Letters to the editor

All Glories to Sri Sri Gaura Nitai

All Glores to Srila Prabhupada

All Glories unto you guru maharaja Hanumatpresaka Swami Maharaj.

General

The things are alright. Actually, since I decided to marry formally the things -is general- is going alright. The mind is alright, trying find the right time to everything, a big challenge. I read in English almost everyday, there are some money, good health, service to the department of communications of our yatra. Sometimes, i use my mind to understand Krsna, and why he is so beautiful and funny.

My fear is that sometimes, when everything is alright, something bad could happen after a while also. My conclusion is stay ready to everything, always. We are in a risky position in this world. Status Quo, and the confort zone could break.

HpS - ASA -- If we are chanting 16-nice rounds, following four principles strictly, then even the bad things are arrangment of Krsna for a good result. Learn how to use them. Stay alive in KC in every moment, 'tat te nukampam susamikshamano, bunjana evatma krtam vikampam/hrd vag vapurbir vidadhan namaste ...." trying to remember.

Program to Ladies

My wife, Carolina, have organized a program called “Devotas Urbanas” 5-6 meetings already. The ladies devotees are very happy with it. 11 devotees in average, since 25 to 45 years old, but mostly young until now. The dynamics is simple. Some short video (Ted Talks, video for Social Media, etc), Reading from Srimad Bhagavatam, discussion, prasādam. Now, including kirtana.

They suggest a topic to the next meeting to talk the next time, so a week ago, we started to think what is the best sloka+purport for that. The idea is to select strong purports, a little polemic, controversial… For instance, the last meeting was a text from 9^th Canto; Urvasi is trying to convince to the King Pururava about the dangerous of the foxlike nature of the woman. The female fox in Chilean Spanish language is particularly rude. But my wife insisted in to read that. The result: The discussion in the program are very inspiring, interesting, and yes, controversial. The topics in general are energy of woman, what to do with that, female-male relationship, etc.

My wife cook everything with affection to them, she really want help the female devotees who don’t have too much space to ask more personal questions and share inner feelings about their process. When the first woman comes I should to go out of the house, because is a really devotional sorority. No man is allowed :D.

HpS - Burn your ears.

Is interesting because my idea is that the devotees should put the critical thinking in action. Understand more deeply what Prabhupada is saying and why. And this programs is working very well in that direction.

Asa - LoB - 14

Viplavah – Bilingual Spanish and Portugese edition

Prabhu Param Padam showed interested in the magazine and Dhanvantari Swami told me that he feel very honored to be invited to participate. He will arrive to Brasil from India, February 18^th, so he asked me to talk more about it with him then. So, I’m thinking that the first issue of the magazine can’t arrive to the GBC Meeting in Brasil, at least in both languages would be complicated.

HpS - Only Spanish. Work with Abhiram Th. Das, Mathuresa, get something simple and then fix the Participation, Date and Content for the following issue. One page would be enough.  Who, When, Where, What.

In general I’m lazy person but more slow than lazy, unfocused. So, I need a new dates. We will discuss with the latin American devotees and will tell you.

Fathers

Two years ago, Carolina took formal shelter from Radhanath Swami, at 2016 in Italy. And she decided wait how long is necessary to take initiation from him, it doesn’t matter how long she should wait. Im happy for her.

We will be parents of someone. We don’t know if is HE or SHE yet. But everyone said that is a lady. Krsna already know. I’m reading a very very interesting book called Krishna Krida by Bharat Chandra das. A very well researched book about the Krishna Conscious games which are very adequate to sons and daughters of devotees. First part is about the bad effect of the screens in the children and teenagers, with scientific support. Very nice.

Business

Like now I’m surrounding for entrepreneurs, and like “we converted ourselves in the average of the 5 people with whose spend more time” So I converted in one entrepreneur also. They are very inspiring people, enthusiastic and resilient. The effort for their projects and hard work for them is very respectable and example to the devotees for . If is possible I could talk you more here in the continent. By the way, despite the Brasil travel is canceling from my part, still I really like to visit you in some of the countries.

ASA - Peru, Abhiram Das Anandamaya, Jiva-shakti, Laksmana, N. Kishori,  Cmdd.....  are organizing retreat the weekend of 16-18 March in Chosica. Renting in beautiful guest house. If you can come then it will be great. All that week before will be work with the press and universities.

Thank you much for your time like always.

Hare Krsna.

Your aspirant to servant, Jagad Guru DAS.

HpS - How is you Big Brother????

Respects to the Carolina et al.

Dear Maharaja Accept my most humble obeisances at your lotus feet !!

All Glories to Srila Prabhupada! 

All glories to Sri Vijay Gauranga Nityananda Ram!

   I hope you are doing great dear Maharaja!

got great news! a Brahmachari came to the temple, his name is Daniel, and we are very happy to have him here, his presence has changed a lot how things were going in the temple, he is a very disciplined person but also kind and wellhearted devote, We are working in new programmes, like chanting japa on Sunday mornings in groups, also I'm making a program for the kids at the temple on Sundays, so that way their parents can pay full attention to the class and also the little kids can do something they can enjoy and learn about Krishna's past times as Gopal so they can identify with our dear Lord.

 I'm the only Mataji attending to Bhagavad Gita Classes after sadhya aarti and trying to attend to mangal aarti and Bhagavatam classes but lately, since i started to work i haven't been able this week to attend. another matajis go to do service at the temple but they don't stay.

Responding what you asked me, there are 4 people living in the temple, Prabhu Acyutananda das, his son janardana, Prabhu Brahmachari Daniel, and my ex-boyfriend who is the pujari Barshana Gram Das, beside them some devotes come from time to time or to Sunday festival, i live nearby so i go almost every day to do some service.  past days was visiting Brahmachari Prabhu Jay Jay Das,  besides them, no one lives in the temple.

My principals are going good, which they were better but I'm trying to improve myself in many ways. it's hard to pick up the piece and reassemble ourselves together, but i know it's not impossible.  thank you for answering me and taking time to read and write back.

Hare Krishna! 

HpS - We remember that Rama told Laksmana that there is no mistake you can make that you can't correct.   Also, the Bhagavatam is full of falldowns and then get-ups and then back to Godheads!

Hare Krsna Dear Gurudev,
Please accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
All glories to Guru parampara.

Gurudev, we would start today for Chhattisgarh and won't be able to access Internet / mails / blog for 20 days. Village to village, People to People.

Once back, would update you. Thank you so much Gurudev.

your fallen servant,
Girivaradhari-Gopal Das

HpS - Jaya!!!  Hare Krsna.    We hope they get Srila Prabhupada's books, words.

Jay guru maharaja mucha gracias por contestarme la carta soy un discipulo suyo aun no iniciado con usted pero anhelo mucho su iniciacion me llamo jose tengo 26 años estudio ak Ecuador trabajo de comerciante vivi en templo iskon mandir Ecuador 1 añs estuve como bramachari hacia sankirtan ahora vivo afuera del templo ya es lo mismo pero sigo cantando hare krshna sigo principio como ante saludo GM DANDAVATS HARI HARI HARIBOLL.

Espero tener un dialogo con usted maharaja ya no tiene que ver con Ecuador-Guayaquil hace un tiempo y el inicio un discipulo en su llama gangamarti solo en su discipulo de aka Ecuador nadie mas bueno que yo espero que tenga misercordia para que usted tenga amigo discipulo su agregado en mi facebook para estar mas cerca de usted me gusta su clases hari hari haribooooolll ....

HpS - Hare Krsna. Un foto de Vd??  Reportaje del ISKCON Ecuador?
Esta cantando 16-buen rondas cada dia y siguiendo cuatro principios estrictamente?   Mucho gusto conocerte!!!!  Jose-Ecuador

Dear Guru Maharaja:

All the glories to Sri Sri Radha Krishna

All the glories to Srila Prabhupada

All glories to you

Please accept my humble obeisances

In the last letter I asked you the next question:

“I have a question: If I feel that someone as close as a friend is a bad association, what should I do?”

HpS - Of course, the general answer is to try to help them, but the situations are full of details. That is why we have 18,000 verses in the SB and then other books. What should I do if a friend is sick? Answer that question and you have the answer to your question.
Send us this question and then you thoughts.

These are my thoughts:

In the first instance it is necessary to observe to know what the disease is, there are different types of diseases, physical, psychological, spiritual.

When a friend has the flu, we can make a soup, a tea, give them kleenex , the disease runs its course and we know that it will be cured with the proper treatment, the doctor will give an antibiotic, maybe something else.

When the illness is psychological, we can give them emotional support, make them feel comfortable, safe. A therapist has more adequate tools to treat it.

We try to help but we aren´t doctors, we are imbued with the material nature, which is the source of all our illnesses, especially the great illness that is not remembering Lord Krsna and our relationship with him.

Once in a dream I asked Srila Prabhupada how to throw off from our anarthas and he answered me: having a firm faith in the chanting of the holy names. I am sure that Srila Prabhupada himself was who answered me because I do not have the intelligence to generate such a response. That is the cure for our disease, we are all in treatment, we can help each other and be patient.

Being sincere I think that the association of this devotee can worsen my condition, my illness, I feel that I have to get away for my own good. And it is very sad.

HpS - We are just one little devotee. We feel that you are our Guru is the happy light of Krsna and Srila Prabhpupada. We act as Diksa-guru in ISKCON as a service. We hope we can be of some use to you with advice and we advice that you take advantage of so many Siksa gurus besides us. Tell us about the good guidance that you find in other ISKCON devotees, other Vaisnavas, even in nature.

Your advice is treasure for me.

I have some siksas and the fortune of saying that besides siksas are my friends, they have taught me with love and patience a lot of things, from how to offer bhoga, vaishnava etiquette, how to make a puja, to more confidential topics such as the love affairs between Radha and Krsna When I have any doubts, or ask for their opinions about something specific, some situation, they listen to me attentively, they talk to me about their own experiences, and they always clarify that they advise me from their perspective, that they do not have the last word, because different types of people can see each one from a different angle. They are enthusiastic, determined, humble, and inspire me with their example. When one sees that a devotee is always well disposed to the service is encouraging, I can say that it is contagious, even when they are tired from the long hours of service they do not lose enthusiasm.

I can say that experience makes a difference, all those years of service make their hearts shine, and I can see that this process of Krsna consciousness is actually effective.

Now I'm going to talk about my mom, from her I learned to be patient because not everything comes at the time we want, strong because sometimes the only thing left to do is resist, and how to be sweet. And above all things I inherited her faith and love for God. She remembers the Lord every day and thanks him for everything she has. She always has a notepad, where she writes addresses, telephone numbers, etc., and in the middle she also writes her prayers to God. A few weeks ago she told me: “I believe in Krsna, I know that your god is the same as mine, but I am still not ready to do everything you do for him”. Imagine my happiness.

I want to express my desire to take initiation when you come to Buenos Aires, I am in a very special moment in which I feel that I must take a more important step in my spiritual life and be able to serve you in a more formal way, I would like to take that commitment. I have the blessings of the devotees, I am about to give the initiation exam and follow the whole protocol of Iskcon in order to be initiated. I would like to know if you can give me your blessings to continue with this process of the exam and everything that implies the possibility of taking initiation.

HpS - Yes. Not only our blessings but our plea that it is all successful. We need EVERY soldier we can get a this point, every member of the choir that we can get.

I know that initiation is only beginning, my purpose in this life is to feel the love felt by the gopis for Sri Krsna.

HpS - Srila Prabhupada says that that is a very, very big aspiration, but..... by the mercy of Gaura Nitai, so much is possible.

Yours in Srila Prabhupada's service

Bhaktin Carol

Hare Krsna Gurudeva,

Please accept my respectful obeisances,

All the glories to Srila Prabhupada !!!

!!!

Well, I am writing after some weeks I said I was going to write. As I told You Gurudeva the day You knew I was not living with my parents, I would like to bring happier news, however, is what we have(now) and we dont want to develop a complaining attitud, besides also because we dont have anything to complain for.

Actually, there are many “I am sorry” and “I love you” waiting to be said by me.. We hope we can talk heartly from heart soon. Sadly, I disappointed them,  however, with Gurudeva and devotees advice and blessings we will improve somehow. . we still have hope.

 More than a year ago I have been meeting a guy whose name is Sergio. We met him when we were kids because he studied in the Gurukula but, just for a short  time. Then, after many years he became a friend to some of us in the temple and then became a close friend of mine (2016). Keeping his  Christian beliefs, he has been changing some of his habits (talking about our principles) with  sincere whishes to improve as a person, opened to accept more elevated truths.

We can talk more about him but our letter will expand a little bit more. Our concern is that my parents desagree, and we had some discussions about this situation last year. And I can understand their concern, we all have a different concern and well, they are my parents and they dont want me to suffer. For me is kind of difficult to explain this, I hope and even, I know that You Gurudeva will understand beyond my words.. and then, with your advice and opinion we will see clearer with real understanding.

I have felt very confused many times influenced by Maya...ups, curves, downs.. ups! and downs again.. as always.  So many questions about love and how it gets confused.. sentimentality, illusory.. possessive attitudes.  

As someone told me once.. I have no vision neither intelligence to see or even think correctly. I have heard so many ideas, thoughts, advice, all of them giving me their opinions according to their past experiences and understandings, one better than the othe

Now, I am staying with my grandparents. I am working on [in] a workshop in a school,  for kids who have behavior problems and we do dynamic games, art, drama, we sing and dance, we have a yoga routine and things like that. Their parents are so happy and I am too, we really like it.  

 Now we are living very exiting challenges, facing more struggles and we need to strive more and more and at the same time we really feel blessed with help.

Going to wilson or Chosica each time we can.

We pray to keep this attachment for Krsna Consciousness and devotees, hoping to receive any sincere good wish for the health of our hearts and minds. We are still trying to keep on chanting and following till the end, to finish our 16 (hopeful good) rounds daily (sadly we have some debts, however, is noot going to stay like that) and our four principles too.

At the moment, I have some options about studies. Personally, I would like to go back to Cusco and finish my studies in Fine Arts.. I have the option to start in July so I have time. I could also stay here and work and study art, maybe languages. Or just save money to travel to the Holy Dham,  India in the future while working here for some years.

Now we have talked about every important aspect in our lives that will define our future, our intention is not to bother You Gurudeva with our material issues, however, we really needed to write You about this, to understand and know what to do. 

Time flies and March is coming!, with joy we say “see You soon Gurudeva”. I am continuing with the trascription, kind of difficult but possible!. Que el Señor Nrsimhadeva lo proteja mucho. Hare Krsna!!!.

Su aspirante a sirvienta,

Sita Lalita Devi Dasi.

HpS - Hare Krsna. I don't know but I suspect it may have been a panic to write this letter, to expose a little bit of your personal life to others, but . . .  that is the purpose of ISKCON.    If we are too much alone with these powerful things then we will get hurt very, very, very deeply. Will become victims of The Witch and not be able to help Krsna in the fight and many people will slide, slide, slide past us back into the soup of Maya because we could not do our part properly.

On the other hand, if we reveal things in the improper way (NIO 4-6) to the wrong people then The Witch can get us that way also. This is a real war. No smaller parts for Sita-lalita Karuna-mayi, Ananda-maya, Bibhastu-arjuna, HpSwami, Karuna-krsna, Ganga-mayi, Chaitanya chandra, H. H. Jayapataka Swami ....    We have to go to Lord Caitanya's school to get a PhD in Bhakti-yoga.

Your letter is very, very well composed.

Shows years of hard work. We all, ISKCON Peru, ISKCON global, thank you. Some day you can go to Maya-pur to see Radha Madhava with your head up high.

SB 1.17.38 - Girls should be married by 16-years old. That is ideal, rare, difficult, but that is the ideal. Other arrangements are always going to be harder and take more effort.

Joking we can say that what you should do is take up your bow and arrows, pick up a big stick and go looking for a husband!  [See attached foto].  You can form a committe of other girls your age.

Some decent Dude who will do his responsibilties.

O.K. Take care of that. Got a husband, now I need kids.

O.K. Took care of that... just like Devahuti and Kardama muni. . . . Oh, my God?   I don't really know my husband, father, mother, kids at all!

I am just dealing with their minds (bodies), although they have nice minds ...  Krsna conscious minds in varying degrees.

SO....   Bhakti Yoga...   Sixteen nice rounds first on your list.  Minimum sixteen. Then all the rest of the stuff will fall in line.

http://www.vedabase.com/en/kb/58

O.K. Soldier!   Got your orders.   16-nice rounds minimum and report in one week of how many you are behind.
Go fight with The Evil One and win.