My best to everyone - final thoughts

Dandavats. All glories to the Vaisnavas.

It is with heavy heart that I offer my resignation as a moderator for Gaudiya Discussions as well as a member of this online community. Simply put I don’t feel that my spiritual interests are best served in my continued participation on this forum. Gaudiya Discussions played a pivotal part in my spiritual evolution over the last few years but at this juncture in my life I simply feel it is time to remove myself from the environment. Simply put I am not a philosophical man nor a deep theological thinker so broad discussions on Gaudiya theology does little to inspire my faith. That aspect coupled with the continued tensions on the forum really equate to an unhealthy environment for me.

I am still a believer that an online Vaisnava sanga is important, and possible, but, at least in my world, it is best realized in an environment where everyone holds the same aspirations close to their heart and where the focus of the forum is on bringing those aspirations to the forefront of our conversations and lives. To discuss the hurdles we must clear to realize those aspirations is a critical part of sanga for me. However it requires an environment where one feels safe and protected enough to bare their heart and soul and to allow the Vaisnavas to help one clear those hurdles. A broad based forum will always struggle with such intimacy simply on the broad audience it carries whereas a forum specific to those which hold the same aspirations close to their heart and which focuses on bringing those aspirations to the forefront of their lives is at a distinct advantage simply based on it’s participants.

Please don’t take my note as being a knock on Gaudiya Discussions or any of the Vaisnavas here. I have a tremendous amount of respect and admiration for those that have participated in Gaudiya Discussions over the years and I wish this online forum nothing but success. My decision is simply based on my own realization regarding my personal needs. Many Vaisnavas clearly find inspiration here and I have no doubt that many more will find inspiration here in the future. I may indeed pop in from time to time as I am sure there is still much to be learned here but I will now focus my participation on a website specific to the teachings of my Gurudeva.

I would like to offer my heartfelt respect and sincerest apologies if I have ever hurt or offended anyone here on this forum; it was not my intention. Please pray that I find continued inspiration in the service of my Gurudeva.

Radhe Radhe!

Aspiring to serve the Vaisnavas,
Rasaraja dasa

Rasaraja, I've now removed you from the list of moderators. I'd like to say that I understand and wholeheartedly support your decision.

As a matter of fact, I, Rasaraja and Braja sat down a few weeks back at Radha-kunda and discussed our thoughts on the future of the forum. We all agreed that our efforts are best focused on something more directly related to active practice and progress on the bhajan path outlined for us in the writings of the Goswamis and passed on to us through the heritage of saints. We also discussed the possibility of closing the forums.

Gaudiya Discussions has been somewhat of a potpourri a good deal of its existence. I've endeavored my level best to direct it onwards to what I'd wanted it to be. This latest visit to Vraja has once again shown how the current approach is much akin to the proverbial dog's tail one tries to straighten. It simply doesn't stick, and no-one pours of the infinite pool of time and energy it'd take to keep things the way we'd want.

I understand that Rasaraja and Braja are very short on interest as far as participation in Gaudiya Discussions is concerned. I have dropped in on occasion when I've seen a topic of interest and people with an interest to take something of what we've tasted of. In all likelihood I won't be participating in the capacity I used to in the foreseeable future, not anywhere near the extent time-wise. There are endless people with whom one can discuss endless topics, whether here or elsewhere.

I'll stay around and drop in a post or two when I feel it's relevant, and remove posts or topics that are objectionable. However, the responsibility for finding the objectionable will increasingly shift to the audience, the moderators will only take action when called for. We tried to make it what we wanted to, we couldn't. Now, you all make it what you want it to be. Let's see what comes of it all in the end.

Gaudiya Discussions will undergo a slight metamorphosis. The front page will switch into a portal style page incorporating news from a number of Vaishnava websites alongside with the latest topics and posts from the forums. The board rules will be revamped a bit to reflect the modified modus operandi I've expressed.

In the meantime, a forum very clearly and strictly limited to trad. Gaudiya Vaishnavism and trad. Gaudiya Vaishnavas will become available. It already exists, it is budding, it isn't public just yet. It won't attempt to be like Gaudiya Discussions. It probably isn't everyone's piece of cake. However, we trust it'll be very beneficial for those who wish to make active progress on the path we so cherish. More on that when it becomes topical.

I appreciate Rasaraja's comments, and Madhava's as well. I think the kind of thing that may be most useful for the best purposes this forum serves may be a closed board. I am a member of one such board, and it affords security and confidence that foster candor in questions and answers. It's free of the kind of intrusions often seem here on GD, which serve only to distract the members from sharing nectar and making the kinds of confidential exchanges that encourage growth in bhajan. I would probably not end up as a member of such a closed forum, since I'm sort of a tourist here, but I think that may be the best way to go. We'll see what Madhava and the others are up to when the time comes.

the lure of performing bhajana in a small circle of like-minded devotees is very strong, and I can relate to all the above made comments. yet, how will the understanding of the true Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition grow in the minds and hearts of aspiring devotees like myself, if nobody advanced is around to share their realizations?

As a lurker rather than participant, I do appreciate the high calibre of posting from those who have said they are planning to leave for more private conversations. I hope they will post in public some "read-only" dialogues and articles from time to time!

Best wishes, and thanks for all the hard work to date!

Can you please tell us the name of that forum where I could join in the sharing of nectar without poison?