Letters to the editor

Hare Krsna querido Gurudeva

Por favor acepte mis rendidas reverencias

Todas las Glorias sean al muy misericordioso Srila Prabhupada

Y Todas las Glorias a usted que nos conecta con las instrucciones de Su Divino maestro.

Deseando que su salud y energía se encuentren muy bien. Le agradezco mucho por brindarnos los medios para poder estar cerca de sus instrucciones y tener la asociación de tantos Vaisnavas agradables.

Gurudeva, estuve leyendo el Kapi Dhvaja y en la sección Guru-Tattva usted pregunto “Anyone else want 1st, 2nd or 3rd (Sannyasa) initiation?”… 

Yo me había estado preguntado ¿Cuál es mi posición en este Guru-Tattva? -Parece que tengo una idea- pero justo después de leer el KP, pensé que debería preguntarle y después una agradable mataji me sugirió preguntarle a usted y dejar de suponer... Aquí va:

Hace algunos años, usted me dijo que no era necesario (para mí) tomar segunda iniciación, porque es suficiente con seguir estrictamente los votos de la primera iniciación.

Así que, yo no he sentido la necesidad de tomar 2nd iniciación, y me he esforzado siempre por seguir mis votos de 1st iniciación cada vez de forma más estricta, además de Mangala Aratika, Lectura diaria, clases regulares, etc…   Quizá algún vaisnava crea que yo pretendo escapar de adquirir mayores responsabilidades, pero yo únicamente pienso que, por alguna razón, usted me ha dicho que para mí es suficiente la primera iniciación. 

Además usted ha dicho que un Brahmana debe ser un ejemplo para la sociedad, y que su carácter debe ser tal, que con solo verlo, el resto de la sociedad sepa cuál es el comportamiento ideal. 

Así que, desde que (a causa de mis tratos ásperos) yo me separe de mi noble esposo, pienso que no podría ser un ejemplo para nadie. Además he observado que soy una persona bastante orgullosa y arrogante, y el solo título podría confundirme fácilmente. Por lo que aún cuando algunos Vaisnavas me han sugerido solicitar la segunda iniciación, yo pienso que tal como usted dijo “Para mí es suficiente la primera iniciación”.

Sin embargo; en ocasiones, usted menciona que la primera iniciación es solo una prueba y la segunda iniciación es cuando el Guru realmente acepta al discípulo. Y quería preguntarle ¿Eso quiere decir que no soy su discípula aún? Guru Maharaja, ¿Qué debería hacer para ser realmente su discípula o situarme apropiadamente en este Guru Tattva?

Guru Maharaja, por favor disculpe estas preguntas básicas. Muchas gracias por brindarnos sus misericordiosas instrucciones.

Su aspirante a discípula

Karuna-Sakti Devi Dasi

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Hare Krsna, dear Gurudeva,

Please accept my bows

All Glories be to the most merciful Srila Prabhupada

HpS/ASA - !!!! !!!

And All Glories to you that connects us with the instructions of Your Divine teacher.

 Wishing your health and energy are very good. I thank him very much for giving us the means to be able to be close to his instructions and to have the association of so many nice Vaisnavas.

Gurudeva, I was reading the Kapi Dhvaja and in the Guru-Tattva section you asked “Anyone else want 1st, 2nd or 3rd (Sannyasa) initiation?”…

I had been wondering what is my position in this Guru-Tattva? -I seem to have an idea- but just after reading the KP, I thought I should ask you and then a nice mataji suggested I ask you and stop guessing ... Here it goes:

 Some years ago, you told me that it was not necessary (for me) to take a second initiation, because it is enough to strictly follow the vows of the first initiation.

 So, I have not felt the need to take 2nd initiation, and I have always endeavored to follow my 1st initiation vows more and more strictly, in addition to Mangala Aratika, Daily Reading, regular classes, etc ... Maybe some Vaisnava believes I intend to escape acquiring greater responsibilities, but I only think that, for some reason, you have told me that the first initiation is enough for me.

Furthermore, you have said that a Brahmana should be an example for society, and that his character should be such that just by looking at him, the rest of society knows what the ideal behavior is.

 So, since (because of my rough dealings) I separated from my noble husband, I think that I could not be an example for anyone. In addition, I have observed that I am quite a proud and arrogant person, and the title alone could easily confuse me. So even though some Vaisnavas have suggested to me to request the second initiation, I think that just as you said "For me the first initiation is enough."

 Nevertheless; sometimes you mention that the first initiation is just a test and the second initiation is when the Guru actually accepts the disciple. And I wanted to ask him, does that mean I'm not his disciple yet? Guru Maharaja, what should I do to really be your disciple or place myself properly in this Guru Tattva?

Guru Maharaja, please excuse these basic questions. Thank you very much for giving us your merciful instructions.

Your would-be disciple

Karuna-Sakti Devi Dasi

HpS - AgtSP!!! We remember the conversation in Rome, I think, where Srila Prabhupada made these statements about 1st and 2nd initiation. We have seem them in NoI 5 also. At first initiation you are the diksa guru's disciple, like a student who has joined the university, but it is after the end of the first semester when one passes examinations that one's history begins to be recorded, no?

So, following first initiation well for several years, your service is being recorded toward your final return to Goloka, and the attention that such a sincere student deserves is being noted.

I don't think it is necessary for you nor many people, but on the other hand it is good to aspire for being a formally recognized leader by neophytes, taking more responsibility as Brahmana or Ksatriya etc.

Of course, for a lady, adjusting the Varna Ashrama circumstances are important. Go on chanting and expect that things will adjust gradually but securely and even rapidly.

Thank you.

Hare Krishna Gurumaharaj

Please accept my humble obeisances.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

HpS/ASA - AgtSP! So nice to hear from you!!! Sorry that it has taken us 3-days to answer, but all weekend now we have strong programs.

Praying to Lord Nityananda and Giriraj for spiritual intelligence to be able to approach you with the right service attitude, Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare !!!

HpS - We are pretty simple people, so guess you will have the proper attitude. Thank you.

In the FMP of today (for you in South America) via gotomeeting, we inquired from you; how we can get a " flying carpet", the one that could be an efficient transportation for you, so you would agreed to visit again the Down Under land - Australia, in this life time.

In a hopeful mood we attempt to follow your instruction, inquiring from you. Please Gurumaharaj, would you consider visiting Australia, it is closer to India.

For another hand, while writing to you the suppressed confronting emotions are surfacing.

Probably, like some devotees I am struggling in digest, and realise your teachings, specially when you speak about winding up, and leaving your body in 2024. The time is passing very quickly; it is unavoidable to experience anxiety, desperation, fear and at the same time, the utmost respect, gratitude, admiration toward you; appreciating how you have been guiding us in all aspect with your exemplary spiritual life (highly qualified), your teachings (words and actions) and now, the lesson on how to leave the body in Krishna consciousness.

Gratitude and admiration are overwhelming making our heart happy, because we understand a bit, that Krishna's and Srila Prabhupada's causeless mercy are giving us the great fortune to have H. H. Hanumat Presak Swami's loving association, (his guidance, care and example).

Words are falling short in this context, how to express our overwhelming experience of a glimpse, awareness of your spiritual greatness and at the same time knowing that soon you are going to leave.

Alas, you are preparing us, giving us the opportunity to uplift our consciousness, learning to associate with you in a higher level, going beyond physical limitations. Is this not another display of your ' True Love' that your compassionate and caring heart is doing for us?.

Nevertheless, our heart experiences a lot of anxiety too. Oh, Krishna!! Gurumaharaj is going to leave!!!.. we have heard about it since long time ago, but we suppressed it in my unconscious mind, not wanting to face it, but now it is not possible to avoid it; it is just in font of us.. Oh Krishna,.. help us to grow in acceptance, imbibe it and rise up strong from there, thanks to the spiritual nourishment that it is offering to us.

Please forgive me for this outburst, i could not control it.

I fully trust that you will understand it better than myself.

Thank you Gurumaharaj

Your servant

Madhumanjari dd

HpS - Hare Krsna. We always focus on how much Srila Prabhupada's disciples felt pain upon his departure, but what about Srila Prabhupada's pain? Is interesting, no? Did he even feel more pain than they in leaving his "beloved American and European sons and daughters"?

Of course, Odana sasthi, 2024 is like a best estimate, a joke at talking about anything so much under superior control with exact dates. We see, and I suspect you also, that we can die at any point.

"Oh, didn't you hear! Hp Swami died yesterday! He was in the middle of writing a letter to one of his disciples in Australia and had a heart attack!"

Maybe we'll be stuck here until 2034. (Ayeeee!).

How many more years do you have? One hundred? Fifty? Twenty-five? Fifteen?

Is good to make a practical estimate and then look at our mission in this life as it has developed?

asa(e) - Uncle Gismo,

Magic Carpets:

Guru Das asked Srila Prabhupada what we would do after we had made this whole world Krsna conscious and there was no more preaching here, and Srila Prabhuapda smiled and answered that the Sannyasis would get on their flying carpets and go to other planets to preach.

https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/2/7/37/ seems to indicate that flying carpets are quite possible.

Second class option is good flight from India to Australia, traveling companion, and/or priority processing through immigration and customs. That is the killer! One hour standing in line for immigration before leaving.

Or we all meet in Radha Kunda instead with Divya svaroop Das and Jaga mohan.

I want so much to be accepted in Vrndavana as a simple citizen by Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami.

Respects to all.

Dearest Maharaj,

PAMHO AGTSP!

Yes Maharaj, I really do want initiation from you, but I feel so fallen. I still cannot wake up early. A large part of that has to do with my husband staying awake till 3am. Sometimes I feel weighed down by responsibility for our spiritual advancement. At several sleepless occasions I've tried communicating to him gently that I can't sleep with someone awake in the house. He says he can't do anything about it, it's my problem, and i should just go to sleep and stop harassing him.

Maharaj, is this what you mean by not being able to do Hari kirtan. I feel I can never wake-up early like this. I feel contaminated in this marriage. It's so hard for me to give up this feeling of despair. I find my mind frightened that our children will be more difficult because of our weak sadhana. Sometimes I wonder why Krsna gave me this marriage. I'm not very good at helping him. And my own sadhana remains weak.

Maharaj, question in my heart, charging students to teach or perform or shoot, is that incorrect?

HpS - Thank you for your letter!!!! Thinking of you often. Our mail clerks are not very expert in handling the mail, so when there is Priority Code from the Kapi Dhvaja that gets their attention.

Of course, Prahlada Maharaja was able to take a quick nap when they were throwing him off cliffs, or trampling under elephants, so that is the ideal, and we should admit that there is room for us to improve things from our side, but on the other hand, Prabhupada directly said that we cannot imitate these actions.

So, I don't know what to say.

Try to make some adjustment, but, without violence, we have to chant our rounds and follow the principles.

I can't understand the last question. You want your dance students to charge their stun guns and shoot people.

Respects to the Varuna! Please, tell him that we are always happy to hear in the Blog his experiences about life in the real world, and modern India.

Your aspiring servant,

Yajnaseni

Hare Krsna Gurudev

🙏

Todas las glorias a Srila Prabhupada!

Todas las glorias sean a usted. 

Por favor acepte mis reverencias a sus pies de loto.

HpS - Pies de (mitad) loco.

Espero que al momento de recibir esta carta lo encuentre muy bien de salud. 

Quería contarle que me encuentro en un momento estable, con un Sadhana y conciencia firme para expandir la misión de Srila Prabhupada. 

He seguido sus instrucciones, y esto me a llevado a una mejoría completa, tanto a mi como a mi entorno social y familiar. 

Gracias a su misericordia logro dia a día poder predicar en mi trabajo y en el lugar donde estudio sobre la misión de Srila Prabhupada, repartiendo libros e invitandolos a programas. 

Particularmente hoy tengo una sensación hermosa en el corazon, el cual se debe a qué siguiendo tanto sus instrucciones, cómo la de devotos mayores de mi Yatra local, me entrego a su infinita misericordia, luego de tomar el curso y el examen de discipulo, me acerco a usted con el fin de pidirle su refugio formal. 

Agrego también una copia de la carta de recomendación de Prabhu Lakshmana Das (presidente de templo Iskcon Buenos Aires)

Su eterno sirviente Bhakta Ever.

HpS - Felicidades. Por supuesto, considerando las circunstancias, estamos muy felices de tratar de servirle como diksa guru en ISKCON bajo el refugio de Srila Prabhupada. En cuanto a las formalidades administrativas, lo aceptamos como refugiado, y ahora lea el Kapi Dhvaja y envíe informes cada dos meses con preguntas, comentarios, con los códigos de prioridad, para que podamos estar seguros de verlos, y luego después de las seis. meses más, 1ª iniciación.

Super!!! Felicidades!!

Hare Krishna, Gurumaharaja, acepte mis humildes reverencias, Todas las glorias a Srila Prabhupada.

Gracias por la respuesta y misericordia.

Me informan que S.S Guruprasad Swami vendrá al templo de ciudad de México hasta el próximo año.

Madre Govinda , viajará de México a Perú del 17 de Diciembre del presente año al 4 de enero.

Ella me puede hacer el favor de hacerle llegar a UD la Japa y también traerla de regreso a México, está sería otra opción si a UD le parece bien.

HpS - Aparece bueno! Es deficil correro Peru a Mexico, obteniendo Japa aqui. Posible funciona DHL. Peru ell viene en solamente tres semanas.

Me gustaría saber su opinión Maharaja.

Quedo pendiente a cualquier instrucción que UD decida darme.

Infinitas gracias Gurumaharaja por su gran misericordia.

Su aspirante a sirviente. Marco Antonio Galván.

HpS - Muy feliz conocerte. 🙂 🙂 🙂 Esperamos unos devotos de Mejico nos visita en Houston.





All glories to Srila Prabhupada

All glories to Sri Guru and Gauranga:

Please accept my humble obeisances dear Gurudev, I wish you a happy Damodara month.

I wanted to ask you if you are doing any treatment for your tired eyes? Have you tried placing cucumber slices or aloe vera leaves cut in half and without thorns, placed on the closed eyelids?

HpS - The best treatment is to look at Radha Mandana bihari and not to work hard. Then they are fine.

Thank you for your blessings to be able to sing the rounds, it really is magic. I have not chanted the rounds for a long time and now I sing every morning, I am amazed by the blessings of the spiritual master.

HpS - ASA - AgtSP!!!!!

In this month of November we are going to visit the devotee who has the deities of Jaganatha, Baladeva and Subhadra to see if he can lend them to us for the Ratha Yatra, I think there will be no problems.

I am writing to you on November 5 at 1:49 in the morning, I will sing a few rounds and then you rested a bit, I have finished digging the wallipini. I am growing cherry tomatoes, butter lettuce, round tomatoes, bell peppers, peas and soon I will plant other vegetables.

With Radha JPJ and Gopal we are offering our wicks to Damodara every day, in the morning and in the afternoon.

It is a shame that we cannot go to see it, but it is sure that it is in our hearts.

I am very happy that I am in Peru with the devotees there, they have a good heart.

You asked me about my relationship with the neighbors, I have a relationship of respect and cordiality, they are generally good people.

I don't have much news to tell, dear Gurudev, I have a fairly routine life. Now I am building the house bathroom that has no roof and no door, you can see the stars while taking a bath😄

With no further news to report, my best feelings for you,

Please forgive any offense committed in this letter inadvertently.

Your would-be servant: Bhakta Franco

HpS - So, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, ..... so, so, so, ............... nice to hear from you.

asa[e] - Rathayatra

You news is very, very enlivening. Srila Prabhupada gave so much emphasis on Rathayatra.

Our God sister, Keli-lalita Devi Das, saw a poster advertising Rathayatra in San Francisco n Golden Gate Park. She went with her husband and it was attractive: Beautiful carts, Jagannatha, dramas, many nice booths, Prasdam and a devotee sold here a book.

She said that she took it home, read a little bit and put it in here bookshelf and probably would have never read it again.

The next day or so she was driving from San Francisco to Santa Cruz in the mountains in her Volkswagon Beetle with her husband as passenger.

The steering wheel came off!

Car crashed and she was tossed out.

Car caught on fire and her clothes caught on fire with the broken gas tank.

Her husband was inside and partially unconscious. She tried to pull him out but the flames became to intense and so the last thing she remembered was her husband screaming as he burned to death.

She woke up in the hospital some days later and the first thing she was conscious of was the smell of cooked meat. Then she realized who was the cooked meat, her own body, and the first thought that went though her mind was, Lord Krsna, if I think I am this body I am going to go mad.

Her face and body were seriously scared. Not enough to frighten children but remarkably. She went to the Temple.

They didn't look at her from a bodily point of vew.

She moved in. Distributed hundreds of books. Collected and donated more money than what it had cost to organize the whole Rathayatra.

So.... good luck with your Rathaytra. If you and Krsna make even one devotee it can be complete financial and Sankirtan, book distribution success.

Todas las glorias a Srila Prabhupada

Todas las glorias a Sri Guru y Gauranga:

Acepte mis humildes reverencias querido Gurudev, le deseo un feliz mes de Damodara.

Le quería preguntar si está haciendo algún tratamiento para el cansancio de sus ojos?

ha probado colocarse rodajas de pepinos u hojas de aloe vera cortadas por la mitad y sin espinas, puestas sobre los párpados cerrados?

Gracias por sus bendiciones para poder cantar las rondas, realmente es magia. Estuve mucho tiempo sin cantar las rondas y ahora canto todas las mañanas, me sorprende las bendiciones del maestro espiritual.

En este mes de noviembre vamos a visitar al devoto que tiene las deidades de Jaganatha, Baladeva y Subhadra para ver si nos las puede prestar para el Ratha Yatra, creo que no habrá problemas.

Le estoy escribiendo el día 5 de noviembre a la 1:49 de la mañana, cantare unas rondas y luego descansaste un poco, ya terminé de cavar el wallipini. Estoy cultivando tomate cherry, lechuga de manteca, tomate redondo, morrón , arverja y próximamente plantaré otras hortalizas.

Con Radha JPJ y Gopal estamos ofreciendo nuestras mechitas a Damodara todos los días, por la mañana y por la tarde.

Es una pena que no podamos ir a Verlo , pero es seguro que está en nuestros corazones.

Estoy muy feliz que esté en Perú con los devotos de ahí, tienen un corazón bueno.

Usted me preguntaba mi relación con los vecinos, tengo una relación de respeto y cordialidad, son buena gente en términos generales.

No tengo muchas novedades para contar querido Gurudev, tengo una vida bastante rutinaria. Ahora estoy construyendo el baño de casa que no tiene techo ni puerta, puede ver las estrellas mientras se baña😄

Sin más novedades que reportar, mis mejores sentimientos para Usted,

Perdone por favor cualquier ofensa cometida en esta carta sin querer.

Su aspirante a sirviente:

Bhakta Franco