Letters to the editor

Hare Krsna dear Guru Maharaj,

Too much news and personal thoughts to tell you but for now, I want to say thank you so much for the suggestion to participate in the Congress in Seattle. Very useful. So, now the calendar in detail again, but with specific URGENT questions:

June, 28^th Wednesday: Arriving at 11.50 hrs.

June, 29^th Thursday: Yoga and Ayurveda Center Dhatri

Finally, your first lecture in Chile (this Thursday) will be at the Center of Yoga and Ayurveda: Dhatri, owned, led and managed by Visvanath Cakravarti Thakur Das and her wife Gita Vali Dasi. There will be Indian dance also. The time announced is 18:30 hrs. The title of the conference is:

“The Mind ¿Friend or Monster? Perspectives of the Bhagavad Gita”

Deśa : Centro Dhatri. 7 minutes walking from the Temple.

Kāla : 18.30 hrs.

Pātra : The audience will be mainly yoga people cultivated there, and from other places from Santiago.

June, 30^th Friday: First Prabhupāda’s Night:

Conference: "Srila Prabhupada as our Personal Guru", like you suggested. We will promote the two Friday Prabhupada's Nights in the same poster.  This talks usually take 1 hour. From 18:40 hrs. to 19:40 hrs. The questions time is until 20 hrs.  We will try to streaming this conference with Facebook page of ISKCON Chile.

Do you have some suggestion to print something specific to give the audience there? Slokas, extracts, something.?

HpS - No, but if you want to please do it.

July, 1^st Saturday: Intimate breakfast with Spiritual Family & Hindu Community in the Evening

Guru Govinda Mataji invited you to have a program in her house. You give some lectures there when the temple was closed after the earthquake,  at 2010. Now Guru Govinda manage the restaurant of the temple and she will expand her own place, so she wants to invite you there to re-inaugurate it, maybe not formally, but mystically. Is like 10 minutes from the temple, driving. I told her that your schedule is full but still I comment to her that we can arrange a breakfast like spiritual family and she’s happy with that. Are you OK with that?

HpS - Yes

On the other hand, in the evening, like I told you, Sri Nama Radha devi dasi liked the topic about the good and collaborative relationship between ISKCON and Worldwide Indian Community, in several places. But, regarding the specific title, she suggested “The Science of Krishna Consciousness”. The idea is to talk about how our bhakti yoga process is a science that never fails. How the process is perfect, and if we apply it to our life we realise how perfect it is.  Time of the lecture announced: 18:30 hrs.

Deśa : Hall for events in one the building of one Indian apartment. 30 minutes from the Temple.

Kāla : 18.00 hrs. (I don't remeber the exact timing now because my phone died, so I can't communicate with her now -over whatsapp dependence- but I will remember soon)

Pātra : Indian community living at Santiago.

HpS - Jaya!

July, 2^nd Sunday: Kirtan Yoga

This is the second Sunday Feast with the new timings, and is like this:

-13:00 hrs. Restaurant

- 14:30 hrs. 2 HK Program – Kirtan Yoga.

- 16:30 hrs. Lecture

- 18:00 hrs. Kirtan

I don’t have clear yet if they will give the second (and simple) prasādam planned in the last 30 minutes of the class or after the kirtan.

Regarding the program itself, I commented you about this Kirtan Yoga program in the last post. But I want to confirm if you are agreeing to be one the kirtaniyas there. Usually is 20-30 minutes each. I ask you because sometimes we announce the kirtaniyas also. In the case, if you’re confirmed, I need to know if you would chant just Hare Krishna Maha Mantra o do you want to sing a Vaisnava song also? If you want to sing any Vaisnava song, tell us which one, so we can print that song to make that everyone sing together also.

HpS - Both, song and kirtan. Garuanga bolite habe!!

Later, in the lecture, title: "What really means Kirtan Yoga?" (not published yet, we can change it) the idea is receive some insights from you about How we can improve our mood in the kirtan, how we can chant better when we are in a group, how we can take more advantages of this kind of opportunities, and finally the risk in just chant and dance without really fix our mind in the holy name. Do you have any proposal of title to this special lecture? We don’t have too much time for announcing it, this is another reason because this post is urgent.

HpS -Is fine.  Print!

I would like to print some papers to share with both audiences (kirtan yoga and lecture). You think that there are some extracts or slokas that we must share with them there?

HpS - Adi lila chapter 7 near the beginning. We can fix details when we arrive, no?

July, 3^rd Monday. Conference: 40 Years Teaching the Srimad Bhagavatam ( replicate  of Chennai Conference)

I knew about this conference from you in the Chennai Symposia about Bhagavatam. Due this Monday the Bhagavatam was the topic proposed, I thought that would be very interesting hearing your personal realisations teaching the Śrīmad Bhagavatam. Actually, We can arrange this lecture to the evening instead the morning. What do you think about it? 

Regarding you last questions about this day: Yes, is possible get some complete sets of Bhagavatam in Spanish directly from the BBT and sell them that day. About the study groups are possible. We can create the groups there. I can’t think of the system. Free study. Maybe a monthly review of one chapter with you online would encourage the devotees to organise themselves.

Deśa : Temple.

Kāla : 18.30 hrs.

Pātra : Devotees of the congregation.

HpS - Fine. O.K.

July, 4^th Tuesday: “Marriages from Heaven, Marriages from Hell…” Part 1.

This title was created from you last suggestion: “Marriages from Heaven, Marriages from Hell if You are both Devotees, then both of them Are Swell!". Tuesday is a program to the devotees mainly. This is the Part 1 of this program designed to grhastas devotees and the idea is to have the Part 2 the next Tuesday, your last day in Santiago.

Now, like you suggest that we can relate the "The Taming of the Shrew” to this, I’m planning that this first part of this seminar “Marriages from Heaven, Marriages from Hell…” could be you giving an introduction about this movie and what is the sastra-caksus point behind it, and then we can watch this movie all together in the main hall of the temple (the deities are not there, the restaurant is working there, actually) or in another place like the Guru Govinda’s house. Is up to you. Is a good idea to watch it with all the community invited? In any case, I already downloaded it in different languages in different qualities. Just in case  :D

Deśa : Temple.

Kāla : 18.30 hrs.

Pātra : Devotees of the congregation. Mainly, with interest in improving or start their married life.

HpS -O--.K.

July, 5^th Wednesday:  Conference: “Yogic pranayama.  The power within”

Parasurama Avatara das is organising. There is a nice poster already. He will arrange some prasādam for the audience and some booklets.

Deśa : Dojo of Judo. Near to the temple.

Kāla : 19:00 hrs.

Pātra : Main people from this dojo, in connection with the topic and other people from the martial arts. 30 people approx.

 HpS - O.K.

July, 6^th Thursday. Public Conference: Two Princes: Hamlet & Arjuna

Rodrigo and I, had a personal meeting with Raúl Zurita. He can tell you more about it. But the general thing is that he's completely agreed to join you. He said that he mainly want to go to listen to you, however, he could make his contribution. And agreed put his name on the poster like with the participation of the poet Raúl Zurita. He doesn’t like so much to mention his awards. He’s very humble person but very powerful too. I could notice that despite I could understand the 75% what he was saying. Very interested in the Mahabharata.  He put clear that he’s not good talking in public, and his disease doesn’t help to that, but Rodrigo emphasis that his reading in public is too much powerfull. So he said that he can read some extracts after your presentation and previous your final conclusions.

Despite everything, He asked us if is possible to have a lunch with you the same day of the conference (he will arrive in Chile just one day before). He recommended a vegetarian restaurant near to everywhere; Biblioteca, his house and temple, called “El Huerto”. Abhimanyu Das worked there and he said that he will reserve the whole second floor for us with the condition to have to bring 6 people there. And they allow that you can bring your own food.

Deśa : Biblioteca Nacional. Teleconferencing is difficult here. The place is very old and they don’t give all the facilities. Is the biggest hall, so “ with that is enough”  but Rodrigo will ask them anyway.

Kāla : 18:45 hrs.

Pātra : Literature world, VIP contacts from previous events like Raúl Zurita and people registered formally trough Facebook, with a form that we made.

HpS - O.K. We already wrote to him and hope that we can do a very USEFUL program together!!

In connection to your last questions. No movement to get the Cine Arte Alameda this year to show "The Taming of the Shrew" there, but good idea to the next year. Another thing, We need to do somethings special to make this a part of the "Art and the Sacred" Symposium, Lima 2018?

July, 7^th Friday. Conference: Prof. C. G. Jung and the Bhagavata, Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

Conference: "Prof. C. G. Jung and the Bhagavata, Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami" like you suggested, and like a series of classes about Prabhupāda in the two Fridays. 

How can we sell the books this night? Can you sign some of them?

Deśa : Temple

Kāla : 18:30 hrs.

Pātra : Devotees of the congregation and students of psychology near to the temple.

July, 8^th Saturday: Co-Inspiration Meeting

We had troubles with the place for this Co-Inspiration program  (Before Reconciliation and some devotees convinced me to transform in something more friendly).  Check the whole thing doesn’t allow me to focus just on one thing.

But the general idea is:

First part: One Workshop to introduce everybody in a relaxed way and then, divided into groups, to share their feelings about the diagnosis of us like a community.

Second part: Talk by Hanumatpresaka Swami about the importance to have a pro-active view of our movement and that, despite the problems, always there is space to make our humble contribution to the Prabhupada’s movement and organisation.

Third Part: Always in the same groups, chose the main problem among they identified, and create a project to resolve it with the agile technics and tools that the professionals use currently in the innovation field.

Fourth Part: Lunch.

Fifth Parts: Presentation of Final Projects with elevator pitch structure.

Do you have a suggestion to print something?

July, 9^th Sunday: Sunday Feast

You asked us what is the topic that Arjuna Das wanted to this Sunday Feast, and he suggested: “The importance of the children in our movement”.

Im not connected to know what is happening with the initations with the local authorities. But if there are initiations, this is the day scheduled for.

July, 10^th Monday. Public Conference: Carl Jung and Mystic India.

Bhakta Carlos Rauld is part of the team now and he’s very active. He’s trying to get some interviews for you on the TV and he got this place. “La Corporación” is a very honoured place located in one of the little rich neighbourhoods in Santiago. Krishna Sambandha has played there several times.

Deśa : Corporación Cultural de Las Condes.

Kāla : 18:45 hrs.

Pātra : We have 100 tickets that they give us and we will use an online form on the Dharma Comunicaciones web page also, and we will invite people from the Psychology world. The corporation distributes the other 67 tickets. Abhimanyu and Soledad got a database and they help with that.

July, 11^th Tuesday: “Marriages from Heaven, Marriages from Hell…” Part 2.

This is the last lecture and second and last part of the seminarian to the grhastas devotees. You suggested that we can get connected with the Grhastha Vision Team and integrate with the Seattle Symposium results. Maybe we can get some of the material and translate to Spanish to the devotees who attend this second part of this seminarian. You think that is possible?

July, 12^th Wednesday: Good bye!

----------------------------

Please, Gurudev, excuse the extension of this calendar again but I couldn’t be more concise. I prefer to give you details and make specific question because we are not first class servants yet, so we depend absolutely on your feedback and opinions.

I hope that you bring accurate clothes to the Chilean winter. You know always is bad, but is a little harder this year. We can get special clothes if you need. Please, let us know.

Thank you very much for your effort and visit us.

Your aspirant to servant,

Jagad Guru Dāsa.

HpS - We did not give comments on the last part because seems fine in general and it will better to talk about it in person when we arrive!  Leaving now with National Library.  Super Sankirtan, Chile!

Todas las glorias a Srila Prabhupada

Querido Gurudeva

Por favor acepte mis humildes reverencias

Acá bhakta Rodrigo de Santiago de Chile. Esta carta es un reporte que debí enviar hace bastante tiempo. Le pido disculpas por mi torpeza.

Lo importante de esta carta es que:

Estamos felices por su visita, estamos felices por estos 12 días que usted estará con nosotros.

En cuanto al servicio para usted:

Se han realizado muchas reuniones grupales para intentar ver cómo podemos servir de mejor manera a usted y a su prédica.

Muchos devotos y devotas están muy motivados y con deseos sinceros de hacer servicio, escuchar sus clases y poder estar con usted.

En las reuniones y también por email se han intercambiado muchos puntos de vistas, opiniones diversas y distintas, pero esperamos que todo salga bien con su agenda y programas.

Jagad Guru tiene el calendario oficial de toda su visita y madre Priya Sakhi tiene la lista de todos los servicios y de las personas que han tomado esta responsabilidad.

Hay un equipo especialmente integrado para trabajar directamente en sus conferencias: Madre Pundavanika dd, Prabhu Arjuna, Jagad Guru, Prabhu Parasuram, Prabhu Carlos Rold y yo.

Pensamos que este año la difusión será un poco diferente. Especialmente las conferencias “HAMLET y ARJUNA” y “CARL JUNG”.

Se ha creado una ficha de inscripción donde cada persona interesada debe enviar sus datos personales. La idea es que con esto podemos armar una muy buena base de datos, y así saber qué personas van a las conferencias, en qué trabajan y durante el año invitar a estas personas a distintas actividades y programas.

HpS - Aparece muy bien. Todos sentiendo no cvonocido en esta mundo.

Pero además pensamos para la conferencia “Hamlet y Arjuna” invitar a personas como profesores, escritores, poetas, periodistas, estudiantes, directores de editoriales y otras personas relacionadas con la cultura y la literatura en particular.

RAÚL ZURITA si va a participar con usted en la conferencia “HAMLET y ARJUNA”. Jagad Guru y yo estuvimos con Raúl. Él todavía se acuerda mucho de usted y nos dijo: “Lo que yo quiero es escuchar al maestro”.

Raúl Zurita está viajando mucho, recibe invitaciones de muchas universidades y otras instituciones a nivel internacional. Raúl Zurita llegará a Chile el día miércoles 5 de julio, un días antes de la conferencia.

Durante la reunión que Jagad Guru y yo que tuvimos con RAÚL, se agendó un almuerzo entre usted y él para el mismo 6 de julio para conversar y hablar un poco antes de la conferencia. Ya se están viendo los detalles de este almuerzo, será en un restaurant vegetariano "El Huerto".

Sería muy bueno si usted escribe a Raúl para saludarlo y tomar contacto entre ustedes: Este es el correo personal de Raúl (por favor no publicar)  xxx

HpS - Me gustaria hablar mucho con Raul format una estrategia bueno para el presentation!

De la misma manera se está trabajando en relación al público que pueda ir a la Conferencia sobre Carl Jung. Prabhu Carlos Rold ha estado haciendo muy buenas gestiones y gracias a eso, la conferencia será en el “Centro Cultural de Las Condes”, un lugar muy hermoso. Es un lugar donde Krishna Sambhanda ha dado conciertos para 200 personas aproximadamente.

Jagad Guru tiene el detalle de toda su agenda. Entedemos que usted llega este jueves, sería maravilloso que el equipo de conferencias pueda tener una reunión personal con usted.

HpS - Claro que si. Llegamos 11.50PM Miercoles.

Carolina, esposa de Jagad Guru, diseño los afiches de estas dos conferencias.

pd: Hace muy poco Jagad Guru estuvo con usted en Estados Unidos, el mismo dia de su regreso a Chile, la  madrina de Jagad Guru dejó el cuerpo, su madrina también era como su madre. Él ha estado haciendo servicio, pese a la tristeza de la partida de su madrina. Hace unos pocos años atrás dejó el cuerpo la madre de Jagad Guru.

Esperando no olvidar nada importante y con muchas ganas de verlo,

su aspirante a sirviente, Bhakta Rodrigo

HpS - Pienso Krsna tiene mucho atencion por su Vida. Tiene que accepter que todo pasando con Vd tiene una perspective profundo. Vamos a escribir a Sr. Raul.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!! All glories to Guru Maharaj HpS!!

Hare Krishna Guru Maharaj,

 All glories to Gauranga.....we had a wonderful time last Sunday. We were about 90 of us and we really had a good time. By Guru Maharaj's mercy ,the  weather was so pleasant. Sending Guru Maharaj some pictures taken on that day.  

And you said, "But does that mean that the sacred hymns and chants are not really sacred? Are they just the chants to get things in this world, go to the realms of the Devatas? Is there something more?

And he said, "________________" Well,well just follow these instructions and I shall show you the tip of the iceberg".

              So there ,I was, with a whole lot of people waiting eagerly for his instructions.His first instruction was to listen to the sounds that would soon follow...

            The monk was seated in a raised platform and we were separated from the platform by a good 70 feet or so.

            And this Spirit  with all his outer coverings of flesh and blood did something magical. He started the invocations...." Yoga yoga Yogeshwara.....Bhoota Bhoota Bhooteshwara.....Kaala Kaala Kaaleshwara....Shiva Shiva Sarveshwara....Sambho Sambho Mahadeva.....". Again.....and again......and many, many more times....

The invocation was invigorating, as if a trillion cells suddenly woke up from deep slumber! Very soon, I saw Him as nothing but white, sparkling white light...just a ball of white light....and His chants continued...

His second instruction..." Everybody please close your eyes". We did as instructed.So slowly , I closed my eyes....and Lo!! my auditory perception became astoundingly clear...the greatest Vaishnava's vibration was all too clear...nothing short of the sounds of the distant waves in the ocean as we wait for the sun to rise! I lost my sense of time as the sounds of the roaring waves reached its cresendo ....and I was no longer aware of my material body and its surrounds. I did not know how long the bliss lasted. The monk disappeared after giving His third instruction..." keep calling out Sambho's name...till dawn".

      Blissful though the chants were,there was still an unimaginable longing for yet something forlorn....something primeval.......

      And as I slept off, I saw this indescribably beautiful lady with long hair, eyes looking towards East, so very beautiful..... Surprisingly the whole body was yellow and I said," Oh!! Mother!! You are so beautiful. How come you are so beautiful?" . There was absolutely no response...just a mesmerising smile....

   I woke up to the sounds of ...Isvarah paramah Krsnah

                                                        sac cid ananda vigrahah

                                                        anaadir aadir Govindah

                                                        sarva kaarana kaaranam....

I remain ,

your most fallen servant,

Sarada Gaurangi DD

  P.S. 1.The site of the Jackfruit tree at Kaina...from where Govindaji was carved ....

        2. the First one ... BijoyGovinda 3. Madanmohan 4 Gopinath 5. Bansibadan6. Hanumanji at Bansibadan 7&8Govindajee temple...the last one to be carved..the perfect one ....the temple was closed....sending you His pic next time....enclosing the Mandap too.9Shivji at Mondum...we dress Him as a Vaishnava 10. Honouring Prasadam.   11.Last one is our Radha Damodara at Toubul

 HpS - ASA -- I hope the DTC are sufficient to explain our situation. We are in continual travel from June 1st with heavy involvment at every step.

Hope Krsna can make use of us.

Thank you for your news.

Did you worship Siva, in your family, before you encountered ISKCON?

Have you read the description of his meeting with the Pracetas in the end of the Fourth Canto???    

Todas las Glorias a Srila Prabhupada!!!

Hare Krsna Guru Maharaj, reciba mis respetuosas reverencias una y otra ves.

Se han distribuido 2,500 libros en estas tres semanas que han pasado, estamos muy felices. esperamos que por misericordia de Sri Nityananda esto vaya en aumento. 

Agradecemos el Sankirtan que hacen Prabhu Adveita, Prabhu Nilachala Chandra Das, Madre Nadiya, Bhakta Percy, Bhaktin Lindcey, Bhakta Alex,  quienes hicieron que se distribuya esta cantidad de libros en Puno, Arequipa, Huancayo, Ayacucho.

Sankirtan por siempre, esperamos verlo en alguna parte de Perú, Hare Krsna!!!

HpS - ASA - Era gran placer verte.. en los ultima's Dias... Como puede mejorar su servicio??  Piensa gran.

Gadai Gauranga Das<img alt="smiley" height="23" src="http://hps.monkeywarrior.com/sites/all/libraries/ckeditor/plugins/smiley/images/regular_smile.png" title="smiley" width="23" />

Haré krsna Gurudev acepte mis humildes reverencias  Por favor.

Continuó en ciudad del este - Paraguay. 

Sanmartín, 16 rondas, gayatri , clase SB todos los días gracias a la asociación de los vaisnavas. Además Gurudev los devotos me han dado el servicio de coordinador del templo , yo espero tener sus bendiciones para pode servir a los e devotos adecuadamente . Hay muchas ideas con relación a l predica.

Las cosas están más claras en mi mente , conociendo una devota , hay planes de abrir un restaurante el próximo año.

Posiblemente estemos yendo a Chile para tomar su santa asociación Gurudev.

Perdone mis ofensas su eterno sirviente rohini kumar das . 

HpS - ASA -- HAre Krsna,  Esperamos ver te.. en Chile.     Enfocarse en see el major serviette de Srila Prabhupada!!

Hare krsna gurudev 

Dandavat pranam at your lotus feet 

AGTSP 

Gurudev I would like to request you to kindly visit shillong this year during your stay in India. You had asked regarding scholars that you would like to talk with.  What type of topics would you like to discuss with them. And how should I approach them.  Currently we can have a seminar at a college for general students. A doctor of physiology is also interested to talk with you but that is not confirmed.  What themes would you like to do seminars on. And there is a university here  where they have a subject in philosophy. I will approach them in few days If you confirm regarding if or not you would like to visit. 

Regarding my sadhana. I am chanting my rounds,  mangal Aarti most days when I don't have night duty but gayatri Is not stable due to duty hours but mostly one or two sadhya I am doing. Rarely all 3.  4 regulative principles are OK.  Not very very strictly fixed but OK as of now. I am reading one sloka of Bhagavatam everyday most days. Canto1. 

But my mind and heart is very much troubled. It seems my astrology charts are very very bad shape and I am going through rahu Maha Dasha. And my moon positions is in zero degree. The astrologer I consulted said that my chart is very very bad materially and not very definite spiritually. Where do I stand I don't know. My career Is nearly down the drain. And i am not growing spiritually also. Don't really know where I am going. My friends r very successful and happy but I don't know what is going wrong. I have tried most things that I can think of.. Mangal Aarti,  chanting,  deity worship.. Still no help. Can you please suggest some solution. 

I am not being a proper disciple and asking regarding my material life. I know krsna is testing but I think I won't be successful in this test.already failed... Please suggest. 

Dandavat pranam 

Hare krsna. Ur servant. 

Rituraj krsna das 

HpS - ASA -- Hare Krsna. AGTSP. Paoho. Sometimes we have very Tamasic Karma. We are like turtles living off of decayed bodies in the bottom of the river, but if we have any spiritual awareness, religious awareness, dedication to truth, then we must try to do austerities for Krsna, for eternal life satisfying His delightful desires.

If we don't have any sense of spiritual loss or defeat, then where is the the possibility of doing anything? So, you feel spiritual depression, then you must have some perception of spiritual success.

Do what you can.

Even if it is to chant Hare Krsna one time, or listen to your patients and give them some KC dialog.

That way you will progress.

I don't know the details of India visit yet, but honestly may be better for us to meeting Kolkata.

Why is you material career down?

You finished a specialization, no?