Letters to the editor

Radhe! Radhe!

ASA - In one lecture in London on Radhastami, Srila Prabhupada commented, "Radhe", "Hare", no difference!

Hare! Hare!

Maybe Srila Prabhupada's habit of chanting "Hare Krsna" was to instruct us that we Western folk must be careful to keep Radharani with Sri Krsna, no?

Panto (ASA - Panto? Please accept nine times obeisances? Please accept ours many more!!)

Agtsp

My dear guru Maharaja, first of all I want to thank you for giving me darshan during your Indian tour, pls accept my humble obeisances.

HpS - We felt the same. Also for your family!!

Following your instructions I want to share some pictures and stories of the holy places and festivals in Radhakund.

Today is Siva ratri, the great night of Siva, the story says that Parvati was meditating in her husband and did penances and austerities whole night to protect him, since then this night all women go to ask Lord Siva to protect their husbands and sons.

It is supposed that we do not have to worship demigod, ONLY to ask them to help us to advance towards Krsna.

Here in Vraja when we start a parikrama we should ask Mahadev, Lord Siva, to allow us to do it since he is the gatekeeper of the dhama.

But why or how he got the post of gatekeeper? Here is the story

In the Garga Samhita it is mentioned that when Lord Siva knew about the rasa dance, he wanted to be there to see him dancing with the gopis, so Parvati and him came but only mother Parvati could come in.

Lord Siva was very sad because of this but he was told to go to Vrndadevi to help him, she told him to go to Mansarovar to meditate in order to get a gopi's body, which he did and once he had a female body he went in to the rasa lila.

There he danced with krsna as a gopi but suddenly krsna said "I cannot relish this dance, it is as if some man be here, so he asked Lalita Saki to go and see if there was a man inside.

She came back and told him "No, there is no men inside but there is a gopi with three eyes". Krsna said "go and bring her"

When this gopi came Krsna who knows everything told her "Siva you have relished the rasa dance, now you have to go out, but I have a job for you, from now on you will be the gatekeeper and you are not going to allow any man to come in".

Since that day Lord Siva is in charge of the gate in the holy dhama and that is why we have to ask him for permission to come in.

I an sending two photos in the first is Mahadev in his altar in the entrance of Radhakunda.

The second photo is a deity In Nitai dhama temple where Kunja Bihari is dressed like Mahadev.

Om namo sivaya. Mahadev ki jaya.

Next time we are going to start our parikrama of Radhakunda.

Only one question guru Maharaja, do you want me to write this report in English or Spanish or both.

HpS - If you can do both it would be wonderful.

Thank you once more for your causeless mercy.

Your (trying to be humble) servant

Tungavidya dd

Radhakunda, Syamakunda, Giri Govardhan ki haya

HpS - In CC Adi Seven, near the end, I think where it is described how Lord was visiting Kasi visvanatha Temple, in the purport Srila Prabhupada gives the Brahma samhita mantras as authorized for worshipping Lord Siva, Ganesa et al. Also Lord Siva instructs the Pracetas in Canto Four, no?!

Thank you!!

Hare Krsna Maharaj,

AGTSP, PAMHO

You are our that soul, on whom we depend solely to understand and get inspired to how to serve Krsna esp the Caitanya Mahaprabhu way.

ASA - AGTSP!

SP says in K Book

"There is no need to be envious of the devotees who are engaged in preaching the glories of the Lord. We have practical experience of being advised by the so-called bābājīs in Vṛndāvana that there is no need to preach and that it is better to live in Vṛndāvana in a solitary place and chant the holy name. Such bābājīs do not know that if one is engaged in preaching, or in glorifying the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the good reputation of a preacher automatically follows one"

I think the act of babajis not recommending engagement in preaching is more due to laziness, rather than eagerness of getting reputation.

ASA - Must vary from one to the other, no? Also, that was maybe fifty years ago!

Even after reading paragraph, we dont understand how preaching and material reputation are connected. Can you clarify ?

ASA - We would think that they are kind of like water and oil, two independent things. I the Encyclopedia Britannica it says that Lord Caitanya was a religious epilectic. The real materialists cannot understand a preacher. Even if they see Christianity now they see its material, political, psychological manifestation, no? The good reputation of a preacher is appreciated by spiritual people!

O.K?

horse

Hare Krishna, dear Gurumaharaja, Pamho, AGTSP!

"Nobody is a prophet in their own land".

My friend Om Purnam made this comment when I published an article on Facebook that told how well I did on my tour of Cuzco. Then followed Cochabamba and La Paz. It was a tour in the south that lasted 25 days. 15 programs in 25 days; between classes, workshops, seminars, etc. Fairly good. Besides preparation or editing of several ppts, readings, etc to prepare me, were quite a few hours of work. But, I felt happy, dear, useful. It's not that I'm too worried about success and fame. Actually I have always been between fame and infamy all my life. I have gone through several institutions. In summary it was a successful tour.

And I returned to my reality. Once again I realized that I really am not the savior of Chosica, or Peru. I have been in limbo for several weeks.

The point is that I want to preach inside and outside ISKCON, and in Peru the doors close. I have applied to various institutions and nothing has happened. Then, the phrase that I started with took on a new meaning. By the signs, it seems that destiny is sending me to other places.

Some friends recommended me to go somewhere else and I think they are right. They do not need me here anymore. In education there are enough people to develop it in ISKCON Peru. In addition there is not much demand, but outside, in society, there are many people who are looking for alternatives. After my experience in the university and some talks outside, it seems to me that work in the cultivation of the human spirit is a good preaching work.

It occurred to me to talk to P. Mathures (he invited me to Bolivia in my tour), that apart from being my authority I consider him my friend and I asked him to see if there are opportunities outside, in Bolivia or where required. A place where I can serve the devotees and do some work, preaching, outside. I do not want temple life again, I already went through that experience and it's beautiful, but I feel that outside there are many people who are waiting for something.

I finished my master's degree, but I am missing the thesis and that can be completed at any time, and resources are needed that I do not have at the moment. Nothing really ties me here. Here I feel useless, I know that I have a lot to give and I need to go to a place where I can do it.

Well, Gurudev, thanks for listening. I did not write before because I know you are busy and also I did not have things clear. Well, in reality the only thing clear is that there is nothing here for me. I hope that when you return to USA you will have some time to talk and help me clarify my ideas.

Because of your mercy, my sadhana continues to be good and that keeps me alert and without being carried away by frustration. I could have thought ... I gave ISKCON many years, I stopped working outside to help the gurukula, then the ashram and the temple, I did not worry about my future, nor my maintenance, now I'm old and they do not want me anywhere anymore because They accept older people, who have not worked lately. I have no bank account, no opportunities, I live in my mother's house. It would have been simple to have these ideas, in fact many people have left ISKCON with this feeling or are simply full of resentment. Neither do I want nor am I ready to accept sannyasi's order. It would be ridiculous. Prabhupada speaks of those who take the order out of frustration. I want to be useful in the world, to help people from their realities. Cultivation of the human spirit.

Anyway, I know that behind everyting there is a plan of Krishna. Please, help me to find it out.

ss LAD

HpS - ASA --- Jaya! Excellent letter. Thank you. "One who does good my friend is never overcome by evil", Krsna, BG! We all have given years to ISKCON, the church part of it etc. It is more often described as a movement than an institution. Never give up Srila Prabhupada's movement and work to help the institution.

In the USA let us talk. Also, travel seems good. Spain??

Todas las Glorias a sus señorías Sri Sri Gaura Nitay!

Todas las Glorias a Srila Prabhupada y a su sankirtana sagrado y perfecto!

Hare Krsna querido y recordado Gurudev, espero que todo le vaya súper en India, aquí nuevamente reportándome, empiezo a tratar de entender que la vida tiene ciclos de bajadas y subidas, algo normal en esta plataforma material, ya no tenemos facebook así evitamos los chismes y críticas a los devotos y nos sentimos muy bien.

Viajé a Lima con mis padres por motivo de salud, todo salió bien se hicieron la terapia hidrocolónica, ellos tienen una casa pero no habia cocina, la pasé comiendo frutas, jugos y ensaladas,en el viaje me hizo recordar mucho el sankirtana viajero de las austeridades hasta que logré escapar y llegar donde madre Amparo y pude recuperarme...jejeje, gracias a krsna mi madre esta mucho mejor siento que he cumplido de una u otra manera. También visitamos al padrino de matrimonio y exjefe de trabajo de mi padre; armando cabanillas (hermano de la conocida política mercedes cabanillas), su hijo fue devoto del templo de chaclacayo - epicentro pero ya dejó el cuerpo en una marathon en huancayo, asi que me dijo que conversáramos de la filosofía para ver si lo convenso, jejeje, esperemos se vuelva devoto algún día.

Nuestro sadhana variable; 3am, 5am y 5:30am., 16 rondas mejorando y 4 principios bien, estuvimos una semana en el templo Radha Madhana Vihari, en asociación de M. Vindia, su esposo y otros devotos, entrando al altar y cocinando y pienso siempre si tan solo una parte de mi se pudiera quedar al lado de las deidades... la nostalgia de dejar a las deidades me partió el corazón, Tuve buena asociación de nuestra amiga Bhaktin Amparo, quedándome en su casa, levantándome por entusiasmo de ella a las 2 am., cantando muchas rondas, asistiendo a mangala artik y haciendo servicio en puyari, compartimos juntas prasadam y vimos padmavati la película, una muy buena película, me encanto todo, p. PUSPA GOPAL le regaló a p. gadai gauranga una govardhana sila, agradesco a krsna por tan hermosa asociación en esa semana.

ASA - Aaaawk! TlgaSP Pfanrh... Govardhana Sila!!! Es super peligroso adorar si no esta fijado en bondad. Esta fijado en bondad???

También está marchando bien lo de mi título profesional pienso hacer el tema; "costos delos productos ecológicos", mi asesor de tesis me pidió bibliografía, estaba pensando darle el Gita donde habla de las modalidades de los alimentos, pero necesito otros libros mas...

El segundo piso ya va quedando listo solo falta las ventanas y puertas y piso... aqui unas amigas me prometieron venir a los programas del nama hatha, Nancy, yavidja y Lindsay estan muy entusiasmadas.

Ahora estamos en Huancayo, a punto de hacer un sankirtana viajero con mi esposo a las ciudades de ayacucho y Huancavelica, de sólo imaginar en la maravillosa realización que uno va saboreando el néctar de Prabhupada me entusiasma, creo que es una maravillosa forma de conectarse con Prabhupada, eso es todo gurudev, espero verlo en junio, gracias por toda misericordia de mejorar las rondas, gayatris y sobre todo mejorando el servicio día a día.

Nadiya Nivasi Dasi

HpS - Desculpa no podemos comunicar muy bien. Los ojos no permiten mas much computador y en viaje estamos en contacto con muchos devotos! Gracias su carta. Claro tuvimos que leer como algo URGENTE y no pudimos saborear todo pero aparece esta en el sendero correcto. Toda esta vida es un sueno. Los cuerpos que vemos son robots.

Dr Samaresh Bandyopadhyay - interview 190308

This interview is to enlighten and enliven the participants in the 2019-2021 NIOS symposia on Education and the Sacred, planned to be co-sponsored by San Marcos University, Lima, Peru.

Professor Dr. Samaresh Bandyopadhyay, you have had an enriched career in the academic, cultural and religious life of Bengal and the academic world of ancient Indian history and culture.

In one line that might be taken into the thumb-nail biographies of the Websters International Dictionary how would you describe yourself, your life?

____

Thank you, just to expand upon that a little more for our audience, if you were writing to a professional and somewhat close associate how would you describe the contribution that by your own effort or the hand of destiny you have made in your professional, community and personal life?

What work would you be very satisfied to see carried forward by others?

____

Turning more specifically to our symposia theme of Education and the Sacred we have been gifted with three questions by the great scholar and humanitarian, Hector Behar:

1.    With what community do you identify yourself?

2.    In that community what is The Sacred?

3.    How does Education allow the Sacred to be researched and communicated in that community?

_____

Then taking a step backward:

What is your theory and practice of Education, your Philosophy of Education? Of course, this can deal with such questions as:

What is a fully educated man,

What are the steps along the road to that education,

How such education can be effected.

_______

Thank you so much for your valuable time and two more question comes immediately to our mind and of course, your esteemed self may see many other topics that are essential for this short interview:

How can NIOS and its allies organize these symposia in such a way as to have a global impact for modern society? What contribution do think you can make to see this become a reality?

Vyasa-puja 2019

“…according to the Vedic system, on the birthday of the spiritual master the disciples conduct the ceremony called Vyāsa-pūjā.” BG 18.75. Esteemed reader, do you also turn to this purport every year during Srila Prabhupada, Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami’s Vyasa-puja?

Our offering to His Divine Grace’s Vyasa-puja, in this little essay, is an effort to illuminate a little bit of the glories of Srila Prabhupada, Founder Acharya of the International Society for Krsna Consciousness, and author of the book KRSNA, The Supreme Personality of Godhead. We are like weak sighted men, standing in the dark, trying, with our candle, to illuminate the Royal Elephant. We do this for our benefit and the benefit of others.

Thus we work to hear other articles in this Vyasa-puja book that make their own attempts to illuminate Srila Prabhupada, and maybe in choir we can get some little, but practical glimpse of His Divine Grace: No one can take everything that the spiritual master is offering. No one can know the Acharya completely.

“The transcendental pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, are so powerful that simply by hearing, reading and memorizing this book, Krsna, one is sure to be transferred to the spiritual world, which is ordinarily very difficult to achieve.”, Krsna, Chapter 90. Our first real contact with Srila Prabhupada was this Krsna book. One of his disciples, maybe Sriman Buddhimanta Das, was distributing books at the Davis Campus of the Universsity of California about 1972 and he convinced us to donate $10 and take one. This Krsna book seems complete in every way but to gain more and more access to it Srila Prabhupada has given Srimad Bhagavatam, The Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Caitanya-Caritamrta, Upadesamrta, Nectar of Devotion, Isopanisad etc.

“The main business of human society is to think of the Supreme Personality of Godhead at all times, to become His devotees, to worship the Supreme Lord and to bow down before Him. The ācārya, the authorized representative of the Supreme Lord, establishes these principles, but when he disappears, things once again become disordered. The perfect disciples of the ācārya try to relieve the situation by sincerely following the instructions of the spiritual master.” SB 4.28.48. When Srila Prabhupada disappeared from our physical vision in 1977 we experienced just what he describes here and took shelter of the remedy that he describes here also. Now we seem to see in 2019 that our Acharya is beginning to disappear again. This time from the natural passing of the years - Disappearing from the rituals of his society, from the recollections of his disciples as they grow old and pass away. This is quite natural but the remedy is still the same, follow the instructions of the Acharya: Chant 16-nice rounds daily on beads and follow the 4-regulative principles strictly. Then, intelligence (Brahminical culture), and organization  (Ksatriya culture), can be cultivated from that root.

What we have been able to take from our little connection with Srila Prabhupada is that the whole process can be boiled down into eight words: Get up early and get your rounds done. Done with enthusiasm. Then your day will be play. Management will be at your fingers end, there will be no question of shortage of funds, people will respect your preaching.

Thank you Srila Prabhupada for giving us this orchard of fruits, roots and flowers in the form of the wisdom and culture in your books. Thank you for giving us a connection to you through the Lord in the heart. Thank you for ISKCON and all its venerable members. We will try to be more sincere disciples and we hope to find some eternal place in your traveling Sankirtan.

One of your most insignificant servants,

Hanumatpresaka Swami

2019 Mar 08