Hare Krsna Maharaja!
Please accept my humble obeisances. All Glories to Srila Prabhupada.
I mentioned to Annette from Fort Collins how nice your class was that she was so kind as to host, and she sends her obeisances to you.
In response to your inquiry about Sri Sri Radha Damodara's associates, Advaita Acharya was the temple president there when I started going to Gita Nagari almost 10 years ago. He is a very great devotee, and was the first brahmacari to give me training. Currently he is president in San Antonio, Texas, at a preaching center. Just last week he had marriage yanja with a nice gurukuli devotee from Houston named Kalindi Mataji!
Mother Jagganath is a very close associate of Radha Damodara. She wakes early, I believe around 2:30 or perhaps earlier to make burfi to wake Their Lordships with, then prepares breakfast and sometimes also raj bhoga. I used to enjoy cleaning Sri Radha's kitchen, cutting vegetables, cleaning the Lord's plates, washing pots, etc in her association.
Mother Kaulini is another very close associate of Radha Damodara. If I recall correctly, she was temple president after Advaita Acharya left and spent some time in Mexico. I enjoyed her association and received some instruction from her... she is very sweet. For some time her health was not doing so well, unfortunately, and she had to spend some time in New York in the care of devotees while she recovered. It looked unfavorable for a while, but, I am happy to hear that she has recently returned to Gita Nagari!!
Pariksit is a nice assocate also. He is very learned and gives good bhagavatam class. He had spent some time at the Rupanuga Vedic College, but I believe he may be back at Gita Nagari now.
Acharya and Sudevi are very kind associates of Their Lordships. Acharya is a kind brahmin, and Sudevi was very kind to have given me her blessings and mercy in personal events and relations at Gita Nagari, including helping to arrange yajna. I am grateful for her assistance, as well as Acharya's.
I just heard yesterday from Mother Nidra that Tulsi Balava and Caroline are visiting Gita Nagari as I write this to see Tulsi's guru maharaja, Radhanath Swami Maharaja! I will call them shortly and humbly request to send my obeisances to Radha Damodara and my close associates at Gita Nagari, who I have not seen for a while!
It is exciting to hear we have a connection still to Gita Nagari and Their Lordships. Actually, Chota Gaura Nitai here at the Denver temple are the Chota Gaura Nitai that traveled with Radha Damodara on the bus tour! So even here, there is a connection to Them. This is so nice!
Maharaja, I have been trying to read your recommended books, and have been thoroughly enjoying them. I read Light of the Bhagavata (very nice! I see why you put much focus on it), Nectar of Instruction (and re-read the sloka/translation 2 more times, and will go back to translations/purports that I felt inspired by), and the biography of Lord Chaitanya in Srimad Bhagavatam. Next is Prabhupada Lilamrta, but I am first going through Science of Self Realization again, because it is such a nice book. Because Lilamrta is so long, I may read some shorter books alongside it. Then after Lilamrta will be Your Ever Well Wisher. I have a desire to start at the Bhagavatam soon! It will greatly help my ability to preach and assist my sankirtan.
HpS - We were recommending "Your Ever Well Wisher" to start with, not "Lilamrta", because, like you say it is so long, but main thing is read whatever inspires you to do good constantly.
Madhukari arrived at Radha Govinda Mandir earlier this week. He is very inspiring, and I am working on building a nice relationship with him. We will see where it goes. Mother Nidra also has been giving great instruction on sankirtan, I am so lucky to have her association to learn from her impressive ~40 year service of distributing books every day! I am very thankful for her kindness towards me.
I am trying to give up on making my own plan, as Krsna likes to put obstacles in those plans, and trying to see what His plan is for His benefit. It will be revealed with time, we will see.
Your servant,
Bhakta David II
HpS- Jaya. Thank you for the news. We feel like we are in the Temple. We want very much to always be a part of New Badarikasrama. Please send more news as things develop. Is Gopal's Prasadam open again.
