Letters to the editor

Hare Krsna Guru Maharaja, PAMHO AGTSP

How is your health?

How is Spain?

How you feel?

HpS/ASA - After, agtSP, 25-hours of hard travel with six devotees, we have reached Radha-kunda from Madrid.

Every place or cataracts, deafness, and dementia are increasing.

They are good friends.

Hope they push us to develop Radha Krsna Bhava.

Be with Nimai and Srila Prabhupada in Nadiya in our next body.

Sorry for being disapear this days, many stuff happend. Also I didn't pretend to annoy you with the not so important histories and little adventures of this little monkey.

HpS/ASA - 🐒

But the ones that are the most remarcable are this ones:

I have my tiket to Spain, I will travel there the 12 of November and I hope to bring some presents from a few brothers that can't travel there.

(I have worked a lot to get the money for all of that)

HpS - Seems like a very god investment!

I finally join in the moring program, I love to see you, and I feel very bad that in few or more time this bodly figure will no be able to see you any more.

Also I have one very strong experience with Jesus Christ, I even cry in that occasion, was... very strange, I usually don't have this tipe of experience with Jesus, maybe is because I have meet a few Mormons and seems to be that they are really nice people, also more they know about them I see that we have some things in common, what is your opinion about them????

HpS - Yes, of all the religions they seem the closest to K.C.

I also hope to do a working hollyday in Germany, I should get better at my german 😅 and with that I feel mych gratitude towards Krsna (as always one most do) but this time I think I could notice better his hand behind everything, since I arrive herr in Chile I have meet a lot of german people and many of them were very nice when I told them that I was traveling to there. I just need to make some adjusments to travel there and be able to get a job with devoties in the south of Germany, let's hope that the war don't go very far, I hope too for your blessings.

A few days ago I also got stolen in the store, nothing really serius but it's a crazy history to tell, Chile is turning a little bit more dangerous this days, maybe move to Scotland or something else will be very good for me.

Also I remenber one time that I tell you long time ago to send a few pictures from my Bhakti Shastri, I have not been able to send them, let's say that using a cellphone is not very good idea, spacially if the cellphone is not in a good condition.

(With the cellphone thing the last one broke very badly and now I'm with one that is not very good but I will love to show you the pictures in person if the oportunity is given)

And lastly I have not being very good with my rounds this lasts months, my own mind was my enemy for some time, now I think we make a truce or pact of peace, and chant while working is not also a very good idea, now I'm better but now I don't feel the "nice" experience while chanting probably I'm just thinking in other stuff, for now the only thing that really moves my hard heart is reading the Srimat Bhavagatam.

HpS/ASA - Seems are we go up everyday, more and more attachments come out.

So, we have to remove them eternally based upon our Japa work, illustrative stories from SB etc, no?

And yeah, I hope to see you in Spain, always I feel a little nervous while I writte you, I still remenber when I ask you why one feel like this with the spiritual master was something like "one still feels like a little demon" or at least somrthing close to that, is more present the felling of what you said rather than the actual quotas, one of the things that I more lament is lost the last phone, I haved tons of quotas of you, many of them I hope to get back.

I hope there they have a lot of phisical work to do (in Spain) I'm like Zhu Bajie, I usually enjoy good and abundant food before (or after) a good amount of work 😅😂

With few to nothing to add I say Hare Krsna and see you in Spain :D

HpS - 10:13AM in Radha-kunda. Our eyes have reached their computer quota.

Thank you, so much.

Hoping you see some strategy from Krsna for your part in this war with The Black Witch:

Hare Krishna Dear Guru Maharaja,

All Glories to Srila Prabhupada

As I promise to you here is the invitation to you to give the opening session of the course "Course Vaisnava Philosophy and Practice of Bhakti Yoga - ISKCON Chile Comité Educación".

You can know more about this course here: www.iskcon.cl/cursos

Main objective

To provide a comprehensive intermediate training in Vaisnava philosophy and Bhakti Yoga practice, facilitating a deeper understanding, and with a special focus on the concept of pure devotional service.

6 modules (2 session each)

<img src="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAABVYAAAMACAIAAABAXKuVAAAgAElEQVR4Aey9h7cld..

Hare Krishna GuruMaharaja!

Please accept my humble obeisances!

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Thank you so much for writing me!

Yesterday I was trying to recuperate from Radhastami...I drank too much of the Carinamrta. I thought it was natural fruit so it would be okay but I think the honey content was too strong. 

I was able to go on the altar and bathe Sri Sri Radha Giridhari with fruit juices on Radhastami!

And earlier on Radhastami me and Patita Pavana Prabhu went to the University of Houston downtown and distributed books. 

I distributed 30 books and he distributed I think close to 40 or 50. We are following the example of the Atlanta brahmacaris and so now we are selling the books as stacks. I distributed 6 stacks that day. 

I'm trying to add up all the books since January but it's taking longer than expected. I have done the math for about 4 months so far.

Also! I am missing the Japa call ever since you arrived in Spain... I need to look up the time difference. I miss being on the call. 

I'm going out on books maybe two days a week, Harinama one day a week, preaching programs two days a week, and whatever other time there is, it's filled with Bhogha runs and cleaning!

Thank you for everything, GuruMaharaja! 

Oh also, I am still chanting 16 rounds before mangal. Out of a year, it's about 300 days of rounds before mangal and 65 days almost before mangal.

Everything is possible by Krishna's mercy that flows through Srila Prabhupada and through you!! Thank you!

I pray every day that you can serve Srila Prabhupada! And that I can somehow get the sincerity to serve you!

Your aspiring servant,

Jaya Hari das

Hare Krishna GuruMaharaja!

Please accept my humble obeisances!

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Thank you so much for writing me!

Yesterday I was trying to recuperate from Radhastami...I drank too much of the Carinamrta. I thought it was natural fruit so it would be okay but I think the honey content was too strong. 

I was able to go on the altar and bathe Sri Sri Radha Giridhari with fruit juices on Radhastami!

And earlier on Radhastami me and Patita Pavana Prabhu went to the University of Houston downtown and distributed books. 

I distributed 30 books and he distributed I think close to 40 or 50. We are following the example of the Atlanta brahmacaris and so now we are selling the books as stacks. I distributed 6 stacks that day. 

I'm trying to add up all the books since January but it's taking longer than expected. I have done the math for about 4 months so far.

Also! I am missing the Japa call ever since you arrived in Spain... I need to look up the time difference. I miss being on the call. 

I'm going out on books maybe two days a week, Harinama one day a week, preaching programs two days a week, and whatever other time there is, it's filled with Bhogha runs and cleaning!

Thank you for everything, GuruMaharaja! 

Oh also, I am still chanting 16 rounds before mangal. Out of a year, it's about 300 days of rounds before mangal and 65 days almost before mangal.

Everything is possible by Krishna's mercy that flows through Srila Prabhupada and through you!! Thank you!

I pray every day that you can serve Srila Prabhupada! And that I can somehow get the sincerity to serve you!

Your aspiring servant,

Jaya Hari das

Hare Krishna Beloved Gurudeva,

Please accept our humble obeisances,

All Glories to Srila Prabhupada,

Dear Gurudeva,

We are still living in the Sri Govardhan eco-village, along with our dear wife and our little daughter Margarita.

Some days, Benjamin comes to stay with us, although most of the time he lives with his mother.

HpS/ASA - AgtSP, your 'first wife'. 🤔

Our eldest son is in Europe, traveling and taking his first steps into adult life.

We remain enthusiastic, trying to fulfill our initiation vows: 16 rounds and the four principles.

However, some days, due to our lack of sincerity and material desires, we behave more like Bhakta Nicasio than Nikunja Bihari Das.

We feel very bad when that happens, but very good when we manage to fulfill our initiation vows.

Recently, at a birthday celebration with the devotees, we were chanting the mahamantra in a kirtan, and suddenly the leader of the bhajan began to sing "Govinda Jaya Jaya...". The vibration changed automatically, and I was able to experience for a second the potency of the holy name and the importance of chanting only the mantras established by our Founder Acharya.

Thank you, Gurudeva, for always reminding us of the importance of being connected with the holy name, as the most crucial point in our spiritual practice, especially when doing it early in the morning, after our morning program during the brahma muhurta. Thank you for being a living example of Srila Prabhupada's teachings and for always being so accessible to us, your fallen followers, who undertake the difficult task of developing Krishna consciousness in family life during Kali Yuga.

We will try to send you a small report every Ekadasi to stimulate our refuge at your divine lotus feet.

Attempting to serve you with many shortcomings but with tenacity.

Your stubborn servant,

Nikunja Bihari Das.

HpS - Obeisances to you all. hope the other letters today are also useful to you.

KK HH!

Life pushes us to look for the eternal.

so many relative truths and relations fall away.

Prabhupada chants HK HR with such simplicity.

He is satisfied.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rvXbRgygqic&pp=ygUcUHJhYmh1cGFkYSBnb3ZpbmRhIGpheWEgamF5YQ%3D%3D

Is Mantra you heard?

Prabhupada chanted and glorified and the beginning of ISKCON later did not.

Hmmm?

Maybe devotee chanting had a different understanding of this Mantra than his understanding of HK mantra even if it was superficially heard from Srila Prabhupada.

O.K. Now tilak and Podcast.

Thank you.

You feed us with your life.

Think your first wife, kids, community get life from your sincerity, and you from them?

Reading step by step from the first to twelfth Canto

In the "Srimad Bhagavatam" Preface, Srila Prabhupada writes: The only qualification one needs to study this great book of transcendental knowledge is to proceed step by step cautiously and not jump forward haphazardly as with an ordinary book. It should be gone through chapter by chapter, one after another. The reading matter is so arranged with the original Sanskrit text, its English transliteration, synonyms, translation and purports so that one is sure to become a God-realized soul at the end of finishing the first nine cantos.

Dear Guru Maharaja, please accept my humble obeisances. 

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Please, if that is fine with you, have a look at my questions and observations. 

I understand that the single requirement needed to be able to scrutinize this superb book of spiritual lore is to go forward gradually, and carefully and not read hither and thither incidentally (as with a common book). 

Q1: Where in the sastra is said that SB (or BG, CC, or other) should be read in sequence from the beginning to the end? And why it is like that? Moreover, if a devotee is doing that (reading systematically), at what moment s/he is to go to the next verse? Is that in any way described somewhere in sastra?

 I finished reading the first nine cantos (maybe more than once). Kind of, I do not feel God-realized soul! Perhaps I just read and did not study it. I would like to know if there is a direct quote from sastra about going step by step and how. I am aware that there are verses that talk about doing it with attention, sincerity, etc. , but I would like some more elaboration on that. I ask for my personal bhajana, and also if at one point I will do a presentation of, that kind of, a system, I have sastric references at hand (as some bhakti yoga sadhakas will/may ask for it).

It's important to note the remarkable results of studying the Srimad Bhagavatam in the prescribed manner. Simply deeply engaging with the text, even without reading it in its entirety, can lead a person to God-realization.

HpS - AgtSP. Sorry it has taken so long to answer! Lots and lots of stress to finish the last DTC video...'Hanuman Reports to Rama".

Now we are in New Jersey on the way to Spain. Some real time to answer letters.

I wonder about your question also.

I do not know any specific answer from memory, but I think the second chapter has some comments on these concepts.

I think Srila Prabhupada is especially dealing with the Sahajiyas who jump to the Rasa lila chapters from zero and make movies about such stuff.

Also, comes to mind that self realized can mean different things.

Do you believe that you are your gross body and that all you need to become happy is to 'rethink your drink', meet the right woman...?

P'pada talks about Gopal Bhatta's recitation and 'nitya bhagavata seavaya' etc.

Even Sanskritist like Radha-ramana Das say that the depth of the poetry, grammar and philosophy in SB unfathomed by them.

Also, some one maybe on the level of Krsna's waiste from their previous religious work, so the teacher may take them pronto to the fifth canto.

Personally: https://vedabase.io/en/library/kb/90/#bb92801

and we chant Holy Names to get direction how to read from the BV Likrary etc.

Q2: I do not know what Srila Prahupada meant by “ordinary book”. He does not describe it, but usually, ordinary books are read from the beginning to the end, no? Sure some books can be read jumping all around, but those are less common. Am I wrong?

HpS - AgtSP. Same answer as above, no?

We see that people fast forward t 'juicey' parts of movies.

**Some more personal observations**

From my understanding, teaching in the past primarily involved oral transmission from teacher to student. During these interactions, students were encouraged to ask questions if they had any doubts. Once a student grasped one concept, the teacher would move on to the next. This approach represents simplified version of the teaching and learning process. For sure there are more details to it. 

Today, books play a significant role in education. Teachers often refer to their books (Srila Prabhupada's books) as comprehensive sources of knowledge. However, if students proceed through the material without thoroughly understanding each step, they risk misunderstanding key concepts. Some of us still have "living" gurus and associations with fellow devotees to discuss and clarify topics. This interaction can help us stay on the right path, though there's still a possibility that we might misunderstand things collectively.

-

Thank you!

Your servant Namacarya Das

HpS - Thank you! We also, never found good dscription of what Srila Prabhupada means by "Godhead", though he says in Preface to KRSNA book (?) that, 'those who know what we mean by 'godhead' '.

Yet, reading on we get some perspective at heart and going to library we got lots of understanding.

So, so, much fun reading Prabhupada's books, satisfaction, in association of devotees.

so many questions.

so much new solid information.

reading BG As It Is again is like nectar.

...

we will look for any more recent letters by you now.

3.45PM should go get read for Pod cast. Get properly dressed.