Letters to the editor

Hare Krishna! Maharaja you mean much to me!

I really am inspired by you and I love the way you present Krishna Consciousness and connect so many topics back to this philosophy. I have tried to also follow your ways and promote Krishna Consciousness in this broad universal style.

From 2018 until now I have sort of distanced myself from devotees and the movement, there was a lot going on in my mind I needed to sort things out, re-calibrate my existence and find direction. I have a tendency to be a "people pleaser" and I noticed in temple settings I would lose my personality and morph into whatever the devotees around me wanted me to be.

I felt this wasn't right on my part and sometimes I felt taken advantage of. I also feel that in general many devotees are very sectarian and do not present Krishna Consciousness in a way that is attractive to new comers. Plenty of people visit the temple each week, very few stay or come back. I felt that there is a better way to connect with the public.

Partially this is why I have created a new image for myself, I have sort of positioned myself on the fringes of the movement so new people feel comfortable talking to me, I am very gentle with them and gain their trust before nudging them forward. I have noticed some benefits to this. In the last few years I helped to cultivate 20-30 new people about half of which are very serious, they are practicing more than myself. They are full time engaged in an ashram, traveling sankirtana or at their house. The other half are still at the very beginning stages but they are interested and it's only a matter of time until they fully jump in.

Although my practice has dwindled still I would talk with these young people and answer their questions or try and guide them to a temple or anything to help them, this somehow kept me engaged in devotional service from a distance.

I regret distancing myself from the movement and the fact that my sadhana went down to nearly 0, the only thing I managed to do is sometimes chant in my mind, listen to a kirtan, or just think about how glorious Srila Prabhupada is. I can't regret it too much though because I see now that life is not a straight line, there are many bumps and turns and this is what forms our character.

After my friend Prahlad commited suicide, my sister died of cancer, and my girlfriend of 5 years left me I had a lot to process. I just turned 28 yesterday and over the past month I have realized it is time to get back on track. I was doing a temporary job which had me traveling and staying in a hotel up by Chicago for a few weeks. While there I got to visit the temple and celebrate Balaram's appearance day, Janmastami etc. It was very refreshing to spend the night in the ashram, go to Mangal arti, and serve along side devotees. I remember how beautiful this movement is. So now I am doing much better than I had been. I chant on my beads and read each morning, I hear lectures and all of the old feelings and inspiration I once had are returning.

ASA - !!

For future plans I have come across a chance to work with some Russian devotees from the Sri Caitanya Saraswath Matha, they have a project in the arts district in downtown LA. They have these big domes where they host events, have artists display their work, they are attracting the young new age hippies, and subliminally planting higher consciousness into the mix. The project is called "Wisdome-LA" here is a link https://wisdome.la/

I don't really know what to do, but this seemed like something that would fit with my style and nature. As I get serious again I feel that this online preaching will take off and help connect many people with Krishna consciousness.

Hope you are well and thank you for all the wonderful things you are doing!

Hare Krishna, Dandavats

All Glories to Srila Prabhupada!

HpS - It is very nice to hear from you. Your results seem fantastic! Of course, the danger is SB 1.3, no? Last part. Vyasadeva got involved in preaching TOO indirectly and was not satisfied..... so, it is your fine line to draw!

More news as it grows! Daniel in the "City of the Angels"!

please cancel my suscription to this blog

We will try. Hare Krsna.

AGTSP, PAMHO

HARE KRISHNA GURU MAHARAJ

I hope you are VERY well. First of all I want to thank your association, your patience and tolerance in your last visit to BsAs. Your great service and association left a very good result for all the devotees. It is incredible to see how you get to communicate with each one and always finding Best of all, I'm sorry for not being able to help you more in your preaching, I feel very useless. I still can't find my way of preaching and I don't have a very interesting background to say. Anyway I will continue to strive to reach the standard of a good disciple. 

Yapa has been very good this week 25/round minimun every day. When Mangala Aratik starts y already have chanted the 16..(this saintly influence is very nice) .

Right now I am in Vrindavan and just today I went to pray to the Samadhi of Sri Rupa Goswami where 8 years ago I had also prayed strongly for the mercy of becoming a devotee. Today I see that my prayer has not changed and every day I feel less devotee but I will continue to pray. This first week in Vrindavan has been very intense, Janmastami was crazy the deities were changed clothes 5 times (very beautyfull) and SP Vyasa puja was very nice. All this week I was staying in Bhakti Damodara Swami asram doing some services and taking his association. I always pray to find advanced devotees to serve and learn.

 I already talked to the Prabhu Radha kunda Das of Eco Govardhan mumbai, I told him that I wanted to spend a few days while you were there and he told me that I would have to stay in a apartment and that I would have pay some price, he said that you are already In a room with someone else. Anyway it is still not very sure that I go but I have the desire later I will speak again with the devotee to be more concrete and when I organize to travel to mumbai I will let you know ...

Thank you very much for everything excuse me for anything ..

Nitay Gouranga!!!!!

Your servant ptd

HpS - Paoho. AgtSP. We are so happy to hear from you. We have been trying to communicate by Whasapp and everything. We want to thank you and all the devotees in Argentina for letting us join their Sankirtan and hope it had a lasting effect.

The plans for the content of our visits to GEV and NOIDA are developing slowly. Yes, we are sharing a room with Rama-giri-Dhari Das. Tell Radha-kunda Das that we would be very happy to share the room with three of us if that would be o.k. Eg. a mat on the floor.

Other option is NOIDA. That is in Delhi and Yugala Kishora and Gaura-Gadadhara Devi Dasis wanted to visit from Braja for a night. Maybe others such as Tungavidya Devi Dasi.

Be nice to see each other in India and even you participate in these educational development programs.

Hare Krsna. Respects to Damodara Swaami.

Hare Krsna Dear Guru Maharaj,

  Please accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet.

  All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

  All glories to Guru parampara.

  Got an Offer for Employment by Triaksha Automation Technologies Pvt Ltd for 

  MPhasis. Joining date is 15.09.2019. Have to travel for UK, immediately after

  joining for business meetings for 15 days then have to back in Pune. 

  will work as "Tech. Consultant” position for Mphasis, Pune.

your fallen servant,

Girivara

HpS - AgtSP. Paoho. Interesting. If you did not get the job you might have starved to death and be starting a job in Goloka on Sept 15. 😁

Wherever we are we can see out as plan of Krsna and make progress from there!

Hope to see you on India!

The news you send is so nice!

Hare Krsna Beloved Gurudeva

AGTSP PAMHO

HAPPY SRI KRSNA JANMASTAMI

I was not writing on the blog due to I do not have anything worthy to report. My designation as a vicepresident of the legal board was for me totally unexpected and challenging. I acceped just because You kind of asked me that. 

I have to be totally honest with you. I guess that subconsciously I kind of drift apart from temple activities. because I associate it with all the bad and sad situations that I have lived. It has been a long process of healing and forgiveness 

I am very much material entangled. I do not have any desire to go to India. I know that You always advice us that we can find our enthusiasm in our intelligence. But for me is really difficult. Moreover. I am not going to put any details here but the level of corruption is unbelievable. How does Srila Prabhupada feel if He witnessed all this? :(

Others are opening new centers telling others in Iskcon are offenders, rapists, etc 

I feel very discouraged. Tomorrow I will try to feel Krsna in my ❤️. He is our only friend 

I do not know what He wants from me. 

This letter I guess it is kind of a catarsis

See U tomorrow at FMP

Thanks Gurudeva

Your servant

Chandramukhi dd

HpS - AgtSP. Paoho. I don't know of any cases of leaders in the institution raping people and not being expelled, turned into the police, but it is a big institution, includes Lithuania!

I am pretty sure that there were illicit relations going on with the all women's Sankirtan parties in the middle seventies just before Prabhupada left, and historically in Gaudiya movement there have been deviant branches, "gurus"who did things that we can't even discuss.

Sridhara Swami said that this is the material world. It is rare to find something good what to speak of spiritual!

So we fight like Draupadi, Kunti, and get on the inside story. See what Krsna is doing.

Writing to the Blog is VERY intelligent. ISKCON is devotee friends. Srila Prabhupada, and the institution like you have at work.

🙂

Fight for Krsna 🐘🐘🐘

All Glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Hare Krishna Gurudev please accept my humble obeisances, hope this letter find you fine

My apologize for not send a report before.

HpS - Considering how negligent we are in our relationship with Srila Prabhupada, how can we criticize you?!

We have some news, we came to live to Laguna Verde, V region of Valparaiso, its a wonderful place, forest and sea, we feel here that simple living and high thinking it's more possible to us, our livelihood comes from prasad and book distribution, we moved since 5 month approx, in the first period we didn't have internet, that's why it was more difficult to write you. We "bought" a piece of land and we are in the process of building a house, with our own hands and some help from good friends and devotees. We really want to build a house for the Lord in this beautiful place, and in the process we want to become consequent in all aspects... Learning how to live in harmony with nature, recycle our garbage, our children learn the names of birds spontaneously, and play with earth ...etc

16 rounds ok, 4 principles with improvements in the standard.

We really want to collaborate with the propagation of Krishna Consciousness here, with your blessings, we know its an ambitious project, but anyway we could not live in Santiago anymore, so take the risk was our best option. We are a little bit further from devotees association than before, but Krishna have been so much kind with us, now there is a cultural center in Viña del mar with saturday programs, (1 hour approx from our house)

Gurudev and finally i wanted to ask you a question, we were reading about Druva Maharaja pastime, and i was wondering ... in the beginning he was acting by materials motivations, which are like weeds in the bhakti lata, and hinder its growth. So how he could attain the perfection in his spiritual life? i mean i know we all have material desires in the beginning but my doubt is because in this case his motivation for the spiritual practice was a material goal... so it makes feel confused about it.

HpS - Because he was not offensive. If we approach Krsna for material things then Krsna satisfies our desires in such a way that we lose our interest in the things and just want to be with Him, but if we are offensive, "God did not give me what I wanted immediately", then the taste diminishes. In NOD Eastern Part as we remember. Bhava-abhasa

well, waiting anxiously for your visit,

your fallen servant and aspirant disciple

Indu lekha devi dasi

HpS -Thank you very much. So many ways to live happily in the country now. Japanese developing nice hand driven machines to make gardening very productive!