Hare Krishna maharaja, please kindly accept my most humble obeisances; all glories to his divine grace, Srila Prabhupada, our founder acharya. And all glories to your good self, for you are extending the mercy of Srila Prabhupada to fools like myself.

I was doing mangala arotika one morning, when instead of focusing of the ceremony, I found myself thinking "What if something happened to me, and suddenly I was no longer able to do something as simple as offering arotika? I have built so much of my devotional life around this simple, and yet meaningful and profound event? It is a mainstay shelter in my devotional life; what if Krishna took it all away? " I found myself realizing that such a thing could easily happen. I have personally come to realize that when there is old age, the body doesn't need an excuse to break down or succumb to disease: the glories of old age.

It's so strange how it is that we have lived enough years to see the how TIME slowly removes all of our faculties and our abilities, steadily bringing us closer and closer to death, and yet we still look the other way, in fear of inevitable death. I have always been aware of the Bhagavad gita's teachings of how the body is temporary, and that we are not this body but eternal spirit souls. Yet my awareness still hasn't matured to where I am prepared to meet my own demise, in spite of all the warnings that come with old age. I reflect more soberly on Srila Prabhupada's words that were spoken to his very young disciples, when he was lying on his deathbead: "Don't think that this won't happen to you."

I find myself thinking about the verse in the 2nd chapter of Bhagavad gita, wherein Krishna says "For one who has taken his birth, his death is certain; and for one who has died, his next birth is also certain." Years ago, when I first read the 3rd Canto and the chapter entitled "Movements Of The Living Entity," about how the soul survives and suffers whilst in the womb of his mother, I thought to myself "I can't let myself go through all of that again. That is pure and total hell." But lo and behold, I don't know how I am going to escape another birth, because I am still not yet Krishna conscious. How odd that these thoughts should come to my mind when I am supposed to be worshipping Krishna because of arotika.

I hope that all is going well for you in the Holy Dhama. I miss your association very much. I find myself enlivened to listen carefully when I am in your association. Perhaps you can return for yet another visit.

Your lowly servant,

Balabhadra dasa

HpS - Just answered your last letter and now this one. We left Braja on January 4th and then India about two weeks later and got here, Spain like about 24th January.

Staying here in one place.

Adi bhautic

Adi atmic

and Adi daivis all here.

Yet, go enough situation to do Sankirtan.

Back in Houston the 24th!

Don't worry!!!!! Krsna will arrange high speed internet for us in our next womb and Translate.googl.com will translate "Moo", "Moo", "Moo" from our parents into "Spot sqwalling and drink your milk!"

Get ready.

🙂