Letters to the editor

Todas todas las glorias a su gurumaharaja, Srila Prabhupada!
Todas todas las glorias al movimiento de sankirtana de Sri Caitanya y Nityananda prabhu!
Todas todas las glorias a mi maestro espiritual, Hanumatpresaka Swami!
Por favor acepte mi intento de humildes y respetuosas reverencias a sus magnánimos pies de loto.

              ASA - Oink!   Oink.  AGTSP!
Hare Krsna :'D)
Le agradezco sus bendiciones, Srimati Radharani por medio de usted ha derramado una lluvia de éstas. Desde que me preguntó por mi familia, en la carta anterior...sucedió magia!!! (¡puaa!) Mi hermana tomó curso bhaktishastri conmigo, mi mamá fue un mes a hacer servicio allá y también escuchaba algunas clases, papá tiene un servicio los domingos en la cocina y mi abuelita canta rondas. Por la gracia de Prabhupada ahora todos estamos muy entusiastas en la conciencia de Krsna, tenemos una meta en común y sólo oramos por siempre tener la compañía de los devotos. En casa se están atendiendo mangalaratiks con deidades de GauraNitay y también se les ofrecen las preparaciones de alimentos a ellos.
Apartir de esto, me tomé a la tarea y les pedí unas palabras para usted, esto dijeron:

Palabras a gurumaharaja

Abuelita Pily (mamá de mi mamá):
“Que toda la misericordia de Krsna sea derramada en Su ser, iluminando de luz todos los caminos que Usted recorre por el mundo y le dé salud y larga vida, para que siga llenando de esa paz al mundo entero.

Lo conocí de cerca y dejó para siempre en mí una inmensa emoción, que cuando comento que lo vi de cerca, vuelvo a sentir la misma alegría. Que todas las glorias de Krsna sean para Usted.”

Papá Alejandro:
“Es una bendición haber conocido a los devotos, estoy muy contento, muy feliz, porque Atenea ha encontrado a una gran alma, Hanumatpresaka Swami. Le estoy agradecido eternamente, aunque por el momento ella es una firme aspirante a ser su discípula, tengo la convicción de que muy pronto se convertirá en su discípula formalmente iniciada. Por favor acepte mis humildes y respetuosas reverencias.”

Mamá Palas Atenea:
“Acepte mis humildes reverencias por favor. Le doy las gracias a Krsna por ponerlo en esta vida y que mi hija lo haya conocido. Gracias a Krsna con todo el corazón por ponerlo como padre espiritual de mi hija Atenea, y sentir una gran felicidad y tranquilidad, que usted pueda guiar, instruir, proteger y ser la guía espiritual de Atenea, porque yo como madre en este mundo material deseo lo mejor, que mi hija sea feliz y alcance crecimiento espiritual y me he esforzado por ser buena madre, pero me da gran tranquilidad y felicidad que usted guíe su caminar, usted sabe del gran amor que le tiene una madre a un hijo; y tengo la confianza y fe en el amor que usted le tiene a su hija espiritual Atenea. Gracias eternas Su Santidad Hanumatpresaka Swami.”

Prabhu Jayadeva Hari Das (facilitador BG y SB):

“Querido Hanumatpresaka Swami Maharaja, le ofrezco mis respetuosas y humildes reverencias a Sus pies de loto y le agradezco de todo corazón  toda la guía y enseñanzas que he recibido de Usted, en cuanto al Srimad Bhagavatam se refiere, mientras tuvimos la fortuna de tener su santa asociación en varias ocasiones aquí en México, ya que han sido herramientas muy importantes para mi intento de facilitación del curso de Padapadma. Espero que se encuentre con buena salud y predicando exitosamente la filosofía Bhagavata como es natural en usted.

Pd: Bhaktin Atenea es una estudiante muy dedicada al estudio de las Escrituras y ojalá muy prontamente pueda recibir la gran misericordia de ser iniciada por una gran alma como lo es usted.

Por favor no deje de visitarnos, porque necesitamos su inspiración.”

Xiadani (hermana menor):

“Todas las glorias a Sri Guru y Sri Gauraga!
Todas las glorias a Srila Prabhupada!
Todas las glorias a usted!
Por favor acepte mis humildes y respetuosas reverencias.”

Mi reporte de sadhana es que estamos cantando más santos nombres en japa de lo requerido, y participando en la distribución de libros, ayer por pura misericordia sin causa, pude ser instrumento para que se distribuyeran dos colecciones del Srmad Bhagavatam c: (primer canto, ya lo tenemos en español, nueva edición). Participando en algunos servicios en el templo y atendiendo todos los programas, estuvo Bhakti Bhusana Maharaja, estuvimos en todas las clases. Un Janmastami muy especial, con una obra de Prabhupada, de su llegada a los E.U., de las pruebas que por la gracia de Krsna superó y su enorme deseo de cumplir la instrucción que le dió su gurumaharaja ;el siguiente día fue muy emotivo. Ahora nos sentimos mucho más inspirados, determinados a servir en la misión y con una enorme deuda de amor a Prabhupada. Podemos sentir cómo el alma se siente reconfortada y feliz al escuchar de él, ésto nos sensibiliza. Últimamente tuvimos servicios muy intensos, pero pudimos comprobar cómo el alma es feliz. Una devota nos dijo que el éxito en la vida espiritual es eliminar de nuestra mente la palabra cansancio... (Oro porque en algún momento llegué a esta realización, pueda trascender las modalidades de la naturaleza material y cantar y servir fijamente los santos nombre!)
Supimos que ya no viene a México, claro que queríamos verlo,  aún así nos sentímos  felices porque sabemos que la causa es su sankirtana a Srila Prabhupada. Gracias por enseñarnos con el ejemplo.
Su intento de eterna eterna eterna siempre eterna sirviente, Bhaktin Atenea. 
Sri Krsna y Balarama lo protegen. Lo quiero mucho. Sri Nrsimhadeva cuide su salud.

Pd: perdón que fue tan larga!...

              ASA - Jaya!  We had to scan most of the comments but they were very nice. Art means to illuminate Krsna. Illuminate the lotus feet of Krsna, SP's lotus feet, his books, the KRSNA book.....  Perfect your service.  We arrive in Mexico on the 16th of October.  Very nice fotos.  Esperamos muy pronto Krsna haz un arregla muy bien para su proteccion.

Dear Hanumat Presaka Swami,

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada! I have recently listened to your lectures on scientific preaching. I am interested in learning more about this subject because I feel that it is related to my dharma. Maybe it is something that I can do for Krishna in the future.

I am currently living at the Krishna House in Gainesville, and I am enrolled in a Master of Education program at the University of Florida. I have a Master’s degree in Biology from the University of North Florida, and my current program is designed specifically for secondary science teachers.

When I first met the devotees, about 1 ½ years ago, I was taking a course in Advanced Evolution. I was thoroughly convinced that this was the mechanism by which species were created. It took some time for me to open up to the possibility that there is another explanation. I saw a presentation by Drutakarma prabhu on Forbidden Archaeology, and purchased his book Human Devolution. Unfortunately, I have not devoted much time to reading it yet.

For some time, I have left my questions about evolution behind, because I wanted to focus on strengthening my devotional life.  Now I am faced with these questions once again, because I am expected to teach the theory of evolution, and no other theory of the origins of life, in the secondary classroom.

I am planning to talk to one professor, who I believe is Christian, to find out what is permissible and what is not. I feel that I should be allowed to bring up some of the holes in the theory, the “loose ends” that don’t line up perfectly. I should be able to encourage critical thinking. But many people in my field are adamant that nothing other than evolution should be taught because it is the only truly “scientific” theory for life’s origins.

I find it a bit paradoxical, because I am also learning that we should be sensitive to the various cultural backgrounds of our students. We should present information in a way that relates to their experiences and prior knowledge. Yet while many of my students will have been raised with a belief in God, I am only allowed to teach an atheistic theory that promotes the idea that we are nothing more than matter, a fantastic accident.

Forgive me for taking up so much of your time, but after listening to your lectures I felt that you are very qualified to answer some of my questions. I have spoken to several different people about these issues, and I have received several different responses. Someone suggested that I should focus only on reading Srila Prabhupada’s books, because they are the most valuable and because there are so many. Another devotee, who works as a cellular biologist, said that he believes evolution is the best explanation we have, but he is willing to let go of his attachment to scientific evidence when it comes into conflict with spiritual knowledge. He also made the point that in order to fully understand the arguments for and against evolution, he would need to become an evolutionary biologist, and even then he would not know everything.

So I guess my main question is this: Is it a worthwhile endeavor to try and learn about the scientific arguments for and against evolution? Can I use this in Krishna’s service? Also, if you feel that it is worthwhile, I would like to know which arguments against evolution do you think are the strongest?

In addition to Human Devolution I have Rethinking Darwin and Life comes from Life. What other resources do you recommend? Can I find more information on the conferences you mentioned in your lecture on scientific preaching? Are there any conferences coming up in the near future?

I greatly appreciate your taking the time to consider my questions. I look forward to hearing from you, and perhaps I will even get to meet you at the Nashville Ratha Yatra! Hare Krishna!

Your Servant,

Laura McLaughlin

HpS - ASA - Jaya!    AGTSP.   Paoho.   You have many questions. Is it relevant to your service?    I would say that it is a little bit relevant at this point. Like looking outside to see if it is raining before you leave for school in the morning. Now just try to focus on getting the standard for first initiation, 16-enthusiastic rounds, 4-principles strictly, a regular morning and evening program, experimenting with different service, sankirtan, association.

Of course, along with this you have to go on living, eating, working, and looking to see if it is raining, but only by the time you are ready for second initiation will you really know if detailed investigation into evolution is your service.

It's a big topic.

I don't know too much about Druta. and Sadaputa. books. Also there is Nature's IQ which was nice.

In general, and I think first point is that there are FUNDAMENTAL flaws in the evolutionary theory the way it is presented, and second we have a SCIENTIFIC explanation from the Bhagavata.

1. We accept natural selection, that pressure from the environment eliminates or favors different offspring. Krsna learned in Guru-kula how to do selective breeding. It has been know in Vedic culture for 5,000 years, comes with the Vedas.

But evolution is another thing. Evolution says that a random mutation fits into the envirionment, nature, better than exisiting forms. But this means, and I have seen from the very beginning of Darwin's presentation this flaw was recognized and Darwin and Huxley were try to dance around it, that if we are going to call it "better" the environment already is supplying a higher standard. Where does that come from? "Nature" already knows the highest standard and favors those random mutations that fit better into "her" goal?

For example, we know the example of green moths and grey moths related to the industrialization of the English countryside. Today gray moths survive but then when the soot is cleaned up we are back to green moths. Which is "higher" on the evolutionary scale?

Do you see the BASIC flaw?

We accept natural selection but not that things are getting better by chance.

Nature itself may be changing. Then some thing will fit in better today and not tomorrow.

Second, Bertram Russell said that the most important idea in the 20th century in the idea of chance, because no one has the slightest idea what it means.

Push a mathematicion, statistician, biologist on this point, "What is a random event, chance mutation?". If you look in a basic book on statistics it will tell you that a random event is an event the outcome of which can not be detemined, "We are absolutely sure we don't know".

In Vedic philosophy this is called "neti, neti", not this not this. It is an approach or a retreat toward knowloedge.

Evolution is based upon random mutations, but why can we say they are random? Maybe there is a cause why all the mutations occur that we just don't know yet. It is another big area, but from basic to advanced study we find it is full of faults, a random event.

Nature must already have a goal, where do "random" events come from?

Such a coffee and cigarette and Colonel Sander's chicken headed philosophy of the origin of the cosmos?

Hitler, Goebels, "If you are going to tell a lie, tell a big one, because nobody would ever expect you to say such a big one".

Third and last major flaw that we see.

If the chunk or singularity had no competition, was all there was, then why did it change? Was is improving?  Was there a random event from some other source?

Then the alternative from the Bhagavatam. This is described briefly in the Gita more in the Second Canto etc. It is Sankhya. It is not understandeable to most Western intellectuals because they are conditioned to lower modes of mental activity. Their minds are absorbed in matter. We graduated 1st place in psychology for U. of California with minor studies in biology and electrical engineering. Then invited on on full fellowship to UCLA and Northwestern. Our mentor, Donald Campbell at NW pushed us with out own intelligence to look for wider perspectives. that lead okinawan karate, improvisational theater and YOGA....  SB...  Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami and Jiva Goswami.

Sankhya requires a change in perspective. We have to go from doing science (karma) to logical understanding of science (jnana) to contemplation, meditation in science (dhyana), to loving science (bhakti) to understand the deepest aspects of the source and operation of reality.

Meditation is only roughly taught in modern universities in the drama department in theater training as far as I know. Following the grand tradition of Stanislavskii and Viloa Spolin, "My LIfe in Art" and "Improvisation for the Theater" they offer practical methods of meditation for Western modern people. We use them in our ISKCON yoga.

What is the knowledge?

That Krsna expands as the Minister of Prisons, Maha-visnu. He sends the glass, cement, steel, wood, pnut-butter and BLUE PRINTS and PRISON RULES. Garbodaksayi visnu enters each prison as its Warden. Ksirodakasayi Visnu enters as the individual Guards.

Brahms in the Trustee who creates the individual cells etc.

The criminals, lunatics move in.

It starts from subtle to gross, from steam to water to ice.

The creation stories in the beginning are taking place when there are like maybe 100 gods and goddesses in the universe. It is a subtle level. More permament and substantial than gross matter. The blue print level. In a dream a women may have erotic connection with a snake and give birth to snake babies. This is the dream world. It is more "real" than the gross world. Read Carl Jung's Auto biography.

Then the subtle bodies from the demigod level start to produce more gross bodies at the semi-demigod level like Gandharvas (fairies), Dwarfs etc. They are magical powers to disappear etc. Then from them it evolves to ice, gross level, our level. Blue print becomes house.

This is a summary.

The details and the explantion of how to scientifically experience it are there in the SB.

We will submit this essay to the Spirit of Carl G. Jung with whom we are now having a dialog.  Thank you!!!!  We hope this was useful.

First thing is to get fixed deep in you heart in getting up early and getting your rounds done!!

Perdon no se mando la foto gurudeva :-(,soy burra )

Hare krsna querido gurudeva!!! Acepte mis mas humildes reverencias Todas las glorias a srila prabhupada!!!! Perdondeme por la tardanza,

problemas con wifi en nueva vrajamandala. Gurudeva,mi sadana a seguido muy bien,rondas,principios,estudiandome el nectar de la instruccion y adoracion a la deidad,

por la noche krsna book y atendiendo a las deidades,al no estar trabajando tengo mas tiempo para todo. Gurudeva le queria contar que me propuso hanuman prabhu( bbt),estudiar bakti sastri en brasil en nova gokula y le queria preguntar que le parece.

            HpS - Bien.  TlgaSP!!  Pfanrh.  Bastante austeridad pero bueno.

...tengo mucha ilusion,aunque aun estoy pensando que hacer. Ahora le cuento sobre los bramacaris que vinieron,son como 25,y van por todas las ciudades del mundo ( traveling temple ) ,ellos son de los paises balticos( rusos...),su pagina web es : www.harinammandir.com. Ahi gurudev podra encontrar videos y cualquier informacion,esta en ingles y aun soy un burro con eso.le mando alguna foto para que vea el harinam que hicieron aca. Espero y deseo se encuentre muy muy bien de salud Gracias por su misericordia Su fiel y burra sirvienta mani-sati sita

            HpS - INcreible.  Viajando por todo el mundo!   Require mucho bendiciones de Laksmi.  Como esta su Madre y hermana???

Haribol!!,

Please accept my humble obeisances,

All glories to Srila Prabhupada,

How are you gurudeva, are your feet still swollen?

             HpS - ASA -   AGTSP   paoho.  Swelling reduced when we went to Virginia. Think from less sitting at desk.  Now back.

...extra mercy? more space for conditioned souls like myself. You are so wise. Now i'm in buenos aires visiting my mother with manu and benjamin. Tomorrow will attend SP vyasapuja celebration, 2 nd one this year we had it last thursday at el loft. this is my favorite festival, hearing the glorification and glories of our founder acarya, the affectionate love and surrender of the devotees. Sixteen rounds ok, four principles strictly ok (and very determined), morning program 50% ( so tired sometimes, bhakta temporary bachelor with two little children is intense), deity worship started steadily, Sri Sri Travelling Sada Siromani Gaura Nitai ( very simple, bathing, one offering a day and two items arati incense and flower), preaching, bhakti vriksa, ayurvedic counselling, and helping local projects, mainly looking for sponsors. Doing bhakti sastri. I see my present situation as a hit from SP with his cane in my head, it hurted but woke me up to a higher state of conciousness and gradually the pain is diminishing. i feel so happy in KC, vaisnava sanga is pure nectar, devotees are amazing in different ways. You are my guiding light gurudeva, you always pulled me toward Krishna, so compasionate, so tolerant and humble. How can we repay all of what we are receiving? Please accept my humble obeisances, all glories to Srila Prabhupada and his body ISKCON. Some pictures attached. Can you please explain more about your program a bhakti sastri for each temple? How can i help you? At your lotus feet, Bhakta Nicasio.

             HpS - ASA - Jaya... Every temple can de approved by the ISKCON Board of Examiners.  They have info at www.iskconeducation.org. You know Param-padam Das? He is in Cordoba and has a strong program and is willing to help others get started. Our NIMSAR has study guides etc. Do you have Candramukhi Devi Dasi, Laksmana agraja Das's email addresses?

Your life seems very intense. If you can maintain this then you will become a great paramahamsa quickly, if not then Krsna can make another arrangement for a big step in that dirrection and then more progress.

Our respects to Manu, Benjamin and your mother and everyone else. We are seriously looking for tickets to South America.

Querido Gurudeva: Por favor, acepte mis humildes reverencias. Todas las glorias sean para Srila Prabhupada. Ya ha comenzado la nueva temporada del Templo. El domingo estuvimos allí y fue maravilloso. Jara Mara hizo un bhajan precioso, Jayanta dio la clase y Dandavat hizo la puja.

                 HpS -  Jaya!!!   TlgaSP.   Si podemos trabajar juntos es muy feliz, no??

Por su parte, Jagat mohan preparó un prasadam espectacular. Yo ya estoy en la recta final del embarazo, esperando a que la niña nazca en cuanto quiera. Espero que, Krisna mediante, todo salga normal y pueda seguir acudiendo al Templo para servir a los devotos. Mi intención es seguir con el Gurukula. Esperando se encuentre bien de salud. Su aspirante a humilde sirvienta, Purnamasi devi dasi

HpS - ASA  -    !!!!!!!!!   !     Super buena suerte con su parto, parta, birth...   "Hola, Muchacho al ISKCON!"    Estamos adelantando mucho en terminos de la educacion primero y pre-scolar.  Esperamos communicar detalles pronto.  Esperamos ser parte de esta super equipo de Vd y todos!!!!!