Letters to the editor

Hare Krishna Maharaj, All Glories to Srila Prabhupad. Please accept my humble obeisances.

I would like to introduce myself first Maharaj. I am Sriram Arunachalam, younger brother of Srinatha Krishna Das in Dallas. I am currently working for a software development company called Hexaware Technologies as a software developer in Atlanta, Georgia.

HpS - Our neighbor!

I first met you Maharaj in Chennai, India in 2016 when you had come for a conference. I had the good fortune of rendering you some service due to the association of my brother.

I still remember the day you came to our Bhakti vriksha, like it was yesterday, Maharaj. The amount of time you took out of your busy schedule to come and give a talk on the Nectar of Instruction to a bunch of beginners was so inspiring. I could visibly see that day that you were so tired, but you still stayed late and gave your wonderful association to so many newcomers and we were so joyous for days and weeks afterward, that such a saintly person gave us his association.

HpS - AGTSP!

The second time I had a chance to meet you, Maharaj, was last summer in Houston when I, Srinath, and Divya had come to the Houston temple to get your association. We had the good fortune of traveling with you to a couple of programs and we even had lunch at a devotee's house.

HpS - Aaaah!

I have been greatly inspired by your austerity, humility, and your almost impossible travel schedule for preaching in service of Srila Prabhupad's mission to bring the Holy Names of Krishna to as many places in the world as possible.

HpS - We eat too many apples and p-nuts late at night!

I would like to take shelter of your lotus feet, Maharaj, if you deem me fit enough to be accepted as your disciple.

My path to Krishna Consciousness is similar to that of my brother. Our cricket coach in Chennai brought us into Krishna Consciousness and guided us to serve Krishna by distributing books and doing Damodar arti in the streets for several years.

I have been chanting 16 rounds on and off for the last 8-10 years, Maharaj, but I am trying to chant 16 rounds every day without a break for the last month or so and will strive to keep chanting 16 nice enthusiastic rounds every day.

I try to read Srila Prabhupada's books for at least 20 minutes to half an hour every day and currently, I am reading the Nectar of Devotion along with my mother every day, Maharaj.

I have also read the Guru Tattva document on Jayarama.us, Maharaj. I would be overjoyed and humbled if you deem me fit for shelter at your lotus feet and engage me in assisting your service to advance the mission of Srila Prabhupad.

Thanking You

Yours Sincerely

Sriram Arunachalam

HpS - Did you see what we wrote on this to other devotee??? https://monkeywarrior.com/detail/11141/ It is Spanish but translate.google.com will probably do it. Basically the Guru-tattva document is complete. Prabhupada says, it is very simple, if you are chanting and following rules, for him and Krsna for six-months then you can be initiated. Of course, GBC has made it one year but still it very simple. Do you want to return to Krsna? O.K. Then come on! SB class will give you all the info about the details!!! HK!

For the ASA Encyclopedia, Uncle Gismo, we want to have a section "Bachelor Beans". Does Namacharya Das have notes for this? Can we write it with Kunja-bihari Das and Sripad Rupanuga Das?

Yes, I have some notes. Should I send them to you as a PDF file?

HpS - Can you send them as a editable file? Word document? That would be very nice!! Everyday we are struggling and even learning how to honor Prasadam better and better.

Please accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet.

HpS - Aspiring for lotus feet like everyone, but probably still lettuce feet at this point.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

HpS - Jaya!!!

Guru maharaja, this is Nityananda-rama dasa from San Diego.

HpS - Jaya!!! Where have you been???

I must once again apologize for falling off the face of the earth.

HpS - Even though the sky is very big, it has never lost a single rain drop.

For reasons that are not worth asking you to read, roughly four years ago some material situation lead to a severe flare up of some mental health issues that I have,

ASA - You too!

Namely sever chronic anxiety and depression, that lead to me stop living my house, give up working and feel great distress over interacting with anyone other than my long time partner.

After a lot of therapy, medication and work, in the past six months I have started to become more active and able to interact with the world beyond my bedroom door to some extent.

Being able to once again do so, I would like to be able to go to the temple, take Darshan of Sri Sri Radha-Giridhari and work with the local authorities to find some service according to my ability.

HpS - Of course, they are dealing with the Koruna Virus, but that is a detail!

In order to do so, I must understand my position as a devotee and as a disciple so that I can act in accordance with that position.

I understand the importance of devotional association, and understand that the inverse, close association with worldly people destroys Bhakti.

In short, due to my lack of association am I fallen? If I am, are there any steps that I can take to become an acceptable disciple to you and the rest of the sampradaya? If I am not, how do I keep from falling? Additionally, having read what you have written in the blog and the ASA Encyclopedia and understanding that homosexuality in and of it's self is not a disqualification, and having written to Dayanidhi prabhu and having received some guidance from him, I also have have become greatly concerned and incredibly disturbed that being in the long term (seven year) same-sex relationship that I am a part of may in practice be a disqualification from ever being a disciple in good standing and what that means for my seva and my ability to serve in ISKCON.

I apologize if my writing is disjointed or difficult to parse. I am having a difficult time writing this due to concern about my ability or inability to aspire to be a devotee in this life.

HpS - No, it is a very good letter. Very lucid. I studied psychology remember, and of course I don't know the details, but in general, anxiety and feelings of inferiority are not justified. At least from this letter you sound great.

1. In the Guru-tattva in the web page: http://jayarama.us/kd/guru-tattva.txt, we write our understanding, that the connection as Diksa Guru between you and Srila Prabhupada, Parampara, is a formality, but not a meaningless formality. Acting as Siksa guru is more informal, and developes as described in NOI 4-6. 'Guhyam akyati prachati'. Unless you are following 4-principles and chanting 16-nice rounds etc. we can't act as Diksa Guru, but.... we can certainly act as Patha-pradarshika Guru and help you get back on the Diksa platform. O.K? Can we help you that way. Chant 16-rounds and follow the 4-principles for Srila Prabhupada and then after six months of that I would say that your can be looking at being one of Srila Prabhupada's regular students again!
2. Yeah, in the ASA-encyclopedia we put our understandinf of homosexulality in K.C. of course we are learning more every day. In any case if one is keeping company in hetero or homosexual relation, there must be 1-rounds and 4-principles.

O.K.??? So nice to hear from you again. Hope you learned a lot during these years!! Eternal knowledge.

Your servant,

Nityananda-rama dasa

Hare Krishna Gurudev,

Please accept my humble obeisances,

All glories to Srila Prabhupada,

Three questions:

Why Srila Prabhupada made commentary of Caitanya Caritamrita, rather than Caitanya Bhagavat or C. Mangala?

HpS - I don't know everything about Srila Prabhupada's motives. Actually probably very little, but as far as I know it was because his time was limited and he wanted to give us more philosophy than lila. CC is more phil. and CM is more lila.

Svayambhuva Manu´s Daughters married two Brahma´s sons. Prasuti with Daksa and Devahuti with Kardama. Aren´t they their uncles? was that allowed? And Who is Ruci´s father?

HpS - Ooof! I am not sure of these things. Daksa is mental son of Lord Brahma, no? Maybe no body else to marry at that time.

Hiranyagarbha: It is confusing whether it is Garbhodakasayi visnu or Lord Brahma itself. Who, what or where is Hiranyagarbha?

HpS - Maybe used as a general term some times and more specific other times. I understand that there is Virata-rupa, then Hiranyagarbha, then Paramatma realization. It is all realization of Krsna is some aspects, no? HG is more intense, personal that VR.... it is the Seed Given God.

Thank you Gurudev,

At your service,

Nikunja Biahri das.

Hare Krsna! Next letter. :>>>>>>

Hare Krishna Gurudev,

Please accept my humble obeisances,

All glories to Srila Prabhupada,

Sent email to address provided.

Thank you,

Nikunja Bihari das.

HpS - AGTSP!!!!!! and we answered, no???? Was interesting. We made our suggestions on this first round.

 Hare Krishna Maharaja

Por favor, acepte mis mas humildes reverencias

Todas las glorias a Srila Prabhupada

Mi nombre es Damián, vivo en Traslasierra, Córdoba, Argentina.

Conozco a usted desde el 2016.

Personalmente lo conocí en 2017, en Chile y luego lo vi en Córdoba, Argentina, en 2019.

Espero me recuerde…

HpS - TlgaSP!!! no.... triste..

Le escribo porque quisiera que usted sea mi maestro espiritual.

Mucho tiempo estuve pensando el tema, de hecho 2 veces soñé con usted.

He pensado mucho acerca de mi falta de cualificación para poder servirlo como usted se merece.

Sin embargo, he decidido formalmente pedir refugio bajo sus pies.

Para contarle un poco acerca de mi:

Comencé a practicar el proceso de conciencia de Krishna en 2016, cantando japa, relacionándome con los devotos y leyendo las escrituras.

 Desde el año 2017-2018 realizo el servicio de distribución de los libros de Srila Prabhupada en Traslasierra, en Rosario (Argentina) y donde me toque estar.

En el año 2020 estoy intentando cumplir con el canto de las 16 rondas estipuladas por Srila Prabhupada.

Cursando el Bhakti Sastri en la actualidad.

Leyendo Srimad Bhagavatam, con los devotos de la zona. Vamos por el canto 3 actualmente.

No sabía muy bien cómo y de qué manera escribirle, pero aquí está...

Bueno Maharaja, espero ansioso su respuesta y sus instrucciones.

Lo saludo con afecto y cariño

Bhakta Damián de Córdoba,

HpS - Muy bien!!!! Claro somos todos servientes de Krsna y servientes de uno a otro como servientes de servientes de Krsna. Si puedo servir a Vd. muy bien!!! Ha ido a nuestra pagina de Web www.JayaRama.US??? Portal Peru? Alla encuentra como comunicar con nostros de manera practico!! Y puede leer nuestra idea de Guru alla - http://www.jayarama.us/peru/archivos/guru-tattva-es.txt

O.K. Buscamos su promixo carta acuerde la sistema en el Kapi Dhvaja!!