Letters to the editor

In con’t from here https://monkeywarrior.com/detail/15490/

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Dear Guru Maharaja, Hare Krishna and thank you for your prompt reply! 

I’d like to make sure I understand you correctly. 

You heard Srila Prabhupada, either in a recorded or live lecture, make a statement that seemed to contradict something else he said—either within the same lecture or in another talk. Additionally, Srila Prabhupada mentioned that anything unclear now will eventually become clear through devotional service, most likely when performed without offenses. 

Do you know where I could listen to this lecture?

HpS - It was, agtSP, a lecture that was being broadcast over the public address system in the Berkeley Temple. I think it was a group class.

He said that one should only accept uttama adhikari as guru, and then later he said that he had never claimed to be an uttama adhikari. This was bemusing, bewildering to us, but then he said at the end that all these discrepancies would be resolved if we just engaged in devotional service.

As we remember, in the SB, the Professional Reciters are glorifying Prthu Maharaja for being great, an incarnation of God or such. He says, No, no, don't glorify me like that. The reciters look to the sages and they nod, keep on describing his glories, and in the purport srila Prabhupada comments like even if one is an incarnation of God he should not claim to be so, but the wise, scholarly, pure people will recognize him and properly glorify him.

Maybe you personally are feeling that you are becoming more and more fixed in devotional service and actually have some empowered abilities in this Sankirtan movement, but you may also feel that you are a hypocrite and a cheater.

So we see Prabhupada and Prthu Maharaja expressing such feelings, and as we personally engage in devotional service we experience it and Srila Prabhupada's words become deeper and deeper.

However…

Since Srila Prabhupada’s chief is known for stealing butter, I shouldn’t expect everything to always be entirely “honest and legal.” I looked up the phrase “on the up and up,” and Merriam-Webster defines it as such. Are you suggesting that in dealing with Krsna, certain things are not always straightforward or easy to understand with absolute precision? 

HpS - The progression of the loving affairs of Krsna with His devotees are crooked like the movement of a snake.

There is a delightful stimulating funny confusion that covers Krsna's pastimes in Goloka. It is Yoga maya.

Krsna is bent in three places. He seems to exist in a space higher than Euclidean Space, even higher than Hyperbolic Space etc.

That said, my core question remains: Why does Srila Prabhupada make seemingly contradictory statements, which can cause confusion for me and others? I understand that different statements may be intended for different situations and individuals. However, many devotees do not accept this nuance; instead, they insist on applying one statement universally and indefinitely.

HpS - Yet he explains repeatedly that different things are presented in different audiences, times, place and circumstances.

https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/1/17/38/#bb17250

Some purports see to be for reformed drug addicted hippies and others seem to be for the next Sampradaya, Nitya siddha, Ahcarya.

SB progresses to more and more confidential topics, no?

You also mentioned that service to guru and Bhagavan Sri Krsna comes first, and then answers will follow. 

HpS - yasya deve para bhaktir... no?

Since this material world is temporary, there is no need to expect permanent answers here. 

The material world is likened to a prison, where problems are inevitable. However, these difficulties serve to inspire a sincere prisoner to seek liberation. 

In conclusion, you’re suggesting that I choose one of the topics, and we could possibly discuss it further.

Have I understood you correctly? 

HpS - Seems pretty good to me. We are just donkeys being directed by and aristocrat, no? 🏇

Macbeth by William Shakespeare: Lay on Mc Duff and damn be him who first calls, Hold, enough!

Thank you for sharing the Ayurveda message.

I do not understand this:

☘️Starches require an alkaline environment

☘️proteins require an acidic environment.

Please, can this doctor, or someone who reads this Blog (there is a ayurveda doctor in Mar de Plata if I remember correctly), explain what this means practically?

Thank you!

Your servant Namacarya Das

HpS - Good question. Mar de Platano is Kunja bihari Das. He is both allopathic and ayurvedic doktor!

Hare Krsna Gurudeva

pamhO, agtSP

The above subject line is from your tweet.

Can you give connotative meaning of the tweet.

We thought Hari naam is everything, if we are physically then we engage senses.

I, agtSP, was thinking that we can chant just for freedom distress, out of fear of going to hell. Then it is chanting but with no service attitude. We are so close to Krsna when we are chantin His Holy Names, but without service attitude we are trying to satisfy hunger with painted fruits!

Hare Krishna, Siksha Gurudeva, please kindly accept my most humble obeisances; all glories to Srila Prabhupada;

all glories to your good self for your own devotion to Prabhupada and Krishna;

all glories to all the devotees of Lord Chaitanya's Sankirtana Movement!🙏

HpS - We always consider you our Siksa guru also!

I trust that all is going well for you in your devotional service: all things considered. Many things come to my mind that I would like to share with someone, but I don't want to be stopping my chanting just to ventilate my thoughts.

But be it suffice to say that I find so much shelter in my japa. There was a time in my life when I was afraid to live and afraid to die, both at the same time. That was how I first took shelter of chanting the Holy Names. Srila Prabhupada is so amazing; his character and level of compassion are so far beyond my scope of appreciation and understanding. He gave us this chanting of the Holy Names on the order of his spiritual master, just to fulfill the desire of Lord Chaitanya. In one famous purport Srila Prabhupada instructed that "our chanting Hare Krishna should be exactly like a small child crying out for its mother." When I reflect on this instruction I can appreciate that the fears and anxieties of my life are like hidden gems and blessings in disguise. I find that my chanting is most meaningful when those fears and anxieties are strong in my mind and heart.

I just had to share some of these thoughts, which come to me during my japa. How will I ever chant nicely when so much comes to my mind? And then I have some compelling need to share them with someone. Thank you, as always, for taking time out of your own spiritual life to to hear me rant on. And thank you for being such an inspiration to so many of us in our devotional service.

Yls, Bbd 🙏

HpS - Chant! Chant! ... can't can't! Rant Rant!! 😆 I had a dream of Srila Prabhupada once and his personality, presence was so, so, so personal. He was conscious, and understanding so much more deeply of everything that was happening in our situation. Like adults with children at a party.

Hare Krishna Gurudeva

PAMHO - AGTSP

I love studying the scriptures, I do it daily in person and also with other devotees online.

However, an astrologer told me that I have a tendency to distort the knowledge and instructions I receive.

Therefore he told me that it was not conducive for me to be a teacher of the Vedas or even to preach.

My question is: Do you want me to do formal studies of the sastra?

My obeisances.

HpS - Seems that basing our teaching on Srila Prabhupada's books, our students will not be confused by any distortions that we make. Let them hear from his books directly as we teach from them.

I want you to get lots of nice association of teachers who can engage you in systematic, stimulating study of Srila Prabhupada's books. If this is Bhakti-sastri etc. that is fine.

Hope all is going well with your health, body, mind, spirit, community. 🙂

Hare Krishna Gurudeva

PAMHO - AGTSP

I am writing to you after listening to your class on Sunday, March 2, in which you reminded us to send a sankirtan report.

The truth is that my attempt to preach through social media is bearing fruit. I have been sending reflections on Krishna consciousness via WhatsApp for approximately 2 years, with the idea of ​​providing support to the people I meet in sankirtan.

In Cabildo, almost no one takes books with them when I do sankirtan, so on any occasion that I go outside this city, I take books and distribute them.

I continue to do programs at home, but not as constant as before, and I also continue to spiritually accompany people interested in Krishna consciousness in this city.

A year ago I began to create public content on social media on Instagram, and 3 months ago on Tik Tok. Applying the knowledge I learned in the digital marketing career I studied.

On these platforms I share “lightweight”, entertaining and general content. But for those who are really interested, I send them the Krishna consciousness reflections via WhatsApp.

I have not distributed many physical books, but when people ask me for digital books, I send them the link to The Science of Self-Realization from vedabase.io. (We could have more books like that on that website)

It is amazing what can be achieved with this service and, when I am allowed, I would like to help other devotees in the community to echo what I have done.

Several people are chanting the Maha Mantra as a result of this effort, some are encouraged to visit the temple, others ask how to become a monk and one girl in particular wants to take spiritual initiation.

Preaching is my life, it is what pleases my heart the most.

Please your blessings to continue sharing Krishna consciousness through social media and other means.

Your Servant

Piyari Mohan das

HpS/ASA - Thank, agtSP, you. Srila Prabhupada talks about going preaching door to door, but in the modern world that seems to be going address to address on social media!

The Ramayana and Mahabharata by Krsna Dharma on Vedabase.Io might also be good for new comers, no?

He puts in philosophy in such a natural way!