Letters to the editor

Dear Guru Maharaj,

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

Maharaj, I feel so fortunate that you remember this fallen soul and that you send instructions to remind us how to serve the Lord. I am so fortunate that you sent me instructions in the previous email. You have very correctly instructed me that the jewels and gems of the hari-nama have to be shared and not just collected but also distributed to all. I hope to do the same in my weekly Bhagavad-Gita As It Is reading programs that I do every week in Texas A&M University - Kingsville at my STA Newman Hall room. In this program done weekly, we have kirtan, Bhagavad-Gita AS IT IS reading, lecture by senior devotees (over Skype sometimes), aarti, offering bhoga, and distribution of prasadam. I am the faculty advisor for our Vedanta club at Texas A&M University - Kingsville. There is one devotee from Pune - Hrishikesh Prabhuji who is the President of our Vedanta club at Texas A&M University - Kingsville. Then there are Bhanu Kishore Devisetty, Mithilesh Korrapati, Poorna Sai Sama, Sai Srinivas, Sai Krishna Jangala, and many others who are students at Texas A&M University - Kingsville who are committee members of our Vedanta club at Texas A&M University - Kingsville. This Vedanta club at Texas A&M University - Kingsville is now registered officially as a student club.

Early on in this new year, we hope to get your blessings for our continued success of our student club Vedanta at Texas A&M University - Kingsville.

YAS,

Aja Govinda dasa

HpS - Thank you !!!!!!       We will be in Houston from like 26th February to 5th March. C u thyn????        You Sankirtan seems great.  Engage the boys who come in doing the work you are doing and then go up to the next level in your service!!

Up

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Upppppp!!P!P!!P!

Dear Guru Maharaja

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

On this auspicious occasion of your Vyasa puja, it gives me great joy to write my first offering. Pure devotees of the Lord like you are not born due to their karma.

HpS - We think you must be seeing the hand of the puppet master, Srila Prabhupada, and talking about him!

You appear on this planet out of your causeless mercy to save conditioned souls like me. I am forever indebted to you Gurudeva for showing your causeless mercy on me and accepting me as your disciple although I have so many faults and am not worthy of it. I am also deeply indebted to Radhika Ramana prabhu for mentoring me. It was because of his mercy that I was able to meet you in Boise. Thankfully, the nature of mercy is causeless.

In the first canto of Srimad Bhagavatam, the sages in Naimisaranya talk about the qualifications of Suta Goswami. In the purport, Srila Prabhupada writes

All bona fide representatives of Śrī Vyāsadeva in the chain of disciplic succession are to be understood to be gosvāmīs. These gosvāmīs restrain all their senses, and they stick to the path made by the previous ācāryas. The gosvāmīs do not deliver lectures on the Bhāgavatam capriciously. Rather, they execute their services most carefully, following their predecessors who delivered the spiritual message unbroken to them. (SB 1.1.5)

You embody Srila Prabhupada's purport and are the perfect representative of Srila Vyasadeva and Srila Prabhupada. Your teachings are so faithful to Srila Prabhupada's teachings and your life is non-different from Srila Rupa Goswami's Upadesamrta. After you doing all the hard work for my initiation, you gifted me the Upadesamrta, which is so close to your heart. I have memorized all the verses from it and it is the least I could do. I want to make Upadesamrta the basis for my spiritual life.

Your unflinching faith in the Maha Mantra and its prioritization is a great example for me. When I was driving you to the airport in Chennai, you were chanting slowly and so enthusiastically. I pray to Krishna that that voice of you chanting the Maha Mantra always stays in my mind. Your advice on the questions I ask are so practical and to the point, so that a neophyte like me can understand and apply it.

Although I have associated with you in this lifetime for a very short period, I feel like I have known you for a very long time. Guru Maharaja, during my initiation lecture, you specifically asked for me and said, "Initiation means Radha Rani gives you magic shoes to fight against the black witch, but you still have to run and you still have to fight". I will fight but the fight can only be successful with your mercy. I hope I will be successful in my fight in this lifetime and not cause you any more pain. On this auspicious day, I hope and beg to Krishna that my actions do not bring displeasure to you and I can be of some service to you in your service to Srila Prabhupada.

Your unworthy servant

Srinatha Krsna dasa

HpS - AGTSP!!  We are just an ill formed peanut trying to be of use to Srila Prabhupada and if you see  us as an elephant it is because the elephant has taken an interest in eating the peanut.

Sankirtan!!!!     Moving to Dallas???

Hare Krishna Dear Guru Maharaja

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

I came back from India yesterday.

ASA - Over a week ago. Sorry for the delay.

It was a really nice trip. I visited Mayapur, Ekachakra and Vraj. Also vistited ISKCON Chennai and Parthasarathy temple in Triplicane.

ASA - Jaya!   Ekacakra!!!

              Radhika Ramana prabhu and I observed a nice and simple Vyasa puja celebration in Mayapur. Unexpectedly many devotees came and started glorifying you. Durgam prabhu was fondly remembering being with you on Vrajamandal parikrama. It was sweet. I will resend my offering in a separate post.

ASA - AGTSP!!!

I really loved Ekachakra. The people there had such spontaneous love for Nityananda Prabhu. They were raising their arms in the air and saying 'Jai Nitai!' when we were waking on the streets. It was the same in Vraja too. The Vraja vasis were so sweet. Every place we visited, they were telling the pastimes of Krishna and it was from the heart. I especially remember the Vrajavasis from Kusum Sarovar, Unchagaon and Sankeet on how eager and lovingly they were telling us about the pastimes that happened there. I realized how hard my heart was after seeing their love and spontaneity in welcoming us and sharing with us the pastimes.

The mangala arti in Krishna Balaram temple was the best. I wanted it to go on forever. I want to carry that mood back here and develop a steady FMP. It was very inspiring. I followed your instruction and attended all the mangala arti. It set the tone for the day. I was able to chant at least 32 rounds on most of the days. I did book distribution in Chennai on Vaikunta Ekadashi and New Year day along with the devotees there.

Throughout the trip, I was constantly thinking about you and your mercy, for me to have these experiences. I struggled so hard to travel to the few places I went and got very sick in Vrindavan. I was thinking about how you take very strenuous trips, travel to so many places, and preach. Thank you so much Guru Maharaja for all that you do for us.

I saw a post from Yamunesvara Prabhu asking for links to online lectures. They can be accessed from here - https://soundcloud.com/user-938973912.

Is it possible to add this link in Kapi Dhvaja so that it is easy for everyone to know about it?

HpS - We just posted it into the KDh and will distribute it. Maybe our lectures will give an example of evil for those who want to do good.

Your servant

Srinatha Krsna dasa

HpS - Let's hope that all our journeys are part of a longer journey that will take us to a place where we can be eternally situated at the lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada!

 Haré Krsna Gurumaharaja.!!

 Please accept our humble reverence!

 All glories to Srila Prabhupada!!

     Thank you so much Gurumaharaja for your kindly and fast  response.

       We had been waiting for it. As son as we recieve it every thing become so clear for every one...we had also commented it with some other  devotees, also in la gomera and the conclution was that we will better stay in la Palma island cause it takes lot of time and energy for moving and change house, school, neigborhood and so many other arrangement that Krsna is been doing for us, it looks like Krsna have some plan for us here., So, Gurumaharaja.. What do you think? Is our choise the good one?? 

          Hope this will find you in good spiritual éxtasis!! 

          Your aspirant servant Yasodanandana das& Ekadrsti d.d &/ Family. 

                                          Haré Krsna!

HpS - Sorry that this letter took some time to respond. Many challenges here. One is that it is now -10 degrees and we have to fight with the cold. Eighty-five percent of our mobile home is not heated, but we like it.

I don't remember the details of your choices but I suspect that if you made the choice and talked with other devotees and maybe included our ideas then the choice will be a step in the right direction!   Should we hope for more?    We are moving back to the ligh but still in the fog.

Respects to everyone!!!  Sankirtan!    Even smiling at people if you have done your Mangala arati is great Sankirtan.

nama om vishnu-padaya Krishna-preshthaya bhu-tale
srimate Hanumatpresaka Swamin iti namine

nama om vishnu-padaya Krishna-preshthaya bhu-tale
srimate bhaktivedanta-svamin iti namine
namas te sarasvate deve gaura-vani-pracharine
nirvishesha-shunyavadi-pashchatya-desha-tarine

Om ajñana-timirandhasya jñanañjana-salakaya
caksur unmilitam yena tasmai sri-gurave namah

 Dear and esteemed Gurudev,
 ‎please accept muy humble obeisances,
 ‎all glories to Srila Prabhupada,
 ‎Another year in the ISKCON family. Yes!!
 ‎Thank you for all the austerities you make to set the example. Preaching, sadhana,travelling so much,etc.
 ‎Thank you for pushing ISKCON into another level. Your generation, made it very good, although the bad times, you kept the institution afloat. No matter all the troubles you had.
 ‎You gave us a huge legacy, expanding, translating, Srila Prabhupada's and previous Acharyas instructions to the most fallen souls like myself.
 ‎What is the main purpose of our generation? What should we do with ISKCON? Which should be the focus? Education, administration, devotee care?
 ‎What will happen when your generation is gone? All the glorious Srila Prabhupada disciples. Are we ready for the task? I have fear!! I feel myself more a burden than a helpful tool.
 ‎The only thing I can do is keep trying. And i will, until I succeed. Don't know when.
 ‎You showed me by your living example that everything in Srila Prabhupada's books is true.
 ‎I always remember what you said once. Fifty percent of the people in ISKCON are insane. But outside ISKCON eighty percent of the people are insane. So where do you want to stay?
 ‎So despite all the things we have to improve, ISKCON is a great place to be.
 ‎In SB 6.7.23 Brahma tells Indra:
 ‎O Indra, your enemies, the demons, were extremely weak because of their disrespect toward Śukrācārya, but since they have now worshiped Śukrācārya with great devotion, they have again become powerful. By their devotion to Śukrācārya, they have increased their strength so much that now they are even able to easily seize my abode from me.
 ‎By your mercy Gurudev everything is possible.
 ‎
 ‎mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ
paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande
śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam

(Madhya 17.80)

By the mercy of the guru, even a dumb man can become the greatest orator, and even a lame man can cross mountains.

Wherever you are, I want to be,
One of your worse disciples,
Nikunja bihari das.

HpS - Thank you. We are full of selfish motives, but Srila Prabhupada is using us.  We say that you only have to be 50% sane, madhyama, to live in ISKCON, not that 50% of the devotees are insane, but it is a fact that in the hospital you expect to find people in various degrees of illness. Go ahead. Smile a lot!!!!!

 ‎

Querido Gurudev: Pamho. Hemos entrado en un año nuevo y nos acercamos mas y mas al cambio de cuerpo. Estamos tratando de mejorar e ir contra la corriente de kali-yuga. Se necesita gran esfuerzo para contrarestar la influencia de la energia material. Estamos luchando y  me he propuesto escribir en el blog una vez al mes. (a ver si lo consigo).

HpS - ASA - Jaya!!

Así que le contesto a las preguntas que me hace:

1)- La familia está bien, aunque nos gustaría que Nimai sintiera mas atracción por las actividades devocionales (cantar, leer, etc). Entiendo que tanto Purnamasi como yo tenemos que darle un buen ejemplo y despues él hara lo que quiera. Podemos llevar al burro  al abrevadero pero no podemos obligarlo a beber agua.

2)- Los programas en casa van muy bien. Nos solemos juntar entre diez y venticinco (adultos y niños). Los devotos estan felices con el programa y lo estamos haciendo de forma regular.

3)- En cuanto al Yatra español creo tendriamos que hacer dos cosas muy importantes:

- La primera es desarrollar un sentimiento de "hermandad" entre todos los devotos (incluso vaisnavas de otras escuelas). Se pueden hacer festivales especificos de hermandad, sin reuniones administrativas, y con mucho canto, filosofía, prasadam,etc. Tratando de mostrar agradecimiento a todos los devotos por  su aportación al movimiento de sankirtan  o mostrarles agradecimiento simplemente porque son vaisnavas.

- La segunda es ocupar a los devotos segun su naturaleza. Principalmente, cuando la modalidad de la bondad sea muy resaltante, ocupar al devoto en funciones de predica y ayudarle a evitar los asuntos administrativos. Y cuando la modalidad de la pasión sea resaltante ( y tambien haya buena dosis de bondad) entonces tenemos que animar a esos devotos para que ocupen o ayuden en servicios administrativos. Cooperación entre los dos grupos. Los brahmanas dicen que se puede hacer y los ksatriyas como se puede hacer.

Esperando se encuentre bien de salud se despide

su sirviente

Jayanta das

HpS - Jaya!    Muchas gracias sus noticias. Vale The New York Times.

Estuvimos hablando de Yadunandana Swami para 1.25 horas semana pasado. Esperamos visitar a Espanya en otnyo posible.

Aun trabajando como 'mailman', no?   Cuanto mas tiempo para su jubilo?  Entonces mas oportunidad predicar!!!!