Letters to the editor

Hare Krsna! Querido Guru Maharaja

Por favor acepte mis humildes reverencias ¡Jaya Srila Prabhupada!

Orando siempre por su bienestar, me disculpo por importunarle🙏, quisiera consultar sobre un tema que me aflige:

Recientemente una persona que fue cercana a mí, se quitó la vida.

Todo ha sido muy doloroso, pero lo que más me perturba es la forma en la que partió, temo el destino al que se dirige y quisiera preguntarle ¿Además de cantar los santos nombres, de orar por él, hay algo que pueda hacer para ayudarlo?

Guru Maharaja, en esta situación la familia enfrenta gran dolor, confusión, culpa, mucho enojo (incluso contra Dios) y también mucho temor, pues incluso en la tradición católica se dice que debido a que el suicidio es un pecado grave, el suicida irá al infierno... 😞

Muchas veces, el corazón de los dolientes se tranquiliza un poco confiando en que quien parte, llegará a un destino superior. Pero en este caso no se tiene ese consuelo, por lo que la partida es incluso más dolorosa y aterradora.

¿Cómo podría uno encontrar consuelo ante este escenario?

¿Qué puedo decir a los dolientes ante ese temor que incluso yo tengo?

Él era solo un adolescente, no era devoto y, debido a su entorno, tampoco era muy religioso, pero en esencia era noble y bondadoso, nunca imaginamos que tomaría esa decisión... Llegue a pensar que quizá, si él hubiera estado más cerca de Dios, no habría tomado esa decisión. Luego observé que, aunque poco se habla del suicidio en nuestra comunidad, no somos ajenos a esa problemática. Así que me gustaría conocer un poco, para poder ayudar en caso de ser necesario.

Muchas gracias querido Gurudeva, implorando su guía e instrucción, siempre a sus órdenes

Karuna-Sakti Devi Dasi

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Hare Krsna! Dear Guru Maharaja

Please accept my humble obeisances, Jaya Srila Prabhupada!

Always praying for your well-being, I apologize for bothering you🙏, I would like to consult on a subject that afflicts me:

Recently a person who was close to me, took his life.

Everything has been very painful, but what disturbs me the most is the way he left, I fear the destiny to which he is headed and I would like to ask you, besides chanting the holy names, praying for him, is there anything I can do to help him?

HpS//ASA - AgtSP... Paoho... Chanting Holy Names in front of his picture and offering Mahaprasdam is super, super, super, no? Do it your self and with other devotees.

Of course, if he starts appearing in dreams with special needs you can respond to those.

Eg. One 24-year old devotee in Spain committed suicide (mental problems) and left some little children, babies behind. Her friends were all having dreams that she was feeling great guilt about leaving her babies, so they asked for permission to have a seance, and did it. She was present and all the girls together made a promise that they would see that her babies had lots of motherly love.

No, more dreams.

Guru Maharaja, in this situation the family faces great pain, confusion, guilt, a lot of anger (even against God) and also a lot of fear, because even in the Catholic tradition it is said that because suicide is a serious sin, the suicide will go to hell... 😞

Many times, the hearts of the mourners calm down a little by trusting that the one who leaves will reach a higher destiny. But in this case, there is no such consolation, so the departure is even more painful and terrifying.

How could one find consolation in this scenario?

What can I say to the mourners in the face of this fear that even I have?

HpS - Every situation is different. We see Vaisnava acharyas fasting and quiting their bodies to go to follow the Great Dancer, Lord Gauranga. This is suicide, no?

Every situation is different, but in general the Acharya's scriptures tell us it IS NOT A SOLUTION.

Best help is what we said above.

If Catholic there must be rituals. Say a Mass for him!!

He was only a teenager, he was not a devotee and, due to his environment, he was not very religious either, but in essence he was noble and kind, we never imagined that he would make that decision... I came to think that perhaps, if he had been closer to God, he would not have made that decision. Then I observed that, although suicide is rarely discussed in our community, we are not alien to this problem. So I would like to know a little, in order to be able to help if necessary.

Thank you very much dear Gurudeva, imploring your guidance and instruction, always at your service

Karuna-Sakti Devi Dasi

HpS - Tell the family what is our perspective in our religion and look for the same thing in their tradition. Do the work! There is no mistake that you can make that you cannot correct!!!! If you do the work!!!

Rama-narayana Das writes,

"It, sex desire, is so strong, all my spiritual crises in which I have wanted to stop being a devotee have been caused by my sexual desire, in fact these last few days I have gone through another similar crisis, but again I have regained spiritual sanity."

ASA - It is adi-rasa, fundamental mellow.

Have you tried reading the Rasa lila descriptions from the KRSNA book when the material reflection attracts?

ASA [E], bv library, tlc

"And out of all songs, what song do you think is the best?" Caitanya Mahaprabhu asked. Ramananda replied that any song which describes the pastimes of Radha and Krsna is the best song. The conditioned soul is captivated by sex. All literary works of fiction -- dramas, novels and so on -- describe love between men and women. Since people are so attracted to this kind of literature, Krsna appeared in this material world and displayed His transcendental loving affairs with the gopis. There is an immense literature dealing with the loving exchanges between the gopis and Krsna, and anyone who takes shelter of this literature, or of the stories about Radha and Krsna, can enjoy actual happiness. In Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.33.36) it is said that the Lord displayed His pastimes in Vrndavana in order to reveal His actual life. Any intelligent person who tries to understand the pastimes of Radha and Krsna is most fortunate. The songs that tell of those pastimes are the greatest songs in the world.

TLC 32: Conclusion

ASA reading includes TLC. . . daily.

This is the Conclusion.

What is an ASA bibliography of this great literature of Hare Krsna, Gurvastakam 4 pastimes?

From CC, KRSNA book, SB, Vrndavan Dhama Mahimamrta [?]?

Hare Krsna, Beloved Gurudeva:

AGTSP, PAMHO

I am writing on this special day of your Sri Vyasa puja.

HpS//ASA - Thank you!! Just looking at your letter Title we are reminded of a book by one respected author titled, "Moon Beams from a Larger Madness". We will now read these words from the moon.

As I said in the latino program.

First I am so grateful to Srila Prabhupada for His Iskcon for our ISkcon.

I have also realized that even our health is better just by following the 4 principles.

Even if we are not in a good consciousness we are devotees and still we have some knowledge.

Thinking about Trivikram d and your constant question on the whatsapp group that we share with Parasurama. Does anybody know why he did it? All of us have problems that we think that our problems are the worst.

Sometimes I feel kind of lost, but never alone. I know that I can call Palika for instance and she will be there as I will be there for her as well.

HpS - We have to hand Monkey and Piggy some tissue to wipe their eyes!

That is Iskcon, that is what you taught us.

To help each other, to treat each other like family.

Everything is association.

So my offering to You.

Is to take care of my spiritual life and life in general so that if any devotee friend or not needs me I will be prepare and ready to help.

I am not a pure devotee or anything even close to that, but I guess that my 21 years of been initiated will be worthy.

I have heard Sriman Radhika Raman's offering, he presented my thoughts and feelings as well, I presume that most devotees have been touched and identified with his offering. I can not even say the words. What am I going to do when you were not present. But then I realized that I am with parents more than ever after their departure. They will also live in my heart as well as you.

HpS - 🙂 You are in the Recovery Room, the operation is over!! Wake up! This is just a movie that we are all watching. 😃 Your father, mother, me, others are all sitting in the theater with Srila Prabhupada, like morons, eating popcorn and thinking that we are the characters on the screen. 😆

Every time you chant Hare Krsna, you are making progress.

HK//HK// KK HH.... . . HR/HR/RR HH!!!! We just made eternal progress.

Yes, separation is natural.

Friend has gone for boat trip to China, 1932, but we will wake up. Must wake up!!! Krsna needs us... 😠

I am deeply grateful for all the years of your association all the trips, gifts, lectures, pictures, everything.

I hope that we can come and visit you soon, maybe in dreams I dream about you and devotees from time to time, and is nice. As you once said dreams with the spiritual master are not ordinary.

I am going to pay attention to your calendar

Srila Prabhupada KI JAY

Srila Prabhupada KI JAY

Srila Prabhupada KI JAY

Happy Sri Vyasa puja HH Hanumatpresaka Swami KI JAYA

By the way Ulyses sends his respects we are getting another puppy soon Zeus another golden

My sister also sends her respects.

Thanks to everyone. I think, hope, Ulysses is joyed to have a little brother!

We are trying to find all the letters amongst the Birthday Greeetings.

Hope to see you soon

Trying to be your disciple

CMDD

Thank you for your Moon Beams from a Larger Madness. Only when you become a madman (woe man) like Lord Caitanya can you understand Srimad Bhagavatam.

Become Guru of your circle of aquaintances.

Hare Krishna, Maharaja and Devotees;

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

All glories to Guru and Gauranga.

On Sunday, January 12, 2025, at 7.30am, Houston time, we will continue reading chapter 10~~ The Lord's Return to Jagannatha Puri; we will start reading from verses 10.138 onwards, we will cover about 60 verses.

Thank you to H. G. Nikunja Bihari Prabhu for doing nice translation for January 5th class. Maharaja, thank you for engaging everyone in reading systematically books of Srila Prabhupada.

YS

Upendra dasa

HpS//ASA -- Thank you all for this nice trip back 500 years in time every Sunday!!!

Back to Puri back to Gaura's stay there for several decades, no?????

Dear Guru Maharaja, please accept my humble obeisances.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

One who approaches the Supreme Lord to render devotional service but who is proud of his personality, envious of others or vengeful is in the mode of anger. He thinks that he is the best devotee. from SB 3.29.8 purport.

I understand this to mean that this devotee thinks that his understanding of sastra (SP’s instructions), his application of sastra, and his ideas of how to preach, cook, dress, etc. are better than some other devotees' consideration of the same points. 

That understanding/perspective/ideology may be good for him (and for some of the other people), but he forces down the throat it to all others. 

Addition to all this is when there are (seemingly) different instructions regarding the same topic.

Is my understanding right?

HpS / AgtSP. I think it is true of ourselves to some extent and others in ISKCON etc more or less, but I think there are other aspects to the persons Srila Prabhupada describes. Is very universal, and specific, point, no?

Daksa.

Sukra acharya.

If yes, …

This is the challenge in our bhakti circles. Of course, it is also a challenge in a whole world. But here I am talking about the obstacle in relations within the devotee community. 

Now… Could we (me included) try to put into focus, that this kind of ideology is bhakti in the gunas (as verses in this chapter of SB discuss)? That is better than no bhakti at all. However, if not being conscious of the setback, how will we (myself) deal with it adequately and advance?

This is a(nother) simple thought about a complex subject.

Would you like to comment?

Thank you!

Your servant Namacarya Das

HpS - Thank you. Is very nice topic, as usual. Astro Hungarian nature??

It is a topic repeatedly addressed in our Bhagavata philosophy. it is right there from the beginning in noi. especially texts 4, 5, 6 and then again in text 10, karmibhya parito harih....

so much advice there but basic is love god, preach to innocent, befriend devotees, avoid demons. then i take this to mean avoiding the demon, raja and tamas service, in devotees and befriending the service in goodness and pure goodness.

O.K.

We bow our head down to regular devotees, but we don't offer dandavats.

Kanistha devotees we fold our hands and offer respects, but don't discuss Temple affairs in great detail with them.

O.K.??????