Letters to the editor

Hare Krsna Dear Gurudev,
    Please accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet.
    All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
    All glories to Guru parampara.

    Gurudev, am back in Pune on October 24, 2016. By your best wishes, the trip was super hit.
    Everything done by "Bhakta Prami"-Madav only, he was doing everything and at the end he has
    given me the credit also (for everything). i am amazed how the whole trip went. Literally, he
    was doing everything (i know my limitations)....am still amazed. May be i don't be able
    to forget.

    Spent days at Pakhanjore (North Baster District - Kanker), down town of 195 villages.
    Schedule and programs were back to back (completely packed). Meet with teachers, students, house holders,
    senior citizens etc. Response was un-expected.

    There were many house hold programs.

    Inaugurated a Book distribution center. SP books will be distributed from that center.
    Started weekly house hold programs.

    Hope to visit again in next 4-6 months and continue so. we have to prepare ourself for the
    next trip based on feedback received from this trip. Have to explore similar ways for you and SP.
    we just see the way you are doing and.... we continue....you gives the actual strength. i won't be able to pay you.

    Hope your India schedule / programs are structured now. Hope we would have clear dates.

your fallen servant,
Girivaradhari-Gopal Das

HpS - Thank you for the reports!    Man proposes and God disposes.   We try to give whatever we can, be sincere and Krsna does what He thinks is best.  Draupadi never lost faith that all that was happening was part of a larger plan of Krsna (although she expressed her complaints).   Your report is so nice.

You can see in other letter that the India Calendar is now 77% fixed. The dates for Navi-Mumbai/Pune are basically fixed. Do you have any suggestions then about filling up this time? Of course Rama-giridhari Das has some thoughts and Dr. Samaresh will have some contacts.

We have our tickets: Delhi>Tirupati>Chennai>Kolkatta.

We hope you have good perspective from Krsna to go ahead with your specific preaching and how to fit it into a broad strategy for your life's mission.

Hare Krsna dear Guru Maharaj,

Please accept my most humble obeisances.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

We are really missing the association of this blog and have been proliferating what to write, and decided to tell ourselves to keep it simple stupid or else we have the tendency to speculate and analyze an action for so long we don't do it. Thanks to Srinivas Prabhu for consulting to us junior leaguers to send a paragraph a month instead of a book to you. I think to be honest Guru Maharaj I deliberate because I always want to be doing better than I am and then give a sparkling report. Now I will be reporting As it is, the tale of Kamagayatri bafoonery once a month in 800 words or less. Then our procrastination tendencies (BG 18.28) can take a hitchhike, small obtainable goals, and the tortoise can win the race. Thankyou Guru Maharaj for listening to our babble.

Right now we do the peer support services, a type of social work I guess 4 to 5 days a week with clients in between service and 2 days we have off with Aja where we read SB, Ramayana, do homeschool, cook, etc. We hope to become more regulated and attend readings at the temple as well at 8 am before his Spanish kindergarten school days on Monday and Tuesday. Individual classes on BG with you and Ananta Rupa on Wednesday and Friday which requires an hour of studying on our own time, damodarastikam at the temple as well in the evenings. We do the cooking, offering, and Arati every Thursday since Murari left the beginning of September (he will be back November 13th), cooking Saturday morning, and Guru Puja every Sunday. With Arudha leaving and class ending we'll do the Arati on Wednesday night and Saturday until Murari returns.

Sunday school has been going on at a slow throttle speed after we wrapped up our week long Krsna camp using Arudha's SB comprehensive guide. The Krsna Janmastami camp was a great turn out of a dozen children ages 3 to 12, making paper mache dioramas, practicing there Damadarastikam pastime play, kids Kirtan and Krsna storytime with Mother Arudha, feasts cooked every day by the mothers, cupcakes, pizza and prasad junk food, water games in the afternoon. We also made a kids Rathayathra cart this last July...so activities have been steady.  Now interest is finally there and Krsna has sent volunteers so we can do a 6 week Sunday school session with the devotee kids and congregation kids. We will be starting after Diwali am with Ananta Rupa guiding/encouraging and some mother volunteers to help. Trying  to balance work, school, seva, Japa so our head does not fall off. We were supposed to study for a test to pass the national counselor exam and get licensed, but we may have to put this off until end of January since there are pressing services and it's hard to see prabhuji do so much at his age... Ananta Rupa says we have more determination now, but honestly Im working on consistency steadiness and confidence. We are getting high association from high places which helps with this, but we definitely need more confidence that we possess the maturity, faith, and intelligence to maintain this schedule.. we will very much miss the Wednseday classes. Guru Maharaj will there still be something digital we can attend?

Thankyou for saving us from the snake pit of maya and having mercy on a rascal like us, we can't imagine how miserable we would be without it. The snakes are still trying to charm us no doubt, but for now my only maya is 100 psychology, self help and contemporary fiction books we got through a going out of business sale and we Created a rule of reading after finishing our devotional daily tasks and usually we are too tired to be able to pursue it. Is this is ok, I'm not sure? Art sometimes reminds me too much of a past life worth forgetting about, but I am interested in studying Different styles of prose writing to get a grasp on how I would like to write. Let me know if you have some thoughts on how to study without taking in the association of the writer, if that's even possible ... Thankyou so much !!! For listening. 

Your aspiring servant,

Kamagayatri Dasi

HpS - Hare Krsna. Focus on chanting 16+ good rounds. Adjust everything to support, stimulate this, husband, Church, children, progression, recreation, etc. You will then discover your level of spiritual life. May be very impersonal. Chanting at its best may be based upon a series of transcendental though material tricks to engage the mind, but that's okay.

Otherwise where will the center of your life be with so many things happening?

We will try to work with Boise temple for nice class programs that you can join.

Your life seems such potentially wonderful! ! !

Dear Guru Maharaja, please accept my humble obeisances.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

In Introduction of D. Haberman's rendition of Bhaktirasamrtasindhu, there are  citations from Neal Delmonico (aka Nitai das). Considering the case Nitai had with Srila Prabhupada, how should we take that D. Haberman cites Nitai?

AC Bhaktivedanta Swami - Letter to: ALL GBC MEMBERS -- Vrindaban 15 September, 1976

NOTE TO ALL GBC MEMBERS:

Please let it be known that Nitai has become a venomous serpent. Be careful of him.

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Letter to: ALL GBC MEMBERS -- Vrindaban 15 September, 1976

Your servant Namacarya das

HpS - Thank you very much. We did not know his secular name. Prabhupada praised s book that Satsvarupa Maharaja wrote for university students, dating that he had chief Si many demons but his bio had not been contaminated.

We would have to look at the individual citations. We disagree with some of the things D Haberman says. We try to use it for its practical knowledge. DH respects devotees, devotee scholars.

. Lord Chaitanya took Sannyasa in Mayavadu sampradaya took reach the scholars etc.

O.K?

Hare Krisna maharaja

PAMHO AGTSP

Am  I suffering ?

Or may be I am surfing

May be I am surfering

in the material world.

Right now in Alicante 

Our plan was to perform some Sankirtana (Book distribution) Jagya but as usuall Krisna had some other plans.

Got involved in Yasodanandana prabhu Krisna cusine Lila.

Yadu Swami, Nitiananda prabhu and my good self try to help in the mediation.

Finally we got a win win solution by krisna´s merci.

We are trying to help Yasodanandana prabhu´s family to stablish in Radadesh.

He has a sister in brussels and she would like to support and we belife is a nice place for the children to grow.

Yasodanandana prabhu is allready there. Lets see wich are the plans of the teenager and his flute.

Marta and my self keep surfing in the material world dressing the mess with some bhakti stuff.

Basic shadana 16/4 reg

Dealing with some cyatic nerve pain and geting recover from the 3 years service in Madrid slowly but surely.

Some book distribution

Taking care of the veg garden (we are now 70 % food self suffency, got potatos, and pumquins for the whole winter and plenty of salad and beets, carrots, Kale, cabagge, chard , etc) we eat simply but healthy

Also developing some euro funding projects:

Took some 15 second generation devotees to the slovenian padayatra for 15 days it was a crazy, nice trip. All of the boys and girls restablish their identities as young vaisnavas, many of them cried on the begining because did not want to come and then cried at the end because they did not want to go back home.

These Euro funding and the sankirtan is helping us to get out of debts and hopefully we will get rid of on the beguining of 2017.

Also helping yadunandana swami´s institute and other ISKCON friendly projects to get acces to the funding.

We also got a nice second hand 9 seats van and we are using it in the service of the sankirtan and the devotees.

So Basicaly we have our base at north Spain, taking care of my lovely vrindavan son. 

He will go to university in 2 and 1/2 years then we will see.

Doing some sankirtan and some devotee care.

Taking care of the garden and working with second generation and euro funding.

From the administrative point of view I am under the authoritie of Yadunandana Swami and GBC Hrdaya Caitanya but basicaly running my own organitation www.asociacion-nandagram.org

One devotee asked me if I worship my own deities and then I thought that the devotees are my deities I am not patient enough to worshes but I love to help devotees to fulfill their dreams and to solve their obstucles so for now on I will acept devotees as my deities.

Miss you a lot

Hope to see you soon

Ysv

JMHD

-

HPS - Hare Krsna. AgtSP. Thank you for your letter. First principle is that we can die at any moment. A driver can lose control on the highway and smash your body into mutilated corpse or... first we accept this principle and give our life to Krsna. Then the witch cannot touch us.

Then understand your service to Krsna and Prabhupada. Talk with them.

Then develop your team, friends. Then look at the institution. It may be good it may be bad. Accept it as it is and work to help it.

That was Prahlada attitude toward his father, institution.

             Hare Krsna Gurumaharaja!

             Todas las Glorias a S:D:G Srila Prabhupada!!

              Por favor acepte nuestras Humildes reverencias a sus divinos pies de loto!! (ASA - Loco)

              Guru Maharaja, Hemos estados 2 year en este maravilloso proyecto de Krsna Cuisine y todo va viento en popa, cada dia mas personas se acercan a tomar Prasadam, a los programas de Bhagavad Gita los miercoles, Fiestas de Bhakti-Yoga los domingos, festival  vegan fest en Alicante y festivales  de yoga, todo ello Gracias al apoyo de Nityananda Prabhu, antiguo presidante del templo de Lisboa portugal!!   

                Kesava Bharati Prabhu esta cultivando y creando un solido equipo de devotos rus@s que estan trabajando en el proyecto y felices de poder practicar conciencia de krsna y a su vez ganar su vida. 

                Debido a la intensidad del trabajo y a nuestras diferencias Spico-fisicas y culturales se han creado tensiones entre nosotros, despues de varios dias de analisis y busqueda de soluciones en un equipo formado por Yadunandana Swami, Jaramara Haridas prabhu; Nityananda Prabhu, hemos  llegado a un acuerdo, en el que se pondran todos los medios necesarios para cambiarnos a Radhadesh y es algo que nos hace muy felices porque nunca hemos vivido en una comunidad con devotos y porque pensamos es un buen momento para los kids tener mas asociacion con devotos de su edad, vivir y estudiar en un entorno mas devocional. Yo seguiria preparando prasadam en la cocina del restorant de Radhadesha y apoyar a mi hermana con su teatro de sombras en Brussels si fuese posible.

                Vemos y sentimos la mano de Srimati Radharani en todo este arreglo y vivimos en la  ilimitada compasion y misericordia sin causa de H;D;G Srila Prabhupada, Que nos desciende a traves de usted, solo un alma tan compasiva y llena de conciencia de krsna como usted

HpS - ASA  -  Es misericordia de Srila Prabhupada que podemos actuar de cualquiere modo sano!

...puede tolerar tantos inconvenientes causados por un tonto y arrogante como yo, Por favor Guru Maharaja, sea compasivo y perdone nuestras ofensas a sus pies de loto!!

                 Su inutil Sirvientes Yasodanandana Das y Ekadrsti D.d

                  TODA GLORIA A H,D,G SRILA PRABHUPADA!!     HARE KRSNA!!             

          P.D :    Yo tengo a una hermana  mayor; Lira Mercedes Campoamor, Que vive desde hace 8 year en Brusselas , 2 hijos estudiantes en la universidad de parlamento brussels y tiene una pequenia compania de teatro de sombras chinescas que funciona muy bien en Brussels, es una Devota de Krsna pero nesecita asociacion.

                    PD: Que piensa usted de todo esto Guru Maharaja?? es correcto lo que hacemos?

HpS - ASA - Of what we can understand of the situation from Nashville, Tennessee it seems very nice, on a very good path to the little town in the big forest, Vrndavana.

Radha desa is a little isolated. Are there children there?

I used to travel a lot with my friends Lokanatha Das. We had marrionets and shadow puppets. One show was, "The Sparrow Who Lost Her Eggs to the Ocean". It's in a purport in the BG!

More news as it happens!

Expect big adventures! 

Dear Guru Maharaj,

Please accept my humble obeisances, all glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Since we last met, I spent some time visiting friends in Atlanta & family in South Carolina. I spent some time working on a few pieces commissioned by relatives and then I just arrived in Charleston a few days ago. It took longer than expected to get here, and I have less time than I hoped for but where there's a will there's a way. It's all very exciting.

Blake & I met right away to set a schedule for everything we need to do, and it's a long list, but I asked advice from a curator in Sumter and I was relieved to find that it all seems a little easier than I was expecting.

The other day we met the gallery owner who will be hosting our show. She was very amicable and willing to help us with promotion. The venue is small but well placed. It is a storefront at a psychiatric office that hosts art exhibits in their lobby. It is in a "hip" part of town with restaurants and bars where a lot of young people hang out. There's even a yoga studio right next door. I was thinking maybe in the future we could even arrange for you to speak at an exhibition there. I'm sure both the clinic and the yoga studio would be thrilled to have you.

I've been trying to develop some imagery to visually represent different concepts like the body mind and soul and their interactions, so Blake and I were discussing at length about our theme. It's amazing how sometimes a simple conversation can have a profound effect of enabling people to witness their own ideas which may otherwise have remained embryonic in their minds forever. I really felt like a "philosophical midwife" in this instance and I could practically see her coming to significant realizations about how the soul is different from the brain, about how only love of God can truly satisfy the self.

Although we are currently utilizing her flat as a studio space, the roommates and visitors  are constantly coming and going. She has pictures of Krishna and Mahaprabhu all over the house (even a Jagannath sticker on her car dashboard) and I usually put out a photo of you also while I'm working so I never feel like I'm ever alone with just her. Even though the situation is not ideal, it's not the worst either. It looks like she also likes to hear your lectures, so I try to play them as often as possible while working.

We just had our first meeting with our other contributors and they all seem as fired up as we are about it. Our goals for this week are to complete as much art as possible (including a commission I got some time ago) so we can put together a press packet by the weekend. We want to include an image & short statement from each contributor. After that we will try to get my videographer friend Chap to compile some "work in progress" footage from the studio that we can circulate as a kind of trailer.

As far as my personal sadhana goes, everything is streamlined, and sometimes a little scattered, but a full program seems to get done somehow or other and I'm chanting a good16 rounds early in the morning and getting some reading in. Throughout the day I try to engage everyone around me in hearing and chanting as much as possible, especially since it's kartik.

I'll be staying at my friend Chap's house for the duration of my stay here and trying to instill in him some good habits while I'm around. He is struggling on his own out here and he is very grateful to have some association.

The situation is a bit chaotic, because I have to deal with my friends' lifestyles and their mundane daily struggles like loss and rejection etc, but it seems they really appreciate a Krishna Conscious perspective on things. I've been cooking prasad for everyone practically every day and even though I have to deal with using other peoples cooking supplies and occasionally people tasting bhoga and other inconveniences, the atmosphere is all very nice. I'm trying to imbibe the mood that Srila Prabhupada had early on when engaging hippies and not not focus on things that people couldn't or wouldn't do, but rather focus on what people can and would do. The way I see it is that this kind of independent preaching is like being in a speedboat rather than a giant tanker. At the temple, you don't feel so much the crashing of the waves of the modes of material nature, but this program enables me to be more flexible and maneuverable in terms of getting things done. Although it's kind of a bumpy ride I feel safe knowing that if I stay focused on serving you and Krishna I will always be protected no matter what the situation.

Your shudra servant, 

Ekashma Das

HpS-ASA - Super!  AGTSP!!   paoho...   you serving prasad at the event??

I forgot about the painting of Prabhupada that you gave us and then I saw it on our book case and now end up contemplating it as the King of our living room whenever we are there. That's all it really takes, no?  How would Prabhupada look at this situation...

Keep yourself a little grounded as a leader so that you can teach other people to do your current job and then everything can expand.

When is the event?

Send a link to the Trailer.

Please send photo of the Blake and others!