ISKCON PRISON MINISTRY
More Of Bhakta Louis’ Realizations
Hare Krishna! I offer my respectful obeisance unto the lotus feet of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the founder acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, who delivered the light of the Bhagavata to the whole world through his books and teachings. By his mercy I’ve been saved from the darkest ignorance by my intellect, knowledge, and understanding of the most confidential knowledge of the science of the spirit-soul, and of Bhakti-Yoga. He has given us such a superior fund of knowledge, even the neophyte devotees of Krishna have a superior fund of knowledge of God. I’m writing today to share some very important spiritual realizations, and advancements I have made, and also to let you know that I’ve actually been moved twice in one week, and am now in Lake Buttler, awaiting surgery (I will be there only 6 to 12 weeks at most.) I only have 4 ½ months left of my “close-management ‘CM Punishment’” [isolation] left to serve, then will be back in general population. I’ve been having concerns with my old nature showing its ugly head once more freedom is awarded to me as I move out of this CM punishment. I’ve been discussing this with Arturo too. I’ve come to understand that as long as the living being is trapped in matter, the gross-material body will act according to its nature as it was created for you by Krishna according to your past karma, it has no other choice, so it will always desire the gratification of the senses, but it’s how you, the living being, react to the karma that makes all the difference. Bhakti-lata Dasi when they shipped us from FSP to Suwannee CI, the officers there took all of our personal property and were very disrespectful, throwing away very personal things we are authorized to have, just to get a violent reaction from us so that they may be justified in using force on us and giving us Disciplinary Reports to make us go back to Close Management and start all over again to prove how violent and dangerous we are. You see the CM and confinement punishment cause mental health problems in the inmates, and they may win. They threw away some pictures and letters of my dead mother and father, my Japa beads that, as you know, were authorized by the Chaplain and the Security Property Sergeant at FSP. These things being sacred to me, this would have normally gotten the reaction from me that they wanted! But I remembered the Bhagavad-Gita and how one can recognize the Bhagavata by his not being disturbed over loss or overjoyed by gain. I gave the hurt and anger over to Krishna by trusting in Him. Krishna will always protect and provide for his devotee. As He said in the Bhagavad-Gita “Son of Kunti, let it be known, my devotee shall never perish.” I realize I’m placed in these most sinful environments in the same room and on the same wing with old friends, all together —being able to participate in or think of old sinful activities —because somewhere deep inside I still desire these things and The Blessed Lord fulfils all our desires; but I feel such shame and guilt over this; I cry out to Krishna to please forgive this transgression, that somehow I have fallen into the pit of material entrapment, and been bitten by the snake of time, that I am most fallen, the lowest of the low and I can make no progress independent of Krishna – I can do nothing independent of him, and to please lead me on the right path to reach You O Lord, please accept me into your service and as I am a neophyte devotee alone in a most sinful place I am weak; please place me in the presence of other devotees and or give me a spiritual master to guide me, and support me.
This constitutes the proper use of my free will, that’s why the Lord says in the Bhagavad-Gita that even though it may appear that the devotee of the Lord may commit an abominable act he is still to be considered holy and one should not deride him. As the neophyte advances and is sincere in heart Krishna will give him the knowledge needed and purify him so he will no longer continue to fall. I am actually experiencing and understanding this truth; and I understand now more than ever the importance of the spiritual master, and the association of devotees of Krishna to support and strengthen the neophyte devotee until he becomes “The Bhagavata.” Also, Bhakti Lata Dasi, I give thanks to Krishna that by His Grace, and my superior fund of
knowledge as a neophyte devotee of his, I’m now able to explain to others about Krishna be they so-called Muslims, Christians, or etc., in a way that they can understand and relate to as not to offend anyone, as I now understand God and our constitutional position with Him. My roommate here at RMC (for only one day) was a Muslim and we talked of God. He asked me about Bhaktiyoga, and I told him that the pure devotee of the Lord are Mahatmas and as a Muslim with their discipline of praying several times a day, washing themselves to consecrate themselves holy unto God, and the diet restrictions, and chanting mantras in Arabic, he should be able to grasp the concept. I gave a quick but accurate breakdown of love for God and devotional service, what is matter and what is spirit, and we are not this body but spirit-soul, I then let him read Beyond Birth & Death (read not study) as it’s about fifty-five pages. When I asked him what his understanding of this was, I was very surprised by his comprehension of it. I then brought up the mantras in Arabic that start each of his days; He said that because he knows their meanings, whenever he hears them in Arabic it fills his heart with joy! So, I then chanted the Maha Mantra several times vibrating the Transcendental sounds, and he gave a big smile showing great emotion, saying that hearing this fills his heart with great joy, and he does not even know the meaning! I explained this was crying out to God as a child cries out to its mother, O Supreme God, O energy of God, O God, please accept me into your service. Bhakti Lata Dasi I was at first very distressed to learn I was losing all my long-awaited freedoms and privileges of CM3 to come here to RMC confinement, but just that 24 hours I spent telling this man about Krishna was well worth every hardship! I feel this is the closest I have come to helping fulfil my part of His Divine Grace Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada’s mission and giving to another this most precious gift given me by the causeless mercy of Krishna’s devotees, Haribol! I want to thank you for all the lost souls you minister to in all the prisons and your hard work and dedication in the Freedom newsletter, and also for the Back to Godhead magazine. You have personally assisted me greatly in my spiritual advancement!
Your humble servant, Louis
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