Letters to the editor

Hare Krishna Maharaja!

Is there a proper or recommended attitude toward the realization of one's own spiritual body/service in Goloka? Should the desire to return to serving Radha and Krishna in their lila be the forefront of my practice and the motivation to pursue the path of devotion? My feelings at the moment are that I am very fallen and far from advanced stages of Krsna Consciousness so I should just focus on performing the fundamentals of bhakti and not jump ahead to these deep subjects. Is it appropriate to think like in siksastaka prayer that Krishna is free to do as he likes with me, he can leave me broken hearted by not being present before me etc? I will keep attempting  my basic services whether or not my internal/eternal service is EVER revealed to me or even if I never get a taste or positive feedback from Krishna. Or is the proper approach to be intensely greedy to get back to Vraja and serve the Lord in a spiritual form. Am I simply a fool in denial? Please enlightened me.

Your aspiring servant

Bhakta Daniel 

HpS - ASA - We can only try to remember what Prabhupada is discussing. The last verse of the Siksastikam that you paraphrase is described in Caitanya Caritamrta as coming from Lord Chaitanya in a mood of advanced devotion.

As I know you I would say its fine to think about Krsna and Braja and wanting to serve there and go there, but it is more natural for you and us to be thinking about freedom from distress and a life in ISKCON that is positively harmonius with our business, family, church, health.

O.K?    Focus on getting your rounds done for practical purposes but as much as is natural focus on going to Goloka in the Holy Names.

Thank you!

Hare Krishna Maharaj!

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupad! All glories to you!

Thank you for your kind responses to the questions regarding psycho- analysis. The brain is a funny thing [and I only studied it for 6 yearsL].  The weeds were a great way to explain the attachments.

Instead of prying too deep, I am going to start a prayer journal dedicated specifically to jivas I come across. Writing down my convoluted thoughts and relinquishing control to Krishna is the only way to not be consumed by it. The director of our division literally walked over to my desk a few seconds after I had this idea and gifted me a nice hard bound blank journal. It's amazing to see the Lord's hand in everything. It just brings so much happiness into daily life :) 

I am half way done with Diet for a New America. It is such an informative, exposive read. Very eye opening and great “evidence”  and facts to back up any vegetarian debates I run into (happens quite a bit at the office). Must be careful not to step on anyone’s toes though.  

I am currently serving in New Hastinapura Dham in Washington DC Maharaj,  so Ananda Vrindavana mataji is our temple president. She did recently send out the letter of recommendation! I had butterflies in my tummy (there is a medical term for this) when I read you received it!

Also, what does C=2pi x D! mean? (Excuse my obliviousness Maharaj).

Your aspiring servant,

Sarita

HpS - ASA --- AGTSP paoho.   We have the Letter of Recommendation, but have you taken the Disciples Course? It is a mandatory GBC requirement for Initiation. If you have then as far as I can see you are ready to matriculate in the Bhaktivedanta School of Prema Bhakti as a Registered Student, take first initiation.

Yes, 'Diet for a New America' is great. Did you hear how John Robbin's father left his body? Your diary seems also great!

Also, what does C=2pi x D! mean? (Excuse my obliviousness Maharaj).

Monkeys "Whoop!", Piggys "Oink" and Scientists (Uncle Gismo) recite scientific mantras (Circumference = 2 pi x Diameter)!

Before all, I salute you with a deep respect, all the glories to you, all my obeisances to you, to Srila Prabhupada and, also, to all devotees of our Lord, Sri Krsna. I ask you, Guru Maharaj, beforehand, to forgive me for any mistake or offense I could do... I'm just a neophyte, a very very fallen one.

I hope you remember me, this is the third time I write to you, my name is Carlos, I'm from Santiago of Chile.  I'm Visvanath's brother in law. We had a first talk 2 years ago, an interview for a magazine, in the cultural center of the government palace. This year we had others brief conversations into the ISKCON Congress in Chile.
 

HpS - ASA - Yes, we remember you!  You are a genius. You will get the Noble Prize for Journalism!
 

A few weeks ago, you gave me a first instruction through this blog : "...write again after a few weeks more of following Srila Prabhupada..."  Later you gave me a second instruction: "... write us a story about Krsna here..."

So, I have written a brief monographic essay in which I intend fulfill both instructions. Before, I want to clarify that I am just a simple charlatan who, thanks to your mercy, Guru Maharaj, is trying to communicate what you order to me. Here I go:
 

THE DREAM OF SRILA PRABHUPADA

Srila Prabhupada is the person because of whom and his mercy we all are recovering the memory about who we really are. He is the spiritual master of anyone who has connected in the west world with Krsna Consciousness, and also of many many people in India and east.

My feeling is that every genuine aspiring to devotee of the Lord that has known Krsna Consciousness in the west or thanks to the invaluable and eternal legacy of Srila Prabhupada, should answer each day the following question for self: how can I please Srila Prabhupada and his followers? By the same way and understanding that we are fallen, so fallen that we don't even know why we're stuck in this material world, so fallen that we can't realize that most of the time we're acting like servants of maya more than servants of Krsna, we must ask ourselves everyday: why Krsna has given me so much mercy if I really do not deserve it?  

I feel that anyone who yearns to become a servant of the servant of the servant of Krsna must respect and revere the legacy of Srila Prabhupada, above all. Also, I think many gurus from other gaudiyas can get some success and recognition worldwide preaching today. This is so wonderful and it is exclusively thanks to the work done by Srila Prabhupada during the last 12 years of his existence on this transitory earth. He paved the way, he opened the hearts of the world and the future generations over the next thousands of years, this is irrefutable. 

Humbleness: Srila Prabhupada wanted that his followers can have the mercy of Krsna and success in their lives and be happy. He never presented himself as the guru of the group, but as a servant. Once said "... I have not done anything magical, Krsna Consciousness is present in all of us, but we must make it live again ..." 

Srila Prabhupada said that his american disciples can save the USA country, that mission was in their hands, he gave them the method, but they should execute it. I apply that phrase to us, aspiring devotees disseminated around the world, we have got the same mission, because what was happening in USA still happening today around the world, it's what globalization is, process that should be called "americanization", because they have sold the "american dream" to the whole world. So, we must replace that "american dream" for the "dream of Srila Prabhupada", this is the only dream that will make us wake up.

Srila Prabhupada's ambition was to replace the mundane literature for transcendental one. At least, every house should have a literary work about Krsna Consciousness, he argued, because if someone read only one page, their life would be directed towards perfection.

He saw everything into Krsna Consciousness and with the eyes of the Scriptures.

Then now I will share some of his teachings that have been very usefull to me over the past few months:

... ASA - Hoop!   After this is too much for one Blog letter. Send it in smaller parts!  What we read above is very nice!!!  Very challenging for us.

All blessings to you, your disciples and any people around you...

Your aspiring disciple and servant, 
Carlos Rold.

HARE KRSNA !!!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?<wbr />v=Cscq66Ec8qc

Guru-Lila (Part 2)

Rama-Giridhari Prabhu's home is there in a multi-storied building, he stays on 4th floor with his good wife and the parents, he made arrangements for us to stay on 2nd floor, we were in an apartment whose owner, another devotee, had gone to Vrindavan, so his apartment was fully available for us to use.  The best room was given to Guruji, but as you know, he has no attachment for any luxury, he is haapy in any condition.  And I was staying in the room next to him, so only two of us.  Guruji took bath and put on clean clothes, and then we went two stories up to the home of RG Prabhu. There and then, RG Prabhu introduced guruji to his parents and his good wife was also there.  Guruji had some herbal drink there with little sweets. Remember, guruji is eating once a day his main meal, then, in the evening, sometimes, he has some milk or little fruit, came back to our residence, and rest.

19th March 2016-Ekadashi-I woke-up at 3'o' clock, but guruji was already up, probably 01am or even before that, he is on the way to becoming Goswami, conquering the habit of eating and sleeping, glories.  We went upstairs to RG's home for Mangal Arti, rang the bell, but no response. We came down, did mangal arti at our place, Guruji sang Sansaar Daavaanal  and  I sang Nrisingha prayer and then chanting of our rounds.  Later, we went to RG's Office at 1st floor and there, guruji gave class on one of the very famous Bhagvatam verse starying with Aho Bakiyam stan Kaalkutam, and had Ekadashi prasad, came back to our place. Afternoon, RG Prabhu took us to his Goloka Education office and there was some program, Guruji gave lecture in English and I had the good fortune to do some Hindi translation, there was some sago pakoda prasadam and I don't think that guruji took any, but as you know, I am lusty for prasadam and I did not miss the opportunity.  In the evening, another program on ground floor of another building near our residence, guruji's lecture was very much loved by the people and it was translated again, and no need to mention that there was nice Ekadashi prasadam which guruji did not honour, but on behalf of guruji, his disciple did, all glories to Guruji! and came back and rest and the day is over.

Photo description :-Guruji honouring Ekadashi Prasad, Rama Giridhari Prabhu honouring prasad, Guruji making funny face knowingly while I take his photo, another photo of guruji and two photoes  at Goloka Education Office with the staff members and sitting next to Guru, the parents of RG Prabhu

Hare Krishna Maharaj!

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupad!

I am glad you are settling down for a bit and hope you are recovering from all your travels. I was listening to a lecture of yours from Radhadesh from 2011 and wanted to discuss the psychological aspect of something.

 So of course, one of the goals of yoga is to control the mind. But today, there is almost an excuse for everything. For instance, ADHD has become a diagnosis for the fleeting attention span of the brain. I would like to know what you think of such a “diagnosis”   and what you suggest to control it besides medication.

HpS - I don't know enough about this to give precise analysis. From what I know, there are many cases in modern Psychiatry where giving a name to a syndrome is not really identitifying the situation. As long as there is no idea of a person controling the Buddhi and then the Manas, there cannot be much good understanding of how the Brain works.

Maybe some neurological problem, maybe Buddhi or Manas or Atma problem. We would have to dig to find the answer.

The other part of the lecture talked about addiction and rehab programs that keep one clean have a spiritual basis. I was intrigued by this statement because there is a particular person who is super spiritual but can’t give up chewing  tobacco (Indian bodied- old army habit).  He chants, does full fledged aarti multiple times a day, fasts every ekadasi (but still takes the tobacco on ekadasI) and I’m just wondering what could be done to help him…if he is in fact very spiritual, this addiction shouldn’t be so strong, should it?

ASA - Again, don't know details so cannot give detailed answer, but you may have three little weeds are all two inches tall but as you start to dig up the root you find that one is two inces deep, one 15-inches deep and one OVER 24-inches deep. Some gross attachments are based upon deep psychic attachments.

It would be really cool to get your view on this.

ASA - Whoop!   WHoop!   Oink!  Oink!   C=2pi x D!

Thanks again and hope you are recuperating well in Nashville! Thank you for causeless mercy!

Your aspiring servant,

Sarita

HpS - ASA -  Who is your Temple President. Think we got a letter for you to be initiated!

There once was a butcher named Barbara,
Who ran with a sword in the sun.
His mind was seared with great violence.

Where does his great power come from?q

We see this capture
Jung's concern,
It will not fill
The golden urn.
On The Potter's wheel
Another turn.