Letters to the editor

Thank you, Prabhu. It is long!  I only read part but it is nice   I am thinking that the fundamental problem is our definition of Diksa Guru. Within a few months after Srila Prabhupada's departure and the arrival of Sriman Hansadutta, our Zonal Guru, I took the position that there was too much emphasis on Diksa Guru by the Zonal Guru's and then the Rikviks. .. Skip all of our reassons except the definition of Diksa Guru in the Kiba vipra... verse that he is one who initiates according to the ritual. Then I am acting as a Diksa guru in the line of Srila Prabhupada. I am not claiming to be an Uttama Adhikari. Then it becomes easier. Ladies should not act as Diksa Guru just as they don't do fire sacrifices or wear Brahmanan threads, but if we get this Bhaktivedanta title going properly then they can be evaluated as Bhaktivedantin (Urmilla Devi Das) and that would give them some polite respect as Panditas and in a certain perspective Siksa Gurus. Then they could give advice to their followers which guru to accept, when to reject Him.  Of course, the title has to be appropriate and that is a challenge that the Board Of Examiners is STRUGGLING with.

By the way if, talking Australian, we go from He to S(he) and then include eunuchs then it become S(he)it. Which if you say it very fast immediately tells us were this one-gender world with one gender bathrooms is going.

It is Kali yuga, so accept the rain and put on a rain coat before you go out to preach. Of course, by the mercy of Gaura it can become as Satya yuga if people want and then Gaura will send a King like Maharaja Pariksit to stop the Kali yuga. Maybe he is a child in ISKCON now.

Homosexaulaity is a mental disease. O.K. Anybody can get it. If it is under control then they can be better devotees than I am. I have disciples who I can easily bow to as better devotees than me who are homosexuals who follow the four principles etc.  

What about the arrangement by Srila Prabhupada that ladies don't go on the altar in India but then we created a caste adjustment in Krsna Balarama Temple that they make all the garlands for the Deities. He allowed things in one zone but not another.

What about a decision by the GBC that ladies can be Diksa Gurus has decided by GBC vote on a one by one basis, especially if it is rare decision.

These are some of our thoughts on the matter. Thoughts from the Anjana Suta Academy.

Are you going to take Sannyasa soon?

When will you die? I will die in November 2024 and stop being an administrator at the latest by next year..

This computer is really, really slow, so I have to type without seeing the mistakes.

Your servants, HPS, TB, BW, UG et al.

Hare Krsna. TlgaSP. Pfanrh.

Una viaje bien fuerte de México Houston.

Saranagati Devi Dasi, puede escribir aquí con su dirección de email?

También los candidatos para iniciación y refugio?

Todo los reuniones públicos fueron bueno, productivo - Diálogo Inter-fe, Educación y lo Sagrado. La misma para los programas de NoI en el templo, reuniones con devotos, ASA, NIOS, retiro en Cuernavaca, Harinam…

… DISTRIBUCIÓN DE L I B R O S !

Muchas gracias todos. Recordando todo, todo, todo el apoyo!

Escriba aquí. Nos vemos pronto.

Dear Maharaj,

Hare Krishna. Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

On behalf of ISKCON Slovenia I'd like to cordially invite you to visit us on your next European journey. Some of us here are great fans of your preaching. Our only dissatisfaction is that there are not many of your English classes available online. 🤗

We study Srimad Bhagavatam with VIHE teacher and are on the 11th Canto now. We'd be glad if you'd deliver some of your courses in our yatra. I personally enjoyed a lot your interview with Krishna Kshetra Maharaj for his "Time of the Sages" documentary.

Although Slovenian yatra is small we are an active temple. Slovenia has 2 million inhabitants, and Ljubljana, its capital, houses roughly 300,000 people. We nevertheless get an association of cca 20 disciples of Srila Prbahupada annually. We are connected with the neighboring Croatian yatra and "share" visiting preachers. Our two capitals are only 90 minutes car ride. We are about 500 kms away from Prague, Czech Republic, which is less than 90 minutes direct flight.

Also, which kind of preaching would you like to do to the "outsiders"? And which topical classes or seminars do you deliver? Do you maybe have a list?

Thank you very much for considering to visit us. We hope to be able to have your association and hear you lecture. Attached is the photo of our Lords - Sri Panca Tattva.

Your servant,

Radhe Govinda dasa

HpS - Sounds very, very nice. We could organize a good series of SB presentations, teacher training and do programs for C. G. Jung and the Bhagavata, Hamlet and Arjuna, Science and Vedanta, 3-minutes with A Genius (Upadesmanrta) etc.

Please read our Kapi Dhvaja in the web page and make comments. It comes our each two weeks.

Hare Krsna dear Gurudeva,

HpS = AGTSP. Paoho.

Please accept my humble obeisances

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!!

Gurumaharaja. Here my anual report (Did you file it in the Report section here in the Kapi Dhvaja? Has to have a copy there.) and a few questions and comments about the education program. Things are going well. After 10 months in this service we almost know what to do, with whom and how to do it.

I believe education is a matter that concerns to everybody, to every devotee but in different levels according to their needs. The key is to know what those needs are.

HpS - This is like the FIRST sentence of the Preface to Srila Prabhupada's SB, no???

For some of them, education is a sophisticated, inaccessible (and unnecessary) topic, for others the panacea for every affliction in life.

• I contacted Bhakta Rupa Prabhu who has been very kind in sending us the BS/BV forms and MOE's basic requirements for establishing both examination centers. We fulfill the BS requirements but BV is a little bit more complicated. We should work in improving this program but I trust things can be done in a mid term.

ASA - We have been working with the Govardhana Eco-village (GEV), Gauranga Darsana Das, and they are going to roll-out an online program in January for BhVai. We plan on integrating with that. We can have local groups that sign in as individual students for study and evaluation. Of course, it is in English, so we will need to translate it to Spanish, and take help from Yadunandana Swami, and some regular Peruvian school. We can start with the First Two Cantos.

• We have proposed ISKCON Chosica to be the operations center and asked Karuna Krsna Prabhu if he agrees with Isvari dd as Introduction to Bhakti yoga teacher, me as BS teacher and LAD as BV (BhVai)teacher. He was ok with it, but he wants to know your opinion about LAD leading the BV program (as a teacher). I think we all know each other pretty well and basically none of us are qualified to work alone. We have to be part and parcel of the Team Gauranga!
• The BV program needs an examiner. Any suggestions? Both, teacher (LAD) and examiner should have their diplomas. I'm going to ask Atul Krsna prabhu if they can give the BV exam to get their certificate.

Include us the dialog with Atul k. D. I might suggest that we do the examinations Canto by Canto with a certificate for each one. We could do a review course and then very quickly we would have certified teachers. Then we would have to certify the Examiners. I would say that a good standard for Examiners would be that they are BhVed students. Later the program could expand.

• Other preaching centers could have their own program. For example, San Borja is asking Ramacandra prabhu to teach BS. We think is ok, he is a skilled teacher but if they want to certificate they should apply to the unique assesment. Many programs, one exam, one examiner. Is this correct Gurudeva?

It is our idea. We have a big question bank of multiple choice questions for the first canto. We can automate them. We can steal them from the English groups. Then they have a big bank of open book essay questions on the Canto. They have to stand for an oral examination. which will be like 3 out of their ten essays. The three of which will be chosen right before their oral examination. Oral exam can be a lecture before Examiners and public with Examiners then asking specific questions. Pass the computer multiple choice test, pass the oral exam on the Canto, get the certificate.

A questionair about their moral and academic character eg. do you keep daily SB class? Who are your study partners, teachers? What are their e-mail addresses?.

• The next step is to consult the National Board and the GBC representative about the appointment of Candramukhi dd as BS examiner. Step by step.
• ATD told that you are travelling to Ecuador by may next year. If you allow me I can go with you and take advantage of the trip to talk with whoever is necessary and observe the development of educational programs.

Who is ATD? Yes, we can try to go.

• Today I'm sending my report to Tapana Misra prabhu.

On a personal level. I'm manifesting moderate knee problems and while time goes by it doesn't improve. There are two main medical treatments for cartilage osteoarthritis, but both contains substances of animal origin: collagen and glucosamine. Is very hard to find veggie glucosamine so I ask you what to do. Should I continue looking after alternative treatments or should I treat my problem with glucosamine whose main component comes from shellfish?

HpS - Check in the USA for vegetarian alternatives? Contact PETA or other organizations? Become the retail agent for the veg. option in Peru?

Otherwise it may be o.K. to use animal products for medical reasons from what I have heard of Prabhupada. Thank you for this letter. We want to stay in touch with you for this BhVai development.

Is Ramacandra Das an ISKCON member? Who is his GBC authority?

Thank you in advance for your answer.

Your servant

Gandharva dasa

Dear Maharaj, PAMHO! AGTSP!

Thank you for discussing these issues with us.

You said:

HpS - Jaya! Again. Again. Again. These are all things we have discussed here before. I hope our opinion is clear. We go on discussing it but for us you are not presenting anything new, so we are happy to talk in person some time but we seem to have exhausted this forum sad much as possible in terms of mutual understanding.

Actually what you said was not clear,

HpS - Not clear to who? 😁 Even Krsna does not know Balarama, the original Guru-tattva perfectly. He is always increasing. For me I have a practical understanding. We have published it in http://www.jayarama.us/kd/guru-tattva.txt.

even your “disciples” are confused.

HpS - Actually only one of them mentioned this dialog to me and their comment was kind of informal that it was interesting but it seemed a little tiresome. I think it is one of the best dialogs I have had on this topic on the Blog. If they don't understand then they are not my disciples right.

You claim to be a diksa guru and then turning around and saying you are just a formalities siksa guru only.

HpS - Boy! Never say this. I, you, can both be practical Siksa gurus, just as Vartmana prasarshika gurus, telling people buy a book, and then we can be Siksa gurus for Madhyama adhikaris by repeating Shastra or teaching how we are able to eat and sleep less, read more etc.

This is really confusing. If you say Srila Prabhupada is the diksa guru, that needs to be clear. It is very clear to me and it should be to you and others.

HpS - We have tried to get a "Clear" "German precise" definition of Diksa guru, we are glad to adopt any position if we be near Srila Prabhupada's lotus feet, but it was not clear. Then we heard Hrdayananda Goswami and our good disciple, Radhika-Ramana Das who chants his rounds and follows four principles for decades and is also an Oxford scholar and Sanskritist that there is not emphasis on Diksa in our Sampradaya so the definition is not so hard. More is who is on the Kanishtha, Madhyama, Uttara, Sampradaya Acharya level. So again, taking the definition from 'kiba sudra kiba nyasi' verse we are a Diksa guru acting for our Acharya Srila Prabhupada. Even as Madhyama Adhikari we can accept disciples but only if they have accepted Srila Prabhupada as an Uttama Adhikari guru. That's pretty clear. Let us get back to work. How to get more books into the heart of more people.

If we try to mix both things, it just creates confusion and your siksa disciples will be confused. They will say HPS says he is a diksa guru, now saying he is a siksa formalities guru only and not a diksa guru. You say they should worship the Acarya (Srila Prabhupada) but they want to worship you.

HpS - We have corrected some of the above, but one point is to ask how many of the people Srila Prabhupada intiated had a clear idea of Guru tattva. Many of us were initiated in like 1974 but thought that maybe Srila Prabhupada was conscious of everything we were doing. Revatinandana Swami asked Prabhupada if this was true and Srila Prabhupada answered that he was not the super soul. When he need to know something about a disciple Krsna would inform him and usually externally.

I hope you can see that I would like to do my job better. I would like to see a better institutional ISKCON. I would like to see a better group of friends ISKCON, I would like to see my individual connection with Prabhupada better.

Are you chanting 16-nice rounds a day under the authority of Srila Prabhupada and following the four principles strictly. Have you received the Mantra from someone who received it from Srila Prabhupada and was himself doing 16/4? and trying to correct any deviations in the institutin? If yes, then I can consider that you are a disciple of Srila Prabhupada. Have you seen the citation in the seventh canto about Prahlada Maharaja's relationship with his older Godbrothers.?

you commented: [https://monkeywarrior.com/detail/10635/]

HpS - Yes, we can talk of Guru tattva in Mexico. Basically Srila Prabhupada is Founder Acharya for you, me, everyone in ISKCON, no? Then he left over one-hundred volumes of instruction so why should we be confused, no?

Basic principle is chant Hare Krsna and be happy.

Then what is your ROLE? If he (Srila Prabhupada) is founder Acharya for you , me and everyoone in ISKCON, then your role is not DIKSA, it is of siksa only, why claim to be a diksa and confuse people? You are saying that everything is very clear but it is not!

HpS - We have discussed this above and in previous letters. We are claiming to be Diksa guru because we are the ones who 'initiate according to the process'. Why are you confused? We discuss this a LOT while traveling and lecturing. It is clear to the audiences. Guru tattva is unlimited and expanding. We want to KNOW guru well enough to improve our service to Krsna. Are you following our Founder Acharya? Are you chanting 16/4. Are you keeping full morning program. If now, then you will not be able to chant 16-enthusiastic rounds. Then it will not ne clear to YOU.

https://monkeywarrior.com/detail/10640/

You stated about letters shouldn’t be published here is Hansdutta reply:

“I never heard this, who said this ? In the early years anyone who received a letter would duplicate it and send to the other centers, later on it became impractical”

HpS - Madhuvisa Das, one of the early devotees who had so many letters from Prabhupada told me that when they asked devotees for their letters for publishing he sent in a lot, but some he did not because they were personal.

Jayadvaita gives nice evaluation of the standard that Srila Prabhupada made for the authenticity of this letters. I told you, no, that it is in a letter to Brahmananda about nor circulating letters unless Prabhupada told him to do it. It is in Jayadvaita's intro to the Vedabas, "what you are getting".

Hansadutta Das told me that Prabhupada told him that every big man would have three secretaries. With the first he would discuss the general content of the letter. Then 1 would tell 2 what to write and 3 would type it and clean up the syntax. 2 would look at it and if o.k. initial it and give it to 1 and if number one initialed it the Big Man would just glance at it and sign it unless it was very specfic topic. I have not said to not cite letters here but just with this level of understanding them. Did Srila Prabhupada tell his secretary when asked for how long the GBC Secretaries should serve that they should serve 'for as long as they have life', and the secretary then typed up the letter as, "they should serve" for life? Prabhupada says that at 50 years old the life in the body is finished, that maybe you can push it to fifty five. See my point about letters??

A set of 5 volumes of prabhupada were published by Nischinya das

HpS - Five volumes of letters?

O.K. we have to rush to get a bath. We are late because this dialog is so nice. Interfaith dialog today. What about the 16/4, FM Program, getting the mantra from a strict 'Prabhupada' disciple? Can we talk on the phone when we get to USA?

Hare Krsna Maharaj,

PAMHO, AGTSP,

Previous node: https://monkeywarrior.com/detail/10636/

His Grace asked us :

What is name of your new school???

answer: Institute of Management Studies part of Banaras Hindu Univeristy .

http://www.bhu.ac.in/fms/

Who are your associates there??

this tough question because associate is very big word. We have acquaintances mostly academician. Nice connection with Local ISKCON is also formed.

but no one at the level of associate yet.

you suggestion the selection of village depends on associates...its new angle for us. to find village...thank you very much.

monkey horse

HpS - Is your better-half with you there? Is Swami Parikshit's karma becoming more clear? Is Mataji going to apply here PhD? Is SHE making friends and associates there? Picture of the altar in the local ISKCON center?