Homages from ISKCON Centers

Homages from ISKCON Centers
New Orleans
Our dear Çréla Prabhupäda,
Please accept our humble obeisance at the dust of your lotus feet. All glories unto you!
You named ISKCON of New Orleans New Saìkértana Puré. By your mercy this temple lived up to its
name for many years, i.e., the devotees enthusiastically engaged in book distribution, harinäma, etc. We
made many devotees of Lord Kåñëa here. But somehow, by Mäyä’s influence we are at present unable
to do so. Please shower your mercy on us again so that we can overcome all stumbling blocks and once
again become a fired-up saìkértana temple. Some of us are your direct disciples, and some are your
granddisciples, i.e., disciples of His Holiness Jayapatäka Swami, His Holiness Bhakti Cäru Swami, and
His Holiness Subhäga Swami. We are trying to re-establish the forgotten glories of New Saìkértana Puré.
We have revived the Ratha-yäträ festival in the French Quarter, providing kåñëa-prasädam to more than
three thousand visitors. Also, the attendance at our Sunday Feast has doubled.
We are facing some legal problems, which we are confident we can overcome by your mercy and
Kåñëa’s. Most of our neighbors are happy with us. Only a few dare raise their voices against Kåñëa, just
as there were some asuras who tried to hinder Kåñëa’s pleasure pastimes in Gokula and Våndävana. We
know that these hindrances are there to make us stronger in devotional service. We hope to remain at
the dust of your lotus feet so that in this lifetime all of us can go back home, back to Godhead, together.
Your humble servants at New Saìkértana Puré Dhäma, ISKCON’s temple in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
New Ramaëa Reti
nama oà viñëu-pädäya kåñëa-preñöhäya bhü-tale
çrémate bhaktivedänta-sväminn iti nämine
namas te särasvate deve gaura-väëé-pracäriëe
nirviçeña-çünyavädi-päçcätya-deça-täriëe
Moment by moment is what we are striving for,
To remember your instructions and to take them to heart.
Moment by moment it’s stuck in my mind—
You said, “Don’t think this won’t happen to you”
As you lay in Våndävan and we begged for more time.
Moment by moment—it’s frozen in time:
The moment you left us.
We broke down and cried.
Moment by moment we crawl on in pain.
The separation only grows as we realize what’s been taken from us,
Day after day.
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