Letters to the editor

AGTSP
Paoho

Our brother in Seattle sent this too us. It's very sweet.

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(Irish Luck - Remember to send it back!)

I want this back. It DOES work.
His name was Fleming, and he was a poor Scottish farmer. One day, while trying to make a living for his family, he heard a cry for help coming from a nearby bog. He dropped his tools and ran to the bog.

There, mired to his waist in black muck, was a terrified boy, screaming and struggling to free himself. Farmer Fleming saved the lad from what could have been a slow and terrifying death.  

The next day, a fancy carriage pulled up to the Scotsman's sparse surroundings. An elegantly dressed nobleman stepped out and introduced himself as the father of the boy Farmer Fleming had saved. 

'I want to repay you,' said the nobleman. 'You saved my son's life.'

'No, I can't accept payment for what I did,' the Scottish farmer replied waving off the offer. At that moment, the farmer's own son came to the door of the family hovel.

'Is that your son?' the nobleman asked.

'Yes,' the farmer replied proudly.  

'I'll make you a deal. Let me provide him with the level of education my own son will enjoy. If the lad is anything like his father, he'll no doubt grow to be a man we both will be proud of.' And that he did.

Farmer Fleming's son attended the very best schools and in time, graduated from St Mary's Hospital Medical School in London, and went on to become known throughout the world as the noted

Sir Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of Penicillin. 



Years afterward, the same nobleman's son who was saved from the bog was stricken with pneumonia. What saved his life this time? Penicillin. 

The name of the nobleman? Lord Randolph Churchill ... His son's name?

Sir Winston Churchill 

Someone once said: 
What goes around comes around.  
Work like you don't need the money.
Love like you've never been hurt.
Dance like nobody's watching.
Sing like nobody's listening.
Live like it's Heaven on Earth.

It's National Friendship Week. Send this to everyone you consider A FRIEND.

Pass this on and brighten some ones day.

AN IRISH FRIENDSHIP WISH: 
I hope it works...
May there always be work for your hands to do;
May your purse always hold a coin or two;
May the sun always shine on your windowpane;
May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain;
May the hand of a friend always be near you;
May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.
And may you be in heaven a half hour before the devil knows you're dead..


OK, this is what you have to do... Send this to all of your friends.
But - you HAVE to send this within 1 hour from when you open it!
Now.....Make A wish!! I hope you made your wish!

Now then, if you send to:
1 person --- your wish will be granted in 1 year
3 people --- 6 months
5 people --- 3 months
6 people --- 1 month
7 people --- 2 weeks
8 people --- 1 week
9 people --- 5 days
10 people --- 3 days
12 people --- 2 days
15 people --- 1 day

20 people --- 3 hours

If you delete this after you read it, you will have 1 year of bad luck!
But, if you send it to 2 of your friends, you will automatically have 3 years good luck!!! 

On Tuesday, October 28, 2014 3:04 AM, Mukta Okram from Thoubal, Manipur Mandir wrote:

All Glories to Sri Guruji Maharaja and Gouranga Mahaprabhu

Radha Krsna Ki Jay and Goura Bhakta Ki Jay

I am submitting my humble obeisances unto Guru Maharaja's padmacharan that if any ISKCON bhaktas can not go to Mandir daily but following strictly the four principles, chanting complete 16 rounds, rising up early morning and reading one or more religious books  and someone is going in the nearest mandir daily but doing nothing of ISKCON rules and systems. Which one is better?

HpS - ASA -- AGTSP!  Paoho. Seems that the first one is better but you should look at Srila Prabhupada's Purport to Madhya 15.108 of the Caitanya-caritamrta.

If an initiated devotee following all the rules externally, but has offensive mind toward Krsna or devotees then his service is bad and he is falling away, but if a simple person who does not know what the good activities, four principles, are or because of the reactions of his Karma is still forced to do bad things, but sincerely WANTS to change and has humble attitude to Krsna and devotees then his position is better, no? He is coming closer and Krsna likes His service. He washes off the external dirt and eats the offering.

So each case is individual, but in general we should see the external character is good as well as the heart!

To follow and perform some duties is far far easier then to collect bhaktas and run a mandir. But, if the systems are not in the pattern of ISKCON, then What is the  spiritual development of going to such mandirs run by non vegitarians? 

The traditional goudiya veisnaba bhaktas who have taken initiated in a local Brahmana Guru and going Sundays in the Mandir, but the Guru and the bhakta is a non vegitarian    and not  following the four principles of ISKCON.  Which is better for such bhaktas and ISKCON bhaktas who had taken initiated and following the four principles strictly but not going to above such mandir regularly?

HpS - As you are describing it then the ISKCON devotees are doing very well. Yes, we should try to preach to the non-veg Bhaktas to change their habits. See SB 1.17.38. If such an ISKCON Bhakta has an altar in his home we should consider that is probably a better Temple than a Temple where the Bhaktas are still doing these Kali-karma things described in 1.17.38, no?
Preach to them.

Get them to understand and change. Then let Manipur help the whole world!!!!

Thank you so much for you letters and association. Dandavats to all the devotees. Thank you even for your Tilak Laddus!

PLEASE WRITE TO THE BLOG!!
Yours fallen servant
Yamunesvara Das

Hare Krsna Guru Maharaj,

Please accept our humble obeisances.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

We had a couple of issues that came up this week that seem pressing. Thank you for your tolerance! And thank you for your last reply Maharaj. We are not on the level to feel that we can transcend this body and even think about getting a spiritual body because we are so immersed at times by the  troubles created by our own mind and body!! It is good to hear that is the goal though, thank God... At times we can differentiate that's the mind, that's   the spirit soul!  Usually this depends on how sincerely we are chanting and doing service.

Here is a question Maharaj, thank you very much for listening. My boss's husband Madhava Chandra and  also my Bhakti Shastri  teacher said I shouldn't be getting up at four because I'm not on the level of a Mahatma! Prabhu said that to do this one must take a nap during the day but if you're working full-time nine to four this is not a good idea. Please maharaj let us know if Mangal Arati and time for japa is different for the 9-4 householder bunch??

HpS - ASA - - -  "Devotional service means transcendental activities. On the transcendental platform there is no contamination by the three modes of material nature. This is called viśuddha-sat-tva, the platform of pure goodness, or goodness free from contamination by the qualities of passion and ignorance. In this Krsna consciousness movement we require everyone to rise early in the morning, by four A.M.,and attend mańgala-ārati, or morning worship, then read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, perform kīrtana, and so forth. Thus we hold continuous activities in devotional service twenty-four hours daily. This is called sato vrtte, or following in the footsteps of the previous ācāryas who expertly filled every moment of time with Krsna conscious activities" NOI-3
Srila Prabhupada says, "everyone", here, not just Sannyasis or others.
In his presence he required the Grhasthas to also be up for Mangala arati. Krsna stopped the Rasa-lila for Mangala arati. He left Rukmni in bed for Mangala-arati.
If Prabhuji would like to write to the Blog also we could discuss the comment also.
Of course, 4AM means Brahma-muhurta, no? So this means 1-1/2 hours to 3/4 hours before sunrise. At different times in the year, in different places, this might change for 4AM to other times, but if we don't get up for Mangala arati, kirtan, Japa, SB, then we will not have enthusiasm in our daily service. We will have pure intelligence.

Of course, the contamination may ne subtle. Vyasadeva was not smoking cigarrettes or going to bars, but he still deviated, made a mistake. He presented Krsna so indirectly in the Vedas and Puranas that no one could figure understand what was he real purpose of religion.

He was not satisfied, Narada Muni, his Guru, told him that Buddha would basically have to come and deny all that he had done before SB to get things back on line.

So, yes, get up early and get your rounds done with enthusiasm.

For the devotees who were up to 10PM closing the first restaurant in ISKCON Prabhupada tod them STILL they had to get up for Mangala arati. Yes, you may have to go to bed earlier. You may have to take a nap. BhVinode Thakura was up early, but he had a nap before breakfast.

O.K?

The other question is regarding how to have patience and be excepting of the situation with St. Nicholas prabhu. Prabhu doesn't want to spend time together now and wants to act as single parents again because he says that I seem too detached when I'm around him. I have explained that I want to work on the marriage and I want to give Aja a Krsna Conscious family but he is saying that it seems I have lost respect for him and that I show it (It may be due to losing some trust). I feel very fallen in this situation Maharaj because I want to do my duty and I want to follow instructions. I understand that the problem is in my mode of how I am approaching the situation. What if we do things out of duty but our feelings and heart may not be 100 percent behind it?? Is Krsna still pleased? I'm praying for realizations so I know how to have more heart and feelings behind doing my duty and to not do something reluctantly or with my guards up. I have a hunch that to move through this my realizations need to be so so much deeper....

HpS - ASA -- Have fun. Tell him how you feel. Listen to how he feels. In NOD we remember Prabhupada saying that in the beginning there is a tendency to impersonalism because we are fried with material variety and we don't yet have spiritual reality.

So it is natural in our devotional dealings in family life this will always be there in the beginning also. We don't have this "respect", "love", based on the body of our family members: "Oh, how beautiful you (r body and singing) are!", "Oh, what big brains you have!". You have just as big a challenge to become a pure, normal, devotee of Krsna as me or Hari-vilasa or Srila Prabhupada or Queen Kunti... You are not facing small challenges, so don't be surprised that it takes time and effort, love, affection and having lots of adventure and fun. The result is eternal, absolute and all pervasive. The Supreme Lord of unlimited numbers of universes, master of all the gods, will become your personal confidant.

Nick has fre will also. His progress is also his free choice. Let's see what happens. The Soap Opera of "Kama and Nicky in Hell's Reform School!"

I pray for sincerity and good rounds so I do not get to mental about this. Thank you thank you for listening to this banter!!! We know you are very very busy.

Your fallen servant,

Kamagayatri dd

HpS - ASA -- Oink! AGTSP paoho

10/15/14

Esteemed Gurudeva  All Glories to Mighty Srila Prabhupada!  Please accept sincere dundavata and pranamas!  Hoping this find you well and having prosecuted a sucessful Sankirtan festival.  How many attended?  From where did they come?

   ASA - The Celebrate Nashville Festival can draw up to 40,000 people, but it was COLD that day so only about 10,000 came but they were serious. We had a general cultural booth in the Global Village with 40-minutes on Stage, chanting Bodies exhibit with Banners and flyers showing Shakespeare and BG both using the theme to show that we should look to spiritual life etc.

Then we had a Prasadam booth which distributed over 500 pakora and samosa plates.

Two Mantra Japa booths that got about 500 people to chant one round and 110 bought a kit with beads and books.

LOT of work, General Nashville people. Met some very nice community organizers, challenged and inspired the devotees to do more. Took five days to recover!

Re. Goswami training beginners requirements - I have prayed and thought and decided that for now, because the atmosphere in my home is extremely inauspicious for practicing Krsna Consciousness, there is no possibility of me being able to keep a fixed up schedule for my sadhanna.  I do 100% keep my vows.  However it is as I can fit it in throughout each day, not at any particular times.  Trying to keep a log of it would be extremely difficult. My day is filled with nothing but trying to prosecute Krsna Consciousness and moment to moment crying out to the Lord for help and mercy in order to stay focused and faithful when doing so.

Please accept this is the best I can do and show me mercy by allowing me your continued e-association, realistic opportunities to serve you and your ongoing prayers!  If there are any training requirements which match my situation,please advise; although i do not expect Monkey and Piggy to alter protocol for my needs.

Hope to hear from you soon with the mercy i need.

Your Worthless Servant,  Kalindi devi dasi

     HpS - ASA -- In the other letter we mentioned this. Your answer is just what we wanted to know by asking how you get your rounds done. As we said in the other letter, "As long as we can breath, we can chant!" So if we are chained to a wall in the fortress of Durga with our hands hanging from chains from the ceiling then we can't chant on beads.

But Prahlada Maharaja waited 'till the house managers were out to lunch and then called his associates together to hear about Krsna.

So, another plan.

Just keep a simple log of how many rounds you have done each day by sunrise, noon and sunset.

Is possible!! Then we use that to get our wagon rolling. [Later we get the Weiner dog Dancing.]

10/08/14      Esteemed Gurudev:  All glories to Mighty Srila Prabhupada!!!  Please accept dundavats and pranamas!!  Re. qualifications for mataji Goswami training, it is possible i will not qualify for this training.  It is a serious effort by Monkey and Piggy to train me up to be a pure, neophyte devotee and so it must be taken seriously; not entered into lightly, no?

At first glance, this topic (training) may not seem related to an answer to a question you kindly asked in one of your last two merciful correspondences, i.e. "How is Dave?  How is the wienner dog?"  Re. Lila dog, she's  ageing wonderfully; getting more clever at manipulating us each day; practically useing human-sounding vocals to relay her wants and deeds.  She has no other agenda than taking shelter of us for her life. iI think her soul is making real progress in this life.

Re. the other question, please let me know if it is a real question seeking actual information, or a social kindness. If you want a real answer, please let me know if it will really be taking the shelter of my guru; in other words, confidential.  After (hopefully)  being able to tell you how Dave is doing and the actual day to day logistics of my life, you will be able to decide if i am in a position to qualify for this merciful training.  It is not a matter of my being unenthusiastic for the training.  Nor is it a matter of not chanting 16 rounds, not keeping  4 regs, not studying scripture (right now I am completely absorbed in the CC)  It is a matter of any log i would keep would look like chaos as there is no possibility of my keeping a fixed-up looking program schedule.

Re. Carl Jung    i am so enthusiastic re. future discussions.  In my 30's, i read him constantly, as well as the works of Robert Johnston. i'm assuming you will be expertly applying his views to shine further light on Vaisnava scriptures, psychology/practice/lifestyle and vice versa.  This would be truly fascinating and helpful!  The conversations between Hopi Indians and Jung, are amazing.

Amazingly, i have been asked to be on the B.G. teaching schedule for the Sac. Ctr.  First time will be 11/22  B.G. 16:5.  They must know my lack of qualification to teach so i think it is ok to accept with humility.

ALL GLORIES TO THE TENNESSE SANKIRTAN FESTIVAL!!!!

Haribol!  YWS Kalindi Devi dasi

HpS - Jaya!   AGTSP. Paoho. We are struggling to stay awake. It is 1.52 in the afternoon. Hot in our sunbaked office. Had nice lunch from Mrs. Desai.

"How is Mr. so-and-so?" - This Blog is great place to see things from a more distanced position. Not that we can go to details and esoteric quirks and quacks immediately. Better to see our lives from a more Buddhist position mostly to start with. General discussion of intoxication, not marijuana, alcohol, chocolate, football, fashion magazines in detail.

"Being regular" - We'll you are breathing regularly, no? That's a very basic level of Goswami regulation even if we are in a constant war with The Witch who every day has become determined to make newer and newer, ever-fresh, obstacles in our lives.

So, also describe you basic arrangement for regulated Japa.

Let's see the next letter.

We all must become Goswamis. Even the dogs and cats. Otherwise we cannot become pure devotees and give Radha and Gopal the love they DESERVE!

Your Holiness,

                          Please accept my prostrated obeisances. All glories to your good self.

I feel blessed that you have shown so much compassion to me by writing to me.

HpS - Oooof. Please excuse the lateness of our letter. We did a USA tour of 14-cities in five weeks, came back to our base in Tennessee for Radhastami Festival and then our annual akhanda sankirtan and interfaith dialog. Theh were both wonderful.

Then we had to put both shoulders to the wheel and with five devotees organize our annual participation in the Celebrate Nashville Festival. Usually 40,000 people come and we had four booths and 40-minutes of stage time to organize. That was last Saturday and now on Wednesday we are 67.3% recovered and now... turning to our main focus, Carl G. Jung and the Bhagavata.

I knew His Holiness Bhaktisvarup Damodara Swami. He invited me and my father to have prasadam with him. He especially liked my father who is a complete heretic and invited him for conferences a couple of times. Now I go two to four days a week to the Kolkata BI centre, and render whatever little devotional service I can.

HpS - This is the center in Raghunatha pur, no? I was the first person to live there. It was the hottest summer in 30-years, 1996.

Who is working there now?

Our very, very good friend is Professor Samaresh Bandhyopadyay who domiciles in Lake Town.

I am very interested in scientific preaching because of obvious reasons that if scientists are convinced then convincing the general masses is far easier. I was aiding in the BI stall in the Kolkata Book Fair and I saw, how inerested people would become when we would show them how Nobel Laureates are interested in the spiritual dimension of life. Of course not everyone would be interested or impressed. Yet I felt that if notable scientists back the spiritual frontier it becomes easier to be interested in spirituality not just for neophytes but even for someone like me who has been trying to practice for the last 15 years or so. I remember how I felt comfortable being an atheist after a superficial reading of a book by Richard Dawkins and I know that many unfortunate people feel the same way and I would like to help them. I also feel satisfaction from seeing the defects in the best of atheistic arguements and thinking how fortunate I am to believe in a personal God atleast to some extent. 

My big weakness is that I do not have a very credible academic degree having earned just a bachelors degree in engineering with very ordinary grades.

Right now I am having a difficult time because ever since 2004 my parents are forcing me to stay at home and be treated for a disease called "paranoid schizophrenia". They are not allowing me to go and stay in a monastery which I would like to do. They force me to take medicines which, make me sleep 10-12 hours a day, slur my speech and make mantra chanting difficult, and cause my body to tremble constantly. They have also admitted me to mental hospitals on three occasions and the doctors tortured me quite severely.  On one occasion they kept me there for about 10 months. My father keeps threatening me that they will again put me in the mental hospital.

I keep thinking of how to deal with my situation. I feel that Narasimha stuti will help me. But there are different Narasimha mantras and I do not know which one to chant and how many times a day. I would be very grateful if you could kindly guide me in this matter.

I feel very interested in the service you are doing regarding working on Carl Jung. I would be only too grateful if you could kindly reveal to me how I could be of any use in your project. 

Because of the effect of the drugs, which slow me down physically and psychologically,  I am not able to do all the things I wish to or resolve to do.  That is why I did not write to your blog for a long time. Please forgive me. 

I am a member of the British Council Library. Also I have access to the BI library. So I will be only too happy to do some research work that you might so wish to give me the opportunity to do. 

I look forward to your kind replies.

Your aspiring servant

jashodev

HpS - Of course, we graduated first in psychology and then the President of our NIOS is Nitai-gaurasundara Das, Director of a Psychiatric hosptital here. He says if you are a rich white lady you are diagnosed bi-polar, but if you are a poor black lady then you are diagnosed schizophenic.

Can you read Carl Jung's biography. It would probably help with all these things.

Then write again. Don't hesitate to write even if we don't answer. From the DTCs you will see what is happening with us.