Letters to the editor

HARE KRISHNA, Dear Maharaj Hanumatpresaka Swami 🙏🏾PAMHO AGTSP

My name is Annie, I am from Trujillo - Peru, but I have been living in Lima for years for my studies. I finished my professional degree here, found a job while I was studying, had a good job after completing my degree in Communication Sciences, had money because I worked very hard, had a "good" life, had friends, a stable boyfriend but it didn't work out—he was not vegetarian.

I traveled some times and even visited some countries in Europe, enjoyed life at the end of my twenties but always felt something was missing, I was never happy despite having "everything".

My life gradually started to lose its direction 6 years ago, I felt suspended in the air not knowing where to go, so I dedicated myself to seeking the spiritual precisely because of that inner emptiness that nothing could fill. I went to seek God through various paths: the Rosicrucians, Gnosis, pranic energy, the meditation of 'we are all one', Hatha Yoga, Kriya Yoga, Pachamama... I was always searching for Him.

From my Catholic upbringing, in a catholic school, I always felt that GOD was very distant of me, like something unattainable.

I live with my mom and my uncle, and for as long as I can remember, I have always seen her with some illness. I have no brothers or sisters; my dad abandoned us when I was 6 or 7 years old. My memories of him are always fights and shouting. Thank God my father figure was my uncle, my mom's brother, who always supported both of us and continues to support us, he is unmarried. Now they are both elderly, and it is my duty to support them and take care of them.

Yoga came into my life when I was 16 years old, and I am grateful because since that time I have been a vegetarian. It has already been 20 years from that christmas time when I finally decided never to eat dead animals; time passed very quickly... The Gran Fraternidad Universal guided me spiritually, and I am thankful to have reached that point. It was a disciplined journey physically, but the philosophy didn't captivate me; perhaps it was not my time—I was young and had to study at the university a professional career.

Later, during the five years of university, I continued practicing my physical exercise routines and pranayama, but upon finding a job and with my studies, I decided to stop the physical practice but not vegetarianism. I just thought of the poor animals, and that encouraged me to continue abstaining from anything related to an animal. I am still vegetarian; it has been a little over 20 years, well actually to be honest I just eat only prasadam.

Then, to get better job opportunities, I studied a master's in marketing, got a stable job, but the pandemic came and I lost my job. With no money and no hope, I turned back to spirituality through meditation, discovered Kriya Yoga, and focused on formally preparing myself as a Hatha Yoga teacher in 2022.

HpS/ASA - Hare Krsna!!! Thank you for this letter, but we will start scanning rather than reading details, as we have limited time and resources. Is nice to hear about your sincere spiritual journey. The only thing that I think I had differently was reading Science Fiction authors and nice Godmother.

I found glimpses of peace, mental control, and devotion to the divine but with a focus on the whole, thanks to the practices of asanas and pranayamas. I really enjoyed returning to Hatha Yoga, and at that time I truly explored the philosophy of Ashtanga Yoga and started following its vows and practices.

I decided to take my path of celibacy 6 years ago after that I broke up with my boyfriend, mostly for my own well-being, to preserve my sexual energy. I didn't do it thinking about God; it was more a decision thinking about myself, but I maintained it without problems, and I feel good being celibate.

That same year, in the summer of 2019, I met a devotee of the Supreme Lord. He invited us to hold a BG festival, and we met weekly in different parks in Miraflores. He is from Chosica, Prabhu Ramasundarya Das, dedicated to his service in preaching, sankirtan, and fire ceremonies. He was my Siksa Guru because he spoke to me about Krishna for the first time, shared prasadam with us, and I even bought my BG from him but later put it away and never read it, just small texts during the festivals.

Later, I stayed committed, listening to Prabhu's classes even during the pandemic via Zoom, but then I lost the connection, then he invited me to the agnihotra ceremony in 2023. During that sacrifice, I met a friend who told me about the temple in Miraflores, and we went for the first time in February 2024.

I will never forget the Lord Nityananda's festival. From the moment I saw the Deities, I loved the temple, the people, and the atmosphere. I didn't stop attending the Saturday programs; I went regularly until I started connecting more with the devotees, and they told me to do service. In April, I started once a week helping as a kitchen assistant with M. Adi Lila Devi Dasi, washing pots and cutting vegetables. It was a very beautiful stage. Later, they offered me to help in the store located on the first floor of the Miraflores temple, and I accepted. I was unemployed and my mother was ill.

I had a lot of association with devotees, and they told me about the courses to understand Vaishnava philosophy. I took the introductory Bhakti course in August last year with Prabhu Laksman Agraja Das, an excellent devotee, teacher, and person.

Then I continued deepening my spiritual practice; I used to chant rounds between 4 and 6, I wasn’t very consistent. Later, I met other devotees in the courses, they gave me their tips, I set out to improve, and I maintained my sadhana at 10 rounds in February this year. I kept it for a few months, and only in August did I increase to 12. Until a month ago, I reached 14, and since following their programs, I am already at 16. I find great inspiration in the Japa Joe program and the Mangala Arati program; I have been participating daily for about a week.

In February of this year I started studying with Prabhu Laksman Agraja Das Bhakti Sastri because I liked so much what he taught us last year in the introductory course that it was really too little for my inquisitive spirit and my desire to understand every detail.

In the group there is only one bhakta and me, who am a bhaktina; the others are taking the course to receive the second initiation. I am not thinking about that; I kept striving to read every book and dissect every part until I to be able to understand. We have read the ISO, the NOI, and now we are on chapter 16 of the BG.

Reading in a group and with the magnificent guidance of Professor Laksman is a great motivation to continue studying. The course is wonderful, I am very grateful to you, Maharaj because I know that you fought for us to have this course in Peru.

I appreciate everything you have done in my country, what a pity I didn’t know you before, when you used to come frequently to Chosica. I understand that I had to go through all those paths to reach Krishna Consciousness, and to know you and your wonderful and priceless guidance.

Now I understand that more than understanding with my mind, I must surrender to the Lord, and He will give me the necessary intelligence. The first thing I needed was greater discipline to properly fulfill my sadhana, and thanks to the program, your association, and the devotees, I am getting up at 3:30 am to start my rounds and finish them in the morning.

I started an unofficial service at the Miraflores temple in the kitchen in April 2024, but then I moved to attend to the store they have. I receive a small payment, but it helps me with my basic expenses; I have a part-time shift. I started there in September 2024, but due to my mom's illnesses, I have had to leave it for periods when she underwent surgery last May and this year from June to August when she fractured her hand. Now I am there daily, and I enjoy it because I can preach to the people who come in and talk to them about His Divine Grace Bhaktivedanta Srila Prabhupada.

By taking the discipleship course with Professor Laksman in july 2025, I was able to understand the greatness of SP, His mercy, and His desire to fulfill His master's mission. Every day I feel more admiration for SP and all His mission; this encourages me to faithfully follow His principles and continue reading His books to be a good devotee.

I need to confess that since I started following your program, Maharaj, I feel more motivated to properly develop my sadhana, to study the readings you do each day. I also have a lot of energy to fulfill my duties at home with my mother, my activities at the temple, and to perform my service as a pujari at the temple in Lima of Parama Karuna Goura Nitay. By the mercy of the Lord, I was able to start doing garland service in February of this year and continued until June, but when my mother had that accident where she broke her hand, I had to leave my regular service. However, I resumed in October, the month of Kartika, as a pujari.

I am very grateful for the opportunity given to me by the devotees of the temple of Their Lordships Parama Karuna Goura Nitay to be able to perform direct service to the deities. You cannot imagine how excited and happy I was the first time I performed the puja on Wednesday, September 29, when M. Isvari DD instructed me on how to serve. It is a happiness that cannot be compared with money or travel; it is something transcendental.

I sincerely thank you for reading my message and for your daily guidance in the Japa Joe and Mangala Arati programs. I feel very blessed and happy when I participate in the programs.

Please dear Maharaj, give me your blessings to be steady in my service, do my best to please Lord Krishna. I want to be a good devotee and help SP in His Mission. Sankirtan Jñajña ki jay

Eternally thankful with you and your disciples, my venerable and hightly respected Maharaj

Your servant,

AGTSP AGTHPS

PAMHO TO YOUR LOTTUS FEET.

Annie A. 🐦

from Lima, Peru

P.S. I love using emojis

HpS - You are in the daily online programs, no?

Is so nice to hear these details of your life. Is like the conversations between Narada Muni and Srila Vyasadeva SB 1.4-6.

Does the Temple in Chosica have regular programs with different mature devotees presenting classes etc.

Do you live in Lima now?



Dear Siksha Gurudeva, please kindly accept my most humble obeisances; all glories to Srila Prabhupada; All glories to your good self for your many years of selfless devotion to Prabhupada and Krishna; all glories to all the devotees of Lord Chaitanya. As usual, it is hard for me to find the ideal time and space to write to you. My best moments come during the early morning, when I'm trying to chant my japa. My days are too disturbing and hectic to find the external and internal space to share things.

HpS - Jaya Jaya Prabhupada!

Nice to read from you.

Yes, I also find that I have limited potency to deal with this kind of topic!!! Yet, time, Hare Krsna, does seem to become available, especially as we get a good basis with Japa etc. in the morning.

I feel a closeness to Krishna, knowing that He knows my pains and sorrows; He knows the loneliness that I feel, wanting and needing association of devotees: and feeling all too often that I don't have it. There is comfort in knowing that Krishna knows how I am too envious to make the best use of the association available to me. And yet He still allows me to continue in my devotional service, rather than chase me away only to live in dread. I don't know how to put into words what I am feeling even as I write this letter. But there is some comfort in reaching out to you in this letter, knowing that you are there. I wish I could be there with you. I think of you often, especially recalling your instructions to "chant nice rounds:" an achievement that constantly evades my efforts.

My rounds are done this morning. I try my best to stay attentive to my japa, but my mind is always defiant. What can I expect after countless lifetimes of material conditioning. Still, I am so appreciative of your words to "chanting nice rounds." Mantra meditation sounds cool, fantastic and amazing to the untrained mind. But putting it into practice is a whole other story.

HpS/ASA - What to speak of staring at a candle or the tip of your nose!

I confess that I am embarrassed by my failure to chant nicely. And yet, I have neither the heart nor the gall to quit chanting, as my whole life has been all about chanting the holy names and nothing more.

Sriman Agnideva prabhu came to Boise last month, staying as a guest in my home for the weekend. What a relief it was to have such honorable association. We had a nice home program with a few select devotees that still find favor with me. We also had a nice program at the yoga studio that you spoke at. It was an awesome event, with Mother Krishna Presthaya leading the guided meditation. She was amazing! I watched the audience respond to her as she led them into the mood of chanting OM and Hare Krishna. Agnideva's vocal talent hasn't diminished in the least, in spite of the years gone by. On Sunday he led a nice kirtan gave a lecture at the temple, which I did not attend. I heard through the 'grapevine' that within the administration there was some discontent that he was staying with me, and not at the temple.

My wife and I each have a couple of upcoming surgeries. Now, in my senior years as a devotee, I am learning to live with infamy, learning to be brave in the face of old age, and still having to work for my daily existence. The challenge to keep up the standard and practice devotional service that I have been loyal to all my years has increased. My caliber of determination and faith in Krishna consciousness is really being tested. My only hope is that Krishna will consider that I have tried to surrender my life as His devotee. If you can find favor with me, and bless me with your own causeless mercy, then there's every hope that Krishna will also be merciful to me at my hour of death.

Your lowly servant,

Balabhadra Dasa

HpS - Go see Radha Bankibihari some times. Join some of the programs. Try to resolve any conflicts with local devotees. Badri narayana Swami has certainly expressed that there are problems in the Temple administration. I heard from Srila Prabhupada that there are problems in all of his Temples, that this is the material world.

So, we show that we are disciples of Srila Prabhupada by always working to resolve conflicts within the perspective of NoI, no?

Yet, home programs and programs in appropriate outside places with the above mentioned invitation to ISKCON Temple community are certainly apart of ISKCON.

Hari Bolo!!!!!!!!

Where is Agnideva Das based?

Please send some photos of your altar.

Happy surgery! Preach to the doctors by your words and comportment.

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!