Letters to the editor

Dear Hanumat Presaka Swami Maharaj,
Please accept my humble obeisances, all glories to Srila Prabhupada!
I sent this letter through Nikunja Bihari prabhu on the 18th of last month and haven't yet seen a reply. I just wanted to resend in case it slipped through the cracks somehow, if not, please forgive my lack of patience. Haare Krsna!

HpS - ASA - AGTSP!!!  paoho.   Guess it slipped!

I hope you are in good health. I am just preparing for another sankirtan expedition with my team. In spring and summer time we go to music festivals, like Woodstock. Everyone is trying to transcend the daily grind so we're trying to give them something more substantial.

Lately I've been having a little trouble adjusting to temple life again after traveling so much. For almost four years now I've been going out for a month or two, and coming back for a week or so in between. I trained for almost a year with RVC. Outside I have to be surrendered internally, I have to veld motivated, I have to prioritize, and make determined goals; but when I come back to the temple there is a lot of pressure to conform externally to a formula. I realize the importance of setting an example, and I try to get into it, but sometimes I find it hard to stay motivated and sometimes I regret that it may come across as disrespect. I actually like KC activities, but I find it a little frustrating when I feel forced, or if I have to do everything just a certain way. I can't help it, I'm rascal #1 but I'm just trying to contribute what I am able to. I can't seem to live it yet, but I'm at least trying to form a concept of obedience. One brahmacari recently posted this excellent quote by Tolstoy about monasticism. Tasty! https://www.facebook.com/16rounds/posts/10206283068813001

Some high points lately: I managed to complete some new illustrations for my main shiksa guru's translations of Sri Bilvamangalacarya (HG Mukunda Datta prabhu.) I also had the privilege to visit your servant Radhika Raman prabhu and his family; and also Bhakta Adrian and his good wife as well, last time I was in Utah. It was really great to see them again. Bhakta Adrian was my first roommate in LA! 
I was inspired by one of your lectures where you described one interfaith conference where the devotees were talking shop with a Mormon cleric about preaching. He said the most effective preaching is the follow up rather than the cold calling. I'm not such a good book distributor in terms of quantity, so I was inspired to create this website as a recent attempt to build a quality preaching platform on the foundation of my book distribution: Radhakrsna.weebly.com

I'm trying to make some arrangement to visit you in Seattle during your stay there (July 8-11, correct?) Please pray for my colleagues and me, and I will likewise pray to Nrsimhadev for your safe travels as well

Your humble servant,

Bhakta Eric

HpS - ASA -  Hare!   Krsna!      Awwwk!     I can't remember who you are, Prabhu!!!!     Awwwwk.   Past 50-then energy in the body is finished and past 60-the short term memory goes. BUT old age is a great friend for a devotee beause it pushes us from Sensual to Mental to Intellectual platform. Then if we can get completely on the Atma platform we are eternal!!!

Remind us of who you are.

Your clash with Temple Sadhana seems normal. Like you say you just have to learn how to adjust to it, no?   The Tolstoy quote is nice. Compare with BG 4.34, no?  Prabhupada says, that blind faith is condemed. So we have to understand the postion in the administrative structure and the spiritual development (and even esoteric taste) of our ISKCON associates.

Hare Krsna Dear Gurudev,
    Please accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet.
    All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
    All glories to Guru parampara.

    Gurudev, Thank you so much for considering my name for second initiation.

HpS - ASA --  AGTSP paoho.  We sent a letter to Temple President and mentioned Siksa-guru with copy to you yesterday asking for their approval!  Second initiation is preparation for 3rd initiation, Goswami. Are you thinking of going through Grhastha Ashrama or going directly to Vanaprastha or Sannyasa???

    You can send mail directly to our temple President H G Radheshyam Prabhuji, also mention my local Shiksha Guru’s name.

    Gurudev, Have prepared note on SB for 7 days SB, for preaching purpose. Find below the SB topics for 7 days.
    Below topics will be covered in 7 day SB Katha. Please advise.

HpS - ASA - Who are your Stew Dents? SB 2.2.12 says we should not go beyond Canto One and Two unless Students are following the 4-principles, no?

    1. Bhagvatam Ki Mahima Part
    2. Creation Of Vedas by Vedvyas
    3. Death Of Draupadi Childs
    4. Chirharan Of Draupadi Part [Shouldn't this come before part 3. This means stealing of her clothes, no?  Ham hindi sik raha hu, and there is not much mentioned in the SB about this, no? It is g r e a t story]
    5. Parikshit Maharaj Request Sukhdeva Goswami to Recite Srimad Bhagavatam [!]
    6. Sukhdeva Goswami Says Listening Srimad Bhagavatam is the Greatest Benefit of Life Part
    7. The Value Of Time
    8. Kapil Dev Preached His Mother Devhuti [!! This is advanced topic, no? If you are engaged in illicit sex with your 'wife' then these descrptions of hell and the gratification of Kardama and Devahuti will be toooo intense!!]
    9. Suniti Guides Dhruva Maharaja [Very specific also advanced, no?]
   10. Dhruva Maharaj Ask Krishna to Provide Devotees Association
   11. Description Of 28 Types of Hell
   12. The Story of Ajamil
   13. The Story of Chitraketu
   14. The Story of King Nabhag
   15. The Story Of King Ambrish
   16. The Birth of Lord Rama
   17. 14 Years of Exile to Lord Rama
   18. The Story of King Subhdyumn
   19. The Birth Of Lord Krishna
   20. God told the Story of the Previous Birth of Devaki and Vasaudevji

ASA - From 9-on seems too advanced unless you have advanced students. Of course, in the 1st and 2nd canto we see summaries of these later cantos and avatars.  Who is your audience??  Is very good project. You should start BhVai as soon as you take second initiation!!

   This notes has been prepared for door to door preaching.

ASA - Aaaaaaaah!    For that seems you really need to stick to first two cantos.  Of course, Prabhupada puts so much information in there about later cantos. You just have to find it.   Monkey and Piggy have a ton of stuff in the archives on the first two cantos: pdp...    It is it useful???

    Thank you, Guru Dev.

your fallen servant,
Girivaradhari-Gopal Das

HpS - Thank you sooooo much of this work!!

Vrsa-bhanu-nandini Devi Dasi et al,

AGTSP!!!!   paoho

Wow!   They are both wonderful!   I guess if we could add the Lima material into the first one it would make a nice summary of the whole tour. The Cordoba one is very nice extract of the content. I don't know if we need another one. Maybe if Bill Gates wants to pay you to edit another one we could do it.

             HARE KRSNA DEAR GURUDEVA:

             PAMHO, AGTSP!!

             I JUST STARTED TO TRANSCRIBE THE 3rd LECTURE ON NOI, YOU ASKED ME TO

             WRITTE YOU...TO LET YOU KNOW SO THIS IS WHAT I DO.

              THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SOOO MUCH MERCY.

              WE WILL POST SOME PICTURES FROM PERU AS SOON AS POSIBLE.

              HOPEFULLY BECOMING HUMBLE...

              YOUR ETERNAL SERVANT.

             SANANDA DD

HpS - ASA --- AGTSP paoho. Thank you so much for all your's and Bhadrasena Das' association while we were in Spain. I hope you have practical relations with the Madrid ISKCON center and thank you very much for starting the transcription. We would even publish this transcrption by itself to get critical reviews as soon as you are done.

Querido Gurumaharaja : Por favor acepte mis respetuosas reverencias ! Todas las glorias a Srila Prabhupada! Por favor disculpe que recién escribo. 1- Para vuestra servidora es un gran honor poder ofrecer un pequeño servicio para la Conferencia Norte Americana 2015, Educación con ISKCON. Con apoyo de algunos  de Sus discipulos como Gopi Radha dd, Vrajendra Kumara, virtualmente Govinda de Houston, ya empezamos a trabajar con un primer anuncio en español para esta zona. Por supuesto estoy invitando a devotos de Sud América a que nos apoyen a generar mas estrategias para despertar mayor interés en la Comunidad Latinoamericana. También nos estamos acercando personalmente a algunos interesados.

HpS - TlgaSP!!!!!  Sankirtan!!  En los proximos dias estamos esforzando tener una llamada entre Vds., Govinda, Rama-giridhari Das y yo acerca del evento. Esta adelantando bien.

2- Estamos  muy felices de ver una propuesta de fechas para visitar México , 17 al 24 de Julio  esta bien. Lo que Ud decida siempre es bendecido por el Señor Krsna y con seguridad es un éxito para nuestras vidas. Esperamos Sus instrucciones por favor para tratar de organizar el itinerario de Su predica que complace tanto a Srila Prabhupada. Muchas gracias Gurumaharaja. Por favor disculpe nuestras ofrendas. Vuestra eterna aspirante a sirviente: Asta Sakhi dd. 

HpS - Quien esta ayudando Vd. en la visita? Esta bien estas fechas con autoridades de GBC, Templo. Entiendo hay una lucha fuerte de control del Templo en esta momento.

Hare Krishna dear guru maharaj,

Please accept my dandavat pranams, All glories to Srila Prabhupad.

The NOI audio files are good maharaj, it is helping me to  understand the value of  upadesamritha. I am deeply thankfull for giving me the oppertunity to transcribe. 

I have been able to get up at 4AM, but after taking hot water shower, doing guru puja and  6 rounds, I am feeling sleepy  and going back to sleep at around 6AM and getting up again at 7AM. I normally am doing 6-7 rounds in the morning and rest of them I am doing while driving to work  or sometimes in the evening. 

I was able to chant 16 rounds in the morning, if I was not taking hot water shower maharaj. 

I am reading 1 verse of Bagavatham daily and doing service at the temple on weekend.  I am making progress on transcription and job is going fine maharaj. I am looking for a nice paying governement job near home, so that I can be little more relaxed in my life and chant better rounds.

Please take care of your health maharaj.

your servant

Nilachala Chandra Das

HpS - ASA - AGTSP. You are transcibing the second class? How far have you gotten. What about taking a cool-water bath. Bh.Vinode Thakura would have supper at 6PM. Take rest for 2-hours and then say good night to the rest of the family. Stay up all night writing, and then take nap just before breakfast.