Letters to the editor

Todas las Glorias a Srila Prabhupada!!!

Hare Krsna Guru Maharaj, por favor reciba mis respetuosas reverencias. 

Estuvimos de Sankirtan viajero, fuimos a la Marathon de Sankirtan realizada en Bolivia - Cochabamba, en asociación con Prabhu Jagat Bhandu, Prabhu Tattva Vit, Bhakta Victor, Bhakta Alex, Prabhu Nilacala, Prabhu Adveita, Madre Nadiya, Madre Madhumati y Bhaktin Karina. 

Luego viaje a la ciudad de Oruro con Prabhu Tattva vit y Bhakta Victor, los 3 estuvimos una semana en esa ciudad y distribuimos muchos libros. Luego fuimos a La Paz por unos 3  dias. Ahora estamos Puno - Perú haciendo Sankirtan con Prabhu Tattva Vit y  Bhakta Victor.

El Sadhana esta muy bien, Mangal Artik, 16 rondas de yapa, 4 principios, lectura de Nityananda Caritamrta y Bhagavad - Gita.  Pronto le escribire con nuevas noticias de sankirtan. Seguimos en busqueda de una autoridad de Sankirtan, esperamos encontrarla pronto.

Bueno Guru Maharaj me despido y  deseo que su salud se mejore .....Hare Krsna!!!

Gadai Gauranga Das

Hare Krishna,

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

Bhakta Adrian: I'm feeling excited for this update!!

Since my last letter I have moved into my own small studio apartment. Living with just myself and my japa/books. My new place is 3 miles to the temple, 5 miles to work.

I'll be commuting on my bike about 97% of the time. I have had some good interaction with the devotees here. VERY nice/sincere/helpful devotees. Great association.

I spoke with the Ashram leader, and am letting the temple use my car, as they are in need of a vehicle. It costs me more money to park in the city than it does on gas to get around. They are happy about it!

I also live walking distance to where they do weekly harinama. I have been out with them before, but the first time at this location. I'll be going to at least one harinam a week.

Still going about twice a week for Mongal arati/tulasi puja/japa time. In my reading I have moved on to the Nectar of Devotion. Great studying material. I am hoping to meet via skype with Sakar once a week to discuss NOD. I have questions!

HpS - Dhanurdara Swami's, "Waves of Devotion", helps us A LOT to understand NOD better.  A lot of technical things to be explained.

I am also reading a compilation of Prabhupada's lectures on chanting Hare Krishna. I will be purchasing Srimad Bhagavatam set in the next week or two.

I will be following along with the temple readings and meeting with the devotees once a week to have breakfast and discuss on Saturdays! Also, engaging in temple seva on the weekends. This weekend was veggie prep, and pot washing. So far on my initiation check list I have:

• Daily 16 rounds
• 4 regs (not living with women)
• twice weekly temple seva
• twice weekly mongal arati/sanga
• weekly harinam
• Bhagavatam reading
• personal reading/studying (two books right now)

At this point, what do you require of me to take initiation??

I could have TP and/or Ashram leader to reach out to you to confirm my status with the temple? Maintain my program for how long before I can receive initiaion? Is there anything on my list I need to improve on, or increase in frequency? I wish I wasn't so entangled in material life, that I wouldn't be required to have a job!

HpS - ASA - Six months following your current, super program, letter of approval from TP, then you are a Formal Refugee. Six months more and other letter and good discussion between you and me and approval of Srila Prabhupada and you can take first initiation! 

Eagerly awaiting instruction-

Your Aspiring Servant,

Bhakta Adrian 

Hare Krishna GuruMaharaj! All Glories to Srila Prabhupada! Please accept my humble obeisances.

Sorry for not writing you before, here in Madrid all is Ok, now the autumn and the weather is a lot more comfortable than some months ago.

I went to do the “Camino de Santiago (camino del norte… there are different routes to arrive to Santiago the north way is one of the most old and beautiful also one of the most difficult)” with one of my best friends (from my childhood) we walked around 300 km in ten days. The experiences was nice and I hope to finish the pilgrim to Santiago the next year. I chant many rounds, share many good moments with different people, etc… Also some days before to start the Camino of Santiago the uncle of my friend (the uncle of my friend was my friend also I knew him when I was 13-14 years) committed suicide and this experience was hard for my friend (also for me) but the trip help him to think about transcendental topics.

I returned to Madrid to start the service in the temple, after some days Jaramara officially left all his services in the temple. This new situation caused a new restructuration of my services and now I take the responsibility with the president about the organization of the services, take care of the devotees from the ashram  and also I continue like head pujari. The way that I usually try to work is the next: I do a list of all the services temple and pujari and I review all the Mondays with the devotees.

I would like to increment the standard of the deity but with this new situation now its not possible, but im happy cause the devotee that is learning pujari is developing good and we are supporting nice the actual standard. In addition, Im starting to take care of Tulasi, we had a plague but now its better.

In some days I will have the Bhakti Sastri exam and also we are going to start a program call “Kirtan Pizza” all Fridays evenings, the idea is to chant Mahamantra Hare Krishna around one hour and half and take a piece of pizza. If its possible I would like to give little seminars of vegetarian cook in November… lets see.

Mathura Mani is in the hospital, she has a problem with her pancreas, the doctors don’t give the results yet. We are expecting.

That’s all I will try to write you with a little more frequency. Thanks for your time and energy.

Your servant Mantri Rama Das.

Hare Krisna, querido Gurudeva. Por favor, acepte mis humildes reverencias, dandavats. Todas las glorias sean para Srila Prabhupada.

Perdone por no haber escrito desde que estuvo en Madrid en Mayo. Han sido unos meses muy difíciles para mí. La administración es la puerta del infierno a veces, y en otras la puerta a Goloka. Yo soy muy burro y me acerco más al infierno que a Goloka.

Ahora estamos Carcika y yo descansando en Málaga, una semana junto al mar. Si Krisna quiere seremos finalmente padres en el mes de Abril, a finales. Después de dos abortos y un año muy muy intenso, Krisna nos da un nuevo servicio, cuidar de un alma  para ayudarla a ser devota o que nos vuelva devotos a nosotros.

Siento de corazón lo mal aspirante a devoto y discípulo que soy. No entiendo aún como Krisna nos permite cantar su Santo Nombre cada día. Estamos más en el suelo, que caminando. Pero queremos seguir mejorando, aunque a veces no sabemos cómo.

Solo quería que supiera que un devotito is coming y que aunque algo maltrechos seguimos adelante en la misión de Prabhupada. Se siguen haciendo devotos en Madrid. Cuando regresemos a Madrid, le escribiré más tranquilamente. Gracias por su infinita misericordia.

HpS - O.K!!!!!        Cinco dias, no cinco meces!       Pero, los caidos pueden ser piedras para adelantar en el sendero, entonces muchas veces no hay, nada, NADA, lamentar en problemas si podemos entender verdades eternos de ellos.

Esperamos su proxima carta!

            HARE KRSNA DEAR GURUDEVA,

            PAMHO,AGTSP!!

            HOW ARE YOU?

            WE WILL BE PARTICIPATING IN MADRID TEMPLE SANKIRTAN ACTIVITIES AS YOU ASKED...

            SOME NEW ACTIVITIES ARE STARTING: EDUCATIONAL CINEMA, BHAJANS IN THE TUBE

            AND FRIDAYS OF BHAJANS AND PIZZA, VERY ATRACTIVE PREACHING I THINK.

            WE HAVE GIVEN UP THE IDEA OF HAVING CHILDREN, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. THIS IS RELIEVING AND

            SAD IN THE MAIN TIME. BUT GOD IS HELPING IN SO MANY WAYS I CAN ONLY FEEL GREATFULL.

            PLEASE EMPOWER US TO USE OUR ENERGY AND TIME TO PLEASE SRI SRI RADHA  AND KRSNA.

             IN THIS CHALLENGING TIME PLEASE HELP US TO SET OUR NEW PRIORITIES WITH INTELLIGENCE.

             BY YADUNANDANA SWAMI´S CAUSLESS MERCY WE ARE STUDYING SECOND CANTO (I UNDERSTAND WE

             PASSED FIRST ONE).

             OH!! I AM ALSO SERCHING FOR A JOB, BEING HOUSEWIFE IS A BORE!!! (FOR ME).

                WE ARE KEEPING IN TOUCH WITH VRSABHANU AND AMBARISA TO MAKE OUR BEST EFFORTS TO SERVE YOU...

             OK I HOPE YOUR EYES DIDN´T BECOME TIRED OF READING THIS LETTER.

              ASPIRING TO BECOME A BEE ALLWAYS SERCHING THE NECTAR OF YOUR LOTUS FEET.

              BHADRA VD & SANANDA DD

HpS - ASA ---  This is one of the five best letters we have received in the last two weeks, maybe.   Sounds like you are really becoming great souls.   1)  Adopt a baby?   Has a big tradition in Vedic culture.     2) No adopt, then make Krsna your baby, make the Deities your baby.   Maybe that's why Krsna would not let you have any other babies because He wanted to be your baby.

A) House wife is booring (without babies), so get a job.   Hmmm?    Better, get a career!    Better, get a career for Krsna, 2nd initiation.    You and Swami Bhadra can get fixed in Vanaprastha ashrama, even think about it, consult, and make a formal, fire sacrifice plan.    BIG, EXCITING PLAN....   (Behind every good man, there is a good woman [behind every stupid man ...])!

Dear Gurudev, Hare Krishna,

thank you so much for blessing me with your association through your answers. good news! 16 rounds are ok!!, every days, since the last letter that i wrote you.

Thanks to your mercy 4 principles ok!! and my enthusiasm is fixed on keeping well.

My husband it's better, He start to worship the deities again, in the morning he makes govinda and in the night i do them sleep. (i have SO much to learn yet in the worship of the deities ) And his effort for chanting his rounds is better too. I think that my job its not mentally criticize to him...

Maharaj Bhakti Bhusana Swami visited us in Chile, and he went to the festival sankirtan. Is the third year of this program, and we would like to do for all the life, is so nice! sorry for my bad english. always trying to be your servant.

Bhaktin Fernanda L.

HpS -  AGTSP!   Hace mucho tiempo no oir de Vd!      Esperamos, si, sus familares son fuertes en su sadhana. Un vez yo era molestado con la Sadhana de unos de mis autoridades in ISKCON y abriendo un libro de Prabhupada, en el significado, Prabhupada dijo: No toma mucho preocupacion con los principios religiosos de otros. Eso solamente va a agitar la mente. Mejor enfocar en sus propios principios.

Hare Krsna!          O.K.  No ciego a estandard de otros, no solamente juzgando por exterior, pero mejor nuestra estandard, y la suya aparece buena!    Como esta su bebe?         Libros???