Letters to the editor

Hare Krishna Guru Maharaja, pamho agtsp! I had a great time being close to you again, I could grasp certain ideas about Srila Prabhupada and Guru Tattva, I will soar my devotional service with your shakti. I will keep helping the aspirant devotees and the devotees that are younger than me. It was a great pleasure to see you!

I look forward to seeing you soon again.

your vary many fallen servant,

Jagat Bandhu Jagannatha Swami dasa

HpS - Thank you. AGTSP.... paoho... We are really, really, just struggling to get 16-nice rounds done daily and not trying to be anything different than what we are in the Param-para. You seem to have done something very good with your life so far! Helped others also. It is very enlivening to get your association.

Thank you, Prabhu. It is long!  I only read part but it is nice   I am thinking that the fundamental problem is our definition of Diksa Guru. Within a few months after Srila Prabhupada's departure and the arrival of Sriman Hansadutta, our Zonal Guru, I took the position that there was too much emphasis on Diksa Guru by the Zonal Guru's and then the Rikviks. .. Skip all of our reassons except the definition of Diksa Guru in the Kiba vipra... verse that he is one who initiates according to the ritual. Then I am acting as a Diksa guru in the line of Srila Prabhupada. I am not claiming to be an Uttama Adhikari. Then it becomes easier. Ladies should not act as Diksa Guru just as they don't do fire sacrifices or wear Brahmanan threads, but if we get this Bhaktivedanta title going properly then they can be evaluated as Bhaktivedantin (Urmilla Devi Das) and that would give them some polite respect as Panditas and in a certain perspective Siksa Gurus. Then they could give advice to their followers which guru to accept, when to reject Him.  Of course, the title has to be appropriate and that is a challenge that the Board Of Examiners is STRUGGLING with.

By the way if, talking Australian, we go from He to S(he) and then include eunuchs then it become S(he)it. Which if you say it very fast immediately tells us were this one-gender world with one gender bathrooms is going.

It is Kali yuga, so accept the rain and put on a rain coat before you go out to preach. Of course, by the mercy of Gaura it can become as Satya yuga if people want and then Gaura will send a King like Maharaja Pariksit to stop the Kali yuga. Maybe he is a child in ISKCON now.

Homosexaulaity is a mental disease. O.K. Anybody can get it. If it is under control then they can be better devotees than I am. I have disciples who I can easily bow to as better devotees than me who are homosexuals who follow the four principles etc.  

What about the arrangement by Srila Prabhupada that ladies don't go on the altar in India but then we created a caste adjustment in Krsna Balarama Temple that they make all the garlands for the Deities. He allowed things in one zone but not another.

What about a decision by the GBC that ladies can be Diksa Gurus has decided by GBC vote on a one by one basis, especially if it is rare decision.

These are some of our thoughts on the matter. Thoughts from the Anjana Suta Academy.

Are you going to take Sannyasa soon?

When will you die? I will die in November 2024 and stop being an administrator at the latest by next year..

This computer is really, really slow, so I have to type without seeing the mistakes.

Your servants, HPS, TB, BW, UG et al.

Hare krishna dear guru majharaja, PAMHO AGTSP! I am eager to see you, I´ve got some questions about the Guru and Acarya, Who is the real guru?, Some gurus accept Vyasa Puja for them because they are gurus, even feet washing, then why you said that Vyasa Puja should be directed to the acarya if you are also guru? Others do not say that as far as I know. More questions when I see you. I have read that one devotee is making you strong and smart questioning about this theme. Don´t you absorve the karma when a fallen sanyasi or someone who has officialy fallen, chanted on your japa of diksha initiation?

Your fallen disciple, Jagat Bandhu Jagannatha Swami dasa Mexico, City, by the way, things are getting clear among god sisters.

HpS - Yes, we can talk of Guru tattva in Mexico. Basically Srila Prabhupada is Founder Acharya for you, me, everyone in ISKCON, no? Then he left over one-hundred volumes of instruction so why should we be confused, no?

Basic principle is chant Hare Krsna and be happy.

They are trying to make a Strategy for Preaching in the Region. Here are our suggestions on Strategy Development and an entry in our ASA Encyclopedia, VAD,

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The management model that we have is based on a celestial message from Lord Balarama while we were sitting at Rama/ghata during the Braja Mandala Parikarama with Lokanatha Swami and later confirmed when one disciple gave us, "From Good to Great" which was a key text that Micron was using in their management training courses. 1. Who am I?    What are my inspirations,duties, in the current situation, project.  Takes introspection, Japa to answer this question. Separate youself from the environement. What is my real nature, passion, pleasure in deeloping this project. We started the North American Mnistry of Education Meetings and agan and again we would lose our way, and then stop and get our feet on the ground with this questions.  2. Who are we?   Can you find anybody else who has answered the first question? It is rare. most people are working on the guidance of others or reacting to the environement. If you do then get a common motivation. Eg. I am a school teacher. I am a school admiistrator. I am a school building maintenance man.  Then obviously ...  3. What's the Plan?   After 1 & 2 it is easy to make 3, but now it is based on clear personal character and motivations, and clear team relations and motivations abilities.  4. What do we need?   If the plan is clear then the materials needed are clear. Eg. We are going to start a primary school in Houston. The families are a little dibursed. We need two medium size school busses and drives.  Who am I? Who are we? What is the plan? What do we need?

Hey, Prabhu, my father gave me an office and $55,000.

Great!!!  ..... what do we do???     What's the plan???

So often we start with the resources and work backwards. I saw a plan for New Vraja Mandala, the Spanish rural project that had an elaborate plan to the extent of three dimensional physical models of the property, but when questioned, not ONE of the people involved personally wanted to participate in the project, but -they thought it was a GREAT plan-?

We are pretty fixed in a Full Morning and Evening Program. Without those we have no basis for planning stuff. We check our mail to see what others want and our own motivation is to follow the inspiration we receive from chanting HK/HR at the lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada from as deeply as we can.   We can adjust to work with other's motivation but our own nature is to look for and produce cultural, artistic and logical expressions of Krsna consciouness and connect those with ISKCON.  For example we are connecting with Harvard University, London School of Medicine, Peruvan and India Fine Arts Academy on this issue of Jungian psychology and the Bhagavata Of course this results in them hearing the wonderful ideas of Srila Rupa Goswami and then we hope readin… I feel we will not develop an ETERNAL, UNIVERSAL strategy, but one for this Campaign, like Alexander against the Persians or Hannibal agains the Romans on their penninsula. Then another one later.

Education and the Sacred 2019-2020

2019 November 27, Santiago, Chile,

We, Hanumatpresaka Swami (Prof. H. H. Robinson) and other NIOS members, have basically rounded the corner in this 2019 Education and the Sacred tour passing through Spain, India and South America. This tour has focused on developing the 2020 event of the same name. It has been a lot of hard work and excellent results.

Of course, we always want to thank the members and institutions of ISKCON, Founder Acharya His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, for their support and active help without which this tour would have been very difficult.

We have personal confirmation of participation from:

·       Universidad Complutence (Center for the Scientific Study of Religions), Madrid,

·       Bhaktivedanta Research Center, Kolkata, Mumbai, New York,

·       San Marcos University (Center for Asian Studies), Pontifical Catholic University and Antonio Ruiz de Montoya University (Prof. Juan Dejo), Lima, Peru,

·       Waldorf and Montessori schools, Peru,

·       Universidad del Salvador and Fundacion Vocacion Humana (Prof. Bernardo Nante), Buenos Aires,

·       Pontifical Catholic University (Center for Study of Aesthetics), Santiago, Chile,

and several other excellent, decorated artists, scholars, religionists and institutions.

The events in these mentioned places during this tour have been super excellent. Very specifically in Lima, San Marcos University hosted Education and the Sacred with an exhibition-fair of one week, and three nights of formal academic and cultural presentations. During these presentations Prof. Miguel Polo presented the Papal Bulletin on Ecology, Juan Dejo on the history of learning intellectual discrimination in spiritual issues from pre-Socaratic times up to the founder of the Society of Jesus (Jesuit), Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Prof. Hector Bejar on the apparent loss of spirituality when modern life is carefully compared to traditional cultures, ourselves on Learning Ecstasy as a goal of education and many others.

Now we will go back to Lima to begin to make final decisions for our journal, Solaris, and events in this project for next year.

We will approach Prof. Shonu Shyamdasani and the Philemon Foundation (Jungian) and Prof. Francis Clooney (Director, Harvard School of Divinity) for their participation and finish in Mexico.a

Hare Krishna, ISKCON being a multi guru association we have multi guru opinion and conclusions.

ASA - Yes. The Six Goswami's would meet and discuss philosophy, strategy, no?

Some say the initiation must be done by a liberated soul, because only a liberated soul can take you back to Godhead. So who is doing the actual guidance? Srila Prabhupada or mantra guru is initiating on behalf of Srila Prabhupada? 

ASA - From what I have heard, Prabhupada's comment was that taking iniation formally, and receiving instruction formally or informally from him directly of from his disciple was both fully potent. The candidate, by the mercy of God and his own effort, has to do the work of seeing if the disciple-guru is bona fide. Not to any great level. Just to a practical level for the current level of work. Eg. is this disciple qualified to teach me how to put on Tilak at this beginning level. O.K.??

And regarding the initiation on behalf of Srila Prabhupada this guru is all for it absorbing the RITVIKS!

ASA - What does "absorbing the RITVIKS" mean???! Sounds a little sinister?? https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fm.media-amazon.com%2Fimages%2FM%2FMV5BYzI4NmVhNmItYzAzNC00ZTJmLWExMjAtMjBjN2VjYWVmMDQwXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMzAxNjg3MjQ%40._V1_UY268_CR5%2C0%2C182%2C268_AL_.jpg&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.imdb.com%2Ftitle%2Ftt0063350%2F&docid=2VHr1sTf-EsPEM&tbnid=etfcCak0NsE4KM%3A&vet=10ahUKEwj4g4bLiIbmAhUOIrkGHTfPDWMQMwhhKAEwAQ..i&w=182&h=268&bih=713&biw=1235&q=the%20night%20of%20the%20living%20dead&ved=0ahUKEwj4g4bLiIbmAhUOIrkGHTfPDWMQMwhhKAEwAQ&iact=mrc&uact=8

Punjabi Warrior - https://youtu.be/-bpdoMqzRAk

ASA - We started the video but is too slow for us. Can you just summarize in twenty words or less??

What is the diksa monkey gurus HPS opinion OR UNDERSTANDING? Is he taking disciples on behalf of Srila Prabhupada and just acting as Siksa? Or HPS is a liberated soul and taking disciples as his disciples?

ASA - We answered in the Guru tattva link. We are basically basing our Guru tattva on NOI. At the end of Text Five, "In this verse Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī advises..." we understand that things can go on just as when Srila Prabhupada was here. In one letter I remember that is exactly what he suggested. We don't present ourselves as being any more liberated or qualified than Madhyama adhikari, second class devotee, so we give advice, Siksa, and perform the rituals, and accept disciples from that platform. We only accept people as disciples if they have personally accept Srila Prabhupada as an Uttama adhikari Guru.

As we know the history it was hard to get the beads to Srila Prabhupada while he was traveling so he authorized Jayatirtha, Brahmananda, Bhagavan et al to chant on the beads and Nitai or others were chosing the names often and recommendation from Temple President was enough for Prabhupada to accept someone as a disciple.

As far as I know Jayathirtha chanted on my beads, Bhakta Das recommended me for first initiation and Nita Das chose my name. Whose disciple am I. Ha! Ha! Ha Ray!!

Here are some videos of Sankirtan in Yuba City California where I try to distribute Srila Prabhupadas books to Punjabi’s and Muslims.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ud6qx4C9McE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmWXwF78t9M

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ud6qx4C9McE

ASA - Really cool!!!! Photo of your self? Our fotos attached. Inside and out. Search for "Godbrother" on vedabase.io gives lot of nice instructions! Very nice videos!!!

And if I call a rubber stamped guru bogus because of having to sign a gag order of the GBC IS ok..🙏🏾

Did HPS sign a gag order that can be used against his guru license and can be suspended anytime?

HpS - ASA --- Hare Krsna. AGTSP.... Esteemed Sac Singh. Can we know a little more about you? Your questions seem to cover a lot of ground to give very specific answers.

Did you read our explanation of what is understanding of how we are giving initiation? It is at http://www.jayarama.us/kd/guru-tattva.txt . It is based on the NOI but I think it is quite complete enough for practical purposes.

O.K.?

I don't have the connection to look at the videos!!

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We have met in Sacramento and Berkeley. Currently I am studying the Iskcon Guru's business system of initiations which are confusing as hell, because each guru has a different understanding and the GBC police is making GURU's sign gag orders and they can suspend an ISKCON guru licence and ban, so the rubber stamped ISKCON GURUS are under the subjection of the GBC and not free to speak or act against a system which is not proper.

ASA - I didn't have to sign and "gag order" that I know of? I explain things as I understand them here and get some reactions, but not threat of annhiliation. For sure Krsna ksetra Das and I have similar ideas. With Jayapataka Swami of course we have variety but I personally asked him in class about six years ago if one had to be an Acharya with a BIG "A" to be a Guru in ISKCON and he said, no? The big A was Krsna's perogative.

After reading that guru tattva page. It seems two people are initiating. One is HPS and the other is Srila Prabhupada? So Srila Prabhupada is taking the initiate back to Godhead according to the article on this website! If Srila Prabhupada is taking HPS and HPS's disciples back to Godhead, it would mean HPS is unqualified to take you back to Godhead!

HpS - Reading and reading and then discussing with Harvard Oxford Scholars, Hrdayananda Goswami and Radhika-ramana Das they said the same thing that I concluded. We are not a ritualistic Sampradaya, Diksa Sampradaya. Our line passes through Siksa. So, I take that I am a Diksa guru because I "initiate according to the regulations of the śāstras", CC Madhya 8.128, and this is done under a system accepted by Srila Prabhupada. As long as a Madhyama Adhikari guru is following an Uttama Adhikari guru. we can follow him, no? Get Srila Prabhupada from his books, paramatma, other disciples etc!!!!

Why even bother with HPS formal initiation, why not take shelter of Srila Prabhupada directly ? Why doesn't HPS give initiation on behalf of Srila Prabhupada and say you take Srila Prabhupada as your guru because he is taking you back to Godhead, I HPS am just doing a formal duty to connect you to the Acharya.

HpS - We have explained our ideas on this above. Why not boy and girl just exchange garlands, and accept they are married? Seems O.K. in some situations.

This doesn't make sense..the initiating GURU (HPS) is not fit to take you back to godhead but he is initiating and saying Srila Prabhupada is going to take you back to Godhead.

HpS - Rather seems quite clear to me and hope the same to those who I am initiating. Just as Bhakta Das did the ceremony and recommended me and Jayatirtha Chanted on my beads. Krsna is God. Srila Prabhupada is our Guru as Founder Acharya and from those two perspectives we can have practical understanding how others in ISKCON represent Srila Prabhupada. You are working as Siksa guru in the videos. Why not just put the books there and walk away. (Pretty fiendish argument, no?)

IF HPS acts as siksa guru and sets an ideal example and you take a vow to chant Hare Krishna - 16 rounds and regulative principles, you don't need HPS but HPS can act as Siksa or a conduit of connection to Srila Prabhupada the Acharya.

HpS ._. Answered above, no? We are not opposed to people having as much direct relationship as they can with Srila Prabhupada. We are just trying to act as one channel. If that involves be a link in the formality of initiation. O.K. If that involves explaining the books O.K. but our only desire is to just be a transparent via media to Srila Prabhupad and Krsna.

Right now I am reading Srila Prabhupada's dialectic spiritualism, an awesome read where he defeats bogus western systems of thinking etc.

HpS - We base like 90% of our current preaching on his las comment on Carl Jung. We are finding a really vibrant community to approach for communication Rupa Siksa.

Our "first disciple", Raktaka Das, was from Fazilka, District Ferozpur. We, he, had a very clear, practical understanding or our relationship with each other, other ISKCON devotees Guru nanak and Srila Prabhupada.

Thank you for your time. Has been very nice conversation. Maybe if we go anyfurther we can reset the history and just start with new questions and answers.