Letters to the editor

HK PAMHO

Querido Guru Maharajá, espero que su salud sea muy buena y pronto venga. Me encuentro en sankirtan viajero, en muy buena asociación, y distribuyendo libros, seguimos leyendo las escrituras, enseño el Bhagavad Gita, estoy tratando de balancear mi vida. No trabajar para alguien me permite estar más equilibrada, puedo cantar mis rondas con tranquilidad y comer a mis horas, estoy orando mucho a las deidades. Vemos películas de santos me inspira mucho, espero que los devotos hicieran más películas de santos vaisnavas, con la modernidad de ahora.

Estuve pensando en los problemas de administración y pienso que en el caso de los templos donde habitan monjes, en un futuro, ellos deben administrarlos, seguir el estándar de un templo y formar líderes, claro que para esto deben estar bien capacitados principalmente en el sastra y la parte operativa. Creo que por permitir que personas externas con otras prioridades personales sean los presidentes, desestabilizan la atmósfera de bondad. Ellos pueden dar donaciones, organizar programas externos e invitar a los devotos, pero sin formación debida tratar de liderar brahmanas, o devotos que desean pasar por un tiempo de celibato, cultivar cualidades espirituales y estudios, no es bueno. Alguien que vive en un templo debe estar activo en predica y el resto de la sociedad ayuda desde afuera. En las escrituras se explica que el brahmana recibía donaciones y las distribuía equitativamente, pues cumplían el voto de pobreza y humildad, de tener lo justo y lo necesario. Y la sociedad puede ayudar mucho en el servicio a la deidad, etc. Estos líderes de templo responden a un grupo de devotos mayores quienes son consejeros, expertos en diferentes rubros. Si los templos están vacíos es porque no hay una atmósfera como la que planteamos. El humor de templo es diferente al humor de un devoto externo. Sin que eso signifique que uno sea mejor que otro. En fin, sólo son ideas. Sinceramente espero que las cosas mejoren.

Por otro lado, Prabhu Rupanuga está avanzando las obras en su centro de rejuvenecimiento, me pidió que le contara.

Jay Srila Prabhupada!

Haribol

Su hija que lo adora:

Yugala Kishora Dasi

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HK PAMHO

Dear Guru Maharaja, I hope your health is very good and will soon come. I am in traveling sankirtan, in very good association, and distributing books, we continue reading the scriptures, I teach the Bhagavad Gita, I am trying to balance my life. Not working for someone allows me to be more balanced, I can sing my rounds with tranquility and eat at my hours, I am praying a lot to the deities. We see movies of saints inspires me a lot, I hope the devotees made more films of Vaishnava saints, with the modernity of now.

HpS - Yes, we would like to see ISKCON devotees make more movies. You and I and all ASA members have to make movies.

I was thinking about the problems of administration and I think that in the case of the temples where monks live, in the future, they must administer them, follow the standard of a temple and train leaders, of course for this they must be well trained mainly in the sastra and the operative part. I believe that by allowing outsiders with other personal priorities to be presidents, they destabilize the atmosphere of kindness. They can give donations, organize external programs and invite devotees, but without proper training try to lead brahmanas, or devotees who wish to go through a time of celibacy, cultivate spiritual qualities and studies, is not good. Someone who lives in a temple must be active in preaching and the rest of society helps from outside.

HpS - As I understand, this is exactly the arrangement that happens in Radha-natha Swami's Temples. The Brahmacaris manage the Temple and the Grhasthas manage the Yatra.

In the scriptures it is explained that the brahmana received donations and distributed them equally, because they fulfilled the vow of poverty and humility, of having just and necessary things. And society can help a lot in the service to the deity, etc. These temple leaders respond to a group of senior devotees who are counselors, experts in different areas. If the temples are empty, it is because there is no atmosphere like the one we propose. Temple humor is different from the mood of an external devotee. Without that means that one is better than another. In short, they are only ideas. I sincerely hope things improve.

HpS - This is Kali-yuga. Two choices usually, go to Goloka or go to hell. No distractions like go to Indraloka or go to Maharaloka like in other ages. Good in that aspect.

On the other hand, Prabhu Rupanuga is advancing the works in his rejuvenation center, he asked me to tell you.

HpS - Yes, we saw photos. He has done a lot and it is not far from Lima. Secret road over the hills. What books do you distribute? Distribute book distribution, not just books. Accept a lot of disciples for Srila Prabhupada!

Jay Srila Prabhupada!

Haribol

His daughter who adores him:

Yugala Kishora Dasi

Hare Krishna dear Gurudeva,

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

For a longer time already, i find myself in a situation that utterly frustrates me. When i am well situated in sadhana bhakti i walk around like a proud person, easily falling pray to being proud about "my" strength and so-called moral superiority over other people, and when i falter and struggle i feel despondent, overwhelmed by the madness of the world and my perilous material situation. I am in some kind of no mans land, and i feel stuck here. What can i do about this situation? Or is the idea that there is something i can do perhaps a wrong attitude here?

Your aspiring servant,

Raghava pandita dasa

HpS - AgtSP. Paoho. So nice to hear from you. I really don't know enough to give you any specific advice and even whatever advice I can give is also coming from someone who is at best only a little bit more sane than you are. What I do: Srila Prabhupada is always there if we want to listen to good advice. As long as we are chanting Holy Names we are making progress. So chant as much as possible. Get good association they can give you advice. O. K.?

Hare Krsna Beloved Gurudeva AGTSP PAMHO

I hope U are fine.

Gurudeva I am living the most intense time in my life. Reevaluating so many things

I work many hours Mondays are very intense I work all day. So on Tuesdays I do not join FMP. I am mostly attending my mother and working. she will leave her body soon I can feel that, we are praying together is the best I guess I can do for her. I do not go to the temple. FMP is my sanga I listen to your classes on internet and I also watch this Franciscan priest on YouTube He helps me with my utsahan. I like his preaching

I am kind of disappointed with the things happen in all temples and churches but I try to keep good association. Thanks for your concern. I saw your respond to Patrakji. Actually when I was very depressed I went to see his mom. She helped me a lot

Thanks again Gurudeva U are our inspiration and shelter.

Trying to be your disciple

Candramukhi dd

ASA - Fire is hot. Sugar is sweet. We, your sister, cat, students, are all servants of Krsna. Even if we can only breath we can chant. That pleases Krsna so much. All the people you meet students, mom, are sent to you by Krsna. You are their Guru

Hare Krishna dear Guru Maharaja !

Please, accept my obeisances...

All glories to Srila Prabhupada !

I'm writing to you because I need the slide show with the fundamentals and theoretical framework about this year serie of events "Education & the Sacred". I'm coordinating some meetings with Dr. File an also another personalities vinculated to education down here in Chile, my objective is invite them as conferencists and collaborators. I'm assistant in this work for your disciple Arjuna Das and NIOS Chile.

We need the slide show as soon as possible to translate it into spanish and that way we can use it as our first battle horse in this new production. Please, Gurudeva, forgive me, but I really need it soon because at april 24 I will travel to México as Brand Manager of a fashion design trademark, and I will come back to Chile at june 4, and I really want to advance during these coming days with the meetings, connecting people and places for the "Education and the Sacred 2019".

Dear Gurudeva, could you, please, send the slide show to my email address: [email protected]

After translate it I will share the whole information with your disciple, my very dear friend, Abhirama Thakur Das, so they will can use it for the Lima production.

Thank you very much for your mercy with this fallen and foolish one that I am, you are so good that you allow me to serve you...

Your aspiring disciple and servant,

Carlos Rold.

HpS - AGTSP. paoho. It is on our clip-board. We will get it done as soon as possible.

Hare Krsna dear Maharaj,

All Glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Please accept my humble obeisances!

I am not sure if you've read my last message. You responded to 2 parts but not the entire thing. I have copied and pasted it to the end of this message just in case. I had some questions there. Sorry for any inconvenience Maharaj. I know I am very annoying XD.

HpS - NOT IN THE L E A S T!

I have begun Uni now. We are 6 weeks in and I utterly dislike like my course.. I have had as many breakdowns as you can think of 😆

. Mainly because I don't really enjoy the course content - I am studying the Bachelor of Business Management. I actually got accepted into the dual degree with Bachelor of Arts but I dropped that before my course begun. I thought I didn't really need it (since I don't really know what I'm doing anyway) and any extra time at Uni is seen to me as quite unnecessary.

Anyway, I have talked to so many people about my dilemma. They've either suggested me to change courses or do this or that, but none of it seemed to really appeal to me. I'm a very confused person. But, as of last Friday after Harinam, I had an epiphany and I thought, perhaps I should just stick out my course (even though I may dislike it) and just accept all the opportunities that Uni offers me. And on the side, I can do all the activities I am passionate about and hopefully everything will fall into place. I hope this thinking will last me the next 3 years of my course 😂

HpS - ASA --- To us studying business seems crazy. Seems to us you have a female machine. You should pray to Krsna to send along a great prince on a white horse who will be overwhelmed by your beauty, wonderful voice, clever mind and carry you away to his castle in the sky (and also have place for your mother and sister and brother and aunt and.... so visit). So you should study Nursing at the Uni so that you can bandage his and his soldiers wounds when they come back from fighting dragons.

Of course, this is probably the worst advice you have got so far, but in general look and see if there are any good teachers there and take whatever courses they have.

. Assignments have already begun and I am not very enthusiastic about them.

Besides that, I also attend the weekly 'Urban Monk' program at UQ for students. It's a great program and hopefully that, Harinam and Saturday Feast can keep me sane throughout my course, as did Harinam during Year 12.

I won't blabber on much else for now. I'll save you the sanity.. I know you have much more significant issues to deal with than to read my complaints.. Sorry Maharaj. Anyway, anytime I have a question, I tend to ask you so I'll definitely be messaging some point soon hehe.

HpS - ASA --- Your questions are for a lot people in similar situations. Many people will read these dialogs.

As per my sadhana, I am chanting 12 rounds everyday as of now. Sometimes I do not complete them and I record these so I can catch up later. I know it's not ideal but I'm trying to improve. I hope, by your mercy, I will be able to chant 16 rounds soon with complete faith and conviction, and after that, officially take your shelter.

ASA - At 12-rounds you can marry a Baron. At 16-rounds a prince.

I also went to a Japa retreat recently run by Mahatma Prabhu. He's so sweet and humble and I was really inspired. It was amazing. Sometimes I believe if I could just drop my studies and join the Ashram, then I can concentrate more on Krsna Consciousness. But, since I must study, I have to figure out how to think of Krsna at all times and see how everything is still connected to him and how I may serve him doing my required duties.

I hope your health is in the best condition Maharaj and I pray that you visit Brisbane some time soon. We need some mercy down here (mostly my fallen self actually).

Please guide me. I am too lost.

Your servant,

Lakshmi

HpS - We answered two more questions below. Thank you. Any news from Sriman Raktaka Das?

All Glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Please accept my humble obeisances!

I haven't written to you in a long time..

HpS - We are slow to answer this letter! AGTSP.

Sorry Maharaj. We just came back from India around 3 days ago. All of us got sick within the one week that we were there. I myself am still recovering a little bit. Pity that we got sick there so we couldn't enjoy as much. We were in Vrndavan for 3 days and before that in Ludhiana, Punjab. All of papa's relatives wanted to meet us.

HpS - Yes, people were talking about your visit.

Vrndavan is always nice. Even in 3 days, you can fall in love. I would love to spend more time there but we always have these short trips. Perhaps in the future I may go myself or with some friends and stay in India longer, do some tapasya.

In Azerbaijan, the temple is also very nice. The devotees are very welcoming and everyone is so ecstatic. The mood is quite different there. I can see. Here in Brisbane, the devotees seem dull in comparison. I mean everyone meditates differently so I can't really speak on behalf of anyone but when I saw basically the entire temple jumping up and down during Arati in Azerbaijan, I thought there is something different here. Kirtan should be most jubilant experience, no? Why just stand when you can dance? It really is so nice when you see other devotees dancing in ecstacy.

My mother's family is beyond loving. They're so sweet and kind. We had quite a nice time in Azerbaijan. We spent 3 weeks there. We even drove up to some mountains where it was snowing because all of us kids had a burning desire to see snow. It was soo fun.

Anyways, I hope your birthday/ Vyasapuja was spent nicely with LOTS of Prasadam and wonderful Kirtan. One day, we would all like to attend personally. Hopefully your health is in best condition, Maharaj. We are waiting for your visit to Australia again, please. It will be so nice. We need some awesomeness :) That has been lacking lately!

I am now high school free. Well I have been for more than 2 months now. But it doesn't end there :( I am forced to go to uni and study more. yay. Uni will start in less than a month and my course will go for 3 years - Business. I actually got accepted into a double degree with Business and Arts. But now, I really don't see the point. In fact, I don't even see the point in studying business because it all seems to be basic knowledge and common sense. But, I have to study something at least and Business seems an easy route. I hope that I can achieve something fruitful with this. And somehow dovetail it to Krsna Consciousness... I really need to get my sadhana in check. Right now, I am chanting 12 rounds a day. I'm not sure about the quality but I'm trying to improve. And the timing.... Definitely not in the early morning XD. I need to start rising early. Soon hopefully I'll be chanting 16 rounds Maharaj. Please bless this fool and give her some intelligence so that she may know what is good for her actually.

As usual Maharaj, I have some questions ;)

What happens to the animals that pass in Vrndavan? Are they reborn or do they go to the higher planets?

ASA - We don't know. We think they go to Goloka.

Also, the Brijbasis? Do they go to the same Goloka Vrndavan that ISKCON devotees go to? Becuase their love for Radharani and the Holy Dham is unmatched. Perhaps even greater than some of us, due to their simplicity and generosity.

ASA - We don't think all ISKCON devotees go to Goloka immediately. There are Life Members who eat chicken and initiated devotees who have problems like Daksa.

I had so many questions in mind but that is all I can remember at present XD. Sorry for the trouble. I know I can be very annoying at times (if not always lol).

I wish your health and well-being is in the best condition always. Hopefully your stay in India is pleasant and uplifting :) GAURANGA!

Please accept my most humble obeisances.

Your most fallen servant,

Lakshmi

Maharaj Dude,

Joking about the dude part but I thought it was quite funny when you mentioned it last letter. :) Probably inappropriate on my part.

HpS - We appreciate it from a sincere person!

PAMHO

AGTSP

HK

I hope your health is well and you are in good spirit.

HpS - We are dying of old age. It started about 71-years ago. We are in good spirits because we hope to have a better body for Sankirtan in Srila Prabhupada's Sankirtan in the future.

Currently I am 2 months following Hari nam initiation requirements. Waking at 3:30am, Mangala Arati, Kirtan, 16 rounds as nice as we can in the morning, SB class (Srila Prabhupada lecture), 4 regs. Finishing up reading YEW. Listening to Amala Bhakta Swami's Krsna book narration and in the 51st chapter. I have read now the SB intro of Lord Caitanya and NOI. Next either Science of Self Realization or LOB . Trying to get in at least 1 hour of reading in each day, goal of 2 hours daily. Trying to please Nitai-Guaranga and Srila Prabhupada (photo attached).

We are currently going to Iskcon Hillsboro (Suburb of Portland) every Sunday. The Temple President there is JaiSacinandan Prabhu and he is very nice. We come an hour early, start Kirtan with the family and encourage other devotees to come. Alicia is doing Sunday School very nicely and kids really enjoy her as a teacher. JaiSacinandan Prabhu is engaging us in helping with events. Right now I am helping find a venue for a youth Kirtan seminar where Bada Hari Prabhu and Amala Harinam Prabhu will be attending in June. Its a simple task but we hope to do it nicely, maybe Krsna will give us more service. Inspired by your book distribution we talked to JaiSacinandan about starting book distribution where we encourage devotees to take a BG and distribute it any way they are inspired to. Then each week we encourage them to get another at the temple and distribute it. The books are already sponsored or the temple will pay for them, so no pressure on the devotees to sale but just try to be inspired to get Srila Prabhupada's books out. Then we can try to find ways to inspire devotees to see more books being distributed if it goes well.

The whole family we are visiting Boise March 27-April 1st. Alicia and I are discussing moving back to Boise or to a community. Something with some more association for her and the kids. Where we are now in Salem we are about a hour and 20 mins from the temple and there is 1 devotee family anywhere close. She thinks it will help her KC and the kids. I believe my position is support our wife and kids in their KC so I am just trying to be encouraging, engage them in KC activites and not stick my foot in my mouth (which I do a lot, a lot lot). Trying to learn to control the tongue. Mostly trying to get out of Krsna's way so he can do his thing and we can make advancement doing our things for him.

Then during your visit there I will likely come for a 4-5 days with just myself if it is alright.

HpS - Sounds great.

I would like if it isnt trouble to attend with you any programs that allow, or anytime that allows. For instance lunch home visits to devotees and such. I wont be a bother,

HpS - Seems fine.

O. K. I will do my very best not to be a bother, but I would like to be there in your company if possible. I can even sit out side the door or where ever I can be within ear distance I hope. Or whatever way I can be in service please. Your assoiciation is very inspiring for us in desiring to be apart of Srila Prabhupada's mission.

Thank you for your association Maharaj and please forgive me for my offenses.

Your aspiring servant,

Bhakta Big Foot (Nathen)

ASA - Dear Mr. Big foot. What was your father like? Like you? Mother's Grandfather. Your activities in Portland sound very, very nice. Make a program you can maintain for a planned time eg. readering standard for one month, two weeks.

What is your phone number. We will not publish it.

Do you own a weed whipper? Respects to your family. Did you see the article on Sunday School teachers in the Viplavah mentioned in the last Kapi Dhvaja?