Letters to the editor

asa[e] Bhaktivedanta Library; M'bharata & R'mayan

https://vyas-mahabharat.com/

https://www.valmikiramayan.net/

[5/28/2025 9:33 AM] Srinivasa Das:

Hare Krishna Maharaja

PAMHO AGTSP

I need to know how I can control my sexual drive so that I can remain in my vow of celibacy.

Thank you.

Ramai pandit Das

HpS//ASA - AgtSP. paoho. All of these questions are very individual, no? That is the special thing about this movement. We simultaneously are complete dependent upon our community and Krsna, but inconcievably fully independent.

Of course, this is very practical. Unless we give our full effort to developing our own character and transcendental skills, then we have nothing to contribute to the community.

Yet, we see that it is with our relationship with KRSNA and Vaisnava that we can develop these.

So, a broad answer is that one very important thing is to go on reading all of the Bhaktivedanta Library. The Srimad Bhagavatam and it's natural commentary, Caitanya Caritamrta, is full, FULL, F U L L, of stories and lessons of success, failures, recoveries with, in, from, sexual abstinence.

Of course, reality is that sex desire is Adi-rasa. The essence of all other Rasas, so we have no desire to refrain from it. We want to cultivate it.

We want to learn to assist, Radha, Krsna, Gopis, Laksmis, in Their every expanding delightful, shy, modest, intense conjugal relationships.

As we experience that higher taste, then attraction for the perverted taste in the material perspective will become insignificant, in proper proportion and a very funny, funny, binding force for the recalcitrant children who have dressed up as Radha and Krsna, and are trying to imitate them in Material Consciousness.

"Gṛhastha devotees, however, are generally engaged in material activities, and therefore if they do not take to Deity worship, their falling down is positively assured. Deity worship means following the rules and regulations precisely. That will keep one steady in devotional service."

https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/7/5/23-24/#bb45382

So, if you are not in Brahmacari ashrama and can follow a Sannyasi physically to preach but are staying at home in the house of the Spiritual Master as a B'cari then you should engage in Deity worship.

Have your deities.

Serve Them with love by:

• Cleanliness,
• Punctuality,
• Offering Arati and Bhoga and other rituals according to your means.

O.K.? Is this some help? It is a progressive path.

Nanda braja Das from New Kalachandji Dhama asks:

Hare Krishna! Pamho AGTSP! Guru Maharaja, I see that you are going to go for Ratha Yatra in Boise. Any updates thoughts about me joining you in Houston and traveling to Boise?

HpS/ASA - Thank you for the question.

We are old and our donkey is lame, so we only exist in practice by the impetus of others.

First, let us please comment on titles in ISKCON.

We feel that it may be impertinent for us to be addressed as "Guru Maharaja" in ISKCON. It maybe insulting to Srila Prabhupada's position, and then how to deal with this academic "Bhaktivedanta" title.

Ooof! Too much for one small monkey to handle. 🐵

First, we remember a letter from Srila Prabhupada where one disciple asked if he could address someone such as his authority Bhagavan Das or Hansadutta Das as 'Guru', and Srila Prabhupada answered, "Yes", but that we should not forget himself as his real Guru.

Hmmm. Interesting.

We feel that maybe we can be addressed as guru maharaja very much in the perspective of ISKCON Diksa guru, and sannyasi and Shiksa, Sankirtan leader, guru in the perspective that we are 🐖

🐖 🐖 pigs become people, PRABHUS [???], by the great personal sacrifice of His Divine Grace, Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder/Acharya of ISKCON and author of book KRSNA - SPOG.

Is O.K., no?

We can't even begin to to take a so called Ritvik Guru philosophy seriously because we do not find it discussed in even one Bhaktivedanta Purport, what to speak of detailed and repeated discussion in several Purports.

Wow! 🚓

O.K. Next - 💪

💪

🐵

Prabhupada directly instructed in a letter that he wanted his disciples to become ISKCON, Vedic, scholars and earn this title Bhaktivedanta as a hereditary title.

Also, Lord Caitanya says: amar anjay guru haya, on my order, you become guru.

Vaisesika Das, ISKCON Minister of Sankirtan, said we should earn these titles and use them. Show the world our quality of education.

We feel His Holiness H. P. Bhaktivedanta Swami is quite pretentious, for us. Maybe some other devotees in ISKCON merit it?

We feel like we can survive, do practical service, with H. H. Hanumat presaka Swami [Bh. Ved].

What do you think?

Todas las Glorias a Srila Prabhupada!!

Hare Krishna Guru Maharaja, por favor reciba mis respetuosas reverencias, muchas gracias por su respuesta a mi anterior carta.

Copie lo que me respondió y lo traduje con google traductor.

HpS... podemos reiterar lo que le dijimos a Candra-mukhi Devi Dasi sobre el mismo tema.

Según nuestro entendimiento del libro de KRSNA, las Gopis viven en tres niveles y esto se puede aplicar perfectamente a ISKCON:

1. Son buenos ciudadanos de la aldea de Nanda Maharaja. Pagan sus impuestos, intercambian el precio del yogur. Se quejan de lo que consideran incorrecto. Esto es ISKCON a nivel institucional.
2. Tienen su círculo de amistades dentro de la institución. El amigo más cercano del Presidente del Templo puede ser el lavaplatos del Templo. Las gopis miran a su alrededor para ver quién las observa ordeñando vacas y luego empiezan a hablar confidencialmente con otras gopis, sus hermanos, etc.
3. Cada uno de ellos experimenta una relación directa con Krishna. Claro que esto se da a través de muchos medios transparentes, pero esos medios son transparentes, incluso inconscientemente. Nosotros, tú, yo, debemos estar experimentando una relación transparente y directa con Srila Prabhupada. Por la naturaleza de tu potencia interna, eres el discípulo más íntimo de Srila Prabhupada. En nuestro servicio como guru en ISKCON, solo intentamos actuar como ese medio.

¿Quizá estos entendimientos solo sean para devotos avanzados?

A mi me puede tomar mucho tiempo en comprender todo esto, quizá a otros devotos menos.

Hemos estado y estamos viviendo esto personalmente y conocemos a otros que también lo han estado.

¿También?

¡Nunca abandones el ISKCON de SRILA PRABHUPADA!

No puedo dejar Iskcon, aunque algunas veces lo estuve pensando, pero es muy difícil dejar Iskcon, no hay otra cosa mejor que Iskcon, no hay!!!

Nunca tengas miedo de actuar con entusiasmo, valentía y honestidad, para servir en los tres niveles.

Si hay problemas en la Institución, entonces tal vez estén allí simplemente para lograr que los devotos peruanos hagan mejoras, resuelvan problemas que guiarán al mundo entero.

¡No existe ninguna restricción para que usted tome Sannyasa y se convierta en Presidente del GBC!

Hace unos años atrás seguí muchos consejos de tener una vida tipo Vanaprastha, por más que lo intente no funciono en mi persona, ahora en la actualidad y conociendo mi naturaleza nunca tomaría sannyasa.

Es muy importante conocerse a uno mismo, y aceptar su realidad, en lo personal si me tengo que volver a casar o ser Grihasta me casaría, si tengo que tener hijos los tendría, uno no puede reprimir sus sentidos auto-engañándose, mis sentidos, tengo deseos sexuales, no es un tabú, no puedo auto-engañarme, no puedo tapar el sol con un dedo, claro tampoco estoy desesperado, es una lucha a diario.

Para que alguien tome Sannyasa tiene que tener muchas características astrológicas en su carta astral, las cuales yo no tengo.

¿Si uno se conoce a si mismo, tendría que actuar de acuerdo a ello o tendría que ir en contra de su naturaleza?

Bueno Guru Maharaja me despido que el Señor Nrsimha lo proteja siempre y le pido que me perdone cualquier ofensa en mi comentario y en mis preguntas.

Hare Krishna.

Gadai Gauranga Dasa.

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All glories to Srila Prabhupada!!

Hare Krishna, Guru Maharaja, please accept my respectful obeisances. Thank you very much for your response to my previous letter.

HpS/ASA - AgtSP!!!! paoho.

I copied what you replied and translated it with Google Translate.

HpS... can we reiterate what we told Candra-mukhi Devi Dasi on the same subject?

According to our understanding of Krishna's book, the gopis live on three levels, and this can be perfectly applied to ISKCON:

They are good citizens of Nanda Maharaja's village. They pay their taxes, exchange the price of yogurt. They complain about what they consider wrong. This is ISKCON at the institutional level.

They have their circle of friends within the institution. The closest friend of the Temple President may be the Temple dishwasher. The gopis look around to see who is watching them milking cows and then begin to talk confidentially with other gopis, their brothers, etc.

Each of them experiences a direct relationship with Krishna. Of course, this happens through many transparent means, but those means are transparent, even unconsciously. We—you and I—must be experiencing a transparent and direct relationship with Srila Prabhupada. By the nature of your internal potency, you are Srila Prabhupada's closest disciple. In our service as a guru in ISKCON, we only try to act as that medium.

Perhaps these understandings are only for advanced devotees?

HpS - Different levels of understanding these things, but I think that even at the level of 1st initiation one can experience a direct relationship with Srila Prabhupada.

It may take me a long time to understand all this, perhaps less so for other devotees.

We have been and are experiencing this personally, and we know others who have as well.

Also?

Never leave Srila Prabhupada's ISKCON!

I can't leave ISKCON, although I've sometimes thought about it, but it's very difficult to leave ISKCON. There is nothing better than ISKCON, there isn't!

Never be afraid to act with enthusiasm, courage, and honesty, to serve at all three levels.

If there are problems in the Institution, then perhaps they are there simply to encourage Peruvian devotees to make improvements, to solve problems that will guide the entire world.

There are no restrictions for you to take Sannyasa and become President of the GBC!

A few years ago, I followed a lot of advice about living a Vanaprastha-type life. Try as I might, it didn't work for me. Now, knowing my nature, I would never take sannyasa.

It's very important to know yourself and accept your reality. Personally, if I had to remarry or become a Grihasta, I would. If I had to have children, I would. One cannot repress one's senses by deceiving oneself. My senses. I have sexual desires. It's not a taboo. I can't deceive myself. I can't hide the sun with a finger. Of course, I'm not desperate either; it's a daily struggle.

For someone to take Sannyasa, they must have many astrological characteristics in their birth chart, which I don't have.

If one knows themselves, should they act accordingly or go against their nature?

ASA - 🐵 😆 😆 😆 - Like Krsna advises Arjuna, we should purify our nature and then use it in Krsna's service, no?

Well, Guru Maharaja, I bid you farewell. May Lord Nrsimha always protect you. I ask you to forgive any offenses in my comments and questions.

Hare Krishna.

Gadai Gauranga Dasa.

HpS - So, nice. Thank you.

Hope you get chance to get out OUR O U T with Srila Prabhupada on Sankirtan. See you in a few moments.

I get about three times as much mail per day as I can handle.

A lot of it is redundant eg. where are you, what are you doing, what do you think about this topic.

A lot of it is also quite important, so the Blog is the only solution we have to deal with this.

It eliminates the redundancy and puts people in touch with other people with the same service concerns.

Hare Krsna.

💪💪💪🐕

Todas las Glorias a Srila Prabhupada!!!

Hare Krishna Guru Maharaja, por favor reciba mis respetuosas reverencias, espero se encuentre bien de salud.

Tengo algunas preguntas:

¿Se puede renunciar a ISKCON, sabiendo muy bien que la relación Guru-discípulo nunca se rompe?

Vemos que hoy en día autoridades locales hacen lo que quieren, especialmente en ISKCON-PERÚ, como si Iskcon fuera el congreso ordinario de la república del Perú. Algunos devotos quieren irse, no quieren hundirse con el barco, también ¿que podrían hacer? entonces...

Ésta administración de ISKCON-PERÚ ya es una dictadura, o es que ¿así verdaderamente funcionan las cosas?

pero, ¿como podría funcionar, si no les interesa la prédica y solo les interesa tener la billetera gorda?

¿como encontrar la protección adecuada sin cometer ofensas y no irse al infierno?

MUCHOS no quieren meter la mano, más bien se las lavan como Poncio Pilato y los pocos que tratan de hacer algo son sancionados y sancionados.

Disculpe si estoy siendo ofensivo con mis palabras..

Hare Krishna Guru Maharaja

Gadai Gauranga Dasa

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All glories to Srila Prabhupada!!!

Hare Krishna, Guru Maharaja, please accept my respectful obeisances. I hope you are in good health.

HpS - Our bodies, agtSP, do not get diseases. They are diseases. My body is like your body! 😆

I have a few questions:

Can one resign from ISKCON, knowing full well that the Guru-disciple relationship is never broken?

HpS - Candra mukhi Devi Dasi asked similar question in here post like yesterday or so. If you read that, https://monkeywarrior.com/detail/15575/, I think it will help but...

We see that these days local authorities do whatever they want, especially in ISKCON-PERU, as if ISKCON were the ordinary congress of the Republic of Peru. Some devotees want to leave; they don't want to go down with the ship. So, what could they do?

This ISKCON-PERU administration is already a dictatorship, or is that really how things work?

But how could it work if they aren't interested in preaching and are only interested in keeping their wallets fat?

How can one find adequate protection without committing offenses and going to hell?

Many don't want to interfere; instead, they just brush it off like Pontius Pilate, and the few who try to do something are punished and punished.

Excuse me if I'm being offensive with my words.

Hare Krishna, Guru Maharaja

Gadai Gauranga Dasa

HpS ... we can reiterate what we said to Candra-mukhi Devi Dasi on same topic.

To our understanding from the KRSNA book the Gopis live at three levels and this can be applied perfectly to ISKCON:

1. They are good citizens of Nanda Maharaja's village. They pay their taxes, barter over the price of yogurt. Complain about things that they think are wrong. This is ISKCON at the institutional level.
2. They have their circle of friends within the institution. The Temple President's closest friend may be the Temple pot washer. The Gopis look around to see who is looking at them milking cows and then begin to talk confidentially with other Gopis, their brothers et al.
3. They each experience a direct relationship with Krsna. Of course, this is through so many transparent via media, but those media are transparent, even unconsciously. We, you, me, must be experiencing a transparent, direct relationship with Srila Prabhupada. By the nature of the internally potency you are Srila Prabhupada's most intimate disciple. In our service as 'guru' in ISKCON we only try to act as that media.

We have, and are, personally experiencing this and know others who have, are, also.

You also?

Never leave SRILA PRABHUPADA's ISKCON!

Never be afraid to act with enthusiasm, bravery and honesty, to serve at all three levels.

If there are problems in the Institution, then maybe they are there to just get Peruvian devotees to make improvements, solve problems that will lead the entire world.

There is no restriction to you taking Sannyasa, becoming Chairman of the GBC!