Letters to the editor

Hare Krishna,

Please accept my most humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Bhakta Adrian, Utah, always hanging in there! :)

               ASA - !!!!   !                  !  (!)

With Reb having left again, I find it strange to say that I have been moving forward nicely in spiritual life. (at least compared to how I have been in the past) I am still keeping the same regulated schedule. Work, Gym, Yoga. I am able to chant all my rounds to get my day started.

There have been some major changes in this small temple. Two senior devotees have moved away, leaving only us youth to run the place. I have to say, it has gone beautifully so far. Tracy, the oldest of us, has been named temple president. Two other young men have moved into the temple. We get very little senior association, but somehow we manage to stay inspired. I humbly gave my first "Saturday Feast" speach. I take no credit for whatever good came of it. I didn't prepare very well, but I prayed and prayed that Paramatma would just speak through me. It was successful, but not by my efforts.

I have been put in charge of taking care of the deities!! It is the best part of my day. I wake them, do an offering, then get ready for my day, chanting my japa on my way into town. Then they are the last thing I see as I put them to sleep after I get home. I am feeling so blessed!

I am starting to see this world and myself through different eyes. I truly feel like Radha has bestowed some greatly undeserved mercy upon me. I am also still keeping a weekly update with Sri Hari Prabhu, trying to take my spiritual life more seriously and continue to move forward.

I just want to cry out to the Lord and his devotees for being so kind to me. I feel so fallen, but I am always so blessed by their mercy, and your mercy as well.

RADHE RADHE RADHE RADHE SYAAAMM!!!!!!! :D

Your lowly aspiring Bhakta,

Adrian

            HpS - Jaya!   AgtSP.       So nice to hear from you and news from Utah for all of us.      SO, SO, nice.     Yes, it is better to have a small, but regular Sadhana than being the Bhakti Yo-Yo.     UP_down-UP_down.        Wait for Rebecca.       She may be suffering from temporary insanity, or better yet resetting her life to relating to you as a devotee friend rather than trying to advance to Ghrastha ashrama two years too soon.   O.K.    You are on the path to first iniation!!!

reportandose el x aguilo del sur x mis reverencias gurudev! nos vemos en chile!!

HpS - ASA  -  AgtSP.............     .

Hare Krsna!     !

As per requested...

(This is an excerpt from the book "Appreciating Navadvipa Dhama" by HH Mahanidhi Swami)

The following popular story explains the appearance of the mridanga in Gaura-lilä: Before coming to this world as the Golden Avatära, Lord Krsna said to His flute, “My dear flute, I am descending again to the material world but not in this form. You should stay here with Rädharani to pacify Her. I promised Rädhä that I would not take you with Me.”

On hearing this, the flute began to cry and said, “My dear Lord Krsna, how can You leave me here alone. I have always been by Your side, but now You are neglecting me. What have I done to deserve this?”

Krsnaa replied compassionately that He would bring him along but in a different form. The flute did not mind changing his form, as long as he could remain engaged in Krsna’s personal service. In this way the flute transformed into a mridanga, and descended to this world with Sri Caitanya Mahäprabhu. 

            ASA -  Uncle Gismo:    Hmmmm!    Popular story.       Not very scientific. (But cute... :O})       Lord Caitany doesn't play Kartals of 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!

Todas las glorias a Srila Prabhupada

Todas las glorias al Señor Caitanya y sus Asociados

Querido Maharaja, por favor acepte mis respetuosas reverencias postrado a sus extraordinarios Pies de loto que son refugio y esperanza para las almas tan caidas como quien le escribe .

      HpS - ASA -   TlgaSP!     Descr. de nuestras glorias son un poco exaderados.

Disculpe que lo moleste y le quite su valioso tiempo , es para contarle que estoy estudiando para el examen de primera iniciacion  para este sabado proximo y le pido su bendicion para poder rendirla con exito. Si Usted y el Señor KRISHNA lo permiten estare viajando a Santiago aunque sea 3 o 4 dias .

Esperando que se encuentre bien de salud y siempre esperando sus bendiciones su inutil aspirante a sirviente Bhakta Francisco de Buenos Aires  

          HpS - ASA -  Jaya.  TlgaSP!   Somos sus servientes.   Espamos muy bien resulatdo por la examinacion, que puede ser un experiencia bueno en su vida espiritual.            Entonces esperamos ver te en Chile...  ...  Muy bien!!!

Dear Guru maharaj,

Please accept my dandavat pranams, All glories to Srila Prabhupad. How is your health maharaj?

I am not very good with my communication skills, so, please forgive me if I make any mistake in communication.Thank you for remembering me and for sending the nice book. As soon I read the letter, I was overwhelmed with gratitude.  I wanted to respond back immediatly, but I postponed it for couple of hours as I had to go out. Sorry for the delay in responding back. 

It was my pleasure to see you in Dallas and I was feeling bad that the trip was very short. I wish I could assocaite more with you.  I am doing my 16 rounds loudly and waking in the morning before 4AM and taking shower, then do mangalarathi, then I chant around 9-10 rounds in the morning before 5:45 and leave to work. Rest of them, I am doing them in the evening. I have not been very successfull in my endeavours for avoiding onion garlic or coffee. When I listen to your lectures or when I remember your words, I make a determination to avoid coffee, onion and garlic. After couple of hours, I go back to normal.  I wanted to write to you that I was successfull in following all the principles for 6 months, but I have failed so many times. although I feel hopeless about it, I will keep trying.  

Part of the problem is, I am so ingrained to go with the crowd that, I sometimes bend too much and I lack that determination to say no.  When I say no to others and avoid all the things for couple of days, then suddently I just go to restaurent and eat all the food with onion and garlic.  That makes me feel like a hypocrite. Hopefully by Guru and Krishna's mercy I can follow all the principles.

Thank you again for your kindness in remembering me.

your aspiring servant

Nataraj

           HpS -  ASA --  Jaya!        AGTSP!!!        Paoho.     Why do you take the onion and garlic. I or somebody else may have a chocolate addiction.  Why?   Chant Hare Krsna why you are taking them and see what it is that makes you addicted. Is it a social need?  Is it a fundamental way of avoiding Krsna?    Is it a physical need of your body or mind?

         Include reading from Caitanya-caritamrta in your morning program?

         You are defnitely on the right path.  Success is guaranteed.  Just go ahead and work on your problems.  Solve them.    There is such important mission that Krsna has for you as soon as you can escape.

               A G T S P !             (paoho)       Here we are in Chosika. 1.11AM in the morning. Brother Ass has an itch, infection, on his right arm. His poison ivy allergy seems finished. Where one disease finishes another starts.

             We will read the Blog letters next.  Yesterday was like hell and a half!  Up for Japa Joe, bath in one cup of water (there is no water from the city supply for a few days), to the Temple for Madana-bihari's Mangala arati, Japa, prepare for Sunday SB class, class (100 devotees), beautiful Hari-nama in the sun for about three hours (one-hundred devotees), back for Gayatri and meeting with Prof. Polo, his wife and two little teenage sons, Abhirama and Laksmana. Was kind of a chaos in the temple canteen. We are kind of starving but that is Krsna's arrangement. He is following Rupanuga's instructions that we eat less, sleep more and have less passion.

         3-4.00PM - BhVai Curriculum Development meeting with Laksmana and Srinivasa Das. We didn't even finish reviewing the chapter, what to speak of doing it well. 4.30 - Take rest (back in the Ashrama) and just got up a while ago and bathed in another cup of water.

          All in all, things are pretty good. We get eight rounds done before Mangala arati. We have time to contemplate our plans for Sankirtans. Krsna is sending Prasadam. We have to be more careful to honor it properly.

          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?

       !
   ~ovo~
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