Letters to the editor

Anjana-suta-academy
American Bhagavata Curriculum
[ASA – ABC]

Saturday Morning Workshop

AGTSP!  Paoho.
Prabhus, Maharajas, Matajis et al,

Starting 26^th August, next Saturday, we will be meeting at www.startmeeting.com or telephone at +1 701 801 1220, [Meeting # 992 055 489], at:

• 9AM Nashville time,
• 8AM Boise time,
• 7AM San Jose time.

This is an experiment to make the class late enough so that San Jose devotees can finish their Japa etc.

On the 26^th we will do:

1. A general overview of Sastric Studies in ISKCON;
2. Pada-padma, Cantos 1-2; and
3. Inaugurate our ASA, Bhakti-vedanta Curriculum Development Program.

We are trying our very best to accommodate everyone with these schedules and contents. The program will be recorded and available on line and there will also be a review for European devotees, in English, at 1.30PM Monday’s, Nashville time.

Please adjust your service to join us for the benefit of Srila Prabhupada’s whole Sankirtan movement.

Thank you so very much,
HpS - ASA

Hare Krishna, dear Gurumaharaj. Pamho, AGTSP!

Here I'am in Arequipa, Perú, for a week of seminars with devotees. I'm giving an introduction of 3 very important courses for leaders: Lidership and Management, Communications, and Conflict resolving. I think that every manager in ISKCON have to take this courses. Furthermore, My opinion is that this have to be one of the qualifications to take any post of reponsability within ISKCON. I've already took the 3 courses and now I'm giving my own version.Well, ASA version, I mean that I'm adding many of your injuctions about this topic that I've learnt form you for many years. Devotees are very excited and enthused with this seminar. Takes a lot of preparation: study guides taken from ISKCON documents, ppt shows. I'm very satisfied with my work. Of course, this is happening due to your mercy and blessings and the blessings of all my friends that Ive been receiving during these days.

On saturday I'm giving a Pada Padma seminar (3 hours) obviously with your study guides and ppts shows. And I'm coming back to Chosica for Janmastami and Prabhupada's festival.

HpS - ASA --- Wow!   You are really active for a "dead guy".  Amazing.   Your body was damaged to death and now you are injecting real knowledge into the World Wide Web!!!

Next new is that I'm doing my matriculation to study my master degree in La Cantuta. I've already missed one semester becouse I did'nt make my mind properly and some problems  with paper work. I think that I cannot just sit and wait to happend something regarding to my wish to travel and have experience abroad as I was thinking. If everything goes well, I'll be starting my classes on Setember for a year and a half. The investiment is not that much so I can deal with that with no much effort.

HpS - ... and you will meet interesting people who may invite you to visit different worlds and you can show them how to offer bread and cheese to Lord Shiva and Lord Ganesha after they are offered to Govinda!   Such great preaching opportunities!

Please, give me your merciful blessings to acomplish this or just intelligence to figure what Prabhupada and Krishna want me to do for them.  I hope my proyects are good enough for you too.

HpS - ASA -- They are super.  Just grab the elephant anywhere and eventually you will know the whole beast!

Goura gadhadara is sending regards. She is also looking for something else. She wants to expand her preaching. She wants to go to a place where she can work with devotees on worship and do something with other people on things she knows like yoga, etc. She is asking for contacts. She wants contact that devotee that have this proyect in Alaska that you always mention. Please, send some mail, address or something.

HpS - ASA -- Shyam-gopala Das. Dinali Lodge.  He sold it for something like $12-million or less and then had spinal hernia and had to spend three hours up in the air like an automobile on a metal rack getting body repair! Tough go, ei, Mate!!!   Well, death is the sum-total of all bad experiences so I guess people like Prabhuji and you have the advantage over us of getting ready!  The other person would be Visvanatha-cakra-varti Das in Chile!  She might even want to go and join his Yoga studio.  I don't know too much about this, but I think it can be very, very successful.

I'm understanding more and more the importance of the FMP and I'm preaching a lot about it everytime that I have the chance. I have a few students and friends and we always talk about it. Always quoting what I've learnt from you.

HpS - ASA -- We learned it from Prabhupada, who I guess learned it from Krsna, in His example in the KRSNA book of the Daily Affairs of Lord Krsna (which also explains why roosters don't have much money).

If there's anything good in me is due to your mercy.

HpS - ASA -- We are a pig made into to an aviator by His Divine Grace, no humility involved.   A mean pig.

If I know anything is because of you. I've learnt that to be succesful in KC we require lots of intelligence and that is built with nice rounds during brahma muhurta and Srimad Bhagavatam...there's not other way...convinced more and more. Without this our devotion is weak, more o less a nice illusion.

Thanks for listening. And again, without your blessings I'm nothing. Please, remember me in your prayers.

your eternal servant,

The LaD

HpS - ASA -- I hope that you are getting more and more profound intelligence about your service, Sankirtan, in this life and even eternally!!   Let's stay in touch forever?!!   My repects to Dandakaranya Das and Rukmini-sundari Devi Dasi et al!!!!     Arrequipa can lead the world.  The latent volcano of love.

TLGASP.  Querido Guru Maharaj ,por favor acepte mis respetuosas reverencias, a sus pies. Gracias una y otra vez, por su misericordia de aceptarme como su discipula, se que no puede haber avance en la vida espiritual sin la misericordia de Krishna y sus representantes, los amados maestros espirituales que van por el mundo dando misericordia, en respuesta a los deseos sinceros de querer regresar a Goloka, cuando realizamos nuestra verdadera constitucion y felicidad de eternos sirvientes de Krishna, gracias Gurumaharaj, por aceptarme subir a su barca que nos ayuda a cruzar este turbulento Oceano de nescencia, llevo en mi corazon sus instrucciones dadas en mi Iniciacion como la mas importante Guia para el resto de mi vida, los 4 principios, las 16 rondas y seguir a mi esposo, que es un devoto de tantas cualidades.

HpS - Jaya, Yadu-nandana!

Seguimos fijos todo el Sadhana, programa completo 16 rondas ,Mangala arati, clase del Srimad Bhagavatam, Govinda, Gaura Arati, clase del Bhagavad Gita.... estoy estudiando Bhakti Sastri con Prabhu Laksmana, nos asociamos con los devotos de Tarapoto, seguimos con los Retiros Espirituales en Conciencia de Krishna, que esperamos sea mas fuerte, luego que construyamos la casa Templo en las montañas verdes , que ya estan creciendo y produciendo la tierra, que hemos puesto por nombre Vrindhavam y Nueva Govardham, estamos trabajando en este projecto, estos ultimos 3 años, pedimos sus bendiciones, para terminar este nuevo hermoso hogar de sus Señorias Krishna y Balaram, sin ellas no podremos lograrlo, aca donde abunda el agua,rios, los manantiales de agua pura y la tierra ofrece en abundancia sus frutos, tal vez para el proximo año, tengamos la bendicion de su  santa Asociacion, habra un lugar especial para su descanso, como sabe tuvimos que mudarnos por aca , ya que aqui la delicada salud de Prabhu Yadu se estabiliza. quien intenta servirlo de corazon... Apurva Sundari devi dasi

HpS - ASA --- Fotos, fotos!    Good fotos.  Un Power point with map of where you are in Peru. Who is there with you? What you are growing for your Deities?  Map of our land and neighborhood.    Nice Bhajan, Kirtan.

Thank you all for your association, determination!!!    Now Second Initiation (3rd (4th...)))

Hare Krsna Guru Maharaja.

Por favor acepte mis más respetuosas reverencias.

Todas las glorias sean para Srila Prabhupada!

Gurudev, quiero agradecerle profundamente el habernos visitado en Santiago. Muchas gracias Gurudev por todo Su esfuerzo, ya que a pesar de estar enfermo casi la mayor cantidad del tiempo, Usted no dejó de predicar, dando las clases en el templo, conferencias, y atendiendo preguntas de los devotos y personas en general. Espero que pueda mejorarse pronto.

Es admirable la fuerza y la determinación con la que Usted se mueve en el servicio devocional. Gurudev , muchas gracias por aceptarme como su discípula, a pesar de mis eternos anarthas.. Es difícil lidiar con tantos anarthas, y a medida que el tiempo pasa, aparecen más y más. Por favor deme Sus bendiciones para poder algún día dejar de ser una Kanistha Adhikari. Por favor denos Sus bendiciones, para que en nuestra familia nunca olvidemos a Krsna, y podamos algún día ser bendecidos con el servicio devocional puro. 

Gurudev, sé que no podré plantearle mis preguntas antes que usted viaje a Perú, entonces quiero hacerle mis preguntas aquí. Disculpe si no soy muy experta al hacer preguntas. A veces tengo muchas dudas, pero no sé cómo plantearlas adecuadamente.

Gurudev, para el Curso Bhakti Sastri del próximo año, qué puedo incluir? Tomando parte del programa de estudio que Usted realiza?. Me gustaría mucho poder incluir en el curso, las cosas que Usted da en el Curso BS.

¿Cuánto tiempo debe durar idealmente el curso Bhakti Sastri?

¿Cómo puedo tener acceso al libro de "Educación en el Hogar?

¿Cómo puedo conseguir el manual de Introducción al Bhakti Yoga actualizado?, el que actualizaron en España?

Guru Maharaja, muchas gracias otra vez por Su compasión para con todas las personas, gracias por Su ejemplo, ojalá algún día pueda tener esos sentimientos que tienen los grandes devotos hacia todos, sin distinción, y aprender a perdonar, y tantas otras cualidades que no tengo.

No quiero adularlo, sólo agradecerle. Espero no hacerlo sentir incómodo con mis palabras.

Mis eternas reverencias Guru Maharaja.

Disculpe por favor cualquier ofensa.

Su aspirante a sirviente.

Priya Sakhi Devi Dasi

HpS - Hare Krsna. We will write simply in English so www.translate.google.com can translate clearly. Thank you for your interest in education. First thing we need to do is get our magazine on education in ISKCON going in Spanish. What is happening in terms of this with Jagat guru Das?

We were waitng for Laksmana agra ja Das to write with his opinion on the quality of the translation of Mataji's book into Spanish and then start study groups. We can send it to you. Do you want to do that? Who will help you start the groups?

We posted our study guides for Bh Sastri in the Archives in English. They start with "tpp-". Are you and authorized Bhakti sastri center through the Ministry of Education? The requirements are on the website: iskconeducation.org.

Hare Krsna!!!!  Thank you so much for you efforts. Our respects to your family!

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

Hare Krishna !!

Dear Guru Maharaj,

PAMHO....at your Lotus feet.

HpS - ASA -- Lettuce feet.

So true....we are such a miserable lot.....trying to stay afloat in this terrible ocean of Maya!! Long, long ago....Manipuris took pride in their inert humility, their high level of bhakti, vividly depicted in their folklore, the vibrant dance forms and the performing arts...the land,  they say...the Gods took to dancing. Today,we see a dwindling Vaishnava tradition....just like clutching the weeds by a drowning man!! But their is still Hope....there's a lot of work to be done....we are identifying our drawbacks and starting to revive the almost lost culture. Having grown up in a Vaishnava family, it is painful to see demonism flying haywire.

Usually , most local temples have a pair of Jagannath. So most carts carry two Jagannaths. In some, we see just one Jagannath enjoying the yaatra!! While in some we see all the three deities. Ohhhh....talk about Gandhi..on this day....everywhere....Jagannath goes...the meek Gandhi follows ...if lucky enough, Gandhi lands up around the neck of Jagannath....beautifully adorned amongst the flowers...no dearth of lotuses and water lilies...just the right season!!

Sending some photos.....from Serou. The kirtan hall was almost full ....thank you Guru Maharaj for your blessings! The Jagannath, Baladeva and Subhadra pics  are from local temples.

In all humility,

Your miserable , fallen servant,

Sarada Gaurangi DD

HpS - Of course, took a long time to answer this letter. Traveling and so many people want to talk.  We want to help revive the Manipuri culture.   Seems that an agreement between Peru and Manipur would do a lot to help that. We can have brother and sister and another visit Peru and teach dance, drum, music etc. and students could go from Peru to Manipur for credit to study.

Wonderful fotos!

HK/HR

Exchanging text-messages with Anantarupa Das and Radhika-ramana Das about our daily SB reading. They say they just started Canto One, Chapter Four, "Vyasa Meets Narada Muni"; and just finished SB 6.9, "Appearance of Vrtasura". I think they read First Canto when there are new guests and then Sixth when it is just themselves.

We mentioned that we have notes at www.jayarama.us/archives/pdp-csg.docx. We looked at them and of course we can improve them.

Looked in our computer archives and could not find any Bhakti-vaibhava CSG for Canto Six. We will ask Srivasa pandita Das for them.

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.5.11):

tad-vāg-visargo janatāgha-viplavo
yasmin prati-ślokam abaddhavaty api
nāmāny anantasya yaśo ’ṅkitāni yac
chṛṇvanti gāyanti gṛṇanti sādhavaḥ

“On the other hand, that literature which is full of descriptions of the transcendental glories of the name, fame, form and pastimes of the unlimited Supreme Lord is a transcendental creation meant for bringing about a revolution in the impious life of a misdirected civilization. Such transcendental literature, even though irregularly composed, is heard, sung and accepted by purified men who are thoroughly honest.”

Any purified men who are thoroughly honest in Boise?  If there are then they will start coming to these classes, no?