Letters to the editor

Gloria in excelsis Deo

Esteemed Prof. Juan Dejo, Swami Yadunandana
By this letter let us introduce you too each other and introduce the idea for an excellent project.

Prof. Dejo, Yadu Swami has been a very good friend of ours, and the whole world, for many years. He is Spanish and became involved with ISKCON and this tradition of Bengali, Caitanya, Vaisnavism many years ago. He has been very actively involved with education in ISKCON and a celibate monk for about 40-years.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yadunandana_Swami

He recently published an excellent academic study on monastic tradition in our Bengali heritage and now it has been suggested by some very senior academics that a super excellent book would be a study on the contrasts and comparisons between Bengali (Caitanya) Vaisnava and Jesuit Monastic Traditions.

The very strong consensus has been that this would be enthusiastically received by academics but maybe even more so by many common people.

To our understanding the natural human situation is for a substantial number of men not to marry. This has been evidenced in European Christian heritage and of course in Asia.

Happy life, and very useful life.

I could write about this a great deal but here would just like to offer this suggestion and see what you all think about this.

Yadu Swami, We had the honor of meeting Prof. Juan Dejo S.J., Director de la Escuela de Posgrado de la Universidad Antonio Ruiz de Montoya, through the 2016 conference on Psychology and the Sacred that we co-sposored in Peru. I understand that he is very respected educator and administrator in the Peruvian community.

How many young men would decide to pass their lives as Monastics after reading such a book of history and modern reality!

Hare Krishna Maharaj,

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Following is the summary of 1.3.6-1.3.8 as discussed on Sunday.

V6:

This example suggests that one must first acquire the qualifications of a brahmaṇa, not simply by birth but also by quality, and then one can undergo the process of Brahman realization.

V7:

The incarnation of the boar was to take the earth out of Pluto’s region of filthy matter. Picking up something from a filthy place is done by a boar, and the all-powerful Personality of Godhead displayed this wonder to the asuras, who had hidden the earth in such a filthy place.

V8:

The great Ṛṣi Narada, who is an empowered incarnation of the Personality of Godhead, propagates devotional service all over the universe. 

Your servant,

Sundari Radhika dd.

HpS - ASA --- Thank you.   Are there daily classes on these verses still???   Guess they stopped while ARD was traveling?   Tonight is the BhVai workshop.   He was also making the point that book knowledge is not sufficient to be a Brahman. That would be a Pandita as the way we heard. SB 3.29.31-32 are very nice in describing these relations.

This is our means of conquest. Please lead us!

Dear Maharaja,

PAMHO AGTSP

New dates will be fine.  We haven't set anything in stone here yet so we are flexable. Most important is your energy to preach. We will not promote an intense scedhule while you are here either. Calculated and effective. Weather will be nice so if you like you can rest and visit some quite beaches while you are here. 

Your servant

Crocodile Dundee Das

HpS - Hare Krsna!  Mate!   So nice to hear from you.   Then we just have to get the answer from Hawaii. Then start to get the tickets.  It is the right time to visit India also, because the program planned for Peru will be June-July, so we can see the Indian participants  enough time before to co-ordinate writing and performing art's projects.

Are you back on the ISKCON plantation?   Big snakes?     Cooking for Jazz festivals.

Todas las Glorias a Srila Prabhupada!!!!

Querido Gurudeva por favor acepte Usted mis humildes reverencias.

Hoy conversé con M.Yugala K, sobre las acciones que está realizando para el desarrollo educativo en ISKCON Perú. En especial se refirió al Bhakti Sastri. Gurudeva, usted dejó las funciones de Examinador Bhakti Sastri? y este cargo ha sido propuesto a P. Maturesh, quien ha aceptado. Mataji está tratando de integrar a los devotos que podrían promover el tema educativo y entonces me convoca a continuar en la Administración del Bhakti Sastri. 

Gurudeva, siempre he estado en la disposición de realizar este servicio de administración bajo Su autoridad y ahora me preguntan si tengo la disposición de hacerlo bajo la autoridad de P. Maturesh. Gurumaharaja, por favor, podría usted darme su opinión al respecto? sólo después de oir su opinión podré de palabra y acción responder a M. Yugala.

Siempre estoy conversando con usted en mi corazón, y hoy estoy feliz de hacerlo también.

Hare Krsna Rama.

Su discípula Rohini dd.

HpS - TlgaSP!    pfanrh.   Hace mucho tiempo no oir de Vd!     Yes, I am no longer the Examiner for the Bh. Sastri diploma en Peru. I sent a letter to the Board of Examiners, Bhakta Rupa Das with a copy to everyone.

As I understand, Maturesa Das has agreed to be the Official in Peru or Bolivia, but this has not been submitted to the Board of Examiners.  Bhakta-rupa Das wrote to me that they only had you listed as an official in Peru and the Program Administrator.

So, as far as I know, there is no one in Peru now authorized to submit requests for Diplomas from the Baord of Examiners, but the local authorities can fix someone who will be integrated with their perspectives. In any case we love to hear of peoples realizations from the Sastras here in this Blog.

Thank you.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!! All glories to Guru Maharaj HPS,

Dandavat Pranam Guru Maharaj,

Kindly accept my humble obeisances at your sweet lotus feet [ASA - lettuce feet].

I had been wondering the past few days whether my letter reached Guru Maharaj or not.....a little anxious ...but all the while leaving everything to Krishna. Oh yes!! Yesterday I did pray to Hanumanji on his birthday...please!! please!! would You please let me hear from Guru Maharaj!! Today, during my break time at the hospital, as I was going through the 5th volume of Srila Prabhupada Lilamrta, I received this beautiful reply...and I am feeling so happy and abundantly blessed!Thank you so much. Guru Maharaj ki jai!!

Last Sunday, we started our Kirtan from Govindaji Mandir and had to pass through a number of meat shops mostly run by Muslims. I am sorry for specifying the community . To my surprise, all of them accepted the little prasadam offered to them. An elderly Muslim gentleman even gave his blessings....it was simply amazing!! On some earlier occasions, I have found them refusing  Krishna prasadam and we had to patiently explain to them .....feel very hurt when some of them still refused after all our efforts. Same with some of our Christian followers. Kindly give us Your blessings Guru maharaj.

Banamali Prabhu leads the group most of the time. He has prepared pamplets for distribution . All of us are too busy and too absorbed in the Kirtan that we forget to take snaps. This Sunday I will try my best to take some snaps and upload them ASAP.

Oh....one more thing , Guru Maharaj....which books will be best for distribution during Nagarkirtan? Usually...I carry some spiritual items...like incense sticks, Stickers, Chandan, lockets.....besides, of course, the Prasadam.

Thank you so much Guru Maharaj,

I remain,

Your humble servant...forever seeking guidance and protection,

Sarada Gaurangi Devi Dasi.

HpS - Hare Krsna!!!   Thank you for your wonderful news from the wonderful land of Manipur!!!!   I don't know what books are available.  Of course, some small books that people might consider looking at quickly and then taking. "Krsna, the reservoir of pleasure", in English is very nice. Prabhupada said that we can even photocopy certain purports that we like and distribute them. Ask people to take them, help with a small donation for our printer if they can and then if they like them just contact you and you can give them more for their friends and contacts.

Are you working??  Do you have any contact with Sriman Yamjnesvara Das in Thoubal?   How is Brahmacari, Sadhu Das??

PAMHO

AGTSP

My dear guruji:

Long time since I wrote to the blog, but as I told you when you were here in Vrndavan, it has been very difficult for me to login, finally I got it, wow, I cannot believe it, these hi-tech devices make me crazy.

ASA - We must become mad like Gauranga!

First, I want to thank you very much for allowing me to serve you while in Delhi and Vrndavan, it has been very refreshing for me to listen to your lectures and to have personal answers to my questions, please forgive all my offenses.

ASA - '@'ink~~

Recently I had the opportunity to visit Navadvipa and Jagannath Puri,  [Jaya!] it was amazing to see all those beautiful places where Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was living, his birth place, the place where he met Nitai, the house of Srivas where they used to make sankirtan, the Ghambira, Sarvabhauma Battacarya's place, the place where Nitai broke Mahaprbhu's danda, so many beautiful places full of pastimes and the magnificent temple in Mayapur, with the Panca Tattva and Radha Madhava with all the gopis. In this trip Goura-Nitai gave me the big mercy to understand just a little bit more of their lilas.

HpS - Ecstacy!!!!

Now, back in Radhakund, trying to be more engaged in serving Radha-Kunja Bihari.

       ASA - Shhhh!

Some days ago, Gopi Radha from Mexico was here giving me the opportunity to associate and try to serve one of my beloved godsisters, we had very nice days, doing parikrama to Govardhana, to Radhakund, we also went to the Janma bhumi of Krsna in Mathura, thank you my dear Guru Maharaja, for propitiating this association.

Now, I am trying to reinitiate my seva in Radhakund and I have a request to all my godbrothers and godsisters who can help me donating and bringing me at least two "pool cleaners" that kind of nets are very useful to clean the kunda to take out all the prasadi flowers, these nets are not available in India, that is why I am asking for your help. If somebody want to make this service, Radharani personally will bestow on him all her mercy.

HpS - They have the nylon mess in India, no??   Maybe make one there??  But also can bring!

Thank you again and again, my dear guru maharaja, for all your causeless mercy to this fallen soul.

In another letter, I will try to send my humble tribute to our beloved Raktak prabhu, which I mentioned to you.

Your (trying to be humble) servant

Tungavidya devi dasi

=====================================================

It was a shock for me to know about the disappearance of our beloved godbrother, and I feel the necessity of writing about him.

HpS - Ooof!

He was the embodiment of a perfect disciple, always engaged in serving his guru maharaja, accomplishing all his needs, cooking for him when required, trying to be with him all the time he could, but specially, his complete surrender.

HpS - He had some attachments (smile)!

He has a lot of the qualities of a good disciple, tolerance, silence, simplicity, humbleness, among others, and as mentioned in Srimad Bhagavatam, “the disciple should learn giving mercy to the suffering, showing friendship to equals and showing humility and respect towards superiors”.

He had a proper conduct, he was a truthful representative of our guru maharaja and at the same time, he was very gentle towards us, his godsisters and godbrothers, always smiling, observing and hearing our problems and trying to advise us the best, always remembering and inspiring others to remember Krsna.

I remember last time I saw him he told me “from this year on, I will be with Guru Maharaja in every vyasapuja, no matter in which country it is held, I will do that because I want to be with him in that special day and also to meet more godbrothers and godsisters all around the world and to take a lot of pictures to share with all of them”.

I read in a sastra “just as the spiritual master is – so is the disciple, and of course Raktak Prabhu acquired all his qualities trying to emulate our guru maharaja.

HpS - Yeah!  We also have "some attachments".

As Guru Maharaja said in the blog, ‘we will miss him, but we won’t miss him”, we will remember his teachings, his smile, his advises, his gentleness but the most important thing is not only to remember him but to try to emulate him, to be a little bit like him, to learn how a good disciple should be, how to behave with our guru maharaja and so we can get his causeless mercy and at the same time of Radhe-Syam.

I am sure that Krsna needed a soul like him to engage him in his personal service and that is why he decided to take him back home. 

My dear godbrother, thank you very much for your association.

Your (trying to be humble) godsister

Tungavidya dd

HpS - Yes, we think a lot about visiting Australia just to see his friends there also.   We are very tired, now. Little head ache coming, but maybe one more letter.  Join us.    We want to call Jagmohan. Our respects to your family. We hope your cow is fine. Can see our suggested India visit in letter to Dhruva, Australia. 27th Sep - 18th Oct