Letters to the editor

Hare Krsna Dear Maharaja.

PAMHO. AGTSP!

I hope your body is in good health.

HpS - ASA -- Ha!    HA!    HA R E!     This body IS a disease, but now is manageable for Sankirtan!    Thank you.  Hope yours and your families also.

I share the following concerns with you if you can give me your generous opinion,

1.-We are all told to sing 16 enthusiastic and sincere rounds. I comment this to a devotee (initiated) by encouraging her to sing his rounds, But he told me: I do not feel encouraged to sing, I have done it as an obligation but I feel that this is not right, one must sing of his own free will and not feel obligated. Before leaving, the devotee told me that he read the SBG and that he liked it better than singing japa. I did not say more to disturb him, I just asked him to try to sing 2 to 3 rounds.

HpS - Child does not like to go to school. Wants to play, but parents and teachers oblige him. NOI 7. Of course, this can be done in such a way that it is great fun, but usually some element of fear or greed is pushing us to chant our rounds in the beginning.

This made me think the following: In life many times we do things by obligation if we want something we are forced to perform an action to get it by just thinking or meditating we will not get it (unless it is krsna). Even chanting japa is part of the process of meditating on Krsna.

On the other hand, there are psychological tendencies and pedagogues that say that things should not be forced to do so but should be encouraged to do so, however in Eastern cultures (China, Japan, Korea). It is said that: Discipline precedes the intelligence and for this reason, the discipline was given much importance; Differentiated what is "your will" with "what is your duty".

ASA - Again NOI 7 says so much about this, no?   In sports it is the same thing. We force ourselves to practice believing it will become fun later.

I am not an expert in psychology but I think that many things are being confused and some are taking new trends to justify their lack of discipline, I see that there is a tendency to skip or to obviate the processes and call that spontaneous service.

I do not know what the middle term is here, would there be a psychological damage to say that the rounds are obligatory for an initiated devotee? (Also looking for ways to lift their enthusiasm).

HpS - ASA - Prabhupada says that artificial repression can be worse than the disease, but...   we don't force anybody to become initiated. That is a voluntary thing. Of course, ISKCON institution is not perfect, and there may be force in certain social or subtle ways, but seems that any sincere person can avoid that and then will be making their own choice if they want to chant 16 rounds for the rest of their life.
Even then you can stop and accept the reactions of breaking your promise. It is very clear. NOI 7 -8. So many places, Learning Piano, Tennis, natural attraction usually comes from some formal practice.

2.- At the moment I see a great increase of feminism in the society (there are also cases in Iskcon), the women have obtained many things that they consider freedom and now they want more and more, but also have arisen negative things of all this that do not want to see or to admit.

Particularly I do not like to speak of machismo or feminism, for me it is to identify me more with the body, however I have seen and I see the dangerous thing of not taking care of the "psychology" of the woman and of some way it is notorious the problems that also are being generated in ISKCON.

I think that perhaps these issues should be addressed not only at the GBC level but at the level of Spiritual Masters.

HpS - ASA -- Yes, but there is so much in the SB about this, no?   Right in the begnning we see several points about feminine mentality of Draupadi when Asvattama kills her sons. Of course, The Battle of the Sexes goes on forever, Radharani and Her friends, versus Krsna and His Friends. So, it is also very much fun and sarisfying dealing with problems in terms of properly understanding feminine and masculine needs of the person and their body.

Any items in specific about this??

Sri Nrsimhadeva protect you.

with affection

ys and spiritual niece

Isvari dd

HpS - ASA --- Thank you very much!!    Hope you all can join the Seattle Conference with lots of benefit.

Hare Krsna.

Nandulal Das will arrive on same plane as us in Lima and will leave back to Houston same day we leave for Santiago.

Who wants to help him with his visit. Very, very nice person. He owns an elephant.

Go sightseeing in Lima.

Shopping.

Gloria in excelsis Deo

Esteemed Prof. Juan Dejo, Swami Yadunandana
By this letter let us introduce you too each other and introduce the idea for an excellent project.

Prof. Dejo, Yadu Swami has been a very good friend of ours, and the whole world, for many years. He is Spanish and became involved with ISKCON and this tradition of Bengali, Caitanya, Vaisnavism many years ago. He has been very actively involved with education in ISKCON and a celibate monk for about 40-years.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yadunandana_Swami

He recently published an excellent academic study on monastic tradition in our Bengali heritage and now it has been suggested by some very senior academics that a super excellent book would be a study on the contrasts and comparisons between Bengali (Caitanya) Vaisnava and Jesuit Monastic Traditions.

The very strong consensus has been that this would be enthusiastically received by academics but maybe even more so by many common people.

To our understanding the natural human situation is for a substantial number of men not to marry. This has been evidenced in European Christian heritage and of course in Asia.

Happy life, and very useful life.

I could write about this a great deal but here would just like to offer this suggestion and see what you all think about this.

Yadu Swami, We had the honor of meeting Prof. Juan Dejo S.J., Director de la Escuela de Posgrado de la Universidad Antonio Ruiz de Montoya, through the 2016 conference on Psychology and the Sacred that we co-sposored in Peru. I understand that he is very respected educator and administrator in the Peruvian community.

How many young men would decide to pass their lives as Monastics after reading such a book of history and modern reality!

HARE KRSNA, GURUDEVA,

PAOHO, AGTSP!

JUST TO LET YOU KNOW THAT UNFORTUNATELY GRACIANO CANCELLED THE INTERVIEW THAT WAS MEANT TO HAPPEN ON FRIDAY.

ALMENDRO WILL ALSO NOT MAKE IT FOR THIS WEDNESDAY, ALTHOUGH THERE IS STILL A CHANCE TO MEET  YOU NEXT WEEK (HE WILL LET ME KNOW IF HE CAN...).

WE HAVE THE USA-SPAIN ADAPTER, WE WILL BRING IT TO THE UNIVERSITY ON THURSDAY.

HpS - ASA --- Jaya.    AGTSP.  Now they are 3.30PM.  We are sitting at Srila Prabhupada's lotus feet in the Temple Room in New Vraja Mandala.   Antonio, the cowherd, got us an adapter at the Brihuega Chinese store, then another devotee said that Jayanta had sent two types. Well, I guess we can keep them for use by visiting USA devotees that Krsna seems to be arranging to send!

Editorial Siruela??  Podemo visitar?

So, sad that we cannot meet anybody for these interviews!   Such a great loss for them that they cannot apprecate, enter,  the KRSNA book!!    We continue to try to meet new people, no?

ASPIRING TO SERVE YOU [even more]

BHADRA VD & SANANDA DD

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Dear Guru Maharaja, please accept my humble obeisances.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

I am presenting here my thoughts and questions on the topic of Vyasa's seat and qualifications needed to sit on it. I tried hard to write it down the better [best] I can, so that it has some sense.

What makes a usual seat to become a vyasasana? I doubt it is how big the asana is, or from which material it is made, or how it is carved? I will say there are two aspects that make a asana an vyasasana:

• it is the purpose and motivation of the speaker – if proper, that would be to present the conclusions which Vedavyasa presented in his writings

and

• the talk itself – i.e. is the talk following or not the vaisnava siddhanta exactly.

In other words, a vyasasana can be any asana (seat) from which a person talks and presents the viewpoint of Śrī Vyāsadeva. That seat can be a simple cushion, chair, or finely carved throne.

Is that a correct statement?

HpS - Seems so to us [HpS, TB, BW, UG], but UG points out that if it has lion feet then it is also a Simhasana.

In verses SB 1.1.6-8 we find the qualifications of the speaker who sits on vyasasana:

• completely free from all vice.
• well versed in all the scriptures famous for religious life, and in the Purāṇas and the histories as well,
• have gone through them (scriptures) under proper guidance and have also explained them
• submissive

That is the verse. And SP explains in the purport:

• there are four major vices (4 regs)
• be well versed in all revealed scriptures or in the Vedas. The Purāṇas are also parts of the Vedas. And histories like the Mahābhārata or Rāmāyaṇa are also parts of the Vedas. The ācārya or the gosvāmī must be well acquainted with all these literatures.

Then in SB 1.1.7 purport, SP writes:

Besides Vyāsadeva, there are other sages who are the authors of six different philosophical systems, namely Gautama, Kaṇāda, Kapila, Patañjali, Jaimini and Aṣṭāvakra. Theism is explained completely in the Vedānta-sūtra, whereas in other systems of philosophical speculations, practically no mention is given to the ultimate cause of all causes. One can sit on the vyāsāsana only after being conversant in all systems of philosophy so that one can present fully the theistic views of the Bhāgavatam in defiance of all other systems.

My understanding of English language is that words “well versed”, “well acquainted” and “conversant” are synonyms. They all mean the same thing.

HpS - Yes, sure seems like it. Maybe some small differences.

Now, what is the practical meaning of “to be conversant in all those systems of philosophy” (which I believe are also called ṣaḍdarśana) ? How much a person should know? Is a few sentence definition of what those systems propound enough?

HpS - This is a question that I have also had for a long time too. I guess that anyone who has taken proper Bhakti sastri or studied to the level in Srila Prabhupada's books has the preliminary qualifications. He is a Brahmana and can sit on the ISKCON Vyasasana. Of course, he knows that he is not the Founder-Acharya. Without formally naming these philosophies, Srila Prabhupada presents their ideas in BG As It Is, TLC, etc.

While SP was present, he instructed devotees to give and hear classes on BG, SB, ISO… Devotees were sitting on vyasasana while speaking. Did those devotees then, and also, do the devotees now, know and are well versed with saddarsanas?

HpS - Exactly. I think they were 'well versed' in that they knew the conclusion. Eg. in the Krsna book Krsna presents Karma - mimamksa to Nanda Maharaja to try to convince him to do the Govardhana Puja and Srila Prabhupada talks about it. I the Prayers by the Personified Vedas we find so much. In Purush-sukta confirmed in Canto Two, so much. Again, they aren't up to the level of Ramanuja acharya, but they should know their limits and then be able to direct high class Brahmanas to more detailed sources if they want those, but "Chant Hare Krsna and be happy!" coming from a proper ISKCON Brahmana is perfect advice, Siddhanta, no?

I am asking this because, apart from being (hopefully submissive and) interested in the general topic of what is discussed here, also, to understand the wideness of SP's instructions. For example, SP says in his books such a point that whoever sits on vyasasana should be well acquainted with saddarsana. Also, most probably, not all devotees who sit on vyasasana have such a qualification. My idea is that this is a gradual process. And every person should thoughtfully decide for themselves if to sit and speak or not. Is this a right understanding?

HpS - I did not want to take Sannyasa, but Hansadutta Swami, Atreya rsi Prabhu, Bhakti Svarupa damodara Swami, Ramesvara Swami, Tripurari Swami all said I shoul do it. Then I started traveling and Kirtananda Swami, Virabahu Das, Tamal-krsna Goswami, Rabindra-svarupa Das et al, gave me the nod that I should do this. O.K.  Prabhupada similar, no?  We make our personal decision about accepting attention to our preaching, but that should include consideration of our authorities, friends.

Also, maybe for the time being, a person is not 100% fit to sit on Vyasa's seat, but he is a “mango in the process to maturity”.

Your servant Namacarya Das

HpS - Yes, and he knows that he is just a new Brahmana, Madhyama adhikari, so he explains what he knows. Gives sources for information, and then the audience is benefited. A high class India Brahmana, scholar who has read the Sad-darshana, and is nice, may ask: Esteemed New Iskcon Brahmana, I know Dhyananda Sarasvati, Pusti-marga, but I have not really had a chance to read a simple Bio-graphy, maybe thirty pages of your Acharya, Sri Krsna Caitanya. Is one available?

Where would you direct him?

Hare Krishna Dear Gurumaharaja,

Please accept my humble obeisances.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Got reply from Spanish BBT. Waiting for book. Once we got it we will start to import it.

Prahladanand Das

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ASA - HpS --- O.K!   We look for Editor's