Letters to the editor

Hare Krsna Srila Gurudev

All glories to Srila Prabhupada and parampara

Dandavat pranam

Your association in Radha kund was very inspiring for the rejuvenation in my bhakti life. The association of senior disciples, especially HG Radhika Ramana prabhu has been very productive.

Chanting my 16rounds and 4 regs ok. Brahma muhurta waking has been inconsistent. So that's the next goal. I started a book reading session with a devotee friend. We read Bg, bhagawatam and NOI.

A request- a friend, Kuldip Dasgupta committing suicide. He was a nice person but took this intense stupid step out of frustration. Gurudev, if possible can you kindly pray for his soul. He had always helped me through my bad times.

If you pray for his soul Krsna might mitigate some of the torture in his astral body.

It's very difficult to be detached when things like this happens. I understand this is the practical test of our sadhana.

Thank you Srila Gurudev

Trying to be of better discipline.

Rturaj Krsna Das

HpSwami - Hare Krsna. Send pictures of Mildura!

Bhakta yoga is work, but with good pay.

We will look for more news from you.

Brahmana means active during Brahma muhurta, no?

Then we get the Shakti to become gurus.

Dear Hanumat Preshak Swami

Please accept my obeisances

All glories to Srila Prabhupada

Thank you for your kind reply. Sun Wu Kong is story of my childhood and Monkey King is my hero. Hanuman is probably original monkey.

HpS - So sorry it has taken us so long to respond. Hope you can see that the travel in the foothills of Himalaya and then to Spain has been struggle with basic survival yet here we are with chance to read and answer your letter. Don't hesitate to send another letter here after four days if we don't answer and mark it URGENT if it is urgent.

We have heard this comment that Hanuman is origin of Sun Wu Kong and we like the idea, but he really seems to be some other character to us. Any suggestions why SWK is based on Hanuman?

My husband talks on Ramayana commentaries from Sri Vaishnava acharya on Wednesdays. Hanuman's fearlessness and loyalty is most what I like in Hanuman. Sticker of Hanuman is on our entry door and our back side of passport has Hanuman stickers. My husband worships Sita Rama Laxman Hanuman deity that he received from devotees of Sri Sampradaya.

HpS - Super! Many nice things about Hanuman in Srila Prabhupada's books. I expect that if you do a Search for Hanuman at Vedabase.io you find a nice list. You could make an index and post it here!

My husband is from Croatia. Someone that you know and he knows is Namacharya Prabhu from Croatia. He joined in India 2002 and served in padayatra till 2007. Then he was heading a sankirtan bus party in Tamil Nadu till 2012 when he came to China. He is always into book distribution. Recently due to covid in China he stopped and spends more time speaking. He spend 19 years on the streets doing books and feels like its time to slow down in that field. As people are joining he has less time to go out and has to be more available for them.

ASA - Very wise!

You have mentioned you have some relation with China . Yes, I heard in some of your classes on YouTube where you speak about your birth and pre devote life activities.

My parents divorced when I was a kid. I never seen my father and mother was just always in some unknown world to me. I was mostly with grandpa and schooling in boarding school. When I became devote I tried to communicate with my Mom but its very vague relationship. I found devote association as my family and my good husband is my fortune. He is matchless gift for me and my true everything. Learning Confucianism was a part of the educational system for my generation. It taught us some ethics but since everything goes through communist party programing, we got just small benefit out of it. Comparing Confucianism and Taoism I prefer Tao, its more scientific and practical. However, after being introduced with Srila Prabhupada teachings , there is nothing more to say about Chinese traditional teachings. I was a yoga teacher before I became devote for 6 years and actually following 4 regulative principles. So,I was saved somehow from bad habits. When I came to devotes place my husband was there , giving class and I was convinced in bhakti being the most purest form of religion.

I have carefully read the document about Guru Tattva and I am ready to take responsibility that disciple should carry in his relationship with guru , parampara and society of Vaishnava. Meeting you and having your reply message is my great fortune. My mind is settled now. I beg for your mercy to accept me as your disciple and allow me to serve you and your disciples.

Aspiring to be your servant Bht.Rukmini / Wang Pan

HpS - AgtSP! (All glories to Srila Prabhupada). We hope we can be of some service to you and your estteemed husband. What is his name?

For how long have you been chanting 16-nice rounds and following the 4-principles strictly?

HpS - AGTSP!! paoho. our short term memory is going.... also our eyes, ears and belly button.

some one else should become diksa guru, we say with a smile.

your report is great.

temple commander = put vaisnava relations before management relations.

Yeah, get the Bh. Sastri diploma. Can you do it in an entertaining and practical way?

Please accept my humble obeisances Guru Maharāj. All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda!

Your instruction on temple commander management has been noted and implemented. We are introducing our 'bhakta of the month' programme at the end of January with gift and acknowledgement for 'exemplary service' in front of the assembly of Vaisnavas.

Please instruct me of any service I can provide you with in the meantime, so I may feel more connected to your service to Śrīla Prabhupāda. (I am adept at all office tasks and possess nice organisational skills.)

I will be able to do the Bhakti Shastri Course (at the latest) here at Simhachalam, Germany in October, which will conclude in mid-November 2023.

Do you have a notion of where you will be after this date? Perhaps we may boldly plan in advance, an auspicious date for my brahman initiation with your blessings.

Also, our Temple President Govinda-Dev gave approval for me to invite you to Simhachalam Germany, either for May or August of 2023 or for our sankirtan festivel on New Year's 2024.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Your servant,

Janārdan-Hari Dās.

HpS-ASA - Prabhu sent us a 'heads-up' at Whatsapp:

Hare Krishna Guru Mararaj, PAMHO. AGTSP! Looks like its happened again. Kindly refer to my letter ‘JHD News 3’ dated around 27 Jan 2023, under ‘Sankirtana / TAR’.,

for which we very kindly thank him!

Post in the Blog. If more than three days have elapsed, squeak on Whatsapp or other media.

Seven more people want to hear what you say and ASA comments.

In general, it is such good news. Keep the Temple clean and decorated. Get out and give your smile, healthy Hare Krsna effulgence and your very nice Hari Kirtan, and watch the magic happen!

We were just thinking that our programmed trip: Madrid, Houston, Mexico, Houston, will finish in about two months. So, now is the time to plan for the future.

It seems that we should head back to Nashville. Will start dialog with The Head of Geriatric Psychology, and see what plans he suggests.

In general, we are not planning any travel (too old) so maybe we will just stay in Nashville and Houston.

Trips out if we are back to our local Base Camp each night.

Orgnizational skills.

We are looking at a long desired project, "ASA Encyclopedia - A Brown View of the Cosmos".

We have tried to manage it ourselves, tried with others, but no success. Now with Dhruvananda Das we are looking at trying again.

[Abbie Hoffman had some interesting books, as we remember: Revolution for the Hell of It etc]

Maybe you can join in that work.

Best work is, Kirtaniya sada harih, and especially 16-nice rounds plus.

Thank you.

Looking forward to hearing more from you about your Sankirtan results from looking for Sita etc.

Dear Guru Maharaja

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

I hope your stay in Spain is comfortable. Srirama’s marriage went well and he left to Atlanta last night. Right after the marriage, most of us in the house got a really bad viral fever and are all recovering now. I was so exhausted that I blacked out in the bathroom and injured my right eye. By Krishna's mercy, it is nothing major and I just have a black eye that will go away in about 10 days.

Divya's health is good. We will heed to your instruction in Radhakunda and Divya will stay here in India for some time. I’ll leave to Dallas on 23-Feb as planned before.

Once I return to Dallas, I have to travel to Houston for a European Visa appointment on 1-March-2023. I will come and visit you at that time Gurudeva!

In our entire stay in India this time, the 5 days we spent with you and all the devotees in Radhakunda was incredible. We can't wait to come and see you again Guru Maharaja.

Your servant

Srinatha Krsna dasa

HpS - Super news. Now we feel like we are all in the same parade.

See you in a few days.

Gswami Bhatta Gopala Das on Whatsapp writes and we answer:

[2/7, 11:07 AM] Goswami Bhatta Gopal Das: Guru Maharaj-jiko saadar namaskar/dandavat pranam karta-hun, Hare Krishna. I'm eager to know/hear something about guru maharaj...where is ( ) at present, what are the programmes going on and more. If I am blessed I should like to be in touch with guru maharaj. Hare Krishna.

[2/8, 3:07 PM] HPSwami - ProfHHR: Hare Krsna, Prabhu!  It is both a delight and an honor to hear from you.

Since we left Braja we had a very, very intense tour of Mumbai and then the Northeast (Imphal, Silchar et al), then a l-o-n-g trip to Spain, Europe.

Here we have been getting established and now we are lecturing and counseling the local ISKCONcommunity as well as many guests from other parts of Europe.

[2/8, 3:09 PM] HPSwami - ProfHHR: Please look at:

https://monkeywarrior.com/detail/13841/

and the attachements.

This is our regular bulletin every two weeks.

It is big effort for us to prepare and post it.

Then post comments in our Blog at www.MonkeyWarrior.com about the Bulletin and your Sankirtan.

Thank you.🙂

Hare Krishna Gurudeva

Please accept my humble obeisances

All Glories to Srila Prabhupada!!

I hope you are in good health.

HpS/ASA - AgtSP! Paoho. Thank you for your highlight of this post in Whatsapp!.

Thank you so much for allowing me to have your association and for all your teachings.

The return to Peru was so long and exhausting that the first 2 weeks I was sick in bed. Thanks to my mother and Rupanuga Prabhu's diets, I'm now fully recovered.

HpS - Yes! Mayavadi Brahmacari, Bhrtrahari Das says, Happiness is never having to leave home. Srila Prabhupada says it is especially hard for ladies!

My purpose of returning to Peru was to fulfill a commitment. Since I got a scholarship for my undergraduate degree, I have to work for 1 year in a state school. However, the political situation is more and more unstable. The Ministry of Education is a mess. So, I talked to the office that awarded me the scholarship and they allowed me to postpone this commitment until next year.

All this time, I've felt a deep longing to return to Vrindavana. Nothing is the same as before. I got used to taking Krishna Balarama's darshan every day, attending morning and evening programs, spending hours and hours in the kirtan. Also, one of the things I value most is that, by Srimati Radharani's mercy, I met such wonderful devotees to whom I reveal my mind. For the first time, I understood what association and Krishna Katha truly mean.

HpS - 👍

Guru Maharaja, I'd like to return to Vrindavana if you allow me. I have a strong desire to take Bhakti Sastri course at the VIHE, which starts at the end of June until November. I know there'll be many austerities (such as the weather). I'll face whatever comes, I know that's part of learning too.

Although I could stay in Peru and look for a job until June, there is an opportunity to travel to Madrid and do service in the school and community of Nueva Vrajamandala. Thanks to the guidance and support of Abhirama Thakura Prabhu, we were able to make contact with Yadunandana Swami and ask permission to stay. He accepted. We're now in touch with Maha Lakshmi Mataji to coordinate the dates of my stay and other details.

Finally, I remember that you suggested that I continue studying music. I contacted Bhadra Rupa Prabhu, whom I've served on several occasions, and he gave me some options. One of them is to study devotional music with Pandit Gopal Candra (86 years old and a great devotee of Lord Jagannatha) and his daughter Sangita. The Pandit has been awarded by the National Academy of Arts in Delhi and the President of India. He doesn't accept students so easily. Bhadra Rupa Prabhu asked him through his daughter if I could study with them and he accepted.

This is all the news so far, Gurudeva. I'll appreciate your comments. Thanks for reading this letter.

Your insignificant servant,

Rukmini Devi Dasi

HpS - Thank you for all your austerities and honesty!

We are your servants.

1. We also talked with Yadu Swami and seems great if you can stay and teach in New Vraja Mandala, Gurukula (again and again!).
2. Studying with the Pandita and family seems like it might be fine. I don´t know them.
3. Vihe seems fine. Who will be our teachers? Narayani Devi Dasi?

See you soon!