Letters to the editor

Hare Krishna, Dear Siksha Guru Maharaja,

please kindly accept my most humble obeisances;

all glories to his divine grace, Srila Prabhupada;

all glories to your good self, for your selfless devotion to Srila Prabhupada;

hps - we have selfish desires.

all glories to all the devotees of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

!

There is so much I would like to share; so many realizations that have come into my mind which I haven't always been able to write down, as they come to me particularly during my japa period. Sometimes I reflect on my life: the names of the places and faces I once knew so long ago. What was the meaning of it all? What have I done with my life that was so meaningful? What will be my fate? My life is lived, and now all that remains is preparing myself for the next and final chapter of my life. Thoughts like these constantly come and go in my mind, instead of my attentively crying out to Krishna to mercifully engage me in His devotional service: such nonsense japa I have.

I have been reading "VASIHNAVA KE?" by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati. It is very powerful poetry, which I confess scares the hell out me, because it forces me to look very deeply into my own character and behavior. My false ego really takes a beating by reading this book. My mind tries to defend itself with excuses of why I choose to distance myself from the local community of devotees. I want to be honest with myself, and yet this book only seems to show me where I am failing. I just want to be peaceful in my daily practice of devotional service.

asa = mukti?

I needed to share these things, and there is no one close enough for me to share them with.

In the interest of brevity I am obliged to end here. Please kindly forgive me for disturbing you with my foolishness. I wish I could be a better example of a Vaishnava. I want with all my heart to be a better example, but there is so much sinful karma in my life that obstructs me from being exemplary. The last verse of the Sri Isopanishad tells the story of my plight in struggling to be a sincere devotee.

My japa is steady, and it is my greatest saving grace through all of my challenges and calamities. My reading is helpful in spite of my failing brain. My wife is incredibly supportive, in spite of my failures. No books are going out at present until I can resume with my other worldly affairs. And with this much having been said, I will close here, hoping for your special kindness and causeless mercy. If I am at all fortunate, I may yet come to a place where I can surrender in a way that is proper and fitting.

Your lowly, servant,

Balabhadra dasa

HpS - how, hare krsna, is your surgery recovering??

Remenbered Gurudeva:

Please accep my obeisances to your lotus feet eternally🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🌷🌼🌻🌺🌹🌹🙏

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

All Glories To You my dear Gurumaharaja!🙏🌷🌼🌻🌺🌹🌷🌼🌻🌺🌹🌹

hps/as -agtsp... 🙂

For Sri Nityananda's appearance day, I was very inspired and did a dance to a very nice bhajan that was sung when the Pancha Tatwa deities were installed at ISKCON Mayapur: Nadiya Godrume.

The day I recorded was a hot day of more than 40 degrees !!! And it was Varaha Dvadasi. The next day was the appearance of Sri Nitya - Ananda!

Please I hope to please you with this offering to Sri Nityananda🙏, and it is also an offering to You who is the manifestation of Sri Nityananda's mercy.

Link de Youtube:

https://youtu.be/X_2Qf7HlC4A?si=KEOUS1E8QAs-7_mr

I hope you had a wonderful festival, as You say, "every year the festivals are more intense!" I think it is because we understand our Guru's mercy better.

Please forgive any offense and give me Your blessing to understand His mercy🙏🙏🙏

Please forgive any mistakes in my dance, in editing, in the camera. Although I am not a professional in doing any of this, I am just trying to do some service to give my bit to this wonderful sankirtan movement. And just by giving this bit, I feel extremely happy!!!!

Jay Sri Sri Guru and Gauranga!!! Eternally grateful for accepting me in this adorable sankirtan movement 🙏❤ Trying to be eternally busy at the feet of You Gurumaharaja, of all of You:

J.P.Radha DD ,

Please accept obeisances from Franco ( who helped me with some words and ideas for better editing) and Gopal (12 years old)

P.D.

It's a prasadam video😀 because before uploading it to youtube, I showed it to my deity Lord Nitya Ananda! (which Franco carved) I hope my Lord Nityananda can be pleased❤🙏

hps/as - 🐵 how many hours a month do you get out for public chanting?

thank you?

Dear Guru Maharaja,

I have noticed what seem to be inconsistencies in statements made by our A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada on various topics, including:

- The nature and intelligence of women

- Appropriate clothing for devotees

- Hairstyles for devotees

- Whether a jivatma in a female body can serve as an initiating spiritual master

- The concept of falling from the spiritual world or leaving Krishna-lila

My intention is not to debate these topics here, but rather to understand why he made these

statements.

Of course, the best way to clarify this would be to ask him directly. However, do we have any

record of him being asked about these seemingly contradictory statements?

I see bhakti yoga and Krishna consciousness as not strictly black and white, but as a path that

includes both general principles and specific applications. General principles—such as chanting

the holy names and reading Srimad Bhagavatam — apply universally. Specific details, on the

other hand, may be meant for particular circumstances and may not always be applicable in other situations.

With that perspective in mind, I return to my original question: What might explain the

inconsistencies in his statements?

If possible, we could explore each of these topics in future letters, referencing specific sources for clarity.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Your servant,

Namacarya Das

HpS - Thank you.

I heard what seemed to be contradictions in one lecture and then Srila Prabhupada commented that if we engage in devotional service, all these things will be reconciled.

Of course, Srila Prabhupada's boss is a butter thief, so do not expect everything to be completely on the up and up!

First service for us, developing Kirtaniya sada Harih at Srila Prabhpada's lotus feet in the core of our heart.

Then many questions, eg. hair style, are like deciding if we should take an umbrella when we go out.

Pragmatic.

Don't expect permanent, omipresent, solutions in the temporary world.

Always problems in the prison. especially for the good prisoners. Keep us moving to get to real world.

We have our little place in the ISKCON, Braja forest, with our neighbors, today.

We have opinions and perspective about the above questions that we feel are suficient to orient us in doing our personal service to Srila Prabhupada which is really, really fun for us and everyone can do the same.

Pick one and maybe we can discuss it????

Hare Krsna Gurumaharaja

PAMHO

AGTSP

Indira Sakti dd and I are studying. I am doing a master's degree in Cultural Management and she is doing a bachelor's degree in Strategic and Innovative Design. Personally, studies are giving us tools to use in many fields, both professional, personal and devotional. I study online at a Spanish university and of course it is demanding, which is very good for me.

HpS/ASA - AgtSP. Sounds very interesting. 😃

Was this what Goebels was doing for Hitler ! 😆

Motive is so important.

Strangely, we just received a letter about the administrative situation in Peru and you were mentioned in it as a very inspiring person in the devotee's history.

Personally, we are always going through problems in the ISKCON, institutional managment.

AS we said, we heard from Prabhhupada's lips when one reporter asked him in Berkeley if there were problems in his temples, and Srila Prabhupdaa answered that this is the material world. There are problems everywhere.

That has given us great perspective.

GBC people that I know themselves give the GBC, ISKCON adminnistrative institution, about 3 out of 5 on the scale from bad to good.

Personally I think that is pretty good, very good, for Kali yuga.

Myself and other Sannyasis I know comment that there are problems but we do not think that we could do any better and are really thankful for what anyone can do and try to help from our situation in the institution.

Bottom line - I take ISKCON as Srila Prabhupada's institution. I try to help. Too old to do projects but give advice as approached.

Expect perfection in my administrative relationship with Srila Prabhupada, able to make friendships in the Institution and again, deal with the public institution with appreciation that this is Kali yuga, SB 1.17, and try to be friends with people in these admnistrative posts more than primarily institutional.

Just some thoughts

I am chanting again, studying Bhakti Vaibhava with Param Padam das and reconnecting with the few and sincere friends that I have. I cannot play hide and seek with Krsna for long because I always lose (happily). Now, I try to do things in a hygienic, internal way and without much parafernalia (in every sense). We are worshiping our Gauracandra and Nityananda deities (JBS and Sri Nrsimha are asleep for the moment). I am sorry I cannot do much more for you and Srila Prabhupada, but this is what I can do for now. My actual service is to hear and chant. In these two years, you have always been there and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I hope to hear from you soon and pray that your health continues to improve

Gandharva das

HPS - You two are heroes! Thank you!! Where do you live???

Neighbors?

Any pictures?

Hare Krishna, Maharaja and Devotees;

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

All glories to Guru and Gauranga.

On Sunday, February 23, 2025, at 7.30am, Houston time, we will continue reading chapter 11~~ The Beda Kirtana Pastimes; we will start reading from verses 11.152 onwards, we will be able to cover about 50 verses.

Thank you to Maharaja for doing Spanish translation for me and H. G. Lakshman Agraja Prabhu for doing nice translation for Maharaja's class on February 16th.

Maharaja, thank you for engaging everyone in reading systematically books of Srila Prabhupada.

Your Servant

Upendra dasa

HpS/ASA - For us, agtSP, it is like trip in time and space.

Thank you !

asa[e] Ayurveda; Food Groups

Ānantesvara Dāsa (Vaidya Ananda Yadav): Hare Krishna Maharaj, Dandavat Pranam. 

During night metabolism is low, yogurt by nature is heavy becomes difficult for body to digest it. It increases the Khapa in body and does effect brain.  Friut combined with yogurt becomes very heavy to digest. Ayurveda considers yoghurt or curd to be one of the heaviest foods. It takes longer to digest. Whereas fruits require very little time In Your system (one hour or more) to be digested.

Modern science says: Yogurt contains plenty of bacteria which will act on the sugar present in fruits. This results in toxins, cold, allergies. You can avoid this problem by using unflavored yogurt at room temperature and mix in honey (which contains live bacteria Lactobacillus Kunkeei that is compatible with yoghurt), cinnamon or raisins (dried fruit) instead of fresh fruit.

If you want to feel light and energized after eating, then Ayurveda offers wisdom about which foods play well with others.

👉Certain combinations will promote optimum digestion and nutrient absorption. 

👉Others, are indigestible, leading to gas and bloating, and ultimately becoming toxins in the system. 

☘️Fruit breaks down quickly and should be consumed alone on an empty stomach. 

☘️Starches require an alkaline environment

☘️proteins require an acidic environment.

The enzymes required for each will neutralize or cancel each other out, leading to neither being digested well.

Fruit: eat on its own, 1 hour before other foods or 2 hours after a meal. When we combine fruits with other foods, the fructose is not burned as energy but stored as fat.  

☘️Melons cannot be mixed with any other fruit or food. 

☘️Bananas are best alone and become toxic when mixed with milk or yogurt. 

☘️Keep acid fruits together and sweet with sweet. 

☘️Low sugar fruits like berries are easiest to combine and can be added to yogurt. But.. it’s best to eat ur fruit alone or leave it alone.

...

“He who uses takra daily does not suffer from diseases, and diseases cured by takra do not recur; just as amrita (divine nector) is for the gods, takra is to humans.” Bhavaprakasha Chpt 6.7

[2/20, 5:35 PM] Ānantesvara Dāsa (Vaidya Ananda Yadav): 👆Buttermilk is best for you

[2/20, 5:43 PM] Ānantesvara Dāsa (Vaidya Ananda Yadav): 1 part yogurt mixed with 4 parts of water.

How to make Takra:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9UuHTBrL20