Letters to the editor

Hare Krsna.

AgtSP. Paoho. They are 8.03 AM.

We are in New Biharvan, ISKCON Boise, Idaho.

The trip was hell and one-half! We have been through hell and five-halves in travel to/from India!

You also?

Left 902 Hillcrest at 4AM Boise Time (ACT) and arrived at our residence at 2AM. That's 22-hours! Before that we were packing for three hours with a great Mangala-arati.

As soon as we hit the road at 5AM there was dense, fast, little crazy, traffic!

Zoom! ZOOM! Z O O M !

Our mind and senses are 72-years old, so it was a challenge driving.

Then we had to find the exit for the gas refill. We found it with a little bit of jumping. Found the gas station. Pumped the gas. Worried about missing our flight. It was $3 for the gas. We saved $12 against the Avis gas refill charges.

Then. . . with the help of the nice Lady-in-the-Cell-Phone and other stuff we found the Avis rental car drop-off. Dude was a cultured dude from Ethiopia. We were just naturally preaching(?!) and at then end he asked us to pray for him!

We asked him to pray for us and shoved him a NOI!

Security guard asked, "How are you today"? We said that this was the material world and everyone is suffering. He nodded mildly and said, "Have a safe jouney" with a serious look.

So, lot of chance to meet people and talk with them. We need more NIOS/ASA promo material to give to people. LOB, NOI...

Then WhooOOp! WhhhOOOOP! whOOp! Earthquake in Salt Lake City. Water pipes busting. Control towers out of commission. Rickter 5!

Plane diverted with three more planes to ?? Rapid Falls, South Dakota!!!? The home of Mount Rushmore, and we did Rush no More!

-[;0]/\__

Like six hours sitting. Everybody was really cool.

God bless America!

Talked with a lot of people. Communicated good ideas.

NOMOREBOOKS! -[;o{/\__

Back to SLC and waiting for six more hours, until 12.30AM!!!

Always chatting with Ananata-rupa Das, Srinivasas, Abhi, et al, et al.

We were supposed to avoid Karuna virus and almost died of an earthquake.

Have lot of arythmias, so may die of a heart attack any time.

Was hell sleeping, sitting, in the airport with 300 other refugees. Bananas $1.20 ea.! Yet, we adjusted pretty well and were pretty comfortable.

Watched <ovo. "Midway" on the airplane while we chanted. Hmmm! Skipped the family life.

Then ran the "Adams Family" with no sound while we flew from SLC to BOI at 12.30AM with our brains sloshing in our skull and our heart coughing a little to keep from going mad.

-0-

Arrived, nap, CLEANED everything. Got four rounds done. Ekadasi!

Set up our ASA Camp site.

We will probably get Karuna virus and suffocate to death. We are thinking about how to do it.

It will probably also kill about 90% of our GBC members.

Hmmm. Telecomunication will break down, but "Very nice! We can just sit down together and chant Hare Krsna and not have to deal with all these worries about Sankirtan!"

-or-

An astrological change is expected on the 24th and there will be a spontaneous remission of Karuna virus and Rascal Science will be greatly ruffled, and Demonism and Pseudo Science will gain strides!

Actually, hear about Krsna and teach other's about Krsna, and it will be a happy harmony in hell on the way to heaven.

Hare Krsna!!! AGTSP paoho. Very best wishes for your Sankirtan.

Hare Krsna, Hare Rama, Jaya Sri Vrndavana Dhama.

How are you?

Karuna virus encircles us. Everyone is conscious of it.

Our community and nation are reacting to it with intelligence and physical resources.

In any case we cannot avoid death and dis-ease. We like ease! The easy life, but we get bored unless there is dis-ease, strong struggle to take it away from us.

Dual-ality. What about real-ality?

Yoga postures. Yama/Niyama - Dos and don'ts. Breath control. Karma (Get a good garden (get a good nation))... but Hare Krsna/Hare Rama... it is all included, easiest process. Chanting and dancing!

See

you

in

the

Sankirtan! Hare Krsna // Hare Rama... at the lotus feet of Krsna... in the choir of His angels.

Rented a car. Best way to get to the airport. Of course, we fear the car has Karuna virus (KV). We can't wipe it down, because all the hand wipes have been bought.

Took the Mercedes for emission testing. It passed but does not show up on line so we can't complete the registration until we return.

Cooked Kitri, Orange juice and pudding for Lord Nrsmha deva.

Leave for the airport at 5AM and get to Boise about noon.

The mothers are telling the men, 'Stay home. Don't go out'. The men are saying, 'Life goes on. We have to visit the sick and wounded. Repair the wind mill.'

Preaching is the best standard for establishing material functioning. It is a lighthouse in the storm, ocean.

If we stay at home, there is no guarantee that things will get better. Trust no future no matter how bright. They may only get worse and society may collapse and this may be our last chance to see people on the West coast.

O.K. Hare Krsna!!! We will be in Boise for one week.

Hare Krishna dearest Gurudeva,

Please accept my profound respects and obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada, to the guru-parampara and to you! Ananta koti vaishnava vrinda ki Jaya!

I’m grateful for having the opportunity to write to you. Praying that the Lord kindly keeps you in good health.

HpS - He is the Guru! Srila Prabhupada is our General. Who is Captain of our Unit is a natural attachment, but we have to develop a supernatural connection with all these authorities.

I moved to Houston a month ago, I consider myself very fortunate and blessed to be here, I feel total gratitude to be surrounded by dedicated devotees who are also your well wishers, after I left Mexico almost 6 years ago I hadn’t been in a community where they know you neither have god siblings around (except for Dallas, with Srinath Krsna prabhu and Sri Divya) but devotees here appreciate you and like your preaching very much, and CC prabhu reminds me of you so much!

By your grace I’ve been attending mangal-aratik at the temple 98,99% of the times, chanting 18 rounds everyday- on this note- I’ve been reading and memorizing the Japa Affirmations from the pocket book by Mahatma prabhu, it’s helping me to chant with the proper mindset and mood [most of the times] to approach the Holy Names as something sacred and dear to me. I registered to take the japa retreat with HH Romapada Swami in two weeks, you and the pure exalted vaishnavas from our tradition emphasize and praise the chanting of the Holy Name, you always instruct me to “chant, chant, chant” so I think, if this is the essence of all our practice, if the Holy Names are going to stay with me at the very end of my physical life and They’ll go with me even beyond that...then I better make it my priority, I have a desire to improve my chanting and to connect with Krsna through ‘Hare Krsna’. I’m also following the 4 regs. Waking up my home and traveling deities, Sri Sri Nitai Mayapur Candra every day and offering them water and whatever I cook, when I do so. Leading Gaura aratik on Mondays and Fridays for the pleasure of Sri Sri Radha Nila Madhava. I also make chandan for the deities on Fridays. And I attend to Conscious Houston on Wednesdays, an outreach program. Learning vaishnava songs, to enter the mood of Gaura Purnima, I chose Parama Karuna and Arunodaya Kirtan as for these couple of weeks. I finished reading Twirl Your Beads, there were many insights and poems that you wrote that I like. Thank you once again for the sincerity in your service gurumaharaja. I’m currently reading How To Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk, I’ve heard it’s a good one to improve communication with children, be more effective with them and supportive of oneself, make the relationships less stressful and more rewarding, it gives practical advices, promotes skills and the book even has exercises.

Work wise, I’m about to start my 4th week at the Goswami Academy, I’m a teacher assistant for PreK 2 and 3 (they are the little ones at the school) and I’m also the after school teacher, I teach Spanish to the children in PreK 4 and 1st & 3rd grade on Wednesdays, my work hours are Mon-Fri 10am-6pm. I’m excited and really looking forward to learn from Vaikuntha Priya Mataji [Vaikuntha Lakmi?] and Rama Giridhari prabhu, who will be with us this week. I signed the contract with the school until the middle of July, we’ll see how Krsna wants us to serve him after that...! (?) I’m praying to be given the intelligence to see (maybe understand?) and follow His plan.

I’m praying to Krsna to let me see you and serve you when you come back to this dham in June. Please keep me in mind for any services that you may need for the symposium or anything like that.

I was carefully looking at your itinerary in the calendar and it says “June-August— based in the Boro?” Is there a possibility for you to stay in Houston after the symposium instead of going back to Tennessee? And what about the month of September? It might be a good option for you to take a break from traveling and give some nice rest to your body.

I’ve been wanting to study Bhagavatam systematically, (I haven’t passed from the 3rd canto, and it’s been a long time since then). My reflection is that in order to love Krsna, to know how He is, what does He like, who is His family, friends, and devotees, to develope a genuine relationship with Him and also to keep nourishing my faith I need to read more Prabhupada’s books, Srimad Bhagavatam. So I would like to ask you for guidance here, do you know of any programs or anything that you could recommend me for this?

I keep in contact with my family, parents, sister, grandma and doggie who at the moment are living in Mexico. Thanks Krsna over all they are well. Hopefully if is Krsna’s will, one day we’ll be all serving together.

To end this letter, I would like to request you to please send me a hard copy and also a digital copy of your Diary of a Traveling Creature if available and possible. My temporary address is 1407 W 34th 1/2 St, Houston, Texas, 77018.

Thank you very very much Gurudeva for your service, love, kindness, truthfulness and compassion, for settling and leading with your example. As I have said it before, your life is a sublime offering to the lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada and the whole disciplic succession.

Jaya Jaya Radhe Jaya Jaya Syam Jaya Jaya Sri Vrndavana Dham!!!

Aspiring to be your eternal servant,

Aindavi devi dasi

HpS - ASA --- AgtSP.... paoho.... We heard about you from Rukmini Devi Das also! Subhra Devi Dasi... Of course, with the rapid spread of the Karuna Virus all travel plans are changing quickly. It is so simple, just calm down and listen and Krsna is there? We may be asking, "Which car should I bay???", and if we really listen He may be saying, "Buy a horse, don't by a car".

We have to be ready to hear things that require surrender of our prestige, fame, comfortable self image.

In the end its only a reflection of ourselves in a projection.

Who are we?

Just get out as quick as possible, unless Krsna wants us to play a role here.

HpS - This letter was exactly the same as the other.

For us your work is so essential. There is so much content in Srila Prabhupada's books to fuel the work of any academically minded person. Such people can give specific plans to more action oriented folks. Can you please send your Whatsapp address here? I will see it but not post it.

I know several people who were attached to self-medication, smoking. Chanting all the time you are smoking is of course the best cure. One cases the person began to give up smoking very quickly but them realized that there were very deep reasons why he was smoking and that he had to deal with those before he could handle the superficial manifestation. Another was able to quit on one cigarette! HK/HR.

Hari Bol! Dear Maharaja, please accept my humblest obeisances, all glories to Srila Prabhupada !!

I hope you are well in all aspects, it has been 3 months since I last wrote and 4 months since we were at the Complutense University.

A few weeks ago I had a meeting with the director of the Institute of Religious Sciences to continue advancing in the relationship between this institute and the NIOS Institute. We talked about the possibility of formalizing a collaboration agreement, the point is that the Complutense University only establishes agreements with other Universities so that the way to make the agreement would be through the University with which NIOS has an agreement in Peru.

On the other hand, I talked about the program “Art and the Sacred” and they agree to make a conference on the subject when you return to Madrid.

In relation to the contact with the Royal Superior School of Dramatic Art, I am investigating the departments in which it is structured, the study program and the subjects to find the contact that may be more useful, such as theater history or classical theater (Greece etc ). When I make the first contact I will tell you the possibilities.

On a personal level, in relation to my spiritual practice, I tell you that since the last time I saw you I continued singing a minimum of 16 rounds a day in the early morning, and I spent 1 hour reading every day. In these months I have finished reading the Bhagavad Gita and the book of Krishna, and I am currently reading the Bhagavatam and the Nectar of Devotion. When I sing the Mahamantra I am aware of how tight the knot of ignorance is in my heart but I have faith that the practice will allow me to progressively purify.

I am currently complying with 3 of the 4 regulatory principles, I have not yet managed to stop smoking intoxicated, although I am reducing it and I would like to stop before a month has passed to meet the necessary requirements for initiation.

I collaborate with Jivatatva Prabhu in the development of the “Madre Tierra” rural community project, and in these months I have been to the Madrid temple on some occasions, my intention is to go more frequently to seek more association with devotees.

Thank you very much for your patience and attention, please accept my humblest obeisances. Hare Krishna!

HpS - AgtSP! Paoho.... We continue to struggle here. Following strict control of senses at any level eg. taking a vow of no cigarettes before noon, or only eating one grain of rice for each Maha-mantra we chant, so much depends on association. Of course, these exchanges of letters are such good association.

We will look at your more recent letter and make more humble comments to your spectacular news there!

todas las glorias a Goura Nitay

todas las gloria a Srila Prabhupada

Hare krishna Guru.M comienzo mi reporte contándole que sigo con mis servicios fijos en cocina 2 días a la semana,

leyendo a diario,

preparandome para comenzar el curso del primer y segundo canto del Bhagavatam con p Lakshman

además de seguir con mi rutina matutina de rondas

el fin de semana en el templo haciendo servicio.

le cuento que arreglamos con un grupo de devotas el espacio de la fachada del templo para hacer un jardín nos quedo lindo y ahora cuidando para que crezca.

por último le cuento que seguiremos trabajando para restaurar el templo hacer más jardines dentro del templo, [Super!]

pintar etc...se despide su humilde sirvienta Raman Reti devi dasi

HpS - Small gardens are wonderful. The touch of the sun for warmth, the song of a bird for mirth, you are more at home in a garden, than any place else on earth! Sit with Krsna and the Gopis and Gopis in the natural gardens on the bank of the Yamuna and play games and make plans.