My dear devotees, all glories to Srila Prabhupada and all pure devotees. I write you from Miami, wishing you a happy new year, in the service of our guardians and our respective istadevas.

Compassion for the suffering

In the terrible inundations of the last earthquake, nature showed us one more time that we cannot have our eternal home here in the material world. People, with so much dedication, sweat and so much care, build the most beautiful places everywhere, to feel very comfortable in this material world, and with just one wave from the ocean, everything turns to nothing. Fortunately though, the souls are eternal.

Equally, we pray to Lord Krishna so that we always may be ready to leave this world and to feel compassion with all those who has suffered in this seaquake and the other tragedies in this material world. Like the people in the discotheque in Buenos Aires. Our help to the suffering people in this world should intensify; we should seriously dedicate time and resources to serve the greatest needs of the humanity.

Tsunami of materialism

I was thinking that what if several brahmacaris report themselves to make supportive service in the catastrophe areas. But then, since they maintain open temples, it would be very sad if the centers of immediate attention to get out of the material world, closed or didn't have anyone to attend people. Thinking of what Lord Chaitanya said, that the distributor of the message of Krishna makes the maximum good in this world, I would prefer to continue our service with much dedication, considering that all souls in maya are victims of the tsunami of the material illusion. The difference is that the tsunami comes to us only once, but wave after wave come to all areas of this world with its lust, rage and greed, and through the influence of this other kind of tsunami, not only people are in danger. Rather, everyone is in danger. There is a danger for animals, for children, for everyone who does not consider capricious desires.

Srila Prabhupada sent the workers of transcendental benefit to attend the depressed and afflicted, the victims of the material tsunami with the message of an invitation directly to the spiritual world. This thought has comforted me, and also the thought that prabhu Haday and Lalita Madhavi distributed prasadam and the holy name on the beach of Madras, the night before the tsunami, and that they were miraculously saved.

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura Prabhupada said that the worst problem in this world is the lack of Krishna consciousness. The other problems arise from this problem. So please, let us dedicate to help the victims of the materialism, which was invited by each one of us.

Darwinism defeated by modern scientists

Now to another thing... In my last visit in Germany, I discovered something very interesting. A group of Christian scientists have taken to their heart the work of the Bhaktivedanta Institute. They have crushed Darwinism and written very convincing literature - sadly only in German - on this subject. If you know German, you can find their work on this address: www.wort-und-wissen.de (There is also a site on this subject on http://www.theunjustmedia.com/Darwinism%20Refuted/Homepage%20Darwin%20Evolution%20Theory%20Refuted.htm [translator's comment]). This means that Srila Prabhupada inspired many scientists who totally defeat the idea that we come from monkeys or are a result of some explosion. This gives us a lot of preaching material for the universities, especially for the preaching in South America. The most indisputable book is called "Evolution", a book of critical teaching that also has movies.

Visions for the new year

This year I will push very much on the sankirtan, the distribution of the Vedic wisdom, books and CDs of music and dictated material. I have seen some examples, that this humble preaching can improve the finances of the temples and bring many more people to the family. Of course, in order to open many centers in small villages, and to think of the business one can make, like of prasadam, a shop, yoga classes, etc., one has to be well prepared. It is important that wherever we go, we make something very pure for Srila Prabhupada, and that we behave very well in how to do this, in order to create a new centre for Krishna consciousness without committing legal faults and imprudence.

Srila Prabhupada favoured very much to expand Krishna consciousness decentralized. In this moment, we have in each country a juridical person under my care, with the help of some senior devotees, to protect the possible good that can be bought or donated for the use of Lord Chaitanya. Furthermore, it is very good to have local registers, like they have done in Chile, in the form of cultural clubs, because it is very important that the local devotees also understand what it means to be a member of a Vaisnava community in before the society. Therefore one has to give up the desire for a hippie life and become accurate.

We grow by learning

As for me, during the years in Krishna consciousness I have learned thousands of things, and I am still learning, so there is no argument among you - young or old have to learn much more to serve the transcendental cause as it deserves. It is rather that all of you deserve to grow more, because one who does not grow remains a little dwarf. One becomes old when one stops to learn. For me, each new visit to a new country means to learn many new things. This material world does not have order, but you have order.

Well, I thank you for your presence here, with all desire in my heart that everything goes fine with you and that you keep enthusiastic to truly sacrifice for the cause of Krishna, because without sacrifice, there is also not much of our spiritual advance. I always like the spiritual marathon in the service. I long for to live and die in the marathon for Srila Prabhupada and for all of you, like I have seen how my Gurudevas how they lead their life till the end.

I wish you a most successful year in practicing Krishna consciousness, with all my affection and the blessings of Srila Prabhupada and the Holy Name.

B.A. Paramadvaiti Swami