Letters to the editor

All glories to Goura nitay All glories to Srila Prabhupada All glories for you maharaj Hare Krishna, Maharaj, please accept my humble reverence. Forgive me for my affront because of my ignorance, and also, for not writing you before, I have no excuses. I’m David Leyton from Santiago of Chile. I hope this message finds you well and that the devotees are taking care of you. About your question HpS - Hare Krsna!!!    I could have written the same things!   I doesn't matter if we acheive some great thing in the Bhakti yoga, because at every step it is practical, and the goal becomes more and more clear. Even in the womb and as incapable infants we can make progress. How is your family? It’s very difficult for me to talk about my family, I’d like to tell you about that, but in private. I wish I could talk to you in person or write to you through a private section in your webpage http://hps.monkeywarrior.com. Now, I’m focused on making, together with my wife, a conscious and healthy family. My wife and I are working on healing our ancestral lineage by Bhakti yoga, and an alternative therapy called dowsing. It has worked, we feel inner peace and self-confidence, this is a great achievement for us. There’s little time left to your arrival in Chile. Here, autumn is very cold. I think winter is early this year. I bought you some warm socks. They are made of alpaca wool. I hope you really need them, if not, please tell me what I could do to satisfy you. I hope you’re well. Best wishes Hare Krishna.

HpS - Thank you for physical association last few days. We use the socks to walk in the Temple. See you tommorrow.

Hare Krsna Guru Maharaja.

Por favor acepte mis respetuosas reverencias.

Todas las glorias sean para Srila Prabhupada!

Gurudev, ya me comuniqué con Prabhu Jagad Guru, y le envié información de nuestro proyecto educativo aquí en Chile.

En la última clase del Curso para Disípulos, revisamos éste verso:

gopayed devatam istam

gopayed gurum atmanah

gopayec ca nijam mantram

gopayen nija-malikam

Hari-bhakti-vilasa, 2.147

Quiero preguntarle, si usted me puede dar un significado más detallado de éste verso?. Yo intento analizarlo, pero no logro entenderlo del todo.

Agradezco Sus palabras Guru Maharaja.

Su aspirante a sirviente

Priya Sakhi Devi Dasi

HpS - ASA -- I don't know if this is really applicable. I remember reading that Hari-bhakti-Vilasa is unnecessarily ritualistic, but Sanantana Goswami had to go with the flow of the time and everyone were smartas.. following rituals. We tend to let everyone know that we are worshiping Radha Krsna, That Prabhupada is our Guru and there are pictures of Prabhupada with his Japa in public, but those may have been Diksa-malas... We put ours out because it helps us concentrate. we like to see them..   etc.

Please let us talk of your educational programs. Ask about them in class.

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

    Gurudev, we all can see how you are travelling for Prabhupada for Krsna service with so many obstacles.
    You are always positive in all odd conditions, you just continue without second thought. You just accept Krsna's wish.
    You don't have desire to change Krsna's wish, you just float with his wish.

    Just to see we all learn and get strength for to make better & better for SP & Krsna.
    
    As usual continuing with Pooja Seva, Dasanudasa Seva (Dressing), BG classes for Sri Sri Radha-Kunja Bihari Ji.
    
    New assignment at office is a bit far from Pune (outside Pune) so have to travel daily for office work.

your fallen servant,
Girivaradhari-Gopal Das

HpS - ASA -  We are so sorry that we have not been able to answer this letter sooner! India is fixed. Mumbai, Pune, 5th - 11th, then AUstralia, then back in Mumbai for Srila Prabhupada disappearance. Then Kolkatta, North East. O.K???

Por favor acepte mis humildes y respetuosas reverencias 

Todas las GLorias a Srila Prabhupada

Todas las Glorias a Sri Guru y Gauranga

Es un placer para mi enviarle estas cartas de recomendacion para primera iniciacion de Bhakta David Leyton y Bhakta Martin Moris

su aspirante a sirviente 

Jagannatha caran das

HpS - ASA ---- Sahara koti danyavad. Much as miles de reverentias.. para estas austerdiades de administration.. lo iso para 10-anyos y entonces. cambia a Sannyasa.  Super. Gran, Gran servcicion para Srila Prabhupada, nada mejor.

Pero.... Es recommendacion para Refugio or Iniciacion. Pienso ambos son bien advanzadas y Si Vd. piensa son listos para iniciacion, O.K.  >>>. Lo haremos Domingo!

NOTA A PIE - Es "He"  not "She", no?

Dear Guru Maharaj,

Pamho, agtsp!

My apologies for taking so long to write, life has been a bit overwhelming lately and I don't know where to begin. I'm still dialed in here in LA, struggling to make art that will speak something of value to my generation and to the world, to make them better people, maybe one day transcendental people.

HpS - We are doing EXACTLY the same thing in South America. Of course, the danger is that we fall into the same trap as Vyasa-deva when he wrote things just too indirect. HK!

Meanwhile I'm trying to keep my own head above water in this crazy city.

ASA - We are trying to keep from dying of cold/fever.

I'm not sure if I mentioned it before, but the oil business never really worked out for me. It seems like some of the others are doing ok with it now, but I'm too introverted to have had the interest to stick with it. Of course since you asked, if anyone is interested in learning about the health benefits of hemp oil I'm happy to connect them with someone who can tell them more.

HpS - I will send you some names.

Every day I see more and more people taking interest so I kind of regret not doing it, but "better to perform ones own duties imperfectly than another's perfectly." I swapped phones with my mother btw, so I have a new number you can reach me at (803 x x x ) and I don't seem to have yours saved in here either, so please remind me how I can reach you by phone.

ASA - We will Text you.
 

Currently I'm showing new work in galleries and putting stuff on consignment, and painting live all over the city. I've also been collaborating with your god -brother Baradraj prabhu, who trained as a painter personally under Srila Prabhupada and designed the famous Bhagavad Gita museum in LA. I've been assisting him with some of his recent paintings and he he also wants me to help him start a new spiritual art collective in Topanga. I'm excited about some of his ideas and I'm grateful to have his association lately.

ASA - Su, Su, Super! Cultural conquest.

Apart from that I'm just been working odd jobs and trying to find a decent summer job to pay off some of my debts so I can focus more on what I really want to do. After more consideration I think it definitely makes sense for me to officially move on to grhasta ashram; because I do want to get married eventually, just not until I halfway get my life together. Otherwise I feel awkward even going to the temple because people think I'm either a Krishna West troublemaker or a poser brahmacari... (but really I'm nothing so dramatic, just ordinary nonsense.)

Please let me know when we can talk on the phone. I have a lot of doubt and frustration lately and I really need your help!

Your spaced out servant,

Ekāśma Dāsa

HpS - Who are your local 'gurus'?  Focus on that. Getting some local associates to give you perspective. If you can stay b'cari and go directly to Sannyasa you can be of more use to 20-women than you can be to one by marrying her, but... the Good Lord told Kardama that the fastest path for him was Grhastha Ashrama with a "veritable cow of plenty", M. Devahuti.

Again, who are, can be your local gurus.

We will be working with Mukunda dutta Das and Prabhu Nityananda from Dallas on the ISKCON Education Journal.

SUPER PAINTINGS!   If any of our readers want some, how can they buy them????   Sell them???

All Glories to Srila Prabhupada!! All Glories to Sripada!! All Glories to Guru Maharaj HpS!!

Dear Guru Maharaj,

Please accept my humble obeisances at your Lotus feet.

The ISKCON cart has come all the way from Mumbai , by the divine mercy of Srila Prabhupada and Sripad Maharaj.  Here, Rath Yaatra is celebrated as a local festival Kaang,   the Manipuri word for 'cart'. It is a great event. Right from Snan yatra , each locality prepares for the 9 day festival of Rath yaatra. The biggest one is of course, the Govindajee Kaang. The rest of the carts start the yaatra only after Govindajee Deities have moved on to the cart.Vaishnava devotees offer fruits  (especially pineapples, figs, pears and mangoes),vegetables (especially cucumber and maize),Sweets ( made of puffed rice and Jaggery, laaloo is considered to be a favourite item....). When the yaatra is just about to start,  the items are lined up just in front of the cart and devotees loved to watch the offerings going just right under the wheels to be run over...and then partaking the run over Prasadam. The cart is stopped every now and then , devotees making their offerings to the sweet Lord with the arti. The traffic is a real problem on this day as carts from various localities go for the yaatra on the main road....but no one complains...we are all happy with it. The Sankirtana is simply amazing....the chants of Harinama....Hari haraye.....Dasa Avatara ...with the sounds of kartala , Mridanga, Drums..clarinet....is indescribable.The Sankirtana goes on and on....non stop . Rath Yaatra day is a state holiday here.

The evening programmes are carried out in most of the local temples....again Sankirtans...Hari Katha...Manohar Sai....followed by 'choidep chongba', dancing in front of the Lordships at aarti . This is followed by Khichri and Ooti ...Pakora...subjee prasadam. This goes on for 9 days...till Purna Yaatra. On dwadasi we have 'Ningol Paali', special khichri prasadam for Matajis.I have just highlighted the little I know. The festival has a great asthetic fervour which is hard for me to describe, I am so sorry for my limitations Guru Maharaj, please forgive me. I wish someday we would be able to invite you here during the Rath Yaatra.

HpS - You manipuris are very big misers!   You have the greatest thing in the world but your are keeping it to yourselves. I have not heard of such a wonderful Rathayatra even in Puri.

I am sending you just few photos....the White cart is that of Govindajee temple. The rest small ones are the local temple carts.

HpS - So, just Jagannatha, Jagat-Gandhi, goes on the cart, not Baladeva nor Subhadra. Also, we can see that the cart does not have to be big to be beautiful.

We have constructed a simple kirtan hall at Serou, the land donated by a Mataji. Registration has been completed ...we had a wonderful nagar kirtan there on 2nd of July. We had kirtan at the hall. And distributed Khichri prasadam .I shall send the photos for Serou in my next letter. My letter is too long.....I know you are so busy Guru Maharaj but I feel so good when I share our little, little activities with you. Thank you so much.

Your most fallen servant, forever craving for Your mercy,

Sarada Gaurangi DD

HpS-ASA --  When we hear from you and Yamunesvara Das we are all so enlivened. We hope to see you soon.