Hare Krishna, respected Gurudeva!
HpS - All glories to our Guru, Srila Prabhupada.
Please accept my respectful and humble obeisances.
All Glories to Srila Prabhupada!
I hope that you are well and in good health or the best as is possible in the execution and development of your sankirtan for the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada.
I heard and read that you will be in Spain during the last quarter of this year and for several months! I would like very very much to be able to travel to visit you and be able to serving you in Vapu mood during your stay in Europe.
Your disciple Abhirama Thakur Das invited me to participate in the new edition of Solaris, I must write a bibliographic review of the book “The sacred and the profane” by Mircea Eliade; I'm very happy because it represents a great challenge for me, mainly due to the hard requirement that my daily activities demand of me and also because the author was a very important academic of the 20th century and who is still valid through his philosophical and interreligious researching work where also, just like you do, he dedicated himself to building bridges between the philosophies of the East and the West, this is a topic that interests me a lot.
I take this opportunity of writing this letter to tell you that I have thought a lot about the idea of how I want to approach and develop the book I want to write with you (I mean do interviews with you) and about you; I want to prepare a document setting out to you my ideas on the matter so that I can comment on them formally and see together what we can do, only if you are available for do this.
The reason for this letter is to tell you that this Tuesday, April 16, the Rama Navami festival was held on Iskcon Chile celebrating the appearance of Lord Ramachandra. And I was blessed to be asked by the temple festival committee and the matajis devotees in charge of the garland service to take charge of making all the garlands for the festival. It was the first time that I've had such an important and great service! We made 11 garlands in total: the painting of Lord Ramachandra and His associates, Sri Sri Gaura Nitay (the regent deities of our Mandir, installed by H.H. Jayapataki Swami during the 90s), Lord Nrishimha, Prahlada Maharaja, Panca Tattva, Salagram Sila , Tulsi, Guru Parampara, Srila Prabhupada small size murti, Srila Prabhupada real size murti. They also gave this service to a devotee named Valentina, who came to know Krishna Consciousness approximately 2 years ago and since then she comes to the temple permanently and does various services. She is very skilled and virtuous, she has many qualities, she is very chaste and sincere, she is an artist, writer, nurse.
On Monday, April 15, I went early to the Santiago Flower Terminal to buy 8 bouquets of flowers, carnations and mables, white, red, burgundy, green, yellow, pink, lush and beautiful flowers, only Krishna who is the Supreme Artist can create something that wonderful, and how wonderful the flowers in the spiritual world must be!
During the afternoon together with Valentina we were both making the garlands from 3 pm to 11 pm and we couldn't finish the service, so we had to return to the temple during Mangalarati and it was already the same day of the festival!; We were there from 4.30 am to 7 am and we were able to do the floral arrangements, vases, organization and cleaning that we could not finish the previous service day. I attach pictures of the garlands before being offered and when they were already put into action to perform their service to decorate the transcendental forms of Their Lordships. In the afternoon during the festival, the person in charge of this service named Krishna Sevini Devi Dasi, she thanked us and congratulated us for the garlands we made for this very important festival (especially important festival for the devotees of the Anjana Suta Academy, All glories to Srila Prabhupada!), and she also made some observations regarding to the combination of colors, a maximum of 3 colors should be used, in the case of this festival must be red, yellow and white, I used 7 colors.
I love making garlands for the Deities, Gurudeva, it's for me a beautiful form of meditation and one that I enjoy the most; it allows me to appreciate the beauty of Lord Krishna's creation, connect with my sensitivity, develop fine motor skills, perform a loving service for the Supreme Lord, serving Gurudeva and Srila Prabhupada (I say serving Gurudeva because I started doing this service to be able to get initiated by you and whenever I'm making garlands I think of you listening to Srila Prabhupada chanting the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra, I always listen the same audio on Youtube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDqCcmkvWcg )
I know by certainty and experience that this blessing that I've received and that I've been able to make so many garlands for this festival of Rama Navami, is exclusively due to your mercy Gurudeva, just by giving me your loving and transcendental association you are allowing me to advance a little more on my spiritual path and gradually approach the platform of devotional service for the Supreme Lord, and it's always thanks to the mercy of Srila Prabhupada and Sri Sri Radha Krishna, All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Soon I will write another report to you with news from Sit Properly 108. For now I can tell you that a few weeks ago we published the third single on all platforms and digital stores, it's a reggaeton rhythm that has the Maha Mantra Hare Krishna in the ending, it's the first time In the history of this musical genre that the Maha Mantra is included in a song of the style and we hope that other artists appear who also include the Maha Mantra in their songs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fT8loAdXOnY
I must also write to you a report about my sadhana, 16/4, service for Iskcon Chile and my preparation to be qualified to take first initiation.
Thank you very much for everything Gurudeva, I always carry you in my heart, please accept my respectful and humble obeisances, All glories to Srila Prabhupada! All glories to H.H. Hanumatpresaka Swami! All glories to the assembled devotees! Hare Krishna!
Your aspiring servant,
Carlos from Iskcon Chile.
HpS/ ASA
AgtSP! Thank you for this nice letter.
- Trip to Spain - Of course, if you can visit Radha Govinda candra that is great. Contact Yadunandana Swami and the devotees at New Vraja Mandala for permission to visit, service, accommodations etc!!
- Book with philosopher. We can start with some practical activity.
- Radharani makes garlands for Krsna - Light, fragrant, durable! 😃
- Now we go for a solitary walk to to Office Max.
Thank you. You inspire us. You have so much potential.
