Letters to the editor

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

It is Sunday, fall has started. As everyday, we made puja to our Lord and Mistress/ Father and Mother/ Friend. Then we partook of Their remnants. Then japa-yajna. After we went to the garden where Nirgata and my mother sow different green leafy vegetables and flowers. I took care of weeds that are growing through the cement pathway to our flat.
In our (or should I say Their) garden we have fig trees, tangerine trees, tomatoes, spinach, basilico, celery, different green lefy vegetables, and also various flowers. I like to go pick up flowers for Radha Madhava's enjoyment.

By calendar dates summer ended, but in sunny days it is very nice to go and have a swim in a clean sea. There are no tourists now, so it is not crowded on the rocks, and as there were few strong rains, the surroundings are clean. Although there are still cigarette butts, which are looking  disgusting and smelly. The sea temperature is around 23 Celsius degresss. That is not too cold. These days will be one of the last baths in the sea for this year.

What godsister Madhumanjari wrote to the Blog,  resonates with me. Blog gets me blocked. I am not used to write, specially publicly and in English. I would like to say/write on some topic, but get blocked. Like there is a barrier. But I understand that it can also be a catalyst. <img alt="yes" height="23" src="http://hps-d6.monkeywarrior.com/sites/all/libraries/ckeditor/plugins/smiley/images/thumbs_up.png" title="yes" width="23" /> Somehow, I much prefer a talk face to face. Do not know how to get into dialog on the Blog. I am not in any way saying that Blog is bad. It is wonderfull in many ways. One nice thing about writing on the Blog and have a Blog-sanga is that before writitng, there is more time to think of what to say <img alt="angel" height="23" src="http://hps-d6.monkeywarrior.com/sites/all/libraries/ckeditor/plugins/smiley/images/angel_smile.png" title="angel" width="23" />

Sunday program in the temple go on now cca one time a month. Festivals we celebrate. For festivals, I like any kind of celebration in association with devotees, but for our Pula situation I am keen to do what you informed us - kind of 20 minutes of kirtan, reading and japa each. We still did not do iit like that, but maybe in the future if devotees desire.

I'm in the middle of preparation for BhVai Canto 5 presenatations.

We were invited to visit a ISKCON centre in other town and serve as leading kirtans and giving lectures. Looks we will accept this  call.

H.H. Prahladananda Swami was in Pula for 2 days. Nirgata and myslef prepared prasadam for him. Did he answered your letter?

HpS - We see that he just answered but we have not been able to open it yet.

In your letter to him, you told about suggestions from Bhaktividyapurna Swami. What are those suggestions, if I am allowed to know?

HpS - Ha!   Ha!   Ha!   Maharaja said that many of our ideas about GBC, Sannyasi relations were very good but if we pushed them we would probably get politically marginalized. Of course, if it is a big margin that is O.K.  It is surprising, but I can see that my family has been pioneers for many generations.

In SP Folio I got some more (few) "hits" for a term "Vaisnavi". Those hits are from lectures, conversations and letters. Should I report here?

HpS - Yes!  That would be nice.

This Blog is my most visited site on the internet. Plus Vedabase.com. I am grateful that you are keeping in touch with us through the Blog and for your care. Also, thanks to our dear godbrother Prahlad Nrsimha Ji, a Mayapura-vasi <img alt="smiley" height="23" src="http://hps-d6.monkeywarrior.com/sites/all/libraries/ckeditor/plugins/smiley/images/regular_smile.png" title="smiley" width="23" />.

There are some topics more to write about, but let me try to do that in the future.

Your servant Namacarya das

HpS - For some one who has writers block on Blogs, you send such beautiful, informative, practical and important letters.   Thank you!

I will write about some of the topics you mention here in todays, DTC!   Prabhupada: The magic will not be done by you, nor me, nor any living being, the magic will be done by Krsna when we become pure devotees of Krsna!!!!!
Paoho!!!

Hare Krishna dear guru maharaj, please accept my humble obesciences, all glories to Srila prabhupad

Is the NIOS address correct maharaj

North American Institute for Oriental and Classical Studies

304 Astor Way; Franklin, TN 37064; USA

Hare Krsna,
Nata

Thank you

your aspiring servant

NC Das

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HpS - ASA --- Nilacala Candra, Amar Prabhu Jagannatha!
No photos!    We will attach some!
We have new address for about 18-months now.

NIOS

2129 Stratford Rd.

Murfreesboro, TN 37129
How are your "fallible soldiers".   You can see we will be in Houston for Gita Jayanti and 50th anninversary festival!   C U then???

Hare Krsna Dear Gurudev,
    Please accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet.
    All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
    All glories to Guru parampara.

    Gurudev, in my previous letter, URL : http://hps.monkeywarrior.com/node/6949
    we had asked, can we perform "Agnihotra"?

    we means to say, can we learn & perform "Agnihotra", other then what we (ISKCON temples)
    do Agnihotra for Initiations, Weddings etc. Except these, can we learn & perform other
    Agnihotra  also? If so what those should be?
    
your fallen servant,
Girivaradhari-Gopal Das

HpS - ASA --- Ahhh!   I don't know much about this. It is not the work of a Sannyasi, more for Grhastha.  There are devotees in ISKCON who do this for these different Sanskaras.  I think Mukunda Das, the Head Pujari in Vrndavana would know about this and of course there must be Brahmanas in your Yatra who do this. For example there is the Hari Cutting Ceremony and others, no?

Do you have any photos from the book-release in Delhi??? Or do you know anyone who does?   We are planning on fixing our India schedule three months in advance. We arrive 31st December so we will start buying the tickets 31st September. Actually we have the tickets and program up until the 10th of January with Delhi, Tirupati, Madras.

Hare Krsna!

Hare Krsna Dear Gurudev,
    Please accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet.
    All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
    All glories to Guru parampara.

    Gurudev, can we perform "Agnihotra". If yes, what kind of? If no, then what are the reasons?
    
your fallen servant,
Girivaradhari-Gopal Das

HpS - ASA --- AGTSP. paoho.   You know the answer to this question, no????   In ISKCON temples we do Agnihotra for Initiations, Weddings etc.
Maybe we don't understand the question.... Hare Krsna!

HpS - Everywhere people report using Vedabase.com.  What happened to the Share Line, Tweet, button that was on each page. We used it. If it is too much of a problem that is o.k.    Also, as you get more and more languages it seems that you are going to have to put them in a Pull Down List, no?    Do you get Book Distribution Points for every hit?

Yes, new version uses dropdown so screen is kept clean. I removed Share Line because added more languages. Tried to put back widget but for some reason it doesn't work anymore. 

No book distribution points :) But this month we broke round number of 55000 record (in last 30 days it is 55,823 unique visitors).

HpS - Very nice!!!   We were hoping to hear from you!   So, you settled back in Sridama Mayapura?

I will try to post news more often. We are in Mayapur only temporarly. Planning to go to Europe as in case of pregnancy medical care here is unacceptable and Mataji who was doing homebirths (with many years of experience and over 1300 birth) had to leave Mayapur this year due to situation. So February, March or April we will be moving to Slovakia for some time it seems.

We read that some devotees got a public apology and cash, but you didn't get any cash. (Ha! Ha! Ha!)

I didn't want to go there, but Jayapataka Swami was only manager who contacted and spoke with me and then he send one of his servent and ask me to come, so couldn't refuse him. Was funny as 2 hours talks were just about that to use violance against devotees is not good :)  Two of attacker who got indentified went to apologize. My mental state is better although when I am on mangala arati my mind comes with all different scenarios what will happen, who will attack or kill whom. So generally I don't like to be in temple much.

Can you send your annual financial report for NIOS.  Where the money came from and where it went to?
 

Will prepare it and send you.

Our respects to your good wife.  Are you going to live as Vanaprastha couple??

I hope not, at least not in next 20 years. We would like to get children, but due to period intervals (2 or 3 month) we didn't get much oportunities. Just before last calculated day my wife got heavy ear infection, so had to cancel. I am somehow ok as I have faith Krishna will send us children one day who will be devotees, but my good wife is getting stressed. One devotee friend also suggested that maybe somebody using black magic or some curse on us. Let see what is Krishna's plan.

Your servant Prahlad-nrsimha das

HpS -  Black is beautiful!      Took Nanda and Yasoda a long time to get a son, but they did pretty well.       Just keep so busy, with early Japa at the basis that there is not time for speculation, then you will eventually become a Great Wheel in the Big Machine!!!!     Has your father found any interesting bells lately??

Hare Krishna Dear Maharaj, Please accept my humble obeisances at your divine feet, All glories to Guru and Gauranga, Hope you are fine in your health.

HpS-ASA  -- Don't look divine.    Guru-Gauranga, Ki Jai!    Our health is O.K., but we are mentally deranged, conditioned soul, you know.

This is Ranchor Krishna Das from Vrindavan Dham. I know you don't know me. I just want to introduce myself to this family and want to tell about my relationship with Govinda Pramodini Dasi.

I was born in Mumbai near Radha Ras Bihari Ji temple (which is also called Srila Prabhupada's office).  My whole family stay there and father have a small business there. So, I used to go to temple from my childhood because my school was in front of ISKCON Gate. So I was attending everyday Darshan Aarti before School.. dancing with Saffron Brahmachari, offering flowers to Prabhupada and that special delicious Sweetrice Prasad and later I also started to go Sandhya Aarti everyday and then I came in contact with my Shiksha Guru His Grace Praneshwar Das, he was head of ISKCON Youth Forum (IYF) and then after meeting with him I started to chant 16 Rounds everyday at that time I was in 8th grade,  slowly I became a part of IYF and started to serve, assit in preaching and also started to serve Praneshwar Prabhu personally.

Actually my parents were not positive with of My Krishna conscious life they were always chastising me even sometimes beat me for going to temple I was feeling so sad to be in home I had desire to become full-time to help in Srila Prabhupada's movement. So I am just waiting to be 18 and then join Ashram but my Siksha Guru not supported me and told me to finish my studies and then join,and I agreed with him and continued my studies..some years passed like this but slowly my father became so Anti ISKCON. And he started to become more violent on me, not allowing me to go to temple and also chant, at this time I was in High School in 12th grade, at that time I decided to ran from home and joined Temple with the blessings of my Siksha Guru.

So,I joined Sridham Mayapur as full time Brahmachari at age of 18, I was serving in Mayapur Institute department there and after year so, my Siksha Guru took me to another preaching project in middle India, I was serving there for next 4 years as a Youth Preacher in colleges with him before coming to Vrindavan, meanwhile I got my both Harinaam and Brahmin initiation from his holiness Radha Govind Goswami Maharaj. 2 years before I decided to change my ashram and started to serve in Braj Mandal Parikrama and started to do some Restaurant business with my friends.

Last year my Shiksha Guru told me about Govinda Pramodini. Actually he is online Bhakti Sastri teacher, he has online Bhakti Sastri group in Dallas, Texas and then we started talk nearly everyday and share about Krishna consciousness and started to read Srila Prabhupada's books together.. teachings of queen Kunti,Krishna Book and share our realisations. We really like each Others thoughts and everything. I met Govinda Pramodini for the first time personally in India at with my Siksha Guru ,we spent some time everyday together and I took her everywhere in Braj, she did her first Vrindavan and Govardhan Parikrama, we were so happy together. actually I didn't met such a wonderful devotee in my life with such a wonderful service attitude towards Krishna and also Vaishnavas.

These days, I really feel deep in my heart that she is the one and together we can serve Krishna nicely and I also got approved her from my Siksha Guru and together me and Govinda with my Shiksha Guru and my guardians decided to get engaged and get paper marriage.

And after taking blessings from My Gurudeva, My Guardian and Govinda family, her parents and all the Vaishnavas we got engaged on July 5th, in ISKCON Noida temple.

Actually, Maharaj we know ,we did everything in rushing and fastly but at that moment I was thinking I don't want to lose her, I was afraid and finally we did everything.

I'm really sorry that I didn't took your blessings at that time. Please forgive me and consider, accept me like your fool Son and Please shower your mercy on us. so, that we can serve in Srila Prabhupada's movement nicely.

Begging for your Mercy,

Your Humble Servant, Ranchor Krishna Dasa

HpS - Very interesting.    It seems like an ISKCON novel.     I think everything will be very nice if at heart  you just take marriage like Deity worship. It is a service that you do to Krsna and you have to learn how to do it. In the beginning the specific personal relations are important but just as important is the dedication to taking marriage as a service to Krsna.

Please send us news from time to time about your service!!!   Very nice to meet you and hope to be of great service to you, and hope that Krsna's plans for you are revealed in a very practical and steady way!!