{"id":10454,"date":"2012-04-07T09:22:37","date_gmt":"2012-04-07T08:22:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/?p=10454"},"modified":"2012-04-07T09:46:30","modified_gmt":"2012-04-07T08:46:30","slug":"finding-krsna-in-the-darkest-place","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/?p=10454","title":{"rendered":"Finding Krsna in the Darkest Place"},"content":{"rendered":"


\nAbove painting from Bhakta Brian Babinski<\/em><\/font><\/p>\n

Dear devotees, nectar keep pouring in and I want to share with you some more nectar.<\/p>\n

Today I was reading another letter of an inmate reaching out to Krsna and His devotees for guidance and inspiration. I wanted to share this with you all. I am always awed and touched how Krsna arranges for sincere souls to be connected with Him. Sometimes an inmate finds a book, or is guided to the prison ministry by another inmate. Sometimes they find our address in a resource list provided by the institution. Somehow they come to Krsna’s feet. Here is the letter:<\/p>\n

\u201cHare Krsna. I am serving 15 years for aggravated robbery. I am embarrassed of how powerless I became over my life, to chemicals, lust, and greed.<\/p>\n

I have 5 small children; 3 beautiful girls and 2 beautiful boys, by 2 different women. My oldest is 10. I come up for parole 2015. To say I am searching for a higher power and desperately need a change of lifestyle and belief system is an understatement. I try to love myself.<\/p>\n

A friend here (which is hard to come by) gave me your address and told me to request the book \u201cBhagavad-gita\u201d. I am searching for the new me and was told this book would help me develop it. Please send me a copy and correspondence. Thank you for your time. I look forward to hearing from you and reading true knowledge.\u201d<\/p>\n

Robert Hallman<\/p>\n

Angleton, Texas<\/p>\n

I sent Robert some books and a BTG and will be waiting to hear back from him soon. In the meantime, I continue writing many more inmates and their letters often offer great nectar. See for example, the following excerpts:<\/p>\n

Effects of Srila Prabhupada in my Life
\n\u201cI was a lost soul wandering in this material world. I remember thinking, \u2018I can\u2019t find my way home.\u2019 I didn\u2019t really know the deep meaning of this, but that\u2019s what I used to think as I would lie in bed suffering throughout the darkness of day and night. Though wanting help, needing it, searching for it for years, I had nearly given up my efforts to find assistance along the way. It was then, at my lowest point that I came into contact with Srila Prabhupada\u2019s books. What a powerful experience it was for me reading the first book. A truly life changing event! Gone are the days and nights filled with depression, despair, and the deep darkness of ignorance. Now, my path illuminated with transcendental knowledge, I have an abiding inner peace and joy. By Srila Prabhupada\u2019s boundless, causeless mercies, I am finding my way back home\u2026back to Godhead. Jaya Srila Prabhupada! Hare Krsna! Your humble servant, Jason\u201d<\/p>\n

Jason Matthews<\/p>\n

Columbia, SC<\/p>\n

\u201cSo here I am, an aspiring bhakta, trying to make even a little advancement in my personal practice of Krsna-bhakti, however, for me, this is not enough. I am not on a solo journey; I must preach, propagate the glories of Sri Hari-nama. I must do everything I can to go and expanding Lord Caitanya\u2019s sankirtan movement, all the while humbly and very respectfully crying out for your mercy, the mercy of all of you, kind, caring, and compassionate devotees of the Divine Couple Sri-Sri Radha-Govinda.<\/p>\n

I need assistance, books, booklets and BTG magazines, articles, downloads, etc. Like a field commander, I am calling for tech support for \u201cbombs\u201d to be strategically dropped. \u201d<\/p>\n

Jason Matthews<\/p>\n

Columbia, SC<\/p>\n

\u201cHare Krsna. All glories to Prabhupada.<\/p>\n

Today is Thanksgiving. I was up early doing my studies and preparing myself for the day. My chanting could not go so well though because I have been awake for over two days now. It seems there is an individual nearby who has been banging real loud all day and night on his cell door. He only does it to aggravate everyone else. It has been ahrd to meditate but I still found myself able to give thanks.<\/p>\n

I gave thanks to Krsna for making me who I am\u2026(there he goes banging again!)\u2026for allowing me to be on a path to yearn to know him and understand His instructions. Thanks that even though I am in prison in solitary confinement, I do not feel alone because I know His energy animates and sustains everything. And thanks tthat He has blessed us with the teachings of His Divine Grace to best understand our relationship to Him and a way back to Godhead.<\/p>\n

I just received the latest BTG and as always the articles are informative and inspiring. I loved His Graces\u2019s article, \u201cOnly the Pious Turn to Krsna.\u201d It made me again aware of how much the sould cries for more than material living; food, films, jewelry and other illusions. I really enjoy the BTG magazines and I pray that Lord Krsna continue to protect me and watch over me on my journey. Thank you for your support in the prison ministry.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bhakta Robert Cepeda<\/p>\n

Malone, NY<\/p>\n

\u201cI found your address in a booklet titled, \u201cThe Perfection of Yoga\u201d, by his divine grace Swami Prabhupada. I\u2019m writing to see if someone would be interested in having a pen-pal.<\/p>\n

Even though I am labeled as an inmate, I\u2019m devoted to spirituality and advancement. I\u2019m 28 years young and I\u2019m seeking someone who is like-minded to correspond with. I enjoyed reading the booklet by Mr. Prabhupada and found it to be full of truth. I look forward to possibly discussing the various topics that Mr. Prabhupada has written about. I consider myself to be open-minded. Thank you for your time. Take care. Hare Krsna!\u201d<\/p>\n

Blake McGrath<\/p>\n

Lauringburg, NC<\/p>\n

\u201cPrison has forced me to look within myself and understand the need for a spiritual life. That\u2019s why I wrote to you because I want to learn and to change for the better. For two years now I\u2019ve been doing Hatha Yoga and contemplative meditation but it\u2019s just not what I\u2019m looking for. I believe in a power much greater than myself and I want to obtain the consciousness to be in harmony with this power. The peace formula that you sent makes a lot of sense and I\u2019m very interested in prayer and chanting. So far the simple chant from that formula has brought comfort and calmness to me as I currently in a tough situation. I grasp the idea of Krishna consciousness. How does one actually reach this state of being?<\/p>\n

I want to learn and lead a happy spiritual life during my prison term and take it out into the free world with me. Because of my surroundings, I am aware that oftentimes the only peace that I\u2019ll know will only be within. Once again I thank you for responding to my letter and I hope to hear back from you. Please teach me more about Krishna consciousness.\u201d
\nIvan Braden<\/p>\n

Lompoc, CA<\/p>\n

\u201cI very much enjoy reading Srila Prabhupada\u2019s books and BTGs. The Nectar of Instruction is PRICELESS.\u201d<\/p>\n

John Hunnicut<\/p>\n

Chillicothe, OH<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you very much for all the times you have helped me to receive what is to me THE best magazine in the world, I mean I have learned more now and have a clear understanding of what is going on, not only in my mind but I feel it in my soul too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mark Flanigan <\/p>\n

Susanville, CA <\/p>\n

To read more excerpts of inmate letters and to see some of their artwork, please visit our website at www.iskconprisonministry.us<\/p>\n

If you want to receive IPM NEWS, our monthly electronic newsletter, please send us an e-mail with \u201cSubscribe to IPM NEWS\u201d in the subject line.<\/p>\n

To help with this prison program, please contact Mukunda Dasa or Bhakti-lata Dasi at:<\/p>\n

ISKCON Prison Ministry<\/p>\n

PO Box 2676<\/p>\n

Alachua, FL 32616-2676<\/p>\n

IskconPrisonMinistry@gmail.com<\/p>\n

www.iskconprisonministry.us<\/p>\n

352-575-0458<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By ISKCON Prison Ministry<\/strong><\/p>\n

Today I was reading another letter of an inmate reaching out to Krsna and His devotees for guidance and inspiration. I wanted to share this with you all. I am always awed and touched how Krsna arranges for sincere souls to be connected with Him. Sometimes an inmate finds a book, or is guided to the prison ministry by another inmate. Sometimes they find our address in a resource list provided by the institution<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[90],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10454","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10454","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=10454"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10454\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=10454"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=10454"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=10454"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}