Letters to the editor

Dear Guru Maharaja!

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!!

It has been too long since the last letter. I keep putting it in my mind to write and now finally I have the opportunity. I hope you are in good health. I see that you are in Huston. I wish I could go and visit you again. Last year was very nice. Nila Madhava is very beautiful and doing service for him was splendid. I miss Him. And I miss your association very much. 

Here in Toronto there are many Grihastha couples but I just have a problem associating with people in general so getting advice from devotees I don't know very well is something I don't like to do. It's a little hard to have a couple to be guides for us. It seems like it can really help mys husband and I a lot since we need plenty of help. 

Yogendra and I- mainly I- would like to add some members to the family. I have been told that without your blessings, starting a family would not be possible. Of course we wouldn't start right away because we are definitely are not settled financially, mentally, etc. But sometime in the near future would be nice. I only ask for your blessings and permission, Maharaja.

We purchased the Bhagavatam set. Some of the books still have the plastic over them. They are nice to have although They are nicer to read I imagine. I am comfortably reading the Lilamrita. We still read it every morning before breakfast. Prabhupada is just about to take sannyasa!!! It's very exciting :)

My husband got a job at a bank as a teller. It's enough to survive is all I can say. And I was going to school to become a Deantal Assistant however I will no longer continue. I'm sorry if it sounds dissapointing that I dropped out but I realized I didn't like it very much. Luckily I found a job at the University's book store, but only part time. I am not meant to work that is for certain. 

I am going to the temple a bit more than I used to before. I'm starting to get some taste for service again. Slowly I might be back to my old self but I must take it slowly.  

16 rounds, 4 regs, some reading.

I hope you are in good health, Maharaja. 

Your aspiring servant,

Rasa-mandali dd

            HpS - Jaya!     Work on it!!!           This is reality, a girl must depend on her husband for children, house, vision in life. So do austerities for you husband's well being, that he can be inspired in Krsna consciousness. In any position we are Krsna can do the magic. He can meet someone at the bank that will give good advice.  Just chant all the time and Krsna will give intelligence. Don't give up on education but look for what you really need. Maybe being an editor for book publishing.

Toda gloria a Srila Prabhupada

Por favor acepte mis humildes reverencias a Sus pies de loto

Hare Krishna!!! querido Gurudeva,le escribo para agradecerle su misericordia de haberme aceptado como Su discipulo, Usted  es un gran ejemplo para todo la comunidad Vaishnava y no Vaishnava en todos los niveles, y me da mucha inspiración.Gracias por darnos los cuatro principios  y las 16 rondas, el prasada, y el sadhana, la ropa y  lo mas importante la asociacion con los Vaishnavas, queria decirle que estoy endeudado eternamente con Usted, ,disculpeme las ofensas a Sus pies de loto, y gracias por no enojarse conmigo por mis herrores.queria contarle que ahora me encuentro en Rio Negro, visitando a Mis familiares, estamos con Bharata y mañana vamos a cocinar  para Usted en Su Vyasa Puja. Aqui la conciencia de Krishna esta de una manera  inmanifieta,...Hace unos dias sali a dar libros por las calles de aqui en una hora salieron unos 20 libros,

            HpS - !!  TlgaSP!!!

... y hoy  cuando caminaba con Bharat frente a un hospital me cruze con una persona que habia adquirido un libro, y nos invito a Su casa para que hablemos con Su familia sobre la conciencia de Krishna.Vamos a cantar con Bharat y algunos amigos en estos dias y en la casa de esta gente.

Jaya Guru Maharaja!!!!

Gracias Guru Maharaja

Eternamente  su sirviente y discipulo Adi Yajña Das

                HpS - Jaya!  Adelante!   Que mas podemos hacer. Esperamos que su Sankirtan esta pasando a ente mas y mas elevada, como jueze, senadores, autores!!

Please accept our humble obeisances!! All Glories to Srila Prabhupada!!

All Glories to Sri Guru and Gauranga!!

Dearest Srila HanumatPresaka Swami,

I cherish the association where i could personally serve you for a week. I will pray to Krishna to further give more such rare oppportunities to be in your personal service.

tulayāma lavenāpi

na svargaḿ nāpunar-bhavam

bhagavat-sańgi-sańgasya

martyānāḿ kim utāśiṣaḥ

Bhagavatam describes,

The value of a moment's association with the devotee of the Lord cannot even be compared to the attainment of heavenly planets or liberation from matter, and what to speak of worldly benedictions in the form of material prosperity, which are for those who are meant for death.

I pray to you and Krishna that I relish and realize these words from Srimad Bhagavatam and progress along the spiritual path. For having such associations will bring one to complete satisfaction and realizations in KC. 

May this lead to following in your footsteps one day of performing "Kirtaniya Sada Hari", 24 Hr kirtan, which you perform with such intensity.You are always chanting Krishna's name and following our Founder Acharya and your Guru Maharaj Srila Prabhupada and his instructions.

As I remember many such moments where you display Yukta Vairagya, where your words display extreme detachment, based on Sastra, but your actions display the eagerness to engage all in Krishna Consciousness in line with the parampara.

We are improving our sadhana quite a bit. Last year our sadhana had improved for better compared to all the last years, for previously unaware of our best interests and now trying to take to heart and assimilate with your patient goading. 

There is a desire to see and get a glimpse in our inner heart of the splendor of the lotus feet of Krishna. May you purify our desire and bless us in our advancement in KC.

Prabhupada during his years of stay in Vrindavana I understand would cry and beg for the mercy of Srila Rupa/Sanatan Goswami, his Guru Maharaja, and from the Vaishnava lineage. This mercy he wanted was to fulfill the impossible task of preaching to the Western world.

May I get such intense desire to be able to serve the Vaishnavas and preach.

I had a short dream in which Prabhupada, had come, and told me to never leave ISKCON. 

Also I heard from Tamal Krishna Goswami personally in Houston, that during turbulent times in ISKCON, Maharaj remembered the instructions of Prabhupada. Prabhupada told to consider ISKCON as his physical body and to serve him thru this institution. I never intended to leave but this dream will keep me steady.

I tried to ramp up  to read up on scientific articles for a rounded presentation to such related audience. I had read some books from Svarup Damodar Maharaj and other devotees discussing scientific topics using the Vedic understanding.

Prabhupada emphasized preaching activity. It pleased him immensely when he heard any devotee giving his best efforts and having success. He recognized this more precious than any personal service and contributions to please him. The devotees recognized his intense desire to push the movement and were helping him. May Krishna give me the inspiration to remember these instructions and thus constantly updating you of any of my little efforts to please you and our devotee community here, along with Vaisesika Prabhu.

 Prabhupada always wanted to hear about the effors and successes of his followers, keep him updated constantly. So may I constantly update you of my personal sadhana with you following such footsteps.

Please further bless and purify our desires in service of Krishna.

Hare Krishna

your humble servant

Sridhar das

               HpS --  Jaya!   Go ahead, straight forward.  You are so fixed on the path that the only thing you have to do is accelerate with some caution.  Go ahead!!

Querido Srila Guru-maharaja,
por favor acepte mis humildes reverencias.
Todas las glorias sean aSri Sri Jagannatha Baladeva-Srimati Subhadraji!
Todas las gloriassean al salvador de las almas caídas - Srila Prabhupada!

En esta fecha de su trascendental advenimiento, sólo tengo que darle gracias por haberme aceptado como discípulo siksa y por tener unos momentos de asociación con usted. A pesar de que ha habido algunos momentos, pude entender cómo se entregó a la misión de su maestro espiritual y cómo se esfuerza por dar conciencia de Krishna a la gente que, así como yo, están se enredando en este mundo en busca de disfrute.

Perdóneme, porque no tengo nada que ofrecerle. Yo soy un mendigo y sólo puedo pedir. Por lo tanto, por favor, tenga piedad de esta alma confusa y sigue inspirándome y guiándome hacia mí los pies de loto de Srila Prabhupada, porque ¿cómo podemos ser conscientes de Krishna, sin ser conscientes de antes de Prabhupada?

Gracias Guru-maharaja por inspirarme en el servicio devocional, proporcionando la motivación diaria para seguir en la asociación de devotos y cantar Hare Krishna!

Su sirviente;
Gopavrindapala dasa

         HpS - Todo el mundo puede ver a la luna. Pero si quiere ver los detalles necesita un telescopo, no? Eso es Guru parampara.  Necesitamos formar un parte de esta cadena de lentes.   Buena suerte!  Gracias!

Dear Hanumatpresaka Swami Maharaja,

Please accept my humble obeisances, and all glories unto Srila Prabhupada and the guru parampara!

Today i was reading your kapi dhvaja report with your considerations for this year. I figure it is quite sentimental to say, "great, you'll be focussing yourself more on this and less on that," but what do i know? It is virtually impossible for me to understand your reasons, and that is good, for a frog in the well should realize he is a frog in a well, and not able to fathom an ocean. One other thought is that i don't like to read how you are losing time and energy with things a secretary could do for you, but that you do yourself, for probably good reasons.

This year was a really intense year for me, and lots of personal changes happened. What helped me through was our meeting last may, and the short talk we had. How things unfolded since made me realize that my expecations and reality can be / are different, and that what lays before me is what i need to surrender to. Simple, no? I sometimes ask myself, "Am i doing the right thing, following Hanumatpresaka Maharaja?" But when i think deeper, i always come to the same conclusion. It is spiritual life in full effect. Bhajana kriya, anartha nivrti, not some made up ideas about them, but for real, dealing with the cards life deals. And having to handle my particular psychological disorders, which i'm sure you see quite well, with your degree in psychology. Now all i need is your mercy to come naked before you. Not crooked, but simple.

Yes it would be wonderful to be back on the list officially and receive formal initiation on Lord Narasimha's appearance. It is a great opportunity and prospect. The world needs it's dr Frogs to come out of their well, and join the dance! I have not understood my real value very well yet, so i need time to be fully usefull as a soldier. But i feel all works out in time. You must have seen this in ISKCON yourself, after almost forty years.

There is one thing i'd like to propose to Uncle Gismo, please consider. Your blog is wonderful, always to look out for, but i miss to hear from you. Therefore, would you consider purchasing a recorder with which you record your classes? There are only a few recordings available online, while recording is pretty easy and iskcondesiretree can host practically for free for everyone to listen. I'm sure that if you make a purchase and post the cost in the next kapi dhvaja, that many are happy to help fund it, me included. It's a bit of a lousy request, to suggest this way, but i'm not affluent enough to just wire you money so you can buy one. Anyway, i hope you feel for the idea. I would be glad to be the one who polishes the classes and uploads them on desiretree, if you upload them unpolished on, let's say, Mediafire, a free online storage site, or i can fund an online personal storage space as an alternative. That is a simple solution with relatively little requirement from you, and i'm enthusiastic to do it.

          HpS - ASA -  jaya.   maybe you have more mental problems than us, or we have more mental problems than you, but the conclusion is that it would be hard to live off the difference!     AGTSP!!!      Are you getting 16-4    done daily?   That's the standard.  Then after one year you can become formal Student, first initiated, in Lord Gauranga's School for Wayward Boys and Girls!!
We got an Olympus something somthing, so we could record some lectures that we give, but then how do we send them to you?    We have Yahoo.com account but that is like 20MB limit???

So, i'm looking forward to keep following you and see what's next on this journey. I feel there's perhaps too little glorification in this letter, but rather this than being overly sentimental. I'm learning the art. Thank you for picking me up from my cesspool maharaja. Please accept me.

An aspiring servant,

Richard van Dijck.

          HpS - NIce letter!          But main thing we want to know is about you.  Are you in the basic sadhana groove and going to complete six months by May?