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topUnder the
affectionate guidance of
Dear Devotees and Friends, We are happy to share with
you some news from The Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Seva
Ashram... An Interview
with Hasyapriya Prabhu on
the Temple Development Project
An Article by
Vaidehi Devi Dasi on the
New Generation of Devotees Coming
Forward
A Recent Interview with
Hasyapriya Prabhu by Sushila Devi
Dasi
Sushila: Why do you want to redevelop the
Seva Ashram? Hasyapriya:
Trying to serve the expressed desire
of Srila Govinda Maharaj, our goal is to legally develop the
Ashram to support our current activities and to increase the
facilities to better serve the devotees. Srila Gurudev
has said that these developments would be pleasing to
the Deities and to himself. Please tell us about the
guesthouses. Govinda Maharaj has transcendental vision for
the service of the devotees. When Srila Gurudev visits
we want to properly serve the needs of devotees who
travel here from around the world. He has suggested that
each bedroom have some privacy and it's own bathroom. We
are building accommodations that are personal and suit
the needs of devotees. So the plans include 4 guesthouses
with 6 to 9 bedrooms each. They will accommodate weekend
as well as month-long visits, and house the full time
servitors who want to live here and dedicate themselves
to Srila Govinda Maharaj's mission. Can
you tell us about Srila Gurudev's new
quarters? Srila Gurudev has
expressed that he desires a larger room for meeting
with his friends and disciples. Our plan provides a room
similar in the size to his Darshan room in Nabadwip. How
has Srila Gurudev been involved in the
project? At times he has directed the small details, and at other times
he gives encouragement and overall direction. In
1997 we presented our first plan to Srila Gurudev in India
and the next day he took me to his friend who is
an engineer and whose daughter is an architect.
They developed the first comprehensive design.
Srila Govinda Maharaj advised them on the size of
some of the rooms and other points. I remember he said
the verandas should be 8 feet wide so that there is
room to seat and serve prasadam during big
festivals. This
project requires a lot of money; where will it come
from? The real answer is: "We don't know, but
we have faith that it will come". Our devotees and friends
are helping in whatever way they can. During Christmas-time
devotees were selling cookies, maybe 1 or
2 hundred dollars worth of cookies in an evening. One
person came to a cookie table and gave a donation of
$6,000; so anything is possible. We live in the land of miracles where Krishna can make
anything happen. Krishna's will is expressed by Sriman Mahaprabhu's
coming to spread the Holy Name among the most
fallen, and Srila Govinda Maharaj is the pure representative
of Sriman Mahaprabhu. Srila Govinda Maharaj's
desire is to manifest Sriman Mahaprabhu's plan, and through
his backing some miracles may come to us. A young child of one of the devotees in our
community saw a presentation on this project and
immediately donated a dollar. Others are giving 10
and 20 thousand dollars. Some are working with our
painting business to generate income. We are all born with
some capacity but when we are serving under the guidance of
a pure devotee, through his potency, we can exceed our
natuaral capacity (karma). That power can come to us in all
different ways. Click here to make a
donation right now! When
will this project be completed? Srila Govinda Maharaj asked: "Will this
happen in my lifetime?" Our prayer is to build this
ashram under his guidance and to present it to him
personally. With the help and blessings of all the
devotees everything is possible. How
far along are we? We have to submit an application to Santa
Cruz County for a permit to develop the property. We
have been working with engineers, architects,
consultants, and other professionals to create a unified
plan that addresses the County's concerns. Next we share the plans with our neighbors
for their feedback. One of our neighbors told me: "When
I come home from work and relax on my porch, I hear the
chanting in the background and think how lucky I am to
live here"; so we are hopeful for our neighbor's
support. What
is next? In the month of April,
we are trying to raise another $35,000 as many
expenses still remain. So we are asking everyone to assist us with contributions so
we can finish the application process. I wish to thank everyone who
has helped already and thank you
all in advance for doing all you can
to assist this project. Jaya Gurudev! How
do you see this project benefiting Santa
Cruz? Santa Cruz County is
famous for being a center of spirituality. The local mountains
are filled with communities of all types including
Buddhists and Christians. For at least 100
years the Seventh Day Adventists have had a large
project on Old San Jose Road, very near to our
Ashram. Santa Cruz residents and
the devotees who have been attracted here have
a unique spiritual style. I think the beautiful land
of the Seva Ashram with the hills, trees, water, and wildlife combined
with the spiritual practices as taught by
our beloved Srila Gurudev, and the devotional mood
of the Vaishnavas is the perfect fit for Santa Cruz. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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