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EDITORIAL May 27, 1999 VNN3961 Comment on this story High Thinking Not High Profile BY KRSNA PREMA DASI AND BALA DASA EDITORIAL, May 27 (VNN) — I was glad to read Visoka's heartfelt praise of Dhanistha dasi's book, Prabhupada Guide Dreams to Rock My Soul. Her book is a welcome relief, expressing so many things felt but rarely spoken. Are we the only one's to agree with Visoka that this book is unlike anything written by one of Prabhupada's disciples? Just out of sheer curiosity alone I'd want to read this book. With keen ability Dhanistha draws the reader close to Srila Prabhupada just as she has done hundreds of thousands, maybe millions of times on street sankirtan. It goes right to the core of one's heart. It is ecstatic, wrenching, intense, even uncomfortable at times, and works on so many different levels in a style that is so simple it might be missed. Visoka picked up on her history of women's sankirtan parties, and early days in ISKCON We found her book is about so much more than that. Not only that it chock full of potent sastra and descriptions of the Holy Dhamas of Vrndavana, Mayapura, etc., purifying in themselves, but it is an account of a devotee's 25 years in ISKCON written from the perspective of an "average" (if there is such a being) devotee. Not high profile but high thinking. It weaves in and out of various time frames inviting one to join another soul in walking the razor's edge we traverse upon in spiritual life It is a book that must be reckoned with not only by past and present leaders in ISKCON but by every devotee. It's a book whose time has come and we wish it had only come sooner. We are shamelessly promoting on behalf of our godsister. Support her Prabhupada centered women's asrama project and buy the book- "Prabhupada Guide Dreams to Rock My Soul" $20.00 + $4.00s&h ($ 8.00 for international orders) per book, check or money order payable to Deborah Yarber-Dhanistha dasi, Rt.1 Box 267, Stonefort. Illinois 62987 phone 618 672-4689 Here is the Preface to her book, Prabhupada Guide Dreams to Rock My Soul written by Dhanistha dasi Preface November 1, 1997 The sunlit colors of the sugar maple tree behind our cottage temple, blush pink to orange yellow and persuade me it is time to begin this journeyö not alone and by penö to the core of my soul. I am in no way writing urged by a sense of qualification in spiritual matters, for from this lowly perspective I still grapple with thick, dark, winter coats of self- delusion· I, me, mine· I can, I will, I must. No enlightened entity contends with inner falsities, shrouded in hooded cloaksö hiding ever-present daggers of lust, anger and pretension to be claiming some sainthood. No enlightened entity holds this pen, but in all of my ineptitude I attempt to glorify the impetus to move this pen trulyö my guru. God speed my soul through these winter's nights that have forced me to find comfort in dense covers, blind in passion and thus I plummeted, stumbling down into darkness. God speed my soul and lift me up my dear Lord Krsna for I am yours after all and long before. The first time I saw His Divine Grace Abhay Charan Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada in physical manifestation a door opened slowly in the temple room· before him came a glittering hue of colors blush pink to orange yellow in a light effulgence soft and compassionate all emanating from my beloved and eternal spiritual master. My eyes flooded with cool tears and nothing else mattered anymore. When the wind blows these three days prior the twentieth anniversary of his departure from our physical sight, sugar maple leaves glitter and glide softly with autumn rains to Mother Earth's still warm receival. I bow now as I did then in humble submission to his Divine will and guidance. May he bless the reader with his presence in these pages. At your, at your lotus feet and by your order, Srila Prabhupada, I humbly begin. Thank you for reading Prabhus. Most respectfully, your servants, Krsna Prema dasi and Bala dasa PS About Guru Krsna's open letter to Visoka in which he asked "the husband of Prtha" to reign her in. It was at least irresponsible. Prtha's husband could have been a wife beater (which fortunately he is not) putting Prtha in harm's way. One must be sensitive to the subtleties of relationships and not bulldoze into eachother's lives. Yet this seems to be the norm in Kali yuga. I don't know much about what has been on the rumor mill. Krsna knows what's in one's heart. I'm certainly saddened and disgusted to keep hearing about living entities of all kinds not being protected yet I'd rather know the truth then be unprotected within a lie. What does asrama mean but protection? Comment on this story | Contact VNN about this story | Send this story to a friend
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