Looking for recommendations of whom to hear from

Dear kvdd,

Hare Krsna. First I'd like to welcome you to this forum and wish you all the best in extracting the most nectar possible out of it. And it is possible. 
If you don't mind, I would just like to add that we all have this (more or less) burning eagerness to hear from pure devotees, because we have understood the importance of that statement mentioned so many times in so many ways in so many scriptures and by so many acaryas. Quality, true quality, is often absent when we aim this high, which is also quite understandable given the time, place and circumstances we're in. When Srila Prabhupada speaks of 'pure' devotees in his books, the meaning can have a certain range, it's not cut and dried. He said that whoever sincerely follows the instruction of their guru 100% can be called a pure devotee. Of course, what we usually mean by this term is generally agreed by devotees knowledgeable in this matter to be a certain level of realization of one's own spiritual identity, and with specifics, too, not just 'I have realized I'm an eternal servant of Krsna.' When the practicing sadhaka enters the world of bhava-bhakti, and more so with prema-bhakti, the game changes completely. Now please don't mind me saying the following.

What we have been taught to see as 'pure' in ISKCON often falls short of the lauded standard, since hardly anyone manifests long-term and burning interest in the specifics of our spiritual identity and everything that goes with it. It's all ultimately vague and general, a collection of ideas meant to guide the beginner, but we're not really that much beginners anymore.  After 30-40 years of practicing, as at least some of us are, if a devotee has been a sincere seeker, and not just tagging along for the ride, there will be some meaningful transformations within in the spiritual desires of that person. He\she may now have developed a desire to hear about specific Krsna's lilas in specific rasa, for instance. Preferences are developed further. If you have read Uttamasloka's book, and that is probably why you're here, you have been answered some questions and new ones have appeared in your mind. Now, a lecturer may be a guru or a sannyasi, some are more ascetic and renounced than others, some seem to show more intellectual acumen than others, and some are simply more experienced in life, so to speak. Which kind of lecturer do we prefer to hear from? And in the spirit of this forum, raganuga bhakti forum that is, are they lecturing on raganuga bhakti at all? Do they even understand what it is? Some do. Some, and this is sad, say that they do but they have no idea, even though they are generally accepted as grand and serious authorities by less experienced devotee folk. In my humble opinion, this is the 'acid test' you should be applying to all of them. How much do they know of the scriptures written by Rupa, Jiva, Sanatana, and Raghunatha dasa Gosvami and Visvanatha Cakravarti? I'd like to know that. 

Prabhupada never actually wanted us to restrain ourselves from reading other Vaisnava literature except for his books. Where did his commentaries come from if not from the previous acaryas? He never deviated an inch from them, and yet today some still believe (and preach) that we should only read Prabhupada's books. Some think themselves humble and call themselves neophytes, but no matter how honest they are, they just deprive themselves from the incredible treasure trove that is the Gosvami literature. 

My humble suggestion is that you read Uttamasloka's book again and discuss any questions you might have on this forum. There's also Facebook, of course, and personal e-mail for anything you might not be comfortable disclosing in public. Now, in which direction you want to develop your relationship with Krsna, is entirely up to you, but this forum is very useful for pointers and help. I personally prefer to read books and blogs instead of listening to lectures, but that's just me. Still, the devotees on this forum can help steer you in even more fruitful ways than you have seen before. I have found my spiritual life completely transformed since last spring after I joined. Because unless you're the most seasoned veteran of research of all time, there is always someone more well read, more experienced, who can verify/disprove what you have read/heard.

That was my inspiration from Krsna to write you this. I don't know how or why, but there it is. From my heart, again, I wish you welcome and all the best in your advancement and thank you for your association and enthusiasm.

ys Ishan Chaitanya das