Letters to the editor

All Glories to Srila Prabhupada,

Hare Krishna Dear Guru Maharaja,

I have been far from this blog for a long time, practically since I accepted the temple president service here in Chile, maybe because of my time management problems, which are being addressed now little by little.

I came here today to share this quote from Mark Twain. My thought is that Mark Twain is American. NIOS is North American. And he travelled to India. NIOS travelled to India but it was established in the USA.

The year when those writings came to Twain's mind is interesting too.

“India is the cradle of the human race, birthplace of human speech, mother of history, grandmother of legend, great-grandmother of tradition”

In the original paragraph, he makes even more valuable statements. I have the ebook with me, so I will share with you the whole original paragraph too here:

“This is indeed India! the land of dreams and romance, of fabulous wealth and fabulous poverty, of splendor and rags, of palaces and hovels, of famine and pestilence, of genii and giants and Aladdin lamps, of tigers and elephants, the cobra and the jungle, the country of a hundred nations and a hundred tongues, of a thousand religions and two million gods, cradle of the human race, birthplace of human speech, mother of history, grandmother of legend, great-grandmother of tradition, whose yesterdays bear date with the mouldering antiquities of the rest of the nations—the one sole country under the sun that is endowed with an imperishable interest for alien prince and alien peasant, for lettered and ignorant, wise and fool, rich and poor, bond and free, the one land that all men desire to see, and having seen once, by even a glimpse, would not give that glimpse for the shows of all the rest of the globe combined.”

Source: Book ”Following The Equator: A Journey Around the World” , Chapter 38. First published in 1897. Author: Mark Twain. His travel to India was in 1896 for more than two months. A special year to ISKCON devotees because it when Srila Prabhupada took birth in this planet and Bhaktivinoda Thakur sent his books to the western world. Where we were that year?

Second quote but from Srila Prabhupada now

Another quote that I would like to share with you Guru Maharaja, heard today from Guru Prasada Swami in a meeting with regional leaders about the following Marathon, is from Srila Prabhupada and maybe you can use it in classes.

Maharaja mentioned that he was trained on how to react to nuclear bombs in his school. So, with that feeling a devotee asked Srila Prabhupada once, What we can do if they drop the bomb above us, Srila Prabhupada?

-         If you start to hear the bombs falling, you can start a kirtan… and then, you can continue it in Vaikuntha. – Prabhupada replied.

Hare Krishna Dear Guru Maharaj,

You are my main inspiration in spiritual life, and I try to become a better disciple every day. I’m not being successful in that effort, but the goal is clear at least.

HpS - We consider, agtSP, that we have not been capable of making Krsna and Srila Prabhupada main inspirations in your spiritual life. Hmmm.

We are a greedy mail man.

We seem to be making a little progress, but 99.999% the result of Srila Prabhupada holding our hand. Tolerating our offenses.

We saw Mark Twain's India comments also. We did not read all of his experiences. Many year ago we made a banner of part of the quote above for our festivals.

Yes, we have used Mark Twain in our NIOS work!!!

Also, Walt Whitman, Thoreau, Emerson!

Continue with your own personal Sankirtan, in the perspective of your family, nation, church, Sanga!

If you have no personal spiritual wealth, what can you offer your community.

A community is great, great tool for acquiring personal spiritual wealth.

Hare Krishna, Dear Guru maharaja!

All glories to Srila Prabhupada and All glories to you.

Please accept our humble obeisances. (PAOHO)

As of every two weeks:

* Bulletin is now upload on Facebook (English & Spanish), it is also in Google Groups (English & Spanish) as listed at: http://www.jayarama.us/hello.htm

Hare Krishna!!! I read all your post on Twitter and Blog. I really hope You are doing ok.

Forgive for not writing before and answer your last request. This topic (death) is very hard for me. It took me a few days to recover from this shock.

My aunt left her body on my birthday and as soon as I heard about it, my only thought was : I didn't finish all my rounds!!! That made me realize a lot of things such as I am not serious about my Sadhana, death is near us all the time and only Krsna knows when, where and how, I am not ready to past this difficult test (death). I am too attached to this body.

Then I read about Parasurama Prabhu and his father's departure and made me remembered a lot about my father's death. Many times I have talked with some friends and tried to explain and help them to endure their situation but I still cannot overcome mine.

Do you have any advice?? It will help us a lot

HpS - It seems pretty simple, no? We are afraid of water, then we learn how to swim. We are afraid of not having a cigarette then we let the addiction leave our body (and mind) then we are not afraid. We are happy.

The report from so many people such as Buddha, Jesus, Socrates, Prabhupada, is that we are in an unnatural attraction. When people see something frightening in the cinema they rise up three inches out of shock. I saw it in the theater when I was in college. The movie was, "Wait Until Dark".

So, we go on with our education. Trying different experiments directed by our teacher, Professor Prabhupada, and we see that we don't need this body. That we can look away from the TV screen and there is a real world around us of even better things.

We not only can see ripe mangos, but we can actually offer one to Krsna and take His Prasad.

Some people can not even let the thought enter there mind. So much fear and ignorance.

You can listen and consider.

You are not conditioned to your body by sex, drugs and rock and roll.

More work.

More advancement in Yoga!!

🙂

Thank you so much.

EDT (Patrak das & Antuanette)

Hare Krishna Dear Gurumaharaja

All glories to Srila Prabhupada and the Vaishnavas empowered by the grace of the Guru-parampara like you.

HpS/ASA - And you, and all of our Vaisnava readers!

I sincerely hope you are well, as much as this world can allow us. You are always in my thoughts, even though I do not express it so much. I try to compensate for my distancing by always hearing your recorded classes, SP classes, or inspiring Vaishnavas like Bhurijana Prabhu or Amarendra Prabhu.

HpS - Who is Amarendra? Is he from Los Angeles?

I have always felt fulfilled in KC, but since the second initiation in Govardhan, all has become more clear that my contribution to the Sankirtan Movement should be in a more steady manner. However, I’m still fighting to find a way of doing it.

Since your last visit to Mexico, many great ideas developed, but we tried to work on getting a key team, it didn’t succeed. Ricardo was helping at the beginning, but his intentions were not pure. A couple of devotees are there, but I have to be honest, I had felt a fade in my energy to continue pursuing Academic/Preaching efforts, I was worried I could be an offender of devotees or disturb their efforts instead of helping.

Raj Bhoga every Sunday to Sri Sri Radha Madhan Gopal, cooking for festivals, or organizing Drama or Kids activities has been our service to ISKCON Mexico.

The last September we attended the Sadhu Sanga Festival here in Mexico. 30 Tava Pache Paches provided by Srinath Krishna Das and Abhiram Thakur were distributed (15 TPP in Spanish ($150 USD collection sent to AbhTD, 15 TPP in English, Collection $150 USD in NIOS Mexico). All devotees were quite happy to have the Spanish version. Also 1 Bhagavatam Set sponsorship and 3 NOIs were distributed.

Ranchor Krishna Prabhu has been in Bhaktivedhanta Ashram Govardhan/India since August assisting Asita Krishna Swami, and will be back on December 1^st. He has been actively working with the Indian Communities in Mexico and preaching programs have been quite successful .. I send you photos from Asita Krishna Swami visit and Janmastami Festival in Cueramaro Community (Nueva Bahulavana).

Nueva Bahulavana is located in Guanajuato Mexico a very cultural state, the families there have worked hard to have an amazing Cathedral Temple, the workers supposed to travel during COVID pandemic to Rome, but Krishna arranged for them to serve in the construction of the temple.

BBT Latinamerica office and ILAEV School are also based on its premises, an ashram for students, Devotee houses, a Hostel, and recently the cows. A very nice community.

HpS/ASA - We visited several times over the years!

For the month of Karthik, I will be staying in a small cabin in Nueva Bahulavan, since is away from big cities, but still within one hour from the city of Leon.

Mexico City feels heavy on me, the traffic, people rushing, pollution, and all the constant rush sicken my body easily, so we are considering moving to a calmer community like Nueva Bahulavan. But of course, we would like to read your thoughts on this.

Actually, you visited the farm in the 90s when there was nothing but the desire to create a community, Trilokanath Prabhu (The founder and owner of the property) showed me the photographs, and since then your wise instruction to devotees has been to acquire land to develop communities under the principles of KC and Srila Prabhupada teachings.

Since this year I was unable to visit physically Vrindavan, I'm reading Ananda Vrindavan Champu with my dear friend Premarani from Canada via Zoom to try to keep our minds there, obviously is very advanced for me, but is just so so beautifully poetic that I have enjoyed grasping at least a millimetric surface of it. We are currently reading about the seasons in Vrindavan. So we hope to stay engaged during Karthik.

HpS - Jiva Goswami, no?

Gurudeva, please keep accepting our small efforts of Japa, and keep engaging us in your sankirtan because we are weak by ourselves. As every day grihastha struggles, we try to balance work, finances, sadhana, and personal relationships… so forgive us if we are attached to our individual pursuits.

In one of your recent classes, you mentioned that Houston Nilamadhava Dham is planning seminars in Spanish, which sounds very exciting, please let us know if is any opportunities for service.

Also, as the trend in the letters, many disciples are enthusiastic to know where your Vyasa Puja will be held. We are drops in the petal flower, so any of your association on such auspicious occasion is very dear to us.

 Writing this letter with some melancholy (Joep Beving https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qQ5OLwg5f4 ) that I have not written you often and when we communicate, we speak about the secrets of food. Don’t want to let pass another day without telling you that, I feel in real debt to you and Srila Prabhupada, and that I love you deeply. We are learning to kiss the feet of the master.

Your aspiring disciple

Govinda Pramodini Dasi

HpS - Thank you. Sorry little slow to answer.

You can see our response to The Ranchor Krsna Das, no?

Chant as much as possible.

Chant out loud so others can hear.

Read Prabhupada's books to others.

Hare Krsna. Hare Rama.

Thank you.

HpS/ASA - AgtSP.

The post arrived empty?

🙂

Dear Gurudeva.

Please, accept my humble obeisances.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

I am really sorry for writing to you so infrequently but I feel that every time I write to you I tell you the same things.

HpS/ASA - AgtSP! That is like saying we have the same Janmastami Festivals again and again, no? 🙂

Also, see, it has taken us over a week to answer this nice letter.

We always wanted to do it.

I would like to be a better disciple of yours, but my mind is always busy with something. Sometimes I would like to be calmer, stop for a bit and calm down, but no. I have Pitta nature and my mind always suggests something to do to keep me busy, and I accept, of course.

I'm doing well at school, thanks to Krihsna, although there has been a change in direction and pedagogy that I don't really like, and that is making it difficult for me to work with. I want to leave early childhood education and focus only on Primary and Secondary. To do this, I am now studying to be a teacher at a public school, where I would have better timetable (finish earlier) and less pressure.

Gurudeva, I notice that age advances and the body cannot handle the same. In my class, with my students, I continue as always. chanting the Mahamantra daily, with the toy Deities of Krishna and Radharani and telling them pastimes with your puppets and another ones made by me and the students.

Kids love it but the new principal is not so happy with it, but she is not condemning it.

For the rest, we continue to perform Sata sangas every Friday evening with the devotees of the area and, on Sundays, some women devotees get together to sing, read the book of Krishna, sing a round of Japa together and do some activity: arranging kuntis, Deities dresses, necklaces, etc. The truth is that I am very fortunate to continue being able to hang out with these devotees. They are so marvelous.

Next Sunday morning, I will take some devote kids to visit an exhibition in Madrid. I think it will be about Sorolla, a Spanish painter. I will talk about his particular vision of life. From there, we will go to the Madrid Temple to celebrate the Sunday feast.

This is my situation now.

HpS - It is nice. These different great personalities: Politicians, artists, film makers, they have their admirers, followers, no? By knowing the leaders, their consciousnes (NoI 10) then we can reach out to their communities with our Sankirtan.

I keep singing the rounds. I get up at dawn and sing a few, usually 6 or 8 and the rest, during the morning, at school or in the afternoon.

I have sometimes had to recover two the next day, but I'm fine now.

Well, I hope you are in good health.

At your service,

Purnamasi devi dasi

HpS - Thank you.

Sometimes tell us about your students. You can change their names.

How are your children?

Thank you!!!

We also hear about the translation work you are doing for Waves of Devotion. We think it will help the Hispanic world greatl!

Hare Krishna Guru Maharaj. Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

I am chanting 16 rounds and following the 4 regulative principles. Attending weekly bhakti vrikshas, Sunday program at the temple and daily reading of Srila Prabhupada's books. Trying to do FMP for Paramananda Gaura Nitai every day. So sankirtan is going nicely Guru Maharaj.

Vishaka is taking good care of Paramananda Gaura Nitai with nice dressing and prasadam every day.

We had such a wonderful time in Boise Guru Maharaj. Thank you for spending so much time with me.

We spent Bhaktivinod Thakur's appearance day at Radhika Raman Prabhu's house in Logan and had a great time with him, mataji, chaitanya and purushottam.

The verse book is coming along nicely. All the verses are ready and we are formatting it now based on your suggestions. Planning to finish it by end of November so we can do multiple rounds of edits and release it on your Vyasa Puja day.

We are buying a house here in Atlanta - https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/7346-Cardigan-Cir-NE-Sandy-Springs-GA-30328/35937623_zpid/

We will close on 31st and move in there sometime between 1st and 3rd Guru Maharaj. Please bless us so that we can use the house nicely in Krishna's service. Vishaka wants to name it Srivas Angan.

We are leaving for India on the 4th of November and will be there till December 16th. We are visiting Mayapur from 23rd Nov to 27th Nov during Kartik, Guru Maharaj. I am so excited to visit Mayapur after 6 long years.

Please let me know if I can bring anything for you from Mayapur, Guru Maharaj.

We will visit Houston in January for your vyasa puja, Guru Maharaj.

Eagerly waiting for that day in January to have your association.

xxx

HpS - ASA - AgtSP. Thank you so much!

This Text and the previous are interesting. Even Funny:

https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/7/14/6/

All this service in Grhastha Ashrama, any Ashrama, is really like playing in a puppet theater. It is for people who cannot talk directly to each other.

Crazy people. 🙂

So, Krsna engages our attachments for purification, and as we advance then he uses our puppet work to help in the purification of others.

Jaya!

AgtSP.

For Krsna it is play, but for us it is very serious reality?

Thank you!!

Best wishes for your Tirtha Yatra also!

Your humble servant

Sri Rama Krishna Das