a.c. bhaktivedanta swami
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| Prabhupada Letters :: 1969 a.c. bhaktivedanta swami |
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2 March 2005 Sunday, March 2, 1969 Los Angeles, Calif. My Dear Janardana, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter, undated. It is a very long letter and, as you have written it in two months, perhaps I'll also require similar time to reply to this letter. On Monday I am going to Hawaii at least for a month, and there I shall try to read your letter very peacefully, and maybe I'll be able to reply in great detail. In the meantime, I may inform you that your newspaper cutting, "Non-Christian Unity Ruled Out," is not very surprising. Religious bigotry is one of the strong material symptoms, therefore, in the beginning of Srimad-Bhagavatam it is said dharma projhita. This means that the idea of religiosity, economic development, sense-gratification, and endeavors for merging into the impersonal absolute are the different activities for the materialist person. Leaving aside the too grossly materialistic persons, who are without any moral principles or social conventions, if we take the right type of civilized man, then we find that he is engaged in some type of religious principle. It doesn't matter if he is Christian, Moslem or Jew, the symptom of a civilized man is that he must have the recognition of religious principles; that is required for civilized man. But generally men take to religious principles for economic development. Just like in the Christian religiosity the prayers for solving the economic problem or bread problem. Similarly, in the Vedic rituals also different methods of sacrifices are recommended for pleasing the demigods so that they will supply quantity of rain and there will be enough grain for eating. In this way, religious principles are generally practiced by men for some economic development. In this modern age, people being scientifically advanced, they seek economic development without any reference to worship of God or following any religious principle. So such people are gradually forgetting their eternal relationship with God because they think that without God they can inquire sufficient progress in economic development which is required for sense gratification. Some of them, when they are frustrated, try thinking of voidness or merging into the impersonal absolute truth. So voidness or impersonal idea of the absolute truth is just an opposite of material variegatedness. So this idea can also be accepted as the material concept of transcendence. So things are going on like this, not only now, but it is the nature of the material world. Therefore, the Srimad-Bhagavatam has used the suitable word, dharma projhita. That means to kick out the so-called religious principles, economic development, sense gratification, and liberation. According to Bhagavata, these are all cheating processes, because by following such processes, the living entity can never be happy. Such principles in different forms according to different circumstances of candidate, place, and time, they are simply cheating formulas. So our Krishna Consciousness movement does not belong to any such cheating process. They are cheating processes in the sense that the basic principle is for economic development, and if it is simply for solving the problem of bread, it is not true religion as described by Srimad-Bhagavatam. Even if the living entity is born with a silver spoon in his mouth he will not be happy so such plans for economic development are simply cheating processes. Therefore, the great rishis in the forest Naimisaranya inquired of the great sage, Suta Goswami, "How can the living entities actually be happy?" Srimad-Bhagavatam answers this question that the top-most super-excellent religious principle is that which following, the protagonist becomes a devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, without any motive and without being checked by any material impediments. That will make a person completely satisfied, and that is our process. We are educated people how they can develop their dormant love of the Supreme Lord without being impaired by any material condition. We should train our disciples as well as ourselves in such a spirit that even if the whole world is against us, which is impossible to happen, the Sankirtana Movement must be pushed on without any reference to archeological evidence or any such scientific advancement of knowledge. Besides that, the argument that archeological evidence will lead many people to accept the philosophy of Lord Caitanya has no evidence. For example, the Christian religion principle is now established in archeological evidence, but still it is not that the whole people of the world are attracted by Christian religion. Even a great scientist, Professor Albert Einstein, was Jewish by religion, but because the Christian religion gives evidential proof of archeological discovery, still he did not become a Christian. No religion or no principle is accepted by the whole world; that is a fact. I can give you a statement of Albert Einstein in which he says "The most beautiful and most profound emotion we can experience is in the sensation of the mystical. It is a shower of all true science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, he who can no longer stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead. That deeply emotional conviction of the presence of a superior reasoning power which is revealed in the comprehensible universe forms my idea of God." I think that our Hare Krishna Movement is just following the same concept of God by awakening the dormant transcendental emotion of the human being without any consideration of religious faith. In our camp all of my disciples are coming from different faiths, mostly Christians or Jews, and why are they accepting this Sankirtana Movement, unless there is the awakening of mystical emotion described by a great scientist like Albert Einstein. If somebody does not accept Caitanya Mahaprabhu for want of archeological evidence, it will not hamper our movement. There is sufficient archeological evidence in this connection, and it can be supplied from various sources which are in India. There is even archeological evidence of Vyasadeva which was recently propounded by one Dr. Cakravarti. I personally saw this in a monthly magazine of Calcutta of the name Mother in which I was giving my articles. If you like, you can inquire from them or such institutes as Caitanya Research Institute, started by my godbrother, Tirtha Maharaja. That is not a very difficult task. Actually we have nothing to do with compromising with Christians or Buddhists. Our principles should be to preach Krishna Consciousness as it is spoken in the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam. As we are now collecting some fortunate students in our movement, similarly, it will be possible to collect more students in the future. But it is a fact that the unfortunate persons who stick to the four material misbehaviors, just like illicit sex life, etc. cannot accept these principles of Krishna Consciousness. But still there is chance for them simply by giving aural reception to this transcendental sound of Hare Krishna Mantra. If we turn our attention to fit with the Christian people, or any other religious sect, I think it will not be very much fruitful because nobody will change his faith even though he is given scientific or archeological evidences. And that will also not help anybody. We have already discussed this point in many articles and change in religious faith does not make one advanced in spiritual understanding. The spiritual understanding as taught by Lord Caitanya is that all living entities are eternally servants of God. We have to propagate this philosophy, and for this we have to make propaganda. Every religion believes in God, and we want that everyone should actively come to this understanding of accepting one's eternal servitorship to God. There are many things to criticize in the matter of any faith, and if we divert our attention to such activities we shall simply create more opposite elements and waste our time. Better if we try to push on this Krishna Consciousness Movement and use our energy, education, scientific knowledge, etc. to simply convince the present generation that everyone is servant of God. Then our mission will be successful. Actually at the present moment, never mind if one is Christian, Jew, or Moslem, most people are Godless and don't care for God. They simply take an official stand, but actually, from the depth of their heart they have no idea what is God. So we have to invoke the dormant understanding of God-consciousness; that is the principle of Krishna Consciousness Movement. If a Christian believes in God let him love God prominently rather than loving matter. If we wish to criticize Christian faith we can do so, and we can prove that hardly there are any sincere Christians. In the ten commandments we see Lord Jesus Christ advised "Thou shalt not kill," but this killing process is still prominent among Christians as well as any other religious group. So much so that it is simply horrible. Recently, the head of the Christian people, the Pope, declined to sanction the killing process in the embryo, namely contraceptive methods. We can see that so many Christians revolted. Apart from this killing process within the embryo, there is also killing process in the slaughterhouse and in so many ways. I do not know how a Christian can violate this important commandment of the Bible, "Thou shalt not kill." So in this way, if we want to criticize we can, but it will simply increase our enemies. Better let us try to invoke the dormant transcendental emotion by chanting and dancing. You try to understand this philosophy more seriously, and as you are able try to write articles on this subject matter without being inclined to compromise with any other religious faith. I shall write you again from Hawaii. In the meantime you can let me know if you have got the manuscript from Rayarama, and reply to this letter to the Hawaii address: ISKCON, 4 Leilani Building, 1649 Kapialani Boulevard, Honolulu, Hawaii. Enclosed is a page of poems by Bhaktivinode Thakura to be translated into French and printed in your magazine. I hope this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 08:14 | 1 March 2005 Saturday, February 29, 1969 Los Angeles, Calif. My Dear Brahmananda, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated February 26, 1969, and I have carefully noted the contents. Regarding the distribution of Teachings of Lord Caitanya, the principle will be that 60% will go to the book fund, and the rest will go to you as the distributer. So you may offer to the temples whatever is suitable. But you will be the sole distributer and the book fund will get 60%. Regarding the Back To Godhead scheme, the idea is that you pay $750 and receive 5,000 copies. Now you distribute this as you like. If you sell for 50 cents per copy, then it comes to $2,500, but I do not think it will be possible to sell them all at 50 cents retail price. So you appoint stores to sell copies, and you will get 30 cents per copy for these without fail. You are purchasing for 15 cents so even selling wholesale you make profit of 15 cents. If you sell 3,500 copies at wholesale price, then the intake is $1,050. If you are not able to sell all of the copies, then still you should have an income profit of at least $500, selling at wholesale price. If you make more profit you should do so, and I have no objection. But whatever you sell after the 1,500 copies sold retail is profit for your temple. What ever balance has not been sold will be distributed free, and you should apply for concession rates at the Post Office. In Los Angeles, we have already applied, and the postal charge will be about 3 cents or 4 cents per issue. So as far as I am concerned, I shall collect about $3,000 monthly. Out of this, $2,000 is to be paid to Dai Nippon, and I will keep $1000. Out of this amount, the postal charges will take about $300-400, and the balance $600 I shall spend for developing of the press department. So from Back To Godhead I don't want anything for my book fund. I simply want my books to be nicely distributed. As for someone to help you distribute books on the West Coast, I understand that Jayananda has volunteered for this assignment, and you can decide who you will like. So far as the list of distributers you have sent to Purusottama, they have been contacted, and they are waiting to see the first printed copies before any decision is discussed. But Purusottama will travel with me. That is certain. For the time being, I am going to Hawaii, and there is no sufficient place for him there. Therefore I am going alone. If there is a separate apartment available, then I shall call him there also. Otherwise, I shall come back within one month to Los Angeles, and then I shall go to New York, so you can make arrangements accordingly. This is my present program. I hope this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami NB: You may send future mail to Hawaii center. P.S. I shall be glad to hear from you if my idea of distribution is appropriate. I am going to Hawaii on Monday at 10:45 A.M. Kindly send the dry mango as usual to Hawaii temple address. letters | 04:29 | 28 February 2005 Friday, February 28, 1969 Los Angeles, Calif. My Dear Janaki, Please accept my blessings. I thank you very much for your long letter dated February 20, 1969 after a long interval, and I have noted the contents very carefully. You are so anxious to see me in London and I am also very anxious to see you all. I have not received any letter from Yamuna since a long time. I tried to go to London as I was very much anxious to see you all, but your good husband will not allow me to go there unless you are all fully equipped to see me. That is all right, and I am pleased to note that you six boys and girls are doing more than my expectation. Krishna will certainly be pleased to give you more strength to preach this glorious movement of Krishna Consciousness. So please keep yourselves steadily in the manner you are now keeping yourselves. The more you are working sincerely and steadily the more you will get strength from Krishna. Regarding your questions, as Brahma realized that he was the maidservant of Krishna, similarly, everyone of us has to realize that Krishna is the only single purusa. Purusa synonymously means male, but actually, in the spiritual dictionary, male means "enjoyer" and female means "enjoyed." So in this sense, Krishna is the only male and all others being energies of Krishna, they are prakrti, or female. Please do not try to understand this male and female in the material sense. In other words, our perfection of life will be actually realizing that we are all females. In the material world we have got simply different dresses. Here in the material world, everyone is in the temperament of male, even the so-called females are also in the temperament. This is very prominent in the Western part of the world, and you know it very well how the females here think on the level of equality with males. This aptitude is material. Regarding your other questions, yes, the desire tree can also supply dresses for Lord Jagannatha. Certainly my Spiritual Master watches me. So far as your question about the disciplic succession, in all Vedic literatures it is mentioned about the disciplic succession. You have read in Srimad-Bhagavatam, first canto, first chapter where it is said that Brahma was inspired from within the heart by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Similarly, in the Katha Upanisad it is said that "in order to learn the transcendental science, one has to approach the Spiritual Master." This spiritual master means one who has heard correctly from his Spiritual Master. In this way, ultimately it goes to Krishna, the Supreme Spiritual Master. There is no possibility of understanding the Vedic knowledge without this descending process. The modern world is puffed up with personal research knowledge, but the person who is engaging in this research work does not know that he is imperfect on account of his aptitude for becoming illusioned, for committing mistakes, for his cheating propensity and for his possessing imperfect senses. Therefore there is no possibility of receiving perfect knowledge without approaching a self-realized Spiritual Master coming down in disciplic succession. The mental speculator, no matter how advanced he may be, cannot deliver us the right knowledge. I thank you very much for your good wishes for our opening 108 centers. Krishna will bless you and please try to help me. In England we will have to start at least 10 centers, and I understand from the activities of Mr. Parikh that it will not be a very difficult task. Please convey my blessings to the others. I hope this will meet you in good health and cheerful mood. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 06:01 | February 28, 1969 Los Angeles, Calif. My Dear Mukunda, Please accept my blessings. I thank you very much for your letter dated February 23, 1969, and I have noted the contents with much pleasure. I am enclosing herewith the copy of Easy Journey To Other Planets*. Also enclosed is some pages of Isopanisad, so you can show them to Mr. Maschler and complete the business for their publication. I was so glad to learn from your letter that you will be able to sell Back To Godhead to the extent of 5,000 copies at least, and please arrange for this. About Sankirtana movement, in New York, Brahmananda has also begun Sankirtana in different colleges, and I quote herewith a few lines from his letter; "You will be pleased to know that we had a very successful kirtana engagement at two colleges in Pennsylvania, Dickenson College and Franklin and Marshall. At Dickinson the students were so enthusiastic that practically all of them (50 at least) were all dancing, what to speak of everyone singing and clapping. Even the professor, a dried stick scholar, danced in ecstasy." So in the future we will stick to the principle of Sankirtana movement and distributing our Back To Godhead specifically and the other literature generally. I am pleased to note that you are printing up 10,000 copies of the Prospectus of our society. Also your proposal of getting 1,000 subscribers to Back To Godhead from London alone is very encouraging and please do it. You should send your activities report every month in short for publication in Back To Godhead. Please convey my thanks to Mr. Parikh because he has taken our movement very sincerely, and Krishna will be very much pleased upon him. Actually it is the duty of all retired men and women to devote themselves in the service of Krishna. That is the basic principle of Vedic civilization. Thanking you once more. I hope this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami NB; As I am going to Hawaii for the month of March, you may address my mail to Iskcon, 4 Leilani Building, 1649 Kapialani Blvd., Honolulu, Hawaii. *sent by separate post letters | 03:58 | 27 February 2005 Thursday, February 27, 1969 Los Angeles, Calif. My Dear Uddhava, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated February 25, 1969, and I thank you so much for it. Regarding the pictures in Back To Godhead which you are learning to photograph, they will be of all kinds. When possible we will have nice paintings published, and other times there will be photographs of our devotees and their activities. Krishna will surely give you all facilities and encouragement if you work for Him very sincerely because everything belongs to Krishna. It does not take Him even a second to offer anything we desire provided such thing is engaged in the service of the Lord. So you simply desire to serve Krishna best and there will be no scarcity of anything. Know it certain from me. I think that you may inform Nara Narayana that he can go immediately to New Vrindaban for construction work if he has no business in New York. I can see from your photographs that you are preparing such big Iskcon Bullets. It is very attractive, and unfortunately I cannot share them with you. But I am very satisfied that you are enjoying such thing as the prasadam of Jagannatha Swami. I thank you very much for your simple philosophy of following the instructions of your Spiritual Master. That is the sublime philosophy of Krishna Consciousness understanding; implicit faith in Krishna and Spiritual Master. This will make your steady progress towards the Ultimate Goal of back to Home, back to Godhead. Thanking you again for your nice letter. I hope this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 04:18 | February 27, 1969 Los Angeles, Calif. Dear Brahmananda, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated February 25, 1969, and I thank you very much for it. You have written to say that you are my disobedient son, but I think I am your disturbing father. I am putting more and more burden upon you but you are so tolerant that you have no hesitation to accept my demands even although sometimes they are unreasonable. So practically you are acting as my father. In my childhood I was very naughty boy, and I used to catch my father in so many ways demanding unreasonable things, and my father used to satisfy me. So although I lost my father in 1930, about 40 years ago, by Krishna's Grace I have got so many American young fathers. But the same nature continues, and I am demanding from my fathers the same thing which may be a little burdensome. But I am sure Krishna will be very much pleased if you will kindly tolerate some unreasonable demands from me. I thank you very much for your giving me your pledge that you will give me $750 per month for 5,000 copies of Back To Godhead. Similar assurance I have got from the other centers. So by calculation I shall be able to collect $3,000 per month of which $2,000 or less, as you may arrange, will be paid for the price of printing, and the balance will be spent for free distribution of copies to institutions, schools, colleges, universities, libraries, and respectable individual persons. I understand that for posting magazines in large scale the rate is 3 cents or 4 cents, so I have advised Subala to take definite information in this connection for posting Back To Godhead in large scale. I quite agree with your proposal that for small centers like Montreal, Buffalo, etc. as stated by you the New York center will be the distributer; this is nice. Regarding your kirtana success in Pennsylvania at Dickenson College and Franklin and Marshall, it is so much pleasing to me. This is the way of our preaching work. Please try to infuse this Krishna Consciousness idea amongst the student community and it will be a great success. On the whole, we shall now make it a point to spread this Sankirtana movement and distribute our publications. I am anxious to know if you have received the newly dispatched kholes from India because it was due to arrive before February 4th. Is this dock strike still going on? In London there is a good demand for Back To Godhead, and if the dock strike is still going on, you can send them by air cargo shipment. Similarly, Gaurasundara and Krishna das are also in need of books. Kindly see that the supplies are made regularly. When you send news of successful kirtana performances as I received it from London also, and so also I experience personally in Los Angeles, I am overwhelmed with spiritual joy. We don't mind for selling our literature in small quantity, but there must be some sale. Regarding our record, it was manufactured by Mr. Kallman, and he has not paid me a single farthing as royalties. He has cheated me in so many ways, so if there is no legal impediment we must immediately reprint the record through Dinesh. I have already advised him in this connection. Regarding your endeavor to arrange my teaching in colleges, it is very, very welcome. I was just seeking this opportunity to teaching boys and girls in the schools, colleges and universities. So if such opportunities are available you must capture them without any fail. I have already sent you one check being the value of the books as well as the money I have received from Boston and Buffalo, namely $69 and $25. So if it is not the price of the books then you can take it out and deposit it in my account in the First National City Bank. Regarding my apartment, if you are feeling botheration then you can vacate. Do not take unnecessary botherations. Try to become free from all this material anxiety. Of course, sometimes we have to accept anxiety for Krishna, but we should do everything comfortably. So you will kindly send me at least two letters in a week because I am always anxious to hear from you. May Krishna's blessings be bestowed upon you for your long life and service. Thanking you once more. I hope this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 04:13 | |
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