of the widow shelter homes in Vrindavan. She said that she will talk to the Chief Minister of West Bengal about facilitating the widows in their native state. A large number of widows come from there and Bihar to stay in Vrindavan. Read more › 
The main stories in this edition include:
Janmashtami 2014
Open Day
Volunteers – the driving force
The Founder Acarya
Down on the farm 
There is no difference between the Hare Krishna maha-mantra and omkara because both of them are sound representations of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 7.15.31 Purport) 
Students are enjoying dancing, chanting of Maha Mantra and learning about Lord Krishna and Iskcon. 
Indradyumna Swami: Moldova is a beautiful landlocked country with 3.5 million people in Eastern Europe. It is boardered by Romania and Ukraine. ISKCON has two temples there with 300 hundred active devotees. During my visit I participated in several television shows, numerous newspaper interviews, 2 very large public programs, harinams and a meeting with a number of distinquished personalities. I enjoyed the preaching so much that I plan to take my entire festival progam to Moldova next year! [ Photos by Indradyumna Swami and Mahavan das ] 
I feel happy that even after my departure, things will go on. I am happy that I have got so many sincere devotees who will carry on. That is my happiness. Letter to Madhudvisa, September 18, 1974. 
Dear devotees,
Please accept my best wishes. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
A very dear disciple of mine from Singapore, Radhe Syama devi dasi, passed away last night. I wrote her the following letter this morning, which is going to be read out at the funeral today.
She was a very sincere and dedicated soul. Please pray to Srimati Radharani and Lord Krishna for her.
Hoping this meets you well.
Your servant,
Bhakti Caitanya Swami 
If with the arrow of chanting the holy name of the Lord one pierces Lord Vishnu's lotus feet, by dint of performing this heroic activity of devotional service one receives the benefit of returning home, back to Godhead.
(Srimad-Bhagavatam, 7.15.42 Purport) 
Hamsaduta: I once heard that when some devotees wanted to buy a church in America you suggested that they should keep the altar and next put Radha-Krsna and give simultaneous lecture from Bible and from Bhagavad-gita. I was thinking that in Shree Lanka, if it would be all right to have a deity of Lord Buddha and speak simultaneously on the Dharmapatha(?) and also Bhagavad-gita, showing how Bhagavad-gita is beyond the stage of nirvana. Is that a good idea, Prabhupada, or not?
Prabhupada: Good idea, provided you can present properly. 
Why are people caught up in consumerism? Devamrita Swami, an internationally travelling monk, teacher and author explains what yoga psychology has to say on this hot topic.
Special thanks to Julian Coutada for making the intro animation.
Thanks to the lead actors Rebecca Sim, Rachel Eton and Katja Romanski as well as extra actor Danna Alvarez and Atom Smasher for his GoPro camera.
Filmed and produced by Bhakti Lounge, Wellington, New Zealand.
www.bhaktilounge.org.nz 
Equally ludicrous is the idea of people hating and killing each other because of race or ethnicity. The only thing we gain from this kind of violence is more anger, pain, and suffering. Nobody wins and it's nothing more than a battle of egos where one group needs to feel better than the other.
The Bhagavad Gita suggests that we look at each other's bodies as the clothing that covers the soul. Souls in this world are clothed in a variety of colors - black, brown, white, and yellow. Would a sensible person hate another person's clothing and harm that individual simply because of the clothing he or she was wearing? This is essentially what we are doing when we bring harm to another simply because of their skin color, place of birth, or the religion they practice. 
The Hare Krishna maha-mantra gives liberation and at the same time offers shelter at the lotus feet of Krishna. If one takes shelter at the lotus feet of Krishna after liberation, he develops his dormant ecstatic love for Krishna. That is the highest perfection of life. (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Antya-lila, 3.257 Purport) 
For a transcendental blissful life, chant the Hare Krishna mantra, come worship the holy place of Vrindavana, and always engage in the service of the Lord, of the spiritual master and of the Vaishnavas.
(Srimad-Bhagavatam, 4.23.7 Purport) 
Srila Prabhupada created ISKCON to facilitate the rehabilitation of all misguided souls toward the lotus feet of Krishna. The implementation of World peace through God conscious lies squarely on the shoulders of the representatives of Lord Chaitanya which includes all of us. The urgency of this cause has been loudly articulated in the clear and powerful instructions of the greatest Titan of devotion – Srila Prabhupada. One of the most important instructions he gave, was that all of us – the global community of Vaisnavas, must cooperate to build this great temple.
As individuals making up this harmonious body of ISKCON, it is our filial duty to Srila Prabhupada to cooperate in this mammoth task. There is no greater opportunity, there is no better time, and there is no better project to support generously with all your heart. Make your contribution to the TOVP an evocation of your love for Srila Prabhupada, the parampara and Panchatattva. 
Muci haya suci haya yadi krsna bhaje. It is said that even a cobbler or person born in the family of a cobbler can be elevated to the position of a brahmana (suci) if he takes to Krishna consciousness. Any person who is purely Krishna conscious and who engages in chanting the Hare Krishna mantra is the purest in the whole universe. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 4.12.37 Purport) 
It was a tumultuous maha kirtana mele, observed in Iskcon Benin,today September 14,2014. As both old and young enthusiastically vibrates the holy name of our dear most father, Sri krsna.