Letters to the editor

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?

previous node: 10583,

Hare Krsna Maharaj, PAMHO, AGTSP.

We have joined Banaras Hindu University, hope things will improve now.

We read Chaitanya Charitamrita Adi Lila ( Lord Chaitanya As Gardner), we did relish it a lot. We will continue to read it. Still dont have Japa Standard. We will get up quickly to previous standards.

Thank you for your constant support

monkey follower.

horse

HpS - Thank you for many years (ears) of friendship and very, very, very valuable help in all these projects. Lettuce c your next report. Of course, fix up some Japa Vraja you can do for one fortnight and then do it and take your next vow.

Hare Krsna Dear Guru Maharaj,

  Please accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet.

  All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

  All glories to Guru parampara.

  Gurudev, Your 70+ Years old body has huge enthusiasm like a 16 year body. 

  You are always as per NOI.

  Blog is full of none spiritual material stuff. All complains about material nature, 

  very less talks about Krsna. You patently read all those stuffs and reply!!

  You have huge collections of secrets / realizations about Krsan, which you can

  easily share with us but as all write about their complain so you stop your

  self to write or express yourself. While, all those who are practicing seriously, 

  need those secrets for spiritual progress.

  All are highly intelligent and know that spiritual master is for spiritual queries only. 

  but they lost their intelligence when they write to you.

HpS-ASA - AGTSP!!! Paoho. It seems we are all mixed devotees and so we sometimes, often, usually think of our body and mind as our selves and relate to Krsna and Guru by those media.

One esteemed disciple in Argentina told us that it had taken him seven years to understand that we were his spiritual master and not his psychologist. It impressed us and gives us impetous to purify our relationship with Srila Prabhupada.

If I ask you how your new job is, it is not material, no? I want to know what is your situation for your Yoga. Arjuna! was engaged in maybe the most material occupation, civil war but Prabhupada says it was a very difficult "Bhajan" but he did it very well!

Of course, we, like you, do like questions that stimulate our thoughts about Krsna.

Ultimately we are like many devotees, you (?), we have decided that Harinama anukirtam in the dust of the lotus feet of Prabhupada is the best service for which we can aspire.

How is your new job? Is a Sankirtan strategy developing for telling them about Krsna?

your fallen servant,

Girivaradhari-Gopal Das

All Glories to Srila Prabhupada

All Glories to Sri Sri Gour Nitay

All Glories to You

Hare Krishna Guru Maharaja, pelase accept my humble obeissances, this is Dhanistha devi dasi, from Santiago, Chile, It’s very sad to not have your visit, I was expecting to take your darshan, the situation here, it’s very caothic, today we went with some devotees to chant the Holy Names, and people were felling a comforting sensation in their hearts, hopping seing you soon,

your servant,

Dhanistha devi dasi

HpS - AGTSP. Paoho. Again, we are sorry from spiritual weakness and pressure of travel we are not able to answer letters so quickly. Now we are using this Kapi Dhvaja Priority Code so that people have to read the Kapi Dhvaja before writing. All the general news is there and so the letters become more relevant.

Of course, by Krsna's arrangement we did go to Chile and had an incredible Sankirtan experience. We were made humble by your persistence in participating in all the programs, and your very excellent questions.

We hope we can become a part of the full success of Krsna consciousness in Chile. How is your Sankirtan? We are starting to exchange a few letters with the Temple administration of our suggestions to expand the Sankirtan and hope to push our own personal efforts also.

What is happening with your Sankirtan?

Who are your partners?

What is your global vision as if the whole movement depended on you?

HpS - ASA