Letters to the editor

Dear Guru Maharaj,

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

Dear Maharaj, this last weekend I got married to my wife Pooja in India and wanted to take your blessings for my married life.

HpS - AgtSP! You got married to your fiancé. Now she is blessed to be your wife!

I have entered grhastha-ashram, but realized that I was not well prepared for it. I have made so many mistakes already that I feel overwhelmed. I realized how important it was to plan and prepare for it with guidance from guru, sadhus like parents, Vaishnavas, scriptures, etc. Most importantly I feel I am stuck in a self-made prison made up of my own ego, or created by my own ego. I realized that happiness is not in showing off. I feel empty inside. I remember feeling much more satisfied and content when I had done kirtan. I really miss doing kirtan with devotees. I sometimes wish I had gotten a job in a city where there were more devotees, where I could attend kirtan programs, and build friendships with devotees. I feel very disconnected and the reason is my being so self-involved. I really need to work on my spiritual life, get more deeply connected with Lord Krishna, devotees, and devotional service. That is how I can get out of this lethargy. I want to improve on my mistakes and spend more time on improving myself. I need to cover up on lost rounds because of spending all my energy on getting the marriage done. I have a lot of improvement to do. I pray for your mercy and will start work on improving my spiritual life.

Kind of feeling lost,

Your no-good aspiring servant,

Aja Govinda dasa

HpS - Only a devotee feels lost. A fool thinks he knows everything but just adds more and more suffering to his life.

If you feel that way then what to speak of your dear wife. Her life hangs on yours. Sir together ready day and do Kirtan. It will harmonize everything. Then the next step?

See you on Houston?

Hare Krsna Dear Guru Maharaj,

   Please accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet.

   All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

   All glories to Guru parampara.

   Thank you Guru Maharaj, very nice to hear your message on

   https://monkeywarrior.com/detail/10292/

   Thank you Guru Maharaj for your blessings, hope your expectation

   from me, would be able to fulfill.

   working on your instructions, Gurudev. Hope will make it.

   i may be late but won't be disobeyed.

   Thank you so much Gurudev for your message about HG Jibesh Das,

   will convey your message to him.

your fallen servant,

Girivara

HpS - AgtSP. Sorry things so slow! Running like mad men for the Sankirtan. Hope the Kapi Djvajas and DTC help. Chant very well to understand Krsna's plans! Letter from the aspiring devotee?

Hare Krsna dear Maharaj,

All Glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Please accept my humble obeisances!

Sorry for the delayed response. I've been procrastinating with exams and everything else. For each of my exams, I studied either on the same day if it was in the afternoon, or the previous night if it was the next morning. This is at least 4 weeks of content I crammed into a couple hours XD. Anyway, I managed. I know I should not be repeating this behaviour. I will try and change my habits next semester, perhaps with little improvement 😂. I'm just aiming for a pass so I hope I did enough to achieve that.

By Guru and Gauranga's mercy, I think everything will go according to plan. I know Krsna helps those who help themselves. But really it is only by Krsna's mercy if I'm passing. Now I'm on holiday!! For a month, yay! Hopefully I can be productive.

Thank you for always responding to my messages. I know you have a very busy schedule and I very much appreciate the time you take to reply. They are very meaningful. All Glories to You! And your service to the fallen souls such as myself.

HpS - AGTSP if you follow Monkeys Diary of a Traveling Creature then you know where we are. Buenos Aires. We have an elefant steps on your head headache around the corner. It is a lot stress, cold, dark, but the devotees ask such good questions and the Seminars are full of people. Even a dog can take part and dance in ecstacy. Hope you get an assignment, with examinations, from the Big Teacher in the Sky!!

Thank you for correcting me as well. Since you said, I found my beads and have been chanting on them. Speaking of chanting, I hate to admit this but I have been very lazy and slack. I may blame study but I know it is all about time management. I simply don't prioritise it. And that needs to change. I just need to find something to motivate me. And ideas perhaps? I've been in so much Maya. I think the only way for me to improve is to just go live in the Ashram. But if the desire is really there, I can do my sadhana at home. It's all about the individual. Please bless me as you are already doing so that I may continue my chanting every day. I have missed some days and many of them, I don't complete all. So now, I have a large number of leftover rounds to catch up on.... Please forgive me.

I have another question regarding this matter. When we are chanting, is it bad to be in a relaxed position? For example, laying down or slightly tilted. Perhaps it is not the best way to concentrate on the mantra?

HpS - Sit properly!! As much as you can. Chanting with the devotees is great!!!!!

That is all I can think of for now. I know I always have more questions but they escape me when the time comes to put them on paper, or LCD in this case 😂. Actually I had another question before but I thought I should not put it on here. And actually, very shortly after, I went to a class in the temple and my question was answered. Can't have been a coincidence. Krsna has a plan for everything!!! Jai!!

Actually, I think the only way to pick up my spiritual life is to just keep reading and chanting. To not stop. Otherwise, the less I do, the less I want to do. The more I do, the more I want to do. I just have to change my mindset. Please guide me.

HpS - Again God will guide you! He may be a little rough, but He will do it. Watch out!

Bheemsen and family are all good!! My family in Baku is very well, it is summer there now. They are looking after my great grandmother. She is quite old and requires a lot of care. So much of their time is spent on her care. Everyone here is great, working and working. Bheemsen comes home and plays games haha. What else to do for a teenage boy? My mother is working hard. I need to find a job so that I may help out as well. I also need a car so I can start driving to the temple more often hehe. Nandini is quite academic, always studying. I think she is the most smart out of all us kids.

I wish that you may visit Brisbane sometime soon to shower all the devotees with your unlimited mercy and intelligence and wisdom.

I hope your health is always good and improving. The Lord must personally look after you.

Please forgive me for anything I have done.

Your fallen, foolish servant,

Lakshmi

HpS - Mataji, the thing depends on you. If you fail us the whole Pandava army is going dow the drain!

Guru Maharaja, I always remember how you describe Buddhimanta prabu, how he gave you first Krsna book (second part), what was his diet.

Here is BB Govinda Swami speaking about Buddhimanta prabhu. So I thought maybe you will like to read it. YS ND

http://www.dandavats.com/?p=76071

HpS - Thank you. We see B B Govinda Swami in Nashville often. We also served Buddhi Prabhu when he was immobile on his bed for several weeks but not like BBG Maharaja. Such, such pure people. We try to help them.

Thank you.

Dear Guru Maharaj,

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

Thank You for giving me shelter at your lotus feet.

HpS - AGTSP! paoho.. . . We might more likely be described as having lettuce feet. Srila Prabhupada has DRAGGED us forward. We only want to act as his and your servants in this Parampara relationship, in any little help we can give as Siksa guru.

I must have done some nice karma in my previous life that I got shelter at your lotus feet. I am forever indebted to you Guru Maharaja for showering your mercy on me and accepting me as your disciple although I have so many faults and I am not deserving.

Guru Maharaja, I would like to give a small Introduction about myself. I was born in Tamil Nadu and was bought up in Nagpur. My upbringing was in a very pious orthodox brahmin family. My mother tongue is Telugu. My parents stay in Nagpur. I have an elder brother staying in Kolhapur.

I started my journey in Krishna Consciousness only when I spoke with my husband (Srinatha Krishna Dasa) last March. He introduced me to Krishna Consciousness and slowly I got convinced of the philosophy and accepted it slowly. I was fortunate to get the association of Arudha Mataji who guided me and introduced me to Madhuri mataji who was also there in Pune with me at that time. She taught me about Vaishnava sampradaya and guided me in each step as to how to become a good grahastha. I started to follow the regulative principles a year back.

After getting married, I started to chant 16 rounds and slowly started serving Lord Krishna. As you had told, a grahastha should compulsorily do deity worship, we welcomed our deities and started worshiping them. Taking care of them includes daily sponge bath and dressing and once in a week abhishekh. We have also started worshiping Tulasi maharani after you asked us to do so during your visit to Dallas.

By the mercy of Sri Radha Kalanchandji, I got some services in the temple which included making garland for Sri Chota Radha Kalachandji, working for a day in Temple Gift Shop and alternate Sunday helping with cooking for Raj Bhoga.

I have started to read Bhagavad Gita, with my family members. We have completed 1^st Chapter. I am also reading Lilamrita to get to know more about Prabhupada. At night, before sleep, we read Krishna Book.

Guru Maharaj when you had come to our house for the Ratha Yatra, we got an opportunity to serve you. We feel so fortunate. I got inspired by your humbleness Guru Maharaj. Though you never met me before but still you made me comfortable in your conversations. I have never met such a humble soul. After your association I felt as if somebody is there to protect me and now I am safe for this lifetime.

It is always wonderful to meet you Guru Maharaja and be under your association. But this time in Houston it was more special as you gave shelter to me. I hope and sincerely beg to Krishna that my actions do not bring disappointment to you and I can be of some service to you in your service to Srila Prabhupada. Please let me know if I could serve you in any way possible.

Your aspiring servant

Divya

HpS - It has been very nice to meet you. I have told several people that Srinatha-krsna Das has been blessed with a very nice partner in your Grhastha Ashrama. As we all go on doing service to Krsna under Srila Prabhupada's lotus feet we will know each other deeper and deeper.

From the very beginning eg. BG 4.34, SB 1.1.1-3, this movement derides blind faith and starts with just aiming at reality distinguished from illusion for the benefit of all. Such simple goals allow us to consider our Christian heritage or Brahmin heritage. Is it real or not. Is Srila Prabhupada's heritage real or not.

Have you read: http://jayarama.us/kd/guru-tattva.txt ?

Thank you!

Hare krisna Gurumaharaja... Dandavats, por favor acepte mis humildes reverencias y dandavats a sus pies de loto. Todas las Glorias a Srila Prabhupada...

Solo para agradecerle por su infinita misericordia, y por quizá recordar en algún momento a esta alma, en realidad, sedienta del néctar que emana de Krisna, y cuya sed, llega a nosotros gracias a la genuina cadena de sucesión discipular...

Jaya.. Hare Krisna..

Vrsabhanu Das.

HpS - Nos vemos en unos horas!