Hello Gurumaharaja,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prahupada!
Today being a very special day in ISKCON's calendar, i wish you are having deep absorbtion in remembering your Gurumaharaja, patita pavana Srila Prabhupada.
HpS - ASA - AGTSP... It was not like "deep" but it was all day nice service that we could do, and many nice moments with devotees, that seemed like eternal events that we can do again and again forever, and thus improve.
It might be some days ago when you'll read this, but anyway, maybe it helped. Glad to read your mouth has cured, but sorry to hear about the chest and eyesight. I have noted chestpains by myself as well, for some years every now and then, but often lately i realized, even when waking up. It seems that i need to start to become more detached and less passionate.
HpS - ASA -- Yes, we can see. A tree is very fresh (and delicate) when it first grows, but although it gets bigger and stronger it also gets rough on the oustide etc pretty early, and then another body! (Ha! Ha! (Ray)... an eternal, everfresh body!!??)
Lots of fire in my chart, so i guess it can't be changed on short notice. Maharaja, if a friend told me what you told about chestpains, i would probably press upon him to cut back on the hard work, but for a relation with the spiritual master it sounds less appropriate.
HpS - ASA -- Because "spiritual master" is supposed to be intelligent enough to figure it our himself. We are adjusting pretty well we think. For example we are becoming strict to not answer much mail except from this Blog. Reduces work load to a reasonable level. Are expecting more mature behavior from our "older disciples". They should start taking new disciples now and we should stop.
Anyway, disciples often requested Srila Prabhupada things, sometimes he'd listen, sometimes not. Hard to extract a general rule. If you have some suggestion, please tell me?
HpS - ASA - Give expert advice. Spiritual master may not be an expert. Of course, we are living with a psychiatrist, doctor, now. We showed him little tumour developing slowly on out back and asked if it might be malignant. He said probably no, probabaly just fat.
Actually, this letter is mainly for finding an answer to a question about a philosophical matter. Yesterday we were in Amsterdham for a sweet Janmastami festival, and during reading of Krishnabook i ran into a matter that i couldn't find the answer to, so i would like to ask you if you can clarify please.
Kamsa was told by Narada muni in his interesting suggestion that he was a demon in his previous life, and i wondered how that could be, as i had the impression that Kamsa was one of the duo Jay & Vijay. Upon researching i found mention that they took birth in Krishna lila as Jarasandh & Sisupal, but in other sources i found that Kamsa is one of them, although not in ISKCON sources. Apparently Kamsa had been cursed in a previous life when he was known as Kalanemi for the austerities his six sons had done. The cursor was Kalanemi's father, Hiranyakasipu.
This would make it rather impossible that Kamsa was indeed one of the duo Jay & Vijay, because one of them is actually Hiranyakasipu, the father of Kalanemi, Kamsa. So that would be clear. If J&V are indeed Jarasandh & Sisupal, then still there is something odd, as J&V had three demonbirths to undergo, Hiranyaksa & Hiranyakasipu, Ravana & Kumbhakarna and one in Krishna-lila. But what about Jagai & Madhai, i heard many times in classes mention that they are J&V. How is this possible and what is true about Kamsa?
HpS - As far as we understand Kamsa was Kalanemi in previous life. He's mentioned in like 8th canto. Jarasandha was demon named Vipraciti and Jaya and Vijaya were Sisupala and Dantavakra! Jaya! Who were we...
Still a long way to go to Radhadesh in Februari, for i have only limited insight in my self. I don't want to get cheated out of your mercy and receive only some shadow, so i pray at your lotusfeet to get some help in clarification of my cheating propensities. May you have be fruitful in Tennessee.
An aspiring servant,
Richard van Dijck
HpS - Is very good to hear from you. Your Ashrama situacion is practical? Family life? Work??