Sugarvenom Poison Ivy And Lotus (SPIAL1728)

 Hare Krishna!'

It's been a really long time coming........

SPIAL 1728 is a safe community space that we're creating for devotees who are deprived of amiable vaishnava association..

Most of you might be wondering about this distinct name. Well this is about the bitter reality of many Devotees’ lives.

Sri Krishnamrita Maharnava Sloka 264: “A Vaishnava has been born in our family. He will take us out of hell!” saying so, the Pitrus of a just-born clap and celebrate. The Pitamahas of the family dance in joy!

This is how the prime Acharya of our Sampradaya Sri Madhvacharya describes the arrival of a Vaishnava, the one who is going to save everybody from damnation. Unfortunately, not everybody receives Vaishnavas the same way. Some Vaishnavas are born into anti-Vaishnava families where they are abused, physically and mentally, for performing devotional service. They are forced to cut off all their ties with the Vaishnava Devotees. Such Devotees are also suppressed, when they try to rebel against their own families. But in most of the cases they receive enough help and support from the Devotees around them confidentially either off-line or online.

One of the most important aspects of devotional service/Krishna conscious life, is to serve Devotees and to spend time with them. Devotees born into anti-Vaishnava families go through great struggles. They risk their reputation and in extreme situations even their own lives to associate, spend time and serve Devotees. In most cases they are threatened by their own families which leads to severe consequences.

Sometimes there are no devotees around them who could help them in any way.

But the worst part is when Devotees who are said to be desire trees, start hating their fellow Devotees.
We are talking about Devotees identity as queer or a part of the LGBTQIA+ [lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual] community.

Some queer phobic Devotees give a really hard time to the Devotees who identify themselves as queer.
Such Devotees who are disowned or opposed by their own family hope to be accepted by their fellow Devotees, but unfortunately, they are looked down at/mocked/totally discouraged in their devotional life.

It is said that the remnants of the Lord is known as Maha Prasadam, and the remnants of his Devotees after partaking Maha Prasadam is called Maha Maha Prasadam.
Prasada comes in various forms, it need not necessarilv be edible food. It could also be in the form of flowers, association, blessings, etc.

The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna says in the Bhagavad-Gita that he is not partial to anyone.
Therefore he is equally merciful to all living entities.

In the name of this group "sugar" metaphoricall means the sweetness of the Lord.

"Krishna is the sweetest honey one could ever taste." - From 'The teachings of Lord Chaitanya', chapter 10 by Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

Krishnamrita Maharnava Sloka 270:
“One should always strive for and pray for Prasadam, from a Vaishnava. Due to this, one will be freed from all sins and will be respected in the Abode of Lord Vishnu.”

Everybody gets to experience the sweetness of the Lord due to his causeless mercy, but not all the Devotees receive it the same way to reciprocate it with others. Some unfortunately believe that the Devotees having the same inclinations as them only have the right to partake the mercy of God. They give hard time to the ones, who do not match their conservative ideology.
Most of the queer Devotees who are born to Vaishnavas, receive enough support and love from their progressive, loving and pious parents.
But the worst part is about the Devotees who've got unsupportive anti-Vaishnava parents/family. They are disowned or opposed by their own families for the sake of practicing bhakti and serving the Lord and their only hope is Devotees.
When they are ill-treated by their fellow
Devotees, they start to feel that they don't belong and it also affects their devotional life.

Srimad Bhagavatam 10.59.26.
“My respectful obeisances are unto You, O Lord, whose abdomen is marked with a depression like a lotus flower, who are always decorated with garlands of lotus flowers, whose glance is as cool as the lotus and whose feet are engraved with lotuses”.

The Lord here is described as a lotus flower, and as he says, he's impartial, he makes himself available to all of his Devotees, but because queer phobic Devotees come in as a package deal, they are like poison ivy that one has to deal with. And those who aspire to relish the sweetness of the lord, also have deal with the toxic venom like nature of those devotees.
So hence the name; sugarvenom, poison ivy and lotus.
The main intention of this project is to help Devotees cope with their anti-Vaishnava parents/family and queer phobic Devotees. This space is exclusively meant to serve devotees who are queer, or devotees who are suffering due to the patriarchal system suppressing them.
Non queer Devotees with anti-Vaishnava parents/family, are welcome too......

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spial1728/

Telegram Channel: https://t.me/spial1728_hk

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/165742723211414

Discord: will be shared soon 

Hare Krishna

ṣri kṛṣnārpaṇamasṭu!

सर्वं एवं मम हृदयं राज्यं कृत्वा मम प्रेमविषयं श्री अप्रमेय श्री श्रीराधाव्रजचन्द्राय च समर्प्यते।

Everything thus is offered to the lord who reigns my heart, and who is the object of my love, Sri Aprameya and Sri Sri Radha Vrajachandra.