Letters to the editor

ASA [e] VAD, grhastha, 16-rounds.

Dear Gurudeva, please accept my humble and respectful obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

I've written many letters to you in my notebooks, but they always seem incomplete, irrelevant, or even inappropriate. I know I need you to progress in my spiritual life, and that's why I'm returning to the blog. Please excuse the delay.

HpS - AgtSP!!!

[ASA - Following content edited for public display. TB/BW]

My operation was successful. I felt Krishna's mercy like the company of an unconditional friend, who gives you his hand even if you do nothing for him, without negotiations, in the silence of pure friendship.

On another note, I want to tell you that I'm on vacation at my mother's house, near Cuernavaca, Morelos, where you stayed a few years ago.

Several months ago, I was thinking about staying with my daughters at my mother's house for a trial year of separation from my esteemed husband.

This year in Monterrey, we had some very tough tests, and we didn't pass several. The vast difference in my husband's upbringing and way of thinking and mine has caused constant friction all these years together.

On the other hand, it has also been a mercy from Krishna because it has helped us both polish great anarthas.

Today I feel that this friction is hurting me more than I can tolerate, although I also understand that austerity is necessary. You have said that the heart can harden if it is not done intelligently.

Although my husband doesn't demand that I wait for him until late at night with a hot meal, I can't help but feel obligated to receive him. If nighttime doesn't come, he still goes to sleep very late, this makes noise or turning on lights that a mother's hearing and sensitivity can't miss.

At one point, I started sleeping less so I could make my rounds early, but my temper was worse than usual because I really can't take naps during the day.

I also tried asking my husband to accommodate his work and leisure times, but it didn't work. So I finally gave in and went to bed late and woke up late, just like him. It didn't work. The rounds aren't sung well in the afternoon; it's very distracting.

I emphasize my rounds because my principles are sound, but I can't settle for that. My vows are to chant 16 good rounds every day and thus stay connected to the paramparam. The other frictions with Prabhuji are more mundane, I wonder about cesarean births, other medical treatments that really make us feel like animals rather than ladies and gentlemen.

In Vedic culture, was more than one wife accepted? What are the arrangements?

HpS - Polygamy was normal, but the social ambience was much more mature. As I see, Srila Prabhupada suggested that it might be a practical solution for everyone involved if they were mature enough to do it, as opposed to the modern system of divorce and remarriage three or four times! For some men who asked about it he chastised them and called them lusty dogs.

Should I go to Cuautla Morelos, where there's a lot of crime, and live with the basics but with better sadhana? (I'm chanting my 16 rounds before 6:00 am) Should I raise both arms once and for all?

Please forgive me for bringing up grihastas. I've resisted telling you for a long time. I've taken advice from several counselors, and yours is the most important. Forgive me.

HpS - Thank you! First, I think that this is normal symptom of Kali yuga. The family life is bad. The international and local politics are bad. Wars everywhere. Useless government... but scriptures say that there is one very good thing. Just chanting Hare Krsna will give you liberation and take you to Goloka.

If we don't save ourselves, we cannot save anyone else.

By trying to save others it is great, GREAT, G R E A T, contribution to saving ourselves.

Have to chant, pray, get combination of social welfare work and personal private work.

It is just no doubt that sixteen good rounds are the first priority.

GOOD!

Not with evil intent.

Of course, even with evil intent, chanting Hare Krsna will give good results.

It is like living off of beer and potato chips.

You will get nutrition, but you will also have terrible health.

Chanakya Pandita says that victory comes from good advice, and good advice comes from many counselors.

seems to us you are doing a super, super, super job of living your life as a service to everyone who is fortunate enough to have your association.

go ahead. your success is guaranteed.

i cannot give you much detailed advice because i do not, and really cannot know the details of your situation.

i work on detailed solutions for the development of a department of media development here in the houston temple.

we hope to hear how you come up with funny solutions to your problems.

graduate as a victor and help so many others, with the help for KRSNA who plays and laughs as He dances on the heads of Kaliya!!

asa[e] suicide

Hare Krishna beloved Gurudeva:

AGTSP PAMHO

Thanks Gurudeva for encouraging us to enhance our sadhana. I hope to be able to join japa joe someday.

My very good friend Lizett Graham asked me to travel with her to Miami. We both are professors at universities. We were very stressed. The trip was nice. She respects that I am vegetarian that I do not drink alcohol, etc. We had a really good time. We relaxed at the beach, we went shopping But the best part is that we visited the temple there. Lizett is also a yoga instructor. So she bought some books related to yoga. We were there for the evening program. It was really nice.

Gurudeva. I am going to ask you a question as a psychologist. There were many suicides at universities last year. My question is what to tell teenagers or even adults that suicide is not an answer. Some of them do not know why do they live. How to find a reason to live? As a professor I feel that I have the duty to help. I have realized that mental health is really paramount in our lives

Ulyses had a surgery this last Tuesday. He is ok recovering. The doctors are amazed how a Golden retriever of almost 15 years old can be so strong. What is his mission in this life? Do dogs an cats have mission? Zebras obviously don't haha.

I am attaching a picture of Him before his surgery.

Thanks Gurudeva for reading

Hope to go and visit you soon

Trying to be your disciple

CMDD

HpS - Bh. Vinode Thakur prays that even if he takes birth in this world in the house of a devotee as a dog that is O.K.

Suicide - God is a reasonable, nice, father. Check out this hypothesis. If we are so determined to establish at that God is evil and we are good, to the point of even destroying our toys and human body, then He will let us do it, like any father, but stay with us and try to get us to give up these tantrums an learn to use our body correctly to get back to the spiritual world.

consultation is particular. it depends on the audience. the above is for people who can listen to the God consciousness comments!

Others you just cannot help. they only want to hear from you to enhance there self pity, happiness.

Others can hear a next life, without God comment.

In pirates of the caribbean, Captain Davy Jones says, this life has not been pleasant, why do youexpect the next to be any better.

is there really more opportunity with the tools you have in this life to correct your mistakes, than the kind of donkey or tortoise body you may get in your next life.

asa[e] free will. cutting tree; deity worship, practical standard

Hare Krishna Guru Maharaj,

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

We just came back from India last week.

HpS/ASA - AgtSP! Paoho. We were contemplating your travels and your return. Of course, we had some news.

The birthday celebrations of both children - Dhaasharathi and Chandranana went really well. (HPS Blog). The ayushomam ceremony also went well with around 200 - 300 friends and relatives attending.

One of our friends gifted us a baby Radha Rani. We already have a Gopal deity (Vishaka's from before our wedding, worshipped as Radha Raman) which we were worshipping. Now we are worshipping them together. We are doing daily abishek with water and dressing them. We are also doing full morning program. We also have Paramananda Gaura Nitai (You named them Guru Maharaj). Is this enough or do we have to do something more for the Radha Krishna deities Guru Maharaj? Please guide us on what to do.

HpS - Sounds great to us. We remember a very ancient deity worship workshop that jananivasa das or panchanghri das did in mayapura with about 10 or us. he said that mother yasoda is taking care of most of the deity worship. we are helping.

he said that these are the prioritie:

1. love
2. cleanliness
3. punctuality
4. rituals and paraphernalia

From what we have heard from Prabhupada, bathing the deity can be very simple: two hands and one mouth. ring the bell with one hand, chant, govinda jaya jaya, and hare krsna with the mouth and pour the water with your other hand.

incense, lamp, flower, fragrnce/oil, bhoga!!

😃

We are reading the 10th canto during our FMP and are currently in chapter 41. I had a question from chapter 37, Guru Maharaj. In this chapter, Narada Muni lists all the things that are going to happen in the future including the Mahabharata war. How can Narada muni know whats going to happen in the future? Does this mean the people engaged in these predictions dont have free will? How can we understand this, Guru Maharaj?

HpS - A man is walking down the road and he sees a simple fellow sitting on a dead branch of a tall tree cutting off the branch for fire wood. unfortunately the cutter is about 15 feet up and sitting with the cutting work going on the part of the branch between him and the tree.

the man on the ground says, "Hey, be careful, you are going to fall down and hurt youself!". The cutter says leave me alone, go to MacDonalds and throughs some wood at him". The passer by says, "O.K. do what you want to do!". and walks off.

the cutter continues and the branch breaks {picture attached}, falls down cracks his head, comes back to consciousness five minutes later with a big headaches and says, "That man was a great mystic. he could see the future!"

some times we can see that things are very fixed.

other times we can see that they at 50% fixed.

O.K.??? 🙂

We are planning to visit Murfreesboro while you are visiting Guru Maharaj. We will probably come for Radhastami since that is on a Sunday. We are also visiting ISV from September 12th to 21st for the Vyasa Puja of HG Vaisesika Maharaj. Vishaka has taken shelter from Maharaj and is awaiting initiation. Please bless her Guru Maharaj to serve Prabhupada's mission to the best of her abilities.

HPS - Hare Krsna! Please stay in touch to coordinate your visit!!! I took first initiation in the same letter from Srila Prabhupada as Vaisesika Das took second.

Many years of friendship and common work.

I think Srinath told you about this Guru Maharaj, but we are currently working on building the ASA Archive/Encyclopedia website and it's coming along nicely. We will update you and give you a demo once its a bit further along Guru Maharaj.

HpS/ASA - Tom Brown's encyclopedia view of life.

Your humble servant

Sri Rama Krishna Das

HpS - Our full respects to family and Yatra. Thank you always for the cellular.

asa[e] iskcon

Hare Krishna, Dear Gurudeva,

Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Dear Gurudeva,

Thank you so much for your association! The mere possibility of our Sunday sanga makes ISKCON worthwhile, even if everything else in the organization were wrong. Just this possibility alone makes it worth being in ISKCON.

Regarding the Panihati festival we discussed one Sunday, we saw one of the principles taught in this pastime: we can do nothing without the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Raghunath Das Goswami could not get rid of his family ties without the mercy of Lord Chaitanya. This brings to mind, and we wanted to take the opportunity to comment on the class, and also on the letter from Balabhadra Prabhu in Boise, Idaho, who was upset with his congregation and wanted to move somewhere else. https://monkeywarrior.com/detail/15617/

We don't know the details, but in a sense, it might be okay for him to go to another congregation, although we would like to share a bit of our personal experience, because we have also had the same feelings.

We remember when you also expressed your feelings about your congregation. We recall you saying that you disagreed with the politics of the temples and didn't want to get involved, and that you were determined to sleep on a park bench and freeze to death chanting Hare Krishna. Then your invitation to go to Peru arrived, and there your perspective changed.

HpS - It was not exactly the Congregation. They were a little irrelevant to the issue. It was the administrators who demanded that if we were going to domicile under their Temple roof that then we should use our preaching position to support their political agendas. Oooof! Other Sannyasis in ISKCON report the same pressure. Think Sannyasis in any religion will report the same thing. It is natural.

The other side is that Sannyasis should!! cooperate with the administration. Respect there role. Several times with Srngi and Parasurama it is pointed out that in certain aspects killing the king is worse than killing a Brahmana.

When we got the invitation from Peru it did not change our attitude, it just allowed us to go on in ISKCON institution, because we encountered a President who didn't want political subservience from us.

Thank you.

Our realization is that when we felt frustrated with the congregation, it was due to one of two reasons: the first, due to "overdelivery," meaning, overexerting ourself. When you do more than you can, you expect more than you should. If we make an artificial renunciation and push ourselves more than we are able, naturally, our expectation is greater.

HpS/ASA - NoI 2 ? Niyama agraha.

The other factor is that we want to control things somehow. Sometimes we believe we know or understand what is best for the congregation, to be the "best friend."

However, sometimes, by the mercy of Krishna and even Prabhupada, everything is under the supervision of the internal potency. The analogy you give, that Maya is like swimming in the ocean, is very clear. Sometimes the waves knock us down and carry us away, and sometimes they bring us closer to the shore. We have noticed the same in our own spiritual life. Sometimes we swim very hard, but then we rest and realize that only the Lord's mercy can help us. Then, one stops swimming, lets go, but then the waves of Maya start dragging us away again. It's a balance between controlling and exerting ourselves, and then allowing Krishna's mercy to act.

When one finds this point of balance—which we could also call humility—we understand our position, what our contribution is, what the devotees need, and how we can best serve the mission. When the congregation gives us something back that is uncomfortable, the response must be to look inward and see if we are not incurring these faults: doing more than we can (with an incorrect expectation) or controlling too much.

HpS - Same in the marriage and family community, no?

We have noticed that when devotees leave due to this pattern, their Krishna consciousness does not improve. We cannot kill our soul. Bhagavad Gita 5.15 is very clear in this regard. (And the Supreme Lord does not assume responsibility for anyone's sinful or pious activities. However, the embodied beings are bewildered because of the ignorance covering their true knowledge). We believe that ISKCON is one of the best hospitals for the soul, to get rid of our material consciousness and enter into our spiritual consciousness.

We felt like we were in a tsunami, wallowing in suffering, until we met Srila Prabhupada. The synthesis of his message is: chant Hare Krishna as much as you can, never stop chanting. That is like a boat with oars that will take you in the right direction.

Our recommendation, both for ourself and for the devotee in Idaho, is that when we feel hostility from our congregation, we can withdraw, dance, share a kirtan and prasadam with the devotees. In that way, it is very easy to enter into the internal potency. Afterwards, we can simply withdraw and do our personal service at home, relating to the congregation in that way.

This is better than wanting to cut ties with the congregation, because this is the world of duality: the congregation is not all good or all bad, it's a mix of both. We have to learn to take the good and tolerate the bad for our own purification. And if we purify ourselves, the congregation will too.

Gurudev, these are our reflections. I would like to hear your comment and your opinion on the matter. Do you think they are correct, or are they just our own speculations?

Your foolish servant,

Nikunja Bihari das.

HpS - Seems like 90% what we would say, and I think 90% of what Bala bhadra Das would agree, and I think that you me and he all kind of smile and say that it is easier to understand the basic philosophy than to apply it sometimes. 😃

Also, of course, there are details. You know that First Aid is great, but being trained as a full Medical Doctor allows you to relate to so many strange combinations of the diseases.

Thank you!

More of this later!!!!!

Hare Krishna, Amado Gurudeva,

Por favor, acepte nuestras humildes reverencias.

Todas las glorias a Srila Prabhupada.

Querido Gurudeva,

Muchas Gracias por su Asociación!! El solo hecho de tener la posibilidad de este sanga los domingos ya hace que ISKCON valga la pena, aun si todo lo demás en la organización estuviera mal. Solo con esta posibilidad, vale la pena estar en ISKCON.

En referencia al festival de Panihati que discutimos un domingo, vimos uno de los principios que se enseñan en este pasatiempo: no podemos hacer nada sin la misericordia de la suprema personalidad de la divinidad. Ragunath Das Goswami no pudo deshacerse de sus lazos familiares sin la misericordia del Señor Chaitanya. Esto me trae a la mente y quería aprovechar a comentar sobre la clase, y también sobre la carta de Balabhadra Prabhu en Boise, Idaho, que estaba enojado con su congregación y quería irse a otro lugar. https://monkeywarrior.com/detail/15617/

No conozco los detalles, pero en un sentido, puede que esté bien que se vaya a otra congregación, aunque me gustaría compartir un poco mi experiencia personal, porque yo también he tenido los mismos sentimientos.

Recordé cuando usted también manifestó su sentir respecto a su congregación. Recuerdo que usted decía que no estaba de acuerdo con la política de los templos y no quería comprometerse, y que estaba decidido a dormir en el banco de una plaza y morir congelado cantando Hare Krishna. Luego llegó su invitación para ir a Perú, y ahí su perspectiva cambió.

Mi realización es que cuando me sentí frustrado con la congregación, se debió a una de estas dos razones: la primera, por un "overdelivery", es decir, por esforzarme de más. Cuando uno hace más de lo que puede, espera más de lo que debe. Si hacemos una renuncia artificial y nos esforzamos más de lo que podemos, naturalmente, nuestra expectativa es mayor. El otro factor es que queremos controlar de alguna manera. A veces creemos que sabemos o entendemos qué es lo mejor para la congregación. Ser el “mejor amigo”.

Sin embargo, a veces, por la misericordia de Krishna e incluso de Prabhupada, todo está bajo la supervisión de la potencia interna. La analogía que usted da, de que Maya es como estar nadando en el océano, es muy clara. A veces las olas nos tumban, nos llevan, y a veces nos acercan más a la orilla. He notado lo mismo en mi propia vida espiritual. A veces nado muy fuerte, pero luego descanso y me doy cuenta de que solo la misericordia del Señor puede ayudarme. Entonces, uno deja de nadar, se suelta, pero luego las olas de Maya lo empiezan a arrastrar de nuevo. Es un balance entre controlarnos y esforzarnos, y después permitir que la misericordia de Krishna actúe.

Cuando uno encuentra este punto de equilibrio —que también podríamos llamar humildad—, entiende su posición, cuál es su aporte, qué necesitan los devotos y cómo puede servir mejor a la misión. Cuando la congregación me devuelve algo que es incómodo, la respuesta es mirar hacia adentro y observar si yo no estoy incurriendo en estas faltas: hacer más de lo que puedo (con una expectativa incorrecta) o controlar demasiado.

He notado que cuando los devotos se alejan por este patrón, su conciencia de Krishna no mejora. No podemos matar nuestra alma. El Bhagavad Gita 5.15 es muy claro en este sentido. ( Y el Señor Supremo tampoco asume la responsabilidad de las actividades pecaminosas o piadosas de nadie. Sin embargo, los seres encarnados están confundidos a causa de la ignorancia que cubre su verdadero conocimiento). Creo que ISKCON es uno de los mejores hospitales para el alma, para deshacernos de nuestra conciencia material y entrar en nuestra conciencia espiritual.

Yo me sentía en un tsunami, revolcándome en el sufrimiento, hasta que conocí a Srila Prabhupada. La síntesis de su mensaje es: canta Hare Krishna todo el tiempo que puedas, nunca dejes de cantar. Eso es como un bote con remos que te llevará en la dirección correcta.

Mi recomendación, tanto para mí como para el devoto de Idaho, es que cuando sintamos hostilidad por parte de nuestra congregación, podemos retirarnos, bailar, compartir un kirtan y prasadam con los devotos. De esa manera, es muy fácil entrar en la potencia interna. Después, simplemente podemos retirarnos y hacer nuestro servicio personal en casa, relacionándonos con la congregación de esa manera.

Esto es mejor que querer cortar con la congregación, porque este es el mundo de la dualidad: la congregación no es toda buena ni toda mala, es una mezcla de las dos. Tenemos que aprender a tomar lo bueno y tolerar lo malo para nuestra propia purificación. Y si nosotros nos purificamos, la congregación también lo hará.

Gurudev, estas son mis reflexiones. Me gustaría escuchar su comentario y su opinión al respecto. ¿Le parecen correctas o son solo especulaciones mías?

Su tonto sirviente,

Nikunja Bihari das.

asa[e] tlc study guide

get a study partner or some plan for students.

even with a study partner have a plan for student.

wisdom will not work.

this is the last age, the iron age and wisdom does not work.

learn to teach not beach.

the book is divided into like five parts:

teachings to rupa and sanatana goswamis,

talks with sarva bhauma, prakashananda sarasvati and ramanand roy.

how many of the five were devotees before the classes or conversation? What was the philosophical position of the others before?

what was the result of each conversation or class? Eg. change in social status, wrote which books?

get the hardbound copy. it is like a sensuous companion. you can curl up with it on the couch and read it every day to escape from the world of business and administration. it will fit into your briefcase or purse.

is it a good substitute, extract, essence of the caitanya caritamrta?

do you love it?

is it in your top ten of your personal attachments to the BBT library?

do you you recommend it to others? who? why?

under what circumstances and in what frame of mind did Lord Caitanya meet the above five personalities?

How are His Preaching Strategies demonstrated in the meetings with the above five? How do, can, you use these strategies?

asa[e] london trash 250811

ISKCON WARP WORLD NINE

Jack Bentels banged the door on his aging husbunder's carriage door and climbed up into the pilot's seat to make the last hop to his waiting cargo ship.

he had been loading on earth for a run to Betelguese Five and the only money (monkey (hah, hah!)) that he had was about 250 Solar Credits.

He'd used up everything else to buy a few cases of the BBT, 'Teachings of Lord Caitanya'.

his rat, Milikan, ran around the control panel, seemingly satisfied with the buss link, and with a yellow light they we off to the jump point, and with a green light they blasted off earth, and ploughed into a flight path for the 'Bulley Begone', his freighter.

it was not much of a freighter, but it basically ran well and had structural integrity. his concern was yoga and for that he needed some anonymity, solitude and a little steady income.

buy cheap, sell high.

he didn't have much business savey, but that motto and a few others kept him upright and making a small profit margin.

he could repair the 'begone' but had no need to save for a new vessel, because he figured he'd be dead about the same time she was ready for recycling.

and he strictly followed the American Motto, 'In God we trust, all others pay cash'.

-=-=-

cargo-hold secure.

milikin in place, and jack smashed the hyper-drive button and off they went.

there was the initiation g-force acceleration to five parsecs per fortnight. then the shuddering bump to the Steady Level and they were in motion.

he undid he harness, set miliken free and headed for a little breakfast. it had been about 18-hours since he had had a full meal and he was hungry.

rye and barley soup with acorn squash.

chopped up celery and almonds.

hare krsna.

hare krsna.

offering everything to his Ista devata, lord Narayana, and milikan stopped spinning abound the deck to stand up for the offering while the bells rang.. 'nama om visnu padaya, krsna presthaya...'.

besides milikan, who was the immediate guidance and life support technician, there was Randolf the bull who looked after the main thrusters.

they were cruising at about warp 2 and it would be at least six days before they got to the Betelguese system.

jack had promised a promotional flyer to go with 'the teachings of lord caitanya' so he got into that even while he was taking his breakfast.