Letters to the editor

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.

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

HpS - ASA - AGTSP! Paoho.  Thank you for your letter. Looking at our feet they seem to be a little bit chronically swollen lately and we seem to be struggling to more precisely control our diet for better service to Srila Prabhupada, Nitai-Gauranga and Radha-Krsna.
    All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
    All glories to Guru parampara.

    Gurudev, we seek your views and comments on all the below points:

    1. we will start with my parents on 27 Oct 2014 for Vrandavan, will stay till 3 Nov 2014.

HpS - We see this as very nice. Of course, you can introduce them to the nice Vaisnavas there.
    2. What could be the best activity in vrndavan during our 8 days stay.

HpS - That depends on the level of advancement of your parents. Visiting Govardhan and Varsana with some devotees. Attending lectures by learned devotees. Doing some shopping. Chanting Hari kirtan.
    3. Will prepare my daily notes, daywise for you of Vrandavan Trip.

HpS - Ah, very nice. Look at http://www.vrindavan-dham.com/texts/vrndavana-mahimamrta.php

    4. Have selected few topics to be discussed with my Shiksa Guru in
       vrandavan - BG, SB, Chantings, determination for bhakti, what else need to include.

HpS - What he thinks are good topics.
    5. What activity need to include during vrandavan stay so that we can fix our mind onto Lord and bring & make Lord stay in our heart always.

HpS - Same as "2." The link above is very nice. Chant and ask Radharani for Her mercy. Usually it is nice in the Temple in the afternoon when it is closed and there are just afew devotees there for the akhanda sankirtan.

Also the Gosala is peacful place.
    6. What else you would advise for our vrandavan trip.

HpS - Nothing more. Try writing some English poetry. Keep notes that you can refer to until your next visit. Remember every experience, good or bad, is good in Vraja.

We add one picture.

    Thank you, Guru Dev.

your fallen servant,
Girivaradhari-Gopal Das

HARE KRSNA Maharaja! Muchísimas gracias.!!!! My post address is ; PABLO FERNANDEZ RODRIGUEZ C/ CAMINO DE HOYOS . . . ( ESPAÑA) In Japa Joe i see You Maharaja! Thanks again. HARE KRSNA

ASA - AGTSP. Just wrote the address on the envelope!

hare krsna maharaj,
Pamho,agtsp,
prof Samaresh is waiting for conversation with you. he tried calling you, but could not reach u. please call him on or before 11th oct as he will start travelling.
if you have any communication to be made to him.you can tell me
regards,
horse

HpS - ASA - AGTSP. So nice to talk with you. I have been collecting information to send to him for past few days. Was totally delayed by this Nashville festival. Please tell him that we have to go to Vanderbilt tommorrow but we will write and call on Thursday. Our full respects to him. We think of him daily.