“Knowing you to be a senior Vaisnava, absorbed in service to your Gurudeva, we beg your permission to speak our hearts without reservation. We pray that you will forgive our familiarity, as an uncle forgives the familiarity of his nephews.”

— ISKCON UK Devotees
     Letter to Narayana Maharaja

See also: 

• LA Policy Re: Narayan Maharaja

• Batic Regions Open Letter

• Open Letter from Saranagati and Vancouver

ISKCON UK Petitions Narayana Maharaja
Submitted by Sivarama Swami, GBC for UK

Dear Srila Narayana Maharaja,

Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Sri Sri Guru and Gauranga. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

We, the members of ISKCON UK, humbly write this letter to clarify our position as followers of His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Knowing you to be a senior Vaisnava, absorbed in service to your Gurudeva, we beg your permission to speak our hearts without reservation. We pray that you will forgive our familiarity, as an uncle forgives the familiarity of his nephews.

Our considered conviction is that the teachings of ISKCON's founder, Srila Prabhupada, are a perfect and complete beacon to guide us back to Krishna. We're aware that other Vaisnavas are not in full agreement with our understanding of these teachings, and, like you, offer their opinions on how we should clarify and enhance our awareness. We have observed, however, that such attempts at supplementary instruction often compromise devotees' commitment to Srila Prabhupada; therefore, we feel no need to avail ourselves of them.

Throughout the year, and especially at the times of your visits, this yatra is under siege to convert to your line of thought. Our respectful entreaty is that you and your followers stop trying to recruit ISKCON members to your line of thought. We would like to live in an atmosphere of mutual respect with other Vaisnavas, free from intimidation and harassment, respected for our own realization of what it means to be a Prabhupadanuga.

There are unlimited conditioned souls who have not heard of Krishna. We would like to concentrate our energies on delivering Lord Caitanya's message to them, rather than having our focus diverted to duelling with other Vaisnavas, especially those who profess to have the same mission as ISKCON. Please, therefore, be kind upon us. Allow us to pursue our line of devotion according to our own conviction, and to continue to respect all Vaisnavas as the variegated embodiment of Sri Krishna's unlimited potencies.

As Vaisnavas are always forgiving, our humble prayer is that you will forgive the boldness of this letter.

Your servants in the service of Srila Prabhupada,

(Signed by the devotees of the UK Yatra) 

© CHAKRA 14-June-2001

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