Letters to the editor

Hare Krishna, all glories to Sri Sri Goura Nitay, all glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Dear Guru Maharaja, please accept my humble obeisances.

I hope your health is getting better and your programs are going well. I have not written to you in a while, but some good things have happened during this time and I’d like to share them with you.

HpS - ASA -- Thank you.  Jaya Sri Krsna!

I don’t know if you remember, but I had started to teach cooking workshops in schools for children and teenagers with special needs.

ASA - We remember that you were feeding them but not that you were teaching them to cook. That is nice.

Well, I would like to tell you that during the second semester of the last year I was working with a quite humble school with students at social risk, which was a pretty enriching experience. This workshop was presented to the school administration as “Hare Krishna cooking”, with all its philosophical implications, and it had a great reception. The program was closed with a visit from part of the devotees, who went to the school, making a Kirtan with teachers and students, delivering sweet balls to all the children, and diplomas and recipes books to the participants. The principal was so grateful that she gave me the freedom to present this workshop again.

ASA - Get a letter from her and then you can use it for promoting other programs, no?

Also, I would like to talk to you about another subject, which is Judo. I feel pretty comfortable practicing this discipline. Actually, in some aspects it’s very similar to Krishna Consciousness; it’s quite philosophical, there is a clear hierarchy and it looks for a shared benefit. I have competed in national championships, where I’ve gotten gold medals and in a Pan-American championship where I got a silver medal. A few weeks ago I had the examination to ascend to blue belt (I have had examinations for 4 grades in less than 3 years, which is a great achievement for me). In fact, my Sensei wants to train me as a children’s instructor because of my commitment and the workshops I have had described before.

That’s why I thought that would be good to organize a meeting with some martial artists and you (Jagad-Guru told me that he talked to you about this), to show that martial arts could have a link with God, and that is meaningful that trainers and practitioners of these disciplines could do it with a higher conscious and not to abuse of that knowledge. That’s because I would like to know what would you like me to do to make this meeting possible. I’d be really grateful if you could give me any idea or advice that allow this program to be successful.

Grateful, your servant,

Parasurama Avatar Das. Santiago, Chile

HpS - ASA --- It seems fine. We can just explain Varna-ashrama-dharma a little bit and the history of the Mahabharata as an example and disribute BG and other books, shar Prasadam and invite them to join more programs.

Who will come?

Hare Krishna! Pamho, AGTSP!

Añadiendo a la carta anterior sobre educación, me olvidé invitar a todos los que puedan, a reunirnos por www.startmeeting.com el lunes a las 9.00 am hora Perú.

ID meeting: 992-055-489.

Ahi hemos venido hablado sobre pespectivas educativas. Bueno foro para conversar y plantear nuestras preocupaciones en el área educativa en ISKCON latinoamérica. 

También para ver cómo podemos participar en el simposio de Seattle.

Gracias.

ssLAD

Hare Krsna!!!

Follows letter from Rama-giri-dhari Das.

He had to go to a BIG WEDDING in South India for his sister's daughter. It was so remote that there was no cellphone connection. Niece was being married to Acharya's daughter. Brahmins were chanting entire Bhagavata purana. 11-days of ceremony. Then the night before the final fire Yajna, poor young lady was embarassed by her monthly hemorraging and could not join the ceremony.

Entire program into chaos. RGD trying to calm everyone.

We have no "helping hands" in India....  Hare Krsna!   Battle of Kuruksetra was also difficult time.

As we remember Sankara comments:

Oh, Krsna, the battle of Kuruksetra was as impassible as a great, violent river.

Drona with his army was the rage current,

Karna and other great warriors, the terrible sharks,

Bhisma the great unsurpassable river banks,

And Duryodhana the great whirlpool devouring everyone,

But you became the ferryman and safely took your devotee to the other side.

Can we stop one abortion? Save one babies life? Will that be enough for our efforts?

DEAR GURUDEVA,

PAOHO, AGTSP!

HOW ARE YOU?

HpS - Fine.

KALYAN CHAKRAVARTY HAS SOME GOOD CONTACTS IN VALENCIA (AT THE UNIVERSITY) AND IN MADRID (AT THE INDIAN EMBASSY

AND AT THE ICCR), TO ORGANIZE SOMETHING FOR YOU NEXT YEAR. HE WISH TO HAVE AN IDEA TO PROPOSE THE PROGRAM,

THIS WAS HIS E-MAIL:

If you wish I can ask ICCR and  Indian embassy in  Madrid. Please send me in the shape of a proposal. Will it be the exhibition on  Forms of Devotion and a seminar?

Hare Krishna, dear Gurumaharaja. Pamho, AGTSP!

I hope you're well.

First the bad news.

I didn't want to do it  publicly but I feel compelled to inform that the final agreement of the NIMSAR  board was to not use the name NIMSAR or resurrect the institution unless all the former members of the board, or the mayority, agree to re open the program.

M. Yugala insists in using the name NIMSAR for her own program without authorization. Some former member are confused due to this atittude.

ASA Buck White  -- Was this decision published in the Blog?  Do you have the Blog posting or a copy of this resolution from you Resolution book? If not then it is not legally binding. 'O'ink!

I'm sorry but I had to do this in public because she is doing it also and that is creating misundertadings. But due that you are the head of ASA, I guess it's up to you accept M. Yugala iniciative to re-open NIMSAR without us.

ASA Buck White - It is the perogotive of the SUAC. Oink!   Oink!  Grunt, but we just answered her letter and mother Isvari DD.

Now, the good news.

ASA - That was pretty good!

We had this nice meeting with prabhus Mathures and Karuna Krishna about management issues on Education in Perú. 

First point, that we considered important, was the designation of a coordinator in the area. We agreed that the right person was P. Karuna. So that'll be afficial in the next National Junta meeting. Several points to clarify. Jurisdictions, teachers, mandatory courses, seminars, etc. But the first step is done. 

The other detail is the examiner and manager for BS and BVB. I ,along with some other people, are helping out. M. Candra m. M. Isvari.

ASA - Well, why not include The Great Social Communicator, YkD?   Of course, we have people that we respect but with whom we can only work at a distance eg. Radha loves Candraval (at a distance).

We stressed the idea that there are people that are already following BS and need to be certify in some point. We mention that for now we are willing to help in the formal courses required for devotees. Bhakta course and BS, and BVB if we might. Something else can be done later on. 

We presented ourselves as members of ASA, because we work under your guidace and work with your educative material TPP, etc. (M. CandraM, M. Isvari, myself and some others). But We have to clarify our administrative relationship with ASA. I'm not sure if we may be exactly a branch or something more open like ASA México or ASA Chile.

ASA - We do not have official Branches, (we discussed this nicely this morning also, no?) in Mexico or Chile, but someone can be a congregational member of ISKCON, Life Member, so one can say he is a member of ASA if he just keeps his ideas here in the Blog but not a Member ('member', 'Member'). O.K?

One important point is that P. Karuna will be the one who consider and coordinate the other educational iniciatives so we can work in unity in diversity.

ASA - Then we are working with ISKCON Peru.  Very nice. ASA can have a friendhip club.

P. Mathures is working hard trying to get things organize in several areas. In education, I'll be helping P. Karuna but not like in a official post, otherwise some of my friends in the JN will freak out.

Another point that I forgot to bring was the coordination with the MOE. I think we can do it when things are more clear.

ASA - We discussed that this relationship with ISKCON Ministry of Education, (MOE) can develop during the Seattle Symposium and and that you will contact Jagad guru Das about involving people as representative of HpS, Member of the Executive Committe of MOE. Informal thing at this point.

We can talk more about details during our MEM (Mondays Educational Meetings).

ASA - We did!   It was cool.  Gotta learn how to all live in the Big House.

Thanks for your association and good advice.

ysLAD

Hare Krsna Dear Maharaja,

PAMHO, AGTSP!

We read that you have a fever, I hope your improvement.

ASA - We though we answered this letter a few days ago. We cannot find that posted answer with a quick look so here it is again!  Thank you!!!
We have "hay fever", allergy. NGD has it so bad he had to leave working at his hospital to lie down. We are under control but sneezing. 

I just realized that Lad had not asked for a formal permission to use the name ASA. Please apologize for the lack of formality, Lad forgets certain details.

Here in this letter, we request for permission to use the name of ASA.

SS Hanumat Presaka Swami (ASA)

PAMHO. AGTSP!

I am writing to you to express that we are an educational Team interested in developing Vaisnava education in Peru. And we would like to have the support and advice of ASA on educational issues.

Our Mission - Vision is very simple and specific, we specifically want to develop the courses Bhakti Sastri, Bhakti Vaibhava and the whole saga of the study of bhakti, we seek specialization.

For this reason, we ask for your permission to use the educational material of ASA and also to call us ASA- Peru. We are committed to developing close communication with Asa and the respective authorities.

The educational group consists of eight people, who will be teachers of courses:

Laksmana agraja d, Candramukhi dd, Lila sakti dd, Isvari dd, Abhinanda d, Tarangaksi dd, Rupa gosay d.

The structure of the organization is linear and autonomous, there will only be 3 Coordinators of 3 areas (Academic, Courses, Procedures and communication) that will work with the National Board.

We have sent our service proposal to the National Board and we will await a response

We look forward to qualifying and being accepted into ASA.

I will be waiting for your response and thank you for your consideration

Lord Nrsimhadeva protect you

ys Isvari dd

ASA-SUAC, Secretary, Buck White - Thank you for your letter. These are formalities but not without meaning, like wedding ceremony or initiation ceremony!

1. Do not us the the name ASA in a formal sense until you have approval from the ASA-SUAC (Anjana Suta Academy - Supreme Undifferentiated Absolute Commando) with includes: Tom Brown (Monkey), Buck White, Guy (Uncle) Gismo, PhD, Prof. H. H. Robinson (Hanumatpresaka Swami) and a bunch of other mixed Dudes.

2. Submit a Request for Banch Affiliation with ASA here. The devotees in Mexico should do the same. ASA is a Branch of ISKCON. Our GBC Secretary currently is Tamohara Das and our head-quarters are in Murfreesboro, TN 37129, USA.

Our Mission (from Preface of NOI) is to qualifiy ourselves to help Lord Caitanya in His mission of giving the science of Krsna to humanity (an animality) at large by studying the literature left by the six Goswamis. NOI constitutes first instructions.

Branches must have a President (and Vice-Presidents with different areas if desired), a Secretary and a Treasurer. Secretary must post a Report regularly in the Blog (every fortnight can be good). Then we can work out details.

O.K?

Management should be by consensus and then can be formalized by a vote of members.