Letters to the editor

Hare Krsna dear Gurudeva

Please accept my humble obeisances

All glories to Srila Prabhupda

Dear Gurumaharaja, 

I'm very happy to tell you that I've recently started my Bhakti-sastri course (at last!). It's something I've been waiting for a while. For now, Laksmana prabhu is giving me on line lessons but as soon Isabelle and I move to Chosica I'll engage the classroom group at the temple. Bhagavad-gita is the most intelligent, overwhelming and sharpest book I've ever read. It is going to be very nice to study it systematically. 

Gurudeva, I have a few questions concerning to some doubts. I hope you kindly give me an answer to them.

1. Our philosophy encourages congregational chanting of the Holy Name and association with the devotees, but our relation with Krsna is individual, now and forever. In which way an incorrect understanding of what association means could harm the development of this natural individual rasa with the Lord?

HpS - ASA --- I guess the answer would be 1) When the association is based on material things eg. we are associating because we want fame, prestige etc. from our "religious" association. Eg. I associate with devotees because I want to become President, Sannyasi and have comfortable accomodation, association with the opposite sex. 2) When the association is an improper mixture of mellows. The Gopis are good citizens of Vraja, they milk cows. They have their own friends and circle of associates within Vraja. They have their own unique relations with Krsna. See Krsna Book Chapter 21.
So, they, we associate with devotees who have a similar spiritual perspective. We don't associate with Karmis.
AND it is acintya-bheda-abheda-tattva. You must give you whole energy to your unique relation with Krsna giving up all concern for GBC, Guru etc. and as you do this then you will realize that you cannot devolop it without GBC, Guru. Also, quite inconceivably you must give 100% to Guru, GBC et al and if you do this then you will realize that you cannot serve them unless you have your own unique, secret relation with Krsna. Actually this question is the whole focus of our filosophy and goes on forever in its answer.
 

2. Pure devotional service means to serve God without any trace of selfishness or personal desire and free of karma and jñana yoga. Srila Prabhupada explains in NOD that karma yoga is performed in rituals and jñana yoga in philosophical speculation. This means that in the way we achieve Bhakti we leave our analytical approach to philosophy and practice of rituals?
HpS - No, Krsna stopped the Rasa-lila for Brahma-muhurta (Mangala arati). We do the rituals and use our intellects in the SERVICE of our Rasas with Krsna. We do them. They are wonderful, but ultimately in terms of the nature of Rasa. Actually this is explained in the BhSastri curriculum!

"Whatever is produced of the Complete Whole is also complete in itself" (Isopanisad, Invocation). This phrase could refer to us, the Jivas. So, why do we need to engage whith the Complete Whole? What kind of feeling moves us towards God despite of being complete in ourselves? what kind of completeness is this?
HpS - I would say we "don't" have to engage with Krsna, in one sense. Prabhupada says Krsna is free to accept our service or not. But the devotees attitude is that he will never stop offering it, with love. So, yes the devotee is complete just like Krsna, although of course different.

I've been a little bit demanding with my wife's saddhana, can you please tell me up to which point we could be a raw example for others?

HpS - What does "raw" mean? Do you mean you are putting stress on her that doesn't let her get her rounds done, or you are putting pressure on her to get her rounds done.
1. We "put pressure on people" by preaching intelligently, nicely, humbly, to them.
2. If they don't, can't, listen then we preach by setting a good example!

Hoping you're doing well with your health and sankirtan

Your servant

Gandharva dasa

HpS - We have to establish some time for some online discussions. Also, you can certainly ask these questions to Siksa gurus like Virabahu, Bh. Bhusana Swami et al.

Thank you so much.

Hare Krishna Maharaja Por favor acepte mis más humildes reverencias.

Todas las glorias a Srila Prabhupada Desde su ultima visita a cusco y que tome refugio en usted ,han pasado muchas cosas ,tal como usted nos dijo a prabhu Amala Karuna Das y mi que nos casaramos , intercambiamos guirnaldas ,en abril nos casaremos civil ante el juez y ya que usted llega en agosto y si lo permite nos pueda casar por fuego.....Gurudeva estamos esperando un bebe ya tengo casi ocho semanas ,viaje a Lima a traer a mis dos hijos niños aun para que vivan con nosotros y hacer las cosas bien ,en ese viaje me puse mal me internaron en el hospital,y me dijeron que mi salud no es buena y corre riesgo el bebe y yo ,tengo un embarazo de alto riesgo,en algun momento Maharaja pensaron en interrumpir la vida del bebe y yo no acepte ,estoy cantando 20 rondas hago servicio ,atiendo las deidades de Jagannath Subhadra Balaram,aun asi Guredeva con todo esto en mi cabeza no canto buenas rondas con seguridad o me pierdo en el pensamiento,deseo y debo hacer lo correcto,a pesar de todos estos inconvenientes me siento muy feliz con mi servicio y la asociacion de los devotos ,luego nuevamente me gana la mente y olvido que no somos el cuerpo y que ese bebe es un alma ,hay momentos en los que mis pensamientos son vacios y el Maha mantra lo repito talvez por inercia ,por eso pido un consejo , Gurudeva una palabra suya es muy importante para mi para poder guiarme y hacer lo corecto...... Me despido, su sirvienta bhaktin Amparo Hare Krsna.

HpS - TlgaSP. Pfanrh. Su nombre significa "refugio", no?  Si, claro, la Mama tiene fuerte responsibilidad protejar la alma en embrion en su vientre. Pero claro, si va a dejar su cuerpo en el processo, es base pensar sacrificar el cuerpo del bebe. Es algo intenso. Tiene consultar muy bien con muchos. Arjuna tuvo que matar milones de tios, primos, sobrinos...!

Y claro, claro, claro, necesita mucho ayuda de Krsna. Como va a obtener si no canta buen rondas. Eso es el Kali-yuga Dharma. Canta bien para inteligencia y tambien directamente para salud!  Es un hecho, su bebe va a oir, beneficiar, del sonido de Krsna katha, SB, K book etc.

Muy buena suerte con gran felicidad en sus desafilos.

On Tuesday, March 10, 2015 2:26 AM, Mukta Okram <[email protected]> wrote:

All Glories to Sri Gujuji Maharaja and Gouranga Mahaprabhu

Radha Krsna Ki Jay and Groura Bhakta Vrnda Ki Jay

Please accept my humble obeisances unto Sri Juru Maharaja’s padmacharan that after a long gaps I got Gurujis reply of my letters. I am so happy to get Gurujis reply as asirbad and amrtabani. I will try to upload in the blog at my level best but sometimes I could not open and sometimes the message could not send properly. That is why I send the letter through the email.

I am regularly reading Srimad Bhagavatam one or more slokas now it reach upto 4.11.30-32 Svayambhu Manu’s advice to his grand son Dhruba Maharaja not to kill Yaksas who killed his stepbrother Uttama by one of the Yaksas.

     HpS - ASA -  AGTSP     Yes, if you can work through the Blog it is so much more efficient, but it is our love for Manipur that makes us try to communicate anyway.

Seems that Dhruva Maharaja let himself go a little crazy, passionate, in his war with the Yaksa, thinking that since he is a Ksatriya, then one of his Ministers or family members will pull him back to goodness.

 According to astronomical calculation, along with the polestar there is another star, which is called Sisumara, where Lord Visnu, who is in charge of the maintenance of this material world, resides. Sisumara or Dhruvaloka can never be reached by anyone but the Vaisnavas, as will be described by the following sloka. Srimad-bhagavatama 4.12.27 and

As Sisumara, Visnuloka or Dhruvaloka are completely different from this material world, so a Visnu temple within this world is also completely different from this material world. 4.12.29

In these two quotations, there is a confusion that is the three names Sisumara, Dhrubaloka and Beikuntha or Visnuloka are the same loka? And we simply heard that any living entities who climbed up to the Veikuntha loka will automatically return and get the birth and death bodies but here Dhruva Maharaja get the Dhrubaloka and mentioned by Narada that he will never return and the birth and death life. Please clarify the truth.

              HpS - Yes, no one is forced to return from Vaikuntha. Is a thief is being chased by the police for stealing a woman's purse, and he runs into the French Embassy in Delhi, the Delhi police cannot follow him. Legally, the French embassy is NOT a part of India. Iindian laws, police, military have no authority there.

So, like that, no? Dhruva loka (which it seems is also called Sisumara) is an Embassy of the Vaikuntha world.

We the bhaktas of Thoubal celebrated Goura Purnima (appearance day) of Gouranga Mahaprabhu on the 5th of March in the evening (Sandhya) with abhisek and change of dresses with arati and other sankritans along with brata. And in the next day we invite some local people and arranged prasadam for about 35 members. For about 2 hours we performed nama sankritana and different bhajans.

   HpS - Super!!!

Please let us know   the timing of Guruji’s visit India and Manipur, especially for Thoubal unprotected neophyte devotees. No one is taking care from the ISKCON so the bhaktas and beisnabis of Thoubal  are waiting like orphan. But one day or other, some one or other will send any guide for us to guide in the way of spiritual life, in this hope we are chanting his holy names. 

Yours fallen servant

Yamunesvara Das

HpS - AGTSP - Paoho. We are in Houston, Texas for 12-days, working very hard with Primary School, Internation Education Projects and with disciples. By Krsna's arrangement we will be in Delhi (Vraja) from the 7th-12th of May. After that it looks like we will go to India in Februrary of 2016 and stay for a few months!

Haribol Hanumat Presaka Swami Maharaj,

Please accept my obeisances,

All glories to Srila Prabhupada

I apoligize for messaging you Maharaj as I know you have more important matters to attend to. I wanted to wait until I had my rounds straightened out to speak to you but I felt it still shouldn't stop me from communicating.

HpS - ASA --- A G T S P !    paoho.   Yes, we all need association to advance from level 127 to level 128, so please stay in touch so we, the ASA Blog Society, can all help each other advance our service to Lala and Lali!

I'm still here in Boise, writing papers for undergrad-college, getting braces to hopefully fix these raksasa-teeth and selling stuff at the counter.

ASA - What counter???

Thinking of moving to a more clean job at the end of this spring semester. Happy to still be alive and happier to be in association with Balabhadra dasa prabhu and his wife Lalita devi dasi mataji, through their shelter they help inspire me to stay conscious of devotional service and be able to learn to associate and serve Vaishnavas. But the reason I wanted to send a letter to you was to ask some questions.

I gave away these RK and JBS deitys and some others I have had in storage for a long time, along with some beautiful dolls I got from Mayapur all to the Boise temple, Sri Arjuna’s family and Balabhadra prabhu. I felt that they needed to be in qualified care, rather than letting them stay in dark boxes. It’s sort of an anxiety I guess I’ve had pent up that I hadn’t taken care of. My mother considers them “hers” but I want her to trust my judgment by putting them in the hands of more willing and qualified devotees. I try not to worry about my mother, but I guess I still consider it my duty to ensure she is safe and has money? I feel by giving her money much like my grandmother and my father used to, it enables her to be more co-dependent on me as a source of income. Although if I cold-shoulder her, I’m ignoring my duty to her as a son and being hard hearted?

HpS - We try to act in Varna-ashrama institution in a nice fashion. It is created by Krsna to create a nice psycho-social situation in which the dormant spiritual qualities of the spirit soul can develop. If this spiritual qualities are not developing much then we don't invest too much energy into it. Whatever ever we can easily do. Krsna will do any extra that is required.

In the Bhagavatam I believe it's explained we lose our memory after birth. Is it possible devotees can experience things that may relate to their past lives? Devotional images or Paraphernelia that may give them a sense of "familiarity"? Are feelings or voices experienced with it whether positive or negative - from the self, demons, ghosts possibly inhabiting the conditioned material mind/body?

HpS - You last sentence is not clear: Unclear pronoun reference and maybe a missing comma, but yes, as far as we know, even ordinary experiences from the last life are still available until about three years old. It is like when you wake up, you can remember dreams for some time and then the force of your current life pushes them back. For devotees, special situation.

Finally, I had a realization a few weeks ago thats been sitting deep in my mind every day since. I've felt it very rarely in the past few years and I admit I'm ashamed I never realized this years ago or even before that day I first set foot inside the Boise temple. Thats why it's given rise to the most important question I think I want to ask you. 

ASA - My God! The suspense is killing us!!!!

Maharaj, what can cause a living entity to have a heart so hard that it feels nothing?

HpS - Killing cows. Aborting babies in your womb... Super-bowl football.

A heart so silent and so empty for so long that they forget themself and even other living entities have a heart? How can we open that heart to feel with it again and then purify it from all these material desires? Most importantly, how can we listen to the holy name and hari-katha sincerely within our hearts?? 

Maharaj, how can I find a heart??

HpS - ASA - I have, had, the same problem. I think ....   The basic answer is "brahmanda brahmite kona ...", that it is Krsna who is going to make us feel different. Especially in His humour of Lord Caitanya. He comes. He smiles at us. He sits with us when we are sobbing in pain and gives us some help. Sooooo, we have to cultivate the mercy we have.

You were born in a Gaura family. You have contact with Gaura's devotees. You have some Gaura intelligence! You have to cultivate that with utsahan, niscayad, dhairyat (NOI 3).

It won't get soft, responsive to the Name of our beloved, immediately, but it will go from feeling like a rock to feeling like an auto mobile tire, little flexible but tough.

Adau sraddha... BG 4.10 purport... is Ruci we start to get a soft heart, no?

Please forgive my offenses,

Your aspiring fallen servant,

Reilly G.

Thank you so much for you association. Our respects to Balabhadra and Mataji and everyone. Looks like 97% confirmed we will be in Boise for Rathyatra! On to the next letter. Join us!!!

Hare Krishna dear maharaja!

pamho! AgtSP

Thank you so much for your answer!

I wish Lord Nrsimhadeva always protect you. Thank you for all your effort to preach Krishna Consciousness even with the nuisance and issues produced by the body. You inspire me a lot!

I regret the issue about prasadam, maybe it could have been avoided.

His Grace is grhastha and the name of his wife is Jahnava devi. They live in Mayapur with their daughter. 

I understand what you are saying to me. He knows about my status but maybe I should talk with him deeper about it. Anyway I don’t know if it’s the most important. Is it? I Just wanted to know your thinking about it.

HpS - ASA -- AGTSP.  Seems to our bewildered intelligence that first thing is to just have fun in ISKCON: Go to the Sunday Feast. Chant when you walk to work...  Then start to chant regularly: 16-rounds, 4-principles, SP's morning program. If you do that you get Hari-nama Diksa. That's realization that you are servant of Krsna. Sambandha. If you go on with that then you start to understand what is your service in terms of your lifetime VAD: Woman, Ksatrini.... So it would seem now the center is getting first initiation.

Then the VAD, you need a mirror. We always need a mirror. Krsna is the greatest mirror. What is your VAD? Great mirror is a devotee like Mahatma Das. A guru is fixed in his Hari-nama rasa, his VAD position. What is next? A guru's wife is natural mirror for guru's lady disciples. Ask Mahatma Prabhu if you could write to her to introduce yourself???? Maybe she is very shy person and doesn't serve her husband so much in that way.  Maybe she does. Get know your VAD gradually as you get to know the VAD situation of your gurus, no?

 I don’t understand  when you tell me that If I want to clarify my ashram I have to know my guru’s ashrams status. Should be my status related to his status?. Most of his disciples are ghrasthas, but not all. 

HpS - Above, no?

So If I don’t live in the temple for at least 6 month, I can’t take hari-nam diksa? There’s no way?

HpS - No, just have practical relation with Sri Hari, Temple President, so that he can recommend that you have told him that you are following Temple program practically at home and he trusts you.

Yes I’m following the principles about a year ago but I don’t think to live in the temple now. I have many responsibilities with my current service that I can’t just give them up. 

Thank you for your advices about relationships with men and with senior devotees. I will implement it.

All glories to you for inspires us with your steadiness, wisdom and humility.

Thank your for YOUR precious association!

Hare Krishna,

your servant,

Belen. 

HpS - AGTSP. Thank you. You really seem to have been a Sannyasi in your last lifetime but . . . .   Oooops!!!!   ... <img alt="devil" height="23" src="http://www.hps.monkeywarrior.com/sites/all/libraries/ckeditor/plugins/smiley/images/devil_smile.png" title="devil" width="23" /> . . .  [Back on track. One more mile to Goloka]

Apreciable Maharaj:

Escribo a usted enviandole un cordial saludo; me parecen muy interresantes sus planes de apoyar la educacion correcta en una institucion tan importante como ISKCON.

Soy educador y quiero pedirle favor que me ayude a entender algunas cosas que he escuchado entre los devotos, tengo tiempo que conozco a los devotos aunque no acudo tan frecuentemente con los devotos, soy Angel Smirnov.

1- ¿Es malo educar a enviar a los hijos en la educacion academica?

HpS - ASA - [Use Translate.google.com] - It depends on the individual child and the "academy". Some children can focus in very Brahminical things like scripture, deity worship and fire sacrifices. Others are more practical and need to learn more modern history and geography etc. Main thing is that the philosophical basis of the education is correct. Many schools, even if they are vegetarian, are based on "karma-vada" philosophy. Eg. if you memorize this I will put a red star beside your name on the wall in the classroom.

2- ¿He escuchado que e debe dormirse con la cabeza hacia el norte en REIKI, que significa el dormir en alguna direccion en especial y que bebeficios tiene? 

HpS - ASA - In one of the sacrifices mentioned in the SB it says not to sleeep with the head North or west. I hear Prabhupada said head east. As I understand, when we go into deep sleep, susupti, the prana, and the more subtle aspects of the body, mind, intelligence, "rise" above the gross body and then tend to orient toward the south or east. Then when you wake up and "come back into your body" you are in upside down if you were sleeping with your head to the West or North. You feel like your head is in your feet and have to shake and jump for some time to get sorted out.

3- ¿En EKADASI que se entiende por granos (semillas, cereales, o cuales si y cuales no)?

HpS - Ask local Iskcon Brahmanas. They can give good list.

4- y ¿en donde puedo leer sobre el Ekadasi, en el Bhagavat Gita no encuentro mucha informacion sobre esto?

HpS - CC adi 15.8 plus following chapters. Other information is in many different places in Prabhupada's books. In the NOD in Chapter Seven there is more information. There is one article that was supposed to have been written by a disciple of Bh. Siddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada. It cited some source that Ekadasi is so pure since it is related to Lord Visnu that sin personified had no place to stay, so Krsna told him that he could reside in grains on that day.

Agradezco mucho su atencion,  y le felicito por su bien admirable trabajo que es muy emprendedor.

HpS - Hare Krsna!!!!