Letters to the editor

Dear Gurudeva, please accept my humble obeisances, all glories to Srila Prabhupada!

I guess I am the worst of your disciples,

HpS - ASA -- Maybe second worst. The competition is stiff.

I read some of them excusing for not writing you for some months or weeks, but for me it took me years to write you again... I am a very bad disciple.

HpS - Evil. See picture below.

After some difficulties I am now chanting 16 rounds mainly in the morning before work, and following 4 principles.

We came to Colombia 5 years ago to buy a land and do some community, but it seems we choosed a land very far from the city, so nobody was comming, and we were not preaching.

1 year and a half  ago we decided to go to live in Medellin city, and start preaching a little. Here there wasnt any preaching program or sunday feast, so we started every sunday doing the program in my house, and becoming more steady with sadhana.

Since our program is the only one in this city, the few devotees that are active, are coming to our house to participate. Every sunday we have 10 - 15 devotees here, and when a preacher sannyasi or like that comes, we have like 50 guests and devotees.

Still a little entangled with my work, paying debts, looking for the mode of goodness, doing my grihastha duties and preaching a little the sundays.

Trying to improve the quality of my rounds, and the quality of my feelings towards Krishna. Still very neophite.

We are in contact with Guruprasad Swami the GBC about preaching issues. The pictures bellow [below] are from the last visit of HH Bhakti Prabhupada vrata Damodar Maharaja

Thanks Gurudev, I feel that you are helping me anyway from the distance

Is there anything that I can do to serve you?

My wife and children are well thanks to Krishna, my wife sends you greetings and obeisances.

Your humble servant

Jambavan das

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Querido Gurudeva, por favor acepte mis humildes reverencias, todas las glorias a Srila Prabhupada!

Supongo que soy el peor de sus discípulos, he leido que algunos de ellos presentas sus excusas por no haber escrito por meses o semanas, pero yo llevo años sin escribirle de nuevo... Soy un discípulo muy malo.

Después de algunas dificultades, estoy ahora cantando 16 rondas mayormente en la mañana antes del trabajo, y siguiendo los 4 principios.

Llegamos a Colombia hace 5 años para comprar una tierra y hacer una comunidad, pero parece que escogimos una tierra muy lejos de la ciudad, así que nadie estaba viniendo, y nosotros no estábamos predicando.

Hace 1 año y medio decidimos ir a vivir a la ciudad de Medellin, y comenzar a predicar un poco. Aqui no habia ningun programa de predica o fiesta de domingo, asi que comenzamos a hacer el programa cada domingo en mi casa, y a volvernos mas fijos en el sadhana.

Como nuestro programa es el unico en esta ciudad, los pocos devotos que estan activos, estan viniendo a nuestra a casa a participar en el programa. Todos los domingos vienen 10-15 devotos, y cuando viene algun sannyasi o predicador, vienen unos 50 invitados y devotos.

Todavia un poco ocupado con mi trabajo, pagando deudas, buscando la modalidad de la bondad, haciendo mis deberes de grihastha y predicando un poco los domingos.

Estoy intentando mejorar la calidad de mis rondas y  la calidad de mis sentimientos hacia Krishna. Todavia soy muy neófito.

Estamos en contacto con Guruprasad Swami, el GBC, en referencia a los temas de prédica. Las fotos de abajo son de la visita de SS Bhakti Prabhupada vrata Damodar Maharaja.

Gracias Gurudev, siento que usted me está ayudando de todas formas, desde la distancia

Hay algo que yo pueda hacer para servirle?

Mi esposa e hijos están bien gracias a Krishna, mi esposa le manda saludos y reverencias.

Su humilde sirviente

Jambavan das

HpS - ASA -- We often think about you, what happened to you?  What is your work?  What are you reading? How old are your children?

All Glories to Sri Sri Gaura Nitay!

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Please dear Guru Maharaja accept my respectful obeisances!

I hope this [you are] very well and always happy!

I want to tell you what we are doing: we continue enthusiastic in Santiago Mandir temple, improving sadhana.

Arduous months since there are few devotees living in the temple, therefore it is double service, I think it is difficult for twice the effort but we try every day to keep our mind fixed on Sri Sri Gaura Nitay, on Srila Prabhupada and on you, to serve, striving to be a good contribution to the Sankirtan. We have had to polish our anarthas, work tolerance, humility, respect for elders! . I remember that in the last letter I asked about the anarthas and that these can lead to offenses if they are not worked, you recommended me to read Cc Madhya 19.156 onwards, verses that speak of the creeper of bhakti. Gurudeva, I felt sorry for what I mention about the anarthas, I am afraid of committing offenses, I ask very humbly for your help, how do I avoid falling into offenses?

HpS - What we know is from the verses of Rupa-siksa mentioned above. 1) Surround yourself with good devotees and 2) Follow the rules and regulations.       Booop!     No big offenses. Of course there may be little ones, but Krsna can adjust those just by our service.

I try to be very rigorous, here the climate of relationship becomes difficult, responsibilities that fall on one, like a big backpack that is loaded with many things, thanks to Krishna I have the association of senior devotees who help me, through this association I try to take care of the roots of the vine so that with their guide they grow firm , listening attentively, singing and remembering the Lord, giving my heart as an offering, like a beggar shouting for droplets of love and mercy, I pray keep a good conscience in everything I do and always improve every day, the quality of our rounds, studying meanings of Vaishnava songs to understand what we are singing, always trying to be sincere in service and listening more to the heart than the mind.

HpS - So many devotees seem like they must have been Monjas y Monjes, Nuns and Monks, in their previous life. One does  not get so much intelligent devotion in one life time.

We try to connect by (fmp) but it is almost impossible, at that time here is kind of Srimad Bhagavatam. I hope I can write my reports more often.

Bhaktina Maria de los Angeles, servant of the servant of the servant, is dismissed.

Traductor de Google

https://translate.google.com › translate

HpS - The translation is good. If you use simple words and know a little English then you can give the machine words that won't be hard to translat. Here it is -4-degrees at night. There is is Spring time. Anywhere we can chant!     Such a gift.
The magic will not be done by me, nor you, nor any living being. The magic will be done by Krsna, when we become pure devotees of Krsna. - Srila Prabhupada!!

More news: Interesting stories from the Yatra.

Hare Krsna, Dear Gurudev,
Please accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
All glories to Guru parampara.

Gurudev, am happy that you would stay in US for Sankirtan till Feb 2018.

we require you for long time for guidance, Without your guidance, we are unable to progress. Only because of you, we are confident for success.

HpS - We are unique (you are unique), but there are many nice devotees who can give us good association. Ultimately they are all manifestation of our one Guru, Krsna!!

Whatever we have, given by you only. You are the source of our strength. We are not capable, helpless, useless to make anything in Radha-Krsna's services.

we need your blessings for faster progress. Your each word is precious for us and i need to deep down to understand and follow.
 
Thank you so much Gurudev.

your fallen servant,
Girivaradhari-Gopal Das

HpS - Hare Krsna.   AgtSP.   Who is Krsna?    If He was in Pune would you recognize Him?  How would He live?   Read the books, distribute the books, knowledge, love.

HAHRE KRISHNA DEAR GURUMAHARAJA.

AGTSP

PAMHO

Updating our report, we tell you that we continue working in Puerto Maldonado, we have many difficulties with the Internet, it is very restricted in our work and having an internet plan in the city is a bit expensive. We travel not to Cusco not very frequent and it is difficult to participate in the programs of the Temple, nor do we have communication with Goura Rupa Prabhu. P. Govinda das went to Lima two months ago, and we are alone here, alone fighting with our mind and trying to do some service here, not just karmi work, we started having problems. We told you that two and a half weeks ago, our sadana is trying to get up a little more intense, and we are finishing singing our rounds before 6:00 am so that we can be very energetic, we are reading the Srimad Bhagavatam with my wife, at 6:00 a.m. by phone, our priority is to get to sing 20 rounds a day, the additional rounds if we do not finish it before 6 o'clock we try to complete it at another time, the free hours we have are reading a bit to refresh our little intelligence, for it we try to sleep less hours, we are giving fight to the mind, We are trying to get up at 3:00 am to be able to sing our rounds and finish them after Mangala aratik.

Things with the family are fine, trying to solve Nilacandra's neglect problems in the school, very distracted, we are always talking, Vrisabhanu Nandanu, does not have many problems, is very intelligent, learns fast. My wife is calm because of the work that I have, she is not very worried about the separation, she knows that if I do some nonsense here, I would not know how to explain that to you, it would show that I have little intelligence ... very little. For everything else everything is fine, always thinking of you. and how to recover the lost time ... of the project that I spoke to you I will have it ready for your VP, as an offering. We will try to do a little sankintan here, for our spiritual good. Dear Gurudeva, we are always thinking of you, we pray for your blessings to get out of this material puddle, we no longer want to suffer. We plan to stay here for a few more months and then return to Cusco, but we want to do it with new thought that will contribute to Srila Prabhupada's ISKCON. We will always be grateful to him for his unlimited Mercy. May the mercy of Sri Krishna always be poured out on you.

Hare Krishna Dear Gurumaharaja.

Your useless servant wannabe

govardhana das

PS: I will write to Guora Rupa with a copy of my situation, as my authority. The times I can go to the Temple I associate with devotees, especially with my Sister Goura Gadhadara dd.

HpS - ASA -- Hare Krsna!    You are a Sannyasi. Even if you smile at people it has potency. It goes deep and they give up doing bad things and hope for a better life. Are there churches there? GO to church. What are you reading with your esteemed wife?  How old is your child? Only one?

<cite>Hare Krsna dear Gurudeva, All glories to Srila Prabhupada our savior </cite>

<cite>Please Accept my humble obeisances</cite>

<cite>Hope your health is ok.</cite>

<cite>HpS - Best use of a bad bargain! AGTSP!    Paoho.   No reason to impede the rot. As the body rots it becomes the basis of new bodys.</cite>

<cite>Well after some time i’m back in the blog…</cite>

<cite>In some days i will be admitted in the hospital for health reasons so it’s good to write now. Well, body needs some readjustment… (It is the 8th time only this year, each time takes about 2 or 3 weeks)… i’m taking this situation as a learning. Depression is part of our days lately. I don’t know exactly what is the learning but at the end Everything Krsna does is PERFECT even if we don’t understand.</cite>

<cite>HpS - Depression. That means our energy in depressed. Not even enough energy to push the corners of our mouth up, smile, but as soon as I smile my heart responds, Ha!  Ha!   Ha!
Incompetent as we are. No matter how small and with no matter how little energy we have, with a smile and a light heart we can brachiate after Krsna with others to help.</cite>

<cite>This year was very tough in all circumstances, specially in spiritual life…chanting is getting very difficult but we keep trying to do it… when the mind is thinking in others things (we realized how attached to our body we are) is more difficult to concentrate in chanting… So chanting, worship and reading is ok but we want to do it in a better consciousness.</cite>

<cite>HpS - So do the Gopis!   Ha!   Ha!   Ha!</cite>

<cite>Due to this situation i had to leave my job and i hope to back again next year to work in the school and study at the university. We tried to do many things but the body told us to slow down. We want to help a lot but better to start doing it with ourself first.</cite>

<cite>We want to tell you many things but we are trying to keep this short so we can send more letters to the blog…</cite>

<cite>Maybe next letter from THE CAPSULE (hospital)</cite>

<cite>Thanks a lot for all your help and support</cite>

<cite>Your useless servant</cite>

<cite>Patraka Das</cite>

<cite>HpS - Maybe we tortured frogs in our last life and this is the reaction we are getting. Maharaja Bharata became a deer, but Visnu is supreme, not Siva nor Brahma, so do not look at destruction. Look at what eternal service you can develop.</cite>

<cite>Waiting for your next report.</cite>

What do you think of this:

_____________________________________

(Sannyasa) Suburban Bobba

by Guy Gismo PhD, Anjana Suta Academy  (www.jayarama.us)

Urban Monk: Exploring Karma, Consciousness, and the Divine by Gadadhara Pandit Dasa; Amazon.com

We are concerned with serving Krsna:

nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-prema 'sādhya' kabhu naya
   śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya  (CC 2.22.107).

It is our normal life. For that, we need to become immortal. If we are going to die and then become sheep, turkeys, pig-keepers, then how will we be Krsna conscious. Srila Prabhupada may not be able to hang on to us unless we get free from so many strong material attachments like … breathing air. He may lose contact with us and we may plunge again into the 8,400,000 species of life for all eternity or for an aeon.

This is sannyasa:

Nyasa - renouncing.
San-nyasa - completely renouncing.

It is like Vanaprastha Ashrama and then Sannyasa Ashrama. You give up gross sex with a woman and then you give up even joking with women.

Of course, our ISKCON Sannyasis are trying to do this. Yes, they take Sannyasa for the fame, easy life, peace, but they also do it also for the right purpose, to get free from Samsara for their benefit, for benefit of society and for … the benefit of Krsna (Yasoda-nandana).

How can we do that in the modern world??

The Lives and Challenges of Vaishnava Sannyasis in Modernity by Yadunandana Swami https://blservices.com/product/sannyasis-in-modernity/

Gadhadhara Das, in the book cited above, talks about being an Urban Monk, but Srila Prabhupada’s mission is to deliver the Western world and most of that also requires going into the Suburbs where our congregational base lives, Suburban Monk.

How do we host an ISKCON Sannyasi in the Suburbs? Help him do his work of seeking liberation, exalted devotional service and leading us to the same platform?

Discussing the cause of his fall-down H. H. Satsvarupa Das Goswami comments that he broke the first rule of Sannyasa, being alone with a woman.

“There are so many rules and regulations to be followed in the renounced order of life. Most important of all, a sannyāsī is strictly forbidden to have any intimate relationship with a woman. He is even forbidden to talk with a woman in a secluded place. Lord Caitanya was an ideal sannyāsī, and when He was at Purī His feminine devotees could not even come near to offer their respects. They were advised to bow down from a distant place.

This is not a sign of hatred for women as a class, but it is a stricture imposed on the sannyāsī not to have close connections with women.

One has to follow the rules and regulations of a particular status of life in order to purify his existence.” BG 16.1-3 (p).

Ladies should not talk to Sannyasis unless their husband, father, grown-up sons or brothers are present.

SM: Ooof! That is not practical!

It is with some effort and the result is wonderful for all.

SM: Did Prabhupada follow that with Sally Agrawaal in Butler, Pennsylvania? He came from the YMCA where he was staying and cooked lunch before Mr. Agrawaal came home. Didn’t he talk with her alone, in a “secluded place”.

UG: Yes, there are reports of some instances like this, but we find so many times Srila Prabhupada was very strict about not being alone even for regular discussion with respectable ladies. Maybe he was in the same open room while they put flower vases in place. Maybe he answered questions simply but did not initiate or extend conversation.

These are our, Prof. G. Gismo, Anjana Suta Academy, realizations, standards, an line authorized.

SM: What if I have to talk with a visiting Sannyasi about something. Can I call him?

Make a conference call with your son. Text him with a copy to your husband.

If a Sannyasi is staying in your house and you the Dude has to go to work and leave him alone in the house with the ladies, then you offer to drop him off at the library. Understand that as a host you must have a male devotee, gentleman come and keep him company if you will be out of the house.

How can we help him in his Sannyasa?  By taking advantage of his association.

Why do universities exist? So teachers can learn.

Plan on taking Sannyasa. Understand that your comfortable Suburban environment is temporary. It is a step on the way to Vanaprastha and that is a step on the way to Sannyasa.

We may think, “Oh, I am a devotee, why do I need to undergo these formalities, Sannyasa, civil widow?” The answer is that they are formalities but not without meaning. We may have deep personal commitment between a man and a woman but still they should get formally, religiously, married.

This is a good basis, no?

Question: What does your, Uncle Gismo, PhD mean.

UG: Doctor of Phalocracia. Study it with us and we will award you the same title.

SP: You are half mad, no?

UG: Yes, but… Lord Caitanya said that one can understand Srimad Bhagavatam only when he becomes a madman like him. Of course, there are many madmen, but we want to become madmen like Lord Caitanya.

Controlling the tongue, belly and genitals.
A Sannyasi who is traveling has to eat, engage his tongue and belly, in many different places. Srila Prabhupada was a “miser” but he took the expense of traveling with a personal (even female (with male secretary)) cook, no? Once we had lunch at five different ISKCON restaurants in Mexico City before we came to Houston. We were completely sick! All of the food was Sattvic but it was all different, different consciousness. Ask your guest what he wants to offer to his Deities. Don’t offer what you think he would like, which often may be opulent, or special food that you think you would like.

Often people will cook special preparations for a Sannyasi or any special guest rather than the simple food they take daily. You don’t cook these special preps every day so many times they aren’t cooked that well and if he is eating special, opulent food daily the Sannyasi will get sick and die very soon and become a street dog.

What does he want? Does he want to cook? Let him. Invite him.

Ask him what he wants. So many times we see that people ask XYZ what this Sannyasi eats and get the wrong information. Ask him.

Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna.

All of us going with Srila Prabhupada to see Krsna.

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