Letters to the editor

Hare Krsna Respected Guru Maharaj,
    Please accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet.

             HpS - ASA   -   Apple Blossom Feet (maybe)

    All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

               HpS - ASA - Jaya!
    All glories to Guru parampara.

    This letter is answer to your earlier letter.

    Guru Dev, Your feet is always lotus. There is no doubt. You present Sri Sri Radha-
    Kunjabihari to all of us so we don't have any doubt.

           HpS - We sleep like 8-hours in a day often. Srila Prabhupada slept 4-5 usually. Often when we are tired we watch bio-graphys and documentaries rather than read the Krsna book.  This is symptom of Madhyama-adhikari. No spontaneous attraction, 100%.  Apple blossom feet, by the mercy of Srila Prabhupada.  No "Maya" that breaks four principles. Relating bio-graphys to KC. Material desires under control and diminishing, but if we try to imitate Srila Prabhupada's position we won't advance. 

    No, there is no study partner. We Read alone. During reading, We collect/write lots of   questions and doubts and go to temple and then discuss with Temple Bramachari,
   (whom i report at the local temple).

         HpS - Aaaah!   So that is not reading alone.  You are with him in Vani. Perfect!  Who is this B'cari?

    Your words always give me strength, Like, When you speak with the convection that
    we have Beadd-bag and Prabhupada's book so no need to worry, even if we go to hell. We
   should not worry.

    I live with your words and will live with your Words.

    You speak about Sri Radha-Krsna with such a convection, which i never find anywhere.

    As you advised, We will surely search your lectures in the ISKCON Juhu, website.

    Actually, we were looking for your lecture & question/answer session on BG 9.22.

    Thank you, Guru Dev.

your fallen servant,
Girivaradhari-Gopal Das

                HpS - Jaya!  AgtSP.  All glories to your ISKCON Temple!      Sorry little late to answer... one week.  We are doing better.  Recovering from so much service AND pushing not to do too much now!         O.K.  Join us for the rest of today's letters!

Todas las glorias a Srila Prabhupada!!!!!

Todas las Glorias a Sri Caitanya Maha Prabhu!!!!!

Hare Krsna Guru Maharaj, reciba mis afectuosas reverencias, espero  tener  la misericordia de poder escribirle siempre, aunque algunas veces el tema del internet  falla.

Lo que pude leer en el Caitanya Caritamrita “Adi Lila – Cap. 11, texto 13” es que Abhirama Thakura  fue anteriormente Sridama Thakura.  Por orden de Sri Nityananda Prabhu, Abhirama Thakura llegó a ser un gran Acarya y predicador  del  servicio devocional. Por el poder recibido de Sri Nityananda Prabhu, estaba siempre en éxtasis, y era sumamente bondadoso con todas las almas caídas.  Se dice que si ofrecía reverencias a cualquier piedra que no fuera una Salagrama-sila, inmediatamente se rompía en pedazos.  También tenía un látigo  y a cualquiera que tocase con él, se volvía inmediatamente un elevado devoto de Krsna.

Es lo que encontré sobre Abhirama Thakura , lo más probable es que en capítulos posteriores encuentre más comentarios  sobre  Abhirama Thakura.  ¿Qué grandes almas estarán por aquí?

También pude encontrar este texto muy importante en el “Adi Lila, Cap. 10, texto 158” Raghunatha Bhatta Gosvami,  se dice que era experto en cocinar, todo lo que cocinaba sabia a néctar. Sri Caitanya Maha Prabhu  Se sentía muy complacido de aceptar los alimentos que preparaba Raghunatha Bhatta Goswami.  El Señor Caitanya le ordeno que fuera a Vrindavana para reunirse con Srila Rupa Gosvami, también le dijo que no se casara, que siguiera siendo Brahmacari, y también le ordeno que leyera el Srimad Bhagavatan constantemente. Así es que fue a Vrindavana y allí se dedicó a recitar el Srimad Bhagavatan para Srila Rupa Gosvami.

Se dice que Raghunatha Bhatta Gosvami nunca hablaba tonterías ó temas mundanos, solo oía hablar de Krsna las veinticuatro horas del día “Krsna Katha”. Nunca se interezó en escuchar  cuando se blasfemaba contra un devoto.  Hasta cuando había algo que criticar, solía decir que, como todos los vaisnavas estaban ocupados en servir al Señor, a él no le importaban sus faltas. Se dice que en el pasado fue la Gopi llamada Raga – manjari. 

Interezante, No criticar, No blasfemar, No ofender, seguir cuatro principios regulativos, 16 buenas rondas,  Mangal Artik, leer los sastras  y no nos iremos al infierno!!!  Quizás solo un instante.

En lo personal estas enseñanzas nos han quedado bien claras, no ofender a nadie, es muy importante para el avance espiritual, de lo contrario nos caeremos por nuestras ofensas, solo debemos seguir las enseñanzas del  Guru, Sadhu y Sastras. Todo servicio es muy importante, siempre le estaré muy agradecido por sus consejos Guru Maharaj.

Hare Krsna Guru Maharaj, un Abrazo.  Nos vemos en las calles!!!

Gadai Gauranga Das

HpS - ASA -  Super Gracias!!!    TlgaSP!!    Pfanrh.      Mas....  Caitanya caritamrta es nectar.   Busca para personas en Sankirtan quien puede comprar un set completo, no?    Espero advanza muy rapido en su servicio!!!!!!!

Hare Krsna Respected Guru Maharaj,
    Please accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet.

             HpS - ASA --  Apple blossom feet, maybe.

    All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
    All glories to Guru parampara.

    Guru Dev, we have grown hair for keeping 'Shikha'. But we feel, in office, It could not be good. we feel, pople make a distance from me, if we go this way. They don't talk freely.

    we put full 'tilak' in office time so see my 'tilak', people avoide to face me.Actually we
    put tilak for 24 hours.We like it to put always.

    We spoke about shika with local temple bramachari. They advised, we can shave head
    completely, if we feel there is issue in office.

    We seek your openion on this. We will follow accordingly.
   
    Thank you, Guru Dev.
your fallen servant,
Girivaradhari-Gopal Das

              HpS - Jaya!   AGTSP...  paoho.   Lord Caitanya shaved completely according to time place and circumstance.   We need to see the exact combination of not frightening people and at the same time motivating them to look for Krsna.  Yes, advice of local devotees would seem to be very useful.   Tilak I don't know.  Maybe be good. Maybe it is good that some people don't want to talk with us at first, eliminates bad association, and after some time we see that people search their own hearts and adjust.

hare krsna maharaj pamho agtsp.
thank you very much for replies to our blog querries.

             HpS - ASA -  AGTSP!!!    Sorry this took five days.  Our daily program here is from 10am - 1.30PM    then back again from 3.30PM to 6PM.  Then in those off hours everything else has to be done.  It is hard work so by the end of the day we have headaches and cant even touch the keyboard, but we saw your letter and we've been waiting to get to.

1. is it fine that we keep on posting pysch research, as contribution to this blog. please see this lecture https://class.coursera.org/intropsych-001/lecture/13... i dont know if u can attend this course or hear some lect. but it is good refresher of pysch. u can download slides, transcripts of lectures etc

2. continuing to point that MS word is an idea.  the intreseting part is that even though it is idea, it is represented by binary language in the to some storage device and transferred. so even software is transmitted through hard ware... every hardware has also some compatibility with range of software only.. it can not work with every software

           HpS - It can also be printed out on paper.   We could start C++ for example and go to Binary.           I "get" and idea?    Where does it come from?   No hardware involved.        We are continuously receiveing ideas, no?  A little perspective and it is obvious that inumerable ideas are coming and we ar accepting or rejecting.

how does it apply to humans...

3. we also see that if you keep an answring such questions on the blog.. then such answer may become basis of book for yourself.

trying to contribute in sankirtana some ways
harsh pradhan
P.S.  Our son plays gopal deity as toy. he holds gopal from neck,lifts him up, kisses on nose then put back.. is such activity offensive to any one? our deity is made of brass

              HpS -  It's O.K.  should teach him that Deity is special.  Needs special treatment. I think he can understand!    More Psycho-letters!

Hare Krishna Maharaj,

Please accept my humble obeisnaces, all glories to Srila Prabhupada.

To night I was on my work related issues and I have some free time (as I was kept on hold, waiting for others to finish their work) and I went to "jayarama.us" archives and when I'm reading (Vedic Vs Myth and optical illusion document), somehow I got  this question.

What is the ultimate goal of this life, "Knowing the truth" or "feeling the truth". What is the purpose of reading all these Sastra's, is it to gradually to raise to the level of "feeling". Knowing the truth or having the knowledge makes the "heart to respond instead mind".

Or serving the Lord, knowing that, he is Supreme or anything else beyond it, in this yoga.

Please pardon my ignorance in regards to the above question Maharaj. I'm trying to make a habbit of the reading the sastras on a regular basis, some how some days, I feel more motivated and some days more like just reading. How do I make the mind go beyond the lines.

Your humble servant

-Srinivasa from Richmond, VA

       HpS - ASA -  AGTSP!    paoho   Is so, so nice to hear from you.  More, more.  We have letters of recomendation for your inititation and for your good spouse and we will deal them more officially when we get to USA after June 1st.  Now we are in the last week of this four month traveling sankirtan!     We are in Spain and Monday we go for the education symposium in Belgium.

Your questions are very good.  Usually, in these industrialized societies we take "knowing" as what Prabhupada calls, "Jnana".  There is very nice essay on this in the Foreward to the Isopanisad, "What is Veda?"   Please read it.    Modern guys, science, is Rational Empiricism. That is Pratyaksa and Anumana as you read the Isopanisad essay.  We see - I know, I see it.   And we speculate - algebra, grammar, logic, on that perception.

    Feeling for modern man is usually feelings that relate to the body, stomach, etc.   When we talk about feelings in the heart it is coming to the fundamental feelings of the Vrajavasis for Krsna.  These dont relate t the body.  This is the ulitmate goal. In the beginning our heart is clouded so we "feel" in the heart through our intelligence, Buddhi, contemplation.  Its very close to the soul.

      So, the answer is, that the jnana, rational understanding that Sastra gives, is to help us get off the gross level of Karma, senses, work without understanding.   It is useful.  We need it.  This is jnana, knowing.  But the goal is feeling.  Not feeling in the stomach, but feeling in the heart.  And to start that will mostly be dhyana, meditation, contemplation. We will be able to read Prabhupada's books with attention. We don't have to understand so much.  We are there with them.

Is a little clearer?   Read the Essay at the start of the Isopanisad!

Respected Guru Maharaj,

Hare Krishna. Please accept my humble obeisances at your feet. All glories to Srila Prabhpuada.

Saw a post on Cartesian Dualism and Descartes: http://www.hps.monkeywarrior.com/node/3009 I have introductory level understanding of this through course era MOOC :-)

Basically Descartes thinks Mind and Body are made of different things. He thinks body is material and mind is made of immaterial stuff that doesn't occupy space (I suspect that he may have thought that mind and soul are the same thing). He was challenged by his disciple Princess Elizabeth of Bohemia through 'the problem of causation'. Her argument is that only physical things can move physical stuff therefore only physical stuff exists. I have some hand outs and slides of this that I can send you if you like.

Your servant

Srinivasacarya das

             HpS - AgtSP.  paoho.   Please send what you have.  For us Manas and Buddhi don't occupy gross space either, no?   Space is the first of the gross five elements and mind and intelligence can exist before the manifestation of gross elements. For example, chemistry is a different "body" of knowledge from physics but neither exists in gross space.  Where is Microsoft word, no?   It is an idea.  The soul becomes entangled in bodies of material ideas.