Hearing, chanting and remembering, the first three processes of devotional service are easily performed. It is supposed to be a simple process. Right! The truth is, before we can chant there is a whole lot of attitude that has to... well, wherever attitude goes, it has to get there!

That never was a problem until I entered into the Federal Prison System. Now it's an entirely different story. Of course, I had been living in temple situations for probably 22 years. And, although my main occupation with five children and a contrary husband to chase after was mostly diapers, laundry and cooking, I can honestly say 16 rounds or 1.5 hours of chanting fit in somewhere every day. It might have been at 11pm, but it happened.

Dear Bhakta Miles,

My name is Saleem Muhmmaud and when I first wrote to this address I was a mess.

Loneliness was slowly killing me. I told myself I would end it all soon. I was searching for a painless way when I received my first letter from you. My pain was almost unbearable. All I could feel was emptiness from the loss of my mother and father and never having any siblings.

Being in and out of group homes and foster homes, I don't even know my real family, and I have no foster family. I can't buy the things I need to care for myself and my anxiety level was sky high.

Dear bhakta Jerry,

…I must say ISKCON Prison Ministries is the most sincere ministry I have ever come across in all my soul seeking. It is one big family with one helping the other through life. I know I have found my place in this life… When I first asked ISKCON for help you all explained and showed me why I should not eat meat and I have stopped eating meat… Well, I thank you again and may Krishna bless ISKCON always.

Sincerely, Bhakta Joseph

Bhakta Robert is in Century Correctional Institution in Century, Florida. He has been in touch with devotees of ISKCON Prison Ministry for many years and is dedicating himself nicely for devotional service. He regularly writes to devotees and shares his realizations.

This letter was forwarded to me some two month ago; I dont' know when it was originally sent, or if it's been published anywhere else. It 'got lost in my inbox,' I'm afraid, and came back to my attention now only. It's a letter from Jivananda Prabhu, Oregon State Prison, to Srila Prabhupada ...

Dear bhakta Schutt,

…Although I do my best to live my life by the Golden Rule, I do not consider myself a “spiritual” man. I understand and agree with the concept of karma insofar as “what goes around comes around,” but I am sure there is much more to it than that. The fact is, I want to learn.

My life to this point has been an utter failure, as evidenced by my living arrangements. I have been incarcerated for 20 years and I feel my mind, body and soul will deteriorate beyond redemption soon if I can not find a source of strength and spiritual guidance to sustain me.

I want to know God; I want to believe there is hope for me; I want to climb from this soul-crushing hole that I am steadily sliding into.

(continued)

We receive over 300-400 letters per month writing us for inspiration and materials to be sent into the prisons. It is a very enlivening service and we appreciate the opportunity to serve and connect with these souls.

Dear Devotees,

Greetings of Love, Joy and Peace. Please accept my humble obeisances! All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Thanks for the nice letter and the story from Krishna Book ("Mother Yasoda binds Lord Krishna"). I really consider you to be a divine inspiration for me as I continue forward on my journey of self realization.

I have received a nice study course on the Bhagavad-Gita and japa mala beads. I have been chanting Hare Krishna on rosary beads. I enjoy chanting and I chant everyday. Chanting definitely connects me to the eternal source of enlightenment and bliss. This source is Krishna. Krishna is the supreme personality of Godhead. The essence and total foundation of all religion is to be found in Krishna consciousness. Krishna consciousness uplifts humanity and generations, true peace for everyone that becomes a part of it.

Dear Prabhu, Greetings of love, joy and peace.

At the current time, I chant the maha-mantra with my catholic rosary. I enjoy chanting and I chant every day. Chanting definitely connects me to the eternal source of enlightenment and bliss. This source is Krishna.

Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The essence and total foundation of all religion is to be found in Krishna consciousness. Krishna consciousness uplifts humanity and generates true peace for everyone that becomes part of it.

I am very fortunate to have discovered this divine jewel which beacons forth and leads to the path of spiritual liberation. Lord Krishna is truly the reservoir for all knowledge and pleasure. If a person walks with Krishna, that person will never experience anxiety or turmoil. The inner peace that results from worshiping Krishna is spirituality at its highest point.

Dear Chandra

Hare Krsna.

Thank you for your letter which I received yesterday. I am very glad to hear from you and for your help to be a servant of Lord Krsna.

About myself, at present I am convicted for murder and I am under the sentence of death…I have been in prison for the past nine years…I was in a cell with some other prisoners and we were cleaning out the cell when I came across a book that a guy was throwing away. I asked him for it and I got someone to read it to me. It was about Lord Krsna. I thought about that book for awhile and I made up my mind that I would become a servant of Lord Krsna. From then to now, I have grown stronger in the Lord with the help of a devotee.

Michael Ramdawar
Trinidad, West Indies

We had a very nice Gaura- Purnima celebration here.

Jagannatha Pandit prabhu came and gave a very lively discourse of Krishna consciousness and other philosophies. The program was well attended, about 17 inmates. The inmates were very enthused by the program. He will be coming again in May, along with Candramauli Swami. The guys are very anxious for this program.

Krishna is really showing His special mercy to us here, even though we are so undeserving. The Gita Nagari devotees have given us a complete set of H.H. Bhakti Tirtha Swami Maharaja’s books for the library here. A lot of the inmates really like the Spiritual Warrior series; guys from other religions paths in particular. Despite his disappearance, Maharaja is still preaching to people and showering them with Srila Prabhupada’s mercy.

All of this would not have been possible if it were not for the selfless service of ISKCON Prison Ministries and their mercy.

Janmastami dasa (Mark Devenney)
Bradford, PA

Sometimes Prabhupada states the goal of life is to go back to Godhead and other times he states that obtaining prema, pure love of God, is the goal. Which one is the goal?

Carl Sheppard—Monticello, FL

One cannot go back to Godhead without having love of God. Just like devotional service is both the goal and the means to obtain the goal, love of Godhead and going back to Godhead are different ways of saying the same thing.

Actually, devotees are not inclined to ask Krsna for anything. As Prabhupada states in the purport of Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.41, “A pure devotee of the Lord is ashamed to ask anything in self-interest from the Lord.” In Lord Caitanya’s Siksastaka prayers, He states, “I only want Your causeless devotional service, birth after birth.” Devotional service brings us to the platform of not desiring an ultimate goal as the service we are performing becomes our life and soul.

Armed with this understanding, devotees are not concerned with external circumstances as long as the opportunity for service is present. This is confirmed by Lord Siva in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, 6.17.28, “Devotees solely engaged in the devotional service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Narayana, never fear any condition of life. For them the heavenly planets, liberation and the hellish planets are all the same, for such devotees are interested only in the service of the Lord.”

It does not matter if the devotee is sent to hell or obtains Goluka Vrndaban, as long as he is engaged in loving devotional service he has achieved the goal which is as good as going back to Godhead.

Dear Mother Shyama Priya,

Hello and Hare Krsna.

I have just recently taken up Krsna consciousness and the study of Hindu religion. I have been spiritual my whole life trying to learn as much as I could about everything I could. I have studied ceremonial magic, kabala, tarot, etc. But about four months ago I ran into the Bhagavad-gita As It Is by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (All glories be upon Him) and learned the mahamantra.

I have been chanting over 16 rounds a day for over a month now and I love it. I have learned more in the last four months about myself and my relationship with God than I have during my whole life. Thanks to Srila Prabhupada and his books and all the people at ISKCON Prison Ministry. Thank you so much for all you have done and will do. Your kindness is truly without limits and I will always be in your debt.

Robert Bailey
Corcoran, CA

Dear Bhakta Jerry,

Thanks for your excellent newsletter. Please take me off your mailing list due to leaving this insane place of incarceration (county jail)…. I am a devotee but cannot get the support I need in this area, so I will avoid devotees and temples. I wish we had something to help devotees adjust after leaving jails or prisons.
I need therapy and support, something ISKCON does not provide and temples are afraid of us. I will go to N.A.. At least this helps me stay clean and hopefully out of jail.

Hare Krsna
Rathayatra dasa, San Francisco, CA

Editor’s response:

It seems like the whole world suffers from the propensity to criticize everything. I personally found this characteristic very prevalent among inmates. We can sit around for days, even years, and tell everyone what is wrong with everything.

Aversion to fault finding is a characteristic of a godly man (BG 16.1-3). It is also an offense to blasphemy a devotee who has dedicated his life to propagating the Holy Name of the Lord. In all circumstances, we must be careful not to be critical.

IPM Newsletter January / February 2006

Letters from Inmates

Many times people ask us why we are helping people in prison. They committed the crime; why not let them do the time? But we see that we are all prisoners in this material world. Some of us are in a state or federal prison, some of us are in the prison of our minds, or a physically disabled bodies, but just to have a material body is a type of prison. We have no freedom to enjoy all our insatiable desires. So we, at the ISKCON Prison Ministries, try to help others and ourselves by practicing Krishna consciousness. The following letter is a nice example of how Krishna consciousness is working in prisons.

Letter to Candrasekhara from Sarva Laksmi Mayi, an inmate in Louisiana State Prison.

She had found one of Srila Prabhupada's books about 2 years ago, which had been sent out to the prison 15 years prior. This is a wonderful example of how Krsna, in the form of His books, goes where He wants to go, waiting for the person who will read the book and take advantage of the knowledge. After finding the book and contacting the Prison Ministry, Sarva Laksmi Mayi, (then Maureen), started chanting japa, reading everyday and preaching to other inmates. She desired initiation and Bir Krsna Maharaja gave her Hare Nama Initiation.

Source: www.chakra.org.