a.c. bhaktivedanta swami
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| Prabhupada Letters :: 1970 a.c. bhaktivedanta swami |
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Apr 22, 2006 Wednesday, April 22, 1970 Los Angeles My Dear Sriman Minoru and Kenji, Please accept my blessings. This is the first time I am addressing to some of my Japanese friends and admirers and I am so glad to receive your nice letters. Sriman Sudama Das Adhikari has gone to your country carrying the message of Bhagavad-gita and I am so glad to learn that you two boys are cooperating with him in this great mission. I am very glad to learn also that you are feeling joy while chanting the mantra Hare Krishna. Yes, it is exactly like this. If anyone chants this mantra in good faith and in simple understanding, then surely this transcendental vibration will act immediately in spiritual bliss. Please therefore continue to chant this mantra as many times as possible throughout the day and night. I do not think there is any inconvenience or loss on your part if you do so all the time. Even when you are walking, you can softly chant Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, or even when you are on the bus going to somewhere you can also chant. When you are working with your hands you can also chant and when you are resting or going to take rest you can also chant. Even in your toilet room while taking bath you can also chant. In this way there is no limitation or restriction for chanting this Holy Name of God, Krishna, and His Energy, Hara. In doing this business there is no loss, but there is very great gain which is transcendental realization. At the present moment everyone of us is in gross misunderstanding of bodily consciousness and this situation is also present in the animal kingdom. The four necessities of bodily concept of life; namely eating, sleeping, mating and defending, are common in the human form of body or animal form of body. In the human form of body we get a chance for our self-realization and we should utilize this opportunity very seriously. There are many things to be described in this connection and most of them you will find in our many books already published, but this Krishna Consciousness movement is a great benediction for the human society without any discrimination between man to man. At the present moment, the human society is split up by different material interests, but if they try to understand this Krishna Consciousness movement with a little seriousness, many of our artificial problems will be solved. The Hare Krishna movement is so potential that it can do more than what is attempted by the United Nations organization. So I shall request you to cooperate with Sudama and try to push on this movement in your country and everyone will appreciate if we present things a little carefully, although it is very simple. The program is already being executed under the supervision of Sudama and your valued cooperation will encourage him very much. Whenever you feel any difficulty to understand our philosophy you may inquire from Sudama, and if there is still difficulty you are welcome to send your inquiries to me and I shall be very much pleased to satisfy you. Hope this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS:db letters | 07:32 | April 22, 1971 Los Angeles My Dear Upendra, Please accept my blessings. I beg to thank you very much for your letter dated 20th April, 1970, with newspaper clippings enclosures, and they are all every encouraging. Don't worry about your wife, she is trying to get immigration visa and Madhudvisa is helping her. In the meantime, I am enclosing herewith a copy of the police officer's letter to me and I hope this will help you to get police permission for Sankirtana. We are the best peaceful group in the world and we are trying to bestow upon the people the supermost knowledge for the humanity. Everyone should cooperate with us, but unfortunately this is the age of Kali and people are not very much eager to accept genuine things, so don't be disappointed. Do as you are doing now and Krsna will help you without fail. To face difficulty in the course of preaching work is a kind of austerity. These difficulties do not go in vain. The more we face difficulties, the more we draw the attention of Krsna. So in that way we shall be prepared to meet all kinds of difficulties in our preaching work. Such attempt gives us a lift on our progressive march in Krishna Consciousness. In my last letter to Bali Mardan I have already written that I was very much anxious to hear from you. Now this letter has given me much relief. Thank you very much that you are working so hard for this movement, and surely Krsna will reward sufficiently for your transcendental labor. Be blessed and preach. I shall send you very soon detailed photographs of our new temple room and I think you will very much appreciate it. Hope this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS:db letters | 07:31 | April 22, 1970 Los Angeles My Dear Brahmananda, Please accept my blessings. Regarding the Topmost Yoga, in the blueprint there are many mistakes. I am pointing out some of them as follows: Page 2 ``. . . decided to kill his sister.'' not sisters, because only Devaki was there. ``The Lord's compromise was that He had Vasudeva propose to the brother-in-law . . .'' This sentence is obscure. The actual fact is Vasudeva made a compromise and said to his brother-in-law, ``such and such''. Then everywhere there is yogins, gosvamins, sannyasins, etc. in many places. The ``n'' is not required--that I have already informed Pradyumna. On page 17 there is a word ``enfuriated''; this is a spelling mistake, it should be ``infuriated''. Then on page 48: ``on the bank of the Ganges near Didbee''. This is not ``Didbee'', it is ``Delhi''. On page 49 there are so many ``gosvamins,'' but there should be no ``n.'' In this way I have read the book sporadically, not very minutely. I think it should be gone through once more very carefully and all the mistakes that are still existing there should be corrected. If the books are printed with spelling mistakes and other mistakes, that will be a discredit for our publication. So please see that editorial work is done very nicely. Have you got any information of the Prahlada pictures?* Purusottam got them here last year when I was living at Hayworth Avenue. I thought that the pictures were left here, but Dayananda has no information and nobody can tell where they are. So if you can say if it was returned to New York again, where is it now? Hope this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami *I want to publish our book on Prahlada Maharaja with these pictures. ACB letters | 07:30 | Apr 21, 2006 Tuesday, April 21, 1970 Los Angeles My Dear Sudama, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your nice letter dated 15th April, 1970, and noted the contents with great satisfaction. Today I have received the copy of BTG sent by you. Thank you very much. I have also seen the pictures and I can guess from these pictures that your activities are going very nicely. You have done good by sending duplicate copies to Brahmananda for publishing in BTG. So from your account and pictures also, the program of the 29th appears to have been very nicely executed. I am so very glad to learn that you have some boys coming regularly and two of them are now living with you. Get some Japanese disciples and then you will feel stronger in preaching work. Regarding your temple house, gradually as you work, as you are presently doing, the Japanese center will be another Dvaraka undoubtedly. You should keep your aim for publishing Japanese BTG. That is the immediate need of your studying Japanese language, and that is immediate task. If the Japanese boy can translate it and you can see the final reading, that will be nice. I am always glad to know that you are faithful in the matter of discharging the prescribed duties of devotional service like regularly chanting your prescribed rounds. This simple program will keep days. Attend our classes and routine work, regular chanting is your foothold in Krishna Consciousness. Regarding your Government grant of missionary visas, it is very good news. Also the leaders in L.A. have already purchased their own temple at the above address. Please offer my blessings to your good wife, Cintamani, Bhurijana, and all the other girls and boys there. Hope this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS:db letters | 07:29 | April 21, 1970 Los Angeles My Dear Gurudasa, Please accept my blessings. I have just made arrangements for marble Deities to be made for our centers. They will be manufactured just to the standard of our London Deities. I have opened negotiations with one Jaipur Murti maker, and in this connection he has requested a photograph accurate for his manufacturing purpose. So please send a full size photograph without any dress up to: Sri Surajnarain Natha Mool Chand Ram Chand Natha Marble Quarries, Factory Owners and Contractors Khazanewalon Ka Rasta Jaipur-1, (Rajasthan) India Please take this photograph of the Deities without Their clothes on and send it immediately by airmail to the manufacturers. Please treat this matter as urgent. Thank you very much. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS:db P.S. You can send the negatives and one print here to me also. letters | 07:28 | April 21, 1970 Los Angeles My Dear Satsvarupa, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 17th instant. I am glad to know that you are about to enlarge your altar and throne to accommodate the new Deities. However, you should not put the Vyasasana in the rear as they are doing in L.A. L.A. has got a different arrangement than you have got in Boston temple. So you can put the Vyasasana along the side of the Temple room and that will be nice. I also think that you cannot make the same arrangement as L.A. for separate doors for each of the three altars, so simply expand your present altars to fit the new Deities on the basis of the old style. Regarding organization of the artists, there is no need of wasting time for learning the art from study of texts. We should always remember that our time is very short. I think our artists should be satisfied with whatever they have learned already, that is sufficient. They should be simply be engaged in painting pictures always, and that will teach them the art sufficiently. In the beginning I was seriously corresponding with Indian friends to get some good mrdanga players, but when I found it too difficult to get a man from India some of my students were given the rudimentary lessons in playing and simply by practice they are putting on Sankirtana Party everywhere. My Guru Maharaja used to say that in a foreign land where you cannot speak the language with the natives very nicely, what do you do when there is a fire in your house just to get their help? In such emergency one has to express himself somehow or other to his foreign friends and get their help to extinguish the fire. But if he wants to learn the language first and then talk with the foreign friends to get help, then everything in the meantime would be finished. Similarly if we have to learn and then paint, it will be a long-term affair. But immediately we want so many pictures for all of our books, so all the artists may always be engaged in painting works and that painting itself will gradually teach them how to make things nice. Regarding how the art department should be organized, that is to be managed amongst themselves. I do not know the technical details, I want only that they may be always engaged. Now it is up to them how to manage these things. As you have suggested, you may make any suitable arrangement and that is approved by me however you make it fit. The only thing is the artists must be always engaged fulltime in their painting work. You may inform Devahuti and the others that I am always satisfied with their work. I am satisfied only to see that everyone of us is always engaged in his respective duties. As the teacher wants to see that the students are engaged in their handwriting work. Who is writing good hand, that is a secondary question. The teacher's duty is to see that everyone is engaged in handwriting work. So if all the artists are always engaged in painting, that will satisfy me, and that will gradually make them experienced for making good paintings. Hope this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS:db letters | 07:28 | April 21, 1970 Los Angeles My Dear Gopala Krishna, Please accept my blessings. Thank you very much for your letter dated 16th April, 1970, with an enclosed check for $15 on the temple account in India, Mayapur. Thank you very much for your first contribution. I am very glad to learn that you are doing spiritual activities very nicely and you are always alert to see whether you are committing some offense. This is a very nice attitude. In rendering service to Lord Krsna and His representative the Spiritual Master, we should always maintain this fearful attitude which means careful attention. This attitude will advance you progressively in Krishna Consciousness. Regarding the French edition BTG, your attempt is coming to be successful and the present copy looks very nice. Regarding Sanskrit, you can learn it in your leisure time. For Indians it is not difficult to learn Sanskrit. So, whether you have decided to marry in this country or in India? I think you can marry some girl in the Western country who is in Krishna Consciousness, but if you want to marry in the presence of your parents in India, that is a different thing. In our Society there are many nice girls, so if you decide to marry here, then I can ask somebody to correspond with you. What is you age at present? Hope this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS:db letters | 07:27 | Apr 20, 2006 Monday, April 20, 1970 Los Angeles My Dear Madhusudana, Please accept my blessings. I beg to thank you for your letter dated 14th April, 1970, and the check for $15 which I have received with great pleasure. I am very glad that you are appreciating the transcendental benefit out of Krishna Consciousness Movement. Actually this is the prime benediction for human society. My Guru Maharaja used to say that there is no scarcity of anything within this world, the only scarcity is people are not aware of Krishna Consciousness. The whole world is suffering for want of this great benediction. Therefore by the grace of Lord Caitanya if we have understood the value of this movement it will mean a great lot as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita that even a little performance of Krishna Consciousness activity will save the human society from the greatest danger of life. I am very glad to know that you are trying to understand this philosophy, now combinedly, husband and wife, preach it all over the world, at least in your great country. Hope this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS:db letters | 07:25 | April 20, 1970 Los Angeles My Dear Kancanbala, It is so much pleasing to me that you are so carefully reading Srimad-Bhagavatam. We have discussed many things in that book--social, political, religious, cultural--and if you young boys and girls understand them properly, I am sure your preaching work will bring in a great change in the entire human society. I am very glad also to know that you are engaged as Pujari there. Try to learn this art of Arcana very nicely. You can consult in this connection Himavati, Yamuna and also Silavati. I wish that all our girl devotees be expert in the matter of Arcana and cooking. The temple and altar should always be very clean and decorated with flowers and incense. We shall touch the Deity altar and Deity in very clean condition, after taking bath and washing mouth nicely. Practice washing hands after eating and wash with soap and water after toilet. Cleanliness is next to Godliness, so this point should be very carefully observed, then you will advance very quickly to the perfectional stage of Krishna Consciousness. Regarding you preaching work in the schools, colleges, and universities, try to attract the students, they are our great future hope and they will take up this matter very quickly because the students are not very much contaminated. Hope this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS:db letters | 07:24 | April 20, 1970 Los Angeles My Dear Brahmananda, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 18th, April, 1970, with copies of printing. KRSNA, the Reservoir of Pleasure and Other Essays is so much attractive I think this book will be sold like hotcakes. I am very much satisfied with this printing work. Although some of the pictures are not on the perfectional stage, on the whole it is done very nicely. I understand that you are going to print further 50,000 copies of this book from another printer. I think this book will be sold by hundreds of thousands. Anyway all the samples that you have sent are all satisfactory. I have no objection if KRSNA book is made to the 6 1/2 x 9 1/2 size, but a picture book as suggested by the Japanese people looks nice in a little larger size. So I have no objection to any size, which ever size you think will be nice for the market you can do in your choice. The blown up page of NOD looks very nice, so you continue this process in the matter of NOD. Now as there is some demand for our books, you overflood the market with big and small books as many as possible. Here in this temple last night they sold six copies of TLC. Now the elderly people are coming to purchase our books. I understand also that you are getting good many orders. The sample BTG issue is also very attractive. So manage things to the best of your capacity and Krsna will bless you all and give the proper intelligence also. The cover picture of the book KRSNA, the Reservoir of Pleasure and Other Essays is so attractive that it bears the meaning of Attractive, Krsna. Thank you very much. I hope you have received by this time my check for $2409, and I understand from Gargamuni that you are going to send me a counter check for $5000. This ISKCON Press insignia is very appropriately drawn. It bears the real meaning of mrdanga or press and mrdanga are two parallel lines. The one Japanese printer has quoted for 10,000 copies of books, at a cost of less than $9,000, so why not print our First Canto Bhagavatam from there? I have asked them if they would give free delivery to our ports at that price, so if they agree, I think the First Canto Bhagavatam may be printed there. Hope this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami P.S. There are some editorial mistakes in the blueprint of The Topmost yoga. I am giving herewith a note Pradyumna. Please send my Bengali small prayer book. ACBS:db letters | 07:23 | Apr 19, 2006 Sunday, April 19, 1970 Los Angeles My Dear Bali Mardan, Please accept my blessings and offer the same to Sriman Upendra. Your informative letter is encouraging. For the service of Krsna you are already in the jail for a few hours, so if possible try to put this movement as cultural instead of religion. Actually we are presenting the culture of Bhagavad-gita. The Bhagavad-gita is well known all over the world and it is widely read by scholars and philosophers especially. The religionists never read Bhagavad-gita. I have never seen a priest of other religion reading this book, but there are many scholars and philosophers all over the world who read Bhagavad-gita regularly. Even politicians and professional men read Bhagavad-gita, just like one Dr. Rele in Bombay. He also presented commentary on Bhagavad-gita on the basis of medical science. I heard that Professor Einstein, the greatest scientist, was regularly reading Bhagavad-gita, and later on he became practically God-conscious. By scientific research he appreciated the wonderful cosmic manifestation and as a scientist he admitted that behind this there is a very great brain and that is God. So practically it is not a religious study and we are presenting Bhagavad-gita as it is. Anyway, you are getting chance to preach amongst the students and that will be very nice program. Kirtanananda Maharaja is now moving amongst the students in various schools, colleges, and universities, and getting good response. Many students are already attracted to New Vrindaban and at the weekend there are about 20 to 30 outsiders regularly. So even though the local law is prohibitive, for chanting on the street, you can take advantage of the educational institutions. We are not concerned with any particular place or situation, but we take the opportunity of chanting and speaking wherever it is possible. I understand that one of our students, Tirthapada Brahmacari, is going to your place. Regarding book sales, you should always keep several copies of each of our literatures in stock, so if you do not have them you can make arrangements with Gargamuni. Especially you should have a good stock of Isopanisad and Easy Journey, they are selling as easily on the level of BTG. Hope this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS:db letters | 07:22 | April 19, 1970 Los Angeles My Dear Robert and Karen, Please accept my blessings. I am very glad that you have come to our Vrindaban retreat and try to remain there for some days. Attend our classes and routine work, and I am sure you will find the place very nice. The truth within this material world is relative. The Absolute Truth is outside the relative world. Just like when a child is born, he is relative--he is born by his father. Then you go on researching and you will find that his father is also born of his father and so on. In this way if we go on searching out the Absolute Truth, you will find Him, the Supreme Person, not imperson. Just like the child is a person, therefore the agent or the truth which begot the child is taken without any hesitation as a person. Therefore the Absolute Truth cannot be imperson--that is a fact. Impersonalism is only a solace for the frustrated. When we are frustrated by the relative personalism of this material world, we try to find out, in material way, the opposite number. Just like a patient who is suffering in diseased condition tries to find out something opposite number. So this is a long course explanation, but actually impersonalism cannot give us the answer to our eternal search after peace. So far we are convinced from the Vedic literatures, God is a Person exactly like you are a person, I am a person, but His personality is very great, full with six opulences, and none of the living entities beginning from the highest like Lord Brahma down to the ant, nobody can be on the equal level with God. These things are all explained in our books, and I would request you to read these books especially the recently published Isopanisad. There are many impersonalists within our experience who renounced this world to merge into the impersonal existence, but being baffled there they come down again to the material world to find out engagement as altruist, philanthropist, communist, etc.. So there is no stand on impersonalism, but there is steady stand in Bhakti cult because in this cult God is there, the devotee is there and the devotional service activities are there, and when they are joined together that makes us able to stand on the Absolute platform. The physical activities in Vrindaban are not material activities. Just like Arjuna, in the beginning he declined to fight, and Krishna apparently induced him to fight. But does it mean that Arjuna after understanding Bhagavad-gita became a violent fighter? If that is the result of understanding Bhagavad-gita, then no gentleman would read it ever. Therefore the real thing is that in Bhakti cult the activities appear to be like those of the Karmis, but actually they are all devotional service. In New Vrindaban everyone is engaged in Krishna's service, they have no interest in material activities, but they are always ready to act anything for Krishna's sake. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS:db letters | 07:22 | Apr 18, 2006 Saturday, April 18, 1970 Los Angeles My Dear Jaya Govinda, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 14th instant, and I am very happy to learn how both you and your good wife are determined to be more and more dependent on Krsna. That should be your mode of life, and that will advance you to success. Always think of Krsna, always hear of Krsna and always speak of Krsna and nothing else, no idle talkings. Both your wife and yourself are Krsna Conscious so you will have good opportunity to be always engaged in Krsna Consciousness. For the time being there is no question of going to India, but if we get a good place there and a nice branch there, then I may ask you to go there for some time, but your headquarters will always be in Germany. Both husband and wife learn how to work on the composer machine because we have to print so many things in German language as we are doing here in English language. Yes, when you are out of your station you can carry these Deities, but so long you are in Hamburg you will have very little time to arrange separately for worship. When a householder is not in touch with the temple, then he can have separate worship at home. Regarding printing our literatures in Germany, in your last letter you wrote to say that you could do it there, but if there is no question of your doing it, forget it. Regarding the composing machine, yes, I have heard that Brahmananda is helping you out in this connection. Regarding jobs for householders, there is no confusion. If your whole time is needed for Sankirtana Party there is no need of working in a Karmi firm. Actually all our devotees are supposed to be brahmanas. A brahmana's business is to preach the glories of the Lord, to learn the essence of Vedic knowledge--Krsna Consciousness--and to teach others of the same knowledge. And for living condition, whatever they get in the form of contribution from others, they can they can live barely to keep the body and soul together, and the balance spend for Krsna. My Dear Sadanandini, I wanted you to have a very good husband, and I hope you are completely satisfied with Jaya Govinda. Krsna has given you a very good husband, so be happy in Krsna Consciousness. Hope this will meet you both in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 07:20 | April 18, 1970 Los Angeles My Dear Bahulasva, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 10th instant, and the information therein is very encouraging. I understand from your letter that people have been well impressed, so this is a good opportunity for advancing our missionary activities. Actually we are creating the most peaceful persons in the world. Krsna is so nice that anyone who takes to Him becomes the first-class peaceful man. You can know from the example of Arjuna how much peaceful he was. He did not mind to forego his claim, and he remained nonviolent and peaceful. Personally he was not in favor of fighting, and whatever he did was only to satisfy Krsna. Yes, that is a very nice proposal that you may combinedly San Francisco, Berkeley, and San Jose hold festivals throughout the summer, so do it. Whatever you do by combined consultation is approved by me. Regarding Paramatma Das, I think he should simply push on with his school work as much as it may be necessary and the remainder of the time he may spend with the devotees in our Krsna Conscious activities. Certainly he is feeling some inconvenience due to the poor association at the karmi school but this is not a permanent situation. In the past many of our devotees like Lilasukha, Kancanbala, Indira, etc. in New York, Saradia in Boston, some others in Buffalo, and in other places also have finished up their required education in the public schools in spite of continuous feeling of disturbance by the nondevotee students and faculty. So if he finishes up his education in this way remaining under your care at the temple, then the unwanted association will not be harmful, just see that he is strictly executing his prescribed duties and that will keep him strong in spiritual life. Please increase the sales of literature. That is our great Sankirtana--Brhat Mrdanga. The correspondence with Dr. Staal published in the Daily Californian was very much interesting, so we shall publish it in our BTG. I am very glad to learn how you are improving the temple with new altar, proper Vyasasana, etc. I have already ordered Radha Krsna Deities for you, and when they arrive they will be installed. Please offer my blessings to all the boys and girls there. Hope this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami P.S. By the by, I understand from Hamsaduta's letter that he has advised from Germany to dispatch $1,500 from Berkeley for credit of my account here. If it is not yet done, please do it. ACBS:db letters | 07:20 | April 18, 1970 Los Angeles My Dear Bertl, Please accept my blessings. I am very much glad to receive your letter because sometimes I was thinking of you. You are a very intelligent boy, so I was impressed by your talking when you were walking with me on the street of Hamburg. You have got a strong tendency to accept the Buddha philosophy, but you should know it also that if you want to accept Buddha philosophy you should act practically for this purpose. Lord Buddha was the embodiment of renunciation. He was in the princely order, grown up very luxuriantly, and he accepted the order of a mendicant, devoting his whole time to meditation. I meet many people who talk of Buddha philosophy, but their practical life is different. Our philosophy is that we must apply in practical life what we believe. In this age no other philosophy or process of self-realization will be practical and effective as Krishna Consciousness is. So I would request you to come and live with our devotees in Hamburg and join the Sankirtana Party, try to understand the philosophy, eat with them, sleep with them, talk with them, and chant Hare Krishna. I am sure you will be happy and will be relieved from the present disturbances of your mind. I would have been glad to ask you to come here, but I do not know whether it is possible for you to come here. But if you live in our temple in Hamburg, I am sure you will be happy. If you have got any drug habit you must give it up. The drug habit is killing the soul of the younger generation in the Western world. So if you live with the devotees, you will get strength to give up this bad habit, and if you live separately you will never be cured of your present diseased mental condition. Hope this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS:db letters | 07:19 | April 18, 1970 Los Angeles My Dear Hamsaduta, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 12th April, 1970, and the information is very encouraging. The more you worship the Deity very nicely, all of you will feel very nice and peaceful spiritually. Therefore this point should be very much carefully attended. Similarly in London Yamuna is also doing nicely, and all the wives of our students should be especially trained up for Deity worship and cooking, and when possible they should go outside on Sankirtana Party with their husbands and others. I am glad that you have advised Berkeley to send me $1,500 which I hope I will receive very soon. It will be a great help. Recently I have paid out of my book fund $11,500 for purchasing the church and $2,500 for printing Krishna Consciousness: the Topmost Yoga book, so $14,000 has been drained out and it must be filled up as soon as possible. The next big payment for KRSNA will be about $20,000. Now we have to make brihat mrdanga propaganda along with Sankirtana Party. Please organize to translate all our literatures into German language through our expert students. As you have got some rudimentary knowledge in German, try to make it more perfect so that you can see how things are going on. Regarding Krishna das's marriage with Heidi, it cannot take place. From hygienic point of view, the boy should be at least five years older than the girl. If the boy is weaker, then then the progeny will be weaker sex or females and the man will get still weaker. So Krishna das may not be married immediately because he is too young and he can wait even up to five years and become a strong brahmacari. But if a suitable girl is there, not more than 15 to 16 years old or utmost 17 years, he can be married to her. I think he should wait for his marriage. In the meantime, find out some other boy for Heidi, she should be married immediately. I am glad that she is a good translator, and let her be blessed by translating our literatures. I have received the letters of Neal, Heidi, and Stephanie, and their beads have arrived today. I have duly chanted their beads and will return them by separate post. At the time of initiation, it is incumbent that the disciple should collect some alms and offer it to the Spiritual Master. Please offer my blessings to Himavati for her nice engagement, and be happy in advancing Krishna Consciousness. Hope this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 07:18 | April 18, 1970 Los Angeles Manager Bank of Baroda India Exchange Branch P.O. No. 313 India Exchange Place Calcutta-1, India Dear Sir: Re: My savings account No. 29/12802 Kindly refer to your letter No. SB/34/1759, dated 14th March, 1970, which I have replied duly dated on the 25th March, 1970. I hope by this time you have received sanction for transferring Rs. 5,000 from my above account to the United Bank of India Ltd., 157/B Dharmatalla Street, Calcutta 13, for credit of savings account of Sri M. M. De. Please therefore transfer the account on receipt of this letter. Thanking you in anticipation. Yours faithfully, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 07:18 | Apr 17, 2006 Friday, April 17, 1970 Los Angeles My Dear Balmukundji, Please accept my greetings. I thank you very much for your letter dated 11th April, 1970. The Secretary of Sri R. D. Birla has replied my first letter, and I have also replied that asking him to supply immediately four pairs of Sri Murtis, but so far I have not received confirmation. But I received no reply from Jaipuraji, so I shall wait a few days more for his reply and then I may remind him. I am very glad that the Kenya Indian friends are sympathetic with our Krishna Consciousness movement, so in future we may be able to take up the charge of the African Temples provided the Hindus or Indians fully cooperate with us. Actually this Krishna Consciousness movement, as you know it very well, is not specifically for any sect. Krishna is not for the Hindus only, He is for everyone, even for the animals. Hindus generally are not so liberal, but Lord Caitanya is very liberal and he embraces anyone from any corner of the world provided he takes to the service of Krishna. This is a great missionary activities, so I am trying to execute this mission to the best of my capacity and if my Indian brothers, at least those who are outside India, will join with me and act according to my direction which is strictly on the Vedic way, then there will be tremendous success of this movement. Your good self are an influential gentleman both in London and Kenya, similarly Sriman Becharbhai G. Patel, and Birlaji etc. are willing to contribute substantially, so why not join together in this Krishna Consciousness movement and construct an unique and imposing KRSNA temple in London, the most important city of the world. If you agree to this proposal, then I am prepared to work personally along with you for this temple construction work. I am very glad to learn that you have begun to teach Sanskrit pronunciation to our students. Please see that they can pronounce very nicely the Sanskrit verses in Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, Isopanisad, and Brahma Samhita, and teach them to chant conjointly as they chant Hare Krishna Mahamantra. In your class, the chanting of Hare Krishna Mantra must be done in the beginning and at the end. That will keep the spirit of the temple. Hope this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 22:18 | April 17, 1970 Los Angeles My Dear Brahmananda, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 14th April, 1970, and I am very much encouraged to learn that things are going on there very nicely specifically in the printing department which is now the most important department in our Society. Regarding George's introduction, it is now definitely decided not to be published. We have already mentioned his contribution in the preface and that is sufficient for the present. Regarding Devahuti, sometime before I had some discussion with her that she will go to India and help in constructing our temple there. So now we are getting our land there and if she is able to help in this connection, then her going to India will be a great service to Krsna. I understand that she has many American lady friends, and if she approaches them, then we can build at Mayapur a place for retired American ladies to live there peacefully in Krishna Consciousness. Yes, if the BTG can be published in the States it will be a great facility because we can print every month. So try to get things done very smoothly by mutual arrangement, and that will give me great satisfaction. In KRSNA chapter #87, on page 4, the last line, it is said, ``known as budbuvasa, which is manifested by Govinda.'' I do not know what is this editing. The correct word is Bhurbhuvasvah as it is in the Gayatri mantra and everybody knows it. This ``budbuvasa'' is an extraordinary word, neither it is Sanskrit nor English, so how it has avoided the vigilance of so many editors? So if none of the editors knew this word, why was it pushed? There should be no such negligences like this, nothing uncertain should be pushed. Now what other discrepancies there may be like this? Or what is the use of such editing? Everything must be done very carefully and attentively. Hope this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami P.S. Tape will follow ACBS:db letters | 22:17 | April 17, 1970 Los Angeles My Dear Sudama, Please accept my blessings. I am very much anxious to hear from you about your activities. I sent you one tape record as desired by you and I hope you must have received it. So you please keep me informed about your activities at least once a fortnight. In the meantime I have received some quotations of Japanese printers, sent by you. One of them is replied as per carbon copy enclosed, and if possible try to see them if they are agreeable. Please enlighten me by return mail how you are making progress in our movement, how the Japanese people are responding. Naturally I am very much anxious to know that. Hope this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS:db letters | 22:16 | April 17, 1970 Los Angeles My Dear Jayapataka, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 10th April, 1970, and I am glad to learn that you have been provided sufficient funds for your travelling. You should take a long visa and Acyutananda will arrange for that, so you write to him and arrange for it and then go. Don't take the short period visa, it is simply botheration. Everything should be done in dollars. Indian rupees the government will not allow to come out of the country. Besides that, you make arrangements that you can remain not for some months, but for some years. We have got a great deal of work there. So first make everything clear by correspondence with Acyutananda, and then start. Looking on women is not an impediment to spiritual progress, but looking on women with a view of sense gratification is detrimental. The actual fact is that attachment for sense gratification is not at all congenial for spiritual progress. In this country intermingling with women is very easy, and sometimes our mind becomes agitated. Therefore we have to take little precaution and the best precaution is to raise oneself in Krsna Consciousness. Lord Caitanya said that His mind becomes agitated even by seeing a wooden model. By seeing women, if one's mind is agitated, that is quite natural. If you take the words of Lord Caitanya that His mind is agitated by seeing a wooden model, then what to speak of us by seeing actual women. The real fact is therefore that we have to check ourself by advancement of Krishna Consciousness. But if it becomes too difficult for us, then one should get himself married and thus check his sex disturbance, and peacefully prosecute Krishna Consciousness. But if one can avoid sex life and the attachment is overturned for Krishna Consciousness, his position is very laudable. So there is no need of becoming hypocritical; better one can get himself married and be peaceful. To make noise in front of the Deity means talking nonsense or indulging in useless topics of conversation. Chanting of Hare Krsna mantra is never prohibited. In the Nectar of Devotion you will find all these prohibitions and try to follow them. Yes, if you live in India it will be better facility that you have some preliminary knowledge of the local language. This was recommended even for big British officers who used to go to India either for business or for political purposes. I was a student in the Scottish Churches College and 90% of our professors were Europeans. All of them learned Bengali just to understand the local language. Although all of them were speaking with us in English, still they could understand Bengali nicely. Acyutananda has already learned Bengali, so I think for preliminary knowledge in Bengali there will be no difficulty for you. Whatever the Spiritual Master gives in His own hand, it should be accepted immediately as His grace. In the beginning in New York I was cooking myself and was distributing at least one or two capatis to all my disciples, at that time not less than a dozen. Gradually, Kirtanananda Maharaja took charge of the cooking and learned the art very nicely from me, and he educated all others how to make our present Prasadam. So in the beginning I was cooking, so there is no objection to take from the Spiritual Master. It is a question of love that sometimes I cook, you eat and sometimes you cook, I eat. Our Krishna Consciousness movement is based on complete fellow feeling and love, but there is a word maryada which means respect which should always be offered to the Spiritual Master and elderly members. Yes, Srivas Acarya is incarnation of Narada Muni and Haridasa Thakura is incarnation of Lord Brahma, therefore sometimes Haridasa Thakura is called Brahma Haridasa. Regarding the Hindu centers in the foreign countries, none of them are bona fide. There is a similar hodge podge center in London. Actually Hindus and non-Hindus everyone is at the present moment out of touch of the real science of spiritual knowledge. Everyone is going under some religious badge only, so it is very difficult to deal with them unless they are very much serious to understand the science of God. Everyone of the Hindu community in the Western world has got some very good feeling for me because superficially they are seeing that I am spreading Hindu religion, but factually this Krishna Consciousness movement is neither Hindu religion nor any other religion. It is the function of the soul. So even though the Indian Hindus are very much inclined in my favor, so far I have experience it is very difficult to turn them into pure devotees. The difficulty has become more acute on account of Ramakrishna Mission's preaching that any opinion about religion is alright. But our philosophy is different, we do not accept any opinion which is not advised by Krishna. So unless one is very fortunate, never mind whether he is Hindu or non-Hindu, one cannot take to the Krishna Consciousness movement and accept its bona fide principles. Regarding the proper dress, Acyutananda has advised Nanda Kumar to embark the plane wearing western clothes but to be sure to disembark wearing a dhoti. Regarding our books, yes, they are being printed in our press and they will come out very shortly. The books are being written specifically for my students and I am so glad to learn that you read them so carefully. The words are ambrosial because they are not my personal words, they are instructions of my predecessors and I am just trying to administer them to my best knowledge. That is the way of Parampara system. We have nothing to manufacture, but simply carry the message as a faithful peon. That will be effective. One should be very sincere to his Spiritual Master and Krsna simultaneously. Then everything comes out successful. That is the verdict of the Vedas and Lord Caitanya. Hope this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS:db letters | 22:14 | Apr 16, 2006 Thursday, April 16, 1970 Los Angeles My Dear Gurudasa, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge reciept of your letter dated 6th April, 1970, and the information therein are all very encouraging. It appears that under your management everything is going on systematically. So by the grace of Krsna both your wife and yourself are endowed with great responsibility. Kindly manage things very intelligently and always feel yourself completely dependent on Krsna's protection. BTG is my life and soul. Please therefore try to distribute BTG as many as it is possible. I started this magazine in 1947 in my householder life. I was spending Rs. 300 to 400 at the time ($300 to 400 in your exchange), and I was distributing this magazine without any consideration how much I was getting in return. Practically the whole money was spent without any return. But ten years after, from 1954 to 1959, the struggle was very hard because at that time I had no money and alone I was editing, publishing, and securing money for publication. So it was a great struggle. My ambition was that I would publish BTG in huge quantity so that people may understand transcendental blessings of Lord Caitanya. Now, since I have come to your country, I have entrusted the matter to my beloved American boys and girls, and I wish to see that this magazine is published and distributed in the American way like ``Readers Digest'', ``Life'' etc., published in millions and distributed all over the world. Actually the position of BTG should be more important than any mundane magazine because it contains the quintessence of human necessities. You can immediately transfer my maintenance fund to Pico-La Cienega Branch (308), Bank of America, 8501 West Pico Boulevard, Los Angeles, California 90035; account No. 3081-61625 (Checking). So far incense business is concerned, you can do very nicely as they are doing it here. Gargamuni will cooperate fully in this connection, and both Jivananda and Mukunda are very intelligent boys. So do it nicely. Regarding Sanskrit class, it is very encouraging that Mr. Parikh is helping you in this connection, but the chief aim for learning Sanskrit would be how to pronounce the Sanskrit verses especially in our published books just like you have already chanted the Govinda verses in the record. Similarly all the verses you have to chant combinedly and melodiously along with musical instruments, and it will be a great charm to the people of the world. When we shall lead our World Sankirtana Party at that time if we can demonstrate the chanting of the mantras as they are stated in Isopanisad, Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, Brahma Samhita, that will be our unique position. Therefore the main aim of this Sanskrit class should be how you can learn this chanting in the proper accent. It is not our aim to become a Sanskrit scholar. Regarding the three couples staying with George, I think if there is no contemplation of starting a new Radha Krsna temple there, simply to take advantage of staying there is no good. Temporarily we may take advantage of it, but as soon as possible the devotees must live together and execute our Krishna Conscious business in right earnest. So I hope you shall altogether consult and do the needful. Not a single moment should be wasted--that is very important thing. We shall not act anything which has no connection directly with Krishna Consciousness business. Regarding Digvijaya and Pritha, if you have decided to get them married as fit match, then I have all my blessings and sanction. When Trivikrama comes to this side, my books which I have left in my room may be sent along with him. Hope this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS:db letters | 22:13 | April 16, 1970 Los Angeles My Dear Yamuna and Gurudasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 11th April, 1970. You were very much anxious to worship Radha Krsna Deity and you took one pair from Mataji. At that time I advised you to wait. Now when the pair of Deities were taken by Mataji again and you were little bit sorry, but Krsna is so kind upon you that He has come to you again in a better position and now you can engage yourself in His service heart and soul. Both mangal aratrik and sundar aratrik can be changed according with sunrise and sunset. We are not concerned with the time, but with the sun's movement. Sundar aratrik may be performed one half to one hour after sunset. So the decoration of the temple room and offering Bhoga to the Deities should be done as nicely as possible as it is within our capacity. This is the sign of love. So I am confident of your love for Krsna and do everything nicely for His pleasure. Whenever it is necessary you are quite at liberty to ask me for direction. These classes of Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam as you are now holding must be continued very rigidly. About holding Sanskrit classes, the special stress should be given to chanting the mantras in our books. I have given specific instructions in this connection to your husband, and if Sanskrit class is to be held, it should be mainly for this purpose. We should simply expend our time for development of Krishna Consciousness. To become a scholar of Sanskrit is not our business. You say that 15 to 40 students are attending. Are they outsiders? My point is anyone who will attend the Sanskrit class must be interested for chanting the mantras (in our books Isopanisad, Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam) and not for any other purpose. And before and after the class there must be Mahamantra chanting. I am arranging how the Gayatri mantra should be given to the advanced students. You can simply let me know how many of our students are fit for this purpose. Unless one is strictly following the first initiation process and following the regulative principles, one should not be recommended for the Gayatri mantra. Yes, I agree with your point, unless we have fixed up our preaching work in London very nicely, we should not attempt for going a long distance outside London. Regarding the prospected opening of a temple in Amsterdam very soon, do it, that is my desire. Also, I have already informed Tamala about these things. It is very encouraging that you are receiving 10 to 30 letters of inquiry and they should be properly replied. Who is doing this work? This is very important business to enlighten so many people when there are so many inquiries. All informative literature should be supplied to them and request them to read our publications especially BTG. One xerox copy of such letter was sent to me by Gurudasa and I have replied the same, the copy of which is sent herewith. I think this copy will help you in answering similar other letters. I have already instructed Gurudasa about the couples staying at George's place. Please see to it. Hope this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS:db letters | 22:12 | April 16, 1970 Los Angeles My Dear Satsvarupa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 14th April, 1970, along with the transcription of tape #30 KRSNA. Thank you very much. Regarding permission to marry Manmohini and Sridama, I have sent you one letter dated 11th April which I hope you have received by now. So in that letter I have already informed you that I have written to Sridama sanctioning his marriage and offering my blessings. I also enclosed one copy of procedure for the marriage ceremony to be performed by yourself in your temple. If you have still not received the letter and copy, ask Subala to send you one by air post. His instructions for performing the ceremony are personally approved by me. Please offer my blessings to Srimati Jadurani and to all the other boys and girls there. Hope this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami P.S. What has happened to the Caitanya Almanac which was to be printed? Brahmananda said it would be a little delayed, but I have not heard anything further is several weeks. Is it still being done? What is the situation? P.P.S. My Dear Pradyumna, Please accept my blessings. I have just received KRSNA tape #30. Why are you still putting in ``sannyasin'' etc? I have written you that the ``n''s should be left off e.g. ``sannyasi,'' that is the first case ending should be used. ACB ACBS:db letters | 22:11 | |
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