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THE BAD NEWS
You may remember that last November all Florida state prisons transitioned to an electronic mail delivery format. Unfortunately, more and more states will follow suit. As of last July, the state of Texas has already made the transition.

With this new system, inmates, apart from a few exceptions, are no longer allowed to receive books, magazines, or newsletters. All paper correspondence letters are scanned and emailed to the different institutions. From there the mail is read, approved, and sent electronically to the individual inmates, on their tablets.

Inmate Bhakta David B., from Connecticut, has taken it upon himself to fight for the imprisoned bhaktas’ rights to practice their Kṛṣṇa consciousness. After exhausting all the in-house prison recourses, he has brought his claims to court. It is a long process, especially since he doesn’t have any help. In his own words:

Hare Krishna! My journey is now coming to a close and I will be released soon (Andrus was released in 2022). I want to formally thank you and everyone involved in your prison ministry program. You have provided a means for incarcerated souls to break free from the bondage of self [false self; false ego]. What started out as an inquiry into life after death led me to a new sense of freedom, one made possible through the service of great atmas, like yourselves [IsPM volunteers].

In a discussion about child abuse someone wrote:

"The abusers claimed they are doing a favor to their victims by 'relieving the children of their bad karma'. Speak about adding an insult to injury. These perpetrators believed that by indulging in their sadistic whims, hurting and injuring children under their care, they actually acted in the capacity of Yamaraja or Krishna Himself. Is it possible to have a deeper misconception about oneself?

Diksa (Narada Pancaratra): di - divya jnana (about one's own svarupa and received mantra/s), ksa - destruction of sins

The process by which a devotee becomes attached to Krsna is described in Caitanya-caritamrta (Antya 4.192):

diksa-kale bhakta kare atma-samarpana
sei-kale krsna tare kare atma-sama

"At the time of initiation, when a devotee fully surrenders to the service of the Lord, Krsna accepts him to be as good as He Himself."

Diksa, or spiritual initiation, is explained in the Bhakti-sandarbha (283) by Srila Jiva Gosvami:

divyam jnanam yato dadyat

Two weeks ago I finally worked on a project I wanted to tackle for the last three years.
Because there are far more men’s prisons than women’s prisons, for the last thirty-five years or so, the majority of books have been sent to men’s prisons and, consequently, most inmates who write us are male. I have been desiring to give more women the gift of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Having a skeleton crew, I never found the time or help necessary for this major undertaking. But recently I felt that this project couldn’t be delayed anymore, even if it meant that something else has to be

Hare Krishna! I offer my respectful obeisance unto the lotus feet of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the founder acārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, who delivered the light of the Bhāgavata 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.

Even though I'm purposefully off social sites and thus a bit "out of touch," I couldn't miss noticing that some devotees - not just beginners - are confused about the current world situation, wondering if it's going in positive or negative direction. It's confusing to me how such a confusion can happen to someone who has read (and understood) at least Prabhupada's books.

There is a story in the Mahabharata, about Dronacarya testing the young Kauravas’ and Pandavas’ skill at archery. An artificial bird was placed in a tree and, as each of his students came forward, one by one, Drona asked,
“Do you see the bird at the top of the tree?
“Yes, I do.” each replied.
“Do you see anything else?”
“Yes, I see the tree, myself, my brothers and the me.”
Drona was not pleased and ordered, “Stand aside! You are not fit to strike the target.” Only Arjuna pleased him by replying,
“I only see the neck of the bird.”