Letters to the editor

asa[e] - media resources; movies; documentary, biography; GAURI DEVI DASI'S VIDEOBIOGRAPHY

Hare Krishna Gurudeva

Please accept my humble obeisances.

All Glories to Srila Prabhupada!!

I apologize for taking so long to share the video I made for my grandmother, Gauri dd. About 6 or 7 years ago she asked me to put her photos together chronologically and add music to them. She chose the songs by herself according to her stage of life.

In order to have a better understanding of the video, I will provide a brief explanation:

TITLE: "LO QUE EL VIENTO SE LLEVÓ" (GONE WITH THE WIND)

The names of 2 videos "Rukmini's Lost Years" and "Life is Beautiful" are shown at the beginning of the video.

Both were my previous and first video edits.

Then, it is pointed out that this film is based on the life of Gumercinda Miranda (my grandmother's civil name).

Next, a list of the most essential characters appears.

And now, the biography of my grandmother starts:

BIOGRAPHY OF GUMERCINDA (GAURI DEVI DASI)

She was born on January 13, 1949 in Ayavirí, a small town in the province of Yauyos (East of Lima).

HpS - Hey, HHR was born January 12, 1948!

During her adolescence she moved to Huancayo (city in the center of Peru) where she studied in one of the best schools in the area.

She was a very applied student. After finishing school, she met Eurlando Chamilco with whom she married and had 3 children. The youngest is my mother Tarangaksi dd (Tania Chamilco). In 1994, Eurlando, in his quest to learn more about yoga and meditation, met ISKCON devotees. He was a key piece for Gumercinda and Tania to also join Krishna Consciousness.

Gumercinda's parents even chanted the Maha Mantra Hare Krishna. The whole family used to organize Namahattas at home and many devotees and friends attended.

However, in 1996 came a great test for Gumercinda. She had to face the separation of her husband and the consequences that it brought to her family. In order to heal herself, she decided to visit her hometown and then travel to Argentina. She settled in Buenos Aires, in the province of San Martín. For almost 2 years she was working as a caregiver for an elderly lady. On one occasion, on Andonaegui street, she met ISKCON devotees again. She used to visit the temple and attend the programs. In 1999, she decided to return to Peru, since Rukmini was about to be born.

HpS - It is very important that ISKCON has centers all over the world. People make advancement by contacting different centers during their spiritual career. We should see our centers as part of this international web. We give help to people but we may not see the fruit, yet we get people who have made progress in another center.

During the following years, she used to attend Chosica, Shell and Wilson temples, and she performed different services like cooking, arranging vases for altars, making garlands, cleaning, sankirtan, etc.

She was also active in Bhakri Vriksha and Namahatta programs. Due to her intense service to Sri Sri Gaura Nitay and Sri Sri Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra, as well as the mercy of H. H. Hanumatpresaka Swami, she formally received Diksha on February 4, 2015, becoming Gauri Devi Dasi. Everyone remembers her for her enthusiasm, sense of humor, charisma, generosity, among other beautiful qualities.

VIDEOBIOGRAPHY LINK: https://drive.google.com/file/d/18uzIN0xHvo3T1ZGk8ajOP1aPAiaMkil-/view?usp=sharing

Thank you so much Gurudeva for reading this letter.

Rukmini dd

HpS - Thank you!!! Is this your first movie? Will you make more:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotte_Reiniger

asa[e] - media resources, cinema.

Hare Krishna, Gurumaharaj

Please accept my humble obeisances.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

As per your instruction, I would like to share the link to an interesting movie. 'God on Trial', the plot of the movie is based on a true story during the Holocaust.

It depicts the need to understand why we suffer.

The theology of suffering of a group of Jewish people who, the night before their already announced death (Gas chambers), full of fear and despair, questioned and debated God's promises of protection.

It is an attempt to rationalize and understand the suffering and the imminent death that is imposed on them (like we all are in some way).

How to reconcile their faith in God's loving plan and the excruciating pain and suffering that they are exposed to.

In my humble understanding, it is an invitation to question our beliefs, and go deeper in our relationship with God.

If someone is interested, here is the link

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4r8uhx

Hope this will be useful to somebody like it is to me.

Thank you.

Ys.

Madhumanjari dd

HpS/ASA - super! SUPER! . . S-U-P-E-R! ! !

We will watch.

Thank you.

What about Dinner with a Perfect Stranger and the other one about her daughter?

Others?

Anyone else recommend Media Resources?

This is Sankirtan: K.C. view point on modern media.



asa[e] - ug, stick fighting (contributor T. Brown)

"Each of them had a bugle made of buffalo horn and a stick and a flute, and each called his respective calves by their particular names."

https://vedabase.io/en/library/kb/14/#bb91039

"They were each equipped with a stick, flute and horn, as well as a lunch bag, and each of them was taking care of thousands of calves."

https://vedabase.io/en/library/kb/12/#bb90950

"To give an animal peaceful instructions is useless, and the only means is argumentum ad baculum. In other words, the only means to keep animals in order is a stick".

https://vedabase.io/en/library/kb/68/#bb92107

"They prepared some arrows for mock fighting, and Kṛṣṇa began to throw His arrows at Śrīdāmā. Śrīdāmā began to block these arrows by whirling his pole, and by Śrīdāmā’s chivalrous activities, Kṛṣṇa became very satisfied. , , ,

When Stoka-kṛṣṇa, one of the many friends of Kṛṣṇa, was fighting with Him, his father chastised him for fighting with Kṛṣṇa, who was the life and soul of all residents of Vṛndāvana. Upon hearing these chastisements, Stoka-kṛṣṇa stopped his fighting. But Kṛṣṇa continued to challenge him, and thus, in order to meet the challenge, Stoka-kṛṣṇa took his pole and began to display his dexterity by whirling it."

https://vedabase.io/en/library/nod/46/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stick-fighting

https://blackbeltwiki.com/cane-fighting

http://www.selfdefensecanes.com/

Whirling a cane is good exercise.

Look at some of the formal exercises.

Chant "Hare Krsna" and dance as you whirl your stick.

Join a class to meet people and preach.

We thought that full 4-5 foot tall staffs would not be available in everyday life like a cane, then we saw the broom on the porch, and realized that full size "staffs" are everywhere. Some of them the brush part even unscrews!

We saw an older fellow walk onto the airplane with a full size walking stick and nobody batted an eye.

They are even more fun to whirl because they have more mass and inertia.

Hare Krsna, go luck.

Tell us your experiences.

(We saw a very good instruction manual by a director of Calcutta (?) police from like 1875 or something, but can't find it again.

He said that the weight of the cane or strength of the strike was not as important as the speed.)

asa[e] VAD, Sannyasa

From HlD - Whatsapp!

Four Stages of Elimination in Life:

At 60, the workplace eliminates you. No matter how successful or powerful you were during your career, you'll return to being an ordinary person. So, don't cling to the mindset and sense of superiority from your past job, let go of your ego, or you might lose your sense of ease!

At 70, society gradually eliminates you. The friends and colleagues you used to meet and socialize with become fewer, and hardly anyone recognizes you at your former workplace. Don't say, "I used to be..." or "I was once..." because the younger generation won't know you, and you mustn't feel uncomfortable about it!

At 80, family slowly eliminates you. Even if you have many children and grandchildren, most of the time you'll be living with your spouse or by yourself. When your children visit occasionally, it's an expression of affection, so don't blame them for coming less often, as they're busy with their own lives!

At 90, the Earth wants to eliminate you. Some of the people you knew have already departed forever. At this point, don't be sad or mournful, because this is the way of life, and everyone will eventually follow this path!

Therefore, while our bodies are still capable, live a devotional life to the fullest! Chant our attentive rounds, perform devotional service, read regularly Srimad Bhagavad-gita, Srimad Bhagavatam, listen Krishna Katha and honour Krishna prasadam. Let Lord Krishna guide us and give what's good for us. 

------------------------

HpS/ASA.

AgtSP. Paoho. Very, very interesting. One devotee was going to take an early retirement form Hewlett-Packard and we spent like 90-minutes on the phone discussing all this, "If I don't go to work what will I do".

I suggested that he travel with us and preach about his experiences in Grhastha ashrama.

I was a super success.

It even went into the "Times of India".

Like Prabhupada we can become more and more and more sought after, no?

Work connections go, parents, older brothers go, but younger people want our more and more and more mature realization of spiritual life, and also seasoned ideas about B'cari and Grhasta life, no?

🙂

Hare Krsna Gurudeva, AGTSP, PAMHO

We are writing this letter with the motivation-- that one should not be to far or near from guru.

I have sent second postal letter to Prof Samaresh,

following message was sent by him,

when i informed him that i have sent him a post

21-june-2023

"You should have sent talking to me.or treatment we will not be at home and if before our departure if it does not come,it may be returned to you.What does it contain? Is it the same which you sent earlier by email."

when he received second envelope :

16-july-2023

Lady attendant who takes care of our house during our absence has received an envelope sent by you. What does the envelope contain?Ve

Again I am telling you to talk to me before sending anything. Very best wishes.

harsh: maharaj has asked me to send you , fortnighty update of his activity (in print), which is available on his website

Prof Samaresh: You can send but give a call before sending so that the envelope is not returned undelivered.

-----------------------------------------

in letter 14130

Harsh :Moreover in this world we want Opulence of Fame of Krsna, but we wanted to famous as Renunciant, so that every other famous person ( beautiful, powerful, rich, knowledgeable) will bow down in front of us.

ASA - Even Arnold Schwarzenegger? 😲

answer -- Yes sir,

but we dont want saints to bow to us,

i know this stupid desire...

best desire is to be Horse to carry the monkey

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

our only motivation to live/work--- is to live to faith/confidence you have put in me by giving him Hari Naam Intitation.

we are not qualified / sincere at all in any sense, ...

folded hands,

dandvats,

Harsh Pradhan trying to be Hayagriva Avatar Das

HpS - Thank you. How many efforts to develop something good and new went from small to big instantly? Ha! Ha!

Seems best is to start with partially working system and see the result.

Maybe postpone project development.

Maybe change it.

Reevaluate what is the goal of the project.

Have to do that again and again and again.

Fix the goal (for Krsna).

Find a practical step forward.

Hari Bolo!

The result no matter how small is eternal.

asa[e] Food for Thought

From our Radha-kunda Whatsapp Group:

[7/7, 12:09 AM] Krsna Das: Yesterday I was present in Srila Prabhupada's room in Vrindavan and a special anecdote happened, I like to share🙏

I was chanting Japa in Srila Prabhupada's house, in the next room where there is a murti writing a letter....

After a while an initiated devotee around 60 came and sat on the corner near the almirah.

After sometimes he was chanting Japa, while his his other hand went on the Whatsapp mobile and his sound of Mahamantra was coming intermittently to me...

I just noticed and went on in my business.

Even if nowadays there are so many restrictions in S.P. room, no-one up to now dared to speak to a senior Iskcon devotee...not even the Vrajabasi lady Chokidar normally quite active....if one do not follow the restrictions.

At my surprise after 10 minute the devotee was absorbed in the mobile and Japa visibly...a very sweet girl around 10 years old came near, nicely dressed (not in sari but in devotional clothes) with tilak on the forehead and for a while she was standing near him watching...

Then she spoke in a nice Hindi something like this" aap kya kar rahe hain ( IN English I will tell as more easy for me:"

 *what are you doing....are you chanting Japa or doing mobile?*

The embarrassed devotee watched her saying:" *I am doing both* !🤗" and again composed himself.

The girl smiled at him saying....ohh are you are doing both! and rebuked softly: *either you chant, either you do mobile!* 

...then with a peaceful and happy face she paid pranam to Srila Prabhupada 's murti and left the room.

The devotee first thing immediately closed the flip cover and kept his mobile in the kurta, then after a few Japa mantra left the room!

I do not know... but it looked very mystic to me, how this educated and innocent girl came from nothing and disappeared after giving siksa?

....as the place is transcendental I felt Srila Prabhupada" s hand behind it.

🙏Jaya Srila Prabhupada!

HpS Posted: As we remember Balavanta told us that when he was Temple President and pioneering the temple in Atlanta, USA, they had organized a big program for the days that Srila Prabhupada was visiting.

Part of it was a fire sacrfice, and they had  promoted and advertised it as a first time the USA for this 'ancient, powerful and mystical Vedic ritual'.

There was a big crowd there in the Temple. There was a representative from the Mayor's office and a news channel was recording it on camera, but . . . they didn't really know what they were doing and kept making more and more mistakes.

He said that at one point they were even going to put the coconut into the fire.

During this Srila Prabhupada was getting more and more irritated and chastising everyone more and more until Balavanta Das was in complete panic.

Then the boy, Bhakti Leroy or some thing, whom they had arranged to fan Srila Prabhupada in a completly innocent way said, "Oh, it's alright Srila Prabhupada, just chant 'Hare Krsna'".

When Balavanta heard this he thought, "That's it.

That's it.

Now fire is going to come from Srila Prabhupada's eyes and right on publich television he is going to burn me, the boy, the audience and everyone to ashes."

Srila Prabhupada turned and looked at the boy with intense, narrow gaze and Bh. Leroy just smiled back at Srila Prabhupada and . . . Srila Prabhupada looked away and put his hand in his bead bag and started chanting Japa with leveled intensity.

Who was that little boy?

🙂