Letters to the editor

Hare Krishna Maharaja! Jaya Srila Prabhupada!

Please forgive my consistent inadequacies and forgetfulness.

Maharaja I felt I had really fallen off the path and hit rock bottom recently. My mentality had almost entirely shifted back to before I associated with devotees, but somehow from within my heart I began to cry a little bit for Krishna. My attraction and aspirations are returning. Due to my own foolishness I have been dragged around everywhere, usually wasting a lot of time, but somehow the "hard way" is the only way I seem to learn. I do feel that I am waking up and starting to see how I can develop my own life and be in connection with Guru and Krishna. I am writing you to touch base, let you know I am still alive and also that I miss you so much. Thank you for the numerous times you allowed me to stay in Murphreesboro with you. I will always cherish those memories. I am desperately hoping to establish sadhana in my life again. I have started to chant on beads a little bit and reading sashtra. Presently I am living with my parents on their farm in Illinois, working a little doing odd jobs and trying to save up a little money and move on from here. I have no real goal or set vision yet. It would be nice find a good sangha where I fit in nicely. One thing my parents have offered is to pay for me to go to massage school, is this an acceptable profession for Krishna devotees, or is it not favorable to touch the bodies of non-devotees?

ASA - Sounds little gross. I don't think you would like it. You are too mental. In some ways, Grhastha ashrama seems like a necessity. Of course, must pray to Krsna to send a proper partner. Then in that relationship, career is more obvious. If it takes a couple of lifetimes, don't worry. We come to this human form of life after hundreds of millions of other births. If we see we are making substantial progress at each step, then two lifetimes are SHORT. Take birth in Nabadvipa in your next life time as Nimai's puppy?

You are so special Maharaja and I wish I could be by your side, I hope someday soon we can cross paths again.

Hare Krishna

HpS - Sorry it took so long to answer this letter. If you read the Kapi Dhvaja you can see why. NGD asks about you all the time. It will tell him tonight! More news. The adventures of a wandering miscreant.

Gauranga. Humbles and Glories. We are going into our second month here in Sri Mayapur Dhama. Last week I wrote in a report with fotos on this website, about Srila Jayapataka Swamis 70th Vyasa Puja ceremony.

Now the HED has become a brain bending cyper site called ASA something. It is split into all sorts of various web sites that only a graduate of high level computer science can decipher. The report on the Vyasa Puja took some time to compose. Then I could not find any way to send it. So I hit "save" and hoped that it would somehow get through. Did you ever receive it? If not, you will probably not get this one either

HpS - We got this one. We are a little slow in answering. Our donkey is getting old!! Ja! Ja! Also another letter from you. We will look at it. Vyasapuja letters are really back logged. We explained in the Kapi Dhvaja, new name of the HED, that while traveling we could only answer Urgent letters. We meet with about 20-people for individual palaver daily while traveling: "Should I buy a cat or a motorcycle!?".

so I will not spend too much time composing. I first began as a recipient of your newsletter "The Hanumat Presak Dispatch" It was so nice to get a readable newsletter in the post. I could simply reply by mail and it worked real easy.

HpS - When I was a child there were no anwering machines. ONly rotary dila phones. If you called some one and no one was there you just hung up after a while.

My personal sadhana has come up to the basic minimum. In Kali Yuga, while other holy places are like closing lotus flowers, the gloden lotus of Sridam Mayapur is opening up to manifest the mercy of Lord Nityananda and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

Panchajangri Prabhu gave class this morning and explained how bliss in following vaidhi bhakti is given when and if Krishna decides to bestow it. and that a man who is non envious and does not desire ill fortune towards anyone is happy.

Yours, Mishra Bhagavan Dasa

HpS - I hope you will have Hill Fortune, get a place to live on Govardhana for you service. We look at the other letter now. YOu can stay in the Dhama!!!

Querido Gurudeva. Estaba leyendo en canto 7 acerca del VAD y me quedaron muchas preguntas:

En la actualidad lo que se relata no se aplica, no veo a sannyasis andando con taparrabos o quedándose un día en cada sitio, o vanaprasthas que no se aseen, o brahmacaris que ayunen si el Guru no les dice que coman, o que los grhasthas pidan permiso para reproducirse, entonces como debemos asimilar este conocimiento sin oponernos o alejarnos de lo indicado en el sastra.

HpS - Por supuesto, tenemos los significados que Srila Prabhupada escribe de los versos, y luego están sus comentarios sobre sus propios significados. Por ejemplo, cuando estaban iniciando el Gurukula en el Templo de Bombay, Srila Prabhupada dio conferencias por varias mañanas sobre la sección sobre la vida de Brahmacari en este séptimo canto. Comentó sobre sus propios significados y, a veces, dijo que no eran de aplicación inmediata. Entonces, ¿podemos ver los significados escritos por los próximos 10,000 años y debemos aplicarlos en el momento actual por la asociación de devotos y aconsejar a la Superalma?

Recuerdo que un devoto vanaprastha trataba de tener una dieta estricta, pero si se enfermaba una sopa hervida podría curarlo y no lo hacía. Entonces, tanto en ISKCON como en otras líneas fidedignas, han hecho ajustes? Quien da esas pautas actualmente, siento que hay una brecha que debe unir ambos tiempos. Por favor mate a mi demonio de la incomprensión.

HpS - En esta paragraph hay indicacion como aplicar estas escripturas en modo practico:  https://vedabase.io/es/library/sb/1/9/27/#bb15336.

Cuando hay un situacion specific podomes consultar dios (Canta Hare Krsna), las escripuras (Libros de Srila Prabhupada), y los Brahmanas (seis buen devotos)

Por otro lado, me encontré con otros grupos de neófitos y me manifestaron sus dudas acerca de la ciencia y la teología, es más fácil romper esos argumentos cuando no tienen conocimiento de las escrituras, pero en este caso, aunque su conocimiento evidentemente no era profundo, note que se debía a la 10 ofensa al santo nombre, entonces, ¿Cuál es el mejor consejo para ellos? Tuvimos una discusión acalorada, no toque ningún argumento sástrico. Ellos decían que se cuestionaba a la ciencia cosas irrefutables como el viaje a la luna. Mencione que si eso es cierto porque no viajan ahora más astronautas con todo el avance tecnológico.

HpS - Ellos no puede acceptar la autoridad de los sastras por que no conocen ellos. Claro, so son demonios, no va a acceptar nada, y entonces evitamos ellos. Trata de occupar ellos ser vegitarianos. etc. Primero entoces es poner las palabras de la escripturas en modo contidiano (eg. mi abuelita dijo), y mas que podemos entender ciencia podemos explicar la vision de las escripturas de esta perspertivo. Posible no somoe cientificos. O. K. Podemos explicar un poco a ellos, como entedemos esta espcialidad, y entonces dirigir ellos a un devote quien es expert en esta area. Por mi, puedo explicar un poco a una senorita como es ser una chica en el movimiento Hare Krsna, pero pronto dirigirara ello a una devota mayor quien es experta en esta tema.

Pronto, personalmente le contare el servicio que he estado haciendo, la meta de este año. Si estamos haciendo sankirtan ahora es porque entiendo que es parte del plan de Krsna en este momento. Hay un plan a futuro que involucraría a más personas, con sus bendiciones ojala pueda darse.

Muchas gracias por la asociación por las mañanas, es muy revitalizante.

Hari bolo.

Su hija que lo adora:

Yugala Kishora Dasi

HpS - ASA - Has ayudado a tanta gente. Tu futuro es tan brillante. https://vedabase.io/es/library/sb/1/9/27/#bb15336

Dear Gurudeva. I was reading in song 7 about the VAD and I had many questions:

At present what is related does not apply, I do not see sannyasis walking with loincloths or staying one day in each place, or vanaprasthas that do not cleanse, or brahmacaris that they fast if the Guru does not tell them to eat, or that the grhasthas ask for permission to reproduce, then how we should assimilate this knowledge without opposing or withdrawing from what is indicated in the sastra. I remember that a vanaprastha devotee tried to have a strict diet, but if he became ill a boiled soup could cure him and he did not. So, both in ISKCON and in other reliable lines, have they made adjustments? Who gives these guidelines now, I feel there is a gap that should unite both times. Please kill my demon of incomprehension.

On the other hand, I met other groups of neophytes and they expressed their doubts about science and theology, it is easier to break those arguments when they have no knowledge of the scriptures, but in this case, although their knowledge was evidently not profound , note that it was due to the 10 offense to the holy name, then, what is the best advice for them? We had a heated discussion, do not touch any sastric argument. They said that irrefutable things like the trip to the moon were questioned to science. Mention that if that is true because they do not travel more astronauts now with all the technological advance.

Soon, I will personally tell you about the service I have been doing, this year's goal. If we are doing sankirtan now it is because I understand that it is part of Krsna's plan at this time. There is a future plan that would involve more people, with their blessings hopefully.

Thank you very much for the association in the mornings, it is very revitalizing.

Hari bolo

His daughter who adores him:

Yugala Kishora Dasi

En cuanto al verso S.B. 1.6.13 sobre sannyasa pienso que la aplicación de temas absolutos en el mundo relativo queda reservada a espiritualistas con una conexión limpia con paramatma; sin interferencias de modalidades de la naturaleza.

La perspectiva de Bhaktivedanta Swami es increible, pura, aguda y siempre sorprendente. Es evidente que sannyasa no es para personas comunes y, desde mi perspectiva o la perspectiva de un burro de dos patas, creo que tambien incluye a devotos kanistha y kanistha-Madhyama.

En ISKCON asociamos sannyasa a parivrajakacarya. Pienso que es un cambio muy radical (salvo raras excepciones) pasar de brahmacari, grihastha o vanaprastha a parivrajakacarya. Posiblemente sería bueno antes algo de kuti caka y bahu daka y estar un tiempo (2 años??) pasando desapercibido, sin viajar, sin facebook, sin danda y sin utarilla y desarrollar aún mas la sencillez, la valentía para depender sólo de Dios y no de los demás, la humildad, etc.

HpS - Desde mi experiencia personal eso es realmente lo que sucedió. Naturalmente pasé por el escenario: kuti-caka, bahu-daka, parivrajacacaryary ...

Despues puede ser un sannyasa viajero típico de ISKCON que no se deja impresionar por la puja, fama,tartas de cumpleaños, etc.

Opiniones ? Quejas? Donativos?

Firmado por un burro que sueña con ser devoto.

Jayanta das

HpS - Gracias. Base es cantar mejor y mejor rondas, y canta constante durante la dia para cumplir con sus demas responsibilidades. Entonese, estas Ashramas va a ser bien practico, como aplicar. Con 70-anos, mas y mas puedo ver como estas etapas de la vida son bien natural. Todos son enfocado en terner un muerte feliz, no?

hare krsna, maharaj,

pamho, agtsp.

this could be pouring out email, but i think we have enough content to write a letter.

we report to our director, in our institute.

our professional life is a mess, our diet is a mess. we some times have to sleep in office, because we either dont get proper food, and our easily get tired by getting up early.

we wear ditty [dirty] clothes

dont know the reason. we are lost out. may be mind is artificially renouncing.

director found our mental framework/issues. following are some things director said

you need healing harsh.

outside world will have only standards.

your wife must be initiating guilt feeling in you. you are full of guilt.

dont be worried about your son too much.

teach to students as your children. train the staff. give them.

may be you should a join a monastery.

be HR person who bounds/ make people comfortable.

give back to soceity as you have two IITs invested in you, the nation will ask back.

and other things, which were correct..

research on gratitude than on psychology.

have gratitude also

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i know, you dont know my life in detail, and we have to use our intelligence.

but there are many ritualistic things like food cooked by vaisnava, no onion garlic, cooked

daily SB, whose importance we know, but when they dont happen, it causes more anger in us.

..some how v r able to chant 16 rounds average..

v have learned little bit of cooking we can cook edible (our standards)

poori, rajma, rice, dal, aalo subzi, khicdhi,--at least we can cook for krsna,

HpS - That puts you in the same category as Mother Yasoda! What are you complaining about?!

as you wrote" "become sun of knowledge in india" can you tell us the practical process to us.

HpS - https://vedabase.io/en/library/cc/antya/20/12/ ... the more and more and more you chant the more your heart becomes pure. then it becomes like a ray of sunshine to everyone.  https://vedabase.io/en/library/nod/17/#bb1207118

😐 Your monkey eats your cheese. He shares it with the goose. We are all receiving Karma, from our previous days abuse.

You are on the right path. Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna..... Just do what you are doing better. Learn to cook better for Krsna. Learn to love your family better. Learn to chant better. Nothing new needs to be added. Just improve what you are doing.

AGTSP

Paoho

We really see that our enthusiasm in devotional service seems to be influenced by the modes of material nature. Astrologically it is a Tamasic time and we get so many confused letters with reports of extreme lethargy. We feel the same way.

O.K. This happens.

We have 13-rounds done. We had to struggle to get them done. We did our Hawaii class with great effort. We have been feeling exhausted all day. Partly our donkey just seem to be getting old, but he is also getting wiser. So thing is to do what you can. Then that service will generate intelligence.

Hare Krsna!

16-nice rounds.

Association of devotees. Pick a few, respond to all of those who smile at you!

Projects follow well.

Whatever little service you do has an ETERNAL EFFECT in waking up your original powers.

Thank you!!!

All over the world there are exhausted devotees like you and me who did SOMETHING for Srila Prabhupada today. Maybe 30% of what they hoped to do, but that's all over the world! People get motivated just by seeing a Dhoti or Saree and act differently. The light goes out!