Letters to the editor

Hare Krishna, Guru Maharaja. Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. 

Thank you again for letting us camp out with you in Murfreesboro. That was a wonderful time that we are holding on to. Thank you again for tolerating me and engaging me:) 

HpS/ASA - Thank you for your association. We need more and more.

Seems to be some confusion about ISKCON of Boise and The Hare Krsna Temple corporation.

What if we ask our GBC Secretary to make an official Branch of ISKCON Los Angeles as ISKCON Boise, that has a formal agreement with Hare Krsna Center about use of buildings etc?

Too much?

It is like getting married. It is a formality but not a meaningless formality.

ISKCON Boise needs to make a cultural conquest!

We will look at the photos and hope to hear more about our Temple in Boise and everyone.

Hope the Kapi Dhvaja and these Blog posts are adequate.

Feel really energized to see you in the FMS!

H.G. Kalakantha Prabhu was very happy to receive your letter and copy of Tava Pache Pache. I was able to help him with some things around his farm and talk to his cows. Also, had the great fortune to live like a Krishna House student for a couple of days and do some service. These little glimpses and experiences of brahmachari life seem to be very helpful for our grihasta life. We hope to be a full fledged brahmachari  grihastha someday. Not sure if that’s a bonafide term. Maybe what I mean to say is just a matured grihastha. 

We are happy to hear that the fourth DTC movie is complete. Looking forward to seeing this one that is set in Spain. These movies are very inspiring to us on many levels. I have always been around artists, writers, eccentric intellectuals..through out our little life for some reason. We see a great opportunity for these types of people in our circle/village to be inspired by these movies. These people can go deeper and become truly mad. Mad for Krishna! This is a desire I am trying to cultivate. The bridge is there? I just need to say “hey, you got to see this and check out what this guy has to say..”? 

There are a couple film festivals in the area(North West) that I’ve played shows at that I think would be very interested in one or all of the DTC movies. Is it okay if I propose to them/submit? I have good contacts for both. They happen annually. 

Then eventually I want to muster up the strength to get the first movie into the Egyptian theater downtown. They play all kinds of stuff and quite a lot of independent films and documentaries. So why not Diary of a Traveling Creature: The Ultimate Trip on the marquee !? 

The GoTo meeting morning program has been very good for us. Very helpful in setting the right perspective for the day with your association and the devotees. Propels us into our local program!

So much struggle with the false ego though and our ignorance and remaining enthusiastic. Making baby steps and falling down a lot but always lifted up by your mercy.

This quote often comes to mind when trying to get through the work day and when cultivating my monkey mind to get my rounds done early(: “Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible” 

-Saint Fransis 

ASA - 😮 Amazing! Just amazing. Prabhupada said that St. Francis was a BHAKTA!

We have sent film number four to our Board of Director's for their comments and then we will do a larger Critic's Review, we hope with a copy for you, then Gala Release. We hope Jaga-guru Das in Chile can lead this.

Maybe you can work with him.

Invite devotees from Chile to Boise!

Thank you Maharaja !! 

Your aspiring servant, 

Nitisara das 

P.S. here are some pictures from the RY festival: 

Hare Krishna Guru Maharaj Please accept my respectful obeisances All Glories to Srila Prabhupada All Glories to your Service and immense Sankirtan. I pray that the Lord always grants you improvement in your health I begin my report by thanking you for always inspiring us with your example.

My sadhana is good (although it could be better), four regulative principles, 16 rounds and gayatri mantra (maybe sometimes not at the corresponding times) ok.

Worship at home with Lalita Madhava, distribution of prasadam and music.

I am pursuing BS in its final stage (studying Upadesamrta), Bhagavad gita, Sri Isopanisad and Nectar of devotion ok, my teacher Priya Sakhi.

Guru Maharaja please instruct me on how to face certain adversities with respect to service, many times I see how far away it is to be able to have an advance in my spiritual life because every day I must fight with my ego and work on my character (it is difficult for me not to react to unfair situations of negligence) but I know that Krishna always controls, but many times this attitude works against me, how should I act?

I have asked devout brahmanis for advice. I know that the attitude is to be submissive, but should I always be submissive, even if the situation is unfair? CC Ādi-līlā 7.50, I think pure devotees like you can only have this attitude, how can we kaniṣṭa-adhikārī devotees achieve this attitude?

If madhyama-adhikārī is too big for us sometimes.

Currently I am still doing worship service (until two weeks ago) and in charge of the Initiation Committee, it has been hard, we were mainly 4 members and now only 2.

Guru Maharaj this service has been unpleasant for me at times because it demands what our GBC gives us, the devotees think that it is personal, my attitude is to provide service in a favorable way and with the intention of being a contribution, but I think that perhaps I have completed my cycle in this service, you in the previous letter recommended that I try, it will be that I have already completed my cycle?

Currently there is a significant decline in devotees who are not going to the temple due to unresolved internal problems, for work or because they have simply stepped aside due to unresolved issues, that makes me sad.

What is the attitude I should take in this situation? Waiting for your instruction Your would-be servant Manjuali Devi Dasi November 5, Santiago de Chile.

HpS - Hare Krsna! Thinking about you so often and now we hear from you, thank you.

Your question is like 99% like the question that Sadhubhusana from Manipura just asked.

Did Sriman Lalita madhava Das go with us to Manipura one time?

Please read, translate.google.com {?}, https://monkeywarrior.com/detail/14443/.

Is O.K.?

There are some details in your questions that are not in this letter to S Bh Das, but most.

Others we have already discussed, no?

How long have you been on the Diksa community? Did you make an arrangement with GBC et al for how long you would do it?

So many times we have suggested that that is essential aspect of administrative service.

Please, give us your comments on letter to S.Bh. Das.

Any news from, dreams of your father?

Hare Krishna, Dear Maharaj,

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

Maharaj, we are sincerely praying to Sri Sri Radha Krishnachandra for your good health and long life. 

Hope to get your divine darshan again soon in Manipur.

HpS - As soon, agtSP, as I read this, tears come to my eyes. So, sad, but... it is like https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/1/11/, our separation is only temporary. We are eternally related.

Krsna goes to Hastinapura for some time but then He returns to Dvaraka!

Last night, in my dream, Maharaj [H. H. B. S Damodara Swami? or us?] was present in the Brahmachari Ashram of ISKCON Manipur, and Maharaj was trying to send some messages to your Blog from my computer and you were indicating me to send it. Thinking that this is an indication to write something to you, I am writing this letter to you Maharaj. Long time I have been out of touch with you. Kindly forgive me for that.

HpS - 😿

We hear that there is a terrible internet block, but fortunately we get some news from Sarad bhihari and Yamunesvara et al.

Recently, few days ago, we had an online meeting with the concerned ISKCON leaders of the Eastern India for the approval of the Guruship of H. H. Bhakti Ananda Haridasa Goswami Maharaj. No positive result from the meeting. We have to again wait for another 6-7 months.

I have been regularly attending our Eastern India’s Divisional Council meetings. What I experience from those meetings is that – most of the leaders are very aggressive, not afraid of criticizing/offending exalted pure devotees, and are not respectful of the devotees.

Whenever, I am in such kind of meetings, I am very much afraid of myself whether I am in the midst of critics/offenders of the devotees. Please guide me on this matter Maharaj.

HpS - Not just, agtSP, you, myself, other Sannyasis and even many GBC Secretaries that we know express their distress with GBC meetings.

That is one point that these are meetings in the mode of passion, administration, men, money, family relations.

Srila Prabhupada says that fighting is a necessary part of family life, so no one should be to disturbed by it.

... but the Sannyasa, Brahminical culture should govern the administrative culture. The strong, pure character of ISKCON Brahmanas, Sannyasis, who do not get too much involved with the details of men and money, should give the perspective to these "dirty and lusty" activities. 🙂

Did you pass stool and urine today?

Of course, I did.

We all do.

It is necessary, but it should be regulated in social, polite perspective by higher Chakras.

Is O.K.?

Participate from Ksatriya-Brahmana perspective as is proper for your character and Ashrama but beyond that don't be involved.

Be sure that your criticisms and requirements as Brahmana are properly expressed and then depend upon Brahminical work like this Blog and Krsna and Balarama's Vrndavana Demon killing activities to take care of the rest.

In Vrndavana (ISKCON?) only Krsna and Balarama kill demons. Of course, they may enter our bodies and minds to do it, but then it is obvious that They have taken control.

Everyone else calls: Hare Krsna! Hare Rama! Hare Krsna! Hare Rama!

We learn love of Srila Prabhupada from our Guru Maharaj. We get strength to serve Srila Prabhupada more and more from our Guru Maharaj. But our Guru Maharaj is no more physically present amongst us. Because of my stupidity, impureness ……, I am unable to feel his physical presence now and then. We are facing a lot problem in his physical absence. And always thinking – how his desires on ISKCON Manipur would be fulfilled in the midst of insurgency problems, communal riots, strong anti-hindu feelings among the Manipuri youths, etc., etc., … and in midst of very narrow minded, envious, non-cooperating management heads of our division? Please guide me in proper direction Maharaj.

HpS/ASA - We get, agtSP, nice perspective from https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/4/28/ starting with Verse 48. For example, Srila Prabhupada says: "...when he disappears, things once again become disordered. The perfect disciples of the ācārya try to relieve the situation by sincerely following the instructions of the spiritual master."

We try our best then Krsna and Balarama act.

Sometimes Krsna wants Duryodhana, Hiranyakaspur to have external success. So we have have to let there be external defeats.

Maybe ISKCON will just be you, me and Prabhupada 😅

😅 😅. We can try. There will always be results if we try.

Draupadi was complaining often about Yuddhisthira's not taking arms to claim his rights instead of living in the forest, no?

She complained to Krsna, no?

Yet she never lost faith that Krsna was ultimately in complete control and things would work out for the best.

Since Guru Maharaj’s disappearance, you are the only person who comes to Manipur regularly, giving your valuable time and energy for delivering the fallen souls of Manipur. Thank you very much Maharaj for your love of ISKCON Manipur and Sripada Maharaj. Offences we have committed to your goodself during your Manipur visits, kindly forgive us considering that we are fools.

We hope that Maharaj visits to Manipur again and again. Kindly forgive me if I have committed any offence at your lotus feet knowingly or unknowingly.

Your servant

Sadhubhusan Das

ISKCON Manipur

 HpS - 😅

you are damn rascal Sadhubusan Das!

Damn Rascal! 😅 😅 😅 We love Manipur. We love Manimandir. We can only make very small contribution. Your comments make us feel like we should be visiting right now, but we know that Krsna Candra is in charge!

If he needs you, me, he will take us there, no?

Did Krsna abandon the Braja-basis and go to Mathura?

HpS/ASA - AgtSP. Such very , very , very nice photos! You should be a photo journalist. Look at things from a broader perspective and broad cast you perspective, life and travels.

Make 1,000 students!

Respects to The Rukmini Devi Dasi.

All Glories to Srila Prabhupada,

Hare Krishna Dear Guru Maharaja,

I have been far from this blog for a long time, practically since I accepted the temple president service here in Chile, maybe because of my time management problems, which are being addressed now little by little.

I came here today to share this quote from Mark Twain. My thought is that Mark Twain is American. NIOS is North American. And he travelled to India. NIOS travelled to India but it was established in the USA.

The year when those writings came to Twain's mind is interesting too.

“India is the cradle of the human race, birthplace of human speech, mother of history, grandmother of legend, great-grandmother of tradition”

In the original paragraph, he makes even more valuable statements. I have the ebook with me, so I will share with you the whole original paragraph too here:

“This is indeed India! the land of dreams and romance, of fabulous wealth and fabulous poverty, of splendor and rags, of palaces and hovels, of famine and pestilence, of genii and giants and Aladdin lamps, of tigers and elephants, the cobra and the jungle, the country of a hundred nations and a hundred tongues, of a thousand religions and two million gods, cradle of the human race, birthplace of human speech, mother of history, grandmother of legend, great-grandmother of tradition, whose yesterdays bear date with the mouldering antiquities of the rest of the nations—the one sole country under the sun that is endowed with an imperishable interest for alien prince and alien peasant, for lettered and ignorant, wise and fool, rich and poor, bond and free, the one land that all men desire to see, and having seen once, by even a glimpse, would not give that glimpse for the shows of all the rest of the globe combined.”

Source: Book ”Following The Equator: A Journey Around the World” , Chapter 38. First published in 1897. Author: Mark Twain. His travel to India was in 1896 for more than two months. A special year to ISKCON devotees because it when Srila Prabhupada took birth in this planet and Bhaktivinoda Thakur sent his books to the western world. Where we were that year?

Second quote but from Srila Prabhupada now

Another quote that I would like to share with you Guru Maharaja, heard today from Guru Prasada Swami in a meeting with regional leaders about the following Marathon, is from Srila Prabhupada and maybe you can use it in classes.

Maharaja mentioned that he was trained on how to react to nuclear bombs in his school. So, with that feeling a devotee asked Srila Prabhupada once, What we can do if they drop the bomb above us, Srila Prabhupada?

-         If you start to hear the bombs falling, you can start a kirtan… and then, you can continue it in Vaikuntha. – Prabhupada replied.

Hare Krishna Dear Guru Maharaj,

You are my main inspiration in spiritual life, and I try to become a better disciple every day. I’m not being successful in that effort, but the goal is clear at least.

HpS - We consider, agtSP, that we have not been capable of making Krsna and Srila Prabhupada main inspirations in your spiritual life. Hmmm.

We are a greedy mail man.

We seem to be making a little progress, but 99.999% the result of Srila Prabhupada holding our hand. Tolerating our offenses.

We saw Mark Twain's India comments also. We did not read all of his experiences. Many year ago we made a banner of part of the quote above for our festivals.

Yes, we have used Mark Twain in our NIOS work!!!

Also, Walt Whitman, Thoreau, Emerson!

Continue with your own personal Sankirtan, in the perspective of your family, nation, church, Sanga!

If you have no personal spiritual wealth, what can you offer your community.

A community is great, great tool for acquiring personal spiritual wealth.

Hare Krishna Dear Gurumaharaja

All glories to Srila Prabhupada and the Vaishnavas empowered by the grace of the Guru-parampara like you.

HpS/ASA - And you, and all of our Vaisnava readers!

I sincerely hope you are well, as much as this world can allow us. You are always in my thoughts, even though I do not express it so much. I try to compensate for my distancing by always hearing your recorded classes, SP classes, or inspiring Vaishnavas like Bhurijana Prabhu or Amarendra Prabhu.

HpS - Who is Amarendra? Is he from Los Angeles?

I have always felt fulfilled in KC, but since the second initiation in Govardhan, all has become more clear that my contribution to the Sankirtan Movement should be in a more steady manner. However, I’m still fighting to find a way of doing it.

Since your last visit to Mexico, many great ideas developed, but we tried to work on getting a key team, it didn’t succeed. Ricardo was helping at the beginning, but his intentions were not pure. A couple of devotees are there, but I have to be honest, I had felt a fade in my energy to continue pursuing Academic/Preaching efforts, I was worried I could be an offender of devotees or disturb their efforts instead of helping.

Raj Bhoga every Sunday to Sri Sri Radha Madhan Gopal, cooking for festivals, or organizing Drama or Kids activities has been our service to ISKCON Mexico.

The last September we attended the Sadhu Sanga Festival here in Mexico. 30 Tava Pache Paches provided by Srinath Krishna Das and Abhiram Thakur were distributed (15 TPP in Spanish ($150 USD collection sent to AbhTD, 15 TPP in English, Collection $150 USD in NIOS Mexico). All devotees were quite happy to have the Spanish version. Also 1 Bhagavatam Set sponsorship and 3 NOIs were distributed.

Ranchor Krishna Prabhu has been in Bhaktivedhanta Ashram Govardhan/India since August assisting Asita Krishna Swami, and will be back on December 1^st. He has been actively working with the Indian Communities in Mexico and preaching programs have been quite successful .. I send you photos from Asita Krishna Swami visit and Janmastami Festival in Cueramaro Community (Nueva Bahulavana).

Nueva Bahulavana is located in Guanajuato Mexico a very cultural state, the families there have worked hard to have an amazing Cathedral Temple, the workers supposed to travel during COVID pandemic to Rome, but Krishna arranged for them to serve in the construction of the temple.

BBT Latinamerica office and ILAEV School are also based on its premises, an ashram for students, Devotee houses, a Hostel, and recently the cows. A very nice community.

HpS/ASA - We visited several times over the years!

For the month of Karthik, I will be staying in a small cabin in Nueva Bahulavan, since is away from big cities, but still within one hour from the city of Leon.

Mexico City feels heavy on me, the traffic, people rushing, pollution, and all the constant rush sicken my body easily, so we are considering moving to a calmer community like Nueva Bahulavan. But of course, we would like to read your thoughts on this.

Actually, you visited the farm in the 90s when there was nothing but the desire to create a community, Trilokanath Prabhu (The founder and owner of the property) showed me the photographs, and since then your wise instruction to devotees has been to acquire land to develop communities under the principles of KC and Srila Prabhupada teachings.

Since this year I was unable to visit physically Vrindavan, I'm reading Ananda Vrindavan Champu with my dear friend Premarani from Canada via Zoom to try to keep our minds there, obviously is very advanced for me, but is just so so beautifully poetic that I have enjoyed grasping at least a millimetric surface of it. We are currently reading about the seasons in Vrindavan. So we hope to stay engaged during Karthik.

HpS - Jiva Goswami, no?

Gurudeva, please keep accepting our small efforts of Japa, and keep engaging us in your sankirtan because we are weak by ourselves. As every day grihastha struggles, we try to balance work, finances, sadhana, and personal relationships… so forgive us if we are attached to our individual pursuits.

In one of your recent classes, you mentioned that Houston Nilamadhava Dham is planning seminars in Spanish, which sounds very exciting, please let us know if is any opportunities for service.

Also, as the trend in the letters, many disciples are enthusiastic to know where your Vyasa Puja will be held. We are drops in the petal flower, so any of your association on such auspicious occasion is very dear to us.

 Writing this letter with some melancholy (Joep Beving https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qQ5OLwg5f4 ) that I have not written you often and when we communicate, we speak about the secrets of food. Don’t want to let pass another day without telling you that, I feel in real debt to you and Srila Prabhupada, and that I love you deeply. We are learning to kiss the feet of the master.

Your aspiring disciple

Govinda Pramodini Dasi

HpS - Thank you. Sorry little slow to answer.

You can see our response to The Ranchor Krsna Das, no?

Chant as much as possible.

Chant out loud so others can hear.

Read Prabhupada's books to others.

Hare Krsna. Hare Rama.

Thank you.