Letters to the editor

Hare Krishna!

Please accept my humble obeisances.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Dear Maharaja,

Thank you for your invitation!

Yes I would love to serve you for your upcoming trip to Houston, and possibly Tennessee, too!

I'm still chanting 16 rounds and doing service at the temple. Also, Last week I went out on books, and had a very nice time talking with people, singing in the Kirtan,and a few books went out too.

And one Spanish speaking lady came to Krishna Culture wanting one book, and left with 5! Jaya Srila Prabhupada!

Hare Krishna!

Ys

Jason

HpS - Thank you for the Whatsapp dialogs also. Here is 6-times better in some respects because we can coordinate our Sankirtan effort.

You report is super.

Please tell us about the staff, managers, et al of Krsna Culture in some future letter!!

We are struggling with our Visa and may have to adjust our travel dates, but 7th March looks like our most probably date of return to USA with the ASA crew.

Hare Krsna Beloved Gurudeva:

AGTSP, AGTU, PAMHO

Gurudeva, thanks for your reply to my last letter regarding the Sri Vyasa puja for the whole Guru parampara ¡¡¡¡

We have talked with many other devotees, trying to integrate them according to their own natures. Nevertheless, we need a lot of coordination.

Yesterday I got an email from LAN my flight has been rescheduled (.. NY to LIma January 4th) and I say NOooooooooo. I spent many hours yesterday on the phone and due to it was their fault I am going to be here if Krsna wants on January 3th 5:40 am

On sunday we are going to have a meeting for the coordination.

Since you are a very important part of this celebration we will be honor if you could join, maybe just maybe a few minutes. We are going to be punctual.

Thanks for all your inspiration

Trying to be your disciple

CMDD

HpS /AGTSP - AGTSP! Paoho. Congratulations on your war with LAN! So much time waiting in line for the clerks to take our calls. I guess they are struggling just as hard as we are. The more we can sneak KC into the conversations the better.

We put a flag in our Calendar, but please remind us of the meeting. We put the details in our Windows Notes file.

Proper worship of Guru is powerful illumination of Krsna!!!

Hare Krsna Beloved Gurudeva:

AGTSP, PAMHO

Yesterday we had a meeting with ARTD, Palika dd about the Sri Vyasa Puja 2021. For one thing or another we did not have the chance to meet before

So, answering the question of my last letter

HpS wrote:

1. Who are you?? CmDD... what do you want from the program?
2. Who are we? Just CmDD, Palika Devi Dasi and Art Das are the team to make The Plan? Have PDD and ArtD answered question above? What is there answer? Seems need a few more people in the committee who have answered question one, no?

CMDD: 1.- I am a conditioned soul, who is sometimes in maya, sometimes she is well situated. And who wants to try to serve You, and the whole Parampara in this important occasion.

2.- Our intention is not just be the three of us, of course we want to have as much help as needed. We just wanted to have all the ideas clear in order to start with the coordinations with the rest.

Most importantly for us your opinion is a must here. ARTD told us that he had already discussed about this topic with you, so based on what he told us. Here you have some considerations. This is not the final draft. I want to put these preliminary ideas here due to this blog is public and this is going to be a public celebration. I beg for your forgiveness and the forgiveness of your other disciples and well wishers.

Personally I think that when this kind of celebration come[s] we have to put aside our ego and do not think what do I want, and think what will please my Gurudeva, the whole parampara and so forth.

First what we discussed yesterday : ( we put all this under your consideration)

The Location: I can not say yet (haha), but it is not going to be in Sta Eulalia we need a bigger space.

HpS - ASA - Thank you!!! To glorify, illuminate, the Parampara and our individual positions in it will require several different events, groups etc. So, some events would be natural for Sta. E. Eg. Seems we will have some nice internet contact with Australia, India, Europe, Mexico, Tennessee et al and those would be best organized out of Sta. E. with some people here to partcipate. Eg. If we have some online programs with Argentina, then Pancha-tattva Das here would be natural; Mexico, Govinda pramodini Devi Dasi...

Puja: There are going to be three of them: 6 Goswamis; Srila Prabhupada and Your very goodself. (Raman reti is going to arrange all the plates of the artik, she is in charge).

I suggest that Radhika raman, Caitanya Caritamrta and Panca Tattva may do the artiks. (we as guests [hosts?] give the pass to others).

HpS - Seems we are talking about the big event, not the smaller, particular ones. For that I think ArtD is trying to arrange use of the Peruvian Accountants Association center, one block from Chosica Temple. If that works then we can have about 100-people by pre-registration. Of course, disciples of Prabhupada, Yatra leaders et al are invited. So maybe one of them would do the Arati to Srila Prabhupada?

Decoration: Bhaktin Maria ¡¡¡¡¡ she will arrange a good team

Cake: Palika dd

Decoration of the cake: Nitya Kishor d

Cookies for the Gurupuja: Nitya Kishor d

If other disciples or well wishers want to bring preparations we request that they will be sweets. They are easier to hand in

Prasadam: Jana Pavana prabhu is in charge he will form his team (Lanka vijaja, gita govinda prabhus, etc)

HpS - What seems best is that the only Prasadam will be pre-packaged eg. Laddus, samosas, puffed rice. No, devotees sitting in lines or waiting in lines being served. O.K? Si alguien quiere cocinar cosas de esta manera, aun no es para 100 personas esta bien, no?

No, torta, cupcakes without frosting! 😁 This seems impersonal, but to have so many people together at all during a pandemic is a challenge.

The idea is that it is going to be broadcasted so we are asking that each country send a greeting of about 5 minutes per country. (The greeting should be recorded)

HpS - Who will be Master of Ceremonies? Plan and direct the program.

We have already talked with

Rati manjari (Argentina)

Arjuna and Jagad Guru das (Chile) HpS - Priya sakhi and her husband, Jagannatha, will be here, no? He is President of Chile Temple.

Palika dd is going to talk with the devotees from Mexico

I contacted my very good friend Namacarya das

Govinda pramondini (USA) HpS - Hmmm? I don't think she knows too well the devotees in USA. Better would be Subra and CCD, no?

I do not have the contact of Jayanta from Spain and ARTD told me that Purnamasi is already doing it in India.

ASA??? - Purnamasi is Jayanta's wife. (??) As far as I know, she knows nothing about India devotees. Hmmm. A short message might be nice. Glorification of Parampara not HpSwami separate from that.

Oscar Natars may make a presentation on Narottama Das Thakura! What would be nice would be a recorded song and explanation from different national communities.

Meetings with different geographic communities could be from Sta. A. during the days before the main program with their local members physically present here. Eg. With Radhika, Subra, CCD, we could have some nice association with devotees in USA on the weekend before the program.

_______________________

The following are my suggestions:

Artistic program:

I can ask to Hare Krsna, Mataji and Anangamanjari to present Sita in exile (the separation that she has from his husband is worst than die burned alive.

Glorifications:

I have already the offering of Radhika Raman Prabhu. I am going to translate it. Then other

3 prabhus and 3 ladies in the actual day of the ceremony??

HpS - Seven is nice, but also comments from Karuna, Caitanya, National council, other centers??? Hari Krpa.

They should make devotees understand their position and work in the actual Sankirtan movement by illumination of Bh. Vinode Th. et al. May not be perfect, but that is our aim: Glorify the Parampara, the actual Acharya, Srila Prabhupada and the Prabhus under his feet. Will there be participation from Kids? We can have a virtual program for three nights before. We can broadcast some Kirtan with devotees from Radha Madana-bihari program.

Try to keep the big program simple. Try to organize several other programs for specific groups during the previous days.

Let Radharani, Tulasi devi, take charge, enter your brain. 😎

This is so far what we have...

I am looking forward to have your feedback

PS: Maybe Ulyses can also participate in the Sri Vyasa puja. Nevertheless all the devotees should take care of their mahaprasadam 😂

Thanks for always being there even in my dreams.

Jaya Gurudeva

Jaya Srila Prabhupada

Trying to be useful

CMDD

HpS/ASA - You are very useful. Think about five smaller programs from Sta. A and Temple in Chosica during the previous days.

Have fun. If we do nothing but have programs on line morning noon and night on the one day, that is fine.

Hare Krishna Gurumaharaj

Please accept my humble obeisances.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

HpS/ASA - AgtSP! So nice to hear from you!!! Sorry that it has taken us 3-days to answer, but all weekend now we have strong programs.

Praying to Lord Nityananda and Giriraj for spiritual intelligence to be able to approach you with the right service attitude, Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare !!!

HpS - We are pretty simple people, so guess you will have the proper attitude. Thank you.

In the FMP of today (for you in South America) via gotomeeting, we inquired from you; how we can get a " flying carpet", the one that could be an efficient transportation for you, so you would agreed to visit again the Down Under land - Australia, in this life time.

In a hopeful mood we attempt to follow your instruction, inquiring from you. Please Gurumaharaj, would you consider visiting Australia, it is closer to India.

For another hand, while writing to you the suppressed confronting emotions are surfacing.

Probably, like some devotees I am struggling in digest, and realise your teachings, specially when you speak about winding up, and leaving your body in 2024. The time is passing very quickly; it is unavoidable to experience anxiety, desperation, fear and at the same time, the utmost respect, gratitude, admiration toward you; appreciating how you have been guiding us in all aspect with your exemplary spiritual life (highly qualified), your teachings (words and actions) and now, the lesson on how to leave the body in Krishna consciousness.

Gratitude and admiration are overwhelming making our heart happy, because we understand a bit, that Krishna's and Srila Prabhupada's causeless mercy are giving us the great fortune to have H. H. Hanumat Presak Swami's loving association, (his guidance, care and example).

Words are falling short in this context, how to express our overwhelming experience of a glimpse, awareness of your spiritual greatness and at the same time knowing that soon you are going to leave.

Alas, you are preparing us, giving us the opportunity to uplift our consciousness, learning to associate with you in a higher level, going beyond physical limitations. Is this not another display of your ' True Love' that your compassionate and caring heart is doing for us?.

Nevertheless, our heart experiences a lot of anxiety too. Oh, Krishna!! Gurumaharaj is going to leave!!!.. we have heard about it since long time ago, but we suppressed it in my unconscious mind, not wanting to face it, but now it is not possible to avoid it; it is just in font of us.. Oh Krishna,.. help us to grow in acceptance, imbibe it and rise up strong from there, thanks to the spiritual nourishment that it is offering to us.

Please forgive me for this outburst, i could not control it.

I fully trust that you will understand it better than myself.

Thank you Gurumaharaj

Your servant

Madhumanjari dd

HpS - Hare Krsna. We always focus on how much Srila Prabhupada's disciples felt pain upon his departure, but what about Srila Prabhupada's pain? Is interesting, no? Did he even feel more pain than they in leaving his "beloved American and European sons and daughters"?

Of course, Odana sasthi, 2024 is like a best estimate, a joke at talking about anything so much under superior control with exact dates. We see, and I suspect you also, that we can die at any point.

"Oh, didn't you hear! Hp Swami died yesterday! He was in the middle of writing a letter to one of his disciples in Australia and had a heart attack!"

Maybe we'll be stuck here until 2034. (Ayeeee!).

How many more years do you have? One hundred? Fifty? Twenty-five? Fifteen?

Is good to make a practical estimate and then look at our mission in this life as it has developed?

asa(e) - Uncle Gismo,

Magic Carpets:

Guru Das asked Srila Prabhupada what we would do after we had made this whole world Krsna conscious and there was no more preaching here, and Srila Prabhuapda smiled and answered that the Sannyasis would get on their flying carpets and go to other planets to preach.

https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/2/7/37/ seems to indicate that flying carpets are quite possible.

Second class option is good flight from India to Australia, traveling companion, and/or priority processing through immigration and customs. That is the killer! One hour standing in line for immigration before leaving.

Or we all meet in Radha Kunda instead with Divya svaroop Das and Jaga mohan.

I want so much to be accepted in Vrndavana as a simple citizen by Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami.

Respects to all.

Hare Krsna dear Gurumaharaja

Please accept our sincere obeisances

Jay Srila Prabhupada!

After making some inquiries and consulting with my fellow representatives of the Ministry, some alternatives arose according to your guidelines:

• Your suggested speakers: SS Hanumatpresaka Swami, SS Yadunandana Swami, Radhika Ramana das, Subhra devi dasi.

Speakers and topics suggested by us:

• Dhanvantari Swami: I would be willing to give a talk about the Bhakti Sastri program offered at the Jaladuta institute.

• Prema Rupa das (Argentina): has a very successful online sastric program, especially aimed at grhasthas. Could contribute to this topic (DVAD). I spoke with him, very kind and willing to collaborate. Sends you his obeisances.

• Mitravinda devi dasi (Representative of the Ministry in Brazil) She directs the online educational program of the Jaladuta institute of Dhanvantari Swami. Very capable. She can emphasize this pedagogical format.

• Sarvabhauma das (Brazil) is operating a community and educational program for Vanaprasthas in his country. He wants to attract devotees to collaborate with him. (Needs a translator, but there are vailable)

• Harinam Gauranga das (Colombian and Representative of the Ministry in his country, Venezuela and Panama) He can explain the challenges and strategies that it means to start / formalize a pedagogical program where it does not exist (an authentic pioneer!).

• Param Padam das (Argentina and representative of the Ministry in his country, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay) Proposes 2 workshops: 1) a teacher training seminar (accreditation processes and how to build your online course) / 2) a meeting-debate (on pedagogical methods and facilitation of tools for the presentation / teaching of controversial topics). In this case, it is about participatory programs, separately on two different days.

• Subhadra devi dasi (Brazil) is in charge of a very successful childhood education program for the children of devotees of different ages, she also directs the educational program for the National Board of Brazil. (Needs a translator, but there are vailable)

• Gandharva das (Peru and representative of the Ministry in his country, Ecuador and Bolivia) 'Pramanas and learning experiences', in which I propose learning strategies of contemporary education linked to Vedic epistemology.

• Laksmana-agraja das (Peru) Teaching-learning process in SB classes.

• We can also summon Aravinda das (Argentina / Mexico) and Karunya Nitai das (Ecuador), both renowned educators.

You can make a selection of those participants that seem most suitable for the event.

Ys

Gandharva das

HpS - Wow! AgtSP. Paoho.

Are you in contact with the ISKCON Ministry of Education? How often? Who? What Official positions?

We hear some real concern from Members of Peru Yatra management that they feel lack of communication. When we last time you were in contact with Director of Education for Peruvian National Council?

We are specifically asking ISKCON Chosika to be a co-sponsor of this December 15th to January 7th ASA Symposium on Education.

Then we hope to organize another in Houston March 7th-17th. Then.... others in USA, Spain July 15th to October 7th, India Kartika.

So, we can make a commitment take things slowly and progress.

With the proposed time we have, three weeks, we can accommodate so many people. We will want to consolidate things for our movie: DTC-UT.

Subra devi Das and Radhika ramana Das will be coming mid-December and 25th December so they can be focus for VAD education, Kinder to Kollege, but we need good work on general principles of education eg. What is the goal of education? What is an educated man?

O.K?

You will be staying with your in-laws for some of these days and be visiting regularly?

Please discuss all these things with Karuna krsna Prabhu and give us some news here.

Thank you so, so, so much. Your Monkeys are just as much alive our our dinning room table as the first day they came.

P.S. We forgot to add, Patraka Das, CMDD, Rohini Devi Dasi to the list!!

Querido Gurudev: Pamho. Toda gloria a Srila Prabhupada y sus seguidores fieles.

Espero que se encuentre animado cuando lea esta carta.

Seguimos su sankirtan a través del blog. Interesante. En mayor o menor grado solemos tener todos los mismos desafíos.

Lo mas sobresaliente de mi informe es, que después de conocer a Prabhupada a través de sus libros hace 38 años aún sigo apreciando cada vez mas su personalidad. También es resaltante que mi deseo de ser un buen devoto sigue intacto. Y no menos importante es que sigo identificándome con ISKCON, a pesar de las diferencias de criterio que tengo con el GBC.

En el plano interno estoy apreciando sinceramente la pureza de intenciones de los devotos en dos aspectos:

a) La intención de volverse devotos.

b) La intención de ayudar a otros a que se hagan devotos.

Hemos estado de vacaciones en el sur del pais, visitando a la familia y a los devotos en Málaga y es muy gratificante estar en sadhu sanga. Despues hemos estado en Santander con Jara Mara, Tirtha Kirti y otros; también muy bien. De Santander a NVM, donde hay un ambiente muy bueno y donde se estan haciendo cosas muy interesantes.

Despues de la partida de Avesa Rupa hemos decidido dejar el proyecto de Navalakunda. La propiedad la hemos donado a la Fundación Abhay (creada para gestionar las propiedades de ISKCON España). Hemos donado 3160 euros a ISKCON Tenerife, que han comprado el local donde tenían el Templo. La furgoneta de sankirtan la hemos donado a ISKCON Madrid y a Nueva Vrajamandala le hemos donado libros, parafernalia, etc y 100.000 euros en efectivo.

Ahora estoy centrado en el Sat Sanga de la Sierra de Guadarrama y Purnamasi en actividades con los niños.

No le ocupo mas tiempo y, espero que nos veamos de nuevo con estos viejo cuerpos.

Sin mas

su sirviente

Jayanta das

PD. - Esta carta es de hace varios meses, y la verdad es que es una carta irrelevante, escrita con la única intención de mantener la relación con el gurú y sus asociados. Me sorprende que las cartas que no lleven el CP pierdan su interés. Creo que es una medida algo exagerada. Cuando una carta lleva un tiempo razonable sin ser atendida pasa a ser prioritaria de forma automática. Por supuesto que respeto su criterio pero creo que de ese modo siempre estamos escuchando las opiniones de los mismos y parece que hay una escasez de críticos evidente y necesaria.

=-=-=-=

Dear Gurudev: Pamho. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and his faithful followers.

I hope he is encouraged when he reads this letter.

ASA/TB-BW - We also!

We follow his sankirtan through the blog. Interesting. To a greater or lesser degree we tend to have all the same challenges.

The highlight of my report is that after meeting Prabhupada through his books 38 years ago I still appreciate his personality more and more. It is also remarkable that my desire to be a good devotee is still intact. And no less important is that I continue to identify with ISKCON, despite the differences of opinion that I have with the GBC.

HpS - GBC is ultimate managing authority in ISKCON. Having disputes is guaranteed part of management, no? If everybody agrees on management work then it is very, very, very suspicious. Probably somebody is lying, plotting. 😎

Internally I am sincerely appreciating the purity of intentions of the devotees in two respects:

a) The intention to become devotees.

b) The intention of helping others to become devotees.

We have been on vacation in the south of the country, visiting family and devotees in Malaga and it is very gratifying to be in sadhu sanga. Later we have been in Santander with Jara Mara, Tirtha Kirti and others; also very well. From Santander to NVM, where there is a very good atmosphere and where very interesting things are being done.

After Avesa Rupa's departure we have decided to leave the Navalakunda project. We have donated the property to the Abhay Foundation (created to manage the properties of ISKCON Spain). We have donated 3,160 euros to ISKCON Tenerife, who have bought the place where they had the Temple. We have donated the sankirtan van to ISKCON Madrid and to Nueva Vrajamandala we have donated books, paraphernalia, etc. and 100,000 euros in cash.

HpS/ASA - 😮 We hope you prayed a lot about the decision and consulted with many nice people. devotees. Seems like B I G decisions, but can also be fantastic preaching. Thank you for all the effort.

We plan to visit Spain from like middle of July to first week in October. We want to come after the heat is a little lower and leave with everyone possible to got the India for Kartika.

What do you think?

Best dates?

We would probably just stay in NVM where people could visit us and you know the kind of work we are doing: Consolidating all the Sankirtan efforts.

Now I am focused on the Sat Sanga of the Sierra de Guadarrama and Purnamasi in activities with the children.

I don't take up any more time and, I hope we meet again with these old bodies.

No more

his servant

Jayanta das

asa[e] - Uncle Gismo, Information Management Science

P.S. -This letter is from several months ago, and the truth is that it is an irrelevant letter, written with the sole intention of maintaining the relationship with the guru and his associates. It surprises me that the letters that do not have the CP lose the interest of him. I think it is a somewhat exaggerated measure. When a letter has not been attended for a reasonable time, it automatically takes priority. Of course I respect their criteria but I think that in this way we are always listening to their opinions and it seems that there is an evident and necessary shortage of critics.

HpS - Thank you for your comments on this topic. It is very important. Before the Blof we were getting 400-500 letters a month! 90% had the same basic three questions:

1. Where are you?
2. How is your health?
3. What are you doing?

We tried, but we just could not answer so many letters. Then with the Blog many sincere devotees began to read the answers to question by others and did not have to ask the three basic questions above, nor ask the other more general questions such as:

1. Can I take initiation from you?
2. What is the relationship with family and Temple?
3. How can I control my mind?

Even the more specific questions about SB, BG, etc. Were answered for those who read the responses to others, so our letters dropped to 150/month.

With the Letter Types listed above, the work load decreased even more eg. I will tag this letter Calendar Development and Category B which means that we can start filtering it for devotees who are interested in the European ASA Calendar Development, and that it includes things, Letters to the Editor, that should go for permanent reference in the ASA-Encyclopedia.

Yet, even 150/month can be heavy load as our eyes become more week. You can see how many letters we have answered so far. You can see that we sent a basic report in the DTC before we started and now our eyes are strained. We will push it a little and probably cause a little permanent damage, but that's life. We are all going to die, so why not die for something eternal.

Also, a lot of the letters involve mental work, as opposed to sensual and intellectual work, so we get headaches after a certain number.

Please send us your thoughts!

! ! !

One immediate response is, you should get a secretary. Bonk. We have tried it. We will continue to try it. Has advantages and drawbacks.

Thank you.

Writing to you like this is very, nice. We remember your Ashrama, everything.

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