Hare Krishna, 

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

First month completed with success. I am still commuting on my bike regularly as I am allowing the brahmacaris to use my vehicle for their programs and other needs. That has been a little bitter sweet. I'm very happy that I can use a portion of my income to allow the devotees to be able to execute their service more conveniently. But, my body is getting tired! Last week I didn't make it to the morning program on the weekends due to lack of strength, and lack of sleep. The little studio I currently live in is surrounded by other tenants that enjoy staying up late and being loud on the weekends. I stayed at the temple all day this Sunday to try and do a little more service since I missed out last week.

HpS - What about sleeping (zzzzzzzzz) at the Temple on the weekends?

I have been working mostly with the brahmacari/ashram leader in regards to my seva/sadhana. Tushta Prabhu is often very engaged, so it is more practicle to work with Vinoda. My first 6 month letter of recomendation will probably be a combination from both of them. I have also spoken with the two of them and am trying to rearrange my situation so that I can vacate my current studio and live in the temple. I'm praying that it happens easily and very quickly! 

Japa has been good. There were two days this month that I did not complete my rounds and had to make up later. But in contrast I'm chanting more of my rounds in the morning. There is a very clear, distinguishable difference in quality when chanting during brahma muhurta vs any other time of the day! Harinam is still going on minimum once a week nicely.  

I have found a PDF version of Waves of Devotion. I am still going through and studying NOD, and have just started using WOD as a guide. This is certainly providing a lot of good topics of discussion. Srimad Bhagavatam reading is also posing good questions and good realizations. Most recently we are trying to discern if some of the words are just beautiful poetry or exact science. Right now we are in canto 2 chapter 10 wherein the Lord is creating all things (specifically sense organs) by his own desire. He desired to speak and taste, so he create the tongue. He desired to feel, so he created the skin. But then it sages that due to the desire of the great sages' desire to hear, the Lord then created the ears for hearing. Is it to be understood that the sages' desire to hear was the impetus for the creation of the ears and that their desire came before the Lord desired to hear (although I also understand that there was no chronological point in "time" when any of these things came into creation)?

HpS - Details, no?   Require detailed study. Of course, each day when we wake up we have to "recreate" the three worlds in our own bodies, no?   So, we can exam it then also.   Our body is an echo of Brahmaloka, Svargaloka, Go Go Goloka!

I'm learning that I have a tendancy to be meticulous and analytical when it comes to studying sastra (maybe that's a bad thing?).

HpS - If you are using to find artificial reasons not to surrender to Krsna it is bad. Otherwise, that is how we become Uttama adhikaris, developing our logic, but Jesus Christ is the "logos", so our analaysis has to be PERSONAL, no?

Another example is that in NOD is [it] says explicitly that we should worship banyan trees and Lord Ganesha. But it is my understanding that we are not neglecting them with our current ISKCON practice as given to us by Srila Prabhupada. I suppose I'm just anxious to find more in sastra that confirms my understanding. 

HpS - Look at Dhanurdara Swami's comments. I think he makes some points about this!

I was reading Srimad Bhagavatam on my phone through causelessmercy.com. But I recently dropped my phone and cracked my screen all over, making it slightly difficult to read. I'll be just purchasing a set of SB for my own reading and studying. 

Anxiously awaiting any advice/instruction.

Your aspiring servant,

Bhakta Adrian

HpS - Very nice to hear from you!!   Very, very nice.  You seem to be better off than you every have before. Any news from Utah or The Rebecca???
The Temple class SB is on the same topic?