Letters to the editor

Hare Krsna Guru Maharaj!

Please accept our humble obeisances.  All glories and jaya Srila Prabhupada!

We are very sorry to hear about your tooth Maharaj.  So many nerve endings in the teeth.  We will pray that this pain ends soon for you.

HpS - ASA -- AGTSP!!  Well, we were able to just see it as "noise" rather than "pain" for a large part. We can see that the pain is giving your jaw, body, social impression, over to "noise". Get ready soon. We are all going to become noise.

Maharaj, things have been busy (thank Krsna for that).  I have been appointed through an emergency situation to be in charge of the 5th and 6th grade classroom.  I was teaching full time a month ago but now it is part time as a Composition, American History, Grammar and Literature teacher.  It has been amazing and a lot of hard work.  I have permission to now incorporate Vaishnava comparative studies the last 10 minutes of Literature and History (i.e., we study Figurative Language and thereafter look at Figurative Language in Suradasa's poems. In Literature we read about the life of impressionist painters and compare the paintings to Impressionist style paintings of Lord Caitanya made by no-name listed, pre-19th century Bengalis in the book  Birth of Kirtan!).  Everyone, including the parents, seem happy with this approach.  I feel more and more dependent on Krsna though!  I do not have my Masters in Education, so I have to really prove myself and my abilities (sincerity is there, but abilities to teach are developing as I practice the art of teaching).  Thank Krsna everyone is tolerant of me while I learn the ropes.

Sadhana has been okay.  I will get up between 6-7 every morning and chant as much as I can, get Aja ready, do some mangal arati. I am reading every day but it is all over the place: mostly to prepare material for Values class or Comparative Study.  

I have seen some successes this year in being able to give up previous material desires.  Simpler life, simpler housing situation, giving up non-devotee association (I was hanging on to some association of artists out of sentiment only, but now there is not as much need for this nor is there any time for this!)  I went out on books alone yesterday and now I do this every Saturday usually with a group.  Gunagrahi Maharaj was just here for a visit, and Maharaj explained that some material desires are hard to give up and sometimes impossible to give up for the time being.  For example, I was struggling with this idea of family getting together for Thanksgiving!  I still wanted to DO that, so I cooked for Nick's parents a prasadam feast.  I think this delegating of desires and transforming them into KC desires is going okay. But there are a thousand others in the deep mine of material desires the closer we get to sincerely performing Krsna Consciousness.  Somedays I am so overwhelmed I just need to write or play a silly game with Aja.  When is distraction healthy distraction Maharaj?  Should it always relate to Krsna Consciousness, even our distraction?

HpS - We hear that Srila Prabhupada told the devotees in Hawaii, that if it did not interfere with their service they could swim for 45-minutes every day.  Hmmm. Sometimes we just have to relax the mind, or get brain-strokes. Look for the most KC diversion you can get. Four principles is good standard.
I think it is really a matter of being sincere and seeing how much you have indulge the brain and body to keep them fit for service. Experience is a great teacher.

BUT, (and I know this is a big but) I know so much of my struggles are unnecessary.  I am speculating, but the situation with Nick seems to be Mayadevi's personal construct to detract me and simultaneously attract me to a devotional path.  My realization is that if I can go deeper into studying scriptures in a more regulative way and making this my life and soul, I would not be so torn up about the everyday calamities.  I want to ask you Maharaj how to develop this mood of absolute dependence on the scriptures.  I pray for it, but I am still so distracted.

   HpS - The Gopis didn't know how to read and write, Nanda Maharaja didn't know how. He would  hire some educated fool to do it for him. They would watch puppet shows about these things andd understand it all. Hour in the morning, hour in the evening. One standard. That can some with Aja, some with devotees. Some before breakfast.
How to eat better? Experiment with different diets.

I have a feeling this is my next step to not just being a normal person with normal tendencies towards laziness and lamenting.  It seems to be what separates a bhakta from a Vaishnava.

    HpS - It is one things that separates a Madhyama adhikari from and Uttama adhikari.  

I am now about to start my internship as well as a class on Evidence based counseling to finish my degree. Part of me does not even want to finish school (Haha, silly, I know!!) because I am already very busy with teaching 25 hours a week and keeping up with my sadhana and Aja. I am incredibly scared that I will lose my sadhana and service if I take this on.  Let me know if you have any advice!

HpS - Of course, don't do anything that doesn't first INCREASE your attachment to Japa-vraja and 4-principles and Full Morning Program. Krsna will send the Prasad if you do that.

I will ask Hari Vilas's and Madhava Chandra's as well.  You are very merciful for listening.  I hope, that maybe I can incorporate some Jungian approaches towards psycho-therapy into my practice.  I am looking forward to your paper on this.  

Your lowly servant,

Kamagayatri dd

HpS - We got our first response to our letter yesterday from Dr. Kitsikis. He forwarded it to the head of a big Turkish Sufi movement and said that he would have interest in what we are trying to do. That's all I hoped for, that our first approach to authorities would be re-directed to more appropriate people, then we can write more and more focused stuff!

Thank you four your news. Of course, the real focus seem to be getting up for Brahma-muhurta.

More news.

AGTSP

paoho

Wonderful day. 1, 2, 3. Went to Office Max (OM). The paper and labels we wanted were on sale. Came back and got the label printed for the Philemon Foundation letter. One part of the software didn't work but after some effort we were able to use a second class trick and surpass it.

That is this world, no? Dukalayam asasvatam.  A place that Krsna guarantees will not work! We can never be happy here. We are perfectionists!

Then off to Wall Mart, looking for supplys, potatoes, saws.  Good visit. Three employees all wished we a "Good-day" as we went out. It is their job. No one said, Hare Krsna, or Halleluja, or even Merry Christmas. Ha!  Ha!  Ha!       We are going to Hell in a hand-basket.

Ooof!!  We wanto to be better tools for Srila Prabhupada's Sankirtan.

Off to the Post Office. Vyasapuja gift for Satsvarupa Das Goswami. Letter to our Purnima Puppet Theater leader, Lokanatha Das, Philemon letter.

Back to cook lunch for Lord Nrsmha.

First boil the split peas and channa dhal. Then add the Oat meal. Then we saved two very old Banananas from NGD ashrama and blended them with some water and put them in the Kitri. Then some Carrots, ghee and boiled the whole thing for some time and offered it to Lord Nrsmha deva. It was a very, very, very nice offering!!!   Brahmacari food!

Read some more of Sonu Shamdasani's book on Jung and the "Making of Modern Psychology: Dream of a Science". It is significant that Srila Prabhupada wanted ISKCON accepted as a Science also.

Nap.

Letters to the Editor, Yahoo, and this Bloggggg. And now we take a quick bath and off to NGD's ashrama! For our 44-minute walk. Now 39 degrees Fahrentheit, 3 degrees Celsius.

Hare Krsna!!!!

Hare krishna Maharaja!! Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!!

In Madrid all is OK! The japa has arrived to the temple. I continue with my differents services, in this last period of time one devotee call Dhanesvara Prabhu arrives to Spain cause he wants to develop some activities in relation with the varna ashrama (now he is travelling to EEUU cause he must to do some arrengements with his visa), he will return in one month and he will start to work with the rural proyect Mother earth. I have had a lot association with him and he is very very nice! I love his classes and his point of view about the society.

HpS - AGTSP. Paoho. I think I know who he is. He is from USA? We are old friends!

From the last week one devotee calls Nitai and me are doing bhajan  in the street one day at the week, i would like to maintain this activity for a long time and if its possible i would like to improve more days at the week, but now one day at the week.

HpS - ! ! !!!!!

In the last weeks is more easy and sweet to chant japa at the morning, i hope not to lost this experience and improve it.

Thank you for all, Marcos.

(the mother of . . . calls me cause . . . . went out of his house some months ago and his family dont know anything about him. She says to give you her mail  cause she doesnt understand how this blog works, she says that she needs to talk with you the mail is . . .  .es she is very worried, please if its possible dont put in the public blog this last three lines)

HpS - Is better to put last three lines but remove the names. O.K. We write to her with copy to Dandava Das or Murari Das.  Thank you. We will mail the Jacobos beads tomorrow. Go ahead! Make YOUR circle Krsna conscioius!

HpS - AGTSP.  I think the cost of the transfer would be more than the cost of the postage. You can buy us a mango or some such nice thing to offer to Krsna when we get to Spain, no??

Hare Krishna Maharaja, please receive my humble obeisance, all the glories to Srila Prabhupada. I hope that when you receive this letter you are well and receiving all the blessings of Krishna.

I wrote a few weeks ago and tell you about Brahma muhurta. I told you that I was waking up at 7:30 am. Rising early has been always something very difficult to me and since you tell me about getting up 1-1/2 hours before down I have tryed to do it (in Spain the sunrise is at 8) . The last twesday finally I decided to wake up at 6 and I´m doing it. I feel very happy and by the moment it´s not difficult to me. Even I dont need a "siesta" at noon :) I think that is the mercy of Krishna. I´m chanting Sri Guru Astaka and Sri Nrisimha Pranam, then I do a Puja and offer a flower and incense, chant six rounds, read the Bhagavatam and offer breakfast to the Deities before going to work. I chant the rest of the rounds during the day. In the evening I use to read something too. Two days ago I finished the Science of realization and now I would like to begin a book that Yadunandana Maharaja recommended me about the chant of the Maha Mantra. I don´t remember the name. I think all this is helping me to have the mind fixed on Krishna and in my sadhana. Thank you Maharaja.
I have a question for you. When I get into Japajoe I see that all devotees call you Gurudev. I guess this is because they are initiated. I also would like to call you Gurudev and do it if you give me permission.

HpS - AGTSP!!!  Yes, I think it is O.K. if you understand that I am not presenting myself as any substitute for your relationship with Srila Prabhupada as your Guru and everybody's Guru in ISKCON.

I sent you a Japa Mala as my Siksa Guru Dandava das indicated to me for you please sing the first round if there is the possibility that one day I take initiation. Did you recieve it well?

HpS - Jaya! We got it and chanted on it like we did for Marco and were going to mail it back to Danava Das at Espiritu Santo address, but didn't want to do that until we heard that the first one had arrived properly. Did it? We asked your good self to investigate and report but I guess you didn't get that request.

Thank you very much in advance.

Greetings. Your servant.

Jacobo.

Hare Krsna!!!  So, so, so nice to hear from you! You have wonderful situation to purify yourself without limit and do amazing service. Go ahead!

Oink! Oink!

    WHoop!   Whoop!     E=Mass times the Speed of Light Squared!

A G T S P !   Paoho.
We have done 99.9997% nir-jala ekadasi today. (took water with our anti-biotic (for tooth infection remnants)).
Now, 5.09PM we are going to offer lots of water, milk and sugar to Lord Nrsmhadeva before He has a brain stroke.
We considered and dying is not so bad.

We have the NOI Afterwords disctated. I hope Ambarisa Das et al can illustrate them and then they can be transcibed for Radhika. Of course, we would like to do more work on them.

We also updated "Japa-joe" today at www.jayarama.us/archives/japa-joe.docx .

We also sent off a Regional Representative Job description to the Ministry for Saturday's meeting, and posted our updated bhvai-sb6-essays.docx file in the achives. It includes carefully selected questions for the Module Review.

Few nice phone calls!

Now is DARK outside and c-o-l-d. In few minutes we go to NGD's home for our walk and a little human association!

Tommorrow we mail the final version of the Philemon proposal and nice copy of Japa-joe to Satsvarupa Goswami for his Birthday anniversary.

What is left to do???   Work on the Chapter Study Guides, Afterwords to Cantos One and Two etc.

Any questions?
Let's go soon to Goloka.

Of course, we can also stay here as the Local Sankirtan develops. It will take a lot of work but there are some very clear avenues of Sankirtan here in Murfreesboro, but that would require help.

Today is Gita-Jayanti but I think our main celebration will be Friday at NGD's ashrama.
O.K.

Hare Krsna!!!!!
We just want to live with Krsna in the same village like we used to. All this big city stuff is useless!