Letters to the editor

Por favor acepte mis mas humildes y respetuosas reverencias todas la glorias  a srila prabhupada.

querido gurudeva , gracias  por su infinita misericordia  por darnos la oprtunidad  de entender la mission de  srila  prabhupada , por ahora mantengo 16 rondas  y 4 principios  , y  le hablamos de krishna  a la gente  constantemente , , participo con  clases y donaciones en el templo , , estoy muy feliz de no tener ningun cargo en el templo, y seguir participando con entusiasmo .

tambien  le comento que  los devotos del comite me piden que lo invite nuevamente  al festival de  jala yatra el cual a gustado mucho y a  ayudado  a  hacer nuevos devotos , este festival esta programado para el mes de agosto., nos gustaria saber si puede venir a mexico en estas fechas?

muchas gracias por  se una fuente de inspiracion.

att su  aspirante  a sirviente   gadadhar gosai das

HpS - ASA -  AGTSP  paoho.   You also sent your report to the "Annual Report" box in this Blog?  We have to talk more about Mexico. Now our travel calendar is fixed until end of July. Hare Krsna.

My dear guruji:

I read in Sri Harinama Cintamani the following: “The achievement of any success in this world requires the help of a guru’s instructions. How, then, can one obtain perfection in the best of all subjects, spiritual science, without the aid of the guru?”.

Also, in the purport of verse7.72 of Cc Adi Lila it says: “… only fools give up the service of the spiritual master ad think themselves advanced in spiritual knowledge…, Every disciple must consider himself completely unaware of the science of Krsna and must always be ready to carry out the orders of the spiritual master to become competent in Krsna consciousness”.

Sometimes, I have become proud of myself because I have the chance of living in Radhakunda, but then I remember your instructions before coming here:

1. You are going to Radhakunda to enhance your sadhana, not for prestige or to make social relationship with the devotees living there.

2. You have to grow in your spiritual life and develop your relationship with Radha-Krsna.

3. You have to be as humble as you can.

But sometimes I fail in all this and become puffed up, but this kartika, Radharani helped me to put my feet on the floor in a very funny way. I was trying to keep on cleaning the kunda every day, so I went the first day of the month in the evening and when I got there I prayed to Radharani: “Radharani, please, if I get proud, throw me to the water, ok?” so, I started cleaning and suddenly one person came and told me “hey, haribol, you are doing the best seva in the world” and I said to myself “oh yes, I am doing it”, and what happened: at that moment I fell into the water, I really could not believe it but I confess, that made me proud, so I realized, one more time, that in this place They, Radha and Krsna really hear everything, after that, Radharani, who is so merciful, arranged the scenario so I could make the seva without hearing any other comment, with all the things we had to do at home, the only time I could go to the kunda was after 8:00 o’clock at night, at that hour, the kunda was almost empty, so I could work very quietly, only to please them and without pride.

Before kartika, as every year, I made a list of the things I WANTED to do to please Radha-Kunja Bihari, these things included to chant more rounds, to read more books, to memorize more prayers, to do more parikramas to Govardhan, but this year all this was a complete failure. I once heard “if you want to make Krsna laugh, tell him your plans” and that was I did, but Krsna had another plans for all of us (my family and I) and since the first day of kartik, fortunately, we had a lot of people coming home, so all my plans came to the ground because I could not chant more or read more or doing parikramas or anything, but giving us, on the other hand, the opportunity to make another seva, vaisnava seva and all along the month, we were doing this, vaisnava seva. The day of Bahulastami, for example, we had the chance to celebrate the vyasa-puja of HH Guru Prasad Swami here at home, one of his disciples ask us to make it here since maharaja did not want to make a big party this year, and so we did, and had kirtan, offerings, prasadam and maharaja was very happy, and we also were happy because we participated doing again vaisnava seva, haribol.

After all this, I decided that this new year I won’t make any more list, I will only adjust what I am doing now, and will also make what Radharani wants me to do, so, this is my offering: This year, I won’t chant more rounds, but the rounds I chant, I will try to chant them more attentively; I won’t read more books, but the books I read, I will try to read them more careful and submissively so I can assimilate better the instructions given in those books, I will not memorize more prayers, but to analyze them better to learn their meaning, I won’t look for doing more seva here and there, but the seva I do, I will try to make it more selfless and only for the pleasure of my Gurudev and the Divine Couple.

To accomplish all these I only need three things: Radha-Kunja Bihari krpa, to follow your instructions, and to ask you to give me your mercy and blessings so I would be able to be a little better devotee and person, dedicated only to satisfy you and as a consequence, to satisfy Bhagavan.

And as you can see, the failure in my kartika vrata became a success because I did what Radharani wanted me to do, instead of what I wanted to do, realizing one more time that we are not the doers, but Their instruments.

So, my dear guruji, I want to thank you again and again because without your causeless mercy, I could not be here in this beautiful Radhakunda, full of sweetness and festivals and holy names and I could not be trying to be a servant of the servant of the servant.

Your (trying to be humble) servant

Tungavidya devi dasi

--------------------------------

HpS - ASA - AGTSP!   Paoho.   So, Krsna personally pushed you into Radha-kunda. Or was it one of the Monkeys. In any case it seems so refereshing. You can see we are in here in South America. You can see our Itinerary, no?    Ooof.  I think we will be able to see you very soon with Professor and everyone.

Thank you so much for your offering and the association of your family.

Let us go to another letter.

Let us all see that Srila Prabhupada's Sankirtan is always intimately related to Radha kunda!!!!!

Hare Krsna reverencias maharaja En realidad NO , sus curriculums son buenos pero no los conosco a todos. Me gustaria cambiar la Filosofía por el Derecho, es fácil el cambio. Me siento inquieta ya que no sé si sea momento para pasar un tiempo en el templo quizá seis meses o un año. 

Respected GuruMaharaja Please accept my humble obeisances at your feet. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. I am sorry, my annual report got delayed. I posted it in the 'Annual Disciple Report' section. My trip to India was good though it was very tiring. I came back sick two days ago and didn't go to work yet. It was probably Krishna's arrangement that we missed our connecting flight in Dubai. Sugopi and I were feeling bad that we will be in transit for your Vyasapuja tithi. However, due to missing the connection we got a hotel in Dubai. We were carrying a mridanga to US which we were suggested by airline staff to take as carry on. In the hotel we took a shower, put on tilak, clothes (dhoti, sarees), unpacked our Gaura Nitai and used a good table as altar. Found some flowers, fruits, nuts and bottled water for offering. In the middle of the airport, inside the hotel, we sang bhajans with mridanga, did pushpanjai and celebrated nice vyasapuja! I met Prahlad Narsimha prabhu and Sudhama Sakha prabhu in Mayapur. Prahlad Narsimha prabhu is doing great work on the next version of vedabase.com and he showed high level design to me. I think there will be tools that will be very useful for general users as well as serious students of Srila Prabhupada's books. Looking at how travel makes me fall behind on certain things and makes me sick I look with amazement how you accomplish what you do at your advanced age. Thank you for taking on such austerities for the benefit of conditioned souls like me. I very much miss our Srimad Bhagavatam meetings and looking forward for your association again. Your insignificant servant Srinivasacarya dasa

Todas las glorias a Su Divina Gracias A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada                                                                                                                                         Todas las glorias a Su Santidad Hanumat Presaka Swami

Acepte porfavor mis más humildes reverencias

Me llamo Diana Karla González Ramírez y soy estudiante de Filosfía e Historia de las Ideas en la Universidad Autónoma de la Ciudad de México. Actualmente canto diez y seis rondas diarias y sigo cuatro principios.                                                                                                                                                            Hago varios servicios fijos en el templo cómo guirnaldas, raja bhoga, cambiar a Srila Prabhupada, ayudante de pujari y paso algunos días ahí para mangala aratik. 

Porfavor humildemente le pido sus bendiciones. Su sirviente Bhaktin Diana K. González

HpS - ASA --- AGTSP. Very nice to meet you. Bhktn Diana K.G. ...     Bendicion: Canta Hare Krsna y sea feliz!!!    Tiene unos professores interesantes?

Sadhana Slipping or re-gripping?

January 4, 2016

Dear Maharaja Hanumat Presaka Swami,

      Please accept my humble obeisance’s, All glories to Srila Prabhupada, all glories to your service!

     Concluding another year, (2015 on the Christian calendar) has brought some very poignant realizations. Of course your report request is a good reminder of the need for perfection.
      This year was pushing the limits of my japa more than any, the 16-4 rule is “written in stone” as is sincere service. Where is the difficulty? It is in the latter, service/seva. Taking on many projects, personal demands of perfection have brought havoc on the japa. Always catching up on the Mala, some days only getting partial rounds in, then have 20-24 rounds the following days.
       Unfortunate for my seva-holic-ness or bless-fully fortunate for the Soul, the Lord reminds us that japa is the Supreme sacrifice, “…of sacrifices I am the chanting of the holy names [ japa]” Bhag-gita 10.25. In all context it is something that must be performed. Some exceptions were noted by his divine grace, Maharaja Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura (MBST), in the “Bhakti Vaibhava” within the service of bhakti-seva. One should be especially careful, for rationalizations can pave the road to hell better than good intentions and I easily fall in this category.

        The great fortune I’m grateful for is in your reciprocation when I dwell on and over-signify errors, with sluggish sadhana, am so glad to have things cleared up in your association, even your nuances bring relief.

         Accept that limitations exist due to karma and acknowledge it can be changed. As time passes gentle reminders of the dangers at every step are there (just broke a bone in my foot). While hoping to finish with a happy-ending in my sadhana report, reality is it has declined in some aspects this year. Though there was one positive gain, managed to read more books by MBST and many S.P. disciples.
        Regardless; trading association, Mandhir programs & reading for daily sadhana is not rational. As heard, “If you’re not getting your rounds done, you’re dumb”.  In the latter I’m qualified & could rest on those laurels of ignorance. Initiation is a vow to change and have had wonderful results in your association along with other Vaisnava’s. In keeping that advancement going, shall continue on the bhakti-path though limitations may invade from the past as a  Dr. Spock groomed, “Baby-boomer, T.V. cartooner and a flash-back doomer” the battle is not over for this ol’ brain.

       Won’t dwell on what has been, just hope I’m not condemned…may have to use a few more lifetimes to get dialed in. Though, Srila Prabhupada’s resend, “Do it in this lifetime”… would be a Godsend.

       Thank you for your most valuable time, please excuse my piteous ramblings and taking advantage of your association. Have to get back to japa and accept that in this lifetime it can be perfected.     

Again, All glories to your service!!

Your servant in training,
"Burning-Mud"
caitanya caritamrta das, das anu das.

HpS - Oink!!!!!       Get a Japa partner. Report to them and them to you, no?   In general you seem to be doing good.  Yes, the Karma yoga temptation is very real: Doing what WE like to do for Krsna, rather than what KRSNA likes us to do for Krsna.  Then easy to sink down.......