[PADA: Back in the day he was a great kirtana leader. God speed prabhu, may you attain the lotus feet of Krishna. ys pd]
New Mexico Temple - The Land of Enchantment
BY: SUKADEVA DAS
Sep 13, 2010 — ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO, My Dear Prabhu's, Please accept my humble obeisances. All Glories to Srila Prabhupada!
My name is Sukadeva das and I have been trying to become a humble servant of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami for the last 41 years. Prabhupada always wanted a full-time temple, opened 7 days a week, in New Mexico. There have been temples in Santa Fe and Albuquerque, but there is no permanent full-time temple at present.
By Srila Prabhupada's mercy, I am now preaching full-time in Albuquerque, even though I am living in my car and a motel room. Hare Nama Sankirtan is performed regularly and books are being distributed also. I am giving classes at the University of New Mexico.
I have found a storefront on Nob Hill, which is adjacent to the University. The landlord is agreeable to give me a year's lease provided that I can give him the required move-in costs. I have been in Albuquerque for 4 months and have no regular income to acquire or support the temple. I am humbly requesting and asking anyone who can give assistance for the $3,000 start-up costs, or any donation towards this amount to establish a full-time temple.
There has been good response from students and the general mass of people. A regular temple will give those interested an opportunity to see the Deity, hear Srila Prabhupada's Srimad Bhagawatam and Bhagavad Gita As It Is, and to taste Bhagawat Prasadam. If these activities take place, along with Krishna Kirtan, success for Srila Prabhupada's mission in New Mexico, the land of enchantment, will be fulfilled.
I have informed the landlord that the Lord will help me to acquire this property before he leases it to other competing parties. My 501 (c) 3 status is being sent from Santa Fe, so any donation to complete the transaction on the property, at this time, can be sent to Oliver Johnson, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87123. Wire transfers from Western Union or Walmart, are quite effective. Any questions can be directed to me at (818) 554-0353. The landlord has given me till the end of the week, Sept.18, 2010, to make a good faith payment.
I have had to sleep in my car and in church parking lots to establish this temple, but I am not in the least discouraged. Many devotees have sent much encouragement for this difficult assignment and I am enlivened without end.
Please help as Prabhupada and Krishna dictates within your heart.
All glories to Sri Sri Guru and Gauranga!
Aspiring to be your humble servant,
Sukadeva das
[PADA: Comments to angel108b@yahoo.com]
Thanks KD. Yes it is sad that many of the GBC's gurus have been living in five star hotels, or private houses with many servants; while many of the ISKCON devotees were booted out by these gurus and thus they ended up living in their cars, in cheap motels, or in crummy areas of the city because they could not afford a nicer residence. Srila Prabhupada says the Gaudiya Matha's guru program usurped the assets, and ISKCON had the same process going on.
ReplyDeleteThis whole guru thing was mainly a program of transferring the wealth and asset of ISKCON into the hands of a few elites, and taking the assets out of the hands of the mass of rank and file. It was largely an economic war against the citizens. And then the guru program deprived many school children / gurukulis of needed items for the same reason, they were siphoning off the wealth meant to care for the children into their opulent lifestyles. Yes, this is very sinful, and evidently they do not know they will have to pay back every farthing they usurped by working in Yamaraja's coal mines. ys pd
Hare Krsna - This is a short summary about the life of Sukadeva das (ACBSP) by Damaghosa das
ReplyDeleteI have known Sukadeva das since the early 1970's where he was TP in Seattle Wa USA. We have been great friends for all those years and later as he traveled from LA Calif to our farm in Wash several years in a row to lead our Janmastami / vyasa puja festivals.
He joined the movement in LA California back in 1969 and was formally initiated personally by Srila Prabhupada who gave him that name because he could see that he was so much attached to kirtan and preaching, something he did up until his last days.
Sukadeva was known then as one of the best kirtan leaders in iskcon and his kirtan tapes were sought after. Anyone would become enlivened just by being around him. He got married to Jagamohini dasi and had three children, two boys, Abhaya, and Nila Madhava and one girl, Madhurya lila, and lived in LA for a brief time.
As devotees at that time were sent all over the USA to open preaching centers, Sukadeva was sent to Arizona, Laguna Beach, Portland, San Francisco, Hawaii,Florida, and Seattle to preach on behalf of Srila Prabhupada. Later he also lived, after separation from his family, in the Los Angeles temple for around 5 years and later re locating to Albuquerque New Mexico.
During his stay in LA temple he was asked to come to various temples in Coconut Grove,Florida, Nairobi Africa, and India and they all asked him to remain there as Temple President, which he humbly declined. Sukadeva spent his life dedicated to the service of his spiritual master Srila Prabhupada and was greatly attached to reading his books daily. He and I would have many long discussions over the years over the Krsna Conscious philosophy based upon those books and personal realizations. He also worshiped over 300 Salagrams Silas as part of his daily program.
Myself and hundreds of others will miss his association when they learn of his passing. He was a wonderful, always laughing, happy, and totally determined devotee. Hare Krsna Damaghosa das November 23, 2018, the day he passed away.