Letters to the editor

Hare Krishna Dear Guru Maharaja

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

Thanks to Dhruva prabhu, we were able to get your lectures and photos from Australia on Facebook. Hope you are getting some rest in India after the busy schedule down under.

I am travelling to India in December to get my work visa stamped. My mother has been wanting to go to Vrindavan for some time now and I have never been there either as I have never felt qualified enough to go to Vraj alone. Radhika Raman prabhu is also there in India during that time and said he can take us to Vrindavan. I wanted to request your blessings and shelter for our visit to Vrindavan so that we may go to the Dham in the proper mood.

My company's facility in SLC is shutting down in June 2018 and they laid off many people. Fortunately by Krishna's mercy, I have been offered relocation to Richardson, TX. It is about 20 minutes from Dallas. On one hand I feel relieved that I still have a job and on the other, I want to look for a job in SLC as I have very nice association here. Radhika Raman prabhu is only a 1.5 hours away and Boise is 4.5 hrs from here. Moving to Richardson seems the logical choice career wise as I like the work I am doing in my company and they value me a lot, but I am not able to make that decision easily.

Gurudev, please guide me on how I should proceed. 

I have also uploaded lectures of yours that I had and most of them from IDT to a common soundcloud account - https://soundcloud.com/user-938973912

I request all my godbrothers and godsisters to send the lectures they have to [email protected] so that I can upload them to the soundcloud account and have all the lectures at the one place.

Your servant

Srinatha Krsna dasa

HpS - Hare Krsna. AGTSP Paoho. Thank you for the letter. Best wishes for visiting Vraja. It is very covered by the bright glare of Kali-yuga, Bollywood, materialism, but with some mercy from Srila Prabhupada you can see behind that.

Richardson sounds nice if it is just twenty minutes from Dallas ISKCON. Nice devotees there. Also taking association of Radhika-Ramona Das can be nice also. Read the Damodara lila story in the 10th cannot of whether M. Yasoda should have stopped giving her milk to Krsna or let the pot of milk boil over.

All Glories to A.C. Prabhupada, Sripada Maharaja All Glories to Gouranga Mahaprabhu and Goura Bhakta Vrnda Ki Jay! Guru Maharaja! Dandavat Pranam, Please accept my humble obeisances unto Guruji Maharaja's padmacharan that I am continuing the reading of Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu 2:2:70. The sangskrit words used here, the meaning and the translation into English are very tough and difficult to graps the idea. For example “ Raga, Raganuga-Bhakti, Ragatmika-Bhakti, Vaidhi-Bhakti etc.” In Gita 2.56 the word Raga is translated as attachment and in Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu and other related books it is the process of thinking in the spiritual life. The Ragatmika is related only the inhabitants of Vraja. Please explain the differences between Bhakti and Vaidhi Bhakti, Seva and Bhakti. Guruji, please explain in a simpler way or form of expression of the above mentioned sangskrit words.

HpS - AGTSP!!  Paoho. It is such an inspiration to get you association. For a simple answer to your question as we understand Rupa Goswami: Raga means attachment or taste. Bhakti is the general process it has three categories: Sadhana bhakti, bhava bhakti and prema bhakti. Sadhana bhakti can be divided into Vaidhi bhakti and Raganuga bhakti. In Vaidhi bhakti we do our Seva, service, Bhakti, according to rules given by an Acharya. The prophet Mohammad tells his followers they must bow down several times (5?) a day to Mecca, fast for Ramadan etc. These rules have the potency of waking up our spontaneous, Bhava bhakti. Bhakti, love for Krsna, which is always manifest with Seva, service to Krsna, and is an eternal aspect of the soul: 'nitya siddha Krsna prema...' (quotes in Nectar of Instruction). When that Bhava is a little bit awake we can start to do our service not just according to external rules for the mind, speech, body, but with feeling if we have the association of a Raga-atmica devotee, a devotee whose soul (atma), is fully awake to its natural attachment (raga) to Krsna.

You practice the piano in a very mechanical way following the written notes, but your teacher comes and says,"You play on the piano, I will play on the violin". In his association you can play with feeling. You are above plain Vaidhi bhakti and can do Raga anu ga bhakti. A raganuga bhakta follows a ragatmica bhakta. When the soul itself begins to express its natural rasa, raga, with Krsna that is Bhava bhakti. It is like a green mango, and when it is fully ripe, awake in its seva, bhakti, then it is prema bhakti.

O.K?

See you in a few days.

We try calling but there is no good connection with Manipur. Tell the Gaurangi that Dr. Samaresh is not coming. Things were not organized well enough so for his necessities so he will be going to Delhi for work then. Our apologizes. We suspect she has been doing the best that anyone can do. 

The regular Sunday Bhagavatam Patha is also continuing and as a part of it I will narrate the portion of 9:10.4 and will continu further. In the meantime, we are planning for the Guruji’s Manipur visit programme from 1-4 Nov. 2017. We will finalise the exact number of Prasadam and books required for the function with Banamali Prabhu, Ekanatha Prabhu and Sadhubhusan Das shortly in Imphal and the amounts to be deposited. How was Australia tour completed?

HpS - Australia tour was very, very, very hard work with very, very, very good results. We will talk about it when we arrive.

We are eagerly waiting Guruji Maharaja's arrival on the 1st Nov. 2017 at 10.00 a.m.,

HpS - Indigo 523 arriving 10.30AM.

. . . though our service (seva) will not be satisfactorily. Please bear the troubles of inconveniences cause from our side. What types of prasad will be arranged and who are accompanying this time excluding Dr. Samaresh and family? Yours fallen servant; Yamunesvara Das

HpS - From Kolkata only myself but from other states others are coming. Some pasta is good for our body - macaroni, spaghetti, simple Dahl.

See you very, very soon.

T.L.G.A.S.P.

Por favor acepte mis humildes reverencias a sus pies de loto

mediante la presente me permito contestar las interrogantes que me hizo

Has atravesado Grhastha ashrama?

Respuesta.- Querido Guru Maharaja, ya atravece el Ashrama de Grhastha y no tengo hijos, mi ex esposa no era devota, motivo por el cual jamas podria estar de Vanaprastha con la ex-esposa, ademas cabe señalar que no tengo ningun tipo de comunicacion con ella, ya que las cosas terminaron muy mal.

Vistiendo el azafrán es mucho más dependiente en la comunidad local estándar

Respuesta.- El estandar dentro del yatra de Cochabamba, es que no contamos con un templo, y pese a no tener templo hubieron muchos devotos que usaron azafran viviendo en sus casa y llevando una vida normal ya sea con estudio o trabajo, como por ejemplo: el hijo de prabhu Mathuresh Nitaysanga dasa, Prabhu Dharmaraja dasa, y Prabhu Deva Deva dasa. al contar con estos antecedentes me permiti consultar a Usted si seria correcto usar azafran dentro del yatra de Cochabamba.

Oficiosamente Goswami

A fin de cumplir su instruccion y tomando en cuenta que pasaran unos años de preparacion para tomar Sannyasa, ya que segun nuestra sociedad ISKCON, existen requisitos que se deben cumplir y mi persona esta dispuesta a ir cumpliendo todos esos requisitos, formalmente ya estoy pasando mi curso de Bhakti Sastri online y recien acabo al año.

¿Cuál es su Ashrama historia?

hice un voto de celibato por un año mientras vivia en el templo de Costa Rica, luego Grhastha ashrama, y ahora Brahmacari.

Atte. su eterno y neofito sirviente  Jiyada Nrsmha dasa.

HpS-In airport in Brisbane. To me it seems fine you start wearing saffron but what does Mathuresa das think. A letter from him to this blog?

T.L.G.A.S.P.

Por favor acepte mis humildes reverencias a sus pies de loto.

HpS - ASA -- Pies de loco.

Mi muy querido Gurudeva:

El dia que me dio segunda iniciacion, usted me dio una instruccion: "que me preparara para mi tercera iniciacion", y apartir de ese dia usted sembro en mi corazon el desapego por este mundo material, y por mas que mi mente buscaba refugio en la gratificacion sensorial, mi alma jamas encontro placer en todo lo que realizaba, es por eso que seguiendo sus sabias instrucciones, resolvi prepararme para la tercera iniciacion, en este proceso de preparacion tengo una duda que quisiera que usted me la despeje, tomando en cuenta que no vivo en un templo, pero me mantengo fijo con mis rondas, los principios regulativos y levantandome temprano.

Seria correcto usar azafran ?

Atte. su eterno sirviente y discipulo mas neofito Jiyada Nrsmha dasa

HpS - Posible. Sannyasa, formalmente tercero initiation is directly from Brahmacari or after Grhastha. Have you gone through Grhastha ashrama? Then comes Vanaprastha with the wife in some degree or separately, then Sannyasa. Wearing saffron is very much dependent on the local community standard.

Informally Goswami, Third Initiation, is described in NOI 1. Externally we have our ISKCON society under Srila Prabhupada's direction.

What is your Ashrama history?

Hare Krsna Guru Maharaja

All Glories to A.C. Prabhupada, Sripada Maharaja

All Glories to Gouranga Mahaprabhu and Goura Bhakta Vrnda Ki Jay!

Dandavat Pranam,

Please accept my humble obeisances unto Guruji Maharaja's padmacharan that due to failler of internet in our office, I could not open my mails. Today only I could see Guruji's letter. Dr. Darda D. D. went to Radhakunda to participate Tirobhav programme of Sripada Maharaja (Dr. T.D. Singh) some days ago from Imphal and Dr. Nanda Suta Das also went Radhakunda via Delhi with his wife to participate the same programme. 

We  had decided the Sanmelan with book distribution both the books on the 3rd Nov.  and the number  will be 150 or so with prasadam. Dr. Sarda have a strong desire to stay  Guruji at Imphal ISKCON on the 2nd and 3rd Nov. so in our programme there will be a slight change. Guruji will leave Thoubal on the evening of the 2nd Nov. after prasadam with the Thoubal bhaktas. After the RIMS programme, Guruji will reach Imphal ISCON and on the 3rd the sanmelan and in the morning of 4th leaving Imphal ISKCON for airport.

If any suggeston, please advice us.

Yours fallen servant,

Yamunesvara Das

HpS - Hare Krsna. We are just finishing Delhi - Braja visit. All very successful. We are dying for the right purpose.

Thank you for the news. We joined the Tiro-bhava festival in Vrnadvana temple, the day before the Radha-kinda festival.

Schedule change seems fine.

Also, thank you for your text message to your cellular. We will be out of India, Australia, from 11th - 25th.

Hare Krsna  Gurudeva,

Please accept my respectful obeisances.

All the Glories to Srila Prabhupada!

I would like to apologize Gurudeva, I had the opportunity to write many times, however, when things changed a little I decided to wait to see how the things got clearer  and waiting and waiting I never wrote You Gurudeva, even when I really needed.

I have been feeling very weak mentally and emotionally and to be honest I am trying to follow my duties because I know some people I care, expect that from me. Also I know that If I keep trying to follow I ll get answers and my ignorance will get away sooner. I know that I have to continue following because I made that decition before and dubts about it are not allowed in my mind. I made promises and there are reactions if I follow and if I dont.. there will be also reacctions and not just for me, and that is what really scares me. I read once that a person gets depressed when his sadhana is not good and yes, I wake up early in the morning to chant my rounds.. and at 3, 4, or even 5am and at 7:30 (so so) we read Srimad Bhagavatam. I believe is not a perfect sadhana but is good, however, I have lost feelings and I realized  that I am unconsciously angry. So all of this makes that even when I am following in the morning, I am not there.. it makes my sadhana really bad. I am just trying to pronounce good when I chant. 

I have some questions, and sometimes I  get the answer, however, I want a deeper answer.. maybe just to satisfy my ego or something. So I got tired because I am questioning some things, I personally believe that relation ships based on love are the best and when I hear that love doesnt exist, I just dont listen. Now, here we know love is contaminated, but I think, sometimes.. by mercy, compassion or simply in our hearts we feel it.. Am I wrong Gurudeva?. On the other hand, when  relation ships are based on fear, and I feel fearful all the time, it just gets uncomfortable. So I have tried all this year to develop a relation ship with my japa, with Krsna Balarama, philosophy,  with Your instructions, Gayatri trying to have a conecction with the things and people around me to understand better and sometimes was good, sometimes not so much, but I was learning. Trying to find techniques and improving my concepts. So it could be noticed in my behaviour and words and for the first time trying not to be selfish. I could feel inspired by anything because there was always a deeper reason, and at the same time I knew Maya was also there giving some bad oportunities, thoughts and so on. So it has been a challenge.. very hard but I felt alive fighting. And now, because of this nuisance, pain and weak mind I lost some enthusiasm to continue looking.. thank Krsna not all.

Well Gurudeva, my intention was to write very little, it seems I couldnt. Please forgive me Gurudeva, besides everything..trying is my life so I wont give up. I know Krsna loves us and I can find happiness in His assosiation, devotees etc..

I am still painting! now I am in a workshop learning much more. Really hope everything I am and have will be useful in this movement someday. Also, I hope not to forget english! hope I have not made so many mistakes so as You can undestand easily. I know You will be traveling to the Holy Dham! in a couple of weeks I think. It makes me happy, really hope You have a very nice travel!. I will pray Gurudeva, May Lord Nrsimha Deva continue protecing You. 

Su aspirante a sirvienta,

Sita Lalita devi dasi.

HpS - AGTSP. We have written this letter three times and the robot keeps crashing. The only solution is to ask Radharani is She will share Her Krsna with us also. He is the only impetus for real life.

Keep on struggling. It is the actual situation. You are doing the right thing. It will build up and you will get free from gross problems and then, if you are lucky, Krsna will smile at you and carry you off with all of the other Brajavasis so you can get back to work. LEt your material family go. They also have to bee exclusive lovers of Krsna.