Letters to the editor

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.

Hare Krishna Gurudeva 

All glories to Srila Prabhupada 

Please accept my humble obeisances 

I am here resisting the power of maya,

HpS - ASA -- Here also. We lose many times and each the extra sweet ball!

... we was [were] in Mendoza in February in a curse [course] of [on] sankirtan and study of sastra (we read nectar of devotion and Bhagavad gita Chapter 7 to 12). So [Such a] nice experience, now i was more determinate in streat sankirtan, is so nice to clean the heart from de pride. 

I have some projects for this year, i going to study bhakti sastri in the temple, keep in service of the temple, continue with the magazine, and many other thinks, I need more heads... With my father we will going to rec a movie that connect the social and environmental crisis and the spiritual solucion, harinam sankirtan, all this in the context of cabildo city, taking his religious culture and artistics practices [Canto a lo divino y bailes religiosos]. This city, Cabildo, is one of the first cities in Chile to become drought zone, many problems here.

In the temple i am serving in various services, i am cooking to the deities, cleaning the temple, helping pujari, and administrative work. Maybe soon i have to assume the commander service, now he have a elder devotee in this Service, prabhu Vasudeva from Bolivia, he also is bramacary, but in April maybe he left our yatra for healthy problems. 

This was the conversation with Pyari Mohan das :

Me:

Hare Krishna prabhu

All glories to Srila Prabhupada 

How are you, i am fine, with many service here in our temple. I was commander of the temple one month the last year, but this was very strong for me, is very difficult be equable in all citcumstances. Can you give me some advice for amdinistrative seva?

Thanks prabhu

Please accept my respecful obeisances 

Hare Krishna 

----

Pyari Mohan das (SP)

Hare Krishna!

Hoping you are doing well in Krishna consciousness. The main advise I give to devotees is never give up. If you stick with the service Krishna has given you, you will succeed. Sometimes thighs get difficult, but if you keep trying, not giving up, Krishna will be pleased and help you. We should serve Krishna in happiness and distress, and always know that the results are up to Krishna, not us. Good luck with your lifetime of service. Hare Krishna.

Serving Srila Prabhupada,

Pyari  

__________________________

The 1rst of May we release the magazine, “Molinos de Viento”, this was amazing, many devotees in the class, the topic of the presentation was, “the power of the desire”, inviting to devotees to use our power, the only that we need, the free will of desire and decide. I think that if many devotees desire intensely that our yatra become more stable and keep growing, this will come a reality, but the problem is that our intelligen have countless branches. In the class we also was with the Rodrigo's family, they was very grateful for the care.

The big problem of the magazine is the cost of print, is many cash, we need sponsors, because is very good for us have this in the paper, Cinatamani devi dasi, discipule of JPS is working very much in print, editing text, creating content, making the design, and i am only making interviews and talking with the devotees. Now, Jagad guru is part of our team, the last thursday we was talking of how maintained this in the time, and how to engage the magazine according to one topic each number. 

For Ramacandra appearance, today i create a song, taking this like your instruction when your present your powerpoint of this celebration in gotomeeting srimad bhagavatam class. Maybe we can send this with a video to Abhiram Thakura das and proyect this in the appearance day. 

So, now i have a desire in my heart, and i want to take this one like the only. Thank you gurudeva, i want to see you soon. 

Your eternal servant

Pyari Mohan das

P.S: This Goura purnima i want to start my artistic offering to you, this project have a artistic name, is call “Vanaranio” [Vanara like the monkeys and nio of nine, this number is repeated many times in my life]. So i want to present my first song that is based in the song “Jiv Jago”. 

Thank you gurudeva for your bless in yours instructions. Hare Krishna. 

Ah, and sorry for don't learn more English. I need to do it, i want it. Obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

HpS - !!! Jaya!!!! Koruna Virus is really impacting our travel. Peru border is closed until 31st March, but our ticket is 1st of April, day after!! Maybe indication from God that we should go to Peru... We will see. Krsna directs us right in the middle of the battle of Kuruksetra. Movie with your father, dialog with PMD ACBSP, Magazine, TC!!!!!!!! 16-good rounds early in the morning.... day is not frustrating or boring!!!! Respects to everyone in Santiago. You English is like 85% perfect!!!

Hare Krishna Gurudeva

Please accept my humble obeisances

All Glories to Srila Prabhupada!!

This is the continuation of my adventures.

HpS - Wandering Traviesa

On March 2nd, I travelled to Houston. I stayed in Govardhana Lila's house, where Aindavi is staying too. The first thing I did when I arrived, was to go to take darshan from Sri Sri Radha Nilamadhava. Many devotees told me that the deities were huge and very beautiful. And so, it was. After that, I went to the Goswami Academy. I met Subhra Mataji and she introduced me to all the teachers. She told me that I could observe any classroom that I want.

In the last day of my stay, I had a little interview with Subhra Mataji. I was so sad because I couldn't stay more time. However, the 3 full days in the school were awesome and highly productive. I asked her how she managed the spiritual life with the common knowledge that children must have. She told me something that got into my heart: The first step is to teach children how to be a good human being.

That means values, good relationships with the others and spiritual connection integrated with the subjects of the school. I have noticed that most of the kids in the school were from families of different cultures. Even, in the library I found many books about jewish and catholic traditions. So, with Subhra Mataji's message plus all the instructions that I received from university about interculturalism, I realized that this is the way that I want to follow. I'd like to promote the integration of different cultures, religions, life styles... because, in the end, they are only different ways to reach God. And of course, I'd like to promote education in values. Sometimes, in the temples or churchs, we only focuse on the rituals, but I think it's also important our self-development. And I know that what I want to teach, it's what I have to practise. So, that's the realization of all my trip.

HpS - Super. They commented about your visit and want you and so many devotees to join their community. Prabhuapada says that a real brahmana does not need any help to start a school. She, he, it will sit down by the side of the road and open a school for teaching Vedic knowledge. Do it!!! Teach!!!

On the other hand, all this 3 days in Houston, I had the excellent association of Aindavi mataji. She was very nice and kind. She used to cook breakfast for both. I know she's a great teacher and children really love her. I'd like to meet her again.

On March 5th, I went to Oakland (California) to visit my relatives. I'm staying with them for a couple of days. Yesterday, we went to a Mormon church. I didn't know anything about them. What I liked most is the importance they give to the family and the values ​​that must be cultivated in it. It was a nice visit for learning. My relatives and I are planning to go to the Berkeley temple for Gaura Purnima. And two days later I will be returning to Peru.

HpS - Koruna Virus?

I will write you a letter with my reflections and meditations of the whole trip.

Thank you for your encouragement and for reading this letter.

Looking forward for the next letter,

Rukmini dd

HpS - Next letter. These reports are super!