a.c. bhaktivedanta swami
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| Prabhupada Letters :: 1970 a.c. bhaktivedanta swami |
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May 20, 2006 Wednesday, 20 May, 1970 Los Angeles My Dear Tejas Das, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 13rd May, along with your set of beads for chanting and request to become my initiated disciple. So I am very glad to accept you as my initiated student, and your spiritual name is Tejas Das Brahmacari. Tejas means powerful. In the Srimad Bhagavatam, Pariksit Mahara pointed out to Sukadeva Goswami that Lord Krsna is Tejas or the Incomparable Supreme Powerful, Personality of Godhead. I am returning your beads enclosed herewith, duly chanted upon by me. Please follow the rules and regulations for advancing in Krsna Consciousness beginning with strict observance of the four restrictions, and chant daily the prescribed number of sixteen rounds on the beads, and you will grow strong in spiritual strength. Study our literatures with the cooperation of your God-brothers and sisters in Buffalo, and any questions you may have may be submitted to Srimad Rupanuga for answering. So in this way always find some engagement in Krsna's service and you will be supremely happy and successful in your life. Always follow the prescribed program of Krsna Consciousness as it has already been established by the Spiritual Master, and thus executing your prescribed duties in the loving service of the Lord He will reveal himself to you in proportion to your sincere efforts to satisfy Him only. So now you are Krsna's servant, and if you give your life completely over to Him, He (Tejas) the All-powerful Lord will protect you from all dangers in all circumstances. Please always chant Hare Krsna Mantra without offense and be happy. Now please take the good opportunity to learn how to practically prosecute Krsna Consciousness Movement so that you may help start new centers for expanding our program to every nook and corner, village and city. This is our business, to carry the message of Lord Caitanya to every person for his ultimate welfare. Help Rupanuga in the Buffalo Temple or otherwise as he may advise you to do, that is the best program for now--to become very well trained up in Krsna Consciousness--and then you can preach. I am enclosing herewith a sheet listing the standard practices for devotees and the qualifications of a devotee for your reference. Hope this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS:db Labels: Buffalo, initiation letters | 12:24 |May 19, 2006 Tuesday, May 19, 1970 Los Angeles My Dear Dinesh, Please accept my blessings. I understand from Devananda that you are in immediate need of the Sony machine, therefore I am sending it through Satsvarupa. You can take it from him, and when you have finished your business or you have got a similar or better machine, you can return it to me. I wanted to keep this machine only for the reason that the mechanical arrangement is easier. The other machine which you have supplied is undoubtedly of superior quality as I see that a few tapes recorded on this machine have come out very nice, but there are several practical defects also. Sometimes the tapes become twisted. Anyway, it is working and Devananda is handling it. If it goes on like this I may not require the Sony machine. So Satsvarupa is returning to Boston today (Tuesday), and you can get the machine from him as soon as you go there. I understand that you are also expected there within a few days. Hope this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS:db letters | 12:24 | May 17, 2006 Sunday, May 17, 1970 Los Angeles My Dear Yamuna, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your very nice letter dated 8th May, 1970, and noted the contents with interest. Thank you for your determination. For the way in which I am trying to expand I require so many sincere assistants. So the program which you have listed for the students and your daily schedule are very nice, and your schedule is fully approved. Just see that everything--Aratrik, Bhoga offering, etc. is done strictly on time. When every moment one is engaged it is called avyarta kalatvam which means not to spoil even a single moment of life without Krsna Consciousness. I am so glad to learn that you are regularly observing the listed holidays in our Caitanya almanac. The roaring kirtana, offering feast to the Deities with special preparations is our simple mode of celebration, and there is no special other program, this is standard, and that is our festival. It is good news that Sriman Tirthapada has also engaged one carpenter to help rebuilding our London Temple house. As he is giving service, gradually he will come to Krsna Consciousness. His giving service is his qualification. As we accept valuable metal like gold from a filthy place, similarly we should allow any Karmi to work for Krsna. Regarding Rathayatra, Jagannatha starts on the second day of the moon, and on the fifth day there is no meeting, but there is some controversy with Laksmi's servants and Jagannatha's servants--that is Herapancami. Jagannatha returns back on the tenth day of the moon. Thank you very much for the silver for sweetmeat preparations and also the milk massala of ginger base; I have kept it for future use as you have suggested. Yes the Brhat Saman is meant for the demigods--devotees are demigods--but people are not so advanced that they can sing Brhat Saman so nicely in this age, therefore Hare Krsna Mantra is recommended to be chanted without diversion. You have already mentioned yajnanam Japaya jna'smi on the head of your letter, that the Hare Krsna Mantra is the best yajna sacrifice. Hope this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 12:23 | May 16, 2006 Saturday, May 16, 1970 Los Angeles My Dear Sivananda, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 11th May, 1970, and noted the contents. Thank you very much for your contribution from yourself and your wife of $8, I have placed it in book fund account. Regarding your question how to engage yourself, you may travel from University to University and preach as you suggest, or you may go and work. For local work or engagement you consult with Hamsaduta and Tamala as they are in charge of the Hamburg management. After all we have to fix up our Hamburg Temple still more. Regarding your staying back during Rathayatra, I think that is just a nice arrangement because someone must remain with the Temple during the absence of the others. Also since you are having some trouble with the immigration because of draft, and you already got a nice German wife, the best thing will be to make your headquarters there in Germany. So in this way manage things nicely in consultation with Hamsaduta, and Krsna will provide you with ample opportunities according to your sincerity to spread His Movement. Just try to make our Krsna Consciousness Movement strong in Germany and you will also automatically become strong in such devotional service or Krsna Consciousness. Please offer my blessings to your good wife. Hope this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami P.S. So far your taking German citizenship, as I have hinted above, it is a good idea, so you try for it. ACBS:db letters | 09:02 | May 16, 1970 Los Angeles My Dear Gurudasa, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letters dated May 8th and 14th, 1970, respectively. Previous to this I received one letter from Yamuna dated 8th May, 1970. I am very glad that Trivikrama is helping you there, and he may stay as long as he likes. Rather I would like him to stay there to assist you. So regarding my books, you may keep them packed, and when he comes back he can bring them, or if I require them urgently I will write you, for the present there is no haste. It is very good news that you have now received permission for the Rathayatra festival and Murari and Syamasundara. are constructing the Ratha. But I do not know if you are preparing three Rathas. In San Francisco they are preparing three Rathas this year. If Mr. Dindayal is impressed, and he wants to start a nice Temple of Radha-Krsna in the British Guinea, certainly we will be very much pleased, but the Temple should be on the principle of our London Temple which is not for any particular sect of persons but for all human beings. Anyone who takes to Krsna Consciousness is welcome--that is our mission. Regarding the proposed trip to Kenya, the next step I have already advised to Tamala in this connection. I understand he is coming to London very soon, and you can discuss with him. But one thing is that Mr. Parikh was talking of this Sankirtana Party to Africa since a very long time. There is no direct correspondence with us. It is difficult to say how it will be a fact in future. Regarding requirements and recommendations in the Vedic system of selecting partners for marriage, there is a Vedic system, but that cannot be done here. It should be made under the guidance of the guardians and the selection should be made on the basis of astrological equilibrium. So it is not possible to introduce such system in the present age. The only selection is that both the boy and the girl should be Krsna conscious, and the boy may be older than the girl at least by 2 to 5 years. Your first question about the jiva's form with particular reference to Bhagavad-gita 8/18 purport "during the nighttime they have no form." "During the nightime they have no form" means there is no material form. The simple understanding is as we are transmigrating from one material form to another, so actually in this material world we have no fixed form. Similarly when we are spiritually perfect we develop the spiritual form to live eternally in the spiritual world. In the spiritual world there are exactly the same things as we see here; namely the land, water, trees, birds, beasts, human beings, etc., and all of them are spiritual as all the varieties here are material. So these things can be understood when one is advanced in self-realization. The real form of the living entity is eternal servant of Krsna. Now this spiritual form is developed when he enters into the spiritual world. Regarding your second question, "Where in our scriptures is there mention of Lord Jesus Christ as recognized and what is the purport?" We do not find in the scriptures Lord Jesus Christ's name. There is mention of Lord Buddha's name which is described in our Srimad-Bhagavatam. So far we are concerned, we have all our obeisances for Lord Jesus Christ because His whole life was devoted to the service of the Lord. With reference to your letter dated 14th May, I am surprised how you allowed Mr. Parikh to sit on the Vyasasana. You know that Vyasasana is meant for the representative of Vyasadeva, the Spiritual Master, but Mr. Parikh does not come in the Parampara to become the representative of Vyasa, neither he has any sound knowledge of Vaisnava principles. I understand from your letter that sometimes discussions on Aurobindo philosophy are done by Mr. Parikh from the Vyasasana, so I am a little surprised how did you allow like this. I think you should rectify immediately all these mistakes as stated by you in the last two lines of your letter, "I think the best thing to do is stop his class. Nonsense ought not to be tolerated." Hope this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS:db letters | 09:01 | May 16, 1970 Los Angeles My Dear Bhagavan das, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your contribution of $200, sent through Gargamuni. Thank you very much. I hope everything is going well with you in Detroit Temple. Perhaps by now you have received my invitation to you to visit our L.A. Temple at your convenience. Please offer my blessings to your good wife, Krsna Bhamani Dasi, and your son, Vaisnava das. I hope this will meet you all in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS:db letters | 09:01 | May 15, 2006 May 15, 1970 Los Angeles My Dear Tamala, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 11th May, 1970, and noted the contents. When you go to London making plans for World Sankirtana, you may take into consideration of the proposal made by Mr. Parikh. He said that from Kenya there is invitation for our group to perform Kirtana there. So if we go, a group of at least 25 heads, they have already agreed to pay for return journey and accommodation there. So on your way to India you can perform Kirtana in some important cities of Europe, and then go to Africa, Kenya. From Kenya you may go to South Africa. In this way you collect funds there from Indians and proceed to Bombay. In Bombay some of my friends will receive you very nicely, and from Bombay you gradually travel all over through other provinces namely Gujarat, Rajasthan, Central India, Northern India, then Behar, and then reach to Bengal. In Bengal we then start our own Temple at Mayapur, and some of the devotees may live there in batches. Some batches go, some batches come. I am so pleased to learn that there are so many interested French persons joining our Movement in Paris. Regarding the two new couples who are serious to learn this Krsna consciousness, please take care of them nicely, and make them devotees. Please see that the French and German editions of BTG are published as soon as possible, that is one of my dreams. And then we take the books and publish them in French and German languages. My Guru Maharaja liked the publicaton of books very nice. He liked publication of books more than construction of Temples. Regarding Umapati and his wife moving very soon to Hamburg for composing on the new composing machine, that is very nice, the arrangement is good. Let them work hard for translating and composing, and his wife may also be engaged in this work. Regarding your question about Lord Jagannatha and Lord Krsna, Jagannatha is Krsna. Krsna's childhood up to His 15th year He lives in Vrndavana. Radharani is His childhood friend. But Krsna, after returning to His father's home at Dvaraka, came to see Kuruksetra during some solar eclipse. At that time His sister Subhadra and brother Balarama also came in a chariot, and this incident is worshipped as Jagannatha Rathayatra. The conclusion is that Jagannatha and Krsna is the same. So Krsna when He is with His brother and sister, He is Jagannatha, and when He is with His village girl-friends that is Radha-Krsna with Gopis. So Whomever you worship, it is the same, but if you like to worship Jagannanth you can continue it and it is as good as worshipping Radha-Krsna. Krsna has so many forms, and which ever form you worship it is all the same, but you should worship that form which you like most. Regarding the means of worship, our Vaisnava process is first offer respects to the Spiritual Master, then Lord Caitanya, and then Lord Krsna. Vyasa is the Spiritual Master, therefore the Spiritual Master is the representative of Vyasa. Therefore the Spiritual Master's seat is called Vyasasana. Please offer my blessings to your good wife, Madri Dasi, and to all the other Prabhus there in Paris. Hope this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 09:00 | May 14, 2006 May 14, 1970 Los Angeles c/o George Harrison Oxfordshire, England My Dear Syamasundara, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 7th May, 1970, written on Hare Krishna stationery of George Harrison. My hearty thanks are to George Harrison because now he is chanting Hare Krsna so enthusiastically. May Krsna bless him more and more, and he may advance in Krsna consciousness. So as suggested by you I am deleting the words "of the famous Beatles" and simply putting his name and his present transcendental change by chanting Hare Krsna. In the Preface the one paragraph is being replaced by the following words, suggested by him. "If there is a God, I want to see Him. It's pointless to believe in something without proof, and Krishna Consciousness and meditation are methods where one can actually obtain `God perception.' You can actually see God, and hear Him, play with Him. And He is actually there, actually with you." Regarding your invitation to visit you in England, in this connection you can read my circular letter recently sent to all the Presidents. But when there is absolute necessity, there will be no difficulty. It is very encouraging to hear that you have converted the very nice chapel to a splendid Temple and you have arranged to hold public kirtana one night a week in Henley. Please continue to expand these developments because the outlook is very bright. Yes, the village folk are not so much contaminated. The great English poet, Mr. Cowper, said, "Town is made by man, and village is made by God." So if from your center the surrounding villages are drawn to the attention of Krsna consciousness simply by the distribution of Prasadam and chanting of Hare Krsna Mantra, it will be a great success. It is not necessary always to be officially initiated, but if they participate in the group chanting of Hare Krsna Mantra and taking of Prasadam weekly or daily as it is possible, that will fulfill our mission. Thank you very much for sending me the two Apple posters for GOVINDA, it is a very good advertisement and I have suggested that it may be shown in the temple bookstore here. I have noted the french newsclippings also and they are very much encouraging, so I am satisfied that everything is going on well there. Regarding your question about the term "unmanifest" in the Bhagavad-gita 8/21, there are two words in Sanskrit--aprakata which means unmanifest or nonmanifest and prakata which means manifest. Krsna's Lila in Vrndavana is prakata or manifest Lila, and the same is going on eternally in the spiritual realm which is known as aprakata or nonmanifest. Actually Krsna's planet and Krsna's pastimes are going on eternally, and the same is manifested before the conditioned souls at certain intervals, that is to say once in one day of Brahma, exactly as the sun is visible for 12 hours once in a 24 hour cycle of day and night. When the sun is visible it is called prakata, and when the sun is not visible that is called aprakata or unmanifested. Nonmanifested therefore does not mean there is no existence, but the terms are used in relation to the visibility or nonvisibility to the limited conditioned souls. Krsna by His causeless mercy manifests Himself along with His form, name, qualities, entourage, and pastimes in order to attract the conditioned souls to the eternal blissful life of knowledge. Thus by understanding Krsna in His manifest Lila one is attracted to His eternal Lila, and that is the highest success of life which is explained in the latter part of the verse, yam prapya na nivartante tat dhama paramam mama "Going, no one ever returns from that, My Supreme Abode." Please offer my blessings to Sriman George and all the other Prabhus there. I am marking that George has the serving spirit, and that is making him advance gradually. Hope this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS:db letters | 08:59 | |
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