Dear Bhakta Prabhu,
Please accept my dandavat pranams with respect.
For clarification I'd like to share with you some of the history that may be unknown to your goodself, as well as point out that the Eugene Ashram is not the mission of Narayan Maharaj or the Keshava Gaudiya Math. Our Ashram is conducted under the shelter and Guidance of Srila Govinda Maharaj and the Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math of Navadwip, West Bengal India. It is the mission of His Divine Grace Bhakti Rakshaka Srila Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj, who was singled out and honored by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur as the foremost leading disciple, the protector of the Rupanuga Gaudiya Sampradaya, and the Gaurdian of Devotion "Bhakti Rakshaka" . Srila Sridhar Maharaj was recognized and honored by all of Srila Saraswati Thakur's disciples including Srila Prabhupad, and all took sannyas from him after the departure of Srila Saraswati Thakur. Srila Prabhupad also earnestly wished to recieve sannyas from him, but Srila Sridhar Maharaj asked him to wait a while because he was an intimate friend of Srila Prabhupad's family. Srila Prabhupa became impatient and so he subsequently took sannyas from Keshava Maharaj, considering that-since Keshava Maharaj recieved sannyas from Srila Sridhar Maharaj also, he will still be in his line. In fact, the name 'Bhaktivedanta' was awarded to Srila Prabhupad by Srila Sridhar Maharaj, and Keshava Maharaj retained that title when he confered sannyas and the name "Swami Maharaj" upon Srila Prabhupad, and by which he is affectionately known by our mission to this day. Srila Prabhupad is a dear friend of our Math and we honor him and his magnificent contribution to the world through his high degree of self-sacrifice and world-wide preaching movement.

The relationship between Srila Prabhupad and Srila Sridhar Maharaj is very long, intimate and affectionate. Even Srila Prabhupad's sister lived up until her passing at Srila Sridhar Maharaj's Math in Navadwip.They first met in 1930 in Allahabhad and when Srila Prabhupad lived and had his pharmacy at Sita Kantha Banerjee lane in Calcutta he donated the upstairs portion for Srila Sridhar Maharaj to use as a preaching center and they spent much time everyday discussing the scriptures, specifically the Gita which Srila Prabhupad would later publish "As it Is'. Srila Govinda Maharaj also lived there as a bramachari from 1945-46-47 and was the first distributor of the fledgling "Back to Godhead" magazine on the streets of Calcutta at that time. Srila Prabhupad considered him a 'dear son" and Srila Govinda Maharaj has shared with us much history of Srila Prabhupad's early years and still has the several letters that Srila Prabhupad wrote him from America seeking guidance from Srila Sridhar Maharaj before his passing.

In a taped conversation recorded in 1973 at Srila Sridhar Maharaj's Math in Navadwip, Srila Prabhupad says: " So we are very fortunate to hear from Om Vishnupada Paramahamsa Parivrajakacharya Bhakti Rakshaka Sridhar Maharaja. By age and experience , in both ways he is senior to me. Sridhar Maharaj lived in my house for many years, so naturally we had many intimate talks and he was my good advisor. I took his advices, instructions, very seriously because from the begining I know that he is a pure vaisnava, a pure devotee, I wanted to associate with him and tried to help him also, our relationship is very intimate. I consider Srila Sridhar Maharaj to be even my shiksha-guru, what to speak of the benefit you can have by his association."

Srila Prabhupad wanted Srila Sridhar Maharaj to become the president of ISCKON but Srila Sridhar Maharaj refused considering that he would not live too many years more. There is a famous picture of the speeches given at the opening of the Chandroya Mandir in Mayapur and Srila Prabhupad is sharing the vyasasan with Srila Sridhar Maharaj and glorifies him in the recorded speech. It was Srila Sridhar Maharaj that recognized Srila Prabhupad as Shaktyavesha Avatar. And it was Srila Govinda Maharaj who intelligently asked; "Shaktyavesha Avatar of Whom? Srila Sridhar Maharaj replied: " Nityananda Prabhu".

The point I'd like to make with all of this valuable history is that we need to understand the facts according to sambanda-jnana- the proper perspective and understanding. We should try to understand why Srila Prabhupad wanted to shield his fledgling bhaktas from SOME of his godbrothers. The members of his society were very young and immature in thier conception. They needed to be protected until they were sufficiently mature in devotional matters. We don't spend our whole lives in second grade. No, we progress...one, two, three.
Kanishta adhikar, madyama adhikar, uttama adhikar. Spiritual life is a dynamic living experience of progressive devotional surrender and service, or as my Guru Maharaj has termed it.. "The subjective evolution of consciousness". It is never a static position. There must be living progress and dynamic development. The inner substance of divine consciousness must grow within us..dharmasya tattvam nihitam guhayam. And that progress necessitates hearing from and serving a higher vaisnava. Srila Prabhupad has given us an immense amount of information but he would want us to grow up as well. It's not enough to simply read books. We need to actively be engaged and serve a living, present vaishnava. Srila Prabhupad directed myself and many others to the feet of Srila Sridhar Maharaj, and I am absolutely confident that Srila Prabhupad is pleased that we are sheltered under Srila Govinda Maharaj.

I also honor and respect those devotees who are fully dedicated to ISCKON. We LOVE Srila Prabhupad and respect his glorious mission.
But we should not afflict ourselves with the dangerous myopia of thinking that ISCKON is the ONLY truth, light and way... as displayed by some narrow-minded born again christians in thier limited view of Jesus. The Infinite Reality that is Krsna can reveal Himself through infinite agents and circumstances.....As Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur has stated in His famous Bhagavat speech: 'Party spirit is the great enemy of truth". And...
"Of all the plagues with which mankind is cursed, ecclesiastic tyranny is the worst."
Vaishnava appharad will kill your devotion. It's better to look for the good in others and thereby find the good in ourselves.
And in Gita we find....
yo mam pasyati sarvata..."For one who sees me everywhere, and everything in Me. I am never lost, nor is he ever lost to Me."
Some may serve ISCKON thier whole lives and that is glorious. Others may, out of inner necesity, (tatra laulya api mulyam ekalam-Rupa Goswami) may have to leave the association of ISCKON for another installment in thier inner development. The point should not be a loyalty to an organization. The point should be a desperate search for Truth and the living experience of Krsna Consciousness.
Look beyond party spirit or the formalities..seek the substance!
Hare Krsna, All Glories to Srila Prabhupad!