Letters to the editor

Hare Krsna querido Gurudeva, por favor perdona mis ofensas y acepta mis humildes y respetuosas reverencias

Nosotros sabemos teóricamente que un devoto como Usted está prácticamente en el mundo espiritual y protegido siempre por el mismo Señor, pero nuestra falta de fé hace que nos preocupemos siempre por su cuerpo... Y en nuestra Puja diaria oramos a Nrshimhadeva por su protección... 

HpS - AgtSP. We pray to Krsna every day to reduce how much we abuse our body. We struggle inch by inch to offer proper Bhoga to Lord Nrsmhadeva so that our Body will be satisfied by honoring the remnants. We try to hear from the Parampara and not mundane tidings of the flickering world.

Nosotros estamos bien, hemos estado sirviendo a los devotos y a Sus Señorías JBS, GN, Govardhan y a nuestros KB y G, aquí en Río por cuatro meses.

HpS - Rio de Janero?

Ahora estamos partiendo por un tiempo a Minas Gerais, un estado de Brasil a cinco horas de Río de Janeiro [Aaah!].

El lugar se llama "El canto del Papagayo", llegando vamos a averiguar porque el nombre.

ASA - Gracias!

Dicen que es un lugar paradisíaco, proyecto con visión de establecer una comunidad rural - eco - turistica cómo ofrenda a Srila Prabhupada al servicio de Iskcon de una mataji de aquí de Brasil... No tenemos mayor información por ahora, nosotros estaremos un tiempo allá y quizás volvamos a Río después de un tiempo... Este mundo es muy cambiante.

ASA - 1) Quien soy, 2) Quien Somos, 3) Cual es la plan, 4) Que parafernalia necesitamos.

Hemos intentado resumir todo lo que quisiéramos contarle acerca de lo que regularmente hacemos, pero no queremos robarle mucho de su valioso tiempo...

Voy a mandarle un apéndice.

Por favor perdóneme por ser incapaz de ganar su misericordia...

Su tonto aspirante a sirviente AmD.

HpS - Super. ===:>> Proxima carta!

-0-0-0-

Hare Krsna dear Gurudeva, please forgive my offenses and accept my humble and respectful obeisances.

 We know theoretically that a devotee like you is practically in the spiritual world and always protected by the same Lord, but our lack of faith makes us always worry about your body... And in our daily Puja we pray to Nrshimhadeva for his protection. ..

 We are fine, we have been serving the devotees and Their Lordships JBS, GN, Govardhan and our KB and G here in Rio for four months.

 Now we are leaving for a while in Minas Gerais, a Brazilian state five hours from Rio de Janeiro.

 The place is called "El canto del Papagayo", arriving we will find out why the name. They say it is a paradisiacal place, a project with a vision of establishing a rural-eco-tourist community as an offering to Srila Prabhupada at the service of Iskcon from a mataji from here in Brazil... We do not have more information for now, we will be there for a while and maybe we will return to Rio after a while... This world is very changeable.

 We've tried to summarize everything we'd like to tell you about what we regularly do, but we don't want to take up too much of your precious time...

 I'm going to send you an addendum.

 Please forgive me for being unable to win mercy from him...

 Your foolish would-be servant AmD

Hare Krishna Gurudeva

HpS - AgtSP! "Gurudeva", hmmm? ❓I can function as Patha-pradarsika siksa guru, giving advice to get back to platform of initiated disciple of Srila Prabhupada! Doing 16-nice rounds and following 4-principles strictly?

Please accept my obeisances

All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Gurudeva, I want to apologize to you (again) and to my godbrothers, as several of them have been affected by some letters that I have sent to the blog. Recently one of them let me know of his annoyance.

HpS - Oooh? What annoyed him? Your letters didn't seem more annoying than our prayers to Srila Prabhupada?

I have not written with the aim of generating conflict or discord. This is simply due to my clumsiness, lack of intelligence, and my misinterpretation of your instructions.

For example, I interpreted that you wanted to give me a second initiation, how I also misinterpreted your instructions on administrative matters, etc.

Another thing that has happened to me is that I take your jokes as if these words were serious or as if they were instructions.

HpS - Yes, that happens sometimes. We will try to be more literal, but it is hard for us. Nitai-gaura-sundara Das' father, big Hindi scholar, wrote an epic poem about Hanuman, 'Sancar-mochat'. He said that it would be hard for us to keep from jumping around physically and mentally if Guru gave us a name following Hanuman. He was a monkey, always jumping and joking.

My stupidity has not allowed me to discern, I keep making mistakes, since I am a conditioned soul.

However, my desire is to serve, there is no other intention, of that I am sure.

your servant

Piyari Mohan das

PS: In the last letter (https://monkeywarrior.com/detail/13972/)

You told me the following:

So, you must learn how to engage your body, words and mind in Krsna's service. Direct experiments with Yoga might be a natural part of your work, just as Anandamaya Devi Dasi or Jaya-prema Devi Dasi in their letters might be involved with children and mothers or aunts.

my question is:

Do you mean that I should experiment with Yoga in the sense that I should practice Hatha Yoga exercises?

HpS - Get advice from local devotees, Brahmanas, and then you might experiment with all aspects of Patanjali's yoga: Asana, Pranayama, Meditation in terms of using your propensities in Rupa Goswami's yoga.

It is a personal tendency, not for the Temple so much, but for dovetailing our passions with Bhakti-yoga.

I hope you can make retribution for offenses to Vaisnavas, get situated so that they don't occur again, and seems that first initiation may be enough, safe postion, to become a pure devotee.

Thank you.

Now we prepare for local FES (Full Evening Service).

Dear GM,

PAMHO

AGTSP

I hope this meets you in as good health as possible. I am inspired by your ceaseless service to Srila Prabhupada and the devotees.

I am getting older and weaker while still hanging around in this wonderful world of life, consciousness, sukha/dukha, gunas, reverence for Sri Krsna, and hoping for glimmers of awareness of the SPoG along with the appreciation for his servants.

I have your Tava Pache Pache in an attempt to remind me of the fundamentals of practicing devotional service under your guidance.

In addition, I enjoy epistemology. I taught the IB Theory of Knowledge course for many years to help pre-university students think critically and consider the basis of knowledge. They did not often understand the value of these thinking skills until after attending university for a while, when they would reach out to me to share how these skills helped them.

Visiting my sons for a spell in the USA. Pictures attached.

I am disconnected from the Krsna consciousness movement and all the wonderful engagements so many devotees are doing in their communities, although I have not strayed far from the path of devotion.

If I can help you in some way, please share. Maybe I could catch up with you when you return to India??

I hope this meets you well,

YHS

tscd

HpS - ASA --- AGTSP! paoho. I can immediately remember your condo on the border of San Jose and whatever it was. Your excellent intellectual association in so many, many, many ways!!! For some reason we did not stay in touch after you went to Thailand.

Ooof! 😞

Yet, who cares!!! Hari bolo! We are all in the same boat. "Once they come to Krsna, they can never get away"!

So, so nice if you can help us, join our efforts.

The simplest way is to read the News bulletin, www.jayarama.us/news.htm, every new and full moon day,,,, and as directed in there, post and read posts on this Blog.

You have so much to post here.

[4/15/2023 10:16 PM] Tusta-krsna Das: Hare Krishna, Maharaja. Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada! All glories to you!

We are in India now. After talking with you in, we went to LA for a week to meet our manager to initiate our move to India for a year. Then to India for a week to meet Mataji and try to console her! We really didn’t have much to say other than to trust Krishna with whatever happens in our lives. Then a week to Denmark. The travel was a nightmare as Germany went on strike when we landed in Frankfurt and somehow got out of Germany to Denmark after several flight cancellation and standing in long lines for 7-8 hours. We then came to India on Apr-2. We have our return tickets to USA is on 18-Apr from Chennai. Mataji's health is better and is in a position to travel.

We need to extend our visas and wait to see if my company will approve our move to India. We’ll see how things go. We hope by august we should be in a position to move to India.

It has been difficult to practice in India, Maharaja.

We squeeze our rounds everyday somehow.

I have many rounds to catch up also.

I have to attend meetings late night and hence wake up late.

Mataji, has been at home all day and has not found anything to do after her deity worship in the morning. So she is frustrated and it also brings rise to the thoughts of her health problems.

The temple is very far from our home. When we move to India, we need to figure out a few things to keep our sadhana and find a Sanga. We see how protected we were in USA by living in the dhama.

We hope that the year passes quickly, health issues are resolved and we can move back to USA to serve in ISKCON soon.

HpS - Thank you for the news. All these challenges, and our efforts to overcome them, are eternal. At the time of death we will not have Deities on the altar, Walmart, or anything. 🙂

If you struggle to get one more round done in this challenging circumstance that Krsna has sent then that fight, victory, will be with you eternally.

Seems that the problem may be that Krsna wants your good wife to be His exclusive mother!

😲

Then she has to sing for Him, cook for Him, do His Sankirtan 24-hours a day.  She has to become a devotee on the level of Visnupriya.

Hmmmm!   Good question to ask while chanting.

asa[e] - guru-tattva, diksa and vartmana-pradarshika guru

Hare Krishna Maharaja,

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

I hope you're well in your service to Srila Prabhupada. From where i see it, it seems that you are. My respectful obeisances unto you!

I'm writing to you after reading the recent Kapi Dhvaja. Have missed some so i'm not fully up to date but it seems there are changes happening. With a mixture of sobriety and relief i took notion of the new list of disciples, which has shortened. My name is missing. This was to be expected, judging from an earlier conversation where you told me that you no longer could serve as diksha guru because i didn't keep my part of the contract. It's the first time i ever heard such a thing within ISKCON, but it makes sense in a way and i can respect that.

I must say that i don't feel bad about it. Sad perhaps that things didn't work out as i envisioned them earlier. My resolve wasn't strong enough to maintain strict sadhana throughout my life. I came to ISKCON from past life connection to Hare Krishna somehow, and dove deep into it when trouble in my life overwhelmed me and i saw no other way out. After some years of living the Hare Krishna life i became your disciple. It made sense at the time and i managed to keep up for some years. I had two children and was living a kind of brahmacari life while being a grihasta. For many years i've tried to avoid wordly duties and fled in ISKCON.

I come from a family with not such good parental relations. I got involved in drugabuse and sexual addiction in my teens and this has been a thread throughout my life. Becoming a devotee helped a lot, but it didn't root out everything as i thought it would. I had high hopes from reading Srila Prabhupada's books, but i see things in a different perspective now. I don't hold any grudges to him. I guess i only took some of his points and not others.

So in my life after a few years of being your disciple, at some point i realized that if i wanted to keep my marriage alive and be a decent father, i needed to step up my worldly life. I hardly had an education, i had been a taxi driver for most of my life. It doesn't pay the bills, and my wife had the same. She is a twice initiated devotee from Russia living in the Netherlands, doesn't speak the language, and is too headstrong to take up a menial immigrant job. So it was on my plate. Krishna helped a lot. But i didn't keep up my initiating vows. Yes, i've always stayed connected to ISKCON. I do some service.

So now i read the new list. Next month in May it is ten years since my initiation. I hardly knew you, Maharaja! You see, i look a lot like my father, both inside and out. And like my uncles and aunts from his side as well. When i saw you the first time, you looked like the best of them, and this is how i connected to you. The wisest of this particular family of the universal form. Most spiritually evolved one of them as well. Unfortunately, i was not mature enough to open my heart and build the relationship which is so deeply needed for a 'contract' to stay alive. This had happened before; i couldn't remain in Radhadesh because i didn't connect to someone senior deep enough to share what's inside and help me overcome the hurdles.

But things are going well in my service to my family. Its hard work for small successes. Destiny made me a father. We weren't married and i hardly knew the lady. But i'm making the best of it. I didn't maintain my spiritual life like i did when i was living in an ashram. It never was my strength, it was the association and the temple program. Hare Krishna. My wife was already kind of out of it, and so am i now. But i pray to Krishna that i may not forget him, and that when the time is right, i can get back into it like never before. Perhaps later in life, when the kids are grown up (now 7 and 10).

HpS - You may not be my disciple as Diksa guru. That's important. It's like being religiously married to your wife. You should be, no? We should find a bona fide priest, and perform the rituals. They are rituals but not without meaning.

I don't know why the above turned black. Amusing.

Read this? Then try to get back to the Diksa level. Everything we try to do such as family, nation, humanity, will all be easier if we can be formally connected to Krsna.

Of course, there is informal relations too. If you want to advance in Krsna conscious and we are some inspiration to you in our actions and preaching. Then you are also our disciple. Vatmana pradarshika guru.

Really Srila Prabhupada is you guru in every sense and we are appreciating each other in roles in his institution.

Personally I often think about the incredible help you gave us in airports, temples, ashramas. We owe you so much debt.

Last month His Holiness Kadamba Kanana Swami left the planet. His passing was beautiful. It touched me more than i had expected. I always had a kind of tense and uneasy relationship with him. I see people, devotees, having good relationships and i want that too. I'm learning to be more vulnerable (don't want to say humble yet) and practicing to establish better relations. Perhaps you would be so kind as to bless me to find a suitable spiritual teacher when the time is right.

HpS - Why just one! Time is the external manifestation of the Paramatma. He is our Guru in the heart. We know when we are not being sincere enough, and we know that He knows. We also know that we are trying our best and He knows, even when other people neglect us.

I had wanted to come to Spain earlier this year when you were there. It would have been a risky trip financially. Yes, i could have trusted in Krishna, get out of my comfort zone. But i didn't. The reason for coming was to tell you this all personally. At least now i told you in writing.

Thank you Maharaja for picking me up and initiating me into Srila Prabhupada's family. It was very generous of you. I will keep the name, devotees know me and call me as such. But i know deeper what transpires here between us, and that's private. It makes me sad. I'm not sure how it all works on a spiritual level, but i guess i'll find out.

Your servant,

Raghava Pandita dasa

HpS - Read the above. Part of the Contract, as listed also above, is that people we initiate should at least once a year report to us. If Srila Prabhupada asks us, "Do you know if the people you are initiating are following their vows?", and we have to say, "No", then we think he will not be pleased.

Diksa guru is very practical.

Siksa guru can be more informal.

We must have both.

Because you did not make an Annual Formal Report, then Formally we are not acting as Diksa guru.

Is O.K.?

It is kind of German, no?

Our paternal grandfather was Austrian.

Make the statement right now: Srila Prabhupada, I will work to chant the Holy Names and follow the four principles to the standard that you set?

We would be super honored to help you come to that standard!!

¡Hare Krsna! Querido Guru Maharaja

Por favor acepte mis rendidas reverencias

Todas las Glorias sean a nuestro Divino Fundador Acarya Srila Prabhupada, el salvador de los caídos y todas las glorias para Usted, fiel seguidor de tan exaltado maestro.

Querido Gurudeva, luego de su maravillosa visita a México, intento repasar una y otra vez cada instrucción, cada experiencia, cada realización. En resumen, puedo decir que, ¡Una vez más! ¡usted me rescató, y me devolvió mi corazón reconstruido y fortalecido! Gracias, Gracias, Gracias.🙏

Sería imposible describir todo lo vivido en aquella atmosfera trascendental, pero me gustaría resaltar que; ver a los devotos de ese modo tan transparente fue lo más impactante para mí. Conocerlos de manera profunda y sincera y poder admirarlos como personas que, aún en medio de dificultades y posibles deficiencias, se alzan para ofrecer lo mejor de sí mismos a nuestros Amorosos Señores… Eso fue realmente impresionante y transformador ¡fue como estar en un lago lleno de lotos multicolores!

¡Me sentí tan insignificante y profundamente conmovida ante ese espectáculo! Me siento avergonzada porque mis tratos ásperos lastimaron a tan preciosas joyas. Ruego a nuestro misericordioso Señor me perdone y sane el corazón de aquellos que, dentro de mi locura, pude lastimar. Le agradezco sinceramente que me permitiera recuperar tan preciadas relaciones.

Por supuesto, debido a la pobreza de mi corazón, aún hay algunos devotos con los que no concuerdo o a quienes no entiendo; sin embargo, creo que puedo admirarlos a cierta distancia.

Tras la experiencia, rogamos – nunca más olvidar nuestra posición como sirvientes y siempre apreciar las exaltadas cualidades de cada vaisnava, oramos por mantenernos en la maravillosa asociación de los devotos. –

Gurudeva ¡Gracias por vuestros obsequios que atesoro en mi corazón! Gracias por concederme tanta misericordia, que es una muestra de la ilimitada misericordia que Srila Prabhupada emana. ¡Sabemos que no la merecemos, pero ciertamente la necesitamos con urgencia! Muchas gracias.🙇

🙏

Por favor, permítame expresar públicamente mi agradecimiento a Ananda Maya DD, Gadadhara Gosai Das y su familia; por los esfuerzos sobrehumanos que realizaron para brindarnos el espacio trascendental en el que se llevó a cabo este encuentro “Nueva Govardhana”. Ellos cubrieron TODOS los gastos y realizaron innumerables trabajos físicos para proporcionar este espacio a todos quienes tuvimos la fortuna de estar ahí. No lo se con seguridad, pero podría afirmar que las pocas donaciones que recibieron, ni siquiera cubrían el gasto por nuestros alimentos, además ninguna cantidad podría retribuir tan maravillosa experiencia. Oramos sinceramente a nuestro Señor que les bendiga para que puedan seguir compartiendo la conciencia de Krsna con todos quienes tienen la fortuna de conocerlos. 

Gracias por tanto Guru Maharaja.

Intentando ser su discípula

Karuna-Sakti Devi Dasi

-=-=-=-

I will do (Hare! 😃) Krsna! Dear Guru Maharaja

Please accept my obeisances

All glories be to our Divine Founder Acarya Srila Prabhupada, the savior of the fallen and all glories to you, faithful follower of such an exalted teacher.

Dear Gurudeva, after your wonderful visit to Mexico, I try to go over and over again each instruction, each experience, each realization. In short, I can say that once again! you rescued me, and gave me back my rebuilt and strengthened heart! Thank you, thank you, thank you.🙏

HpS - AgtSP!!! AgtSBhSS!!! AgtLC!!! AgtSSRM-gopal!!! 😃

It would be impossible to describe everything lived in that transcendental atmosphere, but I would like to highlight that; Seeing the devotees in such a transparent way was the most impressive for me. Knowing them deeply and sincerely and being able to admire them as people who, even in the midst of difficulties and possible shortcomings, rise up to offer the best of themselves to our Loving Lords... That was truly impressive and transformative! It was like being in a full lake! of multicolored lotuses!

HpS - Wars are not won by well equipped healthy soldiers. Wars are won by illequipped, wounded soldiers who keep on fighting.

I felt so insignificant and deeply moved by that spectacle! I feel ashamed because my rough dealings hurt such precious jewels. I beg our merciful Lord to forgive me and heal the hearts of those who, within my madness, I could hurt. I sincerely thank you for allowing me to recover such precious relationships.

HpS - Don't worry we were all stepping on each others toes: "Our Father who are in heaven, forgive our offences as we forgive the offences of others"

Of course, due to the poverty of my heart, there are still some devotees with whom I do not agree or understand; however, I think I can admire them from a distance.

After the experience, we pray – never again to forget our position as servants and always appreciate the exalted qualities of every Vaisnava, we pray to stay in the wonderful association of devotees. –

 Gurudeva Thank you for your gifts that I treasure in my heart! Thank you for granting me so much mercy, which is a sample of the unlimited mercy that Srila Prabhupada emanates. We know we don't deserve it, but we certainly need it badly! Thank you so much.

Please allow me to publicly express my gratitude to Ananda Maya DD, Gadadhara Gosai Das and their family; for the superhuman efforts they made to provide us with the transcendental space in which this “New Govardhana” meeting took place. They covered ALL expenses and did countless physical jobs to provide this space for all of us who were fortunate enough to be there. I don't know for sure, but I could say that the few donations they received didn't even cover the cost of our food, and no amount could repay such a wonderful experience. We sincerely pray to our Lord to bless you so that you can continue to share Krsna consciousness with all who are fortunate enough to know you.

Thank you for so Guru Maharaja.

Trying to be his disciple

Karuna Shakti Devi Dasi

HpS - ASA --- Thank you for such a nice view of the program. I think all of us are grateful to you for putting into words what many of us thought. Was an eternal pastime of Krsna. Community can grow. We can all help it.

Let us go to the next letter with New Govardhana Ashrama in mind.