HPS Blog

guru in perspective

10 months, 3 weeks ago by hps in Personal Sadhana Reports, Special Category A

Bhakta LeRoy writes:

Very very dear and beloved Gurudeva, I want to tell you that it's okay not to take diksha with you because currently I'm established on chanting 10-12 rounds a day, I must increase to 16,

I'm consuming cbd cannabis in food or oil or vapor (the last time I smoked was on September 17, 2022), it's my understanding that the gbc currently allows initiations for iskcon members who meet the requirements and are medical cannabis users demonstrating the treatment prescribed by the treating doctor;

ASA/UG: https://www.cdc.gov/marijuana/featured-topics/CBD.html

...and I also know that your main reason is your retirement and I think perhaps the need to change the mode of preaching and prepare for your departure from this world... I want you to know that I accept your decision but at the same time I cannot lose hope to obtain the mercy of your diskha,

because I will make the efforts to continue progressing and during this first semester to establish myself in the 16 rounds and improve my sadhana... then perhaps when that time comes where I already be established myself at the minimum level and be able to demonstrate that I'm really ready to commit myself totally to you and to the minimum demands, perhaps you will change your mind and you want to give me diksha,

I will insist and also I ask your forgiveness for wanting to insist... and if I don't achieve my goal, then I will wait some time and talk to the swamis that you recommend...

and if I don't achieve my goal, the truth is that I will always consider you my guru maharaja, I will always worship your photo that I have on my altar and that you sent me with devendra das when he came to los angeles, I will always try to follow your instructions and tell the world about srila prabhupada,

HpS - Advancing in KC means seeing more and more, ultimately everyone, trnad api sunicena, as our Guru. Radharani wants to be the servant of everyone in the service of Krsna.

We learn to see many kinds of gurus and how to fit them in the proper proportion in our heart so that they, we, all feel happy and practical.

I will always carry the upadesamrita in my heart and I will try to follow your steps and read and review your tava pache pache,

if you agree I want to get a sample of your voice from one of your classes to use in one of our songs as long as you agree,

HpS - Seems O.K. to us!! We try to speak for public utility!

I also want to use some of your poems and rhymes to integrate into some of our songs as long as you agree and it seems appropriate to you.

I want to be able to have some conversation with you during this year and then publish a book with our conversation as long as you have the time and energy available...

HpS - As KRSNA permits, seems fine to us and the ASA Supreme Absolute Undifferentiated Commando. (SAUC).

I will always be grateful to Krishna and Srila Prabhupada for allow me having met you and having your valuable association and having received instructions and having performed some service for your sankirtan,

these experiences are among the most fundamental in my biography and are my inspiration...

I apologize for being so stupid and so slow in advancing and taking so long to reach the minimum level qualification;

HpS/ASA - This maybe be our seventh lifetime trying to follow Srila Prabhupada!

I always remember, and today it weighs on me, when you asked me here in Los Angeles if I was ready to enter the fire, but I wasn't because I was still smoking cannabis and you told me very lovingly "it's okay, then we have to wait"...

I just hope to reach the minimum level and obtain your mercy, and if I not, then I will accept what corresponds to me... and I only ask God to always allow me to support the srila prabhupada's movement in some way and also to nios and asa...

thank you very much for everything gm, I always carry you in my heart and in my prayers, you are the most remarkable man I have ever met in my life and srila prabhupada is the biggest man of the 20th century and for the next 10,000 years, he is the spiritual master of the world... pamho agtsp hk ❤‍🔥

HpS - Obeisances to devotees in LA. The 21st Century Bhajan Band et al.

Would you be satisfied being a dog in Nabadvipa in your next lifetime with Nimai et al?

Letters to Our Brown Secretary.

10 months, 3 weeks ago by hps in Special Category B

asa[e] sankirtan; communicating with sannyasi partners

Tom Brown: Hare Krsna. AgtSP. HpSwami gets audio clips on WhatsApp sometimes. He has a hard time dealing with clips from H. H. Badri-Narayana Swami, Dr. Prof. Samaresh... everyone! 🙂 . . 😕 😕😕

The audio quality is not clear for his 40% diminished hearing, especially in high frequency hearing range.. They run too fast for him to understand them with Brother equally reduced short-term memory. They can't form concepts fast enough to really understand the concepts.

Reading and writing allows time for this.

Preview of geriatric psychology for some of our readers.

Statement of reality for older readers!

Old age is a good friend for a devotee.

Summarize stuff, especially for the Blog.

As, eg, several devotees are asking about working with NIOS: Land, money, men etc and HpS as old Sannyasi cannot give any perspective on these passionate, administrative, decisions without younger gentlemen sitting right in the conversations.

Thank you. 🐵🙏🐒

News from the Descendants of Raktaka Das

10 months, 3 weeks ago by lakshmi108 in Personal Sadhana Reports

Hare Krsna dear Maharaj,

Please accept my humble obeisances,

All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

This is Lakshmi, daughter of Raktak Das. It has been too incredibly long since I have written to you dear Maharaj. I always always think "oh I need to write to Guruji, I need to," yet my mind is the bigger enemy and I have not. I am the biggest fool. Please forgive me.

HpS - Thinking of you all and hoping to hear from you!

One devotee told Srila Prabhupada that he was "the biggest fool", and Srila Prabhupada responded. "you are not the biggest anything". 😃

So much has been going on in this life, so much activity. I've been managing okay, however, it seems to have been quite the difficult year for me, mentally.

I have not been able to focus properly on much as my mind has been too preoccupied in a lot of distress - all aspects of the material world, isn't it?

And on top of this, I know this is my downfall, I am still not consistent with my chanting or sadhana. I want to be, I want to have this desire to chant and not do it as a chore. I really do, I just want to do more. And be more.

I know it has to start with myself. If I try, Krsna will reciprocate! I just have to keep trying, not being lazy. Laziness is my biggest shortcoming.

I really hope that in this new year, I am able to concentrate more spiritually and materially, so that all can be well and all can progress in harmony.

HpS/ASA - I could have written the above word for word. I think the Gopis say the same things! We are all trying to advance at our level!!

Try to make little promises that you know you can do, and then do them.

Eg. I will get up for Mangala arati three times a week until the next Ekadasi.

Then do it! Let you mind whine, but have your intelligence tell it, "We thought about this carefully and we know that you can do it! Get up. It is only for two weeks and then we can see the results and make our next decision, either more or less early rising."

In other better news, I have one semester of Uni left. I hope to graduate around July this year, and then I'll be qualified with a bachelor of design. I have many ideas I would like to fructify, and hopefully I can create some things. I can very much dovetail these skills in sharing our philosophy and its teachings.

ASA 🐵 👍

Spiritually speaking, this year has been great in one sense - I have begun a weekly Kirtan program at the temple. It has run for almost the whole year, since we begun, and it has been going excellently.

ASA - Super, SUPER, S U P E R !

We do Kirtan for at least 2 hours on Wednesday where there would normally only be the pujari in the temple at this time. Sometimes we have a full temple room. We also cook the Prasadam at Govindas every week and bring it to the temple as there are less facilities at the temple.

It has become such a nice Prasadam feasting party that even it supersedes the Saturday feast program 🙂

This has been really nice to do and I really feel that Kirtan is a way that I can connect with Krsna. I really wish it can extend toward daily practise.

Harinam still goes on, I have been less inspired to go out. Again, this year, I really hope that I can become more active and more engaged with my heart.

HpS - When you go out on Sankirtan some one may see your effort, your smile from the effort, and that may literally save their life, decide not to commit suicide!

If the Kirtan is not good, work to make it better!

I am still working casually, and when I graduate, I just wish to travel.

And this now brings me to the point which aches me. My Taya Ji (papa's brother) recently contacted me.

My papa always used to say that you told him that you will not be on this material plane for that long, till about 2024.

I remember him telling us this news. And I always see you write this on your blog and twitter etc.

It's so sad and I cannot really imagine this news. I really need your association. I always wanted your shelter, and I have always admired you and aspired for you. But I just knew I was not ready, spiritually for all this. I mean of course it is only me hindering myself. But I just knew I couldn't take a vow and not commit completely (as many seem to do unfortunately).

I really want you as my official guru. But I know I am also struggling with my sadhana. And so this is really my predicament.

I have been pondering this for so long, even before my Tayaji mentioned that it would be September. I am torn, and I don't know what to do. But all I do know is that I need your association at least, so that you may instruct me in some form.

HpS - In Canto One we remember Yuddhisthira lamenting when he finds Dhrtarastra and Gandhari have left for the forest.

He wants to protect them.

Then Narada Muni arrives and we think that he says, that Yuddhis. should think about his situation. Y is declaring that he will protect G and Dhrt., but he himself is under the clutches of death!

Only Krsna can save us.

So I may die as soon as I push the Send button on this letter and you may die as soon as you finish reading it. 😃

P'pada says, "As long as we are chanting HK we are packed up together.

I think that we may all end up in Nabadvipa with Nimai when we wake up in our next bodies!

We recommend Yadunandana Swami as nice Spanish Diksa Guru, even to Sannyasa, and here there is Radha Krsna Das who is nice Diksa guru.

We are already too old to handle the Karma of the ritual.

That is natural.

You are no longer a darling little girl of seven.

... but. we can certainly attend, even if we are gone, the rituals and act as friends and advisors.!

I would like to arrange that after I graduate, I will immediately come to India and come where you will be so that I can serve and receive your instructions.

I would really want to do this. I would like to know what are your thoughts and how you think I should proceed with this. I feel this connection to you Guruji and I have always since accepted you as my Guru. And of course, the connection with my father through you as well.

Please please guide me. Tell me what I can do. I can even defer my semester if it means that I should have more of your association and can receive more instruction from you. Or somehow do it all online. I really would do this. I would like to know what you desire as well. Please allow me to be of some service and fulfil my desire to be of some service to you. I beg.

I have told my mother and she is happy for me to come to India. And in that regard, everyone in the family is doing good. Bheemsen graduated Year 12 this year, he will look into doing some plumbing apprenticeship. Nandini is studying Finance. Devaki-Nandan is working at a warehouse. My auntie and uncle are working as they do, continue to serve their Saligrama. And my mother still works in the Brisbane city council. All are well, family in Baku and India.

I very much hope to hear from you soon, and see you. We will now soon record a video to send to Madhumanjari for your Vyasapuja. I will also write you an offering on that day as well, but we will as a family wish you well.

My pranams to you Guruji, I really only wish the utter best for such a great devotee of the Lord as yourself, and I am so so privileged to be able to even have your association and be able to even write to you, I am so blessed.

Please please bless me to continue in service of the devotees and the Lord.

Your insignificant servant,

Lakshmi

HpS - We may leave our body on Friday the 12th. We don't know. We have ragged heart beats sometimes now.

On the other hand we may live to be 120 years old in this body!!!

Right now it is 5.16pm and we will go to the Temple.

Cold here and chant some more rounds and look to associate with the devotees.

Already people here from two continents.

AGTSP!

Draupadi by her determination caused the death of 640,000,000 men, no?

So a chaste and demur young lady can also save the lives of 640,000,000 men, no?

Our only real travel plan now is to go back to Tennessee at the end of February and then stay for at least a month.