Letters to the editor

Hare Krishna Maharaj!

Pamho! AgtSP!

Thank you for your response on the last letter. I’m engaging in war with my mind every day to get some discipline established. Its tough but doable [to some degree.] Trying to not eat at night so I can wake up in the mornings. Morning programs are nice (best on the rainy days). Will also try to make more FEPS (the notifications are so short notice!)

Somehow managed to get accommodations in Vraja—close to ISKCON temple. I will be splitting the room with another nice girl from the UK.  Krishna is kind. Any recommendations of things to do that aren’t mainstream (of course govardhan, Parikrama, offering ghee lamps, etc…but anything off the beaten path …that Brajvasis do?)

ASA - When you get their just look for new friends at the Temple. When two thieves meet upon the road they need no introduction, they know each other by sight.

Go to the English Gita class in the evenings.

Get some one to take you to the "Old" Radha Govinda Temple. It is the one Rupa Goswami built.  Just sit in a corner and chant and try to imagine what is was like at Janmaastami 500-years ago.
Chant Hare Krsna and wander around with a girl friend. You might meet a Gopi. You might not come back.

Get vdm.docx from our ASA Archives. It is worth $25,000,000. Read it slowly while you are in Vraja.

You asked about father’s spiritual purification. I’m not sure if you’ve known, but my dad’s a Shiva devotee… he still worships Krishna and Vishnu and everything…and he’s encouraging about my spiritual practice but often sees it as a ‘diluted’ version as compared to traditional Hinduism (then again he doesn’t read  so I can’t hold his opinions in high regard) …and he also has been chewing tobacco since his days in the air force and it’s a habit he’s tried to quit so many times but now just accepted it and basically justifies it saying Shiva does it so it’s okay (which is total hogwash in my opinion). He also fasts on Ekadasis and Mondays (yet still chews the tobacco so I doubt there’s progress there…)

So I can’t really gauge his spiritual trajectory. But it is because of him that I had an ‘inkling’ of spiritual practice from a young age. He’d encourage my sister and I to fast and participate in aarti  early mornings and make offerings to the Lord. The tobacco issue is something we’ve beaten to a pulp. No change. I honestly don’t have any expectations either. I just need to be grateful for what’s been provided to me by them. I have friends whose families are very discouraging about Krishna consciousness and am fortunate not to be on that boat.

I doubt I willl cross paths with you in India, but I do wish you the smoothest journey, free of complications.

Please keep shining your grace and mercy Gurudev.

Thank you for your mercy.

Your struggling servant,

Sugopi dd

(P.S. Purnima darshan attached!) 

HpS - Well, get an India SIM card after you arrive and maybe we will see each other. Best preaching is example.

Hare Krsna Dear Gurudeva, AGTSP paoho.

You can call us at +1 209-505-3219. what time i should call you ? where are you now ?

Have you learned from your slip? Yes i have learned and i want to keep doing devotional service , preaching and kirtan forever. 

Will you adjust you life to have the strength to do the Nama and Gayatri Japa?  Yes i will. I feel so bless and fortune to have good association, family and i feel so bless to have you as my Guru. All of you give me the strength to continute in this procces of devotional service and i wish to serve Guru and Gouranga. I know what to do but lamentably sometimes i have to learn by the worst way. i´m sorry Gurudeva, i´m so stupit and unqualified but i know that the only way to get purified is by practicing  Bhakti YOGA. 

Vanca kalpa.

Y/s CCD.

HpS - Try calling anytime except 6-8pm. FE Program then. Thank you so many.

Pamho,AgtSP

Hare Krishna Guru Maharaja,

How are you??

HpS - ASA - Pretty good.

How is Sankirtana??

HpS - We struggle to get the books out according to our nature of preaching: Movies, symposia. People we meet while traveling.

Very nice seeing you today at mayapur.tv in Huston.. Always inspiring our spiritual life..

HpS - We wish we could see you-all in Brazil on Mayapura TV.

This opportunity to thank you for the opportunity to have your asosiation [association] in Santiago de Chile...I know and always try to imagine the big effort you are doing to manteing this Sankirtana Program...The Programs in Santiago were amazing.. All of them!!!

HpS - We were amazed. It was really amazing being in Parasurama Das' Dojo facing all their uniformed B'caris in our uniforms.

Krishna is giving me a lot of Mercy, cause your Mercy....

I'm in Campina Grande, Danwantari Swami Jaladuta Institute wright now!!!

Asosiation with Devakinanda das very favorable...Helping me a lot to grow in my personal caracter and my service of lidership...

Starting with bhakti Vaibhaba Study...1.2

Every thing I study takes me to Siksastaka...So I'm preparing PowerPoint of "the 7 stages of purifation and transcendental elevation"....ohhhh is Nectar every thing I study is in the Siksastaka...Is like Nectar of Instruction...Every thing is there...

Serving Maharaja with students...lots of service!!

Mharaja is very merciful with us...

Thanks again for your help....

Next year I would like to travel with you maybe Peru and Chile, or India...if you give me the opportunity to help you with anything I can...

Hare Krishna...

This poor servant

Panca tattva dasa

HpS - Thank you so much for Jaladutta news. Send us more. Respects to Maharaja and Devaki et al. Seven stages of Bhakti is from first verse of Siksastakam? They seem to match the six levels of Bhakti that Rupa Goswami describes in beginning of BRS: Freedom from distress, harmony... songs by Bh. Vinode Th. based upon Siksastakam, no?

Maybe we go to India again in the Spring?

Jaladutta news!
 

Hare Krishna Dear Guru Maharaja

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

Thank you very much for your instructions in the previous letter regarding dealing with devotees. It was very practical and useful. I hope that I can apply it properly in the future.

You had asked me to write about my parents and family in the previous letter. Since it is a wide topic, I will try to say a few sentences and you can ask me if you want to know something specific.

You met my parents and my younger brother during your visit to Chennai this year. I was born in a very pious smartha brahmin family. Technically our mother tongue is telugu, but since my father's side have been in Tamil Nadu for many years, no one knows proper Telugu except my mother. She was born and brought up in Andhra Pradesh. I consider Tamil my first language.

My mother accepted Krishna Consciousness instantly and stopped doing all the pujas for demigods, when my brother and I told her about it. She has been chanting 16 rounds for some time now.

HpS - ASA -  Wow!

When we were young, she used to drag us to sloka classes to teach  Vishnu Sahasranamam, Rudram, Chamakam, Sri Suktam, Purusha Suktam. She also made us memorize several chapters of Bhagavad Gita. I used to know all of these by memory, but it has been a long time since I recited them.

Initially my father was not very receptive to Krishna Consciousness, but over time he has become receptive. He likes Prabhupada except for when he uses the word Rascal! :-). It was especially shocking to my father when I told him that I was getting initiated. Then when I told him that you were giving me initiation, he mellowed down. He has been looking for a girl for me to get married. I told him I wanted to marry only a devotee and he wants me to marry a girl born in a brahmin family. It is unthinkable for him to see me get married to a girl not born in a brahmin family.

HpS - ASA -- In USA we are attached to chocolate ice cream and video games. You come from a more elevated Maya!

But later when he spoke with Radhika Ramana prabhu, he said he was very happy that I got initated by you. He sometimes even asks me if I am chanting my 16 rounds. Hopefully by your mercy he will also start chanting.

Our cricket coach, Sriram Sir, in India, introduced both my brother and me to Krishna Consciousness. You also met him in Chennai.

HpS - He was waiting by the side of the road with Prasada for us?

He has known us from when I was 10 yrs and my brother was 7 yrs old. He initally made us chant Vishnu Sahasranamam for 5 year every saturday in the Krishna temple near our house before introducing us to ISKCON. It was so gradual and organic, that we don't know when we came to Krishna Consciousness. My brother is now in Connecticut. he is starting his Masters in Computer Engineering this fall. Our extended family is a big one. My father has 6 siblings and my mother has 3. Among my grand paternts, only my paternal grand mother is alive.

Janmashtami this year in Salt Lake City was amazing. We had about 600 guests on a weekday! The highest till date. I did my first nirjal fasting for Janmastami this time. I got my H1B (work visa) approved on Janmashtami. We also had a nice vyasa puja celebration for Srila Prabhupada.

It was so wonderful to talk to you from Boise last Saturday. Please let me know if I could serve you in any way possible.

Your Servant

Srinatha Krsna dasa

HpS - Thank you for the nice information. Many auspicious things happening in your life. Like home schooling, Janmastami has been a big success in ISKCON. Do you, devotees, live in the center in SLC?

Hare Krishna Dear Gurudeva
All Glory to Srila Prabhupada
Please accept my humble obeisances at His lotus feet

Dear Guru Maharaja, your letter was very strong for me and I think it is the same for the devotees. I am to serve you in whatever you need.

HpS - Our Vyasapuja offering?

Begin studying the Srimad Bhagavatam online with the devotees of Brazil, Panca Tattva inspired me. Let's see two chapters.
I am more secure in pujari, more control of the tongue, more observation of anger and frustration (desire for control), Very good rounds and as always doing yoga and studying his theory. I want to sing better and better my rounds.
Maharaja Bhaktibushana Svami visited us a week and was very pleased by the amount of Brahmacaris, we are 9.There is a good commander by the name Nanda he was like Brahmacari until two months ago.
On Wednesday, Srila Virabahu arrives in Buenos Aires, so we are waiting for Him.
His Servant and Disciple
Adi Yajña Das

HpS - How is your Sankirtan?  Distributing Gaura-vani?

Jaya Guru Maharaja

Toda Gloria a Srila Prabhupada

Por favor acepte mis humildes reverencias

Ofrenda a Srila Prabhupada por Adi Yajña Das

om ajñana- timirandhasya jñanañjana-salakaya
caksur unmilitam yena tasmai sri-gurave namah

Nací en la más oscura ignorancia, y mi maestro espiritual
abrió mis ojos con la antorcha del conocimiento. A Él le
ofrezco mis más humildes y respetuosas reverencias.

 nama om visnu-padaya krsna- presthaya bhutale srimate bhaktivedanta-svamin iti namine

 namas te sarasvate deve gaura-vani-pracarine nirvisesa-sunyavadi-pascatya-desa-tarine

 Ofrezco mis respetuosas reverencias a Su Divina Gracia A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada quien es muy querido por el Señor Krsna debido a que ha tomado refugio a Sus pies de loto. Nuestras respetuosas reverencias a Ti, oh Maestro Espiritual sirviente de Sarasvati Gosvami!. Tú muy bondadosamente estás predicando el mensaje del Señor Caitanyadeva y liberando a los países occidentales los cuales están llenos de impersonalismo y nihilismo.

Toda gloria a Srila Prabhupada

Jaya Srila Prabhupada Por favor acepte mis reverencias a Sus pies de loto

Hoy en el dia de su Vyasa Puja quería intentar glorificar Su persona.

Gracias… Usted con Sus palabras y actos planto fuertemente en el corazón de muchos de nosotros deseosos de vida espiritual, de paz, de esperanza, El deseo mas sublime el amor a Krishna, antes deambulando por la esfera material, y viviendo  la temporalidad de las sensaciones, momento de euforia y depresión en un caminar ciegos, a la espera de la mejor de las suertes, como si todo ocurriese por azar, y nada en el mundo tuviese mayor sentido que el propio esfuerzo, y el sentimiento de estar solo.

Sus palabras nos  acompañan desde el primer dia que vinimos a Su templo , tenemos lecturas y audios , simples y complejos de lo que Usted esta hablando, para los que recién empezamos y para los que están mas afianzados, Sus palabras nos ayudan a distinguir los razonamientos y acciones acertadas y desacertadas de filosofos, políticos, yogis, religiosos e incluso devotos ,etc.e incluso la profundidad de los discutido. Todo esto para que nosotros podamos ver bien el enfoque y no nos distraigamos con el encanto de las opiniones diversas que tienen resultados temporales.

Usted es el soporte, la confianza y la inspiracion de todos nosotros por que su vida es un ejemplo y saber que acepto tantas dificultades por dar a Krishna a los papa yonayah, nos pone a Sus pies, y con el pasar del tiempo podemos ver que la deuda es cada vez mas grande debido a que la conciencia de Krishna es cada vez mas profunda y agradable, con el deseo de intentar servirlo en Su Mision

El sirviente de Su Sirviente

Adi Yajña Das