Letters to the editor

Hare Krishna Maharaja, please kindly accept my most humble obeisances; all glories to his divine grace, Srila Prabhupada, our founder acharya; all glories to your good self, his surrendered disciple and beacon of hope for fools like myself.

HpS - AgtSP!!!

Hare Krsna!!!!!!!!

This year marks 40 years of brahminical engagement, when I first became a full time pujari, after years of sweeping and mopping Krishna's floors and washing Krishna's pots and pans. Finally I had some visibly respectable status. Back in those days as a brand new pujari there were times when I would have as much as half of my rounds done by 4:30. And on some rare mornings, I was even finished with all my rounds before Mangala arotika. I was really on fire back then, and I thought to myself "This is the story of the rest of my life!"

Little did I know then how just wrong I would be on this score. Whilst my sadhana does still exist and sustain me, it is far removed from the standard that I had so enthusiastically embraced in those younger years.

ASA - "No fanatic like a convert", Mormon phrase. 🙂🙂🙂

Still, I am most grateful for those early years of enthusiasm, as ephemeral as they may have been. I can honestly say that I would be totally lost today without those early years of devotional service.

And yet the spirit of true humility has managed to escape me, in spite of my years of service and reflections as a devotee. Even whilst I am constantly being smashed by the material energy, my sense of false pride and envy prevails in my daily living. I struggle with trying to understand just "What is there in me that obliges me to be so proud and so envious? What can I possibly stand to gain by such behavior?"

My only thoughts are that it is due to my envy of Krishna being the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

As I undersgtand it, this is the 'original sin' so to speak that landed each of us in this material world in the first place. It is no wonder that Krishna demands that we surrender. This mood of surrender is a very humbling experience by its very nature, and it is not a popular term in today's world, as it imples defeat, failure, loser. How can I submit myself to such thoughts? How can there be any humility in the heart of an envious rascal? And here I am, trying to make a show of being some kind of a devotee with years of devotional service under my belt.

It's a perfect recipe for requiring another birth.

I can understand better now how important this mood of humility is for our chanting of the holy names, for taking shelter of devotees and particularly for taking shelter of the spiritual master. We accept these principles wholeheartedly in principle because we want to believe that such ideals are real, that they are absolutely necessary, and that they can be had by any and all sincere devotees. But to realize them for their true worth and value, and then to exemplify them in our character is another matter entirely.

I need to close here, so as not to embarrass myself further. Please kindly bless our household so that we may continue with our devotional service, meager as they may be.

Your lowly servant,

Bbd

HpS - Hare Krsna. We are in New Govardhana, couple miles from Allende, Mexico.

Many devotees here. Krsna is here.

Have to surrender our pride of our material abilities, then we have to surrender our pride of respectability and join an out right thief! Butter, clothes etc!

He is always looking for mischief.

Jayananda Das said that humility means not acting artificially big OR artificially small.

Humility means to access our potency and do something within our means!

Next letter.

Hare Krishna, dear guru maharaj.

Please accept my humble obeisances

All Glories to Srila Prabhupada!!

I hope your health is good. I stayed in cantabria for some days and now im in ireland, i came here 3 days ago, i came here with the intention to work for some time, i was working in the same place last year and they call me this year too, i had the idea of cooking some prasadam to share with my work colleagues, i know they like sweet things so i thought about making some nice preparations to share with them every sunday.

I have a few questions that I wanted to ask. 

How moving out of the temple could affect my path for taking initiation and what can I do to keep on the right path?

HpS - It is just details, like working in Madrid or London.

You have to have a personal relation with some ISKCON GBC or Temple President. If you try to do that Krsna will help and then you can be initiated.

Should I do a morning program here or it would be ok if I do it by following some programs through the different temples website?

HpS - Both are good. Maybe even mix. SOme days one, some days other.

Aswell i wanted to know how can I follow your classes. Is there any place in particular where I could watch them or participate??

ASA - ASA Carnival - Face book.

and how can i keep the discipline in my sadhana? is going to be a bit difficult without the association of the devotees every day, please bless me with some clarity for giving the next steps.

HpS - Yes dificult so must do it by telecommunication. Get correspondence partners.

i will attach some pictures of the deities in cantabria

Your aspiring servant,

agustina abalos

Thank you! Two minutes to Arati.

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Hare Krishna Gurudeva todas las Glorias sean a Srila Prabhupada, acepte por favor mis humildes reverencias., espero que su salud este bien, en mi caso estoy muy entusiasmada por el viaje a méxico. Le quería contar he podido participar de diferentes servicios en el templo de chile. En el festival de Nityananda Trayodasi pude estar en la recepción de los invitados entregando prasadam dulce para entregar a los asistentes. También pude hacer unas decoraciones y estoy trabajando en más decoraciones para el Festival de Gaura Purmina. Además continuo con mi servicio los días sábados por la mañana en la cocina de la deidad y adoración asistiendo a la madre Gurú Govinda. Desde la última vez que le escribí mis rondas van mucho mejor cantando las 16 y como usted dijo logrando eso todo funciona mucho mejor. Quería preguntarle si hay alguna lectura que le gustaría que realizara.

Le compartos fotos de nuestro querido servicio .

Hariboool!!

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Hare Krishna, Gurudeva, all glories be to Srila Prabhupada, please accept my humble obeisances. I hope his health is fine, in my case I am very excited about the trip to Mexico. I wanted to tell you that I have been able to participate in different services in the Chile temple. At the Nityananda Trayodasi festival I was able to be at the reception of the guests handing out sweet prasadam to deliver to the attendees. I was also able to make some decorations and I am working on more decorations for the Gaura Purmina Festival. In addition, I continue with my service on Saturday mornings in the kitchen of the deity and worship assisting mother Guru Govinda.

Since the last time I wrote to you, my rounds are going much better, singing all 16, and as you said, once you achieve that, everything works much better. I wanted to ask if there's any reading you'd like me to do.

HpS - Thank you. AgtSP!!! I would say that it seems to us that it is more important with whom you read than what you read.

If you get teacher, study partner, students and read with them, discuss, it is very nice.

Then automatically you will begin to see which of Srila Prabhupada's books you should read.

Of course, Upadesamrta and Krsna book are always our Gurus.

Following and commenting on daily Yatra SB classes is also very primary!!

I share photos of our beloved service.

Haribollll ! ! !

HpS - Thank you! Hare Krsna!!!!!! Thank you!

Please accept my sincere obeisance’s, All glories to the Vaishnavas!

HpS - ASA - Hare Krsna! We noticed this Post but hacve not been able to get to it until now.

You know how busy things can be in Houston.

You can see from th DTC post here that we made it to Mexico.

Still alive!

ECCLETIC EXPERIMENTAL ELUCITATION



Kindly allow this humble offering to appease the lack of humble offerings; the goals of periodically written supplications have been blatantly restrained by this over-active brain, regardless of the pain, here we go… a noteworthy showing for the vastly growing “Monkey Warrior’s.”

HELLO AGAIN

Oops, a month’s gone by, and am only in the second paragraph. Please excuse my offenses... so much for a timely presentation, best to make up for it with some self-realization!

STILL HERE NOW

Now, what to write for making up for what I didn’t write, while writing to make it right? Reflecting on the magnitude and attitude of the participants in the Monkey Warrior blog, I best do something to complement the caliber of my Godbrothers and Sisters. Shouldn’t meander in mannerism,

Levity doesn't need excess longevity, causes a wandering storyline... smash the mind. We may learn education & entertainment are not always cheered, though they should be if they’re clear.

GETTING CLOSER

In our journey with you, Maharaja, in Bharata Varsa, some questions came to me, in the rightful pace of Govardhana parikrama, those inquiries were spaced. Now attempting to reflect and respect the queries, though, for the life of me, my mind is not dreary, just satisfied with your good association. Of course, a puzzling brain will not submit to sincerity, instead, we have whimsical wanderings. Still, my points are splayed in this epist-fool play.

MAKING & TAKING

Need to reach for spontaneous proclivities, one of the most invigorating practices of devotional service, yet it may be the most frustratational on the material platform. We have expectations, desire for specific results that interrupt the spontaneity swing, mysterious thing... this impromptu fling.

The minuscule percentage of personal control we have of this world is better when we know the remaining 8.3 billion in command of this “planet of demand”, our best intentions are consumed with time. That marvelous 8.3 billion is complete with the Divine, this is an inspirational source for the sublime, let’s cross that invisible line that borders eternal time.

ASA - Oink! Oink! Whoop! Whoop!

🐷 🐷 🦧🦧

It is 8.3-million (species of life) not billion, no?

HOW NEAR IS FAR

Vani & Vapu (Distant & Close), the crux of intimate relations, is based on reverse gestation. Our ongoing journey to self-realization is one of vibration, a trip of negations and embracing correlations, part of the “Acintya Bheda-Bheda Tattva” Spiritual sensation.

As aspiring Vaisnavas and based on the degrees of surrender, the art of spontaneity is rendered, though only if the protocol is naturally tendered. In essence: faithful japa, 4 principles, calm perseverance and desires of yukta-vairagya can surmise pure, spontaneous devotional service, not some speculative appearance.

NOW STILL HERE

Concluding this minute excerpt of self-realization, the only usurpation may be is in thinking we’re creating the narration, not keeping our Gurus as the guiding entity for this ecstatic proclivity. Take the reins to your mind with the Soul divine and intelligence will not be maligned. This is the beginning reflection of Bhava and its connections. The next levels are even more purifying and satisfying, though one needs to relish it, not embellish it.

GRATITUDE

Thank you all for your valuable time, and hope my bent mind didn’t combine improper guidelines, we do not want to malign any devotees’ personal confines. The stirrings of “rasa-bhasa” are not our place, respect people’s space, and then we may share the transcendental grace beyond blood and race. 

All Glories to Srila Prabhupada!

HpS-ASA -- 🙂 🦧 🐷 🤖

Jaya, Hare Krsna.

To our perception, your poetry it getting better and better.

We could follow all of the dance, except for the "Million or Billion" reseach glance.

I think translating to Spanish would require Mother Sarasvati herself.

I think that Full Morning Service, then we can be pretty sure our spontaneous service is propery.

We are Brahmanas and can trust our insights.

Planning on keeping some notes for you all while we are here and then sending by Post Man when back in Houston.

Maybe??? we can even meet in Nashville.

Otherwise, just Saci x Lord Caitanya meetings while He was in Puri!!

Haré Krishna, Gurú Maharaja Todas Las Glorias a Srila Prabhupada le escribo para contarle que estamos cantando 16 Rondas diariamente, siguiendo 4 principios regulativos y cocinando domingo por medio en la cocina de la deidad y cualquier servicio práctico que se necesite en el templo de Santiago Mandir, le quería contar que le manda muchos saludos Prabhu Aravinda Dalayataksan das, nos encontramos en el súpermarket y estuvimos hablando de usted, el me contaba como usted lo instruida y aconsejaba, cuando vivía en templo y cuando fue a India Junto a Arjuna das, el esta trabajando de lunes a sábado y todos los Domingos va a la iglesia y sigue siendo vegetariano estricto.

También le quería mencionar que este domingo 5 de marzo daré la prueba de segunda iniciación, he estado estudiando bastante para aprobarla con satisfacción ya que hubieron muchos cambios de administración.

Por último escribe de título de esta carta "mistisismo en casa" ya que hace 1 mes Prabhu Ananta Sila Das amigo de mi esposa Bhuvana Mohini dd dejaron a cuidado en casa sus 150 Silas entre Salagram, Govardhana Y dvarka silas, ya que ellos están de viaje por India, mi esposa las atiende y adora por la mañana, en la casa se siente una energía especial no tenemos palabras para describir, una mezcla de armonía, seguridad, pero a la vez energía fuerte que absorbe, mi esposa tiene sueños recurrente con las silas, además ella hace 10 años a cuidado todos los días a 1 Govardhana sila.

Queríamos pedirle si nos puede aconsejar he instruir respecto a una situación: un discípulo suyo hace algunos años ya no adora a sus Salagram silas y quiere entregarlas a nosotros (20 silas aprox) pero estamos con dudas, una por qué las silas tuvieron una negligencia al dejar de adornarlas y tenerlas guardadas en un cajón, como le menciono Bhuvana Mohini a cuidado 1 Govardhana con buen estándar pero no sabemos si será algo bueno adorar 20 silas que estuvieron guardadas, no queremos comerter ofensas nosotros.

Espero que se pueda entender mi castellano.

Gracias Gurú Maharaja por todo el esfuerzo que usted hace Por Srila Prabhupada y sus discípulos, espero poder verlo en México a fines de marzo.

se despide tu Sirviente Sripati Das

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Hare Krishna, Guru Maharaja, All Glories to Srila Prabhupada. I am writing to tell you that we are chanting 16 Rounds daily, following 4 regulative principles and cooking every other Sunday in the deity's kitchen and any practical service that is needed in the Santiago Mandir temple.

HpS - It makes us very satitisfied to hear this.

Thank you.

I wanted to tell you that Prabhu Aravinda Dalayataksan das sends you many greetings, we met in the supermarket and we were talking about you, he told me how you instructed and advised him, when he lived in a temple and when he went to India with Arjuna das.

He is working from Monday to Saturday and every Sunday he goes to church and he is still a strict vegetarian.

HpS - He was Jehovah's Witness. Hope he is doing well, making nice progress!

I also wanted to mention that this Sunday, March 5, I will take the second initiation test, I have been studying a lot to pass it with satisfaction since there have been many changes in administration.

Finally, write the title of this letter "mystisism at home" since 1 month ago Prabhu Ananta Sila Das, a friend of my wife, Bhuvana Mohini dd, left their 150 Silas in care at home between Salagram, Govardhana and dvarka silas, since they are on trip through India, my wife attends and adores them in the morning, a special energy is felt in the house we have no words to describe, a mixture of harmony, security, but at the same time strong energy that absorbs, my wife has recurring dreams with the silas, besides she has been taking care of 1 Govardhana sila every day for 10 years.

ASA - 😯 💪🙏💪

We wanted to ask you if you could advise us and instruct us regarding a situation: a disciple of yours a few years ago no longer worships his Salagram silas and wants to give them to us (approx. 20 silas) but we are in doubt, one - why the silas were negligent when stop decorating them and keep them stored in a drawer, as Bhuvana Mohini carefully mentioned 1 Govardhana with a good standard but we don't know if it will be a good thing to worship 20 silas that were stored, we don't want to commit offenses ourselves.

HpS - They are like babies. It is better if any nice person keeps them out, clean, and loves them than keeping in s drawer.

No need for complex worship. Just clean then regularly. Wash in little water daily, and then let Them see any more worship that you already do to other Silas, and as far as I know They will be happy and give you any requests They have for more service.

Worship of the Silas is more by the character of the Pujari than the paraphernalia. If Pujari has good character, O.K.

If Pujari has bad character, even with great paraphernalia, They are hurt, offended.

I hope you can understand my Spanish.

HpS - We put it through translate.google.com.

Thank you Guru Maharaja for all the effort you make. For Srila Prabhupada and his disciples, I hope to see you in Mexico at the end of March.

your Servant Sripati Das bids farewell.

HpS - O.K. Hope you are co-ordinating your accomodations and plans with local devotees!

Thank you.

Hare Krsna Guru Maharaja.

Por favor acepta mis respetuosas reverencias.

Todas las glorias sean para Srila Prabhupada!

Todas las glorias a Usted!

Gurudev, espero que haya tenido un buen viaje a Monterrey, y que tenga una hermosa estadía junto a los devotos y devotas.

Nosotros estamos muy bien de salud. Jagannatha trabajando, estudiando y haciendo práctica profesional. De a poco estará realizando servicios en el templo.

Yo sigo con los cursos. Éste año continuamos con BS y Discípulos. Y también pertenezco al "Comité de Festivales", realizando actividades para los niños.

Hemos realizado programas para los niños en Janmastami, Govardhana Puja, Ratha Yatra, Nityananda Trayodasi y próximamente en Goura Purnima. Adjunto fotos.

Vamos a México para Su visita y esperamos poder escucharte y servir de alguna manera.

Seguimos con nuestras 16 rondas y 4 regulaciones.

Seguimos estudiando BVB. Vamos en canto 3 capítulos 21 y 22. Devahuti y Kardama Muni.. muy, muy interesante e iluminador. Muy enriquecedor!

Los niños entran a la escuela la siguiente semana. Y estamos organizando su práctica espiritual para ellos mientras enfrentan el mundo estudiantil.

Bueno Guru Maharaja, aquí va el resumen de todos estos meses.

Tu sirviente

Priya Sakhi Devi Dasi

Prabhupada!

All glories to you!

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Translate.google.com

Gurudev, I hope you had a good trip to Monterrey, and that you have a wonderful stay with the devotees.

HpS - Thank you! Benedictions from devotees always help!!

We are in very good health. Jagannatha working, studying and doing professional practice. Little by little he will be performing services in the temple.

I continue with the courses. This year we continue with BS and Disciples. And I also belong to the "Festivals Committee", carrying out activities for children.

We have done programs for children on Janmastami, Govardhana Puja, Ratha Yatra, Nityananda Trayodasi and soon Goura Purnima. Attached photos.

We are going to Mexico for Your visit and we look forward to hearing and serving You in some way.

ASA - We did not know! We were hoping that if you did not come, then devotees from Chile would bring some Prasad etc.

We continue with our 16 rounds and 4 regulations.

HpS - So do we! If we get up early and get out rounds done then it is so easy.

We continue to study BVB. Let's sing 3 chapters 21 and 22. Devahuti and Kardama Muni... very, very interesting and illuminating. Very enriching!

ASA - SP published it as a separate Grhastha Manual. So nice. Read and re-read it with family.

Should be made into a movie.

The children enter school the following week. And we are organizing their spiritual practice for them while they face the student world.

ASA - Super. Prahlada and his demonic classmates. 🤓

Well, Guru Maharaja, here is the summary of all these months.

your servant

Priya Sakhi Devi Dasi

ASA - Now is 5.42PM here in New Govardhana.

63V4+J7G Canoas, Nuevo Leon, Mexico

Yugala-kishora Dasi has just finished giving bath and dressing her 'babies', Gaura-Nitay, and Gaura arati is at 6.30 or 7pm.

25-devotees already here.

Let us read some more Blog Posts!

Very sincere respects to your family, friends, Yatra.