Letters to the editor

Hare Krsna dear Guru Maharaja

Dandavats pranamas. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

I hope you are in good health.

Still no answer from Rama Giridhari Prabhu, but I am being patient. <img alt="smiley" height="23" src="http://hps-d6.monkeywarrior.com/sites/all/libraries/ckeditor/plugins/smiley/images/regular_smile.png" style="line-height: 1.5;" title="smiley" width="23" />

HpS - ASA -- Enthusiasm is more important than Patience (NOI 3). His phone number is: 91 india 93 22 69 1013+the day of your birthday. eg. 1013 would be 1012 if your birthdate was the 1st. (UG did this). If it is 9PM in Peru it is 7.30AM the next day in India.

To your request, a little about your servant. My harinama inititation was in Radhastami 1999 and my brahmana inititation was in Gaura Purnima 2003. I was lecturing in Bhagavad-gita since 1995. I was gurukula teacher in Chosica between 1994 - 1996. Actor and Director of Jagannatha Theatre from 1995 to 2008. Involved in Bhakti-vrksa developing and preaching. I was lecturing in Srimad Bhagavatam since 1999. Head Pujari at ISKCON Lima in 2000. Head Pujari at ISKCON Miraflores from 2002 to 2005. I passed the Facilitation I course and obtained the Certification from VTE in 2003. I passed the Leadership and Management course in 2003. The same year I started to teach the bhakta course and helping devotees to prepare for harinama and brahmana initiation tests, etc. We participated in a temporal Commission of Education in 2005. Head Pujari at ISKCON Chosica between 2006 - 2007. I obtained the Bhakti-sastri degree in 2011. Member of the ISKCON Miraflores Board from february 2012 to february 2014. A new Commission of Education appears in july 2012 from the National Board and started a new Introduction to Bhakti-yoga course, I developed the entire study program. In charge of ISKCON Miraflores Education since july 2012. Member of the ISKCON Peru National Board since november 2012. Appointed by the National Board as its Secretary in september 2013. Appointed by the ISKCON Miraflores Board as its Secretary in february 2014. June 2014, appointed by the National Board as Director of the Commission of Education ISKCON Peru. Member of the ISKCON Lima Board from february 2014 to 2015. In charge of ISKCON Lima Education since february 2014. In charge of ISKCON Lima Communications since february 2014. In charge of ISKCON National Board Communications since june 2014. May 2015, I passed the ISKCON Disciple Course and obtained the certificaction. August 2015, speaker at Regional Meeting of Education in Chosica. We are working with the National Board to standardize the requisites and tests for refugees, harinama and brahmana initiations. Now, the Commission of Education is organizing the first ISKCON Disciple Course to be 26 october - 1 november with Baladeva Prabhu in Lima.

About the Commission of Education ISKCON Peru.

PRESENTATION AND WORK PLAN

Introduction

The Commission of Education is primarily an empowering body, facilitating education and educators. Therefore the Commission recommends values, principles and guidelines, in accordance with the teachings of Srila Prabhupada. It is also involved with issues of assessment and accreditation for educational initiatives and institutions. The Commission takes the responsibility for the development of education in ISKCON Peru. Facilitates any facet of the implementation of education and coordinates with the whole of existing educational initiatives.

VISION

Be the educational entity that provides Krsna conscious quality education through centers, educational institutions and various initiatives in ISKCON Peru nationwide.

MISSION

Promote and develop the education system in ISKCON Peru, for the integral formation of our community and the general public, in accordance with the purposes of ISKCON.

OBJECTIVES

To establish, maintain, and monitor effective quality systems to:

1. Instruct and train all devotees in the principles and practices of Krsna Consciousness, qualifying the members according to their aptitudes and interest to contribute to the welfare of ISKCON.
2. Train appropriate devotees to teach the principles and practices of Krsna Consciousness.
3. Equip students with all the skills required for a productive life in Krsna Consciousness.
4. Support devotees in developing and furthering their life-skills.
5. Meet ISKCON’s need for qualified people to serve its mission, by devotees equipped with the basic tools for favorable service.
6. Host, promote and recognize the educational initiatives, according to the requirements of MED.
7. Develop the National Education Plan, gathering proposals from existing educational initiatives for discussion and integration.

FUNCTIONS

1. Promote Krsna conscious quality education in the devotees and develop the education system in ISKCON Peru.
2. Recommend values, principles and guidelines for the empowerment of educators and the improving of educational initiatives.
3. Promote the importance of having qualified members in ISKCON community as an essential mechanism for institutional strengthening.
4. Accredit educational initiatives and institutions for inclusion and gather their plans, strategies and models.
5. Coordinate with the whole of existing educational initiatives and intermediate communication between them, within the educational system of ISKCON Peru.
6. Implement and promote programs for the development of education in ISKCON Peru.
7. Periodically monitor and provide advice to educational programs undertaken by educational initiatives and institutions.
8. Organize educational meetings seeking openness to dialogue, generating agreements and commitments in assembly

HpS - ASA - Ooof!   It is nice but starts to seem redundant and not connected to tangible results. Seems you should make it smaller, and get to work, and then modify it after seeing some results.  We read on.

GOALS

Achieve the training of devotees according to values, knowledge and skills in:

Bhakti-yoga, Guru-disciple, Sastra, Brahminical culture, Worship, Education, Communications, Leadership and Management, Bhakti-vrksa.

Aditionally:

Sankirtana, Cooking, Kirtana, Hatha-yoga, Ayur-veda, Jyotir-veda, Vastu-veda, Natya-veda, Varnasrama.

Organize effective communications media to spread all relevant information that involves the whole of existing educational initiatives.

HpS - Eg. you could say educated as taught in Srila Prabhupada's books.

ORGANIZATION

Direction: - Director, - Secretary, - Treasurer.

Members: - Responsible for education of each center in Peru, - Representatives of educational initiatives and institutions.

Collaborators: - Communications, - Design, - Pedagogy, - Organization, - Planning.

Advisors: - Spiritual masters, authorities and senior vaisnavas.
Thank you very much.
Your eternal servant,
Jiva-Sakti dasa.

HpS -  Thank you!   Is good, but seems for us, ASA, Monkey-Piggy, you need to have a simpler declaration.  Taking citations from Prabhupada's books are tje very best.  Short, Sastric, Sankirtan oriented.

Hare Krishna Beloved and Esteemed Gurudeva,

Please accept my humble obeisances at your divine (sweet soft and beautiful) lotus feet,

ASA - AGTSP.  We have ingrown toenails.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada,

We missed so so much SM FMP and the blog during your latinamerica tour.

Such a great sanga, both programs are pure nectar. I realize when you say one can not take everything the guru has to offer. Is like Krisna giving with millions of hands but just two to take.

Thank you so much for your so intelligent and clear instructions, you make SP 's teaching so accesible to us. Is amazing that so much people still dont know about him. Oooff!!!! so much work to do. Mercy!!!
Psychotheraphy is helping me a lot, I can see how my behavior is conditioned by childhood and even previous lifes traumas. Is giving me a deeper sense of observation, a more conscious anartha nivritti. I can see how conditioned i am. Is depressing, but i have a process, so my intelligence tells me keep chanting dude!!

HpS - What is name of your psychologist?  What process do you use?

My life shifted from a super mega insane pace to a very insane pace. Harsh is helping me a lot in this regard. I decreased my work load and i am trying to fix going to sleep and waking up hours.
Still is super difficult to balance material with spiritual life. 

HpS - Morning is for Japa, Spiritual Life.   Day time is for making money, with both feet and both hands.  Evening is for    e n j oy i n g!!

Utsaha is still high. I am very commited to the local mission.
My sankirtan is:
Ayurvedic counselling and director of SAMA our health center ( today i gave 2 small books)
Member of the local directive board. Our Institution Prabhupada Seva is gaining more and more recognition. We made a campaign where we made sleeping bags for the homeless out of disposables plastic milk packages and we had a huge media covering, tv, newspapers, radios, etc. Now everybody here knows that the Hare Krishna's are good people.

Im in charge of the book commision. Im a link between the BBT and the sankirtaneros.

BG gita lectures every monday at El Loft.

Administrative service at our farm project Sri Govardhan which is developing little by little. On december i start to build a house there. Is a new concept in buildings it is called earthship ( www.earthship.org ) It is made with recycled materials and uses alternative sources of energies, and has a super effective usage of water, etc.

HpS - Jaya!

Manu and Benji are ok, is super intense to raise kids alone. Tapasya.

HpS - They don't spend time with their mother?

Feel a little bit as Laksmana Agraja prabhu but the opposite, you are not a bramachari but a grihastha (and i feel a bramhastha and it drives me crazy).

But we are detrmined, 16 horribles rounds ok with a huge well recorded old prasadam to take, 4 (anista) principles ok. We are seriously working on the feeling guilty issue.

ISKCON LIFE is a beautiful big challenge for everybody i guess. Despite i feel i'm doing horrible, (I JUST can not go beyond NOI preface, control mind and senses, advancement deppends on the attitude of the practitioner and situate in the mode of goodness and everything will be revealed for further advancement). Still i feel happy at least to be a part of it and try everyday to go out and spread the message. one day i will reach to text number one.

I'm reading CC madhya 22, which describes my situation perfectly, first chapter of second canto of SB and krisna book at night.

I listen one class of HH HDG everyday, i like his mood a lot. You, HH HDG, TKG, BVPS, GGS and locally Mahajan Prabhu and Arjuna sakha Prabhu are my Siksa gurus. I feel safe under your guidance.
Asram deities are being very very merciful to us!!!!

Dear Gurudev i know that your intelligence is a pure one and that your sankirtan is super clever. Here in Mar del plata we are doing a good job, we are organized, so if you wish i can organize a program for you if you come, jung, interfaith, whatever you prefer. Please consider visit Mar del Plata if your health allows it.
Gurudeva thank you so much for being so merciful, you increase my sraddha in the process a lot. I really feel from you that pure love descending through the parampara. Taking the less and giving the most. 
Spiritual bliss.
Crying and feeling totally unworthy, running behind your lotus feet.

Nikunja Bihari das.

HpS - You are like a medium sized elefant.   May take some time to get the beast going in the right direction, but then nothing will stand in its way.    Try to avoid steping on little people, and correct your mistakes as soon as you can.

Hare Krsna Dear Gurudev,
    Please accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet.

ASA - Locust feet.

    All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

HpS - ASA --- !!

    All glories to Guru parampara.

    Gurudev, Hope you are good in Health.

    will start on October 16, 2015 for to visit a place (Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh) to check whether we can open an ISKCON base there or not.
    and other preaching activities.....for this, taking 6 day leaves. Local temple councilor and Vrndavan councilor are in Sync on the same.

your fallen servant,
Girivaradhari-Gopal Das

HpS - ASA ----  Aaaah!   Krsna is looking for Doobraj rice!     Why you select this place!??

Todas las Glorias a Sri Sri Guru y Gauranga y a su sankirtana eterno

Todas las Glorias a Srila Prabhupada

Hare Krsna Guru Maharaj, PAMHO, estámos en Perú - Puno, después de una Marathon en Bolivia organizado por P. Maturesha y P. Jagadbandu, fué inolvidable y hermoso  tener la asociación de buenos devotos sankirtaneros, 8 chicos pocas chicas , clases de sankirtana de p. jagadbandu reestableció mi fé en sankirtana y de tratar de incluirnos en el rasa del sankirtana  quedé último lugar jejeje lo siento fuí muy floja, mi hermano burro base 30 años se sentía muy cansado física y mentalmente, llevamos viajando desde febrero y quedando poco tiempo en un lugar y pensé en algún momento volver al lado de mi padre para tomarme un descanso y hacer otras cosas, la mente está atacando mucho por preocupación del cuerpo pero como soy muy indecisa me repongo y digo que tengo que cumplir al menos este año en seguir viajando. Gurudeva, perdone mi falta de madurez.

Por otra parte P. Gadai Gauranga quedó 2do lugar y P. Adveita Thakura 1er lugar en la marathon, tanta energía que tienen para hacer sankirtana mis hermanos espirituales siempre me inspiran, y yo lamento mucho tener este cuerpo de mujer y ésta mente!!!, pero ahí estámos dando libros en las calles, moriremos en el campo de batalla que mejor que dar la energía al sankirtana que entregarnos en la vida material.  

Ahora en Puno, estamos recuperando fuerzas, tuve que ir al doctor nada grave, espalda y cintura mucho mejor, un poco de ejercicios para este cuerpo oxidado, y hatha yoga y descanso, menos horas de sankirtana pero ya reponiendonos para entrar a bolivia nuevamente y hacer una maha marathon de 20 dias con Gadai Prabhu. También debo decirle que estamos viendo los pasajes a India, una página muy buena y fidedigna donde devotos ya viajaron, ésta semana compraremos el pasaje de sao paulo a delhi India entre 20 de enero al 5 de febrero de 2016 y verlo en india!!!, ufff!!! no paro de meditar en éste viaje con gadai prabhu, gadai es un buen amigo y devoto que dá fuerzas, protección y ayuda espiritual.

Sadhana; 25 rondas (tratando de cumplirlas el mismo día o sino al dia siguiente), 4 principios estrictos no deseamos hijos gurudev, nuestro cuerpo es debil para traer un niño, las silas son nuestro mejor hijo, lectura de la ciencia de la autorrealización (soy muy sinverguenza porque distribuí mucho este libro pero no lo leí) tambien S.B. canto 1 cap. 7 castigo del hijo de drona, mangala artik 5:00am el sol sale muy rápido aquí y aveces nos está ganando, vamos a mejorar esto y 3 gayatris, buena vista de la casa de nuestro amigo percy; lago, sol, luna, estrellas y ovnis filosofamos un poco.

pasatiempo de sankirtana; le diré que los policias ahora se han vuelto nuestros amigos tanto en bolivia y peru y nos dan más libertad para poder entregar el amor de Srila Prabhupada personificado en sus libros y ahora paro a cualquier persona en la calle y no hablo tanto solo le pido donaciones y se llevan en menos de 1 minuto. Muchas gracias querido gurudeva por tratar de incluirme en éste servicio tan hermoso es prema mismo el sankirtan y yo todavia no lo concibo en mi ser tanto amor que srila prabhupada me está dando con sus libros.

Su hija que trata de entender la misión más sublime que dejó Srila Prabhupada

muriendo de a poquito pero feliz... :)

Nadiya Nivasi Dasi 

HpS - ASA ---  !     !    !             Va a India solamente para 15-dias?  20 Enero hast 5 Febrero?

Pienso es cierto que todos que leyen esta Blog son claro en sus mentes que solamente le gusta ayudar Vd en su servicio como pueden.  Ser abierto cambiar su modo de Sankirtan acuerdo de sus abilidades. Sigue lo que Krsna quiere: Morir en lo calles, o recibir y entrenyar otros en un templo etc.​
 

Dear Gurumaharaja,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

First of all i wish to thank you for your reply to my previous letter. Temple news is that Krishna Ksetra Maharaja visits this weekend for classes. Mother Kishori from France visited the other week, and the place got opened with Radhastami and was baptised 'Gaura Dham.'

My reason for writing is that i seek more understanding about a certain point which i hope you can clarify. It is about the contents of this verse:
http://www.vedabase.com/en/bg/17/28

Hrdayananda Goswami reasoned in a class that chanting Mahamantra in the streets is not very effective to most hearers because of the point of this verse. There would be ajnata sukriti, but that is not so potent as to make people come forward and really take up the chanting. For people who have past life experiences, the chanting would wake them up to their previous position and they would continue. The same goes for reading Srila Prabhupada's books. The argument he used based on this verse, is that if an action is not purposefully done out of  good intention, the result would not be very potent. After all, the verse prior to this one mentions the criterium as to please the Lord.

Now this shook me up a bit, because of what i sort of picked up in our ISKCON, that the chanting is so potent that everybody will benefit. Of course, Maharaja did not deny that explicitly, nor did he dissuade from doing Harinam in any way, but it was a bit of a letdown, because his point made sense to me. On the other hand, Srila Prabhupada says that even chanting as a joke or mockingly has effect. How do i understand this apparent contradiction? And is ajnata sukriti really not that potent, and does it have to add up in order to be of some influence?

There was another class in Berlin from September, which became a topic of discussion on the internet, where Maharaja said that the prophesy of Lord Caitanya can lead devotees in Harinam parties sometimes to be in a bubble of 'saving the world,' while in actuality they are not connecting to the people around them. To me, these episode strenghten in me the notion that to speak to one person a day, in a good conversation with mutual respect, and to impress upon them the glories and benefit of chanting, and inspiring them in that way, is a glorious thing. Of course i would be interested in understanding your ideas on the 9% that you disagree with in Maharaja, to see more balance, but i can understand could be beyond the scope of this forum. Anyway, i look forward to hearing your thoughts.

With kind regards,
Your aspiring servant,
Raghava Pandit das

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

I'll be in charge of NIMSAR communication from now on. After 2 meetings the following was agreed:

1.-To have a protocol for meetings.

2. It was agreed that members of NIMSAR receive training seminars in skills and introspective (psychological)areas.

3. Areas were developed by committees and all is related as a body

HpS - ASA ----  AGTSP!  Excellent Letter, but.... we don't understand this point???  ​
 

4.- An executive and educational model was presented, we will go looking for results at future meetings.

Communications (under the direction of the secretariat) will be developed in 3 stages: The 1st stage (from October to February 2016) we will develop a colaborationa plan for ISKCON temples Agreements: We will take the workshop by Mr Palomino. Sunday School will be developed by Priya Sakhi and Yugala dd SS Isvari dd