Gurudeva,

I write from sunny, sweltering San Diego.

I would like to offer my apologies for being so terrible at maintaining contact. I try to minimise my use of the internet as I spend so much of my life in front of the keyboard for school that sitting down in front of one for anything else can feel like a great austerity and as recreational use of the computer causes me to misuse time on so much nonsense, I forget the great association that can also be found and I never feel that I have anything that is worthy requesting your time.

I must also apologise for the rudeness with which I answered the phone. Due to my recently broken finger, I was awaiting a call from a doctor to tell me whether or not I would need surgery for nerve damage so mind mind was very much in the material modes when I received your call.

HpS - Honestly, AGTSP, paoho, I did not notice anything. Ha!  Ha!  Ha!  Maybe you are just generally a nasty rude person (with a heart of gold).  I enjoyed the talk.

Your merciful phone call however, reminded me of how recalcitrant I have been.

Spiritually I am staying afloat . Japa is being chanted and the regulative principles are being followed, though due to my schedule, I occasionally have to go chant a lone round in a quiet classroom between courses to keep up instead of chanting them all at once.

HpS - You are a hero, hero, hero!!    The witch hates you!!

I am also not getting much association as getting to the temple can be hard, though, admittedly, if I made it a higher priority I could go more regularly.

Materialy, as I mentioned when you called, I am beginning a masters program in Linguistics, and hope to write my thesis on the language of the devotees and hope to one day turn that into a doctoral dissertation on how the mood of Prabhupada and his mission are transmitted to new devotees via the language that is used to discuss those things that we value and those things that we do not.

Gurudeva, should you have the time, I do have a question for you. I have recently received word that my maternal grandfather is preparing to leave his body. Being cold hearted and far from equipoised, I have no great affection for him, yet his imminent passing has my mother who, while far from being a devotee, has been greatly supportive of me in both my spiritual and material pursuits. I am unsure what is appropriate behavior in this situation as an aspiring Vaisnava and as someone who still has strong familial ties. Is there anything that I can do for my grandfather as he passes or afterwards and is there anything that I can do, spiritually or practically, to help my mother through this?

HpS - All I can say is just listen to them. As a 'pure devotee' by chanting your rounds etc. you have a good heart and just listen. Then you will know naturally what you can do.  Formally, about ten days after he departs you can have his picture in the Temple and offer Mahaprasada to him and talk about him a little and sponsor a Sunday Feast or Kirtan.  The devotees will think of him and that will influence his subtle atmosphere. Ask the Pujari about the Sraddha Ceremony.

Thank you once again for your boundless mercy.

Nityananda-rama dasa

HpS - AGTSP.   One of Krsna's qualties is that He is expert in all languages. Can you talk to cats. I get along a little bit.