Letters to the editor

AGTSP

paoho & bw.
5.42PM, Murfreesboro, Tennessee, USA
Sunset is at 5.30PM, but you sure can't see it. It has been so cold here that we can't even drive over to NGD house. We went yesterday evening and it took us 10-minutes to get the ice off so we coulds open the door and start the motor, heater. Then another 20-minutes of breaking the rest of the ice off so we could drive.

It was dark.

It was quiet.

It was spooky!    Only a few other cars on the road and had to travel really, really slow on the icey roads. Today was about the same. Sun came out for some time and began to melt stuff. Tommorrow night it is supposed to be -20 degreed Farenheit, or -25 C!    Good, God!   What will happen then. At -30 C your spit freezes in the air and exposed flesh freezes in like 90-seconds.

Oooof.  Our little cave in the mobile home is stay warm with one electric heater and we got another in the bathroom. For cooking we have to put on shoes and a jacket and move rather fast. So far no water pipes have broken.

This is not normal. In Boston it is worse. Kill cows get killed.

Our body is still exhausted. We try to do light work but after 6-days our liver still seems 65% depleted. If we even think about eating p-nut butter we feel an intense pain in our waiste etc.

Our heart is happy. How about you.

Now we are just sleeping, but we did a lot of work today: 1-hour 40-minutes on Skype with Rama-giridhari Das. All very useful. Then 30-minutes with Abhirama Das, also super. Eduardo G. and his wife Gida have agreed to try writing a book together, alternating chapters. He was president of the psychiatric society of Peru etc.

Hare Krsna. We can't write this. Krsna gives fantastic suggestions.

15-minutes with everyone's old friend Visala Das. He's 77-tomorrow. Tonight is Siva-ratri. Gana-gamya Das left his body in Delhi. Has a great wife, son, was the chief designer for the Dehli animated museum. 15-minutes with Nandulal from Houston. 10-minutes with NGD and Abhiseka.

Now it is 5.55PM and the sky is closing in. The last cars scurry for the shelter of their garages, only about 10% of normal traffic by our front window today, no commercial traffic, NO AMBULANCES (usually about 14/day).

We read about Lal Bahudar Sastri, second Prime Minister of India, after Nehru and Miguel Cervantes. Of a recent survey of world classical literature by about 75-writers/scholars from 54 countries the Ramayan and Mahabharata were in the top one. They listed them alphabetically by author without rating any as 25th, 26th, 27th etc. but they did note that Don Quixote got 50% more votes than any other book on the list.

Take a look at the winners to see why they win. Use their success for Nanda-gopal and all of his little friends.

We also reviewes Monkey/Piggy's Trash writings from 1,000 - 10,000. They seemed quite amazing.

Monkey / Piggy - HpS, you a work'n fool!!!!!   You call this light work????

O.K. 6.02, then letter is off just for you? How is Laksmana, Candra-munkhi's in Spain? Dandva and Jayanta were in Mangala arati, gave great pleasure to our briain. Jagad Guru, BVD + Sananda, Mitravinda and more. To quote Carl Jung, the psychologist has to be very careful of all the emotional dependence and adoration of his patients. He has to be who he is. An instrument of the Real Doctor. We worse devotees than any of our readers and by your mercy we can contribute a little bit to Srila Prabhupada's movement.

Hare Krishna dear maharaja,

Please accept my obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada

How is your health?

HpS - ASA -- AGTSP. Paoho. The temperature right now, 3.32PM, Sunday, 15 February, Murfreesboro, Tennessee, is -3 celsius. Our cottage is not well heated so that puts a lot of stree on our body and it is hard to offer and honor Prasadam properly. So, our health is pretty good. Recovering from the stress of our South American travel, but still 30% weak from that.
We have already got a LOT of work done here.
Because we could not eat so properly we ate too much salad and so we feel like our stomach is going to explode. Prabhupada had the same problems. Sometimes he would vomit from improper Prasadam, but like him we do our best in this crazy material world and use whatever health we have for Sankirtan.

I was in Mar del Plata with my guru maharaja when you were here. Anyway I could take some association from you for two days. Better than nothing. Hope you come soon again! Thank you again for bring the camera and please forgive us to all the issues that you had because of that. 

I’m still learning how is it work. Anyway I filmed a looooooot of videos! 

Well about my sadhana, I’m trying to improve it again and learning “the art of delegate service”.

Reading “Teaching of Lord Caitanya” and some verses of BG or SB every day.  I really needed to read because I really enjoy it a lot!!! 

I feel very strong keeping 4 principles strictly and chanting 16 rounds, trying to focus more in Krishna and if he wants I will go to Mayapur at the end of this year. H.G. Mahatma wants me there to help him with service and I want to study also. What do you think? 

HpS - Very nice! Is Mahatma Prabhu in Vanaprastha or Ghrastha ashrama???  What is name of his esteemed wife?

Well now that I know you said: “"No existen preguntas tontas, hay tontos que no preguntan”. I will ask some questions! ha!

I was thinking about my ashram also.. It’s a new kind of ashram: “The hidden ashram of the West” ja! it’s like bramacarini but outside the temple. How Prabhupada would see it?  What would he think about it? It’s right or wrong?  I remember when you said me: "now you can understand that attraction to opposite sex for sense gratification described in flowery language is "a real drag” I get it and If association with somebody means "don’t following principles", I really don’t want to do it and I’m sure and decided about it. So what lies ahead for me in the future? For now I have the shelter of my spiritual father but he is India. Maybe I have to learn self-defense!

HpS - That is why I asked the above question about Mahatma Prabhus Ashrama. If you want to clarify your Ashrama then obviously you have to know your Guru's ahsrama status.

Related with this, how can we preach to new men in order to get them near to Krishna Consciousness without generate confusion in them? Because sometimes it becomes uncomfortable to me. I don’t want to be so serious because I’m preaching love through teachings of Lord Caitanya, but I’m not so loving because of that and sometimes I feel that I’m very impolite. So I don’t know how can I deal with this. I think bramacaris have the same issue with girls when they go to distribute books.

HpS - Prabhupada says that devotees are allowed short term association with the opposite sex for preaching purposes. So you can talk a little bit to orient the men and then connect them with a male devotee (which of course includes Prabhupada.   [0:)  ).

About service: How can I deal with seniors devotees when I have to share service? For example if we are not agree about how to do something..

HpS - Discuss it resepctfully.  If they are really 'senior' then they will be better at handling the relation than you. If they are older but not senior, then you have to discuss like with a friend or if they are less advanced but older you have to help them like a child, appreciating their blind-spots being confused and thinking they are more advanced with they are not.

About diksa: Everybody is asking to me when I will take diksa!! I don’t want to be pressured, What is the rush? I think the most important is to follow the instructions and develop the relationship between guru and disciple and diksa is just a formality. Anyway I've already talken with my guru maharaja about it because I’m committed with him in the same way than if I was taken diksa and I feel ready to do the formality. He is agree and wants some recommendation. What do you think about it? Do yo think I should do it or wait more? For me there’s no difference.. 

HpS - Hari-nama Diksa by Srila Prabhupada's standard was for anybody who followed the principles for six months in full cooperation with the temple (living in the temple). If you have been doing that, then you can take Hari-nama Diksa as far as I would understand, for second initiation there must be more consideration.

Maharaja, I feel very very happy with my spiritual life and all the time I'm trying to improve myself. Krishna is giving to me too much mercy and I feel very enthusiastic and encouraged all the time. I need more hours per day because 24 it’s not enough!

I wish to see you again very soon!

My all respect to you dear maharaja

My obeisances at your lotus feet!

your servant,

Belen.

HpS - AGTSP.....  Thank you for your association. If you are feeling big enthusiasm, don't be surprised to get big tests also.<img alt="smiley" height="23" src="http://www.hps.monkeywarrior.com/sites/all/libraries/ckeditor/plugins/smiley/images/regular_smile.png" title="smiley" width="23" />

Waiting for your next letters.

Hare Krishna Gurudeva
Please accept my humble obeisances
All glories to Srila Prabhupada

I am writing to thank you for your asociation during this time. You taught through many details, so many that it is sometimes difficult to remember them all. Anyway, I will try to be Gandharva dasa with enthusiasm someday, I thank you for your great kindness to me.
I would ask permission to worship Jagannatha Baladeva Subhadra at home. My wife and I have much affection for them, since the beginning of our devotional life. It has presented an opportunity to have this home deities and I wonder if you allow us to worship them.

I trully hope  this year it's magnificent for your preaching,  Gurudeva

With love

Your  servant

Gandharva das

HpS - Thank you for all of your help. It was worth thousands of dollars.... Yes, it is very nice for you to start worshipping, J-B-S!!!  Ask Gaura-gadadhara Dasi for details, no?
Send us more news and the questions that you have for your spiritual advancement.

Hare Krishna Gurudeva
Please accept my humble obeisances
All glories to Srila Prabhupada

I am writing as usual on Ekadasi. I hope you are well, recovering from fatigue after your trip. This morning we had a NIMSAR meeting via Skype, the first since the board meeting last Tuesday. We have talked about finding ways to deal with administrative matters with the authorities, knowing that there are many views about education and affiliated groups as NIMSAR. We are hoping that we will convene a meeting to give us feedback on our request.

We have also addressed administrative issues related to the courses to begin in early March. On Wednesday we will reconvene to work on details concerning our beginning of academic activities. Finally, we talked about the Guru - Disciple course and the possibilities we have to take it with Prabhu Param  Padam, inviting other devotees to do it with us. I will be telling you the outcome of these events.

Greetings from everybody  and hoping your preaching is going on successfully.

Your servant

Gandharva das

NIMSAR secretary

HpS - ASA -- AGTSP Paoho. Let's do some strict organization:

1) The Vision and Mission Statement you made in the last Report are very nice.

2) By next Ekadasi we need to have a Statement of Requirements for the Membership in Nimsar, a list of the Members of Nimsar and the special qualifications and duties for the President, Secretary and Treasurer.

If we go ahead like this we will be qualified to managers of  San Marcos University within three years.<img alt="smiley" height="23" src="http://www.hps.monkeywarrior.com/sites/all/libraries/ckeditor/plugins/smiley/images/regular_smile.png" title="smiley" width="23" />

Hare Krsna Gurudeva
Please, accept my humble obeisances
All glories to Srila Prabhupada

How are you Gurumaharaja? I hope your trip is bringing you and the spiritual brothers satisfactions and realizations. I am glad to tell you that the NIMSAR team is preparing the courses for March. We have taken the decision to offer Bhakti-sastri, Bhakti-vaibhava, Introduction to Bhakti-yoga and the worship six week seminar for the first semester of the year, so we go gradually implementing new courses. Actually we have no rush. We must be aware to prepare and enable us while we do with others. In this way, we have asked mataji Isvari, who is already in Chile for the education congress, to contact Param Prabhu Padam to ask him if it is possible to receive a special VTEcourse exclusively for NIMSAR. If this is not possible, we will do it anyway by ordinary means. We are willing to prepare better for the challenges of the future. 

We've also summarized the Vision and Mission document and has resulted in the following way:

VISION

• We will contribute to the formation of ISKCON spiritual leaders, teaching them the basics of Vaishnava philosophy and other important issues, collaborating in this way with the mission of Lord Caitanya.

• We aim to be a leading educational alternative for spiritual, intellectual and physical development of devotees and society in general conducting classroom and distance education programs.

MISSION

• We are an educational institution dedicated to the academic training of devotees through the systematic study of philosophy and practice of the principles of bhakti yoga, enthusiastically participating in the temple programs and the sankirtana of our spiritual masters. For this purpose, we teach specialized courses and organize classes and seminars.

Do you have any suggestions on this? Please, let me now your opinion.

We are looking forward for your return.

Your servant

Bhakta Germán

HpS - AGTSP paoho. We have not been answer mail while traveling. Now back in USA. Your letter is very nice. We would like an official list of the courses you are offering. For example, we have not discussed the Bhakti vaibhava course. So far the classes I have been joining are informal. They are not approved by ISKCON formally. That has to be adjusted.

Lets look at the next letter. <img alt="smiley" height="23" src="http://www.hps.monkeywarrior.com/sites/all/libraries/ckeditor/plugins/smiley/images/regular_smile.png" title="smiley" width="23" />

AGTSP!   Paoho & Bw...
Oink!   Whoop!   Back in the United Snakes of America, our home. We are sitting in Tandavika/Musa's ashrama in Franklin, Tennessee. Outside some snow flakes are falling. Our 67 year old body is O.K. energy is low from the 22-hours travel and all the Sankirtan work before we left Peru and South America.

Now we have to get a local rhythm.

We will go to Murfreesboro on Friday. Full morning program (FMP) on line daily at Start Meeting. Hawaii class tommorrow.

First priority seems to be making a proposal to Eduardo Gastelumendi to write a book together (with Monkey and Piggy) and some others, publish it by July and then have a big symposium based around the result at the Peruvian National Library for two weeks in August.

O.K?

We will be in Tennessee until the day after Gaura-purnima. Then we go to Texas.