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Web Servant
Nombre de Usuario: Admin
Mensaje Número: 91
Registrado: 12-2002
| | Enviado Lunes, 24 de Febrero de 2003 - 06:43 am: |  |
Dear devotees,
It's my heavy-hearted duty to inform you that our beloved godbrother Kusakrata Prabhu has had his throat tumor analysed and the result is that it is malignant cancer. He has been told he has aproximately six months to
live.
He is presently penniless, and the devotees here are collecting on his behalf to help meet the inevitable expenses in care and treatment that will arise. Kindly spread the word and if any funds are collected, or you wish to send a personal donation, such donations may be send by Western Union. The receiver name is Philip Auld, you may send the receiver codes and sender name, etc., to me at this email address Kesidamana.ACBSP@pamho.net. This could be the last chance to serve such a great soul who largely dedicated his devotional life to making the wonderful esoteric Vaisnava literatures available to the devotee community. We are all in his debt, now is a chance to show your appreciation for his service to us all.
Kusa is taking it transcendentally and determined to not leave the dhama.
Hare Krsna,
Your servant, Kesidamana dasa
(Message edited by admin on February 24, 2003) |
Web Servant
Nombre de Usuario: Admin
Mensaje Número: 92
Registrado: 12-2002
| | Enviado Lunes, 24 de Febrero de 2003 - 11:05 am: | |
Dear Prabhus,
PAMHO. AGTSP!
I am deeply saddened to hear for Kusa Kratha Prabhu's physical condition and wish to ask all devotees across the world to sincerely pray for his miraculous recovery, or if it is the will of the Supreme Lord that he be taken from us, he may leave without pain and in full consciousness.
I am making my personal commitment to assist in his care financially to the best of my ability.
I have known Kusa Kratha dasa since the very early 1970's when he stayed in the San Diego Temple for several years with me. He is an extraordinary devotee with such determination to fix his mind cent per cent on Krishna and never allow his senses to drag him down. Always he was studying the shastra and memorizing slokas, I remember when he would give Srimad Bhagavatam class it was like hearing Sukadev Goswami as Kusa Kratha just vibrated one sloka after another spontaneously.
I remember once he was giving class before Sri Sri Radha Giridhari and I happened to look at him and then at the deities. In his eyes there were little stars spinning around like light bulbs within, and the deities had seemed to turn Their heads and were smiling so sweetly at Kusa Kratha! It just amazed me.
Over the years I have watched as he learned Sanskrit and Bengali and has dedicated himself to translated hundreds and hundreds of books for the pleasure of the world wide Vaishnava community. Really, to me his incredible volume of work could not but make me think that he has received some special empowerment from Srila Vyasadeva to do this seva.
My dear Kusa Kratha Prabhu, I pray you will recover and remain with us for some more years, There is not any doubt that you are returning to Nitya Leela when you do leave, and we will feel your separation deeply.
Your humble servant,
Bhakta dasa
quote:If you want to help Kusakrata Prabhu, please contact directly Kesidamana Prabhu at Kesidamana.ACBSP@pamho.net
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Web Servant
Nombre de Usuario: Admin
Mensaje Número: 93
Registrado: 12-2002
| | Enviado Lunes, 24 de Febrero de 2003 - 11:06 pm: | |
In glorification of His Grace Kusakratha prabhu.
[ Expressing my gratitude to Kusakratha prabhu for his selfless service for so many years.]
Kusakratha prabhu was formally initiated by Srila Prabhupada in New York on July 21, 1971. Srila Prabhupada was in a humorous mood on that day and was joking with some of his disciples. When Srila Prabhupada asked Kusakratha prabhu to recite the four regulative principles he did so, but stumbled on the last one saying, "um, no intoxication". Srila Prabhupada then said, "Which you like best? Which of them? " and there was laughter from the crowd of devotees. Kusakratha prabhu then said, "You are reading my mind, Srila Prabhupäda," to which Srila Prabhupäda replied laughingly, "All right. Don't do that again."
I first met His Grace Kusakratha prabhu during my first visit to the USA in summer (July/August) of 1978. It was the time for LA rathayatra. There were many sannyasis present at that time such as Acyutananda, Ramesvara, etc. There were literally hundreds & hundreds of devotees who had come from all over the continental US, as well as from many other countries such as Canada, Mexico, Germany, France, Australia, etc., who all enthusiastically participated in Srila Prabhupada's Krsna conscious society, ISKCON. Having come from a relatively isolated continent which was very rarely visited by outside devotees at the time, this was the biggest event I had ever attended and I was completely overwhelmed to experience the greatness, and the spiritual enormity of Srila Prabhupada's movement and his preaching efforts around the world. As far as I am aware, the LA rathayatra was at the time, the largest Krsna conscious festival in the world outside of the Jagannatha rathayatra in Sri Puri dhama.
As I had been a book distributor for some years, one day I decided to visit the BBT offices, just to see what went on there. When I entered there were only a couple of devotees there, since everybody else was busy with the rathayatra preparations. The devotee who greeted me was a very meek and mild-mannered person who was dressed in typical brahmacari fashion for that time. The dhoti and kurta were completely wrinkled and seemed not to fit properly. I think some kurta buttons were also put into the wrong holes. His head was shaved and the few hairs which constituted his sikha seemed to stand to attention at the back of his head. He had a smile on his face but he seemed rather awkward or embarrassed at having to deal with me. This was Kusakratha prabhu.
We only spoke for a short while but during that time he gave me what was then, a copy of a completely unknown manuscript which he had recently translated. It was called the Sri Nityanandastakam. I could hardly believe my good fortune! Having access to such a wonderful stotra as this, was hardly comprehensible to my limited intelligence. I still have that same copy which we use to sing with and glorify Sri Nityananda prabhu every year on His avirbhava.
Over the proceeding years, because of our different places of serving Srila Prabhupada, Kuskratha prabhu and I didn't come into contact again until around 1986, again at LA rathayatra time. I would always try and acknowledge him whenever I saw him. But it wasn't until around 1990 or so that our paths converged in a more serious fashion. It was around this time that I found out about his efforts to translate and publish himself, the hundreds of voluminous, esoteric literatures of the Vaisnava acaryas of our Gaudiya parampara. Kusakratha prabhu was living alone (which I suspect he had already been doing for some years) and having to pay rent, utilities, buy computer equipment (the days of 5.25" floppy discs!) and whatever other expenses living alone incurs...all as a penniless brahmacari, trying to do this service for the vaisnava community.
It had been my habit for many years to try and acquire whatever Bhakti sastras (besides Srila Prabhupada's translations) were available. So when I learned of Kusakratha prabhu's endeavor to undertake such a weighty, time-consuming and valuable service, I was filled with great joy. I immediately bought whatever few books he had published (Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana prabhu's Aisvarya Kadambini), and asked him to please keep me informed about everything he produced. Over the next ten years Kusakratha prabhu began to personally translate, edit, type and publish hundreds of these incomparably valuable literatures, all at his own expense and trouble and with no help from anyone. However, not having any help was not his only problem. There were persons within the vaisnava book-publishing world actively trying to prevent his translation work because they thought his efforts were in competition with theirs and that they should somehow or other reap the profits from such work.
Whenever I had the opportunity to come to LA it would always be my priority to visit Kusakratha prabhu's apartment to find out what new valuable nectar was available there. The only difficulty with that was actually entering his apartment. Because as soon as he opened his door (which was also sometimes difficult) one would see dozens of boxes, hundreds of books and thousands of pages strewn over the apartment floors from one end to the other. In fact it was not possible to actually see the floor.
We would converse for some time and discuss what the new 'nectar' was and occasionally I would inquire about what seemed to be spelling errors in the books. He would explain that as he had to do all the work personally, there would no doubt be some mistakes here and there, which he was sorry for.
A few years ago when we were speaking on the phone, Kusakratha prabhu told me of his plan to relocate to Sri Brndabana dhama. I already had a residence in the dhama and I was very happy to hear of his decision, because this is the goal of all followers of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Rupa Gosvami.
During the years between 1990 and 2000 I was always complaining to him that his books were too expensive, especially considering their size. But he would explain that because there was such a dearth of interest in such literatures even within ISKCON worldwide, it was not possible for him to print more than a hundred at one time. This fact obviously drove the price up enormously.
I was also always trying to convince him to put all his books on a CD so one could have easy access and portability to these sastric jewels, since traveling is such an intrinsic activity for western Vaisnavas. Around the year 2000, we met again in Brndabana and while trying to persuade him once again about the viability of a CD, he happily informed me that someone had bootlegged quite a few of his books and had transferred them to CD. He even gave me the names of a few devotees whom he thought had copies of the CD, so that I may acquire my own.
However the most amazing thing was not the fact that he was happy that his books were being illegally copied onto CD, bootlegged and sold by others for personal profit, despite his years of sole personal struggle; neither was it the fact that he was willing to give me the names of the bootleggers from whom I could obtain such a copy; the truly amazing thing was that Kusakratha prabhu had no such CD copy himself! Therefore it was no surprise to read of Kusakratha prabhu's 'pennilessness' today. He is a person who has strived his utmost to serve Srila Prabhupada's mission for the major part of his glorious life, despite attempts by others to curtail that service. Glorious too, is his attitude that others are obtaining his translations, though he does not profit from that financially.
Since our first meeting in 1978, I was of the opinion that Kusakratha prabhu was rather idiosyncratic in his lifestyle and methodology. But all of us are that, to one degree or another. The universality of Krsna consciousness is such that when one can find a like-minded soul who is serious about sravanam-kirtanam and devoid of false-ego, a person who has no desire for position, name or fame within the (ISKCON) society, who is happy simply to try and render service to Srila Prabhupada, who will not be dissuaded from such service attitude even though the prevailing 'powers that be' may harangue and criticize him from all sides, one should eagerly try for that person's sanga. Because it is that universality alone which binds us eternally at Srimati Radhika's lotus feet. Kusakratha prabhu is such a person whose sanga should be sought.
Srila Prabhupada often stated how uniquely important Krsna conscious book distribution is. But someone had to write and/or translate those books for the western world. We know from history that some great personalities like the Gosvamis write those books, while Srila Prabhupada both wrote AND
distributed his books. Kusakratha prabhu's great service to Srila Prabhupada & the world is that he has given us all access to the unlimited mine of jewels that is the books of the great Vaisnava acaryas. By his unflinching efforts we all have the opportunity to enter into the intimate realizations of Sri Krsna's confidential servitors. Everybody is indebted to Kusakratha prabhu.
The last time I saw Kusakratha prabhu was in Brndaban dhama in 2001. He still has the awkward looking sikha and his dhoti still looks like it isn't wrapped properly. He still eats out of whatever singular utensil he can find. Ever since I met him I have told others that he is an avadhuta. He is a real brahmacari's brahmacari, with no concern for foppery or attracting the opposite sex.
I will personally pray that the Lord keeps Kusakratha prabhu within our presence for many years to come, despite the prognosis of the doctors. I would also humbly urge the vaisnava community to give generously to aid his medical & other needs so that we may all get the chance to serve one more pure-hearted vaisnava.
SB. 3.1.19
TRANSLATION
While so traversing the earth, he simply performed duties to please the Supreme Lord Hari. His occupation was pure and independent. He was constantly sanctified by taking his bath in holy places, although he was in the dress of a mendicant and had no hair dressing nor a bed on which to lie. Thus he was always unseen by his various relatives.
PURPORT
The first and foremost duty of a pilgrim is to satisfy the Supreme Lord Hari. While traveling as a pilgrim, one should not be worried about pleasing society. There is no need to depend on social formalities or occupation or dress. One should remain always absorbed in the function of pleasing the Lord. Thus sanctified by thought and action, one is able to realize the Supreme Lord by the process of a pilgrim's journey.
Hoping this meets Kusakratha prabhu in good health I remain,
your servant,
Ganesa dasa [ACBSP] |
Tarunyam
Nombre de Usuario: Tarunyam
Mensaje Número: 2
Registrado: 02-2003
| | Enviado Viernes, 21 de Marzo de 2003 - 04:09 am: | |
ZrI ZrI Guru-GaurAngau JayataH
Greetings Prabhus, Matajis.
KoTi daNDavat praNAms in remembrance of our Divine Masters.
I first met Bhakta Peter (KKd) in May1971 at 439 Henry Street, Brooklyn ISKCON. He had recently arrived from ISKCON Buffalo. We shared potwashing duties. SO MANY STORIES! We would read (hot off the press) those Individual 2nd Canto Bhagavatam chapters one after another, together while riding to & from HarinAm sankIrtan in NYC subways & during prasAdam lunch breaks along with BhImasena, Bhuta-bhavana, Hari-vasAra, JagadAnanda, Bhakta John (JanArdan), RohinI-kumAr, Bhakta Mark 1 (ChedirAj), Bhakta Mark 2 (Hrsikesh), Bhakta Brian (RomapAd)...
Bhakta Peter (KK) used to write out slokas on index card-size paper, then tape them onto potwashing room wall above sink, in this way gradually memorizing each one with word meanings as he washed each pan, pot, tray, utensil. Seeing this, I thought to myself:
"This is my kind of vaisnav! Simple living, High thinking ki jaya!!"
Actually, KKd replaced Bhakta Gene, a recently surrendered Vietnam Vet who gave up his life (BQE bridge) just weeks before PrabhupAd's July1971 arrival.
I was present at Kusa-kratha Prabhu's 1st & 2nd initiation 4Sep1972 New VrndAvan. I am almost positive KK 1st initiation was at least one week before Ganesh Prabhu's aforementioned (above) 21July1971, a day or 2 before PrabhupAd went back & forth to Gainesville for a Radio Program.
I'll tell u more + our 1972 ISKCON Houston pastimes NEXT TIME.
Till then, subha-labha.
ahimsa, om shanti shanti = Worldwide Peace! ys, TaruN KRSNa dAs
tornd@hotmail.com |
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