Letters to the editor

Hare Krishna Gurudeva

Please accept my humble obeisances

All Glories to Srila Prabhupada!

I disappeared for a while and I did not write you since February when I was traveling. I remember I said that my next letter would be reflections about my trip. However, these reflections took longer. Some plans I had were turned upside down due to the pandemic situation and I naturally fell into frustration. So I had to work internally before writing you.

HpS - O.K. but this is also a hospital, not just a theater!! 🙂 !

In these last months, my focus was introspection. Why do I act like this? Why do I feel this emotion? For example, in the past I used to be very shy. Why? Am I really shy? Now, I realized that's not a real characteristic of me. And many other questions. At university, I took an anthropology course and the part of existentialism really caught my attention. I consider that, before delving into a spiritual and more transcendental knowledge, one must work with the gross and psychic aspects. If you don't know you, how is your nature, why do you have those thoughts or feelings... so, you won't be able to know Krishna or perform spiritual practices with true significance.

HpS - This process is sublime also! https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sublime

That means that Lord Chaitanya tastes hogs, dogs, camels and asses and to see the Rasa-lila!!!! Wow! From the most gross to the most subtle. Beyond the purified mind of a Buddha even! Of course, with that light house in mind, like a free vacation for one week in Hawaii, then we have to go back and work on the gross level, psychological level, EXACTLY as you are desciribing, but remembering the high goal we are seeking, and if we can engage in devotional service, eg. chanting our rounds without introspection, that is better than not chanting and trying to develop introspection (Yoga), but chanting DEVELOPING an introspective mood is the best.

Is this correct? Let us see what The Peruvian Teacher says ....

Recently, I'm a little apart from Krishna consciousness because I observed situations that I didn't like or dissapointed me. However, I don't feel bad, because I know I'm in my process. I have a lot of working on myself... and it may take me lives working on it. But the best thing is that I've recognized and started it.

My last reflection is that I believe and I really feel with all my being that everybody has a dharma or a purpose in his/her life. I am happy to realize this and that my realization is not because of fanaticism or simply because "it should be like this". I experienced on myself that Krishna or God or the Universe really gives you clues on what you should do to follow your way in order to achieve the purpose of your life. If you understand this, you won't feel anxiety neither frustration.

That's all for now! I will continue with my process of introspection in the next months.

Happy Janmastami!

Rukmini dd

HpS - We hope you can chant 16 nice introspective rounds and follow the four principles to give clarity for the introspection. You only take birth in Peru if you were intested in introspection (and potatos) in previous life.

You think you weren't a Monk in you last life???

Hare Krishna Maharaja

Please accept my sincere obeisances.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada

It gladdens me to greet you. I write in response to your instruction to my letter on marriage. I deeply appreciate your comments.

You tell me that taking initiation before marriage is better, I understand.

I tell you, a year ago I wanted to ask my authority in Chile (Prabhu Amara) for recommendations to ask for formal shelter and it was denied to me for the following reasons:

1- I did not fulfill ekadasi on two occasions.

2- I had a discussion with a devotee of the board of directors because I defended a pigeon that was being mistreated and he felt offended (that situation was settled on good terms).

3- The board of directors advised me to maintain more communication with you before taking shelter.

At that time I had been living as Brahmacarini in the temple of Santiago for four months and seriously participating in ISKCON for 3 years. Also, I’ve been following your preaching for two years now. You inspire me to have a desire to advance steadily by taking seriously my devotional vows and shelter in Srila Prabhupada.

Currently I have improved my sadhana and live outside the temple, I study Bhakti Sastri and seriously adhere to all the regulative principles.

I am clear that I must have a high standard to aspire to be your servant, these years I have made an effort to achieve that, that is why I did not communicate with you before, since I failed a lot in chanting my rounds. However, that has improved, every day I feel more inspiration thanks to the fact that I am doing mangala arati with you (more often).

I work and have many occupations during the day, but I try to keep moving forward and chant good rounds.

I ask you, how can I hope to take formal shelter from you? It would be a great blessing for me.

I appreciate and await your comments.

Your would-be servant

Petti Michelena (Stefani Salazar Michelena)

HpS - Have you read - "http://www.jayarama.us/kd/guru-tattva.txt" Are you chanting 16-rounds/day, now??? If yes, for how long? So many details in this link. Wating for your timely response.

Dear Guru Maharaj,

Please accept my most humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and your great service unto him.

Yes, Maharaj, I can continue as the corresponding secretary. Yes, I saw the webpage, and my information is given correctly there on the web page.

I apologize I could not communicate with you over the email and monkeywarrior blog, but I will again keep in communication with you over that blog. Life has changed so much after the COVID-19 epidemic. All the classes shifted to online. We thought that might reduce work load, but it actually increased it because now all submissions are emailed to us and we have to grade them all from home. Now, we can get no help from teaching assistants.

As you asked, what I teach, I am doing research and teaching artificial intelligence and machine learning because I am in computer science department. At one point, I am interested in showing to the world that all artificial intelligence programs and robots are actually just programs running and being executed, but they do not have a will power of their own. Thus they are not actually living. I know because this is what I do for a profession.

For now, I feel so overwhelmed with all the work and I hope and pray to again perform more service unto you Guru Maharaj and obtain your holy association once more in ISKCON Houston.

Your servant,

Aja Govinda das

HpS - AGTSP!!!!! As we said in the Yahoo letter, Krsna will never, never, never, punish us for putting our Japa first. If we die because we are chanting 16-good rounds, lose our job, then that is because Krsna wants it for us! He has better plan of us.

More and more tests, changes, will come in life. Every time put your 16/4 first and you will become more and more potent, alive, in every aspect, life after life!!

Take birth in Nabadvipa with Nimai!

Your help in NIOS is super essential.

Agt Radhe Syam!!!

Agt Nimai Nitai!!!

Jay Srila Prabhupada!!!

Hare Krsna Gurudeva!

I hope You had a happy birthday from Balarama.

HpS - Also hope Lord Balarama had a Happy Birthday!!

I wish You all the best in Krsna consciousness, and that You are doing your best.

I just wanted to tell you that I am very well. My rounds very good. Advancing very well in Krsna consciousness. Very happy, and I believe tt this is exclusively the merit of the association by the holy names.

ASA - Su SU S U P E R!

I don't have much to tell you, and what I would like to tell you I cannot say here because it would be politically incorrect, except that people are looking for their own ruin by living as they live.

All the hours that I am conscious I recite internally or externally the holy names, or some holy name. This is the same as the first Christians, the desert fathers, or like the real Sadhus or Babajis.

At this moment in my journey, it is being a good complement for the rounds, and above all, for meditation on the objective of the rounds ... the why.

Honestly, I'm ashamed of people and how they behave, and I see it impossible for them to have a good ending.

I would like to tell you a lot of things, but I think it would be artificial at the moment.

...Oh, I have read the entire SB, without meanings, and it has been a very different experience, I imagine that especially for those who are familiar with the teachings of SP, if not it is perhaps a bit disorienting.

I wonder if the timelessness of this SB recitation is Sukadeva Goswami's sting. I don't think Suta Goswami would have recited it so out of chronological time but for Sukadeva Goswami.

I think it helps to understand that this universe is outside the laws of time ... for advanced, of course.

My humble obeisances, Gurudeva.

I remember a lot about you and me at the Vrndavan Parikrama. One of the best things that has happened to me in life, without a doubt.

At your feet, and greetings.

Hare Krsna.

HpS - Thank you.

???? https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/1/9/28/

Some information about Desert Christians in antiguity, no? Have to dig through some of the infomation to find the valuable. Have any other sites? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copts

Dear Guru Maharaja

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

HpS-ASA -- AgtSP!!! Pamho... -[;o]/\___

I came across the attached painting yesterday and immediately thought of you. I think you might like it. It has the entire leela of Hanuman delivering the ring to Sita. It was painted by a famous artist from Chennai called Keshav. You might know him.

HpS - No..... my loss.

I have uploaded the DTCs in google drive that others can download from here - https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/11EPWsm3vFp9WmKMOsw7EXLhexnazc3Dt?usp=sharing

HpS - The paramhamas can extract milk from water! It is a media experiment for us. How to preach? How to do Sankirtan? Srila Prabhupada was experimenting with new forms always.

I was not sure about distributing it to others. You can delete the link if you feel so. They are incredible.

We are chanting our rounds and following the principles.

HpS - Thousands of homeless dogs sleeping in the street thank you. When we are "chanting our rounds and following the principles" the whole world benefits. Chant with your lips, brain, heart!!!

In our daily reading we are reading SB 4.7. Divya and I really like reading together and it has become an activity we like doing together. In Saturday SB classes when we read the 9th canto, there were many chapters about family lineage. I was not very interested in knowing the names. But when we went through the same in SB 4.1, it was as if I knew those people. I was eager to know Devahuti's family after reading so much about her in the third canto.

ASA - Yes! It is a fact, no? Each time we go through it, it becomes more know to us. That will happen eternally, no??

By your mercy, we are getting a little taste for reading Srimad Bhagavatam. We are enjoying reading Srila Prabhupada's purports and are able to understand a bit too.

We will be completing NoI in the Bhakti Sastri program in the next 2 weeks. I am learning so much running this program both in terms of knowledge of scriptures and also dealing with devotees. We started with 20 students and 2 students dropped out, which I think is no so bad. It is taking a lot of my time and energy, but I like doing it.

ASA - 10% drop out is great.... the result is eternal, 'nehabikramo naso sti...'

I have been listening a lot recently and I can genuinely feel that my perspective of Bhakti has widened. I had a very narrow view of how things should be done, probably due to my upbringing. But now I think I am understanding things from a deeper perspective. This podcast between Caitanya Caran prabhu and Hari Parsada prabhu titled Intellectual diversity in scriptural understanding was especially enlivening - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9AvIEF7JlU.

The temple is still closed. Nanda Braja prabhu and family are here. Janmashtami and Vyasapuja are going to be online. But luckily, my service in the temple is on Wednesdays and Vyasapuja falls on Wednesday this year. I'll get to do Prabhupada's guru puja arti if no one pulls rank on me :)

The process seems to be working although there are so many more things I need to work on. It is only by your mercy that I am able to perceive it. Thank you so much Guru Maharaja for everything you do for us.

Your servant

Srinatha Krsna dasa

HpS - Thank you!!! We prepare to the Friday presentation through Youtube for Nashville yatra. If you just go on like this Srila Prabhupada says we will become preachers on the level of Narada Muni. .

Hare Krishna Gurudeva

All glories to Srila Prabhupada

Obeisances

I want to ask for your advice, I want to start sharing on my YouTube channel different kirtans, with different rhythms and on the other hand, start sharing songs based on the songs of the acaryas, as you advised me and just as Prabhupada did with J.H.

What songs should I start with?

Your Clown Servant

Piyari Mohan das

HpS - ASA --- "Udilo aruna..." is nice!