Letters to the editor

My dear Maharaja,
Dandavat pranams. Ram Ram.
>> The spiritual master is the transparent medium, although it is true that the experience is still direct.
The problem is that how you define "transparent medium".

I have minor disagreements with Gosvami Tulsidas and Swami Ramsukh Das on position of women or caste system. Those disagreements are not even part of their main philosophy. And no one claims them to be perfect. Gosvami Tulsidas truly believes that he is foremost among fallen person. He accepts himself as servant of maya and prays to Ram for his protection. Swami Ramsukh Das also does not claim himself to be great. So, I can follow them and I can stil disagree with them.

The way SP disciples define "transparent medium", they don't give the freedom to disagree with him. They claim Prabhupada to be 100% perfect and he needs to be followed 100%. Most times, they interpret Prabhupada wrong and then, want those wrong interpretations to be followed.

>>Krsna's intimate servants has accepted me as his servant.

I don't feel the need to claim that my teachers are Krishna's intimate servants. I believe many of them are Krishna's intimate servants. But I don't feel the need to claim it to the world. My bhakti is not dependent on the fact that they are Krishna's intimate servants. That is my another disagreement with Iskcon. I don't feel to the need to claim Prabhupada as intimate servant of Krishna.

I feel the symptoms of tears flowing through my eyes, hair standing etc since childhood. I have found the presence of Ram in my life since I was very young. I feel the ecstasy of bhakti since I was child. So, all the gurus have helped me to become more closer to Ram. But my experiences are not dependent on them. Prabhupada or Tulsidas or Swami Ramsukh Das status does not affect my bhakti. Surely they help me to come closer to Ram and I use knowledge from them. But they are not my brokers.

I want to develop following mood in appreciating devotees irrespective of their status:

That mother is glorious (धन्य), that father is glorious and that son/daughter is glorious who worships Ram in whichever situation he is. May my body's skin be used to make shoes of the feet of such person who utters the name "Ram" by mistake. The bhakta (devotee) dog-eater  who worships Ram day and night is glorious. What is the use of the birth in high family if one does not chant the name of Hari. Tulsidasji says that the high position are like places of snankes for devotee. The low position are full of happiness if one can chant the name of Ram.
Your servant,
Gaurav

HpS - Jaya!    Sita Rama Laksmana Hanuman Ki Jai.
I was listening to lectures of Srila Prabhupada in the universities. He seemed to be fighting with the students too much for my nature. I am more gentle and logical in those situations. BUT I was feeling that this critical mentality of my Acharya was incorrect. I was in Russia at the time.  Then one morning I went into the Temple room at 4.00AM before Mangala arati and I was the first person there. I paid my obeisances to Srila Prabhupada's murti and looked up and I had the strong feeling of his presence. He was looking at me humorously, with a mildly chiding, smile, that meant, "This is my nature. I'm a Vaisya, Ksetriya, I like to mix it up with people, see them emotionally involved. I'm not a Brahmana like you!  You don't to preach like me, but you should preach".

So, respectful disagreement, doubts are normal. Arjuna surrenders to Krsna in the beginning of BG, no?   But then he has so many doubts, but they are sincere doubts, and an Acharya should be able to solve them or pass us to someone who can solve them, no?

Can you see Prabhupada as fixed in that position?

That he does not want to steal any devotion you have for Ramacandra, nor does he have a misconception about his position?

Certainly we night think of Srila Prabhupada as perfect.  A Brahmana is perfect, a Sannyasi is more perfect and a pure devotee is most perfect. But then their are more levels of perfection of Them at higher levels.

It is my personal experiences with Lord Jesus, Christ, Jayananda, Srila Prabhupada, a Cowherd boy, that have influenced me to realize that I also have experienced ecstacies in religion since childhood, but incomparison to them there is so, so, much desire still for honor, sense gratification, comfort mixed with my devotion, so I accept them as my guides in how to become more qualified to serve Krsna many times over.  There is no need to ever give up this debt.  It only is one more way to become more and more qualified to serve the Unlimited.

The following verse, purport, is nice comment on these ideas. This is what we understand Srila Prabhupad has received through his guru transparently and etc. back to Krsna Himself. In BG 4.34 purport Srila Prabhupada says that blind faith and absurd enquiery are condemned. We have to really investigate if we have found a transcendental Vaisnava. Otherwise, yes, we can take the gold and leave the stool.

http://vedabase.net/sb/7/9/28/en

Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 7.9.28
evaḿ janaḿ nipatitaḿ prabhavāhi-kūpe
kāmābhikāmam anu yaḥ prapatan prasańgāt
kṛtvātmasāt surarṣiṇā bhagavan gṛhītaḥ
so 'haḿ kathaḿ nu visṛje tava bhṛtya-sevām

SYNONYMS
evam — thus; janam — people in general; nipatitam — fallen; prabhava — of material existence; ahi-kūpe — in a blind well full of snakes; kāma-abhikāmam — desiring the sense objects; anu — following; yaḥ — the person who; prapatan — falling down (in this condition); prasańgāt — because of bad association or increased association with material desires; kṛtvā ātmasāt — causing me (to acquire spiritual qualities like himself, Śrī Nārada); sura-ṛṣiṇā — by the great saintly person (Nārada); bhagavan — O my Lord; gṛhītaḥ — accepted; saḥ — that person; aham — I; katham — how; nu — indeed; visṛje — can give up; tava — Your; bhṛtya-sevām — the service of Your pure devotee.

TRANSLATION
My dear Lord, O Supreme Personality of Godhead, because of my association with material desires, one after another, I was gradually falling into a blind well full of snakes, following the general populace. But Your servant Nārada Muni kindly accepted me as his disciple and instructed me how to achieve this transcendental position. Therefore, my first duty is to serve him. How could I leave his service?

MIS REVERENCIAS QUERIDO MAHARAJA.

GRACIAS POR LA RESPUESTA A MIS CARTAS, DISCULPE POR LA REDUNDANCIA FUE POR OPRIMIR  PREVIEW.

GRACIAS A  LA MISERICORDIA DE RAMACANDRA PRABHU TENEMOS CLASES DEL BG TODAS LA TARDES Y A MI ME TOCA LOS VIERNES, PERO AYER TUVE QUE IMPROVISAR LA CLASE POR QUE EL QUE SE APUNTÓ NO ESTUVO. ENTONCES HICIMOS EL BG 2.24, DOS PREGUNTAS:

1.- ¿POR QUÉ SE CONSIDERA AL ALMA COMO INMÓVIL? ¿CUANDO EL ALMA DEJA UN CUERPO EN BUSCA DEL OTRO NO SE ESTÁ MOVILIZANDO?.

FINALMENTE SI UD. ME PUEDE PROPORCIONAR LA REALACIÓN DE TEXTOS A MEMORIZAR EN EL BhV?.

A SU SERVICIO, VGD, CHOSICA, LIMA-PERU

HpS  -   Jaya, ISKCON Pratistha Acarya Srila Prabhupada.   Ramacandra Das, Ki Jai!   Que dice Prabhupada en su significado acerca de immovil???
Pienso que es immovil por no cambia su naturaleza como el cuerpo.  Siempre es en la misma relacion con Krsna!
Senor Ramacandra tiene los textos de BG o cualquiere de los devotos de VEDAS, como Tattva-vita Das!!

Vamos a ser instrumentos muy util siempre por Krsna, por la entrenimiento de Srila Prabhupada!

Dear Maharaja,
pamho AGTSP
We are here in Vrindavan and I am engaged in kirtan seva 6 hours a day. I was just in Jagannatha Puri with a group of devotees, and we saw many places. My favorite was the Siddha Bakul tree.  
I hope you are doing well, and we can talk soon. 
your servant,
bhakta kevin
p.s. I finished my B.A. at Rutgers 

HpS -  Jaya!   HAre Krsna!    Super!     We have been thinking about you at times.   What was happening in your trip.     The trip of a lifetime.
Super!

When do you get back to the USA?
We get back March first and then stay until June.
I is good that you finished Rutgers before it finished you!     How is your Japa vrata?   Is it very cold in Vraja?  How long do you stay???

Hare Krishna my beloved Gurudeva,

AGSP!!  Please accept my humble obeisances onto your lotus feet! Hope this message meets you great and healthy. First of all thank you so much in share your thoughts and realizations with us,it's so inspiring for our lives. I'd like to share with you something that I truly consider a gift from Krishna. 

Here in Rio de Janeiro's temple since last year, our dear friend Sukhayanti dd has started a nice programe: Vaisnavi Sanga.The purpose of this meeting is to be a place where ladies can meet and talk about all the topics that they don't feel comfortable talking about in a more open environment. It should be an intimate meeting for ladies to share their experiences, realizations and difficulties in the process of devotional service. Therefore, any topic that will address this thing will be good.  Every month a Vaisnavi ,will give the class about the topic selected.And a new vaisnavi's home  will  be selected for the meeting, all of us will help with some prassadam preparation. The meeting starts with 1.Bhajans;2.Class ;3.Prassadam.Our goal it's to have in the meetings not only established vaisnavis, but  also ladies who are Krishna's friend, who are potential bhaktins in near future.

 Mataji Sukhayanti dd has's gone to Israel,and we've(Kadamba Gopi dd and I) humbly decided to continue the meetings.Summing up, this Saturday. Feb. 5th  it'll happen the first meeting, at my place, I've been chosen to do the lecture(ouch!)..then all of us will go together and meet devotees(prabhus) to perform a huge  Harinama  at   place called LAPA(big crowd)in the evening for the pleasure of Lord Caitanya and all the needy souls that will be there. I'm so happy with this service. 

Dear Gurudeva,please give me your blessings to do this service, feel totally free to give us your wisdom, your words will enlightening our meetings and how we can help our ladies in go forward in their path  Back to Godhead. My sincere desire is serving You, Vaisnavis and Vaisnavas in general in the best way as it's possible.Thank you so much in advance for your kindness and inspiration.Love and miss You a lot  Gurudeva!!

Hare Krishna beloved Gurudeva!

Your humble servant, Radha Madana Manohara dd - Rio de Janeiro/ Brasil 

HpS -  AGTSP   pamho.  Very nice to hear from you.  Bhakti svarupa Damodar was organizing programs like this in Manipur.  It is very, very nice.  Super!
Certainly, all good results.  Maybe even start publishing some things!! 

HARE KRSNA MAHARAJA, MIS REVERENCIAS Y MIL GRACIAS POR SUS SABIAS INSTRUCCIONES.

HACIENDO UN ALTO EN EL CAMINO, HE LLEGADO A UNA CONCLUSIÓN EN MI VIDA, QUE LAS REACCIONES (COSAS NEGATIVAS) ERAN DE ALGUNA MANERA LAS BENDICIONES QUE UNO ESPERABA POR PARTE DE KRSNA, PARA TRATAR DE SER MÁS CONCIENTES DE KRSNA,  PERO SÓLO SE PUEDE ENTENDER ELLO A TRAVÉS DEL GURU COMO UD. POR LO TANTO MI PREGUNTA ES:

¿CUÁLES SON LAS CONSIDERACIONES A TOMAR A PARTE DE LAS REGLAS Y REGULACIONES BÁSICAS PARA ASPIRAR A SANYASI ASRAMA?, ¿CÓMO DEBE SER EL DESEO PARA CON ELLO?.¿CÓMO RECUPERAR EL TIEMPO PERDIDO EN MEDIO DE RESPOSABILIDADES FAMILIARES PENDIENTES?.

GRACIAS POR SU RESPUESTA.
A SU SERVICIO,  VAMSI GOVINDA DAS.
CHOSICA - PERU.

HpS  - TlgaSP.  Pfanrh.   Deculpa Castellano horrible.  Entiendo como 80% de su carta.   Esta bien.  No, hay perdido de tiempo.  No hay tiempo. Solamente es el presente y intensificando nuestra deseo servir a Krsna.  Eso es san-nyasa.   complete renunciation.
Si relacionar bien con nuestra ashrama actual, eso es Sannyasa, no solamente un formalidad, no?  Entonces, de una manera preparando para Sanyasa es incrementar nuestra oir y cantar, mas japa, mas leyenda, mas sankirtana, y  y y realizar nuestra deberes de Varna ashrama actual muy bien.  De esta manera vamos a culitvar la conciencia de Krsna entre el corazon y cuando estamos mas listos para los fomalidades, Krsna, va a hacer la arrelgas!

AGTSP