Letters to the editor

Querido Gurudeva, por favor acepte nuestras humildes reverencias. TLGASP! TLGASPL!

Nosotros continuamos siguiendo los principios y luchando a diario con nuestras 16 rondas y sadhana por las mañanas. Aún vivimos en Lima, pero participamos con los devotos en los programas de Iskcon Callao. Iskcon Callao aun no es formal, así que Hemos tenido correspondencia con Maturesh Prabhu a quien consideramos nuestra autoridad Local.

Por favor perdónenos por no escribir antes, hemos tenido muchas pruebas familiares estos dos últimos años. Ahora solo somos dos, nuestros hijos están iniciando sus propias vidas. Arjuna vive con sus abuelos (padres de KMDD), y Sita está viviendo con una amiga (una familia karmi), esperamos que ellos se comuniquen con Usted. Nosotros estamos iniciando una nueva etapa, y con Karuna, aun no decidimos donde viviremos este año, aunque nos gustaría mudarnos a Chosica y ver la posibilidad de apoyar en algo, para que sea un lugar más favorable, cuando Usted venga a quedarse esos tres años. Estos años que vienen queremos estar cerca a Usted y poder ayudar a sus sirvientes en lo que se pueda, no hay ningún otro proyecto ni nada más importante para nosotros ahora, a menos que Usted tenga otra sugerencia.

En casa aun adoramos a Krsna Balarama, y a Lord Nrishimhadeva (Deidad de Bibhatsu Arjuna) y ojala Govardhan Sila quiera venir con nosotros en algún momento, siempre con su consentimiento.

Por favor perdónenos por no ser mejores devotos, padres, discípulos, estamos esmerándonos para mejorar. Trataremos de comunicarnos más seguido con Usted, que Lord Nrshimhadeva siempre lo proteja, lo queremos mucho Gurudeva.

Sus discípulos Anandamaya das y Karuna Mayi dd.

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Dear Gurudeva, please accept our humble obeisances. TLGASP! TLGASPL!

We continue to follow the principles and struggle daily with our 16 rounds and sadhana in the mornings. We still live in Lima, but we participate with the devotees in Iskcon Callao's programs. Iskcon Callao is not yet formal, so we have corresponded with Mathuresh Prabhu whom we consider our Local authority.

Please forgive us for not writing before, we have had many family tests these past two years. Now we are only two, our children are starting their own lives. Arjuna lives with his grandparents (parents of KMDD), and Sita is living with a friend (a karmi family), we hope they will communicate with you. We are starting a new stage, and with Karuna, we have not yet decided where we will live this year, although we would like to move to Chosica and see the possibility of supporting something, to make it a more favorable place, when you come to stay those three years . These coming years we want to be close to you and be able to help your servants as much as possible, there is no other project or anything more important for us now, unless you have another suggestion.

At home we still worship Krsna Balarama, and Lord Nrishimhadeva (Deity of Bibhatsu Arjuna) and hopefully Govardhan Sila wants to come with us at some time, always with his consent.

Please forgive us for not being better devotees, parents, disciples, we are striving to improve. We will try to communicate more often with you, Lord Nrshimhadeva will always protect him, we love him very much Gurudeva.

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Hps - Gracias por su carta. Preguntamos por todos y la gente también nos da noticias, pero sí, si puedes escribir más, es bueno.
Krsna quiere que todos seamos Paramahamsas en el nivel de Narad Muni. Es por eso que las cosas nos suceden, por lo que podemos ser grandes.
Canto, canto, canto y Krsna podrán enviar un claro entusiasmo acerca de tu Ashrama y Sankirtan de Srila Prabhupada.
Has sido un buen hombre. Los resultados de tus esfuerzos están ahí. Tú no eres Maharaja Yuddhisthira. No soy. Cuando el sol brilla, tratamos de avanzar.

Hare Krishna, Maharaja, 

Please accept my most humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada! All glories to you. You had told me to write about how my school is like. I apologize I am writing too late. Overall, I am enjoying the experience of going to Boise Sate University but I have also had a few struggles. Basically every semester there is atleast one class which I have a hard time with the professor, but somehow with your mercy and Krishna's mercy I get through it. Recently, when I went to go visit an advisor at Boise State, she said "You must be using really good face cream because you look very young!". I thought that was pretty funny. One of the classes I am taking this semester is called "The History of Asia". It mostly covers Chinese cultures, Buddism, Islam, and cultures of Japan.

Thank you so much for your mercy Gurudeva.

Your insignificant servant,

Sugopi Radha dd

HpS - Thank you!!!    How much time to you spend on the campus?  Are you making friends with some of your classmates?  If you are a good devotee they will become good devotees just by normal human reactions.
If Srila Prabhupada had not come, and people tried to follow him the world would be so terrible.

Hare Krishna Maharaja
AGTSP
Thank you very much for your answer, the truth is that it leaves me a lot of homework to study and begin to seek from the intelligence ways to discipline me to determine me. Put aside the emotionality and abide by the instructions.

HpS --- No!!!  Don't put aside emotions!   They are our means of progress.  They are the wind, the senses are the sails and the Guru, Srila Pabhupada, is the captain who uses the winds to take us where he wants us to go, not where the unguided winds want to take us.

Today was a very difficult day, I cried a lot, talk to a dear mataji who advised me. Then, some children arrived with their caregivers who were taking a walk and belong to a home of abandoned children. We met them in a food for life program that we did in their residence and today they wanted to visit the temple. With Abhimanyu we were just there, since lately we are not visiting the temple on Fridays. It was beautiful, the children asked me to go to the temple and to be in class, I felt that it was Krishna taking care of what moves me every day, which is to work with children with social problems. A child repeated the verse that was mentioned in the class at the beginning, he was delighted, with his eyes glued to Srila Prabhupada, and I had glimpses of enthusiasm.Then, I asked Prasadam for the children, ice cream, they denied me because they told me that they were for sale and that the person would not do more if they gave them to me, I did not keep the negative, I went ahead for those souls that had the opportunity to meet Srila Prabhupada, hear a verse from BG.

With respect to:

"1. ISKCON as an institution.

2. ISKCON as your friends

3. ISKCON as you and Srila Prabhupada.

Can you live in all three? "If I can, but it's hard for me ... what does it teach me to start moving forward on these points? Like ISKCON as your friends?

HpS - Srila Prabhupada will be your personal, eternal, friend. Just develop that relationship. Then develop your circle of friends in service. In the end, our message is that you have free will and personal responsibilities of the same quality as God. If is frightening, but also intoxicating: I really matter!
Nothing can discourage you unless you let it.
Yes, the whole universe depends on your choices.

Thank you very much Maharaja for helping me, I will be writing more often, even more if I am not well with my spiritual life. I will name RADHE and with love I will continue to serve Srila Prabhupada, you, my Siksa guru and Maharaja Dhanvantari.

Please give me your blessings to stop falling, give me your blessings to fight with maya, I want to advance in Krishna Consciousness and preach this great movement, that this is the meaning of my life. Even so in the crisis I see that that is my goal, there I want to be, sheltered in the Lotus Feet of Krishna.

Waiting for you to be very well Your humble well-wisher, Ma. Soledad Oyarce

HpS - I get exhausted by conflicts in ISKCON. Sometimes I see that I am the source of the problem. Accept it, apologice as practical, fight your mistakes.

Won't solve all the problems every time but the progress is eternal. Step by step.

Hare Krsna, Gurudev Maharaja!
Please accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet.

HpS - And ours to the feet of everyone who has taken birth as Manipuri Vaisnava!

All glories to Srila Prabhupada, Sripada, and Guru Parampara,                        

Goura Bhakta Vrnda Ki Jay, Radha Krsna Ki Jay.

Dandavat Pranam Guruji Maharaja!

I have downloaded Gurujis amritabani reply of my previous letters. I am so happly to get Guruji’s reply and I thing I am just siting with Guruji’s and discussing about different topics.

Guruji I had seen in the T.V. news that in America now adays the temperature is too low upto -12 to 15 c.s degree and snow fall upto 1- 4 feet in the plains.  What about Guruji’s areas?

HpS - We are almost in Nashville, Tennessee. Yes, it also cold here and we must fight with it to some degree but the material world means austerity, but if we use the austerity for Krsna then we can asvance in devotional service.
We use the cold and isolation to learn how to be close to Krsna and become more qualified, qualified, in His confidentieal service.

In Manipur also it is winter season and the temperature is 3 degree c.s. So, I am facing a difficult to do mangal arati but continuing regularly.

To-day, is a strange one for me, when I am japing Hari Nama Mahamantra, after mangal arati, I remember the qualities of Sri Krsna – He is the father of fatherless, mother for motherless, He is so kind to the inoents, helpless, wealth for the poors. He receives the offer of tulsi leaf, wather, flower and fruits if we offer honestly and sincerely. On the other hand I think and asked myself whether He is hearing my japing. Suddenly tears falling down from my eyes and realize myself that He is listioning attentively and excuse my unclear pronunciations. He is satisfying in my unexperience services.

One more thing I want to know that everybody says,   “Krsna is so beautiful and attractive”.  But I could not feel such situation when I look Krsna’s pictures hanging on the wall of my house. When will I start feeling such instincts, and  when  my eyes will see attractively?

HpS - There is not like a fixed mechanical process and time. The verse "adau sraddha sadhua sange.." in purport to 4.10 BG, from Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, gives all the stage in such detail of the advancement. One step along the path is Ruci. Of course, we can get glimpses of it before we arrive there in full consciousness. Then Nistha, Asaktis, Bhava...  the taste expands. You can also look for better pictures.

Guruji! I have search A. C. Prabhupada’s lectures in the internet and found the visual life history of Prabhupada and different lectures. I have downloaded some lectures and the life history (visual-picturisation) in English in 18 volumes. When I am free in the office, I see the pictures. In the picture Prabhupada told his deciples that “Generally people worship Lord Krsna because He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but we (ISKCON) devotees are the worshipers of Srimati Radharani. We love Krsna because Radharani loves Krsna most”. Please comment.

HpS - Generally people are Karmis. They, we, want things because we think things will make us happy. If they take to religion it is to get things. They are nice Karmis. If their idea of God becomes more personal they see Him in his aspect ofr Maha-visnu, master of the universe, but we increase our service, pleasure giving to Vaikuntha, Ayodhya, Mathura, Vraja.... NOI 10 has wonderful summary.
Maybe we can understand the Gopis to some degree, but we have to fit into practical service at a least appreciating that the Rasa-lila is the ultimate pastime, but maybe the fastest way to join that service is by first going through Ayodhya.
Chant, chant, read and then we can see our level and type of advancement. Then we can be very satisfied that we are really contributing something useful at every level and advancing our realization and service.

Yours fallen servant

Yamunesvara Das

All Glories To Srila Prabhupada!  

Please accept my humble obeisances! 

I go to a public school Maharaj and I study the following subjects: English, Maths B, Legal Studies, Philosophy, Chinese and Diploma of Business.

HpS - ASA -- Incredible.  What are you plans?   It seems like you might go into the diplomatic corp or go into international business and ecology programs.

At the moment, I'm not entirely sure what I want to pursue in the future but I do know that a Business degree is a very broad option that may lead to several different careers that I may use in Krsna's service.

HpS - My question is answered but we addes a couple of ideas.

I know my father always had a desire to open a restaurant or go into the food business, so I do wish to fulfil that at some point. But my mother says it will be like a hobby, secondary to my primary job (steady income). So I still need to study something and perhaps once I'm established, then I can think about prasadam distribution (either in a food van/stall or a restaurant called "Krishna's Kitchen").

Otherwise, I hope this year will reveal to me what I deeply have interest in so that I may be prepared for University. 

As for drama teachers, there weren't enough students who displayed interest to take the subject, so in our grade, we don't have drama.

Maharaj, may you bless me with your knowledge and expertise to guide me to a path in which I may enjoy and use it as my service to Lord Krsna. 

Hope your health is in good, healthy condition always! 

Hare Krsna!! 

Yours servant,

Lakshmi Devi Dasi

HpS - The real thing is coming out of our addiction to the material world. In philosophy did you study Plato's allegory of the cave?  We gave the allegory of the cell phone. These bodies are proectors - shadows or smart phone, the movie making machinery behind the thin covering reveals that. We are not these kindeys.

So real life means waking up.

We can play in the drama to help others wake up, preaching, we can play in the drama to stimulate our desire to return to the real world.
For that there is Varna-ashrama-dharma and with psycho-social position as a woman then the natural ashramas are brahmacarini, grhasta and vanaprasta. Always Krsna is our first love, so he sends a nice partner and we both realize that this ashrama is for purification. Natural dharma for women in Vedic culture is to thank Krsna for arranging a nice partner, with a nice family and then use that nice situation to do her part to send them all back home, back to godhead, and let the gopis sort them out.

All Glories to Srila Prabhupada! All glories to Guru Maharaj HpS. PAOHO.

Hare Krishna Guru Maharaj,

Getting so excited for the Second initiation. Praying for all the mercy from Guru Maharaj for bestowing enough strength  so that this ignorant servant gets some service . Yes Guru Maharaj, we are getting Bhakti Shastri classes from HH Haridas Maharaj. Sincerely wish to join the full 4 months course conducted at Mayapur but Institute won't allow leave of absence for that period of time. Thinking about online course.

Guru Maharaj, praying for mercy for my japa. Feel satisfied only after chanting 30 or more rounds....if 16 rounds are not completed in the morning , I feel sort of irritated for no reason. On Ekadashi it feels so good.

Just working on a plan to open a congregation centre near our hospital. Looking for a place on rent.Our students are relatively free after their classes end at 4pm. Planning to start daily evening kirtan by 4.30pm followed by Prasadam distribution. As we have holidays every second saturday of the month, we plan to have Gita classes on this day. Almost every year we lose students to suicide. MBBS is a tough course with so much pressure and we wish to help them in some way.Seeking advice from Guru Maharaj. Kindly help us.

HpS - We don't have much to say. The effort seems perfect!    Krsna will do the magic.   His decisions are always magic, whether they are what we want or not.

We had wonderful kirtan last Sunday....as we started from the local Radha Gopinath and Radha Madhav temples, we were literally dragged in from one house to another.....we had kirtan in all the houses we were invited ...so much so that we did not have time for nagar kirtan...felt so sad. Prabhu Banamali suggested we go for Nagar kirtan at the same place next Sunday.

Your ignorant servant,

Sarada Gaurangi DD

HpS - Our local Tennessee devotees want to visit Manipur in the middle of October?   Is that a good time?  Is it too cold???   Of course, they want to see the Vaisnava culture.