Letters to the editor

Hare Krishna Maharaja, please kindly accept my most humble obeisances; all glories to our Founder Acharya, Srila Prabhupada;

all glories to your good self,

for your many years of selfless dedication to serving him.

HpS - Hmmm. I think that our service has been quite motivated. We want him to save us from hell from our lust tongue and belly. We want to have some interesting, fun, service!!! Oooof! Obeisances to him.

Again and

AGAIN and

A G A I N !

I have never been very good at making speeches and singing the praises of others, and so I wanted to dedicate my meager words in honor of your Vyasapuja celebration. I am certain that your initiated disciples will be more qualified and sincere in expressing their appreciations than what I could offer.

HpS - Which is better apples or bananas?

Unfortunately for me, I am not one of your initiated disciples, but I have a great need to be accepted as your disciple, just to take guidance from you.

I have been stuggling with a quagmire of emotions and decisions about how to be of service and where to serve.

For want of a surrendered attitude I have failed to take proper shelter of your association.

Simply I have grieved to you about my problems, looking for emotional support in order to survive whatever trauma life gives me in devotional service. And you have extended yourself seeing my pain, and knowing that I am weak in my heart and mind to nicely surrender.

HpS - Hare Krsna!

I want very much to surrender. I once thought that I knew how to surrender, by taking initiation, by always doing the needful: and feeling genuine satisfaction because of it.

I felt like I belonged; I felt protected. I was thinking to myself "this is the story of the rest of my life," and I was in bliss believing it with all my heart. But surrender unto the spiritual master is not just some formality of initation and doing the needful, or some blissful satisfaction that is ephemeral at best.

The disciple must be willing to take shelter of the spiritual master's instructions: "ha ha prabhu koro doya." Doya means the spiritual master shows his mercy by imparting transcendental knowledge to the disciple, so that the disciple can become free from all the miseries of life.

If there is to be any hope for peace of mind and freedom from all the miseries of material existence, the disciple must make the instructions his very life and soul: otherwise what is the purpose of accepting a spiritual master?

I don't know if in this same lifetime I can ever again have the same surrendered attitude that I once had so many years ago. But I have found hope in taking shelter of your association and being able to render some menial service to you during your visits;

sharing candidly with you my humble thoughts and offerings; and feeling enlivened and inspired to sharing Krishna consciousness with others because of your association.

I wish with all my heart that I could surrender like I did so long ago. But all I can do is hope that you will accept my wishful thoughts as my offering to you, on this most auspicious day of your appearance.

Your lowly servant,

Balabhadra dasa

HpS - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNVWVLkjknQ

From the stage show the 'Fantastics'.

The show's original off-Broadway production ran a total of 42 years (until 2002) and 17,162 performances, making it the world's longest-running musical.

We forget the negative aspects of our surrender in the past also, no?

You're right.

We have to not think that now I am an older devotee.

Hare Krsna Dear Maharaja,

Please accept my humble obeisances

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

All glories to your mission of Sankirtana.

I hope you are well.

I am writing to ask you please if you can send me with Candramukhi 4 Diaries of the Traveling Creature.

And I would send the contribution of it with Candra mukhi dd.

Sri Nrsimhadeva protect you

ys and spiritual niece

Isvari R dd.

HpS/ASA - AgtSP!!! Paoho... Prahlada nrshma Das also wrote to us about Tom Brown's Diarys.

:https://monkeywarrior.com/detail/14627/

We were thinking that we could send some things to Peru, Radha Madana-bihari etal with CMD and PDD!!!

Thank you!

 ISKCON Educator and Mentor- His Grace Prana Das

His Grace Prana Das departed this material world (1-6-23), around 6. a.m. IST in Vrindavan Dham at the Bhaktivedanta Hospice. Many of you may know of His Grace Prana Prabhu.

He joined ISKCON in the early 80’s and has served most dedicatedly in the area of education in Australia, New Zealand, the U.K., the USA, and India. He played instrumental roles as a teacher, principal, education consultant, and curriculum developer, for early, elementary, and Higher Education, was a great mentor and trainer, a Sanskrit curriculum developer, and a teacher at the Mayapur Institute of Higher Education. He assisted Mother Urmila in digitizing the Learn to Read Series. Most recently (the last 5 years), he has developed online interactive learning for children (bhaktilearning.com).

Between 2014-2018, I had the good fortune of Prabhu’s association during the startup years of establishing Goswami Academy at ISKCON Houston. He served as one of the visiting education consultants. Not only was he very knowledgeable and expert in the field of education, but Prabhu was a kind, caring, compassionate, and wonderful devotee. I feel very fortunate to have had his association. Please join me in prayers to Srila Prabhupada and Sri Sri Radha Krishna for the departure of this great soul.

Below is a must-see YouTube video in-depth link that features Prabhu joining ISKCON, his early years, services, and words of wisdom in our bhakti journey…

https://youtu.be/9WOjtWFdCho?feature=shared

HpS/ASA - We can only repeat what Subra Devi Dasi has said. We were fortunate to get Prabhu's association. He was compassionate in seeking us out when we were in his Yatra and always a friendly intelligent person.

Where is he now?

Will he be in Nadiya with Nimai???

ASA[E] Guru-tattva.. Diksa guru retires.

Hare Krishna Guru Maharaja

Please accept my humble obeisances

All Glories to Srila Prabhupada

All Glories to your enormous service.

I hope you get much better health.

HpS - Our donkey's health is pretty good for 75-years old.

Had littel fever, probably just like you, but recovered quickly.

Hearing, sight, memory are like 40% gone. That won't come back in this life time. It is good. We want to stop watching the movie of mangos and pick real mangos for Krsna!

Would be nice if we died right after sending this letter and you died right after reading it and then we both took birth in Nabadvipa with Nimai, no!!!

We remain firm with all our vows and also with the service in the initiation committee, I wanted to apologize for my mistake in misunderstanding the words in English, I will strive to improve, in fact I am practicing English with a devotee of the Indian community 🙏.

HpS - Your English is better than my Spanish! 😄

In December we helped aspiring devotees for Hari nama initiation and brahminical initiation of Jayapataka Maharaja, we had a very good association with older devotees.

HpS/ASA - Such a nice service!

My letter is mainly addressed to you to tell you about Bhakta Carlos Rold, a devotee of many years who has always felt very enthusiastic about everything related to making your sankirtan grow.

I am a witness of how he has made an effort to qualify and prepare himself.

For a year now, he has been following the four regulative principles, maintaining his sadhana, connecting to FMP, doing practical service in the Iskcon Chile temple, singing its 16 rounds (he tells me that when he cannot finish them, he sings them the next day, adding to the corresponding ones),

he has also approved [passed] the Disciples course and is about to finish the Introduction to Bhakti yoga course.

Also Bhakta Lucciano Macchiavello would also like to formalize his entire process in a certain way, he tells me that he has known you for more than 17 years and that no one like you has understood it, he has never stopped following your institution of donating milk and butter for the deity.

Gurudeva an important question, do you think in the future granting formal Refuge and possible initiation to Bhakta Carlos Rold and perhaps formal refuge to Bhakta Lucciano Macchiavello?, Both devotees have been following his instructions for years.

Your would-be servant

Manjuali Devi Dasi

Santiago de Chile

HpS - Maybe even more than a year ago we decided that we are too old to give any more 1st initiation. The Diksa guru takes Karma. It is a job, and it is a job for a young man. Last time we did it. Few months ago. We felt really crushed.

🙂

However, that does not mean that we cannot be Guru's for Carlitos or Machaivelli.

In Srila Bhaktivinode's 'Jaiva Dharma' one fictional Sannyasi, saint, Babba Mahasai, is preaching, teaching, guiding a young man from Kolkata when he visits Nabadvipa.

Then Bobba Mahasaya tells him that he is ready for initiation, but that he, Bobba Mahasaya is 90-years old and that if he initiates him, he will die, so they should go and see Vaisnava Thakura Bobba who is only 75-years old.

Young man. 😃

VTB says that it is an honor to do the ritual if BM recommends The Young Man (35-years old).

So, that is what we feel.

Carlos and Machiavelli are our friends!

What more can we want!!?

It is an honor if we can be their friends and counselors always.

We are recommending Yadunandana Swami in Spain as a very nice Diksa guru. Radha Krsna Das in Houston.

O.K.

¡Hare Krsna! Querido Gurudeva, Por favor acepte mis humildes reverencias

Todas las Glorias sean a Srila Prabhupada y a su trascendental Biblioteca Bhaktivedanta

Orando para que la energía de su cuerpo se restablezca y favorezca al incansable Sankirtan que usted ofrece a nuestro Divino Acarya y agradeciendo todos los esfuerzos que usted realiza para involucrarnos en su servicio.🙇

Escribo como parte del equipo de ASA Carnaval, en relación a ASA-Encyclopedia:

Luego de su respuesta a nuestra carta reciente, descargamos el archivo, lo revisamos y tuvimos una pequeña reunión.

Comprensión general

*De manera general, observamos que el contenido es claro y accesible.

*El prefacio fue de especial ayuda, para comprender -hasta cierto punto- la estructura de análisis de esta ASA Enciclopedia. Aunque a lo largo del contenido, no observamos la clasificación de los artículos, que se menciona en este prefacio.

*De acuerdo con el documento, la última revisión es febrero 2021, así que hicimos una búsqueda rápida en el blog y observamos que varias publicaciones no han sido incluidas.

Dudas

Por otra parte, surgieron algunas dudas como: ¿a qué público está dirigida esta ASA – Enciclopedia? Lo que nos ayudaría a comprender ¿Cuál es la finalidad? Asimismo, tenemos entendido que además de SS Hanumatpresaka Swami, Tom Brown, Buck White, Guy Gismo, hay otros colaboradores, de ser así ¿En qué casos participan? y ¿Cuáles son las directrices para hacerlo?

Sugerencias

Desde nuestra perspectiva, detectamos algunas posibilidades de mejora (Como aclarar los detalles antes mencionados) o aspectos a tener en consideración (como la vigencia de los vínculos a plataformas externas) y también identificamos algunas posibilidades en las que su equipo ASA Carnaval, podría contribuir (como la actualización del documento).

Concluimos que tenemos algunas dudas generales del enfoque (la dirección) que usted desea dar a esta ASA Enciclopedia, por lo que; si a usted le parece bien, quizá podríamos tener un encuentro en línea con Usted, para despejar estas dudas de manera que nosotros podamos intentar contribuir, siguiendo claramente el mismo enfoque. 

Sin más por el momento, quedamos atentos agradeciendo su misericordiosa instrucción y guía.

¡Jaya Srila Prabhupada!

Siempre a sus órdenes, su aspirante a discípula

Karuna-Sakti Devi Dasi

ASA Carnaval

PD- En la reunión podríamos participar los tres coordinadores de ASA Carnaval - Abhinanda Das - Isvari Radha DD y Karuna-Sakti DD.

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Hare Krishna! Dear Gurudeva, Please accept my humble obeisances.

All Glories be to Srila Prabhupada and his transcendental Bhaktivedanta Library.

Praying that the energy of your body is restored and favors the tireless Sankirtan that you offer to our Divine Acarya and thanking you for all the efforts you make to involve us in his service.🙇

HpS/ASA - AgtSP!!! Paoh... every day we see newer and newer failures in the body, but newer and newer eternal advances in our humble intelligence.

The same for you?

I write as part of the ASA Carnaval team, in relation to ASA-Encyclopedia:

Following your response to our recent letter, we downloaded the file, reviewed it, and had a small meeting.

 General understanding

*In general, we observe that the content is clear and accessible.

*The preface was especially helpful to understand - to a certain extent - the analysis structure of this ASA Encyclopedia. Although throughout the content, we do not observe the classification of articles, which is mentioned in this preface.

*According to the document, the last revision is February 2021, so we did a quick search on the blog and noticed that several posts have not been included.

Doubts

On the other hand, some doubts arose such as: to whom is this ASA – Encyclopedia aimed? What would help us understand: What is the purpose? Likewise, we understand that in addition to H. H. Hanumatpresaka Swami, Tom Brown, Buck White, Guy Gismo, there are other collaborators, if so, in which cases are they involved? And what are the guidelines for doing so?

ASA = Very nice.

Suggestions

From our perspective, we detected some possibilities for improvement (such as clarifying the aforementioned details) or aspects to take into consideration (such as the validity of links to external platforms) and we also identified some possibilities in which your ASA Carnaval team could contribute ( such as updating the document).

We conclude that we have some general doubts about the approach (direction) you wish to give to this ASA Encyclopedia, so; If it seems good to you, perhaps we could have an online meeting with you, to clear up these doubts so that we can try to contribute, clearly following the same approach.

Without further ado for the moment, we remain attentive and grateful for your merciful instruction and guidance.

Jaya Srila Prabhupada!

Always at his command, his aspiring disciple

Karuna-Sakti Devi Dasi

ASA Carnival

PS- The three coordinators of ASA Carnaval could participate in the meeting - Abhinanda Das - Isvari Radha DD and Karuna-Sakti DD.

[1/2/2024 8:47 AM] Harilila: Hare krsna Maharaj 

Pamho. Agtsp.

Excellent class. So much information. How can I digest?

Can you text me the reference you made from 1st canto about similar question?

[1/2/2024 3:53 PM] HpS/ASA: Chini Desa, Sugar Land, Where Radha Gokulananda's sweet smiles shake the hearts of all the devotees?

https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/2/8/7/ is what I think asks that question. I could not research it in detail, but I certainly remember the same question in Pada padma.

Thank you.