Hare Krishna Maharaj, please kindly accept my most humble obeisances;
All glories to his divine grace, Srila Prabhupada.
I trust that you are doing well in y your devotional service.
HpS - AGTSP paoho... Just got back from India, Europe... Little exhausted but recovering well. We stick the news in the DTCs!
Because I am constantly engaged in some mode of material energy I don't maintain adequate association by writing to you more often. Even I tell myself to that this is important to maintain such association, still, I am a failure. However, today I am feeling movtivated to write and share some things that have been taking place for a while.
ASA - Oh, goody! News from Gaura-Nitai's house. (Tom Brown)
First is that because of your blessings, the blessings of his holiness Srila Candramauli Swami, and his grace, Sriman Candra dasa prabhu, I have been blessed with the service of preaching Bhagavad gita to inmates for close to a year and a half. Most inmates have come and gone, but there is one in particular who has been very nice, very systematically studying not only Bhagavad gita As It is, but many of Srila Prabhupada's other books: Such as the Nectar of Instruction, Sri Isopanisad, and others. He is very familiar with some of the Srimad Bhagavatam as well. He chants on japa beads every day, though I am not sure exactly how many rounds: Still, he is chanting everday a fixed number. There is another devotee who has been attending Bhagavad gita classes since the beginning of this year, and he is also very nicely learning the philosophy, and chanting every day, but I am not sure if it is a fixed number. These devotees have nice pictures of Radha Krishna, the Panca Tattva and Srila Prabhupada in their cells to create a nice temple atmosphere (all things considered), and I try and explain a simple standard of showing proper honor and respect so that they can experience a greater sense of devotional enthusiasm in their lives. It is such a moving experience to see their enthusiasm, particularly when the classes are over and I have to leave them behind: Hoping to see them again next week. These inmate devotees are so much appreciative of the philosophy which not only gives them a whole new perspective about the meaning and purpose of life, but also gives them hope that their lives are so spoiled because of being inmates. I could go on but it would be redundant to do so.
ASA - "lives are so spoiled " should be "lives are NOT so spoiled", no??
And yet at the risk of redundance, there is some other satisfaction that warrants sharing, and is somewhat relevant to the topic. I was recentl contacted by an inmate who was one of my students. He is home now with his family in Georgia. He contacted me via text and cell phone from home, asking for me to supply with some additional books, japa beads, neck beads and photos for an altar. I sent him all he asked for plus some audio CDs along with a small booklet of Vaishnava prayers as per the morning program. Then again, another inmate who used to correspond with me from a prison in Indiana and is now free also contacted me with a similar request. I guess it shouldn't come to me as a surprise considering my own background before I came to Krishna consciousness, but for some reason I am amazed at how some people can be so serious about Krishna consciousness as inmates, and continue to take it to heart after they have been released into the greater world of Maya.
ASA - Yeah, we were were corresponding with a guy for a few years and then when he got out he forgot Krsna!
We have Bhagavad gita classes here in my home every Sunday evening. Bhakta Reilly, Mother Kama Gayatri, and one client of my massage business, named Bonnie, as well as my wife attend. It is according to the study guide and everybody paticipates nicely. I am giving thought to taking the Bhakti Shastri course, but I don't know if I can muster the dedication to complete the course. Hence, I feel like a fool and a hypocrite because I am willing to give Bhagavad gita classes, but I am not willing to dedicate myself to the curriculum. I don't understand Krishna's logic in allowing to do this service if I am not able exemplify the practice.
Anyway, I wanted to take some moments with you, mostly to take shelter of your association by revealing my mind to you. Please kindly forgive me for not being more of what a devotee should be like, especially for one who has been practicing for as long as I have: Hare Krishna.
Your lowly servant,
Balabhadra dasa
ASA - Hey, we are all different - Ajamil, Daksa, Srila Prabhupada, HpSwami, Balabhadra. How is your morning program? You can do the BhSastri course in modules, bight size chunks. We get to Boise in like four weeks.
