Letters to the editor

Dear Guru Maharaja, Hare Krsna. Please accept my obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

If I may ask, 

-question in a short form- 

What are your views, experiences, and thoughts about editing of Srila Prabhupada's books? 

HpS - As Srila Prabhupada desires it to be done, we should do it. Eg. he had his KRSNA book dictation tapes edited into regular college level English, no?

-question in enlarged form-

We put a lot of emphasis on books for inspiration and our progress, it is our approach and faith that what is in the books is what SP wrote (wanted to be written there). 

My background to the question: over the years I watched some videos here and there from both sides. I read about it, too.

I find it a complex situation. Because SP dictated and had different devotees type and edit his books. To me it looks like SP wanted the books to be edited, that is for sure. But how much and until when, is a question? 

As one devotee says one thing and another says another, for me it is difficult to distinguish the truth. I was not there to see how it happened from 1965 to 1977. Even if I was there, there were a lot of personal exchanges on the topic. 

I am not in favor or against the editing. 

What I do is read and try to see what SP is saying about the same point somewhere else. This is maybe not a perfect solution, but one that I do until there is some new insight. Also, I may confer upon caitya guru, but I leave that to my inner world and do not share it. 

Thank you!

Your servant Namacarya Das

HpS - Our thought exactly!

👍👍 👍 👍👍

Hare Krsna, Gurudeva.

AGTSP, PAMHO.

We will be quick so that your bodily eyes are not strained.

We request you to use speech to text for writing replies.

HpS - Thank you. Send more suggestions as they occur. Takes more energy for us speak than type. That is why we don't talk on phone too much.

"We think we are enjoying holy name, can you write in detail for humanity and us --

how do we serve holy name? what are ways we can enjoy holyname ?"

ASA - Serve Holy Name by Chanting, He.

HK HK KK HH... !!!

With attention and meaning!! Meeening!

"Oh, Radha, please pray to Rama/Krsna to help us with our Sankirtan".

HK

HR

---

HK

HR.

2) We don't want to enjoy the Holy Names, no? Serve them.

Chant more clearly. Chant louder. Chant and Dance.

Do some Karma yoga while we chant. Eg. Cook for Krsna while you chant. Chant while you draw. Chant from your heart while your mind plans. Play recording while you answer mail.

trying to be Das of (Hayagriva Avatar) or ( just HpS Swami and parampara).

HpS/ASA - Trying to follow your examples in many ways. What do you think of Ganesha? Thank you for all the ISKCON India work!!!!!!!

More.

Post-Thanksgiving November 24, 2023

Hare Bolo Maharaja!

please accept my humble obeisances, All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Am submitting a commentary from a post face-book dialogue with a person disgruntled with ISKCON and they were targeting some specific devotees (?).

In repute, I felt some elaboration on the appearance of the situation versus the sources of agitation might bring some clarity. For your discretion and critique:

Welcome to Kali-Yuga, the age of quarrel and hypocrisy. Sadly, all humanity is in times of confusion and dishonesty. Even obvious solutions are confounded by perverse logic.

Also the Catholic church, Boy Scouts, Olympic Coaches, Private Schools, Uncle Bob... the list goes on in sexual abuses and other atrocities. We are in the worst-case scenario on this planet, add wholesale slaughter and exploitation of animals and we have a perfect storm of suffering.

The only solution to our dilemma is an understanding of the superficial layers of existence and maintaining a proper relationship with our Souls, though here's where vast opinions and methods get misconstrued.

The science of Self-Realization does work and does bring clarity. Getting the information from reliable sources is getting more difficult for as mentioned, this age is not conducive for such education. Regardless, as we are vigilant in defending, we also need to be vigilant from ignorance ascending.

Thank God there are people who pursue these virtues and are able to assist us. The others who are polluted will not help. As mentioned, the onslaught of offenses in many walks of life, committed within institutes we placed trust in is a blatant fact. Knowing this and arming ourselves with intelligence we may fight and conquer such demoniac mentalities.

The trick is in patience versus immediacy. The wheels of justice turn at their pace and karma is not always an immediate event, though it is eternal until neutralized with proper sacrifice. So, those, Saints, Gurus, and Spiritually Enlightened Leaders are all implicated in what we all are in, the Material World.

Place Faith from within to our own Souls, not others' chagrin of perception, for the Paramatma is with us directly and will supersede any external nonsense... now we must face our own nonsense and this is where we need trust in our Faith and those who are sincerely seeking and sharing theirs. (We especial try to focus on this! Thank you, HpS/ASA)

God is in control, give Thanks.

Some subtle cryptic sentences for the author who posted, hopefully, the subtle nuances might bring some future enlightenment. Trying to purge abusive confusions for persons with honest goals and all the while maintaining my meager clarity.

Looking forward to your association.

your servant in training,

|C.C.D.| Thank you.

ASA - Thank you.

Hare Krishna dear Guru Maharaja,

Please accept my humble obeisances.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada...

My favorite bead is the Radha bead, it has almost half missing. It makes for a perfect fit for my thumb pad, and when I start my Japa I feel like my thumb is merging into the Radha bead...but in a completely simultaneously one and different kind of way!!

I like it because I remember Radha with this bead, and I feel like my thumb meant to chant there!

Your servant,

Jaya-hari das

ASA - Jay! AgtSP!!! Why do you call her the Radha bead? This is the first time we have heard this term. Interesting. 🙂

Hare Krishna, Dear Gurumaharaja

Please accept my hubmle obeisances.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Writing after very long time.

HpS / ASA - Not so long. Ag ag tSP! Paoho. So nice to hear from you.

I am very happy to share that my Mangala Arati attendence is by your's and Krishna's mercy finally perfect. Sometimes there are only 2 of us, pujari and me. Sometimes we are 4. For long long time I was part of the problem by my bad sadhana, but I pray I will be able to continue as good example. So now just to keep it fixed and to improve consciousness.

HpS - Param drstvam nivartante[?]. When we see the natural, happy result of good Mangala arati then we keep it fixed.

Learn the word by word meaning of the song.

Get some rounds done before Mangala arti! ... See Radha and Krsna listening to you all! . . .

Our son, Balarama, is energetic and cute child. Bringing us both happiness and distress :)

He loves to offer lamps with us for Damodara.

My wife is working on design for puppets for another devotee who will make Ramayana puppet plays for nursery schools.

My wife likes to do things like this.

Working on new vedabase.io version.

Last few days I struggled somehow with user authentication system and trying find way of connecting it with current data.

It makes me insane, but I hope I am very close to make it working nicely.

Once that is done, I can quickly finish other stuff and make online beta version. Then when it will be consider stable it will replace current vedabase.io. 

After new version will be running I can finally finish offline Vedabase app. It became more urgent due to attitude of Indian BBT toward all other projects, causing one devotee who made offline reader few years ago to delete it.

As I mentioned last time we spoke Indian BBT is trying to remove Online Vedabase too, but by Prabhupada's protection we will not give up and instead increase preaching even on more.

Your servant Prahlad Nrsimha das

HpS - Thank you so, so, much for this facility. We certainly feel that online Vedabase.io is an essential Sankirtan tool for so, so, many devotees. It allows us to quickly access texts for Sankirtan and share precise citations.

Maybe BBT India and others will be more enlivened if they see orders for hard copies of books coming in through online VedaBase?!!

Maybe you can offer then space to develop their advertisements.

Hare Krishna, Maharaja, please kindly accept my most humble obeisances;

ASA - 🐵 . . 🐒🐒 Paoho.... !

all glories to Srila Prabhupada;

ASA - ❗❗❗

all glories to your good self for your wonderful service to Prabhupada and Sri Krishna. After having read your response to my last letter, I gave some thought to your advice to come down to Houston for a short retreat. I have reservations for a flight to Houston to visit you during your Vyasapuja celebration, but out of a sense of trepidation I have purchased it with the option of being able to cancel it.

I can't explain the reason(s). It's like I am afraid of feeling unwelcomed all over again; afraid of feeling left out of the ecstacy that should be there when celebrating Vyasapuja.

HpS/ASA - Hmmm. For us it is a chance to glorify Vyasadeva and the Parampara: Krsna,

Radha,

Lord Caitanya,

Six Goswamis,

Narottama Das Thakura,

Gaudiya Vaisnavas,

Srila Prabhupada Bhaktisiddhanta,

Srila Prabhupada, A. C. Bhaktivedanta!,

ISKCON,

Me and You,

Our disciples = Whoever is following our discipline in following Srila Prabhupada's discipline.

In 'NoI' we always remember SP saying that devotional service is not a matter of imaginative ecstasy nor sentimental speculation, rather practical activity in the forefront of spiritual life.

Wow.

Work!

Please come and join, lead, us in the work!!

🙂

My wife and I are still dealing with some fallout. Not a day goes by when I am not dwelling on what happened. Still, we are managing to stay connected with those devotees whom we still have friendship: few though they may be.

My sadhana has taken a big hit. I have not been able to rise early in the morning like I used to due to despondency.

ASA/HpS - We Remember Srila Prabhupada Saying (WRSPS) that Maya's big weapon at the time of death is depression, despondency. I remember Vaisesika Das say, citing, "Don't become a vicitim". Introspection: Did I do something wrong to deserve some chastisement???

a) if I did, then there is not mistake we can make that we cannot correct (Sri Rama to Laksmana).

b) if I did not, then it is a mistake by the chastiser, material world, and I will try to help them, with KRSNA's help. I am not the target. they are chastising something about me that stimulates, fear/anger in them. etc. 🌴

These days I am up by 6AM, if I am lucky; and that means my Mangala Arotika is not until 6:30. Daily readings from Srimad Bhagavatam is not so daily, but I try to keep up my attendance in the Bhagavatam classes from Hawaii.

My japa is splayed out throughout the day, thanks in part to my work as a driver for Uber; but still I am chanting every day and observing the four regs.

ASA - Wars are not won by intact soldiers who never take a wound, nor never fall down. They are won by wounded soldiers who show the world how to get back up again and go back into the fight against The Evil One and His Companions, with a wounded body! 🌴

I just concluded my observance of Damodara prayers, and returned the Murti of Yashoda Damodara to Their place on the bookshelf next to Lord Nrishinghadeva and Sita Rama, Lakshmana and Hanuman murties.

I don't wish to sound like I am overstepping my low level of puny realizations, but this year, as with previous years, when I have chanted the last round of Damodara prayers, when I have lit the last candle for offering, and returned Yashoda Damodara to Their place on the bookshelf, there is a sadness that is felt: as if I am saying goodbye until next year, although I see Them every single day.

I would be lost without Deity worship in our home.

I guess I am very attached to the very process ofDeity worship here: even if for no other reason than I would be completely scared and lost without it.

I still have online Bhagavad gita classes on Tuesdays, and I try to attend online Bhagavad gita classes from Hawaii every Wednesday and Friday evenings.

I perform evening arotika nightly, which is only a Dhupa Arotika.

It's not so easy because of my days of driving around for Uber, but still I do it because it is my protection.

I have been distributing books to passengers and preaching, when the occasion allows it.

Some passengers are really grateful, as they are needing to hear something that gives them hope and direction in life.

Most are just curious and open minded, but into doing their own thing.

My preaching through IPM devotional correspondence with inmates continues, but it is not so easy.

I don't always have the stamina to take time out to write to them, since writing is not a skill that I am blessed with.

ASA - 🐷 🐵 📿

Same for us! Thank you!

Still, it is an opportunity to preach, and I need all the opportunities I can get; so I read their letters, and try to make time to preach to them in my replies to their letters.

I will close here, hoping to get your blessings and association soon. Please kindly forgive me for being such a weak and nonsensical devotee: Hare Krishna.

Your lowly servant,

Sriman Balabhadra dasa

HpS - ASA - Jaya Balabhadra! Jaya Balabhadra Das!!! Hope to see you soon! Hear from Srinivasa Das that you are talking with him about accomodations.

Problems with the family, problems with the community, church, government, enviroment. 'kalu dose nidhe rajan...'