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.
