Letters to the editor

Hare Krishna, Beloved Gurudeva:ila Prabhupada.

Gurudeva, we observe a pattern in Kali Yuga: it is becoming increasingly easy to achieve material advances, but at the same time, it is more difficult to find spiritual values.

HpS - AgtSP!! Guess this is exactly what the inhabitants of Sri Lanka of Ravana were appreciating. The demons acquire almost all the mystical potencies.

A recent Harvard Business Review study, "How People Are Really Using Gen AI in 2025," confirms this. The report reveals that the three main uses of artificial intelligence are no longer technical, but existential:

1. Therapy and companionship
2. Life organization
3. Finding purpose

This change is significant, as "Life organization" and "Finding purpose" were not even topics of study in 2024, while "Therapy and companionship" moved from second to first place in just one year.

The family is in crisis: men do not want to take on emotional responsibilities, and women no longer want to have children in pursuit of career achievements. A clear example of this is that in Japan, more adult diapers are sold than baby diapers.

All of this leads me to the following question: we know that the world is heading towards the abyss, but how much should we worry about this? Should we be alert and try to reverse the situation or simply be content.

Thank you very much, Gurudeva,inue chanting Hare Krishna while the planet sinks, like the musicians on the Titanic? How did ISKCON members deal with technological advancements in the past?

Thank you very much, Gurudeva,

Your foolish servant,

Nikunja Bihari das.

HpS - Kali yuga is only 10% of the Satya, Treta, Dvarpara, Kali yuga cycle, yet is necessary. Mother tries to get kids to learn and grow up, but if they don't then she just gives them time with rounded sissors, washable glue and crayons, to do whatever they want to do. those who want to join her i the kitchen making cookies for KRSNA can join here.

some of us will only learn the hard way but.... it is all really a shadow show.

we, iskcon, tries to give the kali yuga dharma to everyone. we respect that KRSNA gives kali yuga as mercy. he even arranged to remove M. Parikshit!

O.K?

Hare Krishna, Amado Gurudeva:

Por favor, acepte mis humildes reverencias. Todas las glorias a Srila Prabhupada.

Gurudev, observo un patrón en Kali Yuga: cada vez es más fácil lograr avances materiales, pero al mismo tiempo, es más difícil encontrar valores espirituales. Un estudio reciente de Harvard Business Review, "How People Are Really Using Gen AI in 2025", lo confirma. Este reporte revela que los tres usos principales de la inteligencia artificial ya no son técnicos, sino existenciales:

• Terapia y acompañamiento (#1)
• Organización de la vida (#2)
• Encontrar propósito (#3)

Este cambio es significativo, pues “Organización de la vida” y “Encontrar propósito” ni siquiera eran temas de estudio en 2024, mientras que “Terapia y acompañamiento” pasó del segundo al primer lugar en solo un año. 

La familia está en crisis: los hombres no quieren asumir responsabilidades afectivas y las mujeres ya no quieren tener hijos por buscar logros laborales. Un ejemplo claro de esto es que en Japón se venden más pañales para adultos que para bebés.

Todo esto me lleva a la siguiente pregunta: sabemos que el mundo se dirige hacia el abismo, pero ¿cuánto debemos preocuparnos por esto? ¿Debemos estar alertas y tratar de revertir la situación o simplemente seguir cantando Hare Krishna mientras el planeta se hunde, como los músicos del Titanic? Cómo lidiaron los miembros de iskcon con los avances tecnológicos en el pasado?

Muchas gracias. Gurudev,

Su tonto sirviente,

Nikunja Bihari das.

Hare Krishna, Beloved Gurudeva:

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

Gurudeva, we are writing to give you a small report. Our personal and family life is stable. We live with our wife Julieta and little Margarita in the Sri Govardhan Eco-village, the land of Krishna, together with the devotees.

As you always ask us about the roads, we confirm that we have improved them by laying gravel, and we will do maintenance again after winter.

HpS - !

We also have plans to improve our temple. The one you knew was a devotee's private home, and now we are moving our place of worship to what used to be Prabhu Panca tattva's ashram. We will make renovations to have our place of worship there, since the morning program is currently held in a very small space.

We feel fortunate to live with the devotees and with Srila Prabhupada, as we have his life-sized murti here and Sri Sri Sara Siromani Gaura Nitai, who are infinitely merciful. Our older sons spend more time in the city and visit us from time to time. Manu is working and focused on music, while Benja is in his last years of high school and very into boxing. They are good boys who remember Krishna and chant their japa. Manu does it every day; Benja and his mother, I don't know how often, but I know they have an attachment to the Holy Name.

Personally, we identify with Devavrata Prabhu's letter. We understand that we cannot chant enthusiastic rounds if we do not participate in the morning program. Personally, We feel we are in a survival sadhana: 16 rounds and four principles of deplorable quality. We understand there is much room for improvement, but at the same time, we accept this defeat and our conditioning. We are very passionate.

Our focus now is on transforming our career as a health professional into a health services company, to expand our income and be able to concentrate on what truly motivates us: opening a school. We will tell you more details about this in another letter. The great dilemma is the same one Srila Prabhupada had: money first, and then preaching, although Krishna did the opposite with him. We shall see.

Regarding our work, we have had a study group for five years where we are training collaborators. This will allow us to expand the group dynamics we're setting up, such as workshops and a membership, in addition to offering different types of medical consultations. After 23 years as a doctor and thousands of patients, we feel we have the experience and prestige to take advantage of this and focus our energy on giving this offering to you and Srila Prabhupada: a school based on dharma for children aged 10 to 18.

We continue to give classes at the university, where we work with groups of up to 12 students in a problem-based learning scenario. This gives us the possibility of having more space to talk about spiritual life.

Again, we feel that our life is peaceful and we have peace in our hearts. We live in a home with love and we are taking care of our health, training with calisthenics, and eating healthily. We feel a deep gratitude for you and Srila Prabhupada, who are our lighthouses, our role models, and the light that allows us to continue in the right direction, despite being immersed in the madness of Kali Yuga, which wreaks havoc even within Vaishnava congregations.

It is strange, but somehow we felt we had prepared for your departure in Odana Sasti 2024. The fact that you are still here with us on this planet is pure mercy. I feel your presence very close and we are very grateful to Upendra Prabhu for giving us the possibility of doing a small service for you every Sunday. Spiritual life is wonderful.

Your foolish servant,

Nikunja Bihari das.

HpS - We were expecting to leave on Odana sasti, and did have heart fibrillations which freaked out three different doctor devotees. they had a devotee on the other side of the door sleeping all night and made us keep a bell to ring if we had a heart attack. blook clot. then next day for an emergency scan, medication, from Doctor Suneja.

Very nice efficient successful cardiac specialist.

the heart beat monitor for ten days, the eliquis, the scan, the blood tests, said that there was not danger of immediate death.

the fibrilations stopped.

we got on four more kinds of minimum dosage. ayurvedic help and then started general and later, detailed scans.

we are in top 15% of people in our age and social group for health.

no angioplasty necessary.

looks like maintenance for three to five years then probable some more major adjustment.

of course,

we can see the decay of the body. as it decays it becomes elements for a new body for someone else.

artificial heart supplement.

artificial hearing supplement.

maybe catarac eye surgery.

maybe that is the limit. a pace maker seems like too much for us. just get a whole new car.

feel like your professional report is inspiring for other devotee professionals.

Hare Krishna, Amado Gurudeva:

Por favor, acepte nuestras humildes reverencias. Todas las glorias a Srila Prabhupada.

Gurudev, le escribo para darle un pequeño reporte. Nuestra vida personal y familiar se encuentra estable. Vivimos con mi esposa Julieta y la pequeña Margarita en la Ecoaldea Sri Govardhan, tierra de Krishna, junto a los devotos. Como siempre me pregunta por las calles, le confirmo que las mejoramos al poner granza, y después del invierno volveremos a darles mantenimiento.

También tenemos planes para mejorar nuestro templo. El que usted conoció era la casa particular de un devoto, y ahora mudamos nuestro lugar de adoración al que era el asrama de Prabhu Panca tattva. Haremos reformas para tener nuestro lugar de adoración allí, ya que ahora el programa de la mañana se da en un lugar muy pequeño.

Me siento afortunado de vivir junto a los devotos y junto a Srila Prabhupada, pues aquí tenemos su murti en tamaño real y a Sri Sri Sara Siromani Gaura Nitai, que son infinitamente misericordiosos. Mis hijos mayores pasan más tiempo en la ciudad y de vez en cuando nos visitan. Manu está trabajando y enfocado en la música, mientras que Benja está en sus últimos años de secundaria y muy enganchado con el boxeo. Son buenos chicos que recuerdan a Krishna y cantan su japa. Manu lo hace todos los días; Benja y su madre, no sé con qué frecuencia, pero sé que tienen un apego por el Santo Nombre.

En lo personal, me siento identificado con la carta de Devavrata Prabhu. Entiendo que no podemos cantar rondas entusiastas si no participamos en el programa de la mañana. Personalmente, siento que estoy en una sadhana de supervivencia: 16 rondas y cuatro principios de calidad deplorable. Entiendo que hay mucho terreno para mejorar, pero al mismo tiempo, acepto esta derrota y mi condicionamiento. Somos muy pasionales.

Mi enfoque ahora está en transformar mi carrera como profesional de la salud en una empresa de servicios de salud, para expandir mis ingresos y poder concentrarme en lo que realmente me motiva: inaugurar una escuela. Le contaré más detalles sobre esto en otra carta. El gran dilema es el mismo que tuvo Srila Prabhupada: primero dinero y después prédica, aunque Krishna hizo lo contrario con él. Ya veremos.

Respecto a mi trabajo, hace cinco años tengo un grupo de estudio donde estoy formando colaboradores. Esto me permitirá expandir las dinámicas grupales que estoy armando, como talleres y una membresía, además de ofrecer diferentes tipos de consultas médicas. Después de 23 años como médico y miles de pacientes, siento que tengo la trayectoria y el prestigio para aprovechar esto y enfocar mi energía en dar esta ofrenda a usted y a Srila Prabhupada: una escuela basada en el dharma para niños de 10 a 18 años.

Seguimos dando clases en la universidad, donde trabajamos con grupos de hasta 12 estudiantes en un escenario de aprendizaje basado en problemas. Esto nos da la posibilidad de tener más espacio para hablar sobre la vida espiritual.

De nuevo, sentimos que nuestra vida es pacífica y tenemos paz en el corazón. Vivo en un hogar con amor y estoy cuidando mi salud, entrenando con calistenia y comiendo de forma saludable. Sentimos una profunda gratitud por usted y por Srila Prabhupada, quienes son nuestros faros, nuestro modelo a seguir y la luz que nos permite seguir en la dirección correcta, a pesar de estar inmersos en la locura de Kali Yuga, que hace estragos incluso dentro de las congregaciones vaisnavas.

Es extraño, pero de alguna manera sentí que me había preparado para su partida en Odana Sasti 2024. El hecho de que usted todavía esté aquí con nosotros en este planeta es pura misericordia. Siento su presencia muy cercana y estoy muy agradecido con Upendra Prabhu por darme la posibilidad de hacer un pequeño servicio para usted cada domingo. La vida espiritual es maravillosa.

Su tonto sirviente,

Nikunja Bihari das.

Hare Krishna, Beloved Gurudeva:

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

We are sharing with you the educational proposal we are working on, with the intention of starting the first cohort next year. We would very much like to know your opinion; any reflection, criticism, or advice would be most welcome.

We also extend this invitation to the rest of the devotees, so they may give us their feedback and help me improve each stage of the educational proposal.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kpgddXI4eV-L8Nm46s5jXWNecUou3w4nf19gGVgPSDo/edit?usp=sharing

Your foolish servant,

Nikunja Bihari das.

HpS - O.K. It 🌞 is at 3.55PM. Fasting for Janmastami. We will look at the google doc above, but also do some more letters to the Blog.

Amado Gurudeva:

Por favor, acepte mis humildes reverencias. Todas las glorias a Srila Prabhupada.

Comparto con usted la propuesta educativa en la que estoy trabajando, con la intención de comenzar la prHare Krishna, imera cohorte el próximo año. Me gustaría mucho conocer su opinión; cualquier reflexión, crítica o consejo será siempre bienvenido.

También extiendo esta invitación al resto de los devotos para que me den su retroalimentación y así poder mejorar cada etapa de la propuesta educativa.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kpgddXI4eV-L8Nm46s5jXWNecUou3w4nf19gGVgPSDo/edit?usp=sharing

Su tonto sirviente,

Nikunja Bihari das.

Hare Krishna, Dear Gurudeva,

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

By the mercy of Abhiram Thakur Prabhu, who encouraged donations for your hearing aids, we sent a message to the group of our spiritual brothers in Argentina. We sent $750 to the devotee Devendra Prabhu, who was in charge of the collection. Of this amount, $720 was a donation from Deva Vrata Prabhu, and the remaining $30 was from me.

HpS - AgtSP! We feel so guilty that we invested so much money in the apparatus, but several senior medical people here all agreed on it and the ASA Board voted 5 to 2 to invest.

They do work well, and we even suspect they will be in use after we leave this body. Thank you all!

We are personally working on an educational proposal, a kind of gurukula, which we are offering to you and to Prabhupada, who wanted to promote this kind of project. We will tell you more details about this in another letter. We want to invest our capital in that project, as we feel that is our dakṣinā to you.

HpS - One letter we remember Srila Prabhupada said to Grhastha that the Gurukula was his first responsibility and the temple his second.

Our discernment tells us that, due to your current service, focusing our energy and investment on this project might be a better service to you than giving you money personally. However, we would like to ask you if this is the right thing to do or if, on the contrary, we should make an annual donation, as we have always done.

HpS - Your choice and Deva vrata Das' both seem fine!

Thank you very much, Gurudev, for everything you do for us and for the embodied souls in this material world.

Your foolish servant,

Nikunja Bihari das.

HpS - Thank you. Hoping you can meet with Ananta isvara Das, ayurvedic doctor here!

Thanks to everyone.

Hare Krishna, Amado Gurudeva:

Por favor, acepte nuestras humildes reverencias. Todas las glorias a Srila Prabhupada.

Por la misericordia de Abhiram Thakur Prabhu, quien impulsó las donaciones para sus audífonos, envié un mensaje al grupo de mis hermanos espirituales de Argentina. Le envié al devoto Devendra Prabhu, encargado de la colecta, $750 dólares. De esta cantidad, $720, fueron donación de Deva Vrata Prabhu, y los $30 restantes fueron míos.

Personalmente, estoy armando una propuesta educativa, una especie de gurukula, la cual hago como una ofrenda a usted y a Prabhupada, quien quería impulsar este proyecto. En otra carta le contaré más detalles sobre esto. Quiero invertir mi capital en ese proyecto, ya que siento que esa es mi daksina para usted.

Mi discernimiento me dice que, debido a su servicio actual, enfocar mi energía e inversión en este proyecto podría ser un mejor servicio para usted que darle dinero personalmente. Sin embargo, quisiera preguntarle si esto es lo correcto o si, por el contrario, debería hacerle una donación anual, como siempre lo he hecho.

Muchas gracias, Gurudev, por todo lo que hace por nosotros y por las almas encarnadas en este mundo material.

Su tonto sirviente,

Nikunja Bihari das.

asa[e] free will. cutting tree; deity worship, practical standard

Hare Krishna Guru Maharaj,

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

We just came back from India last week.

HpS/ASA - AgtSP! Paoho. We were contemplating your travels and your return. Of course, we had some news.

The birthday celebrations of both children - Dhaasharathi and Chandranana went really well. (HPS Blog). The ayushomam ceremony also went well with around 200 - 300 friends and relatives attending.

One of our friends gifted us a baby Radha Rani. We already have a Gopal deity (Vishaka's from before our wedding, worshipped as Radha Raman) which we were worshipping. Now we are worshipping them together. We are doing daily abishek with water and dressing them. We are also doing full morning program. We also have Paramananda Gaura Nitai (You named them Guru Maharaj). Is this enough or do we have to do something more for the Radha Krishna deities Guru Maharaj? Please guide us on what to do.

HpS - Sounds great to us. We remember a very ancient deity worship workshop that jananivasa das or panchanghri das did in mayapura with about 10 or us. he said that mother yasoda is taking care of most of the deity worship. we are helping.

he said that these are the prioritie:

1. love
2. cleanliness
3. punctuality
4. rituals and paraphernalia

From what we have heard from Prabhupada, bathing the deity can be very simple: two hands and one mouth. ring the bell with one hand, chant, govinda jaya jaya, and hare krsna with the mouth and pour the water with your other hand.

incense, lamp, flower, fragrnce/oil, bhoga!!

😃

We are reading the 10th canto during our FMP and are currently in chapter 41. I had a question from chapter 37, Guru Maharaj. In this chapter, Narada Muni lists all the things that are going to happen in the future including the Mahabharata war. How can Narada muni know whats going to happen in the future? Does this mean the people engaged in these predictions dont have free will? How can we understand this, Guru Maharaj?

HpS - A man is walking down the road and he sees a simple fellow sitting on a dead branch of a tall tree cutting off the branch for fire wood. unfortunately the cutter is about 15 feet up and sitting with the cutting work going on the part of the branch between him and the tree.

the man on the ground says, "Hey, be careful, you are going to fall down and hurt youself!". The cutter says leave me alone, go to MacDonalds and throughs some wood at him". The passer by says, "O.K. do what you want to do!". and walks off.

the cutter continues and the branch breaks {picture attached}, falls down cracks his head, comes back to consciousness five minutes later with a big headaches and says, "That man was a great mystic. he could see the future!"

some times we can see that things are very fixed.

other times we can see that they at 50% fixed.

O.K.??? 🙂

We are planning to visit Murfreesboro while you are visiting Guru Maharaj. We will probably come for Radhastami since that is on a Sunday. We are also visiting ISV from September 12th to 21st for the Vyasa Puja of HG Vaisesika Maharaj. Vishaka has taken shelter from Maharaj and is awaiting initiation. Please bless her Guru Maharaj to serve Prabhupada's mission to the best of her abilities.

HPS - Hare Krsna! Please stay in touch to coordinate your visit!!! I took first initiation in the same letter from Srila Prabhupada as Vaisesika Das took second.

Many years of friendship and common work.

I think Srinath told you about this Guru Maharaj, but we are currently working on building the ASA Archive/Encyclopedia website and it's coming along nicely. We will update you and give you a demo once its a bit further along Guru Maharaj.

HpS/ASA - Tom Brown's encyclopedia view of life.

Your humble servant

Sri Rama Krishna Das

HpS - Our full respects to family and Yatra. Thank you always for the cellular.

Hare Krishna Guru Maharaja!

Please accept these respectful obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

I'm still processing our week with you in Boise and my time with you in Houston. Intense purification and Fun.

Thank you for this perspective on the Trnvarta pastime song. Indeed the traveling minstrel, the observer is the perfect and natural archetype to merge into for singing these folk songs...And so fascinating, the aesthetic difference between Dvaraka /Mathura and Vraja. I’ve always loved simple folk music(American and Peruvian). But also have some appreciation for the sophistication of orchestra music and the English gardens. Being in Radha Nilamadhava Dham was refreshing and deeply inspiring.

While I was there I had a really nice conversation about temple presidency with Saranga Thakur Prabhu after the boat ceremony. He said 50 percent of the job is knowing how to take criticism and then he said Jaya Krishna Prabhu after so many years of this service said it’s actually more like 75 percent of the job.

So I’ve been thinking a lot about what is criticism. Of course we should be focusing on our own shortcomings and how to improve, more than on others. But then if you are in a managerial position it seems like that has to intensify(fixing yourself up) and so this is why the purificatory process speeds up? Extra mercy may be given? And can a neophyte devotee give auspicious criticism (three fold) according to Bhativinoda Thakur’s definition of that term?

One little/big improvement: We are finally starting to play nice mellow kirtan/bajans on our speakers at the perfect volume during the Sunday Feast while devotees take Prasadam. After wanting to do this for so long and hearing it from you so many times..something finally clicked. Little steps in the right direction but seeing big improvements and nice steady momentum in New Biharvan Dham.

Slowly but surely my service here is feeling like a personal project. Thinking of it like this is helpful, Maharaja. Like a song or a play..I’m wrapping my head around your instruction and wanting to take it to heart. Personal projects can be collaborative. The rugged individualist and isolationist in me kicks and screams sometimes but I may have him under control. He’s a lonely simple guy that is ultimately looking for something more. Not satisfied.

HpS/ASA - AgtSP. Achintya bheda abheda tattva, dictates that as we develop our own unique character, we realize how it is properly, proportionally, and eternally connected to our society.

you have to play your instrument in the band, but you realize so much of it in terms of the performance of the whole band.

Maharaja, can gandharva’s or angels help with management just like they help with creative projects?

HpS - I guess, so? I think Krsna takes more responsibility in inspiration for management.

Relationships between devotees doing service at the temple are getting stronger/deeper. It seems like Radha Bankibihari are in control. Supreme disrupters and mischief makers, always looking for a good time at any cost.

Carl Jung’s ideas on the psychology of addiction has been such a helpful barometer and jumping off point when talking with new comers and in our own self analysis. And I keep thinking it is by your mercy that we have this wonderful bridge. And specifically a great connection to NOI.

More news to share soon. Until then we will be chanting japa with you, for you and because of you..and taking part in the morning Houston SB classes on YouTube in addition to our own KRSNA Book reading..

All the very best with your Janmashtami celebration! Thank you, Gurumaharaja.

your aspiring servant,

Nitisara das

HpS - We take criticism in terms of NOI 4, 5 and 6.

Then we ask ourselves if it is really letting us see things that we need to improve?

Maybe we are not even the target. Maybe the people crticizing us are just projecting there enemies of torture victims on us because of our social role or other things. then we see their emotional, psychological and spiritual problems as we avoid the assault and take helping them as our service.

Hmmm! 🙂

Thank you for our association!!!!!!

We hope Boise becomes very ISKCON conscious.