Letters to the editor

Dear Guru Maharaja,

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Here I am again :-) I hope I’m not bothering you.

HpS/ASA - No, agtSP, Hare Krsna! We find your association spiritually mature and scholarly. We hope under Lord Caitanya's order you become Guru and deliver your land!

I wanted to ask — what is the meaning of offering the lamp to Lord Dāmodara? Why specifically the lamp, and not a flower, water, earth, or other items?

HpS - I have had the same question and have not found any details where Srila Prabhupada explains it in any of his BBT books, or even other resources.

I do see that he says one should be initiated and learn the songs and rituals for devotional service, worship Krsna in the Temple from the authorized books.

As far as I know, Krsna ksetra Swami and other approached Srila Prabhupada with the standard diety worship book base upon our Acharya's and he approved the work they had done and the direction they were headed.

As I understand from Sridhara Swami, Prabhupada's Godbrother, the lamp is to illuminate the body of the Lord in general and detail.

Normally the Deity is situated in the Temple and there is not so much light from the direct sunlight so lamps are necessary.

I tried to find a direct reference — a verse, a purport from Śrīla Prabhupāda, or something from the writings of our ācāryas — but so far I’ve only come across symbolic explanations or injunctions without clear scriptural sources.

As we (or at least I) try to follow śāstra and our ācāryas in whatever we do, I feel there must be a meaning and explanation for almost everything in our practice. For example, we have scriptural reasoning for chanting the holy name. Without such grounding, it seems easy to drift toward smārta-like ritualism.

Have you read the ISKCON Deity worship book?

If you wish to share something about this topic, I would be very grateful.

Thank you very much for your kindness and guidance.

Your servant,

Nāmacārya Dās

HpS - Thank you!!! They seem like nice things to offer when you are receiving a guest!!

Please accept my humble obeisance to Dust lotus feet🙏🙇🏻‍♀️💐🌹🌷👣🪷🙏

Jaya Srila Prabhupada! Jaya Gurumaharaja!🙏🙇🏻‍♀️💐🌹🌷👣🪷💖

I wanted to ask for your blessings to begin orally recording the Krishna book and sharing it on YouTube. It was Franco's idea for me to do this service, and he wishes me to be able to finish both volumes! Jaya Srila Prabhupada!

trying to please him: Japa Prati Jalpa Radha Devi Dasi 🙏🙇🏻‍♀️👣🪷💐🌹🌷💖🙏

HpS/AGTSP - I think that might violate BBT copyrights? Ask Caturatma Das and Isvari radha Devi Dasi if they know.

In general, I don't think there is any problem if you start recording one or two chapters with your comments, thoughts.

Copyright laws allow using up to ten percent of a published material as part of another work.

Hare Krsna Dear Gurudev,

 Please accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet.

 All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

 All glories to Guru parampara.

HpS - AgtSP!

A g t S P !

 Gurudev, Sometime i think about your advance spiritual stage and get astonishment. 

Your dependent,

Girivaradhari-Gopal Das

HpS... You are like Lord Siva. You not only pass over the bad qualities of others, you see their bad qualities as good qualities.

See you soon.

😬

My dear and ever-remembered Hare Krishna Gurumaharaja 🙏🏻

Please accept my sincere obeisances 🙏🏻

All glories to our savior Srila Prabhupada 🙏🏻

Gurumaharaja, your arrival in New Vrajamandala is just a few days away 🥳 I am so excited and grateful!!! 🙏🏻 I feel that your visit is the result of all our efforts 🙏🏻 you are the gift sent by the Christ Child (Gopal) 🙏🏻💖

We are coordinating to make your stay even better than last time. Gurumaharaja, I wanted to ask if you would like to have the same room as last time? You had the bathroom outside and your neighbor was Maharaja Bhakti Gouravani, do you remember? What do you think, Gurumaharaja? Is the same room fine or would you prefer another one? I also wanted to ask about the guest who will be coming with you, Nanda Braj, is his name? I spoke with Prabhu Jambula and a room will be reserved for him as well, but we need to know how long the devotee will be staying. Will he be traveling with you to India? Will you be coming with only one guest?

Once again, I want you to know that I am at your service, Gurumaharaja 🙏🏻, to coordinate and arrange accommodation for the spiritual brothers and sisters or devotees who will be visiting us in New Vrajamandala for the season that your merciful association grants us 🙏🏻. We are coordinating with Mother Karuna (a psychologist and disciple of Maharaja Yadunandana) to explore the possibility of perhaps holding an academic program at the University of Alicante (ISKCON has a preaching center very close to the university). She would come to New Vrajamandala to have an interview with you, perhaps. What do you think?

Gurumaharaja, how else can we assist you? HOLY GOD! Just a few days left until we have your association!! KRISHNA KRISHNA KRISHNA what a total blessing to be able to have your association 🙏🏻 THANK YOU 🙏🏻 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙇🏻‍♀️🙇🏻‍♀️🙇🏻‍♀️

Radha Govinda Chandra awaits you Gurumaharaja 🙏🏻 beautifully decorated

Trying to be helpful, your third-class disciple:

Yasoda Devi Dasi 🙏🏻

Our prayers to Lord Nrisimha are for you 🙏🏻

ASA/HpS - We, AgtSP, only know six people in the whole world more crazy than us, Brown and White, and three of them live at New Vraja Mandala.

Guess the same room is fine.

Worked last time.

Was kind of at the dead end of the great hall of life.

Habitacion for monks and dead end wizards.

Yes, we can meet with the psychologist. We can have a national colloquia when we come back. Jung and the Place of Tobacco in the Illumined Path.

Nanda braja das will continue on to India same time as us.

He likes to work.

Santa Clause and his eight reindeer.

Hari bolo!

Hare Kṛṣṇa Gurudeva,

All Glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda (AGTSP), Please Accept My Humble Obeisances (PAMHO),

This letter is an attempt to express what feels like the Supersoul speaking from outside—through reflections and realizations.

Recently, while browsing YouTube, we came across a channel dedicated to Stoicism—Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, and others. It made us realize that the kind of language and tone used by these Stoic teachers resonates with us deeply. This kind of teaching in modern time is given by Stephen Covey (mormon) and Vicktor Frankel (psychiatrist, survivor of Concentration camp)

HpS - "The Art of Love"

... while hearing them, there was hollowness because they never talked about ontological person, and what should be done.

Perhaps this is the kind of guidance we subconsciously wish to hear from our asrama mentors. Then use them to serve spiritual mentors. Interestingly, we find ourselves speaking in a similar tone—maybe 70% of the time—when interacting with some of our students.

HpS - Yes, we have the same reaction! The jnanis like Stoics, Confuscious, Socrates, Shakespeare, have more zeros than the Karmis, so when we put a one in front of their work it is more valuable.

0.00 = 0

000.00 = 0

10.00 < 1000.00 😆

Here’s the video we encountered: 10 Powerful Things to Tell Yourself Every Morning — MORNING SECRET | STOICISM

When we integrate this with the teachings of the Bhagavad-gītā, it seems these Stoic habits help people transition from Tamas to Rajas. And in today’s world, which is saturated with tamas, such guidance feels especially relevant.

Still, we sense that our conviction in serving Kṛṣṇa is not yet fully formed. he exists, but maybe want to have liberation of being like him, (saryuja mukti).

ISKCON has certainly transformed our ontological worldview, but sometimes we wonder if our desire to please Kṛṣṇa resembles that of Hiranyakashipu or Indra—motivated more by ego or fear than by pure devotion. We hesitate to elaborate further on our internal landscape.

You once mentioned that we might be suffering more from karma-vāda than māyā-vāda. That insight continues to echo within us.

Despite reading ISKCON literature and engaging in devotional practices, our external setting often feels alien.

During the times we were practicing Bhakti angas, our bhakti seemed tamasic—perhaps even militant, like a misguided zealot. The goal is clear, but the process remains hazy.

We are seeking the perspective of TB and HpS on this—almost as if they are functioning as external manifestations of the Supersoul.

This letter has been refined with the help of AI, to better articulate our thoughts in English.

wish i could have seen HpS as representative of Krsna instead of just extension of supersoul

a burden on HpS

horse

HpS/ASA - Oink 🐷

We cannot give too much help!

We do not declare to be a very advanced devotee.

All that you are saying seems to be indicative of someone that Socrates, Marcus A., would love to meet.

How do you think they would react to the KRSNA book, 'Wisdom from Ancient India'?

I think your analysis of your position is pretty good.

I think you are on the right path. Go ahead. Your next life as a human being seems to be guaranteed.

Your Karma would seem to be directly a tool that Krsna (Sri Advaita) is using to teach you.

Next life in Nabadvipa?

Family sucked along with you??? 😆

O.K. Enough Blog.

Eyes fried.

Now, Gayatri, VDM and then Gaura arati!

Join us?

WWW. YouTube.Com ISKCON Houston

Hare Krsna, Tom Brown (Swarup Damodar To HpS)..

AGTSP, PAMHO.

Every Sunday there is a class held by HpS. Somehow, we have missed it for many weeks. Still, in the background of our minds, we feel deeply grateful for all that HpS has given us.

We are satisfied and fortunate that he initiated us. Sometimes, simply holding on to chanting and following the four regulative principles feels like a sufficient battle for the day.

HpS reminds us that there are many levels of initiation. Yet, we do not wish to brood over our struggles or speak too much about them. What matters is that we are keeping the promise we made to him. Enthusiastic chanting is not always easy—its definition shifts with our circumstances. At present, we are struggling even for daily food. Still, we are not suffering; only the body and mind may feel the strain.

we had whatsapp chat with him and shared link

-- may be this link can be shared with Prof Ravi M. Gupta.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpTIWeZqObE

HpS - AgtSP!!! Thank you. We looked at this link from our WhatsApp conversation. It seemed pretty good, but didn't seem to some to a useful point for us too fast.

I think that there may not be an appreciation that Srila Prabhupada is using the work Demigod and was broadly acceptable to the intellectual community of Srila Bhakti vinode and Siddhanta, 19th century and early 20th century English.

trying to keep being enthusiastic in chanting

Hayagriva Avatar Das

HpS - Enthusiastic does not always equal material quality, no? Some days mind is a storm and then to keep it only 60% on the chanting is enthusiastic chanting.

Krsna sees how much money you are donating in your hand, but He also sees how much you are keeping in your pocket!