Letters to the editor

Hare Krsna Dear Gurudev,
    Please accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet.

HpS - ASA -   Ehhh!   Lotus?   No.           Rose???   No.             Daisy?   Maybe??!!

    All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
    All glories to Guru parampara.
ASA - Jaya!!!!

    Gurudev, Hope you are good in health.
ASA - We are. We work Brother Ass so hard for service and physical sense gratification. His vision is failing. Requires a lot more maintenance, but he appears to be getting a little bit more intelligent. He is becoming a real smart-ass. 

Hope your's is good too!

    Doing backup service in deity department then later they will slowly move for deity worship.

    continuing with BG now a days. without Krsna life is very tough.

    My mind always drag towards Vrndavana.

your fallen servant,
Girivaradhari-Gopal Das

HpS --  Thank you for your news!   So some day soon you may be able to touch Krsna and Radha's lotus feet?   Some progress there.   Better to die in Vrndavana, but if we don't come out to preach, who will know about Braja!!!   As long as we have a little Krsna consciousness.  The Steering Committee headed by Lalita, Visakha, Tunga-vidya et al can keep us connected to Vraja wherever our work is.

Do you have to keep working to maintain you aged parents?

Lord Caitanya told (?) Gopal bhatta Goswami to stay with his parents until they left there bodys, they were Vaisnavas, then leave home, never marry and join Him?

Hare Krsna.

We are you servants!

Dear Gurudeva:

Please, accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhudada!

Thank you for your last visit and thank you for helping me so much with your words. My Japa is still a little bit disorganized but I am trying to improve the quality as much as I can or as much as much as I know. Lately, I am feeling very busy and, sometimes, very tired, but I don't know how to stop or even if I have to do it. So, here I am!  The kids, in my class, have already learnt the Maha mantra and the Govinda song. They really like it. It is very funny hearing them singing it while they are playing at the playground. The school year is almost finished and I can say that these children have enjoyed a lot hearing the Maha mantra, waking up the Deities and all kind of activities relates to Krishna we have made. More than previous years, I think.

About Gurukula, I have divided the group in two. On Thursdays, I have one session with the little ones (1 to 3 y.o.), and on Fridays, the other group (5 to 15). I should divide the last one, as Urmila devi  dasi told me, and I hope I can do it soon. I am just thinking  and asking advice on how to do it.

This last weekend, we went to NVM for the Sri Nrisimhadeva festival. It was very nice. I made some activities with the kids there. They are very nice.

But I am trying to focus a little bit on my rounds. Let's see if I am able to improve them, at least, a little bit.

Thank you so much for reading my letter and hoping you are fine.

Your humble servant,

Purnamasi devi  dasi

HpS - ASA -  AGTSP!!!   paoho.  Thank you for your nice letter.      Happy Birthday, 1976 June 4.

So you will now no longer be a young lady. Now you are 40-years old. In ten more years the energy in your body will be finished. Maybe you can push it to 55. This is all very nice. Krsna is pushing us along to get ready for death. Death in a chance, if not before, to leave this material body, world, and go back to Goloka!

So much is happening there!

We are needed so much.

On the other hand, this world can also be Goloka if we are associating with devotees, preaching to the innocent...

How many rounds do you have done before Mangala-arati? Before breakfast? By 10AM?

That's one nice test to see how you are getting better rounds done.

You work in a Public School, no?   You are teaching those little kids to chant, "Hare Krsna"???

You have a ton of work to do. You have to save yourself, your husband, your kids, your parents, your Church, your Nation. .  .
Mother Yasoda was giving milk to Krsna and then the pot boiled over.  Ooof!  Choices!  Which service to do: Give milk to Krsna or save His pot of milk on the stove.    It is not a choice between Maya and Krsna. It is a choice between this Krsna and that Krsna!!!     Hmmm!
In the Purport Prabhupada says that devotee is always being confronted with these choices in devotional service, but if he is sincere, then Krsna within his heart will give him intelligence which service to do.

The more we chant better 16-rounds, the more intelligence we have.
Waiting to hear the results of your work!

Our respect to Nimai and Jayantai!

Hare Krishna Guru Maharaj,

PAMHO. AGTSP!

I am not sure how much information you got from my email via Mathuradish Prabhu.

I am presently in New Govardhana Farm in Murwillumbah, Australia. I am understand you have been here?

I have been chanting for many years (on and off since 1995), but have just recently moved onto the farm here and have been very serious over the past year or so. I recently finished the disciple course.

I have sought advise from Mathuradish (who I have I great deal of faith in) about who I should take shelter of. He has known me since I joined the farm here three months ago. 

I shared my mind to him about doubts I had about other gurus and so he emphatically recommended you to me. I guess he believed you were an excellent example of a sannyasi and spiritual leader. He has always given me great advise.

I am very pleased to have made contact with you and look forward to hearing again from you soon.

Your servant,

Janardan Das.

HpS - ASA -- Hare Krsna! If you go to our webpage at - www.jayarama.us, and then go to the Archives, you should a file labeled "guru-tattva.docx". It describes our basic idea of Guru.

Ooops!  We made a mistake. It is www.jayarama.us/kd/guru-tattva.txt

What do you think of it?

Say, "Hello, Hare Krsna", to Mathuresa Das for us. I think he could do any ISKCON Guru job that I am doing as well as me.

Waiting for your thoughts!

Yes, we been to New Govardhan. Wonderful place except for the snakes, ei, Mate! 'ow's Dhanesvari & Dhruva and their Ma and Pa ?

Dear Maharaja Hanumat Presaka Swami,

Please accept my humble obeisances, All Glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Post Nrsinghadeva Appearance Day note.

HpS - ASA - Grrrrr!

Taking a moment from my self-impelled feverous schedule to share and reflect some new realizations in an old and ignorant body. Guess that’s the wonderful thing about Krishna consciousness, if we actually accept the practice there are constant levels of self-realization. The downside is that sometimes we don’t want to know our own shortcomings, about where I’m at right now.

HpS -  Ha! Ha!   Hare!    Aren't there a whole line of people ready to tell you your faults?

The convenience of Temple Darshan and association is a blessing, and then of course there is the “curse’.  Extra seva with Jiva Goswami at the “Cult” and again maintaining sadhana has become a balancing act for me. The morning program is still a priority though adjustments have to be made in getting japa in with daily activities. More on-line Darshan and mini-Mangals at home seems to be working for now. Missing personal interaction at Temple Mangal’s yet japa is getting consistent. In fact regulating Mandhir moments has helped keep seva in order, sometimes every bodies nuance is thrown on my plate when it comes to service and now I’m starting to prioritize. Of course volunteering to reframe the ceiling, convert it to floor space and repair the drywall at the Cult was a bit overdoing it (adds 3,000 square feet of inventory space) ... se la vie!
 

ASA - "A bit"? !    !         We thought we were the biggest stupid asses in the world but now we feel humbled! <img alt="cheeky" height="23" src="http://hps.monkeywarrior.com/sites/all/libraries/ckeditor/plugins/smiley/images/tongue_smile.png" title="cheeky" width="23" />
 

Don’t recall mentioning to you about my new technique for japa. With the bezerk-brain I’ve got, my appendages don’t always work with it. Basically, I can be chanting japa and if there’s a half a second lull in my Mantra my hand will fling the beads into the bag thus losing count…frustrating. So, now I’ve been placing the mala on a clean table and chanting and watching my hands at the same time, been working well for a couple of months now though new realizations have surfaced. At first the new system kept the mind entertained and lively (actually had some good 8 minute rounds) then as time has gone on I slip into old habits and drag the pace down but at least I’m not losing track of count, so the system seems to work, just have to perfect the practioner.

HpS - Every bead is different. Krsna grouped them into 4-groups of 25 and eight special groups. See Them.

As I mentioned, “old habits”, of course can be good ones, it seems the bad ones are all that we recognize. On the new realization it is actually a bad habit that surfaced on its own… subtle lethargy. It is one thing to fall “asleep at the wheel” (or worse, at the mala!), it’s another to zone out completely. At first I thought maybe it was a state of meditation or calming of the brain. When 20 minutes fly by and I have no idea it happened, it becomes a detriment. Great, another problem to content with while waiting to perfect death. Actually, what is the difficulty? Ignorance is always around, in fact now I know there is a problem it’s easier to work on.

This is what is great about the potency of God, He will assist if you’re sincerely trying, hope that Lord Nrsingha will keep ripping out my anartha’s known and unknown, now if I will allow Him is the real difficulty on my part, time to surrender even more.

Appreciate your valuable time, All glories to your service,

Your servant in training,
caitanya caritamrta das anu das

PS: A video clip from a production Vatsala did with us. My first speaking part ( had 5 lines,,,and forgot one…ugh)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YS1Vz_Ta9c8

HpS we will watch it.   We are amzed you got this blue color and highlight effect. When you die probably nothing will change. It will all go on just like it is now. Tack down the problems and solve them one by one, but don't forget to work on the big problems first.

Have you read our "Japa-Joe" book in the ASA Archives?

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Hare Krishma Gurudev, please accept my humble obeisances!

i hope you are fine!

16 rounds, four principles, FMP has been really helpful for me,

sorry for not writing for so long, now everything its ok whit my family, my husband went back since 2 month ago more or less. we went to couples therapy.....

here in chile matajis are giving classes one time a week on the temple about vaishnavis of the history, and this tuesday its my turn, i am going to talk about Srimati Vishnupriya devi, and has been very interesting study her biography. before of this i was reading japa reform notebook of Satsvarupa das goswami. 

HpS - ASA --- Super, super!

and our service of festival of sankirtan has been stalled a bit this last time, because in this time of the year start the rain. But we are making meetings with the team for see how can we find another places for preaching programs like this, like institutions for example, but for now this its just an idea 

Andres send you obeisances 

Happy Nrsimha Caturdasi Gurumaharaja

your aspirant servant 

Indu-LekhaDevi Dasi

HpS - Hare Krsna!   Thank you so much!!!   Our respect to Andres. What is he doing?   If you make the endeavor you will find that Sankirtan is good!!!

Hare Krishna Gurumaharaja
Please accept my humble obeisancess 

Couple of months since i write to you, please forgive my negligence.
I just want to share with you how excited and happy I'm because after many fail tries finally the opportunity to visit Holy places in India became real for me. Im been waiting for this all my life, i feel unqualified but i have the intense desire to have the experience. 
Please give us your blessing to open our hearts and minds and see a spark of all that nectar and knowledge in the Holy Dham. I will be traveling with a family from Dallas, all Bhakti Charu Maharaja disciples, we are planning to travel for about a month and visit Mayapur and Jagannatha puri (from may 31 to july 5). I will be back in Houston for teacher training and the symposium in July.
Im doing Giriraj parikram almost every day asking for blessings, focusing in chanting and reading about Mayapur dham and lord Caitanya teachings book. 

I would like to ask your recommendations to try to avoid commit offenses  an for a specific reading that i should to do.  

Thank you so much for your infinite mercy Gurumaharaja, without YOU all this could not be possible for me. 

So many realizations this last few months, all reminding me that i can take cheaply the service that im getting, i should to appreciate and treasure it. 

Mother Urmila was visiting with her Sri manah-siksa translation and commentary  book, And made me realized how big my ego was, feed it by pride and a fake idea about myself, i realized so many of my anartas (many of them subtles  like attachment to recognition and pride) and i think the best thing to do is just be Humble, keep chanting and keep doing service. ! 

And more recently Radhanath swami maharaja was visiting with his book The Journey Within, one of his motivator to generate the book is Bhakti Thirta Swami. maharajas was talking about him and when he was leaving his body, the impact that Maharajas Bhakti thirta left in him. Vaisnava association ! We can not continue is this path without the vaisnavas. 

Im getting so much association here. Subhra and CC are becoming very essential for my spiritual guidance. Gurudeva, How we choose a Siksa guru?   What are the characteristics that Siksas show ?. What is the protocol?
I really enjoyed their association last Dallas Ratha Yatra. I trust and i feel comfortable with them. 

I feeling motivated in my service in the School Gurudeva, everytime that i teach something i think in the difference that I'm making in this children's minds, i feeling happy to think that I'm facilitating space to be one step closer to Krishna. 

Always seeking for you lotus feet mercy

Yours in service
Govinda Pramodini Devi Dasi

HpS - AGTSP. paoho. Thank you for this letter!    May Krsna bless you with His utmost mercy. Actually really try to see extraordinary mercy that He is sending to you now. Sometimes we want this and that but Krsna and Radha know that we need something else, so we make it hard, or even impossible for them to send us the right thing.
Seems to us you are doing pretty well getting the mercy.

Of course, best of wishes in your trip. Don't try to go too many places, or all you will see is the inside of trains, taxis, buses or planes. Practically, any place you stay in India and chant Hare Krsna will be an enormous experience. Why should this be the last time you go?!   Go every year!

The book I like the best is 'Vrndvana-dhama-mahimamrta' by Prabodananda Sarasvati.
You can download it at: http://www.jayarama.us/archives/vdm.doc

Sudama Swami said that Prabhupada said that anyone who enlivens us in devotional service by citing relevant words from the scriptures or the previous Acharyas is a Siksa-guru.

It does not need to be formal.

It needs to be practical. The pujari who trains you how to Deity service is a Siksa-guru. Your Sankirtan leader can be a Siksa guru.

O.K???

Write a lot while you travel, even stupid everyday stuff. Six years from now it will be PURE NECTAR.