Letters to the editor

Hare Krishna Maharaj!

Pamho! AgtSP!

Thank you for your response on the last letter. I’m engaging in war with my mind every day to get some discipline established. Its tough but doable [to some degree.] Trying to not eat at night so I can wake up in the mornings. Morning programs are nice (best on the rainy days). Will also try to make more FEPS (the notifications are so short notice!)

Somehow managed to get accommodations in Vraja—close to ISKCON temple. I will be splitting the room with another nice girl from the UK.  Krishna is kind. Any recommendations of things to do that aren’t mainstream (of course govardhan, Parikrama, offering ghee lamps, etc…but anything off the beaten path …that Brajvasis do?)

ASA - When you get their just look for new friends at the Temple. When two thieves meet upon the road they need no introduction, they know each other by sight.

Go to the English Gita class in the evenings.

Get some one to take you to the "Old" Radha Govinda Temple. It is the one Rupa Goswami built.  Just sit in a corner and chant and try to imagine what is was like at Janmaastami 500-years ago.
Chant Hare Krsna and wander around with a girl friend. You might meet a Gopi. You might not come back.

Get vdm.docx from our ASA Archives. It is worth $25,000,000. Read it slowly while you are in Vraja.

You asked about father’s spiritual purification. I’m not sure if you’ve known, but my dad’s a Shiva devotee… he still worships Krishna and Vishnu and everything…and he’s encouraging about my spiritual practice but often sees it as a ‘diluted’ version as compared to traditional Hinduism (then again he doesn’t read  so I can’t hold his opinions in high regard) …and he also has been chewing tobacco since his days in the air force and it’s a habit he’s tried to quit so many times but now just accepted it and basically justifies it saying Shiva does it so it’s okay (which is total hogwash in my opinion). He also fasts on Ekadasis and Mondays (yet still chews the tobacco so I doubt there’s progress there…)

So I can’t really gauge his spiritual trajectory. But it is because of him that I had an ‘inkling’ of spiritual practice from a young age. He’d encourage my sister and I to fast and participate in aarti  early mornings and make offerings to the Lord. The tobacco issue is something we’ve beaten to a pulp. No change. I honestly don’t have any expectations either. I just need to be grateful for what’s been provided to me by them. I have friends whose families are very discouraging about Krishna consciousness and am fortunate not to be on that boat.

I doubt I willl cross paths with you in India, but I do wish you the smoothest journey, free of complications.

Please keep shining your grace and mercy Gurudev.

Thank you for your mercy.

Your struggling servant,

Sugopi dd

(P.S. Purnima darshan attached!) 

HpS - Well, get an India SIM card after you arrive and maybe we will see each other. Best preaching is example.

ND: I downloaded the file, updated it with your 3 new articles, updated the names and uploaded it. Please, can you check it. I left the old file 170810 there in case I messed something up.

Another thing... Did you and devotee from MOE thought to publish/share the Journal online? Websites like Dandavats, https://news.iskcon.org, GBC website are possible good places.

HpS - Thank you very much. Would you like to become a Member of the Executive Committee of the Ministry of Education?

ND: I would like although I am not sure I fit in there . What is the job description?

HpS - Have to like teaching and learning the Srimad Bhagavatam et al.

Hare Krsna Dear Gurudev,
    Please accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet.
    All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
    All glories to Guru parampara.

    Thank you so much Gurudev for your call.

    As of, below would be your schedule for Pune.

    Arrival on October 05, 2017 (Thursday) around 05:00 PM (Evening).

HpS - Got the ticket. AGTSP!!  Paoho at your lotus feet (though little dirty like ours, no?). Jet flight arrives 3.15PM from Indoor.

So we can do a program that evening.
Light of the Bhagavata is nice. Got it in quantity?

    October 06, 2017 (Friday) - In Pune
    October 07, 2017 (Saturday) - In Pune
    October 08, 2017 (Sunday) - Will be decide on runtime.

HpS - Rama-giri-dhari Das asks we leave for Mumbai after breakfast Sunday. morning. 

    I would inform temple authority with the above information.

    Thank you so much Gurudev.

your fallen servant,
Girivaradhari-Gopal Das

ASA - Hare Krsna. Oink! We promise to let you keep the key this time.

Hare Krsna Dear Gurudeva, AGTSP paoho.

You can call us at +1 209-505-3219. what time i should call you ? where are you now ?

Have you learned from your slip? Yes i have learned and i want to keep doing devotional service , preaching and kirtan forever. 

Will you adjust you life to have the strength to do the Nama and Gayatri Japa?  Yes i will. I feel so bless and fortune to have good association, family and i feel so bless to have you as my Guru. All of you give me the strength to continute in this procces of devotional service and i wish to serve Guru and Gouranga. I know what to do but lamentably sometimes i have to learn by the worst way. i´m sorry Gurudeva, i´m so stupit and unqualified but i know that the only way to get purified is by practicing  Bhakti YOGA. 

Vanca kalpa.

Y/s CCD.

HpS - Try calling anytime except 6-8pm. FE Program then. Thank you so many.

White:

All the stuff goes on. AGTSP  paoho.   We had a whole ton of work with the India calendar with Rama-giri-dhari Das as he was leaving for India.   We bought the Delhi > Indora (Ujjain) ticket, 2nd October. We got the Indor to Pune ticket, 5th October and then we go by car to Bombay on Sunday.  Then we got the Kolkata Delhi ticket for the 7th.

So much more to do, MOE, Viplavah, NIOS, web-page, grant acquistion, but it seems most of it is not our work. We have to find our place in the orchestra, Rasa-lila, and do that well.

Our Sadhana bhakti is much improved today.

Now we have to stop answering lettes and leave for a timely walk with NGD and FEP.

Todas las glorias a Sri Sri Goura Nitay

Todas las glorias a Srila Prabhupada! 

Todas las glorias a usted querido Gurudeva! 

Me hace Feliz poder volver a escribirle. ..

Primero quería agradecerle su visita al templo de Chile y que me de su tiempo para poder hablar con usted, me hizo muy feliz tener su Asociación gracias querido Gurudeva, gracias por sus clases, por ser un representante del Señor Krishna e iluminarnos con su conocimiento! 

Quería comentarle que estos días después de la fiesta del señor Balarama en el Abishek estaba observando y empeze a ver detenidamente a los devotos, no se como explicar lo que sentí pero fue una felicidad increíble al verme rodeada de increíbles devotas y devotos, en estos días sólo pensé en ellos en lo que hacen en sus servicios en el tiempo que se toman para hacer las guirnaldas más bonitas para las deidas, seleccionar cada flor cada detalle, cuando cantan, cocinan, o cantan sus oraciones, sea que estén haciendo a mi me llena el alma de felicidad y me pregunto si merezco tanta misericordia del señor krishna por tener tan hermosa Asociación, le pido querido Gurudeva que me de sus bendiciones para poder seguir sirviendo a los devotos y nunca alejarme de ellos y de su buena compañía! 

Que tenga un hermoso día,mis reverencias!!!

Su sirvienta María Bernarda.

HpS - Do you also see there attachments, lust, anger and greed? Isopanisad says that we must se both. Of course, from the Paramahamsa platform we see even the "bad" qualities as good. From the viewpoint of the government the prison and the hangman's rope are good. Maybe you have been blessed with Paramahamsa vision!!   If we see the good and bad qualties in ISKCON devotees then we can help the good ones and correct the bad ones eg. tobacco is good for bruises but should not smoke it.
Jaya!!!  We hope we can see like you.