Letters to the editor

Todas las glorias a Goura Nitay

Todas las gloria a Srila Prabhupada

Hare krishna Gurudev comienzo mi reporte, me esta costado dormir a la hora que lo hacía antes sigo despertando temprano para mis rondas y el programa de la mañana pero mi cuerpo debe descansar en momentos inadecuados, debe ser por el encierro, estoy con distintas técnicas para mejorar la situación leche tibia con cáscara de naranja, lavanda, melisa etc... lograré mejorar esto, debo regularlo por salud he estado muy bien con respecto a la epilepsia así que es necesario volver a mi descanso anterior, pasando a otro tema, sigo con lectura diaria, estudiando segundo canto Bhagavatam aprendiendo nuevas técnicas de resumir, memorizar, esquemas etc..., continuó con el trabajo por zoom en lecto escritura dos veces por semana haciendo plantillas por powerpoing para motivar a los pequeños , por último sigo predicando por telefono lectura de un libro que las chicas escogieron krishna book además de contenerla en su vida espiritual trato de hacer un buen trabajo para que estén cómodas y sepan que estoy para ellas gracias por su atención preocupación e inspiración se despide su humilde sirviente Raman Reti devi dasi

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All glories to Goura Nitay

All glories to Srila Prabhupada

Hare Krishna Gurudev, I begin my report, it is difficult for me to sleep at the time I did before, I continue to wake up early for my rounds and the morning program but my body must rest at inappropriate times, it must be because of the confinement, I am with different techniques to improve the situation warm milk with orange peel, lavender, lemon balm etc ...

I will be able to improve this, I must regulate it for my health I have been very well with regard to epilepsy so it is necessary to return to my previous break,

...moving on to another topic, I continue With daily reading, studying the second Bhagavatam canto, learning new techniques of summarizing, memorizing, diagrams etc ...,

HpS - ASA - Wow! [Guau!]

... he continued with the work by zooming in reading writing twice a week making templates by power-point to motivate the little ones, finally I continue to preach by phone reading a book that the girls chose, Krishna book, (smart girls) in addition to containing it in their spiritual life I try to do a good job so that they are comfortable and know that I am here for them, thank you for your attention, concern and inspiration,

your humble servant,

Raman Reti devi dasi says goodbye.

HpS - Thank you!!!! The Encyclopedia Britannica says that Lord Caitanya was a 'religious epileptic'. So funny. Hmmm. Maybe Raman-reti Devi Das, Madhu-mangala et al are actually covering their intense spiritual ecstacys with medical excuses. Hmmf. Epilepsy, old age, they are both good chances to exam the body and understand how to use for Krsna, even in the next life. Super success with your Sankirtan. Krsna may be preparing you for a big battle.

Hare Krishna dear Gurumaharaj,

Please accept my humble obeisance and gratitude to you, again and again.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!!.

While visualizing you to the extend [extent] that our limited perceptual capacity allows us and appealing to your kind and compassionate nature, [we actually have a very selfish demonic nature but by Srila Prabhupada's intense love it is under control and diminishing] we write this as another attempt to approach you.

It is like a mischievous dog after wandering and sniffing around got its muzzle smashed; then, it runs, looking for its master for safety and when it is almost nearby, it crawls towards the master carrying a straw with its teeth along with remorse and embarrassment.

HpS - Sounds like a Bengali dog, Rupa Goswami's dog.

PLEASE FORGIVE me GURUMAHARAJ, due to my rebel attitude, false ego and pride I kept myself aloof from you, starving myself from your direct protection (looking at you from a distance and wishing to be close to you = self-inflicted pain). Please Gurumaharaj help me to COME BACK AND TAKE SHELTER AT THE SHADE OF YOUR LOTUS FEET FOREVER. I don't want to be away anymore!!

HpS - ... and Narottama Das Thakur confesses that he is lower than the Jagai and Madia. I feel that I probably have the same attitude toward Srila Prabhupada in so many ways.

This is a public confession of my mistake = faults.

HpS - Not public, this Blog is only comprehensible to members of the Anjana Suta Academy, a pioneering branch of ISKCON.

Due to your compassionate, practical and visionary nature, one of your instructions to all of us is, to write and contact you using this Blog. There are many reasons for it; mainly, everybody can derive benefits by reading your responses to ours letters; yet, out of false ego, pride and selfishness I dared not to follow your instruction and questioning its validity; excusing myself by saying 'THE BLOG BLOCKS ME', alleging the need for confidentiality (what the heck, Madhumanjari?).

HpS - As far as I can understand, the desire to be an intimate associate of Guru and Krsna can have two elements: Pride and Natural impulse. We remember Srila Sanatana Goswami writing that... every cowherd boy thinks that he is KRSNA's closest friend, and this bothers him... "How can Krsna deal with me like this??? There are so many other boys greater than me, who love Him so much more than I do?".... So he thinks, "I am Krsna's closest friend!?!", and Sanatana Goswami says, "By the nature of the internal potency it is a fact".

So this is a reality. You, me, we ARE Krsna's closest friend. Srila Prabhupada's closest associate. Sikhi-mahiti's sister was one of the 3-1/2 closest associates of Lord Caitanya (try and top that), but as a Sannyasi she never got within smiling distance of Him. Iskcon is OUR movement. Its health and success depends on us.

... but material desire for fame (I am worse than you {I am the most fallen, Ha! Ha! Ha!}) also motivates us to be a 'special disciple of Guru/Krsna. Of course, that very stewpid desire keeps us from becoming and intimate disciples, gotta keep sweeping it out.

This is GURU-APARADA. I have offended you again Gurumaharaj and deprived myself from your guidance and protection, putting myself at risk. Please forgive me Gurumaharaj!!!. I am really sorry!!

Despite of my offences, there is a bit of spiritual consciousness in me, which is there only because of you Sir, you care for us (your disciples), you hold us all alive. I give witness of that.

In spite of my stupidity, the thoughts of you, remembering your example of dedication, service and surrender to Srila Prabhupada, your selfless and intense preaching, by remembering your compassion and forgiving nature, your purity and transparence in your dealings with devotees and people in general, your knowledge, witty and wisdom, your all encompassing and visionary approach to spirituality, your humble and meek attitude, your firm conviction and faith in Srila Prabhupada's books, your deep faith in the Holy Name - Maha mantra HARE KRISHNA, your taste for chanting and remembering Krishna, your creativity and out of the box view of life and death, your constant effort for taking care of us (your disciples) in a personalized manner. The remembrance of all these and more gives me the strength to face my weakness of character and to surrender to you.

What a great fortune!!!

HpS - AGTSP who can use devils as instruments to deliver a pure message.

Due to causeless mercy, we have the great fortune to have you Gurumaharaj as our spiritual master. It is only because of you that we can have the opportunity to be engaged in devotional service, giving real meaning to our existence and be part of Srila Prabhupada's movement (with all that that implies) - ISKCON (Srila Prabhupada's offering to his spiritual master Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura). It is because of you that we all eventually will go back to KRISHNA. For all these and more, THANK YOU SO MUCH GURUMAHARAJ!!.

Gurumaharaj, I pray to you, Srila Prabhupada and Krishna that this attempt to follow and please you, it should not remain just as an attempt rather it should become a constant attitude and a fact.

It seems that this became too lengthy. Sorry Sir.

HpS - It is O.K. It is in English! (😎) Good English.

I planned to write you about many points, but got stuck with this important one; thus, now there is another reason to push me to write you soon.

Please forgive me for all my offences and kindly bless me.

Thank you Sir.

Your aspiring servant

Madhumanjari dd.

HpS - Thank you for giving us some perspective on how to go ahead in our own relation to Krsna and Guru. Honestly we face challenges. Because we are taking this role of Diksa guru for Srila Prabhupada we should comment that we have been able to follow the four principles since before initiation. Of course, in the beginning there were so many bad dreams and etc, but that goes away. However, until death lusty thoughts will not go away, as long as we have this Western body. We get 16-rounds done.. well... but so often have to catch up from day to day.

We have confidential confession from so many disciples about their very unfortunate falls into Maya, but we always remember what we read, that Rama told Laksmana: There is no mistake we can make that we cannot correct.

If we pay for the murder of cows to be served as beef we have to approach them and apologize and compensate for the damage we have done to them until they are happy with us.

Thank you! I think you have done pretty well. At least 65%, maybe 95%. Like you say we have not been too much Siksa guru for your good self, but that is O.K. if you have been taking advantage of others eg. Devamrta Swami? Anniruddha Das? ... Diksa is keeping the link by 16/4. We are your servants!! AgtSP! Next letter.

https://youtu.be/l_UegL1R3X8

It is all nice but from 1.50'' it really starts. What did you think of it in terms of ISKCON Education? Hansadutta Swami told us that Srila Prabhupada said that if you want to understand word power, read Shakespeare, and that he could be taught in the Guru kula. I think we heard the same from Gopi-parana Dhana Das.

Hare Krsna.

Here is the link for the class we did with ISKCON Hawaii. We tried to consolidate our perspective on Sannyasa in ISKCON at the present times. Presenting and listening to comments it becomes very satisfying with depth.

 https://stme.in/embim1c2fH

AgtSP! Paoho. We received by Yahoo mail:

Basu Ghosh Das, Wed, Oct 14 at 10:24 AM

Sivaram Maharaj has just come out with a 38 minute video where he expresses his detailed opposition to the GBC authorization of FDGs. Here is the link to the video. I urge all IIAC members to watch it! Here is the link: https://youtu.be/3Jj4-8or_tA

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HpS-ASA -- We watched it while chanting Japa. It inspired about 11-notes. We agree with many points, but again our essential difference is that we feel that Diksa-guru should be taken more as a formality, not a meaningless formality, and principle Vartmana-acharya guru 'usually' becomes Diksa guru.

We, I, are, am, just trying to be one lens on Srila Prabhupada. If you are accepting me as Diksa guru under Srila Prabhupada, then the contract is very clear and formal, and in that perspective I encourage, expect, all of my 'disciples' to accept Srila Prabhupada as an Uttama adhikari guru, and judge us in terms of his instructions.

Jaya! Back to work.

Hare Krishna Gurudeva, please accept my humble obeisances

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!!

All glories to Hanumatpresaka Swami!!

SOLARIS No 5 is 98% ready, only a few small details are missing so we will go to print soon. By the mercy of Nimai-Nitai, we hope to offer Sri Ramacandra this printed edition on October 25 as an offering in the Glorious RAMA-VIJAYA MAHOTSAVA. Gurudeva, on that Sunday 25th, on behalf of the ISKCON-Chosica authorities, we ask you to give us your auspicious spiritual guide giving the class at 11 am, Lima-Peru time. It's okay?

HpS-ASA --- AGTSP!!!! paoho. It is in our Calendar!

As for the "indexing" process, it is progressing, as I said in the previous report: “this process is very important because it allows significant sectors of the academic community to know and read the journal, but to achieve this it is necessary to make several adjustments that require a lot of management and therefore a lot of time ”.

In this sense, I had a meeting with Miguel Polo on this issue. After two hours of dialogue we have considered the indexing of SOLARIS to be valuable and important, but not fundamental, that is, we are going to try to achieve the goal of indexing, but without renouncing our essence of being an open window where the entire human society can see and “TAKE THE BEST OF THE PAST, APPLY IT IN THE PRESENT AND BUILD A BETTER FUTURE FOR ALL”. In summary, SOLARIS must be indexed, we will make adjustments, but without losing our identity so as not to end up being a magazine only for the academic elite.

IMMEDIATE STEPS:

- SECTIONS: the proposal is that the content be divided into: Essays, Articles, Interviews, Book Review and Cultural Portal. Please, any suggestions?

HpS - Are these sections required by the indexers? Difference between Essays and Articles??? Also, NIOS organizational news, Calendar, Institutional Collaborators.

- PERIODICITY: The goal is that from 2021 we do two issues per year (in June and December respectively). Please, any suggestions?

HpS - Sounds good.

- INTERVIEWS: Gurudeva we want to ask you, for SOLARIS No 6, you interview one of these three personalities:

1. SONU SHAMDASANI

2. SAMARESH BANDYOPADHYAY

3. BERNARDO NANTE

If you accept, and tell us who is okay with interviewing this time, our management unit would do all the coordination with said academic so that you do not burden your activities anymore, you would only focus on.

HpS - Dr. Samaresh.

- FORMATION OF A COUNCIL OF HONOR

This is a requirement for indexing, we think of 12 members, this is our proposal:

1. Hanumatpresaka Swami (USA)

2. Samaresh Bandyopadhyay (India)

3. Beverley Zabriskie (USA)

4. M. Darrol Bryant (Canadá)

5. Ramon Mujica Pinilla (Perú)

6. Héctor Béjar Rivera (Perú)

7. Raúl Zurita (Chile)

8. Cecilia Montero (Chile)

9. Bernardo Nante (Argentina)

10. Carlos Rúa (Argentina)

11. Itzel Barrera (México)

12. Mónica Cornejo (Spain)

Do you agree? any suggestions?

HpS - ?? No. I thnk some are too old?? Some are to busy.... Some I don't know: Hmmm.

- SOLARIS WEBSITE

This is another requirement for indexing (at the end of the report I attach a photo of the main mockup). At this point we want to consult you and the members of NIOS about the domain of the web, currently, we have these names reserved:

revistasolaris.org

solarisjournal.org

solarisnios.org

revista-solaris.org

solaris-journal.org

solaris-nios.org

revista.solaris.org

solaris.journal.org

solaris.nios.org

Miguel Polo and I like the domain: “revista.solaris.org”, we also like “solaris.nios.org”.

HpS - 'revists.solaris' doesn't seem as universal as 'solaris.nios'. Why can't the magazine be part of the exisiting NIOS webpage? I see that the Oxford Center Hindu Studies has two web sites. One for the Center: https://ochsonline.org/, and one for their journal: https://academic.oup.com/jhs, which is part of a general journal website run by Oxford University Press?

That is all for now

Hare Krishna Gurudeva, your insignificant servant, Abhiram Thakur das.

HpS-ASA - Thank you for this excellent report!! As we discussed with a lot of detail, we are only a member of the Advisory Board. With change Officers, Directors and Members, we need to get Solaris, fixed in its relationship with the new administration. Let us schedule a meeting with President, Abhiseka Singh, you, me, Miguel Polo, Gandharva Das(???). Maybe send us the final version and then Abhiseka can look at it and we can all use it as the basis for our discussion.

REPORTE SOBRE SOLARIS No 5 y EL PROCESO DE INDEXACIÓN

El No 5 de SOLARIS está listo al 98%, faltan solo unos pequeños detalles así que pronto entraremos a impresión. Por la misericordia de Nimai-Nitai, esperamos ofrecerle a Sri Ramacandra esta edición impresa el 25 de octubre como una ofrenda en el Glorioso RAMA-VIJAYA MAHOTSAVA. Justamente Gurudeva, ese día domingo 25, a nombre de las autoridades de ISKCON-Chosica, le pedimos nos brinde su auspiciosa guía espiritual dando la clase a las 11 am, hora de Lima-Perú. Está bien?

En cuanto al proceso de "indexación" va avanzando, como dije en el reporte anterior: “este proceso es bien importante porque permite que significativos sectores de la comunidad académica conozcan y lean la revista, pero para lograrlo se requiere hacer varios ajustes que requieren de mucha gestión y por lo tanto de mucho tiempo”.

En este sentido, tuve una reunión con Miguel Polo sobre este tema. Luego de dos horas de dialogo hemos considerado valiosa e importante, pero no fundamental, la indexación de SOLARIS, es decir, vamos a intentar lograr la meta de la indexación, pero sin renunciar a nuestra esencia de ser una ventana abierta donde toda la sociedad humana pueda ver y “TOMAR LO MEJOR DEL PASADO, APLICARLO EN EL PRESENTE Y CONSTRUIR UN FUTURO MEJOR PARA TODOS”. En resumen, SOLARIS debe ser indexada, vamos a hacer ajustes, pero sin perder nuestra identidad y terminar siendo una revista solo para la elite académica.

PASOS INMEDIATOS:

- SECCIONES: la propuesta es que el contenido se divida en: Ensayos, Artículos, Entrevistas, Reseña de libros y Portal Cultural. Por favor, alguna sugerencia?

- PERIODICIDAD: La meta es que partir del 2021 hagamos dos números por año (en junio y diciembre respectivamente). Por favor, alguna sugerencia?

- ENTREVISTAS: Gurudeva queremos pedirle que, en el No 6 de SOLARIS, usted entreviste a una de estas tres personalidades:

1.     SONU SHAMDASANI

2.     SAMARESH BANDYOPADHYAY

3.     BERNARDO NANTE

Si usted acepta y decide a quien entrevistar, nuestra unidad de gestión haría todas las coordinaciones con dicho académico para que usted no cargue más sus actividades, usted solo se centraría en hacer la entrevista, Esta bien?

- FORMACIÓN DE UN CONSEJO DE HONOR

Este es un requisito para la indexación, pensamos en 12 miembros, esta es nuestra propuesta:

1.      Hanumatpresaka Swami (USA)

2.      Samaresh Bandyopadhyay (India)

3.      Beverley Zabriskie (USA)

4.      M. Darrol Bryant (Canada)

5.      Ramon Mujica Pinilla (Perú)

6.      Héctor Béjar Rivera (Perú)

7.      Raúl Zurita (Chile)

8.      Cecilia Montero (Chile)

9.      Bernardo Nante (Argentina)

10.  Carlos Rúa (Argentina)

11.  Itzel Barrera (México)

12.  Mónica Cornejo (España)

Esta de acuerdo? alguna sugerencia?

- WEB SITE DE SOLARIS

Este es otro requisito para la indexación (al final del reporte anexo una foto de la maqueta principal). En este punto queremos consultarle a usted y a los miembros de NIOS acerca del dominio de la web, actualmente, tenemos reservados estos nombres:

revistasolaris.org

solarisjournal.org

solarisnios.org

revista-solaris.org

solaris-journal.org

solaris-nios.org

revista.solaris.org

solaris.journal.org

solaris.nios.org

A Miguel Polo y a mí nos gusta el dominio “revista.solaris.org”, también nos gusta “solaris.nios.org”.

Actualmente estamos en la fase final de la conformación de un equipo editorial internacional de 16 miembros lo cual le daría mayor dinamismo y agilidad a la revista en el próximo informe nos centraremos en ese punto, en ese sentido, si hay algún miembro del blog que quiere unirse a estos esfuerzos puede escribirnos a [email protected]

Hare Krishna Gurudeva, su insignificante sirviente, Abhiram Thakur das.