Letters to the editor

Hare Krishna, Dear Gurumaharaja, Pamho, AGTSP
I am writing to inform you that the Cantuta program is almost ready.
Here the program:

Art and the Sacred in Classical India and Ancient Peru

10:00 am Presentation and worship rituals of Traditional Peru and India

HpS - Hare Krsna. AGTSP!      paoho.    Very nice to hear from you...  What is this first section¡?  Someone will say a few words of reception and then there will be an Arati??    That would just be 10-minutes, no?

10:30 am Academic Program
Presentation by Professor Huber Robinson
Presentation of a Professor of La Cantuta
(Each professor will have 20 minutes of presentation and 10 minutes of questions and answers)

11:30 am Artistic Presentation
Presentation of dance and traditional music of India (1/2 hour)
Presentation of dance and traditional music of Peru (1/2 hour)

HpS - This seems too long. These dances are quick concentrated and ten minutes is about the maximum that people can tolerate.

12:30 pm Prasadam (NIOS: Halava, La Cantuta: chicha morada)

We hope everything goes according to plan.

HpS - Have you discussed this with Temple authorities and got their apro pro val?

As always, we have the expert help of Professor Durant and the head of the Art Departament. The program is presented as a collaboration between NIOS and The University.

HpS - We should have asked NGD for his approval! He is President of NIOS. If we follow these formalitys then there will be sufficient rain and Chrylers will fall from the sky on Wednesdays.

I also inform you that at the end of the month I will be collaborating with a social aid project of the university led by our friend Professor Juan Malpartida from the Department of Communications, Language and Literature. The project is to promote and implement popular libraries in the community of Chosica. This includes animation programs such as reading marathons, dramatizations, poetic recitals, etc. Obviously we will try to include Vedic literature. With this we will be little by little fulfilling your desire to make sustainable programs in this university dean of Education in Peru. I think this is an important milestone also in fulfilling Srila Prabhupada's dream expressed in his brilliant preface to Srimad Bhagavatam:

"There is a need for a clue to how humanity can become one in peace, friendship and prosperity with a common cause. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam will fill this need, for it is a cultural presentation for the spiritualization of the entire human society.
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam should also be introduced in the schools and colleges, for it is recommended by the great student-devotee Prahlāda Mahārāja in order to change the demoniac face of society. "
 

On the other hand I have talked with some members of one of the strongest political party in Chosica to participate as an education and culture advisor. This party is very likely to win the municipal elections and I will talk very soon with the candidate for Major. My sister is working in the party  and she has made all the contacts. I await your blessings for this other project to materialize as it will surely benefit the community and uplift the social and spiritual consciousness of the people and hence the expansion of Krishna Consciousness.
I hope you are satisfied with our service for the glory of Srila Prabhupada and his ISKCON.
Please, your blessings so that everything goes well.
Your servant,
Laksmana-agraja das

HpS - Jaya!     We are struggling to eat properly while traveling!  Maybe we should go back to the Temple at 11.30AM for the noon program with Sita Devi???

Dear Maharaja

PAMHO AGTSP

Transmission from down-under. You are currently down-under-and-over in Chile. We have been watching some live streams. Of course we are regularly drinking the nectar of your soundcloud lectures also. We will make a serious effort to join your startmeeting live lectures when they recommence.

HpS/ASA - 'are Krsna, Dhruva' Das et al! Is so nice to hear from you. We really feel separation from all the friends and Yatra in Oz. We were listening to Atul-Krsna Das in the MOE meeting a few days ago and it was shocking how much you and he sound alike and also your fully gentlemanly comportment.

Dhanesvari DD is doing well. Her heath is improving. But still our new child Sarasvati is not letting her sleep much in the night. We support her as best we can by taking baby for Japa walks during the day to give mother opportunity to rest.

ASA - Super. These children are potential, giant light-houses in the Kali-yuga if they are given good protection to grow up properly. All respects to the Mother.

Our eldest daughter Suryani loves gurukula preschool and is developing nicely in life. 

We gave interactive Bhagavad Gita class at ISKCON New Govardhan last week entitled “Science, The Psyche and Yoga”. The verse was BG 5.4 and after a short discussion on Karma-yoga we argued that modern science has become predominantly atheistic due to its lacking the finer elements of Sankhya-yoga within its scope i.e. mind, intelligence, false ego, atma and paramatma. If matter is all we look for, then matter is all we will see.

ASA - And in this case only gross matter, not even much subtle matter!  and even then third class gross matter, visual data, not even tactile or acoustical concern!

Why is it customary to call non-devotees “Karmis” if Prabhupada and previous archaryas translate karma-yoga as “devotional service”? Is a karmi a fruitive worker without the “yoga” required to link to the supreme or is it a made-up-devotee’s-superiority term?

HpS - I see a great analysis of people in NOI 10, "karmibhya...". Then most people are Vi-karmas. They are fruitive workers who do not follow any Vedic Acharya even like Jesus, Mohamad, Confucius... Karmas are actually nice people. Krsna likes them. They follow the rules of some scripture.

Yogis are above Karms or Jnanis. They are linking to Krsna. It maybe by connecting their Karma (Karma yoga eg. want to enjoy food, but connect that pleasure with some process of religion, yoga), Jnana yoga (this is Jnana yoga we doing right now, no?). When we are working directly on why we are doing intelligent things it is Bhakti-yoga. How to change our motive. So Karmis and Karma-yogis are different groups. The Karmis do it for themselves. The Karma-yogis do it for Krsna (maybe without much logical understanding of what is going on, Jnana-yoga).

We are scheduled to give a Sunday feast class in a few weeks at ISKCON NG. We have inspiration to present “Dance with Destiny” in which we will attempt to interactively present the relationship between free will and determinism from the perspective of the glorious Bhagavata philosophy and practice. 

We have also inspiration to design a workshop entitled “Slaying the Dragons of Doubt”. In this workshop we will invite participants to bring a list of their biggest doubts, past or present, or the biggest challenges they have come across towards the existence of God or towards the establishment of Krishna as the supreme. If they have somehow overcome these doubts already they are invited to share how they achieved it and if they have not we will be working on them together. We believe that we can shed light on each other’s dark patches. We also believe, through experience, that great power comes from honestly addressing doubts.

Some example challenges might be;

1. The problem of Evil
2. Criticisms of religion as “Other world” theories and the lack of care placed in “this world”
3. Interpretations of Vedic cosmology and Hare Krishna hell!!!
4. Fall of the Jiva
5. Why did God create us only to serve Him?

God knows what other interesting topics might come up.

HpS - Super, but some interesting publication as a result for this Blog!! Broader community.

A devotee friend of ours who owns a vegan café in Byron Bay has invited us to do some presentations at the café. Bryon Bay is a beautiful and popular beach town approximately 45min from our location. We are very enthusiastic for this service opportunity. We take great inspiration from you Maharaja, your kindness upon us. We are even developing taste for PowerPoint shows.

HpS - ASA - You are like Lord Siva. You see people's bad qualities as good qualities.

Maharaja, specifically I am writing to request some seva, some association. My good wife has given permission for me to travel. Can I possibly assist you with something this year in USA maybe or anywhere else you see fit. I see you will attend MOE in Alachua late June or maybe even the Nashville annual festival? I could wash and fold cloth, sweep floors, carry bags, anything at all.  

ASA - None of these two programs are too developed yet, but nice program for the whole family, or you as the family camera man, might be "Art and the Sacred", end of October in Peru. You could start to organize that work in Peru and then come as a representative(s) of "Art from the Land Down Under Over".

Prostrated at your feet

Dhruvananda Das

ASA - Proscribed at your feet. We could start working on getting a formal invitation for you from Peru and then getting formal links with government, universities in Australia.

Querido Gurumaharaja 

Por favor acepte nuestras respetuosas reverencias!
Todas las glorias a Srila Prabhupada!
Muy felices de saber que pronto estará con nosotros.
Que Sri Nrsimhadeva lo proteja siempre y Su salud sea óptima para Su Sankirtana, nosotros somos bendecidos con Su santa asociación y constante prédica. 
Gracias a Palika pude escuchar Sus clases en Perú, mi familia vive más retirado de la Perla-Callao y me hubiera sido muy difícil llegar por mi cuenta cada mañana.  Palika, Parvati, Prabhu Caturatma y sus padres fueron muy  amables conmigo al darme hospedaje. 
Ya estamos en México y retomaremos nuestros servicios en el pujari y arreglos en Su Sankirtana. 

Envío el itinerario con los cambios sugeridos 

ABRIL 
Miércoles 25 (11:30 p.m.)
Llega a México.

Jueves 26 
Universidad Iberoamericana 
3:00 p.m. a 5:00 p.m.
Hamlet y Arjuna
Expositores 
SS. Hanumatpresaka Swami
Dr. Francisco Castro Merrifield 

* El Dr. Castro puede traducirle, nada más requiere el material ppt con anterioridad. 
Le parece bien Gurumaharaja?

HpS - Si, bueno!!

 o prefiere que busquemos otro traductor, podría ser Daniel el psicólogo. 

Viernes 27
Desayuno con discípulos y aspirantes
5:00 p.m.
Caminata por Chapultepec  (por confirmar)
6:30 p.m.
Programa de Srila Prabhupada y desaparición de Jayananda Prabhu.
*Le agradaría algún tema en particular?

HpS - No. 

Sábado 28
Festival de Nrsimhadeva 
* Posible iniciaciones. 
Cada año se realiza ceremonia de fuego en este festival. 

Domingo 29
Arte y lo Sagrado 
12:00 m.
Rajabhoga arati 
12:30 p.m.
Salón multiusos 
bhajans 
12:45 p.m.
Salon multiusos 
Proyección 
Exposiciones 
SS. Hanumatpresaka Swami 
Mtra Marina Prieto (nombre en nahuatl Malintzin Pitzahuac)
Maestra en estudios mesoamericanos
2:30 p.m.
Prasadam
Salón de prasadam: SS. Hanumatpresaka Swami e invitados especiales
Patio: público en general 
3:30 p.m.
Dhupa arati 
4:00 p.m.
Clase relacionado al tema en la sala del templo 
Aristasena Dasa
5:00 p.m.
Danza Odissi 
5: 20 p.m.
Bhajans 
5:30 p.m.
Prasadam general de parte del templo.

Lunes 30 (1:35 p.m.)
Desayuno con discípulos
Despedida en aeropuerto

HpS - Super. Estamos corriendo al Jung y la Bhagavata...  SUper!! Nos vemos pronto y esperamos mas communication. antes..

Por favor acepte mis humildes y respetuosas reverencias 

Todas las GLorias a Srila Prabhupada

Todas las Glorias a Sri Guru y Gauranga

Es un placer para mi enviarle esta carta de recomendacion para primera iniciacion de Bhaktin Maria de los Angeles Osorio

su aspirante a sirviente 

Jagannatha caran das

HpS  - Hare Krsna. Es gran placer en conytacto con Vd, y las demas devotos del Santiago. Sus esfuerzas en esta area son esencial al misión del Senor Gauraanga..   Gracias.   También estoy oyendo que ella y Lalita-madhava Das esta pensando en expandir su servicio juntos y viajar juntos a Argentina para iniciaciones. Las iniciaciones en BsAs van a pasa en 1 Abril, domingo. Por favor comunica esta a ellos.

Pienso vamos a Chile in Noviembre y a Vrndavana en 2024.

Vd?

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!! All glories to Guru Maharaj HpS! 

Dandavat Pranam Guru Maharaj. PAOHO

Hare Krishna Guru Maharaj,

We are still in a state of extended bliss..post Yaoshang Sankirtan!! We have missed you so much dear Guru Maharaj. The Yaoshang kirtan was explosive!! We celebrate for 5 days...non stop kirtan . We stormed Govindaji's temple.....sang, danced, and of course received the colours of pure ecstatic love....there was no stopping any one of us...no not even  the police......and we had nothing on our minds except Gauranga!! Oh!! What a crowd.....sending some old links https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkYgrOJAtCE    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxJT0zs8kdc. 

We are sending some photos which we had taken this time. The Chief Secretary of the State Shree RR Rashmi also happens to be a devotee of ISKCON, Patna. We were invited at his bangalow for the kirtan. HH BVT Swami Maharaj and HH BAHG Maharaj led our kirtan ...and needless to say we had a blast of a kirtan there too. Daily, just after Guru Puja we start our kirtan party from the temple and we finish by 8pm or a little later sometimes. Thats for 5 days...and still longing for more! This time our Chief minister suggested that we celebrate Yaoshang for just 2 days...the e-response was shockingly trivializing. One post went like....Dear Chief Minister Sir, kindly cut your 5 year term to 2 years!! The Chief minister has kept quiet since then!!!!

We dressed  RadhaKrishnachandra differently on the 2nd day ,called Pichkaari day....where there is a huge sankirtan at Govindajee temple. Nobody minds the colours thrown on them. The dress was supposed to be ordained on Guru Maharaja's 70th Vyas puja but somehow we could not finish stitching on time. Hope you like them dear Guru Maharaj, we are sending the photo.

Yesterday ,we went inside the main market area for Sunday nagarkirtan. Blissful ...as always . Thank you dear Guru Maharaj. Started attending Mangal Arti at the temple daily nowadays with your endless mercy. Thank you so much.

Will try all we can to make the exchange program work if Krishna so desires. We have 2 very good dance teachers here who are closely associated with the temple. They train and make all the necessary arrangement. Will collect the motifs and do some homework on the tribal patterns and traditional designs, some of them are worn only by the royal blood. How may we help each other? We don't have sketches and other drawings based on SB and BG. We will keep praying that the movement gets bigger and stronger. Please help us Guru Maharaj ...we are so insignificant.....

Your servant always,

Sarada Gaurangi DD

Your servant always,

Sarada Gaurangi DD.

HpS - Wonderful!!!!    The devotees from Mexico are trying to contact you. Do you have Whatsapp?  Please send you telephone number and email to [email protected]