Letters to the editor

Hare Krishna Beloved and esteemed Gurudev,

Please accept my humble obeisances,

All glories to Srila Prabhupada 

Feeling Sad for seeing so much suffering, knowing that people around us will suffer. Push me to pull this KC cart, Prabhupada Yatra!!

Had three hours meeting with His Grace Virabahu Prabhu, super good and practical advices about grihastha ashram life. Something happened after that meeting, it was mystical but upastha vegam decreased like 95%. Now i see things much more clearer. 4 principles strictly ok. 

HpS - Wonderful. Wonderful. I would like such mercy.

I'm doing mangal aratik once a week at el loft, FMP, then at home. 16 R ok. Still i have big debt from previous hellish tours!!A

Building "my " house at Sri Govardhan farm, hope i can move next october. Really i want to gradually abandon this urban lifestyle to shift to a more plain and simple rural life. I'm doing big research about cow grazing and varnasrama. I'm sure being around cows is the best sadhu sanga, I experienced that at Bhakti Raghava Maharaja's farm in south india near Udupi.

Monkey-Piggy. - Yeah, why hang out with girls when you can hang out with cows!

On the other hand I was selected to be a Profesor at Med School University. Mdp National University is opening med school next year. Is a very interesting project,and now I'm making a course about pedagogy which is a sine qua non for being a profesor at the university. Of course the main reason I want to be there is for preaching, but i wonder wether is worthy the sacrifice. The environment is full of atheism, feminism and supporters of evolution theory. What do you think Gurudev?

ASA - Try it out.

Last week we have the first Trascendental film festival at El Loft, the entrance fee was bhoga for our Ffl program, we presented a documentary about our community which was made by local cinema students. We are preparing a play for janmastammi, Gita Concise, very nice.

Local preaching is super, programs every day at el loft, harinam, book and prasadam distribution, columns in local newspapers every week and in radio show twice a week.  Now we go for a Gurukula at our farm.

Hope you can visit us in your next South America tour, you can stay at "my" cave at Sri Govardhan.

Thank you Gurudev, you have parah budhi, super inspiring,

Your little bit less fallen servant,

Nikunja Bihari das.

HpS - Join the Symposium on education in Brazil end of January. Full primary school support.

Our respects to Maha-Jana et al. Thanks for photos!

                HARE KRSNA MOST DEAR GURUDEVA,

                PAOHO, AGTSP!!

                HOW HAVE YOU BEEN?, WE HAVE BEEN MISSING A LOT YOUR DAILY ASSOCIATION...

                WE HAVE SURVIVED THIS MOVING FROM MADRID TO NVM, WE WILL

                WRITTE YOU SOON TO LET YOU KNOW HOW  WE ARE DOING.

                 WE ARE VERY HAPPY TO KNOW YOU WANT TO COME AND VISIT SPAIN

                 AGAIN THIS YEAR, MAYBE WE CAN EXPLORE ALCALA DE HENARES UNIVERISTY,

                FOR A CONFERENCE.

                 WE WILL CHECK WITH THE AUTHORITIES (MADRID AND NMV) AND LET YOU KNOW

                 YOU ASAP.

                  WITH AFFECTION

                   ASPIRING TO SERVE YOU

                   SANANDA DD Y BHADRA VD

                PD: WE HAVE A ARRANGED A ROOM JUST FOR SANNYASYS IN OUR HOME <img alt="laugh" height="23" src="http://www.hps.monkeywarrior.com/sites/all/libraries/ckeditor/plugins/smiley/images/teeth_smile.png" title="laugh" width="23" />

HpS - ASA -- AGTSP...   What is our eternal service. It is seem with intensity in this world as a reflection of light is seen in shadows.  Krsna is so, so intent on His plans of happiness and fun that He really misses our participation. We can become active in that service again by using our attachments in this world for his service. Don't think about death as other than a part of the road from indirect service in this world to direst service in the other world. So you soon.

Dear Guru Maharaj,

Please accept my humble obeisances, all glories to Srila Prabhupada!

I can't thank you enough, I'm always surprised by your kindness.  I met with Svavasa prabhu and he also was most merciful and accomodating.  We talked it over and came to a satisfactory conclusion for everyone. Please forgive me for being a little intense, Badrinarayan Maharaj advised me that I may need to push a little bit to convey a sense of urgency.

On a spiritual level, I'm happy and I'm only interested in preaching Krishna consciousness, but after years of trying I just don't see snatching brahmacari's off the street as a complete strategy for expansion. I'm interested in cultivating Vaisnava community. Even in large temples like LA with thousands of devotees hardly anyone even knows each other, but I see tight knit community as a crucial factor in terms of both maintaining and expanding the movement.

As it happens, on a material level I also have an intense creative impetus, but I don't see my spiritual desire and my material desire as incompatible. After doing some research I'm realizing that being a professional artist means spending most of my time marketing and networking. I'm actually taking a keen interest in that lately. So if I gather a network of people interested in spiritual art, a certain subset of that group will certainly be interested in Bhakti yoga. What I've learned is that art is not about selling pictures, it's about selling yourself and your ideals. It's about becoming a leader and leading people in a direction they want to go. I want to use my art to lead people to Srila Prabhupada.

What Svavasa prabhu and I agreed on is that in the meantime, I can help Naikatma prabhu with some dhama seva a few hours in the morning (gardening, sweeping) and then in the afternoon I'm free to study and paint and mess around on the internet. Later on I can buy the extra van from the temple and use it to branch out to different cities as well.

Looks like I'm already getting over 100 hits per week on my website and I haven't even started promoting it yet! Basically my idea is to keep a weekly Tumblr blog about Bhakti and art etc etc in order to educate people about my work and about Krishna Consciousness. This is meant to generate an interest for the art I'm posting on my website. Meanwhile I'm learning how to use Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest etc etc to drive traffic to my blog and my website.  People can sign up there to an email list where they will recieve a weekly newsletter about new blogs, events and special offers. This solidifies a web community. In addition, I plan to set up a table a couple days a week in strategic locations around LA, and put pieces on consignment in local cafés, yoga studios, (veg?)restaraunts, etc. I'm a little rusty, but working with sumi ink and watercolor means I can finish 4-5 practice pieces daily which I can sell as I improve my skills and develop my ideas. When I complete some more sophisticated projects I'll begin to submit work to the list of galleries, publications and contests I've accumulated for features and exhibitions.

When all this begins to come together, I hope to utilize whatever resources I generate (after 50% net donation) to host  some kind of programs, probably somewhat related to the Bhakti Vriksha modules. During the summer I can also coordinate with music festivals to get myself and a whole crew in for free to make art and distribute books and do Kirtan etc. Hopefully we could even arrange for you to speak at some events as well.

As for your question about ashram, I have no interest for the time being in getting into family life or anything like that, I just want to go deeply into this service. Nonetheless I do feel awkward as a brahmacari essentially going into business. I'm thinking about changing ashrams just as a social consideration so I don't reflect poorly on the brahmacari ashram if I have to occasionally meet or correspond with women in the course of conducting some trade in the modern world. Would it be less appropriate to join Grhasta ashram with no intention of marriage or to bend the rules in order to remain a brahmacari? Any recommendations?

Your ridiculous servant,

Ekāśma Dās

HpS-ASA - AgtSP. Paoho. I guess you can see from the posts that we have been on "traveling Sankirtan" for weeks and months now. Meeting so many people that we can't do much with our blog-world.

How are you now, two weeks after this letter. There are lots of ISKCON artists who have started Brahmacari. Even regular artists. Don't run a business. Make it a non-profit foundation.

Our whole focus with ASA is probably going to be a global, millenium shaking symposium on "Art and the Sacred" 2018 in Peru.

Hey, you can give your self an exotic title and be part of that, its development!

You can do all your business as part of NIOS.

Also, Carl Jung, Surrealist community already use art to get to a higher, spiritual status of life, no?

Whatayousay?

Todas las glorias a Srila Prabhupada:

Por favor acepte mis humildes reverencias a sus pies de loto.

Su estadia en Bolivia fue muy revitalizador para muchos devotos, en especial para mi persona, estoy infinitamente agradecido por permitir que sea su sirviente, yo se que hay devotos mucho mas cualificados que yo para atenderlo de una forma mas adecuada, pero usted siendo tan misericordioso conmigo permite que una alma tan condiciona como yo intente prestarle servicio.

Estar a lado suyo es como estar en Vrindavam, mi mente no se agita, no siento ansiedad, mi alma se innunda de felicidad trascendental, y siento como sus clases van despejando toda duda o especulacion.

Espero pueda concretarse su llegada a Bolivia, para el mes de Enero del año proximo.

Atte. Su eterno sirviente Jiyada Nrsmha das.

HpS - Hare Krsna. Era un gran ayuda tener su asociacion durante estas viajes. Muchas gracias su ayuda experto. Ya estamos en Houston pero Lunes regresamos a nuestra base de Nashville. Esperamos mejor comunicacion por alla.

Tambien, muchas gracias a todos lo Bolivianos y mucha esperanza para exito para sus programas!!!   Aprecen muy buen oportunidad.  La Paz es el Brahma-loka del unverso!

Hare Krsna Beloved Gurudeva

AGTSP

PAMHO

I hope iur health is Ok

Thank U all so much for iur association.

I was wondering why are so many devotees depressed.... sad... I was in this situation before . They are my friends, my brothers and makes me feel a little sad as well... Sananda dd listens to me .. she has such a huge heart that she put up with my terrible mind... So that enhances me to try to help others  But actually is a good thing isn't it? Because that means that we little by little get detached from this material world... 

I am one week delay on my rounds... yes the week of the Symposium..  But we little by little will catch up on them.

Also catch up on my BS classes... Read SB review pada padma.. SB is nectar nectar nectar

Gurudeva please may U be so kind and tell me the dates U will be in India on February 2017?? 

The book that U gave to us SP in Mexico is so so nice... It is on my drawer and I am reading it little by little.. Thank U all so much..

Yesterday we were on the Sraddha ceremony of Jambavan's mother we stay up until 1 am that is why I did not join FMP.. The sound of Houston channel.is very bad.. so please GM if U can join through SM when U give classes that will be great... 

Thank U all so much

Trying to be iur disciple

Cmdd

HpS - ASA --- Jaya.  Thank you for your letter. We are still fixing our Calendar. Looks like we will go to Houston, South America, in December and January. Then we will go with Rama-giridhari Das to India like the beginning of February. Feb 9-19th is the Guru, GBC, Sannyasi meeting in Mayapura. Besides that maybe Kolkatta, Bombay, then back through Spain. It depends on how strong is our body.

O.K. We join through SM for our Houston classes. We are 14-rounds behind right now, but also catching up.

Become an Uttama adhikari this week.

Program Schedule

Day 1: 21^st July, 2016 

Chairman of this session: Ramgiridhari Dasa

Time

Event

Speaker

6:00 PM – 6:05 PM

 Invocation

Goswami Academy Children

6:05 PM – 6:10 PM

Reading from Srila Prabhupada’s Instructions

H.H. Hanumat Presak Swami

6:10 PM – 6:25 PM

Welcome Address

H.G. Shyamsunder Dasa

6:25 PM – 6:40 PM

Event Inauguration Address

H.G. Sesa Dasa

6:40 PM – 7:10 PM

Keynote Address

H.H. Hanumat Presak Swami

7:10 PM – 7:30 PM

Formal Introduction of all the participants

7:30 PM – 7:40 PM

Announcements & Other housekeeping agendas

Ramgiridhari Dasa

7:40 PM

Supper at Govinda’s Restaurant

NOTE:  All participants are requested to attend full morning program on all the days of the Education Conference.

Day 2: 22nd July, 2016:

7:30 AM – 8:30 AM: Srimad Bhagavatam Class by H.H. Hanumat Presak Swami 

8:30 AM – 9:00 AM: Breakfast

Morning Session: 9.30 AM to 12.30 PM

Chairman of the Session: H.H Hanumat Presak Swami

 Time

Event

Speaker

9:30 AM – 9:35 AM

 Invocation & Settling down

9:35 AM – 10:25 AM

Presentation: Fostering Greatness

H.G. Sesa Dasa

10:25 AM – 11:15 AM

Presentation: The Spiritual-Material Education Dichotomy

H.G. Sakshi Gopal Dasa

11:15 AM – 11:30 AM

Break

11:30 AM – 12:20 PM

Presentation: Opportunities & Challenges for Leaders in the field of Education

H.G. Nityananda Dasa

12:20 PM – 12:30 PM

Announcements

Ramgiridhari Dasa

12:30 PM – 3:00 PM

Lunch at Govinda’s Restaurant & Rest

Morning Session: 9.30 AM to 12.30 PM -- Afternoon Session: 3:00 PM to 6:30 PM

Chairman of the Session: H.H Hanumat Presak Swami

3:00 PM – 3:30 PM

Group Discussion(s) – Challenges being faced in Education Initiatives

3:30 PM – 4:30 PM

Group Presentations & Discussions – Challenges being faced in Education Initiatives

4:30 PM – 4:45 PM

Snack Break

4:45 PM – 5:35 PM

Presentation: Growth Mindsets Amidst Challenges

H.G. Subhra Devi Dasi

5:35 PM – 6:25 PM

Presentation: Sunday School Curriculum

Ramgiridhari Dasa

6:25 PM – 6:30 PM

Announcements & Housekeeping Agenda

6:30 PM

Supper at Govinda’s Restaurant

Day 3: 23^rd July, 2016:

7:30 AM – 8:30 AM: Srimad Bhagavatam Class by H.G. Sesa Dasa

8:30 AM – 9:00 AM: Breakfast

Morning Session: 9.30 AM to 12.30 PM

Chairman of the Session: Ramgiridhari Dasa

 Time

Event

Speaker

9:30 AM – 9:35 AM

 Invocation & Settling down

9:35 AM – 10:25 AM

Key note Presentation

H.H. Hanumat Presak Swami

10:25 AM – 11:15 AM

Presentation: Increasing your Capacity: Strategic Planning

H.G. Gopi Gita Devi Dasi

11:15 AM – 11:30 AM

Break

11:30 AM – 12:20 PM

Presentation: The Making of Synergy Learning Academy

H.G. Namapriya Devi Dasi

12:20 PM – 12:30 PM

Announcements

Ramgiridhari Dasa

12:30 PM – 3:00 PM

Lunch at Govinda’s Restaurant & Rest

Afternoon Session: 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM

Chairman of the Session: H.H Hanumat Presak Swami

3:00 PM – 3:30 PM

Group Discussion(s) – Strategic Planning for Education Projects

3:30 PM – 4:30 PM

Group Presentations & Discussions – Strategic Planning for Education Projects

4:30 PM – 4:40 PM

Snack Break

4:40 PM – 5:15 PM

Presentation: Creating Pathways

H.G. Hari Guru Dasa

5:15 PM – 5:50 PM

Presentation: Creating Education Resources

Ramgiridhari Dasa

5:50 PM – 6.25 PM

Presentation: Lil’ Krishna Kidz

H.G. Ananda Vrindavan Devi Dasi

6:25 PM – 6:45 PM

Summarizing the Action Items

H.H. Hanumat Presak Swami

6:45 PM – 6:55 PM

Closing Address by H.G. Sesa Dasa

6:55 PM – 7:00 PM

Vote of thanks by H.H. Hanumat Presak Swami

7:00 PM

Supper at Govinda’s Restaurant

Day 4: 24^th July, 2016

7:30 AM – 8:30 AM: Srimad Bhagavatam Class by Ramgiridhari Dasa

8:30 AM – 9:00 AM: Breakfast

NOTE: The conference formally concludes after breakfast.