Letters to the editor

HpS - AGTSP paoho. Very nice photos. Gopal looks like very nice person. He must be somebody special. Take good care of him. Give him the best you and Franco can give him. Krsna will help!

Dear Hanumat Presaka Swami Maharaj,

Please accept my humble obeisances, all glories to Srila Prabhupada!

It's been some time, I just wanted to check in. Still traveling sankirtan, this time I'm with Bhakta Chang, a young brahmacari from San Diego. We were given a free invitation to Bhakti fest, (a popular yoga festival in joshua tree) so we tried it out last weekend. Of course, much of it is rather materialistic, and there are a great deal of prevalent misconceptions about Bhakti, Krsna, etc, but as far as festivals in the western world go I was pretty impressed. No intoxication, no meat, and everyone was chanting hare krsna all weekend! Probably they don't get much benefit from chanting, but most people were innocent and inquisitive.

Radhanath Maharaj is doing fantastic preaching out there, so many people are getting a chance to contact pure Bhakti. We adapted our style to preserve his relationship with the organizers. Mgmt there doesn't like what they perceive as 'proselytizing' so instead of stopping people we set up a little display table on the main drag and performed Kirtan with some other devotees in attendence. It was ecstatic, some people said it was their favorite Kirtan of the whole event, and somehow we managed to distribute quite a few books as well. I think one day we did about 40 big/maha big and collected about 180$, which was surprisingly decent for just calling people over.

Since then we've been mostly in San Diego, trying to get rid of some adhibhautika klesas before moving on. We've been waging chemical warfare with bedbugs for several days, and so far there's been some heavy casualties on both sides. Its taking a toll on our sleep and our sankirtan... but it's nectar. We joined Vaisesika prabhu for MSF here today, and he compared these challenges to Prabhupada's Jaladuta. My realization from today was that we all have some anxiety, it may be bedbugs, it may be tarantulas, but we've got to keep a song in our heart and perform our duty for purification.

I had another question for you about jiva tattva. I haven't spent much time on this topic since in general it can be distracting and nonessential, but I still see this as a relevant and significant topic nonetheless. Where do jivas come from exactly? When we say "Back to Godhead" does that specifically mean Goloka?

HpS-ASA --  AGTSP.   Such a controversial topic before, no?   "My Guru, knows more than your Guru!", "My Guru gave me better knowledge than your Guru!", "My Daddy can kill your Daddy!".

[Maybe your Daddy would not want to kill my Daddy]

In general Prabhupada doesn't seem to make a specific point about it so much, but mentions it in passing. Some people say that Naranaya Maharaja said, that in "Jaiva Dharma" Bh. Vinode Thakur says, that we fell from Mahavisnu loka, but I have never been able to find that, even in Maharaja's translation of "Jaiva Dharma", and no one has been able to show me the citation.

As far as I understand we could have fallen down, chosen to check out Maya Devi's Top Gun Theme Park, at any time and from any place, Goloka, Ayodhya, Vaikuntha, but also could have "fallen" from Goloka to Ayodhya and then got back up, or Goloka to Maha-visnu loka and then entered the material world from there. Murari Gupta is a Rama bhakta and Back to Godhead for Him means back to Rama lila, no?

HpS - Your note about Svasa was just lost. The Blog is having technical difficulties from our end for the last few weeks.  We never got the letter of recommendation. Can he send to [email protected] and drop us a text message to 209 505-3219 that he send it?

May all your Burning Men be big ones.​    Please send us news as you can!!

All glories to Srila Prabhupada,

All glories to your lotus feet Hare Krishna maharaja Pleace accept my humble obesciences

HpS - AGTSP. How are you Sr. Juanka? I hope you have been reading the letters and DTCs here. You can see why it has taken two weeks for us to answer. In any case it is very nice to hear from you. Yes, we think we remember getting letters from you. Thank you also for the photo. There was big Rathayatra in Panama recently, no? Bh. Sundara Goswami was there and others. Are you steady in your Japa vrata? 16-rounds minimum daily? Chanting Japa, sitting with attention, it is so natural to begin to experience Krsna's Form, Qualities, Associates and Lila, "NOI 7-8". Any questions? Are you married with five wives and 26-children? Are you a brain surgeon? Do you have a father and mother?????

I have read your letters gurudev and i am aware, i hope you are doing very well and krishna keeping your mind calm.

HpS - ASA ---  Maya can be subtle, so we have to be more subtle in our defense. Other wise She can engage us in subtle falldowns. Subtle loss of valuable service!!

yes maharaja there was a big Ratha yatra here in panama we had an [ec]static and happy festival i remember sending you pictures, you to dear gurudev, Bh Sundara Goswami , Guru Prasad Swami and Bhakti Busana Maharaja were here yes . I am very well maharaja just finishing doing the flowers the garlands for tomorrow arti.

Yes i am steady on my 16 rounds chanting sometimes i try to go an extra one if i have spare time , yes i have on question guredev What do you think about me taking inicitation at chile now that i am going to see you on January

HpS - Seems very nice if ​we can get letter of recomendation from Temple president now.

I am not married i only have 28 i will be 29 on the 24 of SEPTEMBER , i am a brain surgeon hahha no just kidding i am an ilustrator and graphic designer(i work with art and i also paint and draw a lot right now i am tryting to write a book and ilustrate it ) maharaja .

HpS - Today is 25th September. Happy birthday. Giving a lot cows to Brahmanas!   So, one third of your life has passed. Was it quick?  What did you accomplish?

about my father and mother we spoke about them like 3 months ago <img alt="cheeky" height="23" src="http://hps.monkeywarrior.com/sites/all/libraries/ckeditor/plugins/smiley/images/tongue_smile.png" title="cheeky" width="23" />

ill post you what we spoke of them :

My family is very small it consist of my Mom with whom i lived she is 62 years old she works at a national TV Channel in the area of publicity managment,she is faithful catholic but she respect a lot other faiths . She is really opened and respectful that i believe in Krishna conciousness.

HpS - Jaya.  We forgot. Past 60-your short term memory decrease, but your intelligence can increase!    We may ask things several times and eventually it will sink in.

HpS - Thank you! AGTSP! Has she read Thomas Akampis, "Imitation of Christ"? It is biggest selling Christian book after the Bible. Is nice. Is hundreds of years old. You could read it together.

My dad he is 76 years old he is retired he was a University profesor in the field of economy and statistics and lives at another city 5 hours from here ,he is not very devotional , he doenst believe in any especific area he is kinda like an agnostic. He believe in mother nature being respectful with nature and animals but he aint a vegetarian .

HpS - Pantheism. Chapter 10 Bhagavad gita and Canto Two, Chapter One for him, no?

THANKS for you wise advice bout them maharaja i truely appreaciated :)

haribol

Bhakta Juanka

HpS - Has your mother read "Imitation of Christ"?  Father, BG, chapter 10, 11?

hare krishna Maharaj pamho agtsp.

motivation for writing this letter is very low, because basically I have nothing good to say.

HpS - ASA - AGTSP!   It may not be good, but its spiritual!

...still here between Oslo and Årjäng, Sweden, it is a small village on the border. struggling to work. I humbly hope the day where I can do something nice for you. I know that without following the process, sing and follow the 4 regulative principles; you can not make any real progress, in order to rise to the transcedental platform where you can savor the nectar of devotion, and experience ananda. anyway sometimes I have very good realizations that keep my spirit alive. about me; Great Barrier, 3 modes of material nature. want to act in a way; without following the script is impossible. Hope is my friend; to be in a better position where I can fight harder.

Maharaj thank you very much for everything.

HpS - Look at BG 6.37 +. Krsna says that one who does good my friend is never overcome by evil.   Make some practical plan. Inch by inch its always a "cinch" (easy).   Vow to chant a certain number of rounds that you know you can do, here, in the Blog, for a certain time, and then make your report, etc. All progress here is eternal. Yes, it is easier to follow th Sattvik princples in the mode of goodness, but you can be a devotee in any situation.

Hare Krsna Gurudeva,

Please accept my obeisances and forgive my offenses,

All the glories to Srila Prabhupada.

First of all, I wanted to say that your arrival to Chosica was very helpful for many of us, I wanted to tell you that I will strive to develop the necessary qualities such as patience, punctuality and cleanness. About the initiation, I personally believe that is a difficult decision to make for some authorities because I am still young and somewhat immature, so this situation has encouraged me to improve faster, is not easy for me sometimes but I will try to do my best. I have started reading the Nectar of Instruction again, but this time in English!

HpS - ASA -- Then Hindi!

Moreover, I have a little doubt about your answer to my last letter, was about: duty, asrama and marriage. Being single has not been a problem for me all these years, and that’s principally because of the education I received from my parents and all the classes You Gurudeva! have given here in Chosica when I was a child, I remember that I felt that Your words were instructions for me and me spiritual sisters. So I have always tried not to disappoint You and my parents, and to be honest I think Sita Ram Lakshmana Hanuman have helped me in this process, I have like a pact with my father and is something like if someone tells me or asks me about marriage or something, I will have to answer that my father is making all the arrangements and any doubt about it could be answered by my father… I think it was something like that, fortunately I haven’t had the opportunity to say it. Well my doubt was about this, because I know marriage is my duty and is going to happen in the near future, but I don’t have idea about how is going to happen, I mean I am not planning to hang out with many devotees and then realize who is the right one, however some astrologers have told my father that there is no worry about my marriage, that there is no need about fixing my marriage with a devotee because is already done, something about destiny. So this has helped me to develop a confidence in Krsna, but still I have to say that this confidence is not completely sincere, but is more like afraid. Is this good?, are there some things that I must consider?... I am praying to Sita Ram, Krsna Balarama and Radhe Shyam to help me in this process.

HpS - ASA -- We, ASA, cannot say too much since we are all Brahmacari here in the ASA Comando, so you and your father, mother, brother... need to look for help from good Grhasthas. We all need Ashrama gurus. I can be a good Ashrama guru for Sannyasa candidates. Even then it is for a certain type of Sannyasis, American Sannyasis, if we want to get very specific.

Canakya pandita: Victory come from good advice and good advice comes from many counselorss.

Focus on your place in Sr​ila Prabhupada's, Lord Caitanya's, movement and then your Varna-ashrama requirements will follow easily. You can see, your father and mother have a relationship in terms of their service in ISKCON.

Also, this is Kali-yuga, so we should not expect too much perfection in our marriage situation. Best use of a bad bargain, but if we look at our partners as devotees this can be a lot of fun.

So, not putting too much faith in astrologers only, its Kali-yuga, I hope your parents, brother et al, can help making arrangesments for a nice Grhastha ashrama for you. There are many nice boys also looking for partners.
 

Next week is Radhastami, and there is going to be a painting contest, I hope I can do a good job painting her beautiful and spiritual form!

HpS -  If you are sincere She will let Her beauty pass through you. Even there are 25-winners that still would not be enough to give us a glimpse of Radharanis love for Krsna, no?

I hope not to disturb and I also hope You are fine!, que el Señor Nrsmha Deva lo siga protegiendo Gurudeva! Hare Krsna!

Su aspirante a sirvienta,

Sita Lalita devi dasi. 

HpS - Thank you!!!    Send us more news as you have time!