All Gory to Srila Prabhupada, and All Glory to ISKCON's devotees.
Dear Gurudeva: Please accept my humbles obeisances unto you.
Thank a much for all your tireless decotional service. You're an exceptional example of dedication and surrender.
HpS - There are, agtSP, better.
I continue to remain in Krishna's consciousness, chanting, reading, followin the principles, with mangala aratik, and taking asociation with some devotees.
I try to share all that I have, but as Srila Prabhupada say in SB 1.1.10, "It has become very difficult, therefore, to raise the spiritual standard due to the present distorted values of human society."
I have finished from your past Vyasapuja to the Nrsimha Caturdasi the reading of the 12 cantos of the srimad Bhagavatam, I continue studying it along with the base books (NoD, NoI, Iso, Lob, BG) (and Krishna book) and his readings that you publish (asa Carnaval and YouTube).
I would like to know your opinion about:
Geographically, the country of Mexico is constantly divided by the day on which festivals and ekadasis should be celebrated. Many times there are doubts whether one day or another, There are at least 3 different calendars published by iskcon devotees in addition to those outside of iskcon, which do not always coincide in information. the gbc told us that we should follow gcal, but personally I can't always consult it for each particular place, on the web:
(https://www.vaisnavacalendar.info/calendars/2024/Monterrey%20[Mexico].txt) there are only two places for mexico, in USA there are more and some places of Mexico are more close to USA places.
The doubt are first on Ekadasi time for broke fast. What to do when we don't know the specific time and other calendars give different options?
HpS - AgtSP. Read letter we just wrote to Asta-sakhi Devi Daaaaaaaasi!
Breakfast is always (or almost, almost, almost always) after sunrise on the day after ekadasi, and within like 6 x 48 minutes after that. Like 6am to 10AM.
Use the calendars as best you can and Krsna will not blame you for making a fine mistake, no?
When I started reciting the 16 rounds I never counted how long it took to complete each round, but it took me about 2 and a half hours or a maximum of 3 hours.
Over time I began to be more careful in the pronunciation because although I sometimes managed to do rounds in less minutes I realized that I didn't say many words well, in an average of 300 mantras I had 108 good ones, but that took me rounds of up to 20 minutes or more, so I started to recite more slowly but without getting my tongue tied, and I I have been reciting between 11 and 13 minutes per round, with this I have not been able to reduce the chanting to less than 3 hours. What it's better?
HpS - I have the same problem. Maybe Jiva Goswami has the same problem.
Pronounce clearly like we draw a picture of Krsna clearly. Chant with meaning, e.g. "Oh, Radha, please pray to Krsna and Rama to engage me in Their service."
Try to chant at a good pace.
Then, I guess we have to accept however long it takes as Krsna's arrangementn and His delight.
About Preaching, some people tell me that it takes them from half an hour to an hour to chant a round,
HpS/AS - One round???!
... and when they do not follow any of the 4 principles,
which is the best thing to start encouraging them to follow,
if they say they want to be devotees but their personal situations, it complicates things for them.
In the book of NOI and in the book Perfect Questions, Perfect Answers, Srila Prabhupada invites them to live in the ISKCON centers, but many say they cannot go, or there are no centers nearby or the centers that currently exist are not available to receive them. What can you advise them?
Thanks you for all your advises, your crew member,
AniruddhaKrsna Das
HpS - We see the SB advises Karma yoga first: https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/1/2/18/. By serving Srila Prabhupada one develops attachment for hearing and chanting, then sees the Deity, then joins ISKCON, lives in an Ashrama.
Srila Prabhupada created all kinds of opportunities for service such as Rathayatra where all kinds of people can help according to their Karma.
Of course, adau sraddha... if you can judge that someone is on a higher level e.g. ready to take initiation, then engage them at that level. if they are on the platform of ruci then engage them in raganuga bhakti!
Super.
Very nice to hear from you!!
