Dear Readers and Friends,
Hare Krishna.
I'm writing to inform you that I'll be taking some time off from posting new material on this website and also from engaging in too much e-mail correspondence for the time being. I'm now facing some difficult health and financial challenges in my life which must be finally addressed.
In addition, I just discovered that although The Prabhupada Connection looks fine on my personal computer, the pages are crooked, misaligned, uncentered and overlapping on newer models with updated operating systems and browsers. So all 3,500 plus pages have to be methodically fixed and republished -- a laborious and time-consuming job.
As you may know, this website is nearing completion of its 14th year online. For the most part, I've tried to post something new on these pages almost every day. Because my computer is very slow -- and because I'm getting slower too in my advancing years -- the regular postings have now become quite a chore. As I still harbor other plans in Prabhupada's service, I have to seriously consider what's the best use of my limited time as it quickly diminishes before my eyes with approaching old age clearly on the horizon and looming overhead.
As well, I'm now being forced to become more serious about ensuring at least a minimal (and hopefully adequate) income to keep body and soul together -- something I've sorely neglected but got away with my entire life so far. But no more as time and old age would have it. (Unfortunately, I'm not 18 any longer.) Over the years, devotees and friends have kindly suggested that I place a donation link (such as PayPal) on The Prabhupada Connection. However I have steadfastly refused to do so (with apologies to my dear friends) because I never wanted to make money for personal expenses through my humble attempts at serving Srila Prabhupada. This is my service, and not a business. So I now have to focus on bare survival -- a material consideration, I admit -- but a necessary one, otherwise there will be no more service and no more Haribols from these quarters. Srila Prabhupada has given us the standard by which we must conduct our lives, and it's our duty to at least try to follow as best we can according to our individual capacity.
"We do not want anything as personal remuneration. Because nobody can write up this transcendental transaction who will work for material gain. That is the secret of this movement. Every member & worker must learn to sacrifice for God's sake; that is the principle of this movement."
(Srila Prabhupada letter, June 22, 1951)
Also in this connection, I'd like to share something relevant from Govinda dasi (see link to full article below) while she describes a pastime from Srila Prabhupada in Hawaii.
"He (Prabhupada) then explained to me that if one takes money for devotional service, that is all he will get -- the money. But not Krishna bhakti. He said it is better to do some business and make money separately than to serve Krishna and Guru and expect to be paid. That will not give the desired result of Krishna bhakti; one will get only the money. And, moreover, to take money from the Guru is considered to be a very bad thing. One should give to one’s guru, not take. There is a saying in India, “The Guru’s money is Bad money.” This saying says a lot. In India, there is an age-old understanding that to take from one’s guru ultimately brings great misfortune. Instead, out of gratitude for the loving instructions and grace coming from the Satguru, this great and illumined personality Srila Prabhupada, one should offer one’s mind and heart, as well as one’s wealth and time."
Full story here:
So that in a nutshell describes my current situation here. It's time to become more practical so that I'll (hopefully) be around for the long haul, by Krishna's grace. The tortoise won the race after all. But I'll try to post on a semi-regular basis for now if possible. Meanwhile please enjoy the more than 3,500 pages available here for your transcendental viewing pleasure. (You can catch up on our most recent offerings by scrolling through the "What's New" section.) Thank you very much for visiting The Prabhupada Connection.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
Pd
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