Letters to the editor

Querido Gurudeva:

Por favor, acepte mis humildes reverencias.

Todas las glorias sean para Srila Prabhupada. 

Me alegro de que su salud haya mejorado ultimamente y, claro está, de que pronto podamos contar con su asociación personal en Madrid. Por aquí seguimos con el servicio del Gurukula. La verdad es que nos hemos visto sorprendidas, y un poco asustadas, por el crecimiento de la escuela de domingo. Primero éramos Eva y yo con nuestros hijos, pero ahora cada domingo contamos con entre 9 y 12 niños!! El domingo pasado, por ejemplo, asistieron los hijos de Revati, los de Tirtha y Laksmana y los hijos de unas devotas rusas. Esto nos supone mayor dedicación y nos hace darnos cuenta de lo serio que es este servicio. La verdad es que nos lo pasamos muy bien y a mi me gusta mucho preparar durante la semana todo el material. Además me hace leer más y estoy aprendiendo muchas cosas. Los niños tambien están respondiendo muy bien a todas las actividades. Durante los últimos domingos, hemos contado con la colaboración de algunos devotos que han aportado aquello que saben. Por ejemplo, el domingo pasado, Yasodanandana Prabhu les dio una primera clase de música, enseñándoles como coger los karatalas, los ritmos, ets. Tambien, participó Sananda devi dasi, quien intervino con una actividad de movimiento corporal que a los niños les encantó. En fin, precioso.

Este fin de semana ha sido tambien el Curso de Adoración en el templo de Madrid. Yo sólo pude ir el sábado por la tarde, ya que por la mañana me tuve que quedar con Nimai, pero la verdad es que fue impactante. Tantas cosas que mejorar para llegar al estandar mínimo de ISKCON!!!!!! Me gustaría estudiar a fondo el material y mejorar en la adoración en casa, así como echar una mano en el Templo de Madrid. ¿Qué le parece? 

    HpS - ASA -- Jaya!   TlgaSP!!!!!!!        pfanhr...  Claro muy bien advanzar saludamble la estandard.

Por lo demás, gracias por su atención.  Espero que se encuentre mejor de salud cuando lea este mensaje.

Su humilde sirvienta,

Purnamasi devi dasi

              HpS - ASA -    Seems that you must involve more people.  This is always what happens.  We start as teachers and them become teacher adminstratos    -or-    we continue as exemplary teachers and involve others who can do administrative work better than us: Putting Kids in different Groups. Connectin them with different teachers.
The result is unlimited.  Srila Prabhupada called it Sannyasi service of the first degree.

(pasting the first letter, and for easier flow of dialoge, writing at the bottom)

Hare Krsna dear Guru Maharaja.
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

By some recent (and not se recent) circumstances happening in Pula Yatra, I am thinking about this instruction by Srila Prabhupada:
"Now we have got so many students and so many temples but I am fearful that if we expand too much in this way that we shall become weakened and gradually the whole thing will become lost. Just like milk. We may thin it more and more with water for cheating the customer, but in the end it will cease to be any longer milk. Better to boil the milk now very vigorously and make it thick and sweet, that is the best process. So let us concentrate on training our devotees very thoroughly in the knowledge of Krishna Consciousness from our books, from tapes, by discussing always, and in so many ways instruct them in the right propositions."  (Srila Prabhupada's letter June 22, 1972)

I wonder, when is proper time to "Boil the milk"? Should we stop trying to preach (doing public programs, prison programs and similar activities) and find out how to at least try to solve our inner problematics.
When I say "stop the preaching", I mean not in a rude way. Of course, we can try and will give Krsna to others, but for time being, concentrate in which way the yatra should function, and concentrate to develop programs (and do them) for training our devotees.

The idea behind the scene is that we, as devotees, associate seldom, and when together, try to fix the house for future temple, or discuss different preaching activities. That seems nice, but actually, there are misunderstandings, arguing on different points that we do not address, specially not in an organized and mature way. Also, what happens is that  new people come and after some time leave. There are many causes why they leave, but among them is the not-nice situation/relationship between devotees.

Guru Maharaja, I hope I succeed to convey my message. Surely, if needed, I will give more details.

Thank you!

Your servant Namacarya das
 

HpS -  AGTSP   paoho.  This is very nice topic.  I think a  simple answer is that Srila Prabhupada set a standard of full morning and evening program for internal, milk boiling, and then we can go out with confidence.  Do you find this?  The lack of internal adjustment follows when there is no basic full moringnig and evening program (of course more basic 16 rounds and 4 principles with devotion).

Nd >>> Would that mean that without devotees following standard of full morning and evening program and specially if not following fully 16r & 4 regs, should not preach? I do not know details of every devotess home program, but I think that not everybody has the 2nd basic standard, and with some the 1 basic is also questionable (chanting 16 rounds everyday).

         HpS - Is very individual.  Look for Satyaraja Kahn in NOI. That leads to disucssion in CC of what is a "Neophyte pure devotee". He may have many faults, but he is sincere. He is usually carried away by bad associatioin and just hasn't heard well about what to do and not to do, but he is sincere and therefore he (and his preaching) are worth respecting.  Of course he may have eggs mixed in with his cake "Prasadam" and think that because they are "mixed in " it is not eating eggs.
So, some maybe should "preach". Especially if it is just passing the "letter" along, distributing books, but really should be careful to do preaching what you are not living.

* Do you mean to say that "full morning and evening program for internal, milk boiling, and then we can go out with confidence" should be in the temple (our temple is not functional in that way, only regular program is Sunday Feast)?

HpS -   No, no....  So many will have Temple with their family, Sankirtana partners.  Can do so much by staying in touch by phone etc. now.  Can call a friend after Mangala arati if you are alone and ask how was his Kirtana!

HPS:        The meeting with Miguel was worth $1,000. We discussed writing strategy. It is still not clear, but it is a lot clearer.  What would you like us to write?

PAMHO, AGTSP!

Nd  >>> I am not updated in what was the topic with senor Miguel discussion.
As per your question, I may give five ideas (and my wishes <img alt="" src="http://hps.monkeywarrior.com/sites/all/libraries/ckeditor/plugins/smiley/images/05.gif" title="" />)

• make a book from different recorded classes/seminars (NOD, NOI, SB with different themes or chapters)

HpS -  Jaya Srila Prabhupada.   Oooof!         Paoho.  That would take a lot!!  of editing work.  Finding the classes etc, and many times they were improvisational themes so there is not an intense relevance that we want to achieve.    That is the nature of traveling and preaching, it is very related to a passing, but useful, moment, and not to a broader more lasting aspect of Vaisnava reality.

• a novel with Krsna consciousness contents/points

HpS - We tried that with Where Wine Went Wrong. You read that and didn't find it too useful, no????

• a scientific look at Krsna consiousness (as per your background)

HpS - This we could do. It is more animating.  It is interesting. The diet that Ayur vedic Doctor (Rupanuga Das) put us on, takes so much fire out of our system. We have to much and we see that it makes us more active but it also burns up the container also.   Possible early throat cancer etc.  So,we are wondering which of these themes will be more motivating.       Science has it's perspective, but we begin to see a lot of it in terms of acquiring Mystical Powers for no really neccessary end.

• have this blog Q & A made into book, with different topics (grihasta asrama, japa, deity worship, etc)

We have thought of that, but these editing projects are too time consuming..   Hmmm...  We think it is more practical to work on a project that will lead people to the art of concentration, meditation, contact with the Param-atma, Hand of God. We have not done that enough yet. In some ways it requires giving up this BhVai work which is focused on Jnana and going to relation with the Scriptures etc. from the point of view of Dhyana.
You mentioned this in the beginning, that you didn't like this Jnana approach to P'pada's books, but rather liked to "sit with devotees and churn the nectar". Of course, we can fall into the trap of just getting some Harry Potter sentiment out of Prabhupada's books like that and not going deeper, no?   You have realized this also, no?
It is such an intense endeavor.
Thank you so much for your association in this effort.  So much.  Your requests have helped so much!        Any more thoughts?
Our conclusion with several big academic scholars is that they also don't know what to write, but have a general idea and are going ahead because it is there nature to do something.
If they are willing to dialog on Topics that are needed then I think the power of Srila Prabhupada's association with help us advance.
What do you, or any one else, think?

It is not just us.  Others can also write and publish.  We have to get the Bhaktivedanta Purports out.

Your servant Namacarya das

  HPS:   Lord Caitanya doesn't play Kartals or Mrdanga in His lila. Rama has a bow, Krsna has his flute.            Hmmm...   Thank you for the news.   We have some more ideas to send....    Soon!

Nad >>> In Deity worship - If Gauranga in His lila does not play karatals or mridanga, is it proper to decorate Him (and Nityananda) with these instruments?

                HpS >    ?????????????????????????????? AGTSP... Paoho.....???? ????  ??///   Oink!   Oink!   WHoop....  Whoop...       Uncle Gismo says that he has no scientific infomation on this topic, but the general principle is don't speculate, but GN are very merciful and may accept the Kartals.  He has heard that Prabhupada said, not to make Krsna in to a Hat Rack.  Hanging all kinds of stuff on Him   AND   that we could offer Lord Balarama a club, but we shouldn't FORCE Him to carry it.    Hmmmm?

Namaste  Maharaja,  Jaya  Srila  Prabhupada!

1. Reference is made to my last post on this subject made July 2nd, 2012 (Posted 6:16 PM -0900 by saranga-das).

2. In final preparation to bring this subject to a higher level inside Iskcon GBC, I discovered that only six (6) full moons actually fall definitively inside the 12 signs of the Hindu sidereal (stars) zodiac. The remaining six (6) fall between 2 signs of the zodiac.  Of  those  in this  category, Gaura  Purnima  is one of them (nakshatra Pūrvaphalgunī in the actual time of Mahaprabhu's  birth).  In the other 2  years of the 3 year lunar  cycle,  Guara  Purnima  falls in the sideral zodiac of  Virgo and only in the final  year  falls in the zodiac of Leo.

3. However, if one looks at  the  constellations  in the night sky all of them fall in  Leo!  Don't be confused by this. Constellations   DO  NOT = Signs of the sidereal zodiac. The signs of the sidereal zodiac are defined in 30 degree portions of the celestial  equator  which totals 360 degrees. As an astronomer, I had to learn  this  fact  of Hindu  astrology. Good thing I carefully researched this. Therefore, as far  as  Gaura  Purnima  dates go, everything is  OK.

4. However, I did definitively discover  that  the method used to determine the lunar intercalation (adhika masa) was only right once from the period of Gaurabda  513 to 526. This  is  an  important discovery because from the time the GBC version of the Vaisnava  Gaurabda  calendar calculates the adhika masa (extra month) till the correct one, all the holidays of the lunar calendar are wrong! There is one partial exception and that has to do with Ekadasi. I say partial  because  the Ekadasi  is  OK except  for the named  Ekadasi.

5. For this  year, the  calculation  was  off only one month and as October 16, 2012  the lunar months  are as they should be.  In  other  years, the error is  greater but  never affected Gaura  Purnima  but 4 affected  Janmastami.  More on this  in a later post.

6. I hope this  clarifies  issues with the GBC  Vaisnava  calendar  thus  far examined.

Ys,  Saranga  Thakura  das

          HpS - ASA --  AGTSP   paoho.  It's interesting to hear your words. But we lack the general background to put too much action juice into them. If I told you that we have to meet with Laksmana agra Ja in about 45 minutes you wouldn't know if Laksmana was a man or a women, if it was in Lima or Chosika and what the topic was.
         See what I mean?  Your investigation is honestly very interesting and your reports of conversations with Sri-kara Das interesting!   There are non-ISKCON Hindu panditas who also calculate the Adhik mas, no?
          For example, we are now celebrating Vijaya-dasami, tommorrow. So I guess we could all agree that it is Dasami, but your conclusion is that this is a different month of the lunar calendar, no????