I joined the Hare Krishna Movement in 1988 and spent ten years living in ISKCON ashrams, including 6 years (91-97) in Mayapur & Vrindavan. In that time I was not initiated. After leaving India I drifted away from the devotees, perhaps I had a chip on my shoulder. I ended up at university, suffering a lot.

A friend, a very nice ISKCON devotee, offered me shelter, and he recommended that association with Srila Gurudeva's followers might re-inspire my thoroughly wilted bhakti-lata. Prior to that I had met Srila Gurudeva in Mathura in 1992, but had thought he was 'outside' of ISKCON. I knew that many very senior devotees were hearing from him, but adopted a 'wait and see' attitude. Being concerned about the state of ISKCON (you hear and see lot living in Mayapur & Vrindavan, and for some time I was also assistant to the GBC secretary), I had even written to Syamarani Didi asking why the advanced devotees were seemingly abandoning their managerial duties to Srila Prabhupada's institution to go to hear from Srila Gurudeva. I though then that management was apart from the cultivation of bhakti. How stupid.

Later I had taken to praying to Srila Prabhupada for the shelter of that person who sits at his lotus feet. Meeting Srila Gurudeva's sincere disciples brought me back into the flow of love of God. Humble, uncritical of others and sincerely dedicated to Srila Gurudeva's lotus feet, in their association I felt like I had the immense good fortune of joining the Hare Krishnas again!

In an army there are different battalions - same objective. Please think about this.