Letters to the editor

All Glories to Srila Prabhupada

All Glories to Sri Sri Goura Nitay

My obeisances, dear Maharaja,

How are you?

ASA - Making the best use of a bad bargain.

I have seen photos by social networks of you in Peru and that several devotees have started, what happiness! I am very happy to see when the devotees begin and progress in their spiritual life.

This time, I am writing to tell you that I am increasingly taking back the enthusiasm, taking into consideration your observations of course and those of Maharaja Dhanvantari Swami. I am reviewing my process, at what time I could have been stuck, that maybe I put more energy in the early stages. This is what Maharaja Dhanvantari advised me to review, and in that I have been this last month. What I have done this last time is that I can not blame myself for living the spiritual life in a cyclical way, lower my self-demand and understand that there are always ups and downs. I just have to use my intelligence, turn inward in an introspective way. Is this good, Maharaja?

I need your blessings Maharaja, unfortunately there are some devotees who have wished me not to start by misinterpreting opinions I have about the material life in which I live (abortion and other issues, with which I have neutral opinions, not for or against, always respecting what another can believe) and defending nonviolence towards women. These people argue with political justifications telling me that I should not be inside the Krishna Consciousness movement for thinking differently to them, offending and criticizing what I can say. Meanwhile, I continue with my faith intact, hoping to advance and have the mercy of someday to be able to initiate myself, that is why we are planning to travel to visit my guru, I hope Krishna gives us the pass and that the witch is not aware of these plans

I also want to tell you that this month of March we are going back to food for life, since we took a few weeks of vacation. I want to ask you a question about the service. With Abhimanyu we are the coordinators and we need ideas on how to motivate the devotees to continue participating with enthusiasm, since we notice that the service is in decline. We know that the spiritual life is cyclical, sometimes it is like the waves do not? Yesterday at the meeting we thought about how to take care of the devotees of the service, something that is very necessary in our yatra, and in this way motivate them to continue with enthusiasm to continue distributing Prasadam to the most vulnerable people.

On the other hand Maharaja, with Abhimanyu we are planning to make our material life, and I need you to please tell me what is the best for our life of grihastas, since we do not know whether to buy a house and have that stability in our country or go to try another (we have family in other countries). At the moment we do not think about having children, since we are discerning what to do with our future in order to give stability to the children that I hope we can bring into this world at some time. In the workplace, I was given a very good position in my job, I work as an educational psychologist and now in March I start studying to be a yoga teacher for children. The headmistress of the school (my boss) gave me the authorization to make a "meditative corner" in my office where I plan to teach the children mantras, and apply what I will learn in children's yoga, tell stories about Krishna's pastimes as well. I have planned with the religion teacher of the school to make a block of Vedic culture, where I can teach the children that it is Vaisnavism, who was Srila Prabhupada and teach them the Maha Mantra. And finally, bring Food for Life, since last year we were distributing and benefited more than 80 people. All these projects are possible because my boss authorized me, she is very spiritual, she was a nun for many years. And on the other hand, Abhimanyu will continue studying this year because he plans to do the magister next year, he will tell you all this in detail. But what could you advise us regarding our situation, about stabilizing ourselves and concentrating our economic energy in building our own home?

Next I will send pictures of our deities, which Prabhu Garga Acarya Das painted us with a lot of love! They needed special care !! Photographs of our deities, the work done by Garga Acarya prabhu and his wife in them, and how they give us their beautiful inspiring association. Please, give us your blessings to continue advancing Maharaja.

Thank you Maharaja always for your time and concern, from here we always pray for you

My obeisances,

your well-wisher

Ma. Soledad Oyarce Valenzuela.

HpS - ASA - We are in Peru, but all of this is part of this intense tour of South America and USA. Ten weeks traveling.

You have asked many questions. Thank you.

1. Yes, because we are not purely on the spiritual platform, then we are influenced by the modes of material nature. When mode of ignorance is prominent from the environment or our personal Karma then we have more tendency toward materialism. Matter is dead.

When goodness comes we are all inclined to worship God. He is alive!!

Understanding this we have to adjust our efforts in terms of the modes. For example, before sunrise is the mode of goodness so we chant Hare Krsna, worship the Lord. When the sun comes up the mode of passion starts, so it is time to make money (for Krsna).

If we lose our enthusiasm we can always find it in our intelligence. What is my goal???  How can I get it?

2. In Grhastha ashrama worship of the Deity form of  Krsna is central. Think of home, children, work, for your Deities. By clothes and put them in front of your Deities and say, "These are new clothes for us, your servants." If you do that then you will think maybe, "These are not nice clothes for a servant and buy something else."

Everything belongs to the Deities but when there are problems you can also go to them.

3. Consider the ideas of Srila Prabhupada. Arjuna did not like Krsna's idea that he should fight, but he asked Krsna to explain things to him and he would not atificially avoid accepting the answers. That is why we have 18-chapters in the Gits - many questions, doubts. It is O.K. Before surrendering to Krsna we need to get a clear understanding. We will always have more we can learn.

O.K.  See you soon.

Hare Krsna Dear Gurudev,
Please accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet.

ASA - Lettuce feet. AGTSP.
 

All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
All glories to Guru parampara.

Gurudev, Seems professional career with current organization is going to end soon. Today I received call from my Manager and they said, my current skill is not relevant to the organization so I need to put paper !!

So i am thinking what to do now !!

Thank you so much Gurudev.

your fallen servant,
Girivaradhari-Gopal Das

HpS - When it rains you need an umbrella. You do not have to think about the details too much!  Go with your spiritual life and naturally you will see how your "material life" fits into that.

O.K?

NitayGouraPremanande!!! querido y siempre recordado, Gurudev,

por favor acepte mis humildes reverencias,

TODAS LAS GLORIAS A SRILA PRABHUPADA!!!

                                                               muy feliz de que pronto lo verè ,querido Gurudev, ....desde que yegue a Lima me sorprendiò ver la situaciòn de mi Padre, a quien ya lo estaban desalojando del lugar donde vivia y con muchos problemas de salud, entre ellos un accidente,   mi yegada a Lima fue practicamente de urgencia  por lo que no me dio tiempo de colectar en Mexico para los gastos de alquiler y mantenciòn, .... otra sorpresa fuè que las rutas de Sankirtan que años anteriores hacia ya no existen, la ciudad de Lima a cambiado mucho, el tiempo se me fue consumiendo en ver donde acomodar a mi Padre para su vivienda y, en conseguir citas en el hospital, ...no tenia Laxmi , y, la sorpresa maravillosa fue recibir el apoyo sincero de mis hermanos espirituales, m. Candramuki, m. Yugola Kisor, buscaron atravez del facebook donaciones para mi, ... m. Gouri hablo a mis demas hermanos espirituales tambièn, ....recibi donaciones de m. Palika, m. Diana, p. Madhavacarya, p. Ray Ramananda (mexico) el Laxmi recibido cubriò los gastos mèdicos de mi Padre y su mantenciòn ... en estos dias espero la cita mèdica màs importante de mi Padre que es la de los ojos, ...entonces ya podrè salir de Sankirtan a provincia,... me estoy quedando en casa de m. Yasoda Damodara en una zona bastante alejada del centro de la ciudad, ella tiene su Centro Nama Hata Tulasi, una vez al mes organiza Harinam en la cual asisten muchos devotos que apoyan el programa!! con ella leemos todas las mañanas el SB canto 3 cap. 1  ...ayer tuve la fortuna de apoyar en los servicios del Sri Vyasapuja de s.s. Virabahu Maharaja  maestro espiritual de la Madre .... por su infinita misericordia querido Gurudev, puedo darme cuenta que Krihna nunca nos abandona y, dulcemente nos recuerda que no somos los hacedores ni los controladores, solamente tenemos que entender en nuestro corazòn que todo lo que èl hace y, permite que suceda es por nuestro bien!! eternamente agradecida por sus oraciones Gurudev, que hacen que Krishna me ocupe en su servicio apesar de mi condiciòn inùtil y caida..

                                                                                 Radhe, Radhe, Radhe......

su inùtil y torpe sirvienta

m. Jambavati d,d,

ASA - Ofrecemos nuestras reverencias a usted y a todos los devotos que apoyan sus esfuerzos. ¿Estás leyendo para ti papá?
?
?
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Creemos que será un maravilloso servicio para él y él podrá apreciarlo mucho.
Te vemos en unas horas.

Hare Krishna, Guru Maharaja,

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhuhpada!

I see that you are well underway on this 10 week tour of North and South America. I should expect a delay to this letter but perhaps it is good since it will help me remember your lotus feet more often.

HpS - ASA - We would like to remember our lotus feet. Maybe we have donkey feet in Goloka also. We would like to rember your, everyone's lotus feet.

I received your reply from my vyasa puja offering and was just curious about a humourous thing you wrote "how long are your intestines, combined?" I figured you just wanted to know more about my family?? How we are? 

Well, now we are five members strong: Husband, Audharya (4years), Arindama (2years), Isavasya (7months), and myself. I stay at home with the children and my husband works now as a teacher for grade 2 students. We are still in Calgary. My parents and sister live here also and the kids really enjoy their company. 

I remember also another comment from a previous letter talking about my japa and you wrote something along the lines of if I don't chant all my rounds it is like giving powdered milk to my kids. It really opened my eyes and since then I have been improving my chanting everyday. Slow increments of at least 8 rounds everyday with ocassional 16 rounds a day. Maharaja, having children to take care of all day makes it difficult but I follwed your advise to rise early and that is what really helps and is making this happen. I feel once again enlivened by chanting my japa and has driven me more to associate with devotees through reading their books. An example is Yamuna devi's unalloyed book. It was beautiful to see her love and dedication to Srila Prabhupada. She ispires me so much. And I wish to resume studying Prabhupada's books- I still remember where I left off in the Bhagavatam!

I write also to ask some advise about how to make a decision. We are trying to decide where to move our family. We have some needs that are not being fulfilled in our current location. A spiritual need is not there because of lack of association our age. There is a temple community but we don't feel very included after almost 4 years living here. We have a need for our children to have a spiritual education as well as peers but here there are not many other youg parents with children. We visited a community that has these needs, and are going to visit another such place. This is us trying to do something about out situation but after having visited a place that has these needs we are finding it difficult to make a decision about it. We thought it was going to be super easy but it proved otherwise. It is very difficult. Do you have any sugestions about what it takes to make an important decision? We just don't have the skills. 

I apologise for the length of this letter. 

Your aspiring servant,

Rasa-mandali dasi

HpS - AGTSP. We are in Houston with Hari-lila Das. We met you here with him, no?    Mother Yasoda has problems making decisions. 

http://www.vedabase.com/en/sb/10/9/5

If we chant 16-good rounds early then we can get the solution offered in this purport. To add to that we have Chanakkhya Pandita's advice: Victory comes from good advice and good advice comes from many counselors. So, chant good rounds, read Prabhupada's books, and associate with devotees and you'll get a clear understanding of what to do. It may be that you cannot have a perfect understanding, maybe Krsna Himself is not sure, but we will see what is the best solution right now and later we can reconsider.

Hare Krsna Gurudeva,

Please accept my respectful obeisances

All Glories to Srila Prabhupada !!!

We have to thank You Gurudeva, for being so merciful with us.. We should have received stronger words maybe as an answer to our past letter.. we can see that yes, the spiritual master really knows how to treat the mind of his disciple, we felt calmed and at the same time alert, we know we have to improve a lot. We read the verses You sent, the examples you gave and the phrases You used.. However, we just understood or we think we understood some things. And the others are going to be understood then.. we believe that understanding always always come, they are sent(Janardana).. when we are ready maybe.

Definetily things improve when our rounds are chanted with more determination and concentration and of course when they are finished everyday, we would like to keep it like that always, however, our mind tells us we are tired and so busy or while chanting we are thinking about our next step.. right? Or left? Did He said something about it?; about the dream we had at night but we cant remember.. maybe someone gave me an advice there  and now I have lost it; about wise and nice words we read in a message.. so we remember we didnt pray for them yesterday so we do it; about that last conversation when we cried.. is it good for them to be that angry for someone else?.. and .. the list seems to be very long.. sadly.

Still struggling.. could be my lifestyle.. we dont want others feel sorry for us, however, it usually happens.. we see Krishna helping and it makes us happy and brave.. maybe when people feel sorry, they pray for us so Sri Krsna sends help!. (enough maybes). Goura Purnima in Chosica was very nice! we hope we will be able to have a conversation when You come Gurudeva. We will pray more and more with a (hopeful) nice attittud. Que el Señor Nrsimha Deva lo proteja Gurudeva. Hare Krsna Hare Krsna!!!

Su aspirante a sirvienta,

HpS - Hare Krsna.   Just keep Srila Prabhupada in the center. Then everyone else and their contribution will be harmonized. Have you met him personally?  If you have not then you will. Soon. As often as necessary. All we want is for you to be his disciple.