Letters to the editor

Memorial Day

May 26, 2025

AT THE VEDA FOUNDATION MEMORIAL FOR MAHARAJA BHAKTI CARU SWAMI

Deland to Ksetra-jnana

Dear Maharaja Hanumat Presaka Swami,

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

Responding to the prior Sadhu Sanga queries, yes, we did have a full size Srila Prabhu Murti there, all else was pretty much digital, aside from Tulsi’s and a few Shalagram Shilas.

DRIVING WITH VAISNAVA’S

After our Sadhu-Sanga blast, we went to Deland for Srila Prabhupada and Maharaja Bhakti Caru Swami’s (BCS) Memorial Monument celebration. Seems Srila Prabhupada is also included on any BCS events, such is BCS desire. We were only an hour and a half drive away from Orlando, and were honored to bring Gopinath Acarya Prabhu, his wife, Lethita from Houston. Everyone was glad to come to this event, though I had some hesitancy.

PRE-EMPT

Had a concern about how much seva was to be required and I was not well enough prepared for it. I only had some yogi pants, kurtas and such, no tools what so ever. Turns out I was used for electric fan assemblies, and they were needed, it was hot. The Memorial started at 1 pm, we got in a little early, to assist where we could, though there were mostly local devotees around cooking, arranging patios and getting water out, the small group of enthusiastic locals kept Spirits up.

It was Surprising that there were no disciples at the staging area. Then a couple of Prabhupada’s disciples did show up, Maharaja Jayadvaita Swami (JAS) and Maharaja Candramali appeared.

Regardless, Feelings of disparity were still coming to me, were anymore Vaishnava’s coming?

I knew it was an improv’ Memorial schedule to take advantage of the Sadhu Sanga turnout, but the more distant locale and short notice invites may have been too impromptu.

HpS/ASA - We got an invitation but it was very late. We suggested to join online with our small contribution but the decision was that many people were coming from the Sadhu sanga and it was going to be invivo, live only.

TRICKLE DOWN ETHICS

Walking towards the stage at the enclosed patio over the boathouse, I meet another guest and realize it’s Dr. Graham Schweig, aka: Garuda Prabhu,, the good Doctor had his seat at the front, while I’m comfortably sitting on the last end of the bench seating,.. noting JAS and Garuda were giving each other full eye-contact. This event may have been their first time to get together since their last “book editing” conversations.

As I prepared for the Memorial event to unfold, there seemed to be a few more elderly Vaishnava’s surfacing at the tents entrance to the patio.

Maharaja Sachinandana’s tall smiling figure was there,

and then an old Soul comes to the foray,

Prabhu “Guru Das” Adhikari!

He arrives as the guest speakers start sharing their sweet pastimes on Maharaja Bhakti Caru Swami.

Now Radhanatha Swami comes to the patio center. Maharaja BB Govinda Maharaja is on the opposite side bench seats, Maharaja Bhakti Prabhava Swami, and Maharaja Purushottama are coming in too.

Guru Das was having difficulty getting a seat, so I gestured to him to take mine, he refused, then I took the seat cushion and shook it and wiped down the seat with my handkerchief placed the cool side of the cushion up, and re-offered. It was a deal he couldn’t refuse... we both just smiled.

YE’ OF LITTLE FAITH

During the session, somber and personal tales are shared with each guest speaker, a lot of influences with BCS, he really is a Vaishnava’s Vaishnava.

Then, looking behind me from my new seat, I saw the entrance was getting even more crowded. A majority of Srila Prabhupada’s disciples were locked up in the kitchen cooking the offerings for today’s event.

Everyone was out, and it was getting packed! My shallow expectations were quelled and the restoration of the Vaishnava’s eternal potency revived,

just an amazing get together on this lone abandoned Christian campground, now being revitalized by sincere devotees and disciples of BCS,

even the cows were even mooing.

INSATIABLE CONCLUSION

The tributes flowed for hours, then the Memorial dedication was called for; everyone was heading to the eastern central portion of the Veda Foundations land. A fresh and sturdily built stone and mason tower was erected, and it was time for Agni Yajna. Maharaja Sachinandana was having difficulties getting over to the Memorial, so I offered to escort him over, carefully voicing permission and passing, we managed to blaze a trail in for him. The Yajna began, Salutations and sincere oblations abound, kirtan to accompany, was most ecstatic!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

Then the Prasadam Hall was wide open! Superb entrees, Lasagna and sweets galore, Srikand, Rasa Mali’s and ice cream too. A perfect conclusion of a Memorial if I ever saw one, we filled to our delight, then we packed a plate and drove to Daytona Beach for a soak in the ocean... with such an event-filled weekend, we needed a break.

All Glories to the Vaishnava’s ! !

Your servant in training,

ccd

NEXT LETTER; NIRJALA EKADASI.

HpS/ASA - Thank you so, so, much!!! Just like being there.

THANK YOU!

M O R E!

Dear Maharaja,

Please accept my humble obeisances.

All Glories to Srila Prabhupada!

I was looking through my old letters and I got teary eyed missing you!

It has been 5 years...!

We are still here in the maritimes of Canada, raising children. In this span of this time we have acquired two highland cows! My husband, Yogendra, has started a goshala to involve the community in goseva.

I will try to write and get your association more frequently. Praying for your mercy.

Your aspiring servant,

Rasa-mandali dasi

HpSwami - AgtSP. My God. It has been 25-years at least.

Be a devotee and Gauranga's mercy conquers all time and space.

🐮🐄🐄🐄

All Glories to Sri Sri Radha Syamasundara

All Glories to Sri Sri Gaura Nitai

All Glories to Srila Prabhupada,

Hare Krishna Dear Guru Maharaja,

Please, accept my try of rendiring humble obeisances unto you.

I'm writing you because in my daily reading of Srimad Bhagavatam I faced this sloka a few day ago:

satyaṁ puṣpa-phalaṁ vidyād

ātma-vṛkṣasya gīyate

vṛkṣe ’jīvati tan na syād

anṛtaṁ mūlam ātmanaḥ

The Vedas enjoin that the factual result of the tree of the body is the good fruits and flowers derived from it. But if the bodily tree does not exist, there is no possibility of factual fruits and flowers. Even if the body is based on untruth, there cannot be factual fruits and flowers without the help of the bodily tree.

(Source: Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Canto 8, Text 39.)

That sloka caught my attention, particularly regarding the value of this body. Srila Prabhupada provides insightful comments about it, but one stood out to me, and especially relevant during times of international tension and the threat war on this planet.

"Even if for the sake of argument the material world is accepted as untruth, the living entity entangled in the illusory energy cannot come out of it without the help of the body. Without the help of the body, one cannot follow a system of religion, nor can one speculate on philosophical perfection. Therefore, the flower and fruit (puṣpa-phalam) have to be obtained as a result of the body. Without the help of the body, that fruit cannot be gained. The Vaiṣṇava philosophy therefore recommends yukta-vairāgya. It is not that all attention should be diverted for the maintenance of the body, but at the same time one’s bodily maintenance should not be neglected."

That Prabhupada instruction reminds me of one of the conversations that Srila Prabhupada had with Brahma Tirtha prabhu, registered in the famous in "Perfect Questions, Perfect Answers" book.

Śrīla Prabhupāda: So long as you are in the material world, you cannot neglect physical laws. Suppose you go to a jungle and there is a tiger. It is known that it will attack you, so why should you voluntarily go and be attacked? It is not that a devotee should take unnecessary physical risks. He shouldn’t think, “Now that I have become a devotee, I challenge everything.”

Source: "Perfect Questions, Perfect Answers", Chapter SIX, The Perfect Devotee.

Why am I sharing these quotes with you now? So, first is important read the context surrounding.

Context > Good destination south of the south

A couple of hours ago, the United States bombed Iran, and China and Russia aren't "happy" with this. It is well known that. On the other hand, Iran, in its national TV broadcast, a presenter on state television stated that "now every American citizen or military personnel constitutes a legitimate target".

Then, a few days I watched this video of 1:08 length from a specialised Instagram account focused on data about geopolitics.

https://u.pcloud.link/publink/show?code=XZ2enu5ZacIM11d8nO8EB9kxv2sUCXeJ2CmX

Interestingly, they have almost 80.000 followers with only 108 publications at the moment of this post 😄

. (Screenshots attached) The Economic Times from India Times confirmed it: - https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/nri/latest-updates/10-safest-countries-to-seek-refuge-if-world-war-3-breaks-out/chile/slideshow/115623826.cms

So, our proposal and invitation, Guru Maharaj, is that you change you residence to Chile, instead of USA. At least in these crazy moments.

Chile, the country

So, Guru Maharaja, Chile is one of the countries with the most socio-economic stability in South America. Maybe Uruguay, too. But there is no temple there.

Santiago leads Latin America in the recent Global Cities Index 2025 ranking by Oxford Economics (source index.goodcountry.org). This indicator evaluates the global performance of cities, focusing on the economy, human capital, quality of life, environment, and governance. 

Specifically, the capital of Chile was chosen as the best city in Latin America, ranking above Buenos Aires, Mexico City, Monterrey, and Lima. 

Santiago’s strong performance is largely due to its 33rd place in the Human Capital category, which reflects the quality of its educational infrastructure and the concentration of universities and corporate headquarters that attract talent," stated Oxford Economics’ senior economist, Anthony Bernard-Sasges.

- Chile is the safest country for investment in Latin America (Source: The Economist, Intelligence Unit 2021)

- Two universities in the TOP 5 of the best universities of Latin America now in 2023, and one of them has been number one for a lot of years in a row (Source: topuniversities)

- Chile ranks as Latin America’s most innovative economy in 2022 (Source: World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO))

- Chile’s homicide rate remains among the least violent nations in Latin America. (Source:NGO Insight Crime)

Chile, the yatra

We have four programs every week in the temple: Philosophical Monday, Wednesday of Kirtan, Prabhupada's Night every Friday, and the Sunday Feast starting with lunch.

There are 6 different nama hattas, and 2 monthly programs of public programs with municipalities/yoga studios, and also regular visits from schools and different universities to the temple.

Pictures here of the last week:

Universidad Diego Portales: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1YOxAiUOz4Bablmju6I4x6UwVQKQ_W8GP?usp=sharing

Universidad de Chile:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1YRP7h0uwIt8XTRFxtNvXcrCN5uwdoEbd?usp=sharing

From this last visit this Monday, I received this WhatsApp after two days of the visit asking for the lectures of the Bhagavad Gita on Monday (screenshot attached too).

As a temple president, I can tell you too that more than 50 devotees are donating as members of the "Membresía Trascendental" every month, and the whole temple is working financially because of those devotees. And another 30 devotees are willing to join without too much advertising. Just one official Bank Account of ISKCON Chile, and a monthly transparent report.

Krishna West in Chile, led by Pancali devi dasi, HDG disciple and your disciple Madhu Mangala, and Pandu prabhu and his wife Madri devi dasi, has more than 60 people chanting japa and with Bhagavatam Classes every day.

If we talk about the preaching programs in the rest of the country, the utsahan expands.

Chile had 4 Ratha Yatras in the last year for the first time (Punta Arenas, Coyaique, Santiago and Viña del Mar).

There is more positive information that I can share privately with you about the yatra here. But now I can tell you

Conclusion

We have different places available here to invite you to stay in this country without any cost, in the countryside, in the city, different neighbourhoods, and of course, the temple itself, suitable for the spring and summer.

So, your presence here could help us to be sure that your physical body is safer for a while, at least until things get more relaxed and less turbulent there in the countries of the north. So Chile is a real possibility.

Thank you, Guru Maharaja, for your time to read to us.

Your servant,

Jagad Guru Das.

HpS ASA 🐒🦍🦍🦍

Hare Krishna.

Most fundamental for us is that we have always felt that Peru is our home, Chile is our Sankirtan spot and we need an office, but we are so old and incompetent that at this moment, 6.26pm, we cannot even walk nine mahamantras to our village temple.

Oooof!

Seems we will be camped here until Janmastami, then we just bought tickets for three weeks in Nashville.

After that who knows?

Hare Krishna.

Many surprises in store for you all in Iskcon Chile.

Hare Krishna, Guru Maharaj

All glories to Srila Prabhupada

Please accept my obeisances

HpSwami .. AgtSP ...paoho!

On June 17th, I released the trailer and the first episode of the project "Stories of the Universe" (Second Edition). Here I share with you the 3-minute video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CupkOnQCZ6M&list=PLY1Q7EdIHHULGiq0Zga24GqzRdQCf9-vT&index=2

I would like to sincerely thank you for your wise teachings, especially during the Bhakti Vaibhava course you led in Peru. That experience helped me clarify many concepts that were essential in writing the scripts for this project.

I am still working at Huawei, and I continue to follow the four regulative principles and chant 16 rounds (about 90% of the time). I’m also doing service at ISKCON – Miraflores, supporting the preaching programs on Saturdays.

Thank you very much, Guru Maharaj, for being our guiding example.

Hare Krishna

Jagat Pavitram das

(Peru)

HpSwami - If you don't finish your rounds, keep track of your debt and pay it back next day!

16x4 is the electronic handshake between us and Krsna.

Without that. The rest of the service is not properly encoded when it is sent.

We hope that they look at Stories from the Universe even in the halls of heaven.

Hare Krishna Guru Maharaj,

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

My chanting has improved in the last few months. (I had told you in my last letter that i was struggling with my Japa with sleeplessness and exhaustion). I am chanting my rounds, and the quality has also improved now as I am getting better sleep.

The Whatsapp group is a wonderful idea, Guru Maharaj. It feels more personal, and I feel closer to your words than when you were posting on Twitter.

hps - asa -- many folks have said the same. the biggest room in the world is the room for self improvement, so we can always make things better. even carry them on to braja!

I reached Chennai, India last week and we are all here (Vishaka, Dhaasharathi, and Srinath's family too). We are here to celebrate Dhaasharathi and Chandranana's 1st year ayushomam ceremony which will be held on July 16th (the stars of both kids fall on this day). We are having the ceremony for both children on the same day. We will have a yagna and the ear-piercing ceremony. Both kids are walking now, and they are a handful.

They both love the morning program and rarely miss it. When they are crying, taking them to the altar and showing them the deities instantly stops their crying.

asa - 🐵 my God!!!

We just had their heads tonsured last Saturday (14th June) at Pazhani, a famous Kartikeya temple (a family custom).

For their birthdays on 27th and 28th June, we are all going to Mayapur, Guru Maharaj. Dhaasharathi's birthday on 27th has fortunately fallen on the same day as the Rath Yatra in Rajapur. We are staying in Mayapur from 26th to 30th.

asa - 😬 very amazing!

We pray for your blessings so that both children can become nice devotees and serve to their best abilities in Srila Prabhupada's mission.

I am not sure if I already informed you of this development, Guru Maharaj. The last few months have been a blur. Vishaka has taken shelter from His Grace Vaisesika Prabhu. We will be going to ISV in September for Maharaj's Vyasa puja.

I listened to this 2-part seminar recently on vaidhi and raganuga bhakti by Hari Parshad prabhu and found them really wonderful:

https://youtu.be/3XtWeKwoe2Y?si=KMUc6Guk2JJNUR9_

https://youtu.be/7IdYDRwXOBY?si=jmm06aQgvPnHvWP2

I will send some pictures of both children to you on WhatsApp, Guru Maharaj.

Your humble servant

Sri Rama Krishna Das

HpS - We are trying to listen to Hari parishad Das lectures on Upadesamrta, so will add these to the list.

Very best Krsna conscious perspective on all these rituals!

Very best.

Whenever we use our S23 elite we think of you.

Please send more news of this exciting journey!!

TlGaSP! Todas las glorias a los Vaishnavas!

Mi muy querido Gurudev, como siempre es tan bondadosamente agradable recibir sus cartas. Muchas gracias.

Respondiendo su pregunta, en el año 2011 me titulé como Instructora de Pedagogía Teatral. Pero hace años no trabajo en ésto. En el año 2013 comencé a dedicarme a la Metafísica y a realizar talleres de Tarot, Onirología y terapias relacionadas. Desde esa fecha me dedico a interpretar Tarot. Siempre ha sido muy lumínico y positivo. Pero ahora tengo dudas al respecto y me gustaría que por favor usted me aclarara si es posible: El tarot está dentro de la categoría Juegos de azar? Será negativo energeticamente? Hay devotos que piensan que leer el tarot abre camino a entidades bajas y/o que es mal karma. En lo particular siempre trato de generar ayuda y consciencia espiritual, pero tal vez no sea bueno para mi hija y yo.

Estoy confundida y no sé si seguir dedicándome económicamente a ésto.

Por favor me puede guiar al respecto? Disculpe molestar.

Por otra parte, me gustaría enviarle Dharsine. Gurudev usted tiene cuenta PayPal? Cómo puedo enviar Laksmi a usted?

Agradezco el tiempo dedicado.

Con muchos deseos de verlo (hija también) un gran abrazo de ésta elefanta torpe.

Ekangi Dd e Yi Lin.

VK

-0-0-0-

TlGaSP! All glories to the Vaishnavas!

My very dear Gurudev, as always, it's so kindly pleasant to receive your letters. Thank you very much.

In response to your question, I qualified as a Theater Pedagogy Instructor in 2011. But I haven't worked in this field for years. In 2013, I began to dedicate myself to Metaphysics and to teaching workshops on Tarot, Oneirology [the scientific study of dreams], and related therapies.

Since then, I've been reading Tarot. It has always been very luminous and positive. But now I have doubts about it and would like you to please clarify for me, if possible: Is tarot reading classified as gambling? Is it energetically negative? There are devotees who think that reading tarot leads to lower entities and/or that it's bad karma. Personally, I always try to generate spiritual help and awareness, but it may not be good for my daughter and me.

I'm confused and don't know if I should continue to dedicate myself financially to this.

Can you please guide me? Sorry to bother you.

Also, I'd like to send you Dharsine [daksina]. Gurudev, do you have a PayPal account? How can I send Laksmi to you?

I appreciate your time.

With much desire to see you (daughter too), a big hug from this clumsy elephant.

Ekangi Dd and Yi Lin.

VK

HpS - A warm wave is proper. Ladies cannot embrace sannyasis!

I cannot say much about the Tarot.

Of course, there is no mention of this in Srila Prabhupada's instructions, comments on life, that he left for us in his books.

The pictures may be archetypal as mentioned by Jung, and Brahmana, Ksatriya etc are parts of the Virata rupa.

An intuitive person may give some insight stimulated by the cards that occur, but I do not know.

It can even be classified as entertainment like the jugglers that served in Krsna's court in Dvaraka. if you are following principles etc. then i cannot see how the energy would be negative.

write a krsna conscious story of each card and post it here.

we don't have a paypal account. maybe we can get it set up with the houston temple for sankirtan work here eg. making a school for you all to join and study cinema!