Letters to the editor

Hare Krsna dear Guru Maharaja

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

Answering your questions, as I told you in your last visit here in Lima, I am working as secondary teacher -1st to 5th grade- on Art, Religion, Civics and Dance workshop. I am tutor too.

HpS - Aaha!!! Put in context, now we remember!

I organized the Art course, teaching Visual Arts for two months, Music -and Singing- two months, Dance two months and Theatre two months.

Also I arranged the Religion course, with the permission of my coordinator, to teach world and historic religions, in order that students repeat maha mantra Hare Krsna on the subject of "Hinduism", talking about vaisnava beliefs, practices and principles, Krsna pastimes in Vrndavana too.

HpS - Super!! Super news foe this Blog also!! Will he own his own school soon?

Civics on citizenship education, state, human rights, public affairs, public security, etc.

And Dance workshop, a very big dose of different rhythms.

At ISKCON Lima, teaching Introduction to Bhakti-Yoga Course, leading kirtana and lecturing on Bhagavad-Gita last sunday of every month. Since 2019 I will teach ISKCON Disciple Course, Bhakti-Sastri and IBYC too. And I want to reassume theatre service.

HpS - Aaaawk! Bhakti-sastri! Right now ISKCON Peru is not authorized to give the Bhakti-sastri Diplomas! Is big anxiety for us. Of course, Karuna-krsna Das is the ISKCON Peru Minister of Education and we hope that this can be worked out through him, no?

My wife Adi Lila performs offering and worship five days a week at noon in ISKCON Lima.

HpS - How far does she have to travel??

At home, Jagannatha-Baladeva-Subhadra ruling over. My son Krishna is 14 years old, on 8th grade in a Waldorf school, happy and inteligent, still living with his mother. He wants to be a photographer and travel around the world.

HpS - Is he in Patrak das' school?

Gurudeva, thank you very much for everything. Please forgive my offenses.

Your eternal servant,

Jiva-Sakti dasa.

HpS - Thank you! Let us work on the Menu for Vyasa-puja. We can contemplate on what to offer Lord Nrsmha Deva!

Hare Krishna Maharaj, reverencias. Todas las glorias a Srila Prabhupada!

Aquí le escribo bajo la autorización y pedido de Srila Virabahu Maharaj con quién he tenido una reunión el día miércoles aquí en Córdoba (Argentina), debido a un inconveniente que necesitaba resolver y él muy amablemente me ha ayudado y apoyado.

Me acerqué debido a que yo fui iniciada hace 5 años en Isev pero hace más de 1 año que me he refugiado en Iskcon Córdoba. Los devotos me han hecho sentir parte de la comunidad desde el primer día, mucha misericordia de parte de ellos. Me encuentro haciendo servicio en los programas de domingo, en la cocina, en la organización de los mismos, como presentadora y colaborando como cantante en bhajans y kirtans.

La razón por la que me he distanciado de Isev, ha sido porque tuve inconvenientes con un Swami que tiene muchas denuncias por violencia y comportamientos indebidos. A mi me ha tocado sufrir muchas de estas cosas. Lo hablé con las autoridades pero como a tantos otros devotos, no me creyeron y finalmente cuando sucedió este último y reciente episodio de Paramadvaiti swami volví a comunicarme con quién ha sido mi maestro (Srila Atulananda Acarya) para pedir guía ya que una vez más no podía entender lo que estaba sucediendo.

La respuesta de él ha sido que yo debía decidir entre perdonarlo o cambiar de misión. Me admitió que Paramadvaiti swami había cometido esos "errores" pero que él lo iba a seguir apoyando ya que consideraba que todo el servicio que había hecho por el movimiento durante tantos años valía mucho más.

Ha sido muy doloroso leer esto, pero me ya me han pasado muchas cosas y después de mucho pensaro, de recibir apoyo de muchísimos devotos de Iskcon y la guía de varios devotos mayores, le envié un mensaje a Srila Atulananda Acarya contándole sobre mi decisión de continuar mi camino en la comunidad de Iskcon.

Su respuesta a esto fue muy amable, me ha dicho que me consideraba una gran devota y que me tenía mucho cariño, pero lo comprendía y me deseaba lo mejor, qu él me daba su bendición para buscar un nuevo guía espiritual.

Todo esto le conté a Srila Virabahu Maharaj, quien me ha escuchado y ha tratado de unir todas las piezas para responder mi pregunta de cómo continuar mi camino, ya que no tengo dudas en mi corazón sobre mi fe en Krishna, pero sí tengo la certeza de que necesito a los devotos y un guía espiritual para seguir. Él me ha explicado muchas cosas y me ha ofrecido todo su apoyo de parte de Iskcon. Ha sido muy emocionante escucharlo.

El me preguntó si en todo este tiempo en Iskcon (que él consideraba suficiente) yo había conocido a algún maestro que haya tocado mi corazón y yo le dije que estaba esperando que usted viniera a Argentina para hablarle. Entonces me dijo que le escribiera lo antes posible de su parte y le contara toda mi historia, me dijo estas palabras: "Si uno pierde la fe en su maestro, es muy posible que luego pierda la fe en Krishna" entonces dejaba a su total juicio cómo debía continuar este camino. Me contó que estuvo con usted hace poco tiempo y habían tenido la oportunidad de charlar.

Desde que lo conocí ha sido en usted en quien he confiado todo mi afecto, me he refugiado en sus clases que sigo a diario y siento la inspiración y la guía de Srila Prabhupada en sus palabras.

Espero entonces no causarle ninguna molestia y que Krishna me de la gracia de encontrar en usted la respuesta por la que tanto he orado.

Reverencias Maharaj, muchas gracias por leerme y perdón si he cometido alguna ofensa. Intento ser lo más sincera y detallada posible.

Hare Krishna!!!

A sus pies, Radha Ruci DD.

HpS - ASA --- Hare Krsna!!! AgtSP!! Pfanrh. Primero, en Kali-yuga Krsna, Dios, Jehovah, Allah, Bog (Ruso) es muy presente en Sus Santos Nombres. En Kali-yuga hay MUCHAS problemas con religion, gobierno, salude, clime, Guru etc etc. pero una muy buena cosa. Solamente canta Hare Krsna y puede salir de todo y volver a Krsna!!

Si canta Hare Krsna y reciba buen inteligencias como adelantar, como Arjuna en el Bhagavad-gita, entonces puede entender como relacionar con Krsna, Radha, Gaura-Nitai, Prabhupada, Vira-bahu Das, HpS, Ambarisa-Vrsabhanu Nandini Das-Dev Dasi et al!!!

Somos disponible aqui en esta Blog y por parte de nuestra pagina: www.jayarama.us, con otros medias de comunicacion, y por unos anyos mas viajando por Sud America, para responder a carts, pregunas, pero.... esta Blog es bueno para cartas entre los amigos, cortas y seguido. O.K????? Muy feliz ser serviente. Hablamos Espanol como un burro. Nada demasiado complejida!

Hari Bolo! HpS - ASA

Hare Krsna Gurumaharaja

Please accept my humble obeisances

All glories to Srila Prabhupada

First of all I want to thank you for your association during the month you were in Lima. By your example and mercy, we begin to understand the fine subtleties of devotional service according to our very limited capacity. We love you very much, Gurudeva. On the other hand, your presence renews the essential enthusiasm we need to continue on our way. I apologize for distracting you with my concernings, but nobody better than you to help me absolve them so I ask for your patience on behalf of what i am going to tell you: I have always been (since I can remember) linked to the world of art. My father and mother devoted their efforts and life to artistic activities and since I was little I had contact with books, select music, painting, unusual objects and creative and unorthodox people who contributed in the development of a critical attitude towards life. I always wanted to devote myself to the artistic and the Lord granted me the desire to do so allowing me a life in close relationship with this unconventional world (in a material perspective, of course). I love art, and what awakens in people, I am fascinated by the ideas around it and I have partially resigned the practice to dedicate myself to teaching and researching due to my great attraction to ideas and books. However, not everything is perfect in this environment. I have never been able to fit completely into my surroundings, I am not skilled at relating to others. I prefer solitude or personal contact with my students, for whom I am a guide but from whom I learn many things. Art is my Maya, its fascination dazzles me and sometimes I find myself biased to dedicate more time than to my spiritual practice.

I am 51 years old. I am not a young man and I feel, little by little, the signs of time in body and mind, in a subtle but real way. Indira Sakti and I want to deepen our spiritual life, we certainly want to be devotees (is the only thing we really have, besides your words). We do not have children, so attachment to a place is deceptive and unnecessary. However, sometimes we do not know what the next step is. For now, we are considering the possibility of returning to Chosica to serve you and train us in deity worship. It is a service that we like a lot and we execute it quite well as a team. We would like to stay for two years receiving training and then travel to a yatra where we can be employed in service to continue learning Arcana for another time (hopefully one day we can execute Arcana in deed). If Lord Jagannatha wishes, we can then travel to India to concentrate all of our time and effort in devotional service. What do you think of this possibility?

On the other hand, I do not have a degree because I never finished the thesis. In the last two years I have been tempted to do it and get my degree (I've even advanced in it), then I could do a master's degree in education or art history. But the thesis takes time, effort and money. Do you consider it necessary? Can this decision contribute to our spiritual development in some way? In short, I am hesitant to continue my professional career in an area in which I have achieved modest success at the level of prestige, money and social status (although it has enriched me greatly as a person) or, devote my time to perfecting our devotional service as pujari. In what way do we serve you best, Gurumaharaja? Not having found a way to serve you effectively has caused us great sadness, Gurudeva, so I beg you to instruct us and help us to channel our beings to the benefit of your sankirtana. I apologize for the length of the message.

Your little servant

Gandharva das

ASA - Hare Krsna! AGTSP paoho We are spending the weekend in Franklin in Tandavika Das and families Ashrama. This is a rather specific question and we don't have sufficient detailed knowledge of the situation to give detailed advice.

Canakhya Pandita says that victory comes from good advice and good advice comes from many counselors. Of course, Mataji is a good source of perspective. She knows how much pressure some of the school work may be on you while also paying the bills. Your family, friends, associates, teachers, KRSNA. Talk with all of them and then you can get a good estimate of the value and the cost of the Diploma.

Laksmana Das is going through it, no?

Also you can even do both maybe. You can even integrate getting a Master's Degree with becoming a Master as the Art of Deity worship.

See if you can do it in useful units. Commit yourself for two Semesters with a certificate in line and then reevaluate.

Main thing is what helps my Sadhana, Sankirtan. What is your Sankirtan in ISKCON. I don't think it is being a Pujari.

I think you would do well as a Director. Organize an event. Make a movie for a clearly defined audience using ISKCON as actors, action.

O.K.???

Hare Krsna dear Guru Maharaja

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

I hope you are in good health and happy.

Gurudeva, your Vyasa-puja is coming soon, 7th january, we are very happy. Some godbrothers asked me about this, so we arranged for a meeting to organize all this, as we did last year and many other times in the past. The idea of the general meeting with the godbrothers is to dialogue, discuss ideas and arrange the services, trying that everyone can offer a beautiful service to you.

We want to present an opportunity to devotees and guests to glorify your noble person, Srila Prabhupada, Sri Caitanya, the guru-parampara and Sri Krsna. And to obtain and share the spiritual benefit of the mercy.

If the assembled godbrothers decide to celebrate the VP in ISKCON Lima, we must to know authorities there usually prefer that festivals must be scheduled according to the date in the vaisnava calendar. Personally, I agree. And some godbrothers also want to celebrate the VP on the date, 7th january. Ultimately, godbrothers gathered in assambly will decide.

So, we want to present this ideas to you.

Your servant,

Jiva-Sakti dasa.

HpS - AGTSP pamoh.. Very nice to hear from you! What are you doing????? We answered these questions in another letter to CMDD, did you see it. I have seen at many Temples the celebration will be a different date than the actual appearance day for the practical convenience of the devotees. So, Sunday might be nice and private festivals on Monday.

How are you??

Accept my respectful obeisances Guru Deva

All glories to Srila Prabhupada

Hare krsna Guru Deva, well.. since the last time we talked, my father gave me the deity of Lord Nrsimha deva to take Him to my trip to Paraguay, I worked in a mother's restaurant for 3 months. And then I went to Colombia, I stayed there 3 months and then I returned to Peru. In all that time, I continued in my relationship with Margie, we follow our four principles and we try to be stricter every day, she is chanting her rounds as you told her, she continues with 4 daily and she will increase. I have not had the best days, Krsna Keeps putting me to the test, and Maya is still doing her work. 

Because of Nrsimha Deva that my father gave me, because of you, and the little association that I have for now I keep my votes, thank them. I stopped working and now I will dedicate myself to do what you told me one day. Margie and I are seeing the way to leave more the material life and concentrate more on the spiritual, for the moment we follow our principles, our rounds and we attend Laksmi Nrsimha deva. However, I would like to know if I can attend Them only by having the first initiation, since I was a child my father let me take care of Him at home, and this deity has become a inspiration for Margie and I, He has protected me in my trips. My question is: Can I have Them and take care of Them only by having my first initiation?

HpS - Yes, as far as we understand from Srila Prabhupada, Jayananda Das and Tamal Krsna Maharaja, yes. They are not installed Deities and it is more Pada sevanam than Arcanam as we understand. Love Him, keep Him clean, give Him regular service of food, flowers, incense, lamp and oil, even if it is very simple!!

Grrrrrr!

Well Gurudeva, I await your response, may Lord Nrsimha protect you

Estamos probando con un tema necesario de resolver, parece que será exitoso el envío 😊 ...

Querido Gurumaharaja:

¡Por favor acepte mis respetuosas reverencias!

¡Todas las glorias a Srila Prabhupada! 

Nos gustaría conocer más de un tema sin incomodar Su persona. Muchas veces hemos escuchado y hemos visto que Usted es un vaisnava tan simple en Sus necesidades personales, tratamos de servirlo y puede ser que seamos en un gran porcentaje como la cucaracha con el Rey. 

Por favor Usted nos puede instruir de las calificaciones que debe tener un sirviente personal del maestro espiritual y nos gustaría conocer si Usted tiene alguna consideración específica para Sus discípulos sobre el tema por favor.  

Recuerdo mucho haber escuchado de Usted en México que no es bueno cambiar cada día de sirviente porque hay que explicar lo mismo cada día a diferentes devotos, en ese momento lo hicimos de esa forma porque varios querían servir y porque casi nadie contaba con el 100% de su tiempo disponible. 

En particular en México últimamente Arya Srestha Prabhu nos apoyó mucho pues circunstancialmente otros vaisnavas no contaban con tiempos completo en una visita de Usted. Prabhu es un vaisnava tranquilo, y suave en sus tratos, personalmente estoy agradecida con cada sirviente.

Siempre es un deseo de cada discípulo varon servir de esa manera al Guru y es bueno para nosotros saber que factores considerar. 

Pensando mucho si preguntarle o no para no incomodar pero quien mejor que Usted para resolver la duda. 

Disculpe mis ofensas por favor 

Su eterna aspirante a sirviente 

Asta Sakhi dd. 

HpS - TlgaSP!!! Si es bueno que una persona puede ayudar. Claro solamente es Domingo, Lunes y Martes y si no es posible para una persona podemos adjustar. Pienso que cualquiere buen devoto pueda ayudar. Somos en contactos con todos tan much que no hay problema si hay algo especifica como cambiar un boleto etc. que necesita abilidad especifica. O.K.??

Somos todos simplones aqui.