Letters to the editor

danvadat Pranams 🙇🏼‍♂️

please accept my humble obeisances!

All Glories to Srila Prabhupada!

thanks very much for the replies to my letters. 🔥🔥🌧️🌧️ Was worried when my name was not on the list, ill ask Chaitanya Charitamrita if he is going to send an annual report.

i meet with around 5 devotees on zoom for an artik and bhagavatam class mon-fri & this morning we read this verse

https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/1/6/16/

we usually read one verse every morning & alternate days leading a review/discussion of the verse. Have gotten to know the Bhagavad Gita much better by finding companion verses that mirror/echo or further explain the Bhagavatam verses we read daily.

I was supposed to travel with ISV devotees to Jagannath Puri, Kolkata & Mayapur this month, but a ladder fell from under me end of december and now recovering with broken heel. Got a 5 year visa, so hope to join this group for another trip to india this year or next. When im able to stand again will pick back up with a morning artik at my home altar.

Gurudeva, by your mercy i would like to take second initiation whenever possible. Cecilia is not chanting 16 rounds but we offer all meals to Krishna, and chant the Mahamantra & Panca Tattva mantra. She also helps take care of Tulsi. Tulsi has nice emerald green leaves since watering with a filtered water/cow manure mix.

By second initiation was hoping to take advantage of more service opportunities at the Berkeley Temple helping/sharing with cooking and altar services. Then able to help there or elsewhere with that training.

Are you connecting with disciples via gotomeeting 737859341? Wish there was a way to be notified by the app when you connect to the room. im at home 24/7 for some weeks til i can walk again. Hope to get the mercy of your association. Maybe pick up some espanol from those sessions? Reading Tava Pache Pache.

‘At the beginning of canto six Maharaja Pariksit asks how one can get free from this cycle of heaven-earth-hell-heaven-earth…y,’

‘sound familiar? Are you pushed like us to commit the same small sins again and again?’

p.18

’We try to serve, exploit, and enjoy the mind and body, which produces reactions, to which we react again, leading to more reactions.’ p.20 ♻️

Jaya Gurudeva!

Jaya Prabhupada!

thank you for your mercy!

Hari Bol!

your servant,

Loka Bandhu Rama Das

HpS - Thanks for all the news! Like a San Francisco Surf Board ride. Thanks.

Respects to Cecilia.

Great soul.

The second initiation is not so necessary.

Only thing it might add to your service is going on the altar in the Temple, and your worship at home can be just as potent.

Second initiation means all these formalities of Brahmana, Ksatriya et al.

Prabhupada says that the Mayor's wife must dress like the Mayor's wife.

I know a very nice devotee lady in Suth America. She is married to a senior admnistrator in the GBC structure and has to deal with many serving girls in organizing dinners etc.

She tells the devotees that her nature is to be a Nun praying in her little cell and working in the Nunnery garden with other simple girls but so all these formalities are a real burden.

Send us not on Whatsapp if you want to discuss details.

Thank you.

Don't go to India, go to Vrndavana!

🙂

HAPPY VYASA PUJA GURUDEVA!!! 🙏

AND HAPPY BIRTHAY!!! 🙏

Report month Narayana

Dear Gurudeva! Please accept our obeisances to Your merciful lotus feet! All glories be to Srila Prabhupada!!! and to you adored Gurudeva!!!

Please ask your lotus feet for forgiveness for the delay in my offering. I wanted to offer you a nice video. I thought it was better to give you what you asked for than my foolish words. It didn't turn out as well as I wanted but I tried my best. Apparently I have to schedule his "gifts" with more time and if I leave the body before. they are there ready.

thanks to our krishna I have recovered from the pain in my leg and arm and I can continue dancing for my lords Radha Govinda!!!

This is my little offering for you:

DANCE THEATER:

RADHA AND THE BEE:

https://youtu.be/Gnjj2gRdpV4

I recorded this dance at the end of November. The day of his vyasa Puja I spent editing this video and still couldn't finish it on time.

I learned that it takes time to edit and I have to do things with more time. I was just able to finish on his birthday, January 12. but I couldn't connect or go out because it rained the whole day! I uploaded it the day after his birthday and the signal was cut so I can only send these lines today.

I hope you like it Gurudev! I am ready to listen to any mistake. I would have liked to do it with a voiceover explaining some things before the dances. I am learning to edit.

The moment of dancing this Dance was so beautiful that when I finished... I said to myself... I'm done?? So fast??😆 I couldn't believe that something that seemed so difficult to do, could have felt so ecstatic! I am praying to have those feelings again.. to live that way..all the time.. I know that they are His blessings and I ask you to please pray for me to live giving the best of myself to others.

We read that you wished to offer Mr. Nrishimha noodles with sauce and beans on the day of His Vyasa puja, So Franco himself kneaded the noodles and we offered them to his team. As you know, frankly, there are few photos. So I couldn't take pictures of his ofrenda, but I wanted to tell him about it so he would know about Franco's service. His offering was: Noodles with sauce and pancakes with milk sweet.

I was thinking if at some point I could personally make an offering to you...but from the way I see our situation it seems that it is impossible for us to go to India...so I am going to take refuge ardently in your instructions, classes...and the wonderful memories with your association vapu. I don't want to dream anymore that we'll go because that's doing me wrong.

I always read your twitter messages by email and listen to your classes.

Thank you for being my beloved Gurumaharaja!!!

Please forgive any offense inadvertently committed in this letter.



His attempt of a disciple who wishes to please his lotus heart:

Radha Japa Prati Jalpa Devi Dasi

P.D : previous month summary:

We are very sorry to read that your body is bothering you so much... I think how I can help?...

I forgot to thank you for your beautiful photo that you sent me in a previous letter where you can see a beautiful sunrise in Vrndavan... very beautiful!!! Thanks a lot. I edited a video that dances 2020 and put that beautiful photo at the end:

https://youtu.be/UN5ukcORBfw I

I would like these photos of my attempted mother katyayani to be just for you, frank and gopal. Please

2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022.

His classes are the water of my life and they ALWAYS help me a lot.

We keep reciting the entire Sanskrit bhagavad Gita on the auspicious day of Gita jayanti!!! Very Preety!!!

I still have mother katyayani there. (2021 2022). Please tell me if I should disarm them or leave them there under the trees😊

We went to the Adi Sakhi event.

I send you photos. And some videos:

https://youtu.be/d0yZAFmjRHA

https://youtu.be/05eJ-z2ubXs

Gopalito and I continue our association with japa together in the afternoon. I tell him to concentrate on his friends in Krsna's pictures: Krsba balarama subala madhumangala!! Let him think that he is playing with them... and he closes his little eyes and chants the holy name like this.

please accept obeisances of Franco and Gopal.

P.D. should i send the photos again? or could you see them? Gurudev? thank you adored Gurudeva eternally

HpS-ASA - Very long letter for us to read! Struggling with gorillas in the jungles of Tripura, India, but we went through it and got most of the content. Now we will look at the first dance link.

It is very nice that you are learning video editing!

. . . .

Awwk! The link won't open here in the jungle. We try later!!

Hari Bolo.

🦆🦆🌴🦆

Hare Krishna, Gurudeva,

Please accept my obeisances

All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

I wish you are ecstatic in your relationship with Srila Prabhupada and Krishna through his constant service to them.

Everything went well with this first academic year, I learned and applied. Now I am back in Cabildo with my family. These last days (January 2023) I have been able to be more regular when I get up (generally 6:10), even though it is not at 4:00, I am happy with the progress. I wash my mouth, my hands, and start my japa chant.

ASA - 🙂👍👍

I'm trying to improve my chanting, I started singing sitting down a few days ago, and it's also an achievement for me, I always walked while singing. I listen to Srila Prabhupada's japa chanting while doing the meditation, and today I put a picture of you in front of me. These are things that help, but still my chanting is not going very well, I rarely put my full attention on the mantra. I also write the ideas that come to my mind to silence her and thus continue singing.

I continue to study the Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam personally, noting down the excerpts that I find interesting. I try to learn English, but the time I dedicate to it is not much. At night we study with a group of devotees the Bhagavad gita and on other days the Srimad Bhagavatam and also Caitanya Caritamrita, lately this has been daily.

It frustrates me to have a bad memory, but I have not given up, I am generating a system of memorization of the verses of the Bhagavad gita, applying different techniques, and I think that little by little it is bearing fruit. I thought I was very smart, but I'm stupid.

I keep doing sankirtan, now more than last year. I distribute books here in Cabildo, and when I accompany my family to different places, I take the books and do sankirtan there.

I sincerely think that everything I experienced, due to the fact of giving up my medicines, is due to my offenses against the Vaisnavas. Krishna took me out to show me how bad I am and that I must learn to behave properly. And of course, everything that Krishna does is good, this has brought me more awareness of my anhartas and now I am fighting with them. Sometimes I have glimpses that I am not the body, little by little I begin to differentiate that I am not the mind.

Finally Gurudeva, prabhu Jagganath Caran did not reply to the letter that you asked me to send him, I imagine that now the responsibility of the case will pass to the new administration.

HpS - Yes. Write to the New President, J. G. Das with copy to us here.

I appreciate you very much, you are in my heart, and I know that we will always be connected.

your servant

piyari mohan das

HpS - We all hope you advance in devotional service.

It is the solution for all the problems in life.

We also hope that Krsna is giving superhuman strength and intelligence to devotees like Guru-govinda Devi Dasi et al.

Please send more news as it develops!!!

Dear Maharaj,

PAMHO AGTSP!

Thank you for your response. We can definitely work with our audiences for an Odissi Manipuri collaboration from Sundara Kanda. However, my primary desire is to find a part in this fortunate opportunity to serve in your mission: promote your cherished project, this film. If I need to learn western theatre techniques to do this, I am very happy to do so too and use whatever training I have 🙏.

your aspiring servant,

SMDD

HpS - Thank you! So nice traveling with you and Dhruva Das in the Northeast.

Actually, DTC - The Ultimate Trip, is not a cherished project. 😎

A lot of it is "Duty" Rasa, though it definitely is very important to us to make the effort to consolidate a record of our Sankirtan for everyone.

I don't know if the Alvin Ailey Dance Troupe is still active, but see if they have some videos on line to look at. I think they might give nice idea of Western dance drama, and of course Peter Brook Mahabharata seems to be nice way to put Indian stuff in American format.

Thank you.

Hare Krishna Maharaja!

PAMHO AGTSP!

I've read your "Kapi Dhvaja" dated January 6th, thank you for sharing your travel itinerary; I'm waiting for a chance that I have got to visit you in Mexico City, if is Krishna´s will. 

How amazing for me it's to imagine you doing the daily parikrama for the Radha-Kunda! Right now it's a cold time in and around Vrindavan, I think it's a short season, a microclimate. My obeisances to you and all your visitors and associates! Right now in Chile is summer time, but some days have been little cold and some strong rains in the big mountain Cordillera de los Andes.

I recently spoke to Maha Anandini Devi Dasi to request a service that will grant me credits so that I can move forward to get initiated with you, please Gurudeva. Mataji is currently in charge of coordinating this management and authorizing the service performed as valid, along together with the administrative commission. And they gave me service in the area of making garlands for the deities. The beginning is 5 induction classes where one is accompanied and directed by an expert mataji in the service, after those 5 sessions, that are also practical service because one is making the garlands under supervision, they will set me a day of the week in wich I'll be in charge of doing the service that day, which consists of making the garlands for Their Lordships one day before They use it. It's quite a challenge for me and I love it, it's a very artistic activity that requires a lot of creativity and sensitivity and neatness, and at the same time you can enjoy appreciating the beautiful shapes and the extraordinary combinations of colors and shades that the Supreme Artist, Krishna, puts in His flowers. I'm attaching photos with the first garlands I made this Monday and was used on Tuesday by Their Lordships Sri Sri Gaura Nitai and Srila Prabhupada.

Buck White - Aaaacha! Very professional. GN must feel very proud to wear them.

This work will capture Chile.

At Iskcon Chile a few weeks ago, your disciple Jagad-Guru Das took over as President. The other time I told him "I didn't vote for you, but, Oh yes! you are my President!"; and I made myself available to him to support him in whatever he need.

I haven't smoked cannabis for 4 months now; with the other 3 principles it's been much longer, a few years.

ASA - On behalf of your lungs, we thank you!

Since 2015 I have been reading Srila Prabhupada's books every day, even if it's only 2 pages every night. A few days ago I completed reading Srila Prabhupada's 3-volume extended version biography written by Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami. Srila Prabhupada's life is amazing, extraordinary, He is the most important man of the 20th Century and for the next thousands of years, ¡all glories to Srila Prabhupada! Now I'm reading "The Nectar of Instruction", and I want to highlight a quote from Srila Prabhupada that appears in the purport of text 1: "The frustration of material desires produces anger." And my comment is that knowing this one should raise one's desires towards Krishna and abandon material desires to be happy, and I think that achieving it's the most difficult, even being devotees of Sri Sri Radha-Krishna we will always have some desire that binds us to the material world, while we are in this conditioned existence.

HpS - When I heard this I could immediately apply it in so many situations and get free from anger.

Since December 24th I'm renting an apartment 4 blocks from the temple, it belongs to your disciple Arjuna Das. You and Bhakti Bushan Swami and only devotees and families of devotees have lived in this apartment, so it's the best place to live where I can be today, Krishna is very merciful to me and His devotees are also very good to me; all glories to Srila Prabhupada! All glories to H.H. Hanumatpresaka Swami!

During the last few weeks I've improved my sadhana a bit and I'm chanting at least 8-10 rounds daily and several days I've been able to complete all the 16 rounds of good quality.

I bid farewell eternally grateful for the shelter that you have given to me at your lotus feet, I hope to be able to advance a little more every day and someday to be able to do something useful for you and for Srila Prabhupada's movement, if is Krishna´s will.

Your aspiring servant,

Carlos Rold

PAMHO

AGTSP

HARE KRISHNA!

HpS - Jaya! Are you still growing Marajuana as a commercial crop?

How is Rodrigo's family?

How is your family?

How is your career in Journalism?

Hare Krsna Master,

PAMCHO (please accept my careful humble obeisances)

AGTSP

We have problem in reading? When we read we keep on analysing/inferring from diff angle the part to our best level.

and we have to volunatrily stop ourself from reading due to hours/minute we can devote in it.

ASA - Hmmm. Mother Yasoda stopped giving breast milk to Krsna to save his cow's milk on the stove.

on the second hand, we do systematic/timely studies , then we finish the task, but are not able to go in depth , hence feel hollow or guiltful.

HpS - It's a problem. Hope you can make some progress in solving it!

😬

It seems to us that above is debate between Raga and vaidhi and which again ABAT ( acintya bhed abhed tattva)

how do we balance or integrate them?

HpS/ASA - For us now, we can get a real feel of what is balanced, wholesome service in KC most of the time, and when we are confused it reminds us to chant HK, and the Holy Names inform us how to relate to our requirements in Karma, Jnana in serving little Gopal's interest.

Stopping and Chan Ting until you know what to do is always a great solution.