a.c. bhaktivedanta swami
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| Prabhupada Letters :: 1969 a.c. bhaktivedanta swami |
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11 March 2005 Tuesday, March 11, 1969 Oahu, Hawaii My Dear Upendra, Please accept my blessings. I thank you very much for your letter of March 5, 1969, and I have noted the contents carefully. Yes, a new man may commit blunders in the beginning, but that does not mean we may be too impatient with him. After all, training means the man does not know, so you should train him nicely. A Vaisnava is expected to be humbler than the blade of grass, so when you train some new man you should not get agitated with him. After all, we are preachers, and we do not expect our audience or candidates completely respondent to our call. If everyone is trained then what is the use of our preaching. I receive daily so many odd letters, still we have to reply them properly. So you are in charge of the Seattle branch. You should try to develop and manage this temple as your life interest. Don't be flickering, thinking of going here and there. Whatever charge given from Krishna through the medium of Spiritual Master you should be carrying out very faithfully. I have come to your country in this old age with this interest. We should not mind where we are kept or where we have to discharge our duties. But we should accept and do them nicely. I wish that the Seattle temple be maintained as the most important thing, and there is no second man besides you to take charge of it. Actually the center was opened by you and Gargamuni. Gargamuni is now engaged in different work, so you do not divert your attention. Please try to occupy the church contemplated and try to improve it like L.A. temple. If you try your best Krishna will give you all facilities. I am glad to hear you are going to teach the university course. This is very good, do not worry about the watchdog Mr. Miller, this trouble will continue always but still we have to do our duties. One thing, Mr. Miller takes objection to Hinduism. He is Christian and he thinks that we are preaching Hinduism. You should clear up this thing that we do not preach any particular "ism." We are simply teaching how to develop our dormant love of Godhead. So what religion is there that does not approve love of Godhead? One may say that all improve our love of Godhead according to our own way, but from practical point of view, in no religious principle the love of Godhead is seen to be enhanced. They make God as order-supplier for their material needs. Or some of them are taught to love God because He is considered to be order-supplier. But our principle is not to make God our order-supplier--we want to execute the order of God. [TEXT MISSING] letters | 07:48 | March 11, 1969 Oahu, Hawaii My Dear Hamsaduta, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter of Feb. 28, 1969, and I am very much surprised that other nonsense magazines are being published by Dayala Nitai, and Janardana says it is in my knowledge! I am very much surprised to hear this. Enclosed I am forwarding one letter to Dayala Nitai, and how it is that without your knowledge these things are being done? Certainly it must be disturbing to you--it is disturbing to me also! Please do work on the French BTG, and you must immediately ask Dayala Nitai to stop that printing business. I was doubtful about him because he was still inclined to that yoga process, and my doubts are now coming to be true. He does not understand our philosophy very nicely. I have come here last Monday, the 3rd March. The place is very nice, with both sunshine and seaview and fresh air. But the boy Karatieya has fallen sick and it is apprehended that he is developing appendicitis trouble. I shall soon return to the mainland and I plan to go to New York the first week of April. Please inform me further of this printing situation on receipt of this letter, and what is being done to remedy the situation. Hope you are well. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 06:45 | March 11, 1969 Oahu, Hawaii My Dear Jayapataka, Please accept my blessings. I am very glad to receive your letter dated February 28, and noted the contents with great pleasure. The transcendental experience which you had during kirtana performance at the Loyala University is very nice. Relishing the transcendental sweetness of Krishna Kirtana is only possible when one is actually advanced, towards perfection. Srila Rupa Goswami used to say, wishing if he had possessed millions of ears, and billions of tongues then he could chant the Hare Krishna mantra a little bit relishably. In the conditioned stage, we chant Hare Krishna mantra officially without any attachment and try to finish the rounds as soon as possible. Sometimes we also forget to chant the prescribed number of rounds. But Haridasa Thakura even at the last stage of his life, he was chanting 300,000 beads although Lord Caitanya personally asked him to not labor so hard. But Haridasa Thakura said that he would continue the practice till the end of his life. So that is the position of transcendental taste. Please therefore chant very sincerely with your present aptitude of mind and Krishna will bless you more and more in understanding this secret of transcendental vibration. Of course, sometimes the public may misunderstand such tears of bliss, so we may better have to check it from the vision of ordinary persons. So far the strange colors, etc., better when you see all these things that you chant and hear; that will help you to understand what they are. (Also, it may be some effects of your past drugs habit.) So far as painting on the body the Names of the Lord, this is all right. But there is no need of doing that in this country. Simply hearing is sufficient. Please ask Janardana what is the difficulty in editing BTG in French language. Of course, I received his letters that he was so much busy in so many ways, but still, this is also one of his responsibilities. In the absence of BTG printing, the machine is being used for some other purposes. Of course, when I was in Montreal, I think I gave permission to print some outside work, to get some money, but that does not mean that we should stop our own work, and print something in our press which is against our principles. Please try to convey this news to both Janardana and Dayala Nitai and they may please give attention. [PAGE MISSING] letters | 04:41 | 10 March 2005 Monday, March 10, 1969 Oahu, Hawaii My Dear Madhusudana, Please accept my blessings. I thank you very much for your letter of March 5th, and you can take it from me that I give you clear sanction to get yourself married to Kancanbala dasi, at the earliest possible date. From her side, her mother has agreed, and from your side, I have agreed. So Kancanbala is an ideal girl, Krishna Conscious, and I want that some ideal families of Krishna Consciousness should be established in your country, so that people can see that our movement is not one sided or dry. So we do not want dry renouncers. Krishna Himself married so many wives as a Ksatriya. Caitanya Mahaprabhu although He was to take Sannyas at the age of 24 years, still He married twice within 20 years. Lord Nityananda Prabhu also married. Advaita Prabhu and Srivas Prabhu, they were also householders. So to become married is no impediment for advancement in Krishna Consciousness. One should be vigilant only that he is not diverting from Krishna Consciousness. One has to follow the footprints of the great Acaryas then everything is all right. I was also a married man--my family is still existing. So you should always remember that marriage is not impediment. The greatest enemy is forgetfulness of Krishna. There are many Impersonalists and voidists--they renounced this material world very early in their life; just like Sankara Acarya. He took sannyasa at the age of 8 years. Lord Buddha left home just in the beginning of his youth. But we are not concerned with them. So I hope by this time, by serving this Krishna Consciousness movement for the last two years you must have gotten some taste of the nectarine. Now you must be fixed up and execute your specified duty as ordered by me, and then I am sure there will be no difficulty. But you should always remember that wife is not a machine for sense gratification. Wife is your half body for nourishing your Krishna Consciousness status. So your are getting a wife who is already trained up in Krishna Consciousness and if you live carefully and faithfully there will be no difficulty. That is the verdict of all Acaryas. I think this will simplify your agitated mind. Hope you are well, and also Kancanbala, and happily executing Krishna Consciousness. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 01:17 | March 10, 1969 Oahu, Hawaii My Dear Brahmananda, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter of March 5, 1969, and I have noted the contents carefully. The letter heading is very nicely set up but the color black is not so attractive. It should have been two colors as you suggested, namely violet and black. I am pleased that you are going to have two color set up next printing. I thank you very much for your nice sentiments so expressed in this letter; that I am not unreasonable--rather you have taken the responsibility on your part. Actually we are all conditioned souls so our demand from Krishna to accept us is unreasonable. From my personal point of view, I think that I am so sinful that I cannot even approach Krishna to show me any favor. But I have only one hope--my Spiritual Master--He is very kind. So someway or other He is dragging me towards Krishna. That is the only hope. Sri Caitanya Caritamrta says therefore: Guru Krishna. By the mercy of the Spiritual Master, and by the mercy of Krishna, one gets into Krishna Consciousness. Narada Muni is our original Spiritual Master and he has dragged so many fallen souls towards Krishna, and we are also hoping to be dragged by Him through the disciplic succession. Otherwise, if we study our own qualifications, there is none--rather I have got so many disqualifications. Regarding United Shipping Corporation, I think our former accounts for $250 due from them is by this time squared up by supply of goods, etc. I have separately ordered one small consignment for Los Angeles, and let me see how they supply. Next order will follow from Hawaii. The shipping arrangement to the Western coast should be more carefully done. Regarding Teachings of Lord Caitanya distribution, it is a fact that you are the sole distributer. But now that you have already instructed Dai Nippon to dispatch two separate consignments, I think that if you now change the decision, it will again be perturbing for them and things may be delayed. Better not to give them any adverse instruction at this late hour. But you can send your bill to Purusottama in Los Angeles for the L.A. consignment. The bill should be paid to you . That will save you botheration from distributing again from New York. In other words, as soon as the bill is submitted by you, it means that it has been dispatched from your stock. Regarding distribution of Back To Godhead in India by the Universal Book Distributers: I have read the letter sent by them and I do not think it is very practical. I am returning herewith the letter as desired by you for keeping in your file, and you can reply them on the following points: 1. That you submit us every month a list of 1000 libraries. We shall dispatch free copies from here directly, and we shall print your name as the sole distributer in India, provided: 2. When you receive orders or inquiries from such parties, you immediately order from us at least 500 copies lot and we shall deliver you C.I.F. less 40% on the face value. The present face value is $.50 per copy. Payment: cash on delivery. On receipt of your confirmation, we shall send you the appointment letter and the business will begin. 3. You shall send us regularly 1000 new addresses every month, and we shall post copies to them from this end. In this way, you can write to them. Another thing, the Library of Congress has got one agency in India, and they have recognized my Srimad-Bhagavatam, you know it. And they have open order for 18 copies of each volume as soon as published. Why not bring this fact to the Librarian of Congress, and introduce my other books, including Bhagavad-gita, TLC, etc.? And there are so many public libraries, and university libraries also, who may receive them. So, business has to be organized and I hope you will do the needful. Regarding Back To Godhead circulation: I shall be glad to know what is the decision of the National Distributer. Whether you have received any reply from the Japanese printer about BTG. I wish to go to New York by the first week of April, because after finishing in N.Y., I shall have to go to Boston. And when I come back from Boston by the middle of May, then we go to New Vrindaban, and if possible we make arrangements for starting the press. In the meantime, the press men, and managers and every one should be ready. If the press can manage to print 20 to 25,000 of BTG, and 5000 copies each of my books, I think that will be sufficient engagement for the newly started press. Please convey my blessings to everyone there, and I hope you are all well and happy. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami P.S. I may go to San Francisco from Hawaii and from there I shall go to New York, otherwise, you will have to arrange for my ticket from Hawaii to N.Y., a very long distance. I have received one enquiry from __ __ ___ letter and copy of my reply and endorsed herewith. Please do the needful. ACB I have received the Mango pulp dry for which thank you. Please send it at regular interval because I eat it daily with my lunch. letters | 01:10 | March 10, 1969 Oahu, Hawaii My Dear Purusottam, Please accept my blessings. I hope you have already received the the tape No. 36, Today I am sending the tape No. 37. You need not send me the typed copies. You can keep them with you. Dindayal wants me in San Francisco for a few days. So I have agreed. You can talk with him by phone & ask him to send me the passage money. As soon as I get it I shall start for San Francisco because here there is no serious engagements. Of course the climate is nice & I am keeping nice here. Karatieya is ill for indigestion. Hope you are well. Please offer my blessings to all there. The condition of the centre is not very satisfactory. So I am trying to rectify it. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta P.S. Please send me a few copies of the photostat "Krishna Chant Startles London". letters | 01:00 | 9 March 2005 Sunday, March 9, 1969 Oahu, Hawaii My Dear Sivananda, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your three letters post dated March 5, 1969, and I thank you very much for them. I have noted your points, and one thing is that the instruction given by one gentleman Mr. Somanatha to go to India as agriculturalists is absurd. Don't be carried away by all this nonsense advice. So far Indian authority is concerned for preaching work, I am prepared to go to your center for preaching at any time you call me. Your statement that you will try to organize the Hamburg center very nicely and have a smooth running energetic temple when I go there is also very encouraging. Please stick to this principle without any diversion. Take it from me that I am always praying to Lord Krishna for your success in Krishna Consciousness movement. You're very sincere devotee and if you simply stick to the principles, success is sure for your life. Krishna's Mercy is always bestowed upon one who is sincerely serving Him. You should not give attention to any outsider's advice because they are completely unfit to give you advice. Your situation is different. We do not care for any agriculturist or economist. Our only shelter is Krishna. Stick to this principle and success is sure for you. I shall be glad to hear what about the press matter and printing Back To Godhead in German Language. Chanting 16 rounds without fail, performing Kirtana at least twice daily, morning and evening, discussion on Bhagavad-gita, and Srimad-Bhagavatam in the class, and work diligently and cooperatively amongst yourselves is my fervent request. Kindly follow this and be happy. Please convey my blessings to Krishna das and Uttama Sloka. I have received letter from Jaya Govinda that he is anxious to come back to Germany. I have also advised Krishna das to arrange for his passage, but I have not heard anything from them. Please let me know at your earliest convenience. Hope you are well. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 00:52 | 8 March 2005 Saturday, March 8, 1969 Oahu, Hawaii My Dear Isana das and Vibhavati dasi, Please accept my blessings. I thank you very much for your kind letter of February 22, 1969, along with your beads, which I have duly chanted. Your name is now Isana das Adhikari and your wife's name is Vibhavati dasi. Please follow the four principles of initiated disciples which are as follows: No eating of animal foods such as meat, fish and eggs; no gambling; no illicit sex life; and no intoxication of any kind. Chant 16 rounds minimum daily, attend classes in the temple, and read Bhagavad-gita, and Srimad-Bhagavatam regularly. Whenever there is any question, ask me, and try to preach Krishna Consciousness movement to your best capacity. I am very glad to learn that Mukunda has invited you to go to London and if there is possibility you should go immediately, both of you, and join with them. The six boys and girls, husband and wife, are preaching Krishna Consciousness movement in London so nicely, that in the London Times there was a news heading like: Krishna Chant Startles London. These boys and girls are also initiated for the last two years only--they are not very great scholars in theological studies, but still by the Grace of Krishna they have created some impression in a city like London simply by their sincere effort. My Spiritual Master used to send preachers who were all in the renounced order of life (sannyasis), but I am doing a completely different process--namely, preparing some young couples of husband and wife to take up this job. this is approved by Lord Caitanya. He said that it does not matter whether the preacher is in the renounced order of life, or a family man, or a brahmana or a sudra--nothing is hampering in the process of preaching Krishna Consciousness. The only qualification required is that one should know the genesis of Krishna Consciousness and then he is just the fit person to preach this great philosophy. I understand both you and your wife are very intelligent boy and girl and I hope if you sincerely wish to serve Krishna He will give you all intelligence how you can nicely serve Him. I am here at Hawaii at the care of Gaurasundara and his wife Govinda dasi; they are also doing very nicely. Similarly, another couple of disciples, Satsvarupa and Jadurani in Boston are also doing very nicely. Similarly, in Buffalo Rupanuga and his wife and their small child are doing very nicely. Similarly, in New Vrindaban Hayagriva and his wife Syama dasi are doing very nicely. So it is a part of my missionary work; I want to see that the Western boys and girls who are very much loose with their sex life should get themselves married and take to Krishna Consciousness seriously and they will be happy both materially and spiritually. So if you go to London to join Mukunda and his company you will be very much pleased to see how husband and wife combined together can so nicely preach this Krishna Consciousness movement. Please take up this philosophy very seriously and you will be happy in this life and next life. If you are going to London please let me know when you are going. Your poetry is very nice, and I am sending the copy to our editor of Back To Godhead for publishing it conveniently. Herewith please find your chanted beads and be happy by the Grace of Krishna. Please convey my blessings to all there, and I hope you are all well. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACB.gd letters | 08:17 | March 8, 1969 Oahu, Hawaii My Dear Satsvarupa, Please accept my blessings, and offer the same to my beloved daughter, Srimati Jadurani. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Feb. 2, 1969, as well as of Feb. 5, 1969. I plan to go to New York by the first week of April, so you can arrange your scheduled meetings on the 24th by which time I shall be ready to go to Boston. This climate of Hawaii is most healthy, with sunshine and fresh sea breeze, so I think if it is possible for Jadurani to come to this climate she may improve her health nicely. Consult together on this proposal, and you can correspond with Gaurasundara and Govinda dasi here in this regard. Regarding your question: I do not remember if Rayarama ever chanted very loudly in my room, neither he ever lived in my room, nor I had ever asked him not to chant loudly. I do not know how these news are spread. There is no such requirement that Japa should be silently and chanting should be be done differently. Loudly or silently, everything is all right. There is no such restriction. Only thing is that we should chant very attentively, hearing the vibration very distinctly. I have received the typed copy of tape number 6, and I am sending tomorrow tape number 7.* I hope you are well and that Jadurani's health is somewhat better; she must rest nicely. Please convey my blessings and best wishes to all the devotees there. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami *enclosed herewith letters | 07:15 | March 8, 1969 Oahu, Hawaii Dear Sriman Raj Dewan, I am so pleased to receive your letter dated Feb. 20th, 1969, Swami B. D. Madhava of Sri Caitanya Gaudiya Math has kindly requested you to contact me so I am so much thankful to both of you. He is my God-brother. The books mentioned by you can exactly be had from Gaudiya Math, Kali Prasad Cakravarti Lane, Bagh Bazar, Calcutta-3, India. Some of the books mentioned by you are sometimes imported by my New York center, and the manager in charge is Sriman Brahmananda Brahmacari, ISKCON Temple, 61 Second Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10003. There are other books also, namely, Srimad-Bhagavatam in 3 volumes, Bhagavad-gita As It Is-published by MacMillan company, and Teachings of Lord Caitanya, etc. written by me. I am forwarding your letter to Sriman Brahmananda and you can also contact him in this connection. Thanking you once more, Yours in the service of the Lord, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 04:12 | March 8, 1969 Oahu, Hawaii My Dear Tamala Krishna, Please accept my blessings. I have received one letter from United Shipping Corporation, and the copy of the proforma invoice is as follow: 1 pce. First Class Harmonium @$22.00 = $22.00 2 pcs. First Class Mrdangas @$6.75 = $13.50 5 prs. Big Navadvipa Karatalas @$2.12 = $10.60 1 pce. "Panchapradip" for Arati @$2.00 = 2.00 1 pce. Jahanjh @$3.35 = $3.35 1 pce. Round "Ghari" @$9.95 = $9.95 3 pces. Water conch shells @$1.50 = $4.50 2 pcs. Blowing conch shells @$2.00 = $4.00 1 pce. Bengali New Year (1376) Panjika @$ .50 = $ .50 Subtotal = $70.40 Packing, Forwarding & Insurance charges = $27.55 Total = $97.95 C & I Calcutta (U.S. Dollars Ninety seven and cents ninety five only.) I have advised the bank to retire the bill immediately on presentation. The copy of the letter of instructions to the bank is also enclosed herewith. Please therefore immediately deposit $100 in my account number 03081-61625, with the Bank of America; Pico-La Cienega Branch; 8501 West Pico Boulevard; Los Angeles, Cal. Hope you are all well. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 03:10 | 6 March 2005 Thursday, March 6, 1969 Oahu, Hawaii My Dear Rayarama, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter of Feb. 27, 1969, and I am so glad to read it. Keep your health in good condition and work very hard for Krishna. That is our motto of life. I am so glad to learn that you felt too much inconvenience in the company of the karmis in your last tour to Los Angeles. There is a verse in Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu in which it is stated, the more you advance in Krishna Consciousness, the more you become disgusted with the material modes of life. When the American boys are disgusted with cigarette smokers, or listening to rock music and meaningless chattering, it means there is Krishna's Grace. May Krishna bless you more and more, as you advance in Krishna Consciousness. You wanted one assistant editor, and I can understand that you may feel inconvenience with Hayagriva, but would you like to have as your assistant editor, Gaurasundara? So he can help you in editing work even from such distant place. But the difficulty is that he is working here to maintain the establishment. I have advised Govinda dasi to think of this and he may write you. Regarding Bhagavad-gita manuscript: If you have got two copies then you can send one to Janardana. Otherwise you have to send him a copy only, and keeping one copy with you. Because in future I am thinking of publishing a revised and enlarged edition of Bhagavad-gita As It Is. You know that we have to cut short the book because the MacMillan Company wanted within 400 pages. So you know that the majority of the verses in the back portion of the book were not given purports. Therefore in our next publication we shall give purport for all the verses (as well as word to word meanings). So you should keep one copy with you before you send the manuscript to Janardana. That Rohini Kumara is assisting you in artistic abilities is very gratifying. So you are preparing for the Japanese issues. In fact, from the number when we begin our Japanese issue we shall stop advertisement altogether . . . either hippies or dhippies. You select your articles according to your best choice but I shall recommend to publish the article of Hayagriva, "Hare Krishna Movement Exploded." I have received suggestion from Dindayal--he is getting good response from Berkeley and he is expecting that the whole quota of 5000 may be completely sold. In Hawaii, however, they have no Back To Godheads, and receipt of them is very much delayed and sporadic. So if the shipping is closed they can be sent by air cargo. So we have to organize the transport means also. I think there is some special postal rate for 50 lb. lot. So with the assistance of Subala please do the needful and make Back To Godhead a successful Krishna Consciousness magazine. My program is to stay here up to the end of March, but in San Francisco they also want me for a few days there. So before going to New York I may go to San Francisco from here. Of course, you think you cannot leave your office just now, but this place is very nice. I think if you could manage to come here a few days then you can directly exchange letters with Govinda dasi. Please care for your health nicely, and convey my blessings to all the devotees there in New York. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 02:28 | March 6, 1969 Oahu, Hawaii My Dear Purusottama, Please accept my blessings. I am glad to inform you that we have reached Hawaii in due time on Monday afternoon and immediately we met the devotees who came to receive us and I have come directly to Govinda dasi's residence. This place is very nice. It is just on the seashore and from the room on the second floor we can always see the seaview, so it is both scenic and healthy atmosphere. But it is a very distant place from our temple. It takes almost two hours to come and go by car. Therefore I am giving you the following address for mailing of my letters and redirecting our mails. A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami P.O. Box 506 Kaawa, Oahu HAWAII 96730 We performed Lord Caitanya's Birthday ceremony, not very gorgeously, but amongst ourselves, and Govinda dasi cooked very nice Ekadasi foodstuffs. The next day I expected some big ceremony but it couldn't be performed. We are looking out for a better place where the Brahmacaris and the temple can be united. At the present moment, it is very scattered and actually the temple management is impossible to be in order. So, for the time being you can redirect all my mails to my above post box address in this village. Please offer my blessings to all and I shall be glad to hear from you how the things are going there. Awaiting your early reply, Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 02:25 | |
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