Letters to the editor

Hare Krsna! Hare Rama!

2017 dec 6
ASA-Encyclopedia; Guru-tattva, Confessions of an ISKCON Guru

We must confess that we have had a very deep rooted attachment to vanill ice cream. That is the kind of 'guru' that we are. No meant, no fish, no eggs, [maybe chocolate coated peanuts while starving while traveling], but vanilla ice-cream at times. That is a Madhyama-adhikari, no? He s(he)it has material attachments, but they are under some regulation and they are diminishing.

In the beginning when we were Brahmacaris, treasurer of the San Francisco Temple, we explained our problem to Bhakta Das, the Temple President and he said that it was nothing in comparison to the service we were able to give him and the Temple. Control our lust as much as we could.

O.K. but still we felt guilty. Under great pressure we could even honor quarts of the evil white stuff. Then a few years ago we heard H. H. Bhakti-caru Swami say that he had one time come into Srila Prabhupada's room crying, and Srila Prabhupada asked with some shock. "What is wrong"?

He replied, "Srila Prabhupada, I am so sinful"!

"What did you do"? !

"Srila Prabhupada, you are sending me to Calcutta for work and I am again and again falling in Maya and buying milk sweets, Rasagullas"!

He said, Srila Prabhupada laughed and said, "Don't worry, it will go away!"

We felt relieved that the situation was so similar to ours.

They say that Srila Prabhupada said that a B'cari should eat cheese only once a week, but then seeing how we Western buffalos were so weak without it he even permitted it daily. Of course, that does not mean it is good for your health and it will shorten your life, but cats and dogs will be cats and dogs, even for Krsna.

O.K. That's our greatest gross sin. We may all have deep seated addictions. They may not be so sinful but just need to be purified. We need to eat late at night, so we have to learn to eat potatoes late at night instead of pizza.

Any comments?

Hare Krsna! Hare Krsna!

Hare Krishna Guru Maharaj, 

Todas las Glorias a Srila Prabhupada

Por favor acepte mis reverencias

Muchas gracias Gurudev por responder mi última carta. En estos momentos mis padres se encuentran bien de salud y en el trabajo les va muy bien. Mi papá es un abogado exitoso y bien reconocido en su región. Mi mamá es enfermera y está a cargo de toda la dirección Académica de la Universidad Nacional de Ucayali.  Ellos están divorsiados pero son amigos.

Hace un mes renuncié a mi trabajo para postular a otra empresa. Es una mejor opción laboral y estoy haciendo todo lo posible para ingresar

Esta semana tendré varias reuniones en las casas de los devotos para iniciar Bhakti vriksha. Le enviaré fotos de las reuniones

Muchas gracias Gurudev por darnos siempre inspiración

Hare Krishna

Jagat Pavitram das

(LIMA - PERU)

HpS - ASA --- Muy bien.  TlgaSP. Espero que los centros de Bh. Vrksa expanden hasta ser centros permanente, Full Morning and Evening Program etc!   Mas noticias de vez en cuando!

Dear Guru Maharaja,

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

On this auspicious occasion of Vyasa Puja, I have no proper words to express my gratitude to you. Just this morning in Bhagavatam class, we read a verse from Prahlada Maharaja:

“My dear Lord, O Supreme Personality of Godhead, because of my association with material desires, one after another, I was gradually falling into a blind well full of snakes, following the general populace. But Your servant Narada Muni kindly accepted me as his disciple and instructed me how to achieve this transcendental position. Therefore, my first duty is to serve him. How could I leave his service?” (S.B. 7.9.28)

I am still in the deep well, but by your instructions, I can at least see the process of getting out, and I have some determination to make it out in this life. Gurudeva, this year, for the first time, I experienced a little taste for chanting the Mahamantra. It was just a tiny bit, and it keeps coming and going, but it has given me renewed enthusiasm to move forward in Krishna consciousness, to see what lies ahead on the path. I know that I did not do anything to deserve this---I continue to struggle to be steady in my daily sadhana and to control my senses---so I am convinced that this is your causeless mercy.

HpS - More likely Srila Prabhupada's and ISKCON Bhakta-vrnda causeless mercy for the most part.

Indeed, during japa and kirtan, my gratitude for your instructions and affection becomes overwhelming. My faith is not yet strong, otherwise why would I struggle so much to develop nistha? But the enthusiasm is there, and I realize that nothing else will make me happy in this world.

Gurudeva, I owe everything to you. How to study Srimad Bhagavatam? Your mood and perspective in reading Bhagavatam provide the best example. How to attend the morning program? Your dancing and chanting during mangal arati are my main inspiration. How to give classes? I depend entirely on your perspective, clear analysis, humor, and striking analogies. How to control the senses? Your austerities in eating and sleeping are simply amazing. How to relate to devotees? Your humility, kindness, and personal dealings are the ideal example. Thank you, Gurudeva, for your Bhagavatam classes, kirtans, phone conversations, and personal instructions. Thank you for your association in Chennai, your instructions in Boise, and your caution about “Jesus Christ Superstar” in San Jose. I cannot repay you.

Guru Maharaja, I pray for the strength to follow your instructions and make myself steady on the path of bhakti. I pray that, when the time is right, I will have the courage to dedicate myself fully to Srila Prabhupada’s service. I pray that I can hear Srimad Bhagavatam in your association, eternally.

Your unworthy servant,

Radhika Ramana dasa

HpS - Thank you. Again, we are just like a stop light in Srila Prabhupada's kingdom, ISKCON, we try to do our duty but are not very good at it. So, All Glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Tell us about your Sankirtan this month!

Hare Krsna Beloved Gurudeva

AGTSP

PAMHO

I hope this meets U in really good health !!!!!

I love what I do. This year has been a great blessing for me. I took many workshops in order to improve my teacher and therapist skills. Now I work in one of the most prestigious university in Peru in the field of Journalism. Jaime Bausate y Meza. I have the freedom to teach English the way I like to teach. They read SP papers, I do some little yoga sessions in class. And when they do their presentations they recall that.

I give Bhakti Sastri to mexico, Spain and Bolivia. I do pujari just once a month.

And also I continue developing my gem therapy now with aromatherapy, by the way Gurudeva U told me twice about SP and aromatherapy but U did not tell me the whole story, may You be so kind and tell me the story ...Thank U so much.

ASA -Gauri das Pandita Das told me that he was personally fanning Srila Prabhupada during the Srimad Bhagavatam classes in Bombay(?) and he saw one very nice flower bush and picked one flower and offered it to Srila Perabhupada before the class and before he started to fan him. Srila Prabhupada smelled it many times during the class. He did this the following day and maybe the day after that.
Then he was late getting to the class so he didn't stop to pick a flower and when he got there Srila Prabhupada and started to fan Srila Prabhupada, SP looked at him and held out his hand signalling, "Where is my flower?". So he stopped fanning and went to get the flower for the day. Afterwards SP explained that the flower's fragrance was very nice for adjusting his Prana.

On december 15th I will be on vacations so I would like to translate Viplavah, maybe we can make a team along with Lad?

ASA - Abhirama Th. Das also wants to help. I think he talked with Jagat-guru Das and Mathuresa. Yes, start translating and article that you like and co-ordinate with the Thakura. Is that O.K.? The idea is to produce a second Journal for Hispanomerica that can interact with 'Viplava'. Thank you. Yes, occupy the LAD.

I am having conversations with Devakinandana d, it is my desire to go to Brazil and join all of U. I humble request your blessings.

HpS - ASA -- Hare Krsna. Mathuresa Das is supposed to be talking with Devaki about the travel. We plan to go to Cuzco and Bolivia and then go from there to Brazil. We only plan to stay for one week then go to Argentina, then back to Pay Roo.

Thank U Gurudeva for all your support

Looking forward to see U in march

Candramukhi dd 

Hare Krishna beloved and esteemed Gurudev,
Please accept muy humble obeisances!!
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!!
I know by the blog, twitter and kdh how you are. But how is your pear tree?

ASA - She, He, It, seems to be doing O.K.    By S(he(it))'s Karma it is forced to stand out in the heat and cold and drink from one leg.  Oooof!   So far it has given one full sized fruit and two short ones. It is not getting any taller fast, 2-meters. Our rose bush is about the same. The gardener thought it was a weed and chopped its head off but still blossoming. How are your trees?

I really liked your proposal to Anuttama Prabhu. We have to make that step!!
 

I'm glad that your India-Australia tour was a complete success. And that you are recovering. Such great news that you are coming to South America very soon. I hope you can visit Mar del Plata this time.

ASA - So do we. We would like to ride there on the back of a tiger.

Spiritual life: improved a lot after we moved six month ago to Sri Govardhan, our eco village. Living close to a temple sorrounded by devotees makes things much more easy. 
16r 4p ok. Attending mangala aratik 3 times a week. 
We have to improve a lot the quality of our japa.
Material life: Still working as ayurvedic doctor. Our clinic works great. Next year we are going to leave mondays free of work to increase reading and studying. So the scheme will be tuesday to friday to town to work and saturday to monday stay at the farm to enhance spiritual practices.
We started teaching at the university, med school. Big challenge, great preaching opportunities. If you come i hope i can arrange a program there for you.

HpS - That is the program we did at the State Medical College in Manipur: Science, Psyche and SPIRITUAL Health, the Encounter of Carl Jung with the Ancient Mysticism.

Family life: we are getting married to Julieta mataji december 7th. Only civil. Fire ceremony after  one year of living together. She is daughter of a devotee, mother Maria. Very well educated and very fond of living with devotees. She has a very similar level of insanity as myself. Our astrological compatibility is very good. We have His Grace Srila Virabahu prabhu as asram guru. We are reading  also heart and soul connection by the GVT.
Madhu Mangal (Manu) and Bhurijana (Benjamin) are great. Also the Sri Govardhan atmosphere was wonderful for them. They attend gurukula, Madhu is chanting 4 rounds regularly. They have nice service attitude.
Preaching: Mostly to our clients at the clinic. Distribute books at work, like 12 per month average.
We are inviting many devotees to our farm to preach in town. Bhaktigouravani Swami was here last month and this month Hh Mahavisnu Swami and the harinam ruci. On January bramacharis from Buenos Aires mandir are coming
We quit all other engagements to focus in improving personal sadhana and bhajana.
We are creating a study group to start Bhakti Sastri. Prabhu Laksmana Agraja Prabhu kindly provided us with their study guides. The plan is two hours studying individually then 1:30 hs once a week we gather and discuss. Communication via wapp.
We plan to start next january.
Yesterday we had a meeting with Ambarish, Madhavendra Prabhus and Rati Manjari dd to start coordinate your argentinian tour.
Let's read second viplavah issue.
Your stupid disciple,
Nikunja Bihari das.

.HpS - Thank you! Marriage in Kali-yuga seems to be the best use of a bad bargain from any point of view. If everybody blesses you then could be useful (for you and everybody).
Our regards to Madhu and Buri. They got initiated?? Julieta? Maja-jana!...
Interesting you write and we just started having heart arythmias. Every now and then the heart misses a beat. NGD suggested a little more salt one time. It worked, but it really pushes us to think, we can have heart failure at any moment. How ready are to grab our hand luggage and go to the next vehicle. We want to develop an eternal little place at Srila Prabhupada's lotus feet. Remember our features, our friends, our family. We left them!

We hope your Mission becomes more and more clear. Are you headed in the right direction to understand that? Is this your last life in the materal world?!

{{Please, confidencial Maharaja}}

...

Esteemed H. Rama,
We read your letter and we can't say too much because you asked for it to be confidential. Is there some reason. Are you hiding from the Incredible Hulk or Batman or your Wife's Lawyer?     Your report and the topics you discuss are of very universal interest. So nice to hear from you!!
Our Base Camp here in Tennessee was started because of our relationship with Nitai-gaura-sundara Das, so there is a very, very tiny ISKCON community here, mostly retired Indian professionals and intellectuals.

We have a 10foot x 10foot cave, office, and little then an old be nice trailer home attached with no heating. It works for a Sannyasi. So it is difficult to arrange for guests except for couple nights. Some over night hospitality for Ladies and Familys with our congregation members. Neares ISKCON Farms and Temples are rather distant and remote: Murari Farm and Atlanta Temple. But.... why not write some public letters and we can begin to devlop our association that way!   We actually miss hearing from you!

HpS