Letters to the editor

Hare Krishna,

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

I am once again hitting a really bad spot in my devotional career. I never seem to be able to keep myself on a good platform. Gurudev, I am sincerely wondering if I am cut out for this kind of life. I just don't know. I can't control myself at all it seems. I have become so lazy and just... self loathing I guess. Really going into ignorance. I am only making morning program once, or twice a week if I am lucky anymore. The only good thing I can say for myself at all at this point is doing book distribution once a week. Last week I had my first major success, sold three books to the same fellow, and then that same guy came to the evening program at the temple! I spend too much time arround this other devotee here who doesn't have almost any standard as far as going to bed/getting up early. I am still chanting, but with that, not ever getting my rounds done early in the day. On a practical level, I should be kicked out of this temple. And lately I even think of leaving. The only thing that is keeping me here at this point is the fact that I have told you and Caru I would commit for at least one year before reconsidering my position. And even that is wearing thin. I just seem to have no self control, and I don't seem to have enough.. intelligence? to fix it. I'm not sure. I even again broke one of the regs. I feel like I am  hitting a very desperate low point. How do I know that even if I fix myself up and Caru thinks I would be fit for initiation, I wouldn't fall down again? I don't want to be like that. I have seen so many first and second initiated devotees fall COMPLETELY into maya again. I don't want to do like that. So, if I am honest with myself I would say that I am in no way fit for initiation. Pretty much, after I took your association in Seattle and went to Hawaii, I have been on more and more struggle falling more and more downward. I just don't know what to do anymore. 

Bhakta Adrian

HpS - ASA -   AgtSP!           Well . . . .             you're are not going to heaven or hell by your own effort, for the most part.           Krsna has decided to put you exact,   xact,     xactly where you are.

                                                             Boooom!

You are living like a exalted pig or a miniscule saint because He has decided that.   Yes, He had taken you effort in to consideration, but He is doing what He thinks is best for you.

You may become a Mormon, a professional gambler with certain moral principles about sharing your winnings with poor people.  Who knows.  Me too.           Cut our for a certain kind of life.              Yet the SB is full of people cut out and recut for all kinds of lives.

                       Ha!         Ha!         Ha!                 You have free will!          You can do with it what you want.                  .End of Story.                 But you also get all the credit for doing something really, really, clever and wonderful if you do it.

Small, but God like.

(Yes, and in the end Srimati Radharani is compassionate that even if we act like compete embeciles She will find some way to get us out this mess (but without our effort that could take several lifetimes of Brahma!!!)))

        Hallelujah!             Alla Akbar!                   Jaya Sriman Narayana!

Make a simple program and keep. Figure out who you really are now and what you want to do with your life NOW.

O.K.  We wait to hear the next day's installment of the Adventures of Falcon of Utah!!!!!

Hare Krishna maharaja,

Please accept my most humble obeisances & All glories to Srila Prabhupada~!!!!!!!!

Maharja... please forgive me for not writing for so long... There has been a lot going on for me in my life and in my mind... I have a lot I want to discuss with you. May I have your e-mail address? Sri Hari prabhu directed me on where to find it, but I couldn't find it.

How are you doing? I pray that you are always well and happy :)

your aspiring servant,

reb :)

HpS - ASA -   Jaya!  Hare Krsna.    We cannot give much specific consultation, because we don't know your good self in specific detail.  That's just natural.

In life, we have to make the effort to cultivate a circle of natural counselors, Aunts, Uncles, friends, relative,   KRSNA!        People with whom we have natural contact.              To give specific advice we have to live in the same community. Know the same people. Othewise all we can give is general advice, which is also very useful, like these ideas.

We are like flowers floating on the water of the river that is Krsna's pastimes.  Sometimes He puts them together, sometimes He separates them, sometimes He lets them make decisions.

Before this Blog we were trying to maintain, 400-500 letters a month!!!    Killing letter load.

So, use, a Psuedo-nym, like "Fairy Princess of the Yellow Potatoe" and present your ideas for our humble discussion, or in a general manner, and we can help maybe.  (Maybe not (actually we are pretty stupid)), but the basic principle is do not worry so much.  God is good.  He is your great friend.  He likes to play.  If you have got yourself into a great pickle, then get your self out and laugh at it all.

We are young.

We make lots of mistakes, but we can correct them and be good friends again with everybody and go ahead making those relations more and more deeper.

If Krsna, wants in this perspective, sure we can offer a little specific advice, but that is up to him.  We are just flowers also, and now atleast we have this Blog.

(Pretty stupid answer, but I think you can get the gist of our stupidity and maybe we can be of some help to you in your efforts to help and entire generation of people like you all!!!)                  AGTSP..

Dear Maharaja,

Please accept my respectful obeisances,
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Thank you very much for your quick and kind reply.
When i wrote You first time, my mind protested against publicity but now i like this blog.
With Your posts You help for many devotees.

I like reading your answers. You are always considerate and patient. You never decide instead of us just show the right path and tell lot of stories related to the questions. We have free will and we have to decide.
 
I read Your answer lot of times and i understand from it more and more day by day.
The "temporary insanity" is the main point if i think of it i can be more tolerant and try to see the good in everybody. Of course i'm also not perfect.

I'm delighted to hear you feel better and take rest a bit more. You are a real Goswami, don't eat, don't sleep too much just serve Krisna and His devotees.

Maharaja, I try to take part on Japa Joe but it's 8:30 am here and usually i'm busy at that time.
I listen to Your classes regularly and i would have to study for Bhakti vaibhava also but my vocabulary is too poor for it. Reading Krisna book in English is quite easy but the Bhagavatam is more difficult for me :(
I try to read more in English and train myself.

Thank you very much for everything dear Maharaja!
Take care!!!

Your insignificant servant,
Sri Radhe dd

HpS - ASA - AGTSP   pamho.  "Temporary Insanity" is I think a term that I heard Srila Sridhara Maharaja, use, Prabhupada's Godbrother.   However, it is very much our philosophy.

We have to understand and we have explain to others that ISKCON is composed of many people. Some Paramahamsas, others hypocrits disguised as devotees for their selfish aims, others sincer sinners advancing in purifying their habits, and with our effort and Krsna's help, we can deal with, avoid, associate with them all properly!   Jaya!

Querido Hanumat Presaka Swami: 

PAMHO, AGTSP!

Respondiendo a su pregunta en mi ultima carta (    HpS - ASA -  gracias....          por favor diganos (tell us?)  que tipo de Prasadam? )

Con mi esposa hace 2 años que cocinamos y distribuimos Prasadam en nuestra ciudad,Rosario.Todas las preparaciones son ofrecidas al Señor, y no usamos ningun derivado animal, es todo vegano.Hacemos viandas semanales , pedidos, eventos. Hay dos devotos que hacen las entregas al mediodia y por la tarde. Hacemos comidas saladas, algunos platos hindues. Reposteria, pasteleria, vendemos productos veganos. Trabajamos desde nuestra casa y nos gustaria algun dia poder abrir un negocio.

La gente acepta muy bien el Prasadam, nos dicen que tiene un sabor especial.Yo les contesto: Estan hechos con dos vitaminas: A y D, amor y devocion.

Gracias a Krsna tenemos mucho trabajo y si bien es una predica indirecta, nos mantiene todos los dias al servicio de El.

Le adjunto una foto de nuestro emprendimiento, se llama"Prasadam Delivery"

Hare Krsna!

Bhakta Esteban

HpS - ASA -  Wow!    TlgaSP.....     Muy sofisticado su esfuerza.   Conozco bastante Grhasthas que cocinan para Banquetes, Bodas, Cumpleanos, todo.  Usualmente dos of tres parejas.  De casa.   Y es buen negocio.   No necesita expander.   Unica cosa es entender como introduzcar las palabras de Krsna, Prabhupada.   Por ejemplo una historia de Krsna tomando almuezo con sus amigos: Una Cuenta Hindu, de los clasicos de la India.

Krsna le da la inteligencia!

ALL GLORIES TO SRILA PRABHUPADA!
ALL GLORIES TO SRI SRI GURU AND GAURANGA!

Hare Krsna Gurumaharaj,
PAMHO.

Valentina Silva, student 16 years old, 16 ronds 4 principies, Santiago, Chile reporting.
Months without writing, It's good to read that your health it's geting better.

I finally finished the semester, it was hard, but I'm finally in vacations, It was difficult, but I got good marks. 

I continue with the service of cleaning the kitchen of the devotees on friday after the devotees cook, this service helps me to develop constancy and determination because at first I received the help of two devotees, but now I'm doing the service alone, but with bhajans it gets fun.

HpS -  AGTSP!                            Horrible!!!!                      It is injust that you have to do this service alone.  Yet, also very interesting!???     Krsna wants to play with alone once a week?????

Had participated in the sankirtan programs that mother fernanda organized and also in the 12 hrs kirtan chanting.

In vacations I will have more time to read, attend to the temple and improve my sadhana.

Thank you for your time, I hope you haven't forgot me, I will write more often.

Learning to serve,
your servant
Valentina Silva <img alt="" src="http://www.hps.monkeywarrior.com/sites/all/libraries/ckeditor/plugins/smiley/images/36.gif" title="" />

ASA - O.K.     Chant more rounds better, and Krsna will engage you in more and more ecstatic tricks...

Is your Govardhana Sila?     Is He naughty?