Jai Srila Prabhupada. Thought I would submit my views on the poison issue, and to make a request regarding the BBT court case, and the poison issue remain separate at this time. The BBT must be restored first, then finally establish the DOM. These things alone will cure most of the ills plaguing Srila Prabhupada's mission.

The poison issue is not a topic that many devotees feel comfortable with AT ALL. So, most devotees blank out on it, simply don't discuss it - even avoid it. It is too painful of a topic. But, I have not seen devotees threaten their wrath for just wanting to discuss it, or call it total garbage. Anyway, Praghosh and I may talk about this privately.

On the other side, however, I will not allow myself to fall into the misconception that men like Tamal were sinister demons who cruely murdered Srila Prabhupada and took pleasure in seeing him suffer slowly die for months. And thus call for and demand their outright murder to avenge their poisoning of Srila Prabhupada, as Mahesh has alluded to.

Anger is expressed in words of hatred also. From those who support the poison theory I find a lot of hatred expressed toward those whom they have accused. They have tried and convicted many of these devotees in their own minds and thus make no effort in controlling their attacks against them. This, I do not subscribe to. Some have also linked Adridharan and Bhakti Caru Swami to the poisoning.

Personally, I cannot accept that Srila Prabhupada's whole illness was due to being poisoned over a long time. I have not ruled out the idea that there "could" have been some who wanted to speed up his leaving who looked at this as mercy - meaning Srila Prabhupada was already gravely ill and they may have seen this as a way of "helping" him leave sooner, which supported their desire to take over Srila Prabhupada's mission, so some may have accepted this. That is as far as I can go with this. BUT, I am nowhere convinced that this did in fact take place.

But, I refuse to become consumed by this. Not because I do not find it important. But for the following reasons. One is that this will NEVER be fully known. Too many questions will remain and cloud up the issue forever.

Krishna protects his devotees... what about Himself? Krishna goes to the forest to meditate on Himself, and a hunter shoots an arrow that hits Krishna's heel, and Krishna ends His earthly pastimes. He even left a "body" just to delude the non-faithful. Just see. Srila Prabhupada did not focus on Krishna's passing. We focus on His pastimes. Srila Prabhupada's leaving is also shrouded by this poison issue. But, like Krishna's passing, I see it as Krishna's arrangement. This is the material world, so even though Krishna Himself came and gave us the Gita, He also left in such a way as to delude those who remained envious of Him. He left in such a way as to cause doubt in the minds of those who were not fully faithful.

But, Srila Prabhupada instructed us not to dwell on how Krishna left, but dwell on His pastimes. Similarly we do not make a big issue of how Mahaprabhu left this world. We focus on his teachings. Srila Prabhupada did not focus his energy on how Bhaktisiddhanta left this world. He "mentions" it only a few limited number of times. Srila Prabhupada did not set aside his time and energy and dwell on the faults and misgivings of his godbrothers. If he would have, he would never have come to the West and saved us, but he would have mired himself in the politics of those events. Instead, we find that Srila Prabhupada put all of that behind him. How many times did he tell us that Bhaktisiddhanta was poisoned, or attempts were made to kill him? Only a very few times did he very briefly mention this. Compare this to how many times he, Srila Prabhupada, spoke about the Gita, about Krishna's pastimes and Mahaprabhu. He dwelt on giving us the mercy. He dwelt not on the festering puss of wounds, but on the sweet nectar of the flowers.

I know it sounds harsh to hear, but ultimately what difference does it make even if someone tried to poison Srila Prabhupada? Someone had tried to poison Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, and Srila Prabhupada very briefly, only a very few limited times, briefly mentions it, he did not dwell on it, he did not waste his time on trying to organize an effort to bring a court case against the offenders. He did now dwell on it at all. It was a black spot in the past. It was important to Srila Prabhupada - yes, of course, just like it is to us. But, I will not allow myself to become consumed by it. Srila Prabhupad did not consume himself with it. Rather, he did something totally wonderful. He set the example how we should deal with such matters also. What is that? He dwelt on the VANI of his Srila Prabhupadairitual master. He made that the only goal of his life. And, thus he succeeded to no end in carrying out his guru's orders and in pleasing his spiritual master. He did not dwell on the negatives, but he dwelt on the positives. He did not allow himself to be consumed with hatred and anger for those who tried to poison his spiritual master. He did not consume himself with wanting to bring them to trial and put them in jail or to see them murdered or go after them. Instead, he consumed himself on how to fulfill his guru's instructions - for that is the total sum and substance of spiritual life. He had this realization, and he succeeded in carrying out his life's mission, and performed the greatest service for Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur. He did this by putting the attempted murder of his own guru into a black corner of his mind, and refused to become consumed by it.

What will please Srila Prabhupada more? To become consumed with the poison issue, or become consumed with carrying out his instructions? IIIIFFFF (that is a BIG "IF") Tamal did give Srila Prabhupada poison, look at Srila Prabhupada's personal example and ask yourselves, would he be at all pleased if so many of his men spend the last years of their lives consumed with this issue - or will he be pleased by seeing how we consumed ourselves determined to carry out his many orders????

For this reason I support the BBT case and the implementation of the DOM, because I see them as important in carrying out his mission and fulfilling his instructions. But, I cannot find the same justification for allowing myself to become consumed by the poison issue. I find no real goal, no real spiritual value in pursuing it. Either way, it will not serve to fulfill Srila Prabhupada's instructions. I look to Srila Prabhupada's personal example on how he dealt with the similar issue. What really will please Srila Prabhupada? That we all hang Tamal, or that we fulfill his [Srila Prabhupada's] instructions? I accept that it "may" have happened, but, I see no real spiritual value in being consumed by it. That is not the goal of spiritual life. Let the crows dwell on the festering puss; I will rather associate with those who dwell on the sweet fragrance of the flowers.

What I do find is a real need to preach Srila Prabhupada's glories. Would Krishna Himself be more pleased that we broadcast to the world that Srila Prabhupada was poisoned, or will He be more pleased with us if we broadcast to the world Srila Prabhupada's greatness that is found in his Vani, and that HE alone is the Teacher that everyone should follow, that his teachings be followed?

I find no value in getting consumed by the poison issue. What would be the result? A Christian cult-like following who wind up glorifying their teacher's torture and murder? We find the main deity of Jesus is of him with iron stakes driven through his hands and feet, blood running out, a crown of thorns pushed on his head, with blood dripping down his totally agonized face, left stapled to a wooden post in the hot sun, thirsting for water, gasping his last agonized breath, then questioning God's protection. Is this how we want to see Srila Prabhupada remembered and "glorified" in the future? I will not dwell on such things. Where is the evidence that Srila Prabhupada will be pleased by us being consumed by all this?

Instead, I just visited an Indian store here on my visit to the Atlanta area. It was an Indian sweet shop, run by the Swami Narayan Temple. The man running the shop is dressed like brahmana, first class, a DVD is playing on the TV showing Jagannath's Ratha Yatra in Orissa, then a big festival at their main temple with hundreds of colorfully dressed mrdanga players and dancers, and their devotional bhajans, fire yajnas. It was actually a very nice experience - except that it was not Srila Prabhupada being glorified. The shop was first class clean - so many nicely prepared sweets, along with samosas and other spicey treats. The shop was busy. My kids noted that one man came out carrying many bags and he jokingly told his wife, "I am never coming back here again, you made me spend over $100 on just sweets." There were also Americans in the shop. One tasted some of the food and got on his cell phone and was telling the person, "Hey, you have to come here and try this food, it is out of this world." Other Americans were there buying, it was a busy shop. And, in the front is a model of the temple they are building. It is a massive temple and complex, all very nice temple architecture. So many live in the area, they have rented entire apartment complexes where only their followers live - in a small community in the city, so many shops, vegetarian restaurants. And, I go to the ISKCON temple. The same OLD converted house as it was 30+ years ago, only today it is 30 years older than it was 30 years ago. The same old buildings. The life is missing. The vibrance or potency is missing. It now resides with the Swami Narayan followers. They are doing what we should have been doing. They are building a massive temple - and have a small community right in the city, supporting their efforts by gathering donations and running restuarants and sweet shop, and simply glorifying their gurus and teachers. We are only consumed in fighting and name calling and harboring bad feelings - consuming ourselves with the only real dark spot in Srila Prabhupada's otherwise full, enlightened and glorious life.

We have lost it. We are no longer the vibrant living force spreading the glories of Prabhupada, Mahaprabhu.

Let's get the BBT restored, and the DOM implemented, and let's put last few remaining years we have left in consuming ourselves in how to really Please Srila Prabhupada by fulfilling his VANI - and follow Srila Prabhupada's example and not dwell on this poison issue.

There - I have presented my views on the poison issue.

One last, sort of related topic concerning the BBT case and changes of Srila Prabhupada's books. There have been calls for jail terms - to go after the likes of Jayadwaita and even Dravida. I find this distasteful.

Obviously I fully support the BBT case and want to see Srila Prabhupada's original books restored, but, I am not opposed to fixing obvious gramatic changes, as noted earlier, changes that Srila Prabhupada would obviously agree to. But, wholesale changes - changes just to change - it has gone way too far - we all agree. And changes to the very structure of the BBT, creating a BBT-i to replace what Srila Prabhupada set up, we all agree, this is totally unacceptable.

But, I find it unacceptable to demonize those who made the changes. Jayadwaita's service was to edit, English editor... And, Dravida's as well. Their fault was they went too far. They needed to be kept in check, but instead were given the green light by the GBC to go on and on. The real culprits were the GBC - for mismanaging, for not keeping those devotees in check. It is like a temple cook. His (or her) full time service is to cook, so he starts out cooking what Srila Prabhupada taught him, but, then he begins to change this, add that.. after 20 years he is only cooking pizzas, pasta, this Western concoction and that, and no longer cooks jalebis, samosas, or subjis spiced the way Srila Prabhupada taught. Should the cook be hanged? Or the temple president or GBC who allowed the cook to go astray? It is the duty of the GBC to keep up the standards, and the temple president's to manage properly, so the cook is ultimately not at fault. Rather, it is the managers who get the blame. As I told the story 2 weeks ago of Srila Prabhupada going into the LA kitchen and finding just one pot unwashed. He did not ask for the cook to come before him, but he asked for the temple president and GBC to come - and then he gave full chastisement to them, and put full square blame on them. Similarly, the blame for allowing all the changes to Srila Prabhupada's books, the changes to the BBT structure, the rejection of implementing and following the DOM, ALL of the blame rests squarely on the past and current so-called GBC, not on the cooks, or the editors. Devotees like Dravida are totally innocent, just like the cook who left the pot un-washed. Srila Prabhupada didn't ask to speak to that devotee. They were innocent devotees who performed their service - Srila Prabhupada laid full fault on the managers. So, I see even Jayadwaita as innocent. Especially Dravida. He is a nice Vaishnava, but he needed guidance, he needed to kept in check. Like the cook who left the pot unwashed, Srila Prabhupada did not go after him/her, he went after the GBC and temple president.

So, I find the talk about wanting to see jail terms for such devotees as distasteful. I have no interest in seeing any one jailed. I only want to see the BBT and Prabhupada's books restored and a new GBC that implements and follows the DOM. I just want to see Srila Prabhupada's instructions followed - as I know - without any doubt - that will please him. Calling for or seeing Jayadwaita locked up in jail, or any one else, I can't see this as being pleasing to Srila Prabhupada. Srila Prabhupada never called for any of his godbrothers to be locked up, he never consumed himself with anything like that at all; he only consumed himself in how fulfill the instructions of his Guru Maharaja. So, please, let this be our only mission as well.

YS,
Ameyatma

PS: Gadadhara das wrote:

<<<I read the book by this idiot who claims George Bush is a reptile shape shifter. To me that is wacko, nonsense and a waste of time to even think about. But you have Mukunda spreading this stuff around on YouTube and making Srila Prabhupada look crazy.>>>

It is a known for a fact that for over 100 years the international Jewish bankers have taken over the money supplies, first Europe and the US, now most of the world. That is easy to understand and to see. It is obvious that they also introduced all this total nonsense (misinformation) about a reptilian race and invasion from outer-space. Too many people were on to the bankers and the Rothschilds, so they simply put out all this nonsense about a reptilian race so that people like you will link the bankers taking over the world with stories like that and simply reject the whole thing as garbage. Misinformation works - you seem to be effected by it.

(To Gadadhara:) You actually took the time to "read" such a book? Better we stick with Srila Prabhupada's books.