Letters to the editor

All Glories to Sri Guruji Maharaja and Gouranga Mahaprabhu

Radha Krsna Ki Jay, Goura Bhakta Ki Jay,

Dandavat Pranam,

Please accept my humble obeisanses unto Sri Guruji's padmacharan that in checking in the block (Blog) recently I found one letter heading After India written by Abhimanu Prabhu who is working in Bali in the  Bhaktivedanta Academy and Bhaktivedanta Dharma School.  I had met one Abhimanu Prabhu who is also an Amirican during my Bali tour. He knew Guruji also very well. Is this the same Abhimanu or another one? I had written letters and send some photos also but he did not communicate me in future. In future, if Guruji reply his letter please mentioned my name as reminder. His mail address also might change or not, but no reply.

HpS - Yes, he is the same person. We were serving together in San Francisco and on many projects for B. S. Damodara Maharaja. We will tell him to contact you as we are in contact with him.

Guruji, I had already mentioned that we are eagerly waiting  Guruji's tentative time table of North East India, specially for Silchar, Agartala, Guwahati and Imphal for taking arrangement and air tickets. I think, now Haridas Prabhu also might be  in Nigeria so no telephonic conversation and mail.

Not only that,  I am eagerly waiting Guruji's final suggestion for going to our Mandir or Not. After Guruji's reply I would arrange a meeting for all the initiated bhaktas for discussion and taking final decision about the  modalities Gurujis visit in Manipur.

Yours fallen servant

Yamunesvara Das

HpS - I answered two letters from Haridas Das that he sent from Nigeria. He suggested a schedule that did not leave any time for visits to Bombay, Kolkatta or Vraja. We are taking little time to get opinion of Bombay (Rama-giri-dhari Das), ISKCON Ministry of Education, Kolkatta devotees, so that we can do the best during our six weeks in India.

It is three months until we arrive in India, so it seems that we still have a little time to hear from anybody about their requests, but yes, we should start buying tickets within the next few weeks.

About going to the Mandir, do you mean Thoubal Mandir? As I understand they are keeping an old standard that is not inline with Srila Prabhupada's ISKCON method. Is that correct?

Of course, we would want to ask Banamali Das about his opinion. If he says it is alright and gives suggestions about how to adjust the details, that would be alright. Other wise you can origanize your own programs in your own homes to start with, no?

In any case you can invite people to your home and accept invitations from them and have Kirtan, Lecture (Reading and Discussion), Kirtan, Prasad. Then BG 10.10-11, Krsna will give  us intelligence how to expand more and more.

In NOI Text Seven, in the paragraph beginning, "The conclusion is...", Srila Prabhupada paraphrases the Bhakti-rasa-amrta-sindhu verse, "Adau sraddha...". The exact Sanskrit is in BG As It Is Purport to Text 4.10.

This verse describes the different levels of spiritual development. Look at the translation in BG and then the more detailed explanation in NOI and tell us where you see your level of development. Let us discuss this in some detail and you can also discuss it with the devotees there.

We need to become Uttama adhikari devotees as soon as possible so that we can help others!!!

Dear Swamiji,

PAMHO, AGTSP. Devotees Jeremy are hoping that Krishna Will inspire you tO come. WE can send you a ticket form India, and arrange for you tO stay in Jaganatha  Gaurangga temple, or even Maha Laxmi hotel which is were Ramai Swami stays.

When you are Heri we can arrange numerous HOME programs. Aghastya Muni prabhu golf me that hE World like tO arrange a program fo4 you. There are 4 Vera Nick ISKCON temples Heri., Jaganatha Gauranga here in Denpasar, Radha Gopinatha and Radha Raseswaranear Nitai Gauracandara oN the northern coast in Singaraja, and Radha Madhava in  Gianyar. There is Aldo a new temple being built in east Bali.

Radha Raseswara has a goshalla that produces and sells milk. Here in Denpasar we have BDS primary school and The BA secondary school. There Two schools serve Devoteed from Jaganatha Gaurangga and Radha Raseswara.

Bhakti Rhagava Swami otentik visits Radha Madhava temple in Gianyar and is developing a small community of Devoteed There. So far there are 25 familier living around The temple.

Near Bali is The island of Lombok. There is a small ISKCON TEmple there. Kavicandra Swami petenis visits Lombok, The temple has a small goshalla with two bulls. If you are interested I Can arrange with Krishna Prema prabhu for you tO visit New Gita Nagari, Bhakti Rhagava Swami's farm community oN The island of Sumatra in western Indonesia. There are 35 families there and they have a Very nice school.

If you can come tO Bali there are many devotees who would like hour association and many nice programs that can be arranged.

your servant,

Ken

HpS - Very nice orthography!    We are still trying to get to India, right now it would mean taking time from the 6-weeks we are there. 1 January - 15 February. We could go for like two days!     Is that practical????  Doesn't seem like it?  Best we can send fotos or plan for next year!!

Dear Swamiji,

AGTSP, PAMHO. We are praying to Krishna for your appearance in Bali, even Abhimanyu Prabhu is asking that you come. India is a short trip from Bali. We can easily send you a ticket to come. Abhimanyu and Aghastya Muni will help to arrange some academic programs for you to speak at as well as giving class at the various ISKCON temples here in Bali. Devotees here are always asking why don't you come to Bali and give them their association.

Radhastami was a very nice festival. I made Simply. Wonderfuls for Srimati Radharani and all the children loved them so much. Aghastya Muni's wife asked me to make 1008 for Govardhana Puja. Tomorrow I go to Singaraja on the north side of Bali. I will take Krishna book in English for devotees to study and learn English.

Your servant,

Ken.

HpS - Let us look at your other letter>>>>>>

Hare Krsna Beloved Gurudeva

AGTSP

PAMHO

Thank U for your daily association .. for encouraging us to have always Krsna in the center.

This is the new schedule for FMP

Mon: HH HpS

Tue: Bhadra vardana & Sananda dd

Wed: YKD

Thurs: CMDD

Fri; Abhinanda d

Saturday: Isvari dd

Sun: MVdd

Thank U Gurudeva. 

Note: If someone wants to share the day please contact me

Thank U Gurudeva

Trying to be useful

CMDD

HpS - ASA --- Thank you.  Like 90% of our strength comes from this FMP on line.  Thank you all.  Thanks to Srila Prabhupada for giving us this authentic service.
NORMS
Chant with like one to two red dots in the volume indicator. Then Chant softly with just green dot.
Keep some rhythm with clapping hands or something else.
Chant with LOVE.

Dear Guru Maharaj,

Please accept my humble obeisances, all glories to Srila Prabhupada! Happy Radhastami! I hope Srimati Radharani is being extra kind to you today.

HpS - Yes, we got a side long glance from Her, and it was full of disatisfaction. We have to improve our character and work.

This morning Brghupati prabhu lead us all in Sri Radhika Stava by Rupa Goswami. I think it's my favorite bhajan.

I've been busy as usual out here on the left coast; just a week or two ago I managed to procure my very own sankirtan van to utilize as a transcendental art studio! So lately I've been running around trying to take care of registration, insurance, AAA membership etc etc, and now I'm about 95% complete.

I had to ask my parents to cosign on a loan since I had zero credit, and they obliged to the extent that they even told me I don't have to pay them back. Of course I intend to ASAP, but in the meantime I find myself in a situation where I have total freedom and no expenses for at least a year! I managed to also get practically all the equipment needed for displaying my art in markets and art fairs until I'm prepared to directly approach galleries and art dealers. For now, all I have to do is just chant Hare Krishna, study, paint, do some internet marketing, and practice Kirtan. My sadhana was suffering when I had to do yard work all day and then stay up late to work on stuff but now that I can set my own schedule I'm able to make up for lost time. Since moving into "Vrnda-van" I've been able to attend full morning program in temple daily, chant about 48 rounds, read at least a couple hours etc so I'm just thrilled to be gradually getting back on track.

Just the other day I sent out an email trying to organize some grassroots preaching initiative here in LA and I've been getting an enthusiastic response. I'm trying to at least get  a decent group together to help my friend Marvin with his Bhakti yoga college clubs before I head out to visit the east coast. It looks like I'll be back east a bit longer than usual this year because I'm going a little early to help Your Holiness with Rathayatra,

HpS - Our "Rathayatra" has always been a little part of the Celebrate Nashville Festival. It has been cancelled this year and last year.

...and staying a bit later because we had to push back the date of our exhibition until the end of November. Looks like Krishna is arranging a crash course for me in art curation! My mantra lately is, "if you're not scared, you're not thinking big enough!"

On a related topic I had an opportunity to visit Tukaram prabhu recently and ask his advice about some of the stuff I'm going through. Practically right away he brought up the question of ashram. I think I've already mentioned that I feel uneasy about going into art as a brahmacari mainly because of the social etiquette I'm supposed to follow. If I was just sitting in a temple doing BBT illustrations that would be one thing, but as someone trying to actively engage with the world of contemporary art, I'm realizing more and more that it will be problematic. In addition, Tukaram prabhu pointed out that sociological elements notwithstanding, my whole orientation towards life right now is not really consistent with brahmacari ashram. Because I'm bold and independent and ambitious rather than meek and dependent and aloof. He said it's not necessarily a bad thing, but it has a certain time and place. It's true that I'm not exactly eager for a relationship or a family at this point, but in the meantime at least the type of sacrifice I'm engaged in (embracing the world and offering sense objects into the fire of the senses) seems more aligned with the grhastha ashram. The way I see it is, if I go down the path of grhastha ashram, in the course of performing devotional service either I'll eventually meet someone who is equally invested in the things I'm interested in, in which case a partnership may actually be useful, or I'll just be too busy to even bother and after a few years I'll just go directly into vanaprastha ashram. I guess I find it important to discuss this because I do actually have respect for the ashram of brahmacarya, and I don't want to misrepresent it if I don't find it worthwhile at this stage to follow all the rules and regulations in detail.

I'm actually starting to think that unless one is doing tksp, grhastha ashram might actually be advantageous in some ways for preaching in the modern west. I feel like as a monk, social interactions are limited more or less to an official capacity of giving direct guidance or instructions. But if people don't already appreciate or accept the value system or the authority behind monastic life they are less likely to value or apply those instructions. So if I can befriend people, and set a public example and aesthetic portraying the value system of Vedic thought as attractive and beneficial, I hope that people will come of their own volition to submissively inquire about philosophy. What do you think? Does any of that make sense or am I just trying to justify my maya?

HpS - As you say, it seems like the best approach is to just go ahead with your service and then if you need to make a change, it will become obvious. In general, there is 100% opportunity to preach in the current social system as a Brahmacari. Women respect monks and are very, very greedy to have that kind of association in the proper perspective, as brother, father, son. It has always been that way ans always will be that way.
Prabhupada acted as the "Father" to so many girls. They didn't want him in any other relationship.

I look forward to catching up with you in Nashville soon to serve you personally and find out more about your Art and the Sacred presentation. I'm about to buy plane tickets so I just want to confirm the date. You mentioned before that the parade is the first weekend of October, so does that mean Saturday October 1st?

Your fallen servant,

Ekāśma Dās

HpS - You can always call us or put URGENT in these letters. Again, the Festival here is cancelled. We are just absorbed in writing for the most part now, but it is going on.  We have no particular bodily conception of life. Only "personal service" we can conceive is when people are serving the Supreme Person!
Go ahead!   Lets look at your next letter!

P.S. I think you mentioned me on your recent guru Tattva post. I don't recall bringing up guru Tattva recently, could you remind me what it's in reference to? Thank you : D

My dear Maharaj, 

Dandavat pranam Maharaj. 

Please accept my/ our most humble obeisances. All glories to SPP, SG, SSG & LSK. 

Hare Krsna Maharaj, first of all forgive me the delay on my part to keep you in touch always. However, I am always alert/active to receive your message through your very dear disciple Mukta or Jamuneswar for which I keep myself a bit free from frequent communication with you. Forgive me Maharaj, please never mind of it. It is not like that I forget you. No Maharaj, no, never. I would ever remain grateful to your lotus feet for the mercy extended to me. Before hand, I have written three/four times but your above email address could not receive but it has shown failure of delivery system every time, then I keep contact with Jamuneswar Das regarding where about & what about Maharaj.

Now, I would like to pray your lotus feet that if possible, Maharaj may kindly let us pay darshan of your lotus feet under the following schedule :

1. After 7th to 10th Jan'17 programme at Madras, Maharaj may either proceed to Sridham Mayapur for some days rest there or come straight forward to Agartala or Imphal. In this regard, Agartala is preferable because we can proceed with our programmes systematically & smoothly......

4 or 5 days in Agartala / Tripura.

2. Silchar, Cachar. .......4 or 5 days.

3. Guwahati, Assam / Shillong, Meghalaya. ....... 3 to 4 days.

4. Manipur .........5 days or 1 week time.

Then we may/will proceed to Sridham Mayapur to attend the SANGA of Guru,  GBC, Sannyasa etc.

Hare Krsna Maharaj, kindly look into the above tentative programme and please confirm your scheduled programme so that necessary Air Tickets are arranged before hand as per the schedule of your journey in N/E regions with me.

For your kind information Maharaj, I am now in Lagos for one month mission to West Africa and my mission will complete by 9th Oct'16, then by 11th Oct'16, I would arrive Delhi / Radhakunda to attend the programme of Samadhi temple inauguration as well as the Tirobhav Tithi of Guru Maharaj. 

Thanking you and assuring you of my best cooperation always. 

Your servant, 

Hari dasa, 

Manipur ISKCON, Imphal.  

Date : Lagos, West Africa the 17th Sep'16.