Letters to the editor

Hare Krishna, Beloved Gurudeva,

Please accept my humble obeisances,

All Glories to Srila Prabhupada,

Thank you so much for your kind invitation to the avant premier of DTC-UT 2, will be there, also invited many devotees. Didn't understand the first part quite well. Have to watch it again. 

Thank you and Oscar Naters also, for the movie 'Light of the Bhagavata' (is there an online english and spanish version of that movie?, I want to tell people to watch it).

HpS - No, I hope NIOS can get them up!

I think it to be a masterpiece, pure art to show pure wisdom.

The part describing the entrance of Krishna into the forest of Vrindavan followed with cow, elephant and mantis dancing and traditional Andes people cultivating land while the maha mantra is playing, was the closest to Vrindavan I ever be.

You will live forever in that movie!!

It was a huge blessing being able to visit you and devotees in Peru, Spain and Mexico. A big inspiration and a motivation to push forward our Sri Govardhan Project. We feel Srila Prabhupada is giving great benedictions. 

HpS - It was the same for them to have association of you and your family. We see that ISKCON, we, are actually advancing in our establishing VAD.

Recently we received the visit of Navina Nirada and Mahatma Prabhu, and many devotees with them.

HpS - To BsAs or New Govardhana?

Such a great inspiration, Sadhu sanga and Krishna Katha is a scientific process, it works!!

Tomorrow HH Hridayananda Goswami is coming, such a great opportunity to inquire from Maharaja about gurukula and education in general. 

Family is fine, wife Julieta is so happy with our daughter, so inspired, she made so many services for visiting devotees.

Manu is in his last year of high-school, next year he is going to Atlanta for three months (my cousins and his godmother live there) and then to Ireland.

Mostly to improve his English and to decide which path he wants to take in life. He is a great guy. Benji is attracted to theater, acting and lately to soccer. He is 14 ys old, still 4 years to finish high school.

Regarding our spiritual life we are struggling, hankering for Nista!! We go through mountains and valleys, and sometimes swamps as well. But 4p and 16r are there.

No other choice but keep trying!!

Last three years were expansion, next three years will be consolidating what we created.

Family, Community, Ayurveda projects.

Only going to brasil for ten days this year to finish some ayurvedic studies, and visiting you next year wherever you will be, United snakes, Bharata varsa, Tenochtitlan or Radha Govinda Chandra dham.

When are you leaving? Odana sasti 2024 or at 84 ys old?

HpS - Such nice news for all of us. Of course, any of us can leave at any moment. Putin may go nuclear and then whole world will change. Ready for that? (Smile). It takes care now to not get very sick, but it forces us to learn so much about the body. We were looking at Odana Sasti next year. I think it is like November 2023.

Yet, for the first time we were seeing that if people can take over all our administrative dutys with NIOS, ASA, then we could maybe stay for longer.

Do you have a car? How much longer will it last? 10-years. (Big Smile)

Tried to visit Panca tattva Prabhu with Navina Nirada prabhu but it wasn't possible, Prabhu wasn't available. He seems to have taken the panoramic road rather than the highway to Goloka. I miss him. Krishna daya, Krishna daya , Krishna daya !!

aho bakī yaṁ stana-kāla-kūṭaṁ

jighāṁsayāpāyayad apy asādhvī

lebhe gatiṁ dhātry-ucitāṁ tato ’nyaṁ

kaṁ vā dayāluṁ śaraṇaṁ vrajema

SB 3.2.23

Gurudev, we exist only by the mercy of Srila Prabhupada, he saved us all!! Please give me strength to crawl towards the light. All glories to him!!

Endeavoring with joy,

At your service,

Nikunja bihari das.

HpS - Super. It is 8.52PM. We had FMP. Did about an hour of preparation for the Hawaii class. Then 1-hour presentation. Jaya Hari Das is staying with us for about two weeks. Is so nice. Lot of personal conversations.

Hope the Kapi Dhvaja gives a good view of things.

One more letter, then rest?

Respects to everyone. We are doing a little, but Krsna is doing a lot with that.

We were fortunate to get a little dialog with Pancha Tattva Ji. Hope to get more.

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Hare Krishna Amado Gurudeva,

Por favor acepte mis humildes reverencias,

Todas las glorias a Srila Prabhupada,

Muchas gracias por su amable invitación a la avant premier de DTC-UT 2, estare allí, también invite a muchos devotos. No entendí muy bien la primera parte. Tengo que verla de nuevo.

 Gracias a usted y también a Oscar Naters, por la película Luz del Bhagavata (¿hay una versión en línea en inglés y español de esa película?, quiero decirle a la gente que la vea), creo que es una obra maestra, puro arte para mostrar sabiduría pura. La parte que describe la entrada de Krishna en el bosque de Vrindavan seguida de danzas de vacas, elefantes y mantis y gente tradicional de los Andes cultivando la tierra mientras suena el maha mantra, fue lo más cercano a Vrindavan que he estado. ¡Vivirás para siempre en esa película!

Fue una gran bendición poder visitarlo a usted y a los devotos en Perú, España y México. Una gran inspiración y motivación para impulsar nuestro Proyecto Sri Govardhan. Sentimos que Srila Prabhupada está dando grandes bendiciones.

Recientemente recibimos la visita de Navina Nirada y Mahatma Prabhu, y muchos devotos con ellos. ¡Qué gran inspiración, Sadhu sanga y Krishna Katha es un proceso científico, funciona!

Mañana viene SS Hridayananda Goswami, una gran oportunidad para preguntarle a Maharaja sobre gurukula y la educación en general.

La familia está bien, la esposa Julieta está tan feliz con nuestra hija, tan inspirada, hizo tantos servicios para los devotos visitantes. Manu está en su último año de secundaria, el próximo año se va a Atlanta por tres meses (mis primos y su madrina viven allí) y luego a Irlanda. Sobre todo para mejorar su inglés y decidir qué camino quiere tomar en la vida. El es un gran chico. Benji se siente atraído por el teatro, la actuación y últimamente por el fútbol. Tiene 14 años, aún faltan 4 años para terminar la escuela secundaria.

¡¡En cuanto a nuestra vida espiritual estamos luchando, anhelando a Nista!! Atravesamos montañas y valles, ya veces también pantanos. Pero 4p y 16r están ahí. ¡¡No hay otra opción que seguir intentándolo!!

Los últimos tres años fueron de expansión, los próximos tres años serán de consolidación de lo que creamos. Familia, Comunidad, Proyectos de Ayurveda. Solo iré a Brasil durante diez días este año para terminar algunos estudios ayurvédicos, y lo visitaré el próximo año donde quiera que esté, United Snakes, Bharata Varsa, Tenochtitlan o Radha Govinda Chandra Dham.

¿Cuando se va? Odana sasti 2024 o a los 84 años?

Intenté visitar Panca tattva Prabhu con Navina Nirada prabhu pero no fue posible, Prabhu no estaba disponible. Parece haber tomado el camino panorámico en lugar de la carretera a Goloka. Lo extraño. ¡Krishna daya, Krishna daya, Krishna daya!

aho bakī yaṁ stana-kāla-kūṭaṁ

jighāṁsayāpāyayad apy asādhvī

lebhe gatiṁ dhātry-ucitāṁ tato ’nyaṁ

kaṁ vā dayāluṁ śaraṇaṁ vrajema

SB 3.2.23

Gurudev, existimos solo por la misericordia de Srila Prabhupada, ¡él nos salvó a todos! Por favor deme fuerza para arrastrarme hacia la luz. ¡¡Todas las glorias para él!!

Esforzándose con alegría,

A su servicio,

Nikunja bihari das.

Hace un tiempo atrás más de un año Ud. tuvo conocimiento y también le comenté mi servicio en el CPO aquí en el Perú le llaman CPT PERU. Siempre velando contra el abuso y negligencia con los niños de este Yatra. Para mi es una experiencia muy enriquecedora pero también llena de retos y muchas incomprensiones quizá algunas veces por tener que instruir constantemente a devotos que no tienen el mínimo de conocimiento legal y por otro por defender la verdad a toda costa, recuerdo que Ud. me dijo que apoye a los devotos y devotas y colabore con el conocimiento legal y es lo que vengo haciendo hasta ahora. Pero le juro que a veces me dan ganas de saltar del barco, pero recuerdo que Ud. me dijo que no lo haga. Lo que incomoda en esta labor es que se viene confundiendo problemas políticos de la administración con venganzas personales a través de algunas denuncias al CPT PERU que en realidad son inconsistentes y que se disipan como si fuese el humo después de analizarlas concienzudamente. Nunca pensé esta actitud de algunos devotos y que solo veía en el mundo karmatico abogadil y donde trabajo, situaciones de venganzas, ataques, denuncias y golpes bajos. Realmente Gurudeva estoy asombrados de esto. Los casos son reservados, pero puedo decir que a veces las denuncias que revisamos no tiene el mas mínimo sustento aparecen en una coyuntura de guerra. Es la razón por la que me atrevo a escribirle preguntando entre otras cosas ¿Frente a seudodenuncias debo hacer prevalecer la Verdad? ¿Que hacer frente al riesgo de actuar con autonomía y luego ser visto como parte de la administración? Sé que este servicio es conflictivo lo puedo hacer, pero existe incomprensión tanto de denunciantes como de denunciados es tan similar a la justicia ordinaria del hombre, ¿Que más debo hacer? CPT Perú no tiene poder coercitivo y quienes tienen que hacer cumplir las resoluciones son los Presidentes de Templo y a veces no lo hacen generando inefectividad en el proceso, que quita prestigio a ISKCON en el mundo. Esta carta la estoy haciendo publica porque considero que muchos devotos deben ser orientados e instruidos en menesteres que no conocen, pero como le dije mi Gurudeva ya uno viene cansándose de ver estas situaciones incorrectas e injustas y me refiero a mala conducta de devotos y devotas tanto en las denuncias como en el trato como padres de familia en general. Recuerdo que Ud. Me dijo permanece un año o dos y luego evalúa. En efecto esta situación quiere afectar mi vida espiritual pues es como recoger los desperdicios que dejan los bakty yoguis. Quizá estoy escribiendo muy duramente, pero es una realidad detrás de la cortina y de un escenario que muchos desconocen. Pido su perdón por mis ofensas y por escribir de este modo pero me agradaría su respuesta.

Su Sirviente

VISALA DAS

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Some time ago, more than a year ago, you found out and I also told you about my service in the CPO here in Peru, they call it CPT PERU.

Always watching out against abuse and neglect with the children of this Yatra. For me it is a very enriching experience but also full of challenges and many misunderstandings, perhaps sometimes due to having to constantly instruct devotees who do not have the minimum of legal knowledge and on the other hand, for defending the truth at all costs, I remember that you told me that I support the devotees and collaborate with legal knowledge and that is what I have been doing up to now. But I swear to you, sometimes I feel like jumping off the boat, but I remember you told me not to. What makes this work uncomfortable is that political problems of the administration are being confused with personal vendettas through some complaints to the CPT PERU that are actually inconsistent and that dissipate like smoke after thorough analysis.

I never thought of this attitude of some devotees and that I only saw in the karmatic world of lawyers and where I work, situations of revenge, attacks, complaints and low blows.

Really Gurudeva I am amazed at this. The cases are reserved, but I can say that sometimes the complaints that we review do not have the slightest support appear in a situation of war. It is the reason why I dare to write to you asking, among other things, in the face of pseudo-denunciations, should I make the Truth prevail?

What to do against the risk of acting autonomously and then being seen as part of the administration?

I know that this service is conflictive, I can do it, but there is a lack of understanding of both the complainants and the accused, it is so similar to ordinary human justice, what else should I do?

CPT Peru does not have coercive power and those who have to enforce the resolutions are the Presidents of the Temple and sometimes they do not do so, generating ineffectiveness in the process, which detracts from ISKCON's prestige in the world.

I am making this letter public because I believe that many devotees should be oriented and instructed in tasks they do not know, but as my Gurudeva told you, one is already getting tired of seeing these incorrect and unfair situations and I am referring to the misconduct of both male and female devotees.

both in complaints and in treatment as parents in general.

I remember that you told me stay a year or two and then evaluate.

In fact, this situation wants to affect my spiritual life because it is like picking up the rubbish left by the bakty yogis.

Perhaps I am writing very harshly, but it is a reality behind the curtain and on a stage that many are unaware of. I ask your forgiveness for my offenses and for writing in this way, but I would appreciate your response.

Your Servant

VISA DAS

HpS - AgtSP! Paoho. Thank you for your efforts to execute professional devotional service. Srila Prabhupada calls this "vrtti". He says that it is introduced in Chapter Three in BG.

Like you say, by acting according to our VAD nature in the service of Krsna, we can advance very nicely. This is what Krsna is recommending to Arjuna: Do your Ksatriya dharma for me. Of course, is telling him to do it also with deep love, not just dovetailing, but if we can only do it as Karma in Bhakti Yoga, not Prema in Bhakti yoga that is also great.

Karma-misra bhakti yoga will lead us to Jnana-misra-bhakti yoga. That will lead us to Dhyana-misra-bhakti-yoga. Then to pure Bhakti yoga.

This Blog publication is great.

Maybe it will circulate to help ISKCON progress as an institution.

Work along professional development lines for ISKCON, but the basis is not Karma Yoga for Kali-yuga but Bhakti-yoga. So..... how is your Bhakti yoga progressing? Do you know the verse, adau sraddha...? It is cited in BG 4.10 purport.

That is best summary of the stages of progress.

How is your institutional service, helping you develop friendship with devotees.

How is it developing your personal connection with Prabhupada?

Hare Krsna Guru Maharaja.

Por favor acepte mis respetuosas reverencias.

¡Todas las glorias sean para Srila Prabhupada!

Guru Maharaja, espero que se encuentre muy bien.

Disculpe por no escribir antes.

Seguimos dictando Bhakti Sastri (Néctar de la Devoción). Tenemos 17 estudiantes 😊

Vamos a dar otro curso para discípulos a fines del mes de mayo.

Seguimos ayudando con programas para los niños para los festivales grandes. Clase, actividad (decorar corona del Señor Nrsimha, Pinta caritas y Prasadam). Envío algunas fotografías.

Seguimos estudiando BVB. Vamos en el canto 3 capítulo 28.

Seguimos impartiendo clases del SB 6 días a la semana, organizado por el Comité de Educación (Yo reemplazo al orador (a) cuando no puede dar la clase).

Me doy cuenta que además de los cursos, dar clases de SB o BG es un servicio muy bueno, porque me conecta mucho más con la prédica. Entonces, a veces doy clases.

Tengo mucho servicio pendiente y no logro abarcar todo.

¿Si no hay prédica significa que no hay pureza? Me refiero a predicar a otras personas, que no tienen CK aún.

La madre de un compañero de curso de Indira, se hizo devota. Ella está sufriendo mucho en su vida matrimonial. Casada con un "demonio". CK la hace feliz. Está cantando japa y dejando el cigarrillo. Ya es vegetariana y está esforzándose mucho.

Bueno GM, no tengo mucho más que contar.

Muchas gracias 👏

Su sirviente

Priyasakhi DD

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Hare Krsna, Guru Maharaja.

Please accept my respectful obeisances.

All glories be to Srila Prabhupada!

Guru Maharaja, I hope you are well.

ASA - AGTSP paoho. Ha! Ha! Hare! This body does not get diseases, this body is a disease.

Our health is like your health. Right now fighting with fever, sore throat, choked respiration from allergy, etc, but happy that we can associate with devotees for Sankirtan.

Here or in Goloka, Sankirtan.

Sorry for not writing earlier.

We continue to dictate Bhakti Sastri (Nectar of Devotion). We have 17 students 😊

ASA - Super! What chapter? Where is report from Gandharava Das on Waves of Devotion translation.

We are going to give another course for disciples at the end of the month of May.

We continue to help with children's programs for the big festivals. Class, activity (decorating Lord Nrsimha's crown, Face painting and Prasadam). I send some photos.

ASA - 2 x Super.

We continue to study BVB. Let's go in song 3 chapter 28.

ASA - Sx3 - Devahuti!

We continue to teach SB classes 6 days a week, organized by the Education Committee (I replace the speaker when he can't give the class).

ASA - Sx4 - What part of SB.

I realize that in addition to the courses, giving SB or BG classes is a very good service, because it connects me much more with preaching. So sometimes I teach.

I have a lot of service pending and I can't cover everything.

HpS - Vaidhi bhakti means learning how to prioritize our service. Occupy others.

If there is no preaching, does it mean that there is no purity? I mean preaching to other people, who don't have CK yet.

HpS - Yes, the more pure we are, the more force we have, but we should also see what we are actually doine. We may not be Rupa Goswami, but we are working, trying to contact with innocent people. As long as we are chanting HK we are advancing!

The mother of a classmate of Indira's, became a devotee. She is suffering a lot in her married life. She married a "demon".

HpS - Everyone in the material world is a demon unless you are an Avatara or Paramahamsa, no? 😁 Some of us a married to big demons. Others to little demons. Of course, some of us are demons taking our medicine.

CK makes her happy. She is chanting japa and putting down the cigarette. She is already a vegetarian and is trying very hard.

HpS - It will influence here family!

Well GM, I don't have much more to tell.

Thank you very much 👏

your servant

Priyasakhi DD

HpS - Thank you. Such enlivening news for everyone. We we will look at other mail! Let's go together.

Dear Maharaj,

PAMHO AGTSP!

I requested my husband for maintenance as you advised but he refused. I found he’s researching how to get visa processed based on abuse report. I wanted to peacefully pass time, not make first attack move, but I also don’t want to put myself in dangerous place in terms of my legal records. Should I file a report to the police now? Or should I wait for further attack from him?

YAS,

Yajnaseni DD

HpS/ASA - Hare Krsna. This is the same point as before. No one can give specific advice without specific knowledge. We do not know the details of the immigration laws. We do not know the details of the Indian marriage laws. We do not know the reliability of the sources about your esteemed husbands legal actions. He said, she said, they said.

You may be stepping into the situation of attacking someone and starting a conflict when they in reality had not done anything.

For us to acquire detailed knowledge of this situation would requiere hours of work, and probably even traveling to different places and interviewing different people.

We did this for the Peru gurukula, GBC Regional Body for complaints about corruption by the local officers.

Took hours and hours of work.

So, again, develop practical team of localized people to use for localized advice.

"Victory comes from good advice, and good advice comes from many counselors", Chanakya Pandita.

Do your best. Krsna will do the rest.

Don't spend too much time on these topics, but keep your Sankirtan as your main focus.

O.K.?

Tom Brown: We received a following important communication from devotee in one ISKCON community. We have edited it for practical use in this here Blog!

"Hare Krsna beloved Gurudeva,

AGTSP

PAMHO

Thanks for your letter to the Regional GBC. You are right. During the former investigation that you worked so much to organize, in the end, nobody presented a formal complaint against ABC Das.

Nevertheless, there is something much more deeper here. We do not understand why some GBC authorities support him in the way the way they do.

(Personally I am really sorry to bother You with all these things.)

So for the sake of ISKCON Xyz we will continue with the investigations.

At this point we do not know if our Zonal GBC will meet with us.

I do not know if I can act as friends as with ABC Prabhu and his friends as you suggested.

I trust My Friends and at the end of the day I do not trust them.

Many devotees are expressing themhselves in social media and they erase those comments.

Why do they not want to answer the requests or doubts of the community of devotees? What are they hiding? Anyway..

So sorry for bothering You. We Will continue until we see what Krsna wants

JAYA SRI RAMA 

In service

DEF Das

Tom Brown, Buck White et al.

Hare Krsna, Prabhu! AgtSP. Paoho. Yes, if you smell a rat you should definitely investigate, but remember the sagely advice of Mulla Nasreddin (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nasreddin) whom Srila Prabhupada also cited:

"One should not engage in an argument with a fool, because people may have a hard time distinguishing which one of you is the fool!"

If you feel that devotees, Jiva souls, are infected with material consciousness, greed, lust, anger, pride, then try to help them, but don't get involved beyond your strength.

Don't get too close, but don't get too far.

The people you save today may be the people who save you tomorrow.

Thank you!!!

More news!

"Hare Krishna, Gurudeva, accept. my obeisances. I am meditating hard on everything I learned during your visit. honestly during this new goverdan event it was very instructive and i am very grateful to the devotees, but i have my personal reservations and i want to serve sankirtan but i feel very ignorant. develop good communication with Dhruva Prabhu and his Family. , . we want to do sankirtan and start a preaching movement. here in Latin America as a new Goverdan base. MONTEMORELOS."

HpS - ASA -- TlgaSP!.... Thank you. I think 50% of your effort is now finished, you followed up on the visit!

Many times we organize and event. That is 50% of the effort. The other 50% is to continue.

1. It depends on our effort and Krsna's effort. Try to understand Krsna's plan from goof Japa, Srila Prabhupada's books, advice from nice devotess and people - one, two, three. Krsna wants Kirtan, hearing and chanting, in Kali-yuga, so if New Govardhana is amined at that then it is proper.
2. Judge by the results. See how things are developing and then adjust accordingly. You have already done that in terms of your Sankirtan and got good results.
3. Purity is the force. Four principles and 16-nice rounds (Mangala arati etc). Anything you want to accomplishin Sankirtan or with your family will only improve as you stick to these things.
4. Keep posting results, news, here in the Blog. Let us see if the devotees respond.

Thank you, Hare Krsna!!