a.c. bhaktivedanta swami
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| Prabhupada Letters :: 1969 a.c. bhaktivedanta swami |
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4 June 2005 June 4, 1969 New Vrindaban UNITED SHIPPING CORPORATION 14.2 Old China Bazar Street, Room #13 Calcutta-1, INDIA Att: Sri Prabhas Babu Dear Prabhas Babu: In further reference to my last letter sent in reply to your letter dated April 2, 1969, I am surprised that the packages sent by Jaya Govinda das Brahmacari as well as those sent by Atma Ram & Sons have not yet been sent. You acknowledged that these goods are ready to be shipped in your letter of April 2, 1969, but you have still not shipped them. I could understand that there was a delay on account of Pibhuti Babu's disappearance, but why are they still delayed? Please let me know why the shipping of our goods is so tremendously delayed. Kindly treat this letter as very urgent, and let me know why my goods have not been shipped yet. As I have been informed by Jaya Govinda das Brahmacari, you are holding the following items: Package 1. one pair of 10 1.2" brass R-K Murtis with jewelry and clothing Package 2. one pair of 13" brass R-K Murtis with jewelry and clothing Package 3. one mrdangam Package 4. one harmonium--with double reeds, with 7 stops, full cover Package 5. 30 cartons incense, each carton containing 12 boxes Package 6. 1,400 Assorted Brijbasi pictures 8 dozen Assorted brass incense holders 2 dozen red candana malas 50 odd Srimad-Bhagavatam prospectus 16 Easy Journey To Other Planets and personal effects amounting to 3 pairs brass cymbals, 4 old copies of Back To Godhead 8 wooden incense holders, 5 tubes incense, 7 tulsi malas from Vrindaban with kuntis and counter beads, regular items for performance of puja namely, conch, 5-light lamp, incense holder, cup and spoon, one set of Srimad-Bhagavatams, notes, etc. In addition, 8 bundles of books were sent to you by Atma Ram & Sons, containing Srimad-Bhagavatam, Vol. One--104 copies, Vol. Two--110 copies, Vol. Three--46 copies. I am awaiting your early reply. Sincerely, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS.pdb letters | 06:03 | 3 June 2005 Tuesday, June 3, 1969 New Vrindaban My Dear Syamasundara., Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated May 29, 1969, and I have noted the contents. I am very glad that the Queen has consented the Redundant Churches Bill, and there is good chance of getting one church for our temple. There are many redundant churches because the Christian people are gradually deviating from their religious beliefs on account of stereotype presentation of the Bible by sophisticated priests. Modern youths are educated in advance, so they are no more interested in repetition of the same static mottos. They want something dynamic, progress in spiritual understanding, but the Christian priests could not satisfy them. In comparison to all these dogmatic principles, our KC movement presents everything in the right perspective, even from scientific and philosophical point of view. So if you can secure one church in England for utilizing in our movement, I think we shall be able to secure many such churches all over the world. We have great respect for Lord Jesus Christ. We accept him as powerful incarnation of Krishna, as much as we accept Lord Buddha. We can adjust the Buddhists, Christians, and even the Mohammedans to our KC movement, so if the religious heads of these faiths try to understand our philosophy, certainly there will be great impetus in the matter of spiritual rejuvenation of the world. So try to convince the Archbishop of Canterbury and implore him to give us this chance of spreading God-Consciousness in the world's greatest city, London. If my presence is required, I am prepared to go at any moment within the month of June, because I am thinking of going to San Francisco in July for Rathayatra which Tamala Krishna is arranging. This Festival was successful in San Francisco in the years 1967 and 68 because of your presence there, so now they are feeling your absence, but they are courageous to do it successfully somehow or other. Tamala has called Nara Narayana to do carpentry work, so he will be going there. So I shall see Rathayatra either in SF or in London. If arrangement is made to call me to London I will go there as first preference. So as you let me know the day to day progress, and if this progress is suitable, then I shall go to London. Regarding brahmacaris, two may go there immediately, but how will transportation be arranged? They may also be required to arrange for money deposited in the bank to show the immigration department. That is one impediment, and also you yourselves are all scattered, so how shall you accommodate them? Your work is already hampered by no suitable living places, so if two more join you, what is the benefit? Another point is that what is the difficulty of the newcomers getting trained by you who are all elderly members. From other centers, practically every day someone sends his beads, along with letter of appreciation and some money for initial expenses. I chant on his beads and return them to him as initiated student. Why don't you follow this same principle? If these boys are serious, let them be initiated, and follow the rules, and whatever guidance you can give them they should accept. It is not good idea to invite brahmacaris for training some other brahmacaris in London when there are six already present there. If you cannot train them, how can you take it for granted that someone from here can? Training is not imposition. It is voluntary accept by the trainee. Anyway, when you secure a larger place to accommodate everyone, you will have as many brahmacaris as you want, and I shall arrange for that. I can send even Purusottama, who is personally assisting me, provided it helps your propaganda there. Similarly I can ask Subala or someone else, so that is not a problem. Regarding Mataji, I have noted your remarks, and actually we do not want to create a group of prakrta sahajiya, or devotees who do not know the science of Krishna and do not know the science of devotion, but simply worship the Deity with no depth of knowledge. That is called materialistic devotee, but it is also not rejected. It is a beginning, but a preacher must be above this. Anyway, keep friendship with her. She is trying to love Krishna and that is good. Why not ask her to help you perform the Rathayatra? If she can give financial help, all other help will come. Please thank Malati for her nice letter of May 30th. If you can please take quotation from some Holland printer how much they will charge to print a book exactly like TLC we can utilize this information. I hope you are well and await your reply. A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 05:43 | June 3, 1969 West Virginia My Dear Madhudvisa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated May 30, 1969, and I have noted the contents. I can understand the disturbance of your mind, but why you keep yourself in such artificial disturbance? You can become a householder. That is not prohibited. There are so many good examples of householders, and similarly you can become a householder. Our principle is to enter into the family of Krishna. In the Vaikuntha world there are many devotees who have their wifes, but they are so much absorbed in Krishna Consciousness that they forget the idea of sex-life. Anyway, instead of being agitated in mind, it is better to become a married man and in peaceful mind execute Krishna Consciousness. That is my verdict, and ever since I started this movement I have encouraged marriage to so many disciples. So there is no hindrance in this respect, and you can do the needful. I hope this will meet you in very good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami P.S. London wants two trained brahmacaris. Can you spare two trained men for them. Then open correspondence with Syamasundara. in this connection. letters | 05:39 | 2 June 2005 Monday, June 2, 1969 New Vrindaban My Dear Bharadraja, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated May 28, 1969, and I have noted the contents carefully. I can understand that you are having some difficulty in finding time to paint because of your other duties, but I think that all of these duties may be stopped so you can devote your full energy and time to painting. This painting you are doing is very important, so it will count as your temple work. There is no necessity either for you to go out on Sankirtana if this will take away your time from your real work. I understand that you are also very musically talented, but this talent is not so much required on Sankirtana Party because for chanting Hare Krishna it is not necessary that all instrumentation be so much polished or complicated. If it is necessary for you to work part time to earn money for artist supplies then you should do it, or else if Isana das can continue to help you in this connection, that will be better. Both you and your wife, Rukmini, are very nice artists, so please tell me what ideas you have so that you may get as much artistic work done as possible. For the time being, you should complete your Sankirtana painting, and then as you have asked about the Krishna Book, I an enclosing an idea for a painting of Krishna showing the universe within His mouth to Mother Yasoda. So you may complete this painting also as soon as possible. I have so many ideas for paintings, and we will be requiring so many expert paintings as you are able to do, so please be very serious to do this work nicely and quickly. It will be great service. In our Krishna Book we are showing the Western World for the first time what is God. So it is no unimportant task, and try to help us out in this as far as possible. I hope this will meet you in good health Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 06:24 | June 2, 1969 New Vrindaban My Dear Gaurasundara, Please accept my blessings. I thank you very much for your letter dated May 29, 1969, and I have carefully noted the contents. I am very glad to learn that you are seriously looking for some asrama site on the Hawaii island. If you are able to get some nice place there, it will be very successful because I know there are many young boys and girls there for you to chant with and speak with. This kirtana, chanting and speaking of Krishna, is the sure and certain method of propagating Krishna Consciousness, and we already have so much experience in all of our centers that if we simply chant Hare Krishna with karatalas and mrdanga and if we speak from Bhagavad-gita just as we have heard it coming down from the disciplic succession, then automatically the people become attracted. So you simply find a nice site on the Hawaii island or any other place near there where there are many boys and girls, and if you simply follow the above procedures, then your success is automatically there. I am pleased to note that there is one boy named Tony who has become attracted to our movement and wishes to be initiated. He may send me his beads immediately. Please take nice care of him because there are so many good souls who we must inform of this most important philosophy, and when another man is sent by Krishna to help us it is our duty to help him understand Krishna Consciousness as far as possible. I am very concerned to hear that Jayasri has now joined Govinda Dasi in becoming ill. I hope that by now they are both improved in health. Please convey my blessings to all of the devotees there, and I hope this will find all of you well. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami P.S. Please let me know when you are in Hawaii. letters | 05:22 | 1 June 2005 1 June, 1969 New Vrindaban My dear Murlidhar, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated May 28, 1969, and I have very much appreciated your painting of Lord Nrisingadeva. If possible, paint similar pictures for other temples. I am also glad to learn that you are painting Radha-Krishna painting. You have mentioned a picture of Krishna and the Gopies, without Radharani cannot be. If you mean to say the picture of Radha-Krishna and the eight Gopies, then that is all right. I do not know what is this Krishna with the Gopies. There are many unauthorized pictures painted by so-called called imaginative artists, but we don’t want such pictures in our temples. So you kindly send me a sketch of the picture, and I shall see whether it is authorized. I am very glad that Devahuti has finished a picture of Radha-Krishna, and that she is working also on Lord Caitanya and Sankirtan. I am also glad that you combinedly want to paint a picture of my photograph. I prefer the picture which was published in our Back To Godhead #18, page 32. It is written there Your ever well-wisher. Another thing is please send me the reproduction of the picture which you made for Bhagavat cover. The Macmillan Company is going to publish our Bhagavatam, and I shall give them the picture for the dust cover. I hope this will meet you in very good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 16:24 | Sunday, June 1, 1969 New Vrindaban Dear Dayananda, Please accept my blessings. I thank you very much for your letter dated May 25, 1969, and I have noted the contents carefully. If a new temple site in Los Angeles is absolutely required to be moved in a bigger place, that should be your first business. For my place you may find a place near the temple, and it should be independent of any other tenants. It may be a small cottage, but it should be independent with a little compound surrounding. That will be very nice. I think there are many small cottages near the place, Hayworth Avenue. When I was walking on Oakwood Avenue there were many places there. I remember one at the junction of Oakwood and Harper. So this place, or a similar independent place, never mind how small, will be very convenient for me. I have already written to Tamala Krishna that if I am not invited to London during the month of June, then sometimes in July early I shall go to San Francisco to see the Rathayatra Festival there, and then I will come down to Los Angeles. But I have decided that I shall spend four months in New Vrindaban and eight months in Los Angeles. That will be my regular program. Please convey my blessings to your good wife, Nandarani, and your nice little daughter, Candramukhi. I hope this will meet you all in very good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 05:19 | June 1, 1969 New Vrindaban My Dear Tamala Krishna, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated May 29, 1969, and I am glad to note that our temple activities are effecting good results. The boys and girls from the neighborhood coming to help the temple activities is the good result of our attempts. The temple center is started just to present example to the neighboring residents how they can make a small temple in each and every home. It is not necessary that hundreds and thousands of people will live in our temple, but if we can make effective propaganda, then the neighboring residents, householders, will be inclined to be initiated and follow the modes of temple life. So you encourage the visitors, boys and girls as well as married couples, to understand the value of life and how they can peacefully and happily live if they follow the routine worship method in the temple and establish this in their home to be happy in all respects. Krishna Consciousness Movement is actually an attempt to make all people happy generally and, becoming liberated in this life from material contamination, they'll be thus eligible to enter into the Kingdom of God after quitting this body. I am very glad to know that one rich Indian, Mr. Raj Anand, is prepared to contribute some money for our temple activities. Of course your idea that when I go I shall talk with him and get some big contribution from the Indian community is all right. But my mission will be more successful if the Americans construct a temple, although we have no distinction as to American or Indian; anyone can do it. The best thing will be that since you are trying for a better place, why not try to purchase a nice church if it is available, or a big land within reach of the city with some old hutments. If you find such a place, then you can ask the Indian gentleman to pay for the down payment amount, which may be 10 or 20 thousand dollars. Then we will arrange for the monthly payments. Or if you think it best to wait until my arrival and then hold a meeting of the Indians, making him the chief guest, that is also nice idea. Your idea of using the Moose Hall is also very nice. During the Rathayatra Ceremony, you invite Mrs. Sumitra Sarkar, who last year reported our Rathayatra Ceremony to India. She is the daughter of the editor of Jugantar, an important paper in Calcutta. I think you should invite her in some Los Angeles Festival also. Her present address is: Barnes 3.G, Escondido Village, Standford, California 94305. If you keep good relationship with this lady, she can help us reporting nicely about our activities. If our Los Angeles people see her for reviewing our books in their Indian papers, that will be also nice. Her great-grandfather, Mahatma Sisir Kumar Ghosh was a great devotee of Lord Caitanya, and their whole family is in favor of Sankirtana Movement. So if you can establish a little intimacy with this lady, she can help us in many ways. The program with Allan Ginsberg sounds very nice, because when Mr. Ginsberg and myself were present in the Ohio State University, it was a grand success. The assembly was more than one thousand people, but you say that you will take a place which can accommodate five thousand people, so it will be a great grand success. I have seen the pictures of your recent Festival, and it is very, very nice. I have enjoyed the pictures so nicely that I am looking always to them; although I have seen three, four times, still I am not satisfied. It is very nice. In all Festivals, if you make such puppet show, then you will be able to attract so many people. Anyway, I can understand things are going very nicely in your temple, and Krishna is giving you good intelligence. So I wish that you will live for hundred years and execute this Krishna Movement so that in this very life you shall enter into the abode of Krishna. As soon as one's service is recognized by Krishna, he is immediately called, "Please come here." That is the verdict of the Vedic literature. So we should work in such a nice way that we can draw the attention of Krishna to call us. You will find in Bhagavad-gita that anyone who takes the task of preaching Krishna Consciousness is the dearmost devotee of the Lord. Please convey my blessings to the others. I hope this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami P.S. Keep extra money in saving a.c. letters | 01:08 | 31 May 2005 Saturday, May 31, 1969 Moundsville, WV My Dear Brahmananda, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letters dated May 23, and May 26, 1969, and I have noted the contents carefully. Regarding the manuscripts of the First Canto, Hayagriva will send you a few chapters immediately, so you may do the needful with the MacMillan company. So far as the Exposition Press is concerned, this man is another Mr. Kallman. He wants to print himself and distribute himself, and when he'll print he'll charge $15,000 instead of $5,000 or $6,000, and he'll charge 40%-50% for distributing, and with condition that if they are not sold the books will be returned to you. The net result is if we give him the printing charges, he will spend $5,000 and charge us $15,000, immediately making $10,000. So far as selling is concerned, he promises to sell, but he is unable to so he returns the books. That is his policy and the reason he does not give straight answers. Once I talked with him, so I can understand his dealings. His disagreement with the design of TLC means that he wants to do this himself and charge. So I don't think we can trust this man. Regarding sales of TLC, you should try to get it reviewed, do not spend money needlessly on advertising. You have got experience already advertising Bhagavad-gita, so unless the book is reviewed, there is no question of advertising. You should send reviewing copies to first class papers for review. Also, you may arrange for some respectable persons to review the book and then submit this review to the various papers for printing. You should try for this. Generally, it is the policy of every paper that they review books as soon as it is given to them. That is one of the items of journalistic policy. So far as distributing the books, no consignment should be given. That is very risky. Let them purchase one copy, two copies, three copies, as they like, but no consignment. Let them take one copy and take the scheduled commission. So similarly they can distribute and take the money. It is all right if the store would like to exchange our forthcoming books for the copies of TLC they have not sold, and it is all right for their money to be returnable, but don't take consignment. That is only false sale, or no sale. Try to get the book reviewed. Otherwise newspaper advertisements will have no effect. I have already informed you in my letter of May 26, 1969 that I shall accept the invitation of Franklin and Marshall College. The Bhagavad-gita test you have written is very nice. The questions are all very good. Rayarama's negotiations with IBM is not yet final because similar negotiations are going on here with Pradyumna. So whichever one is easier we shall accept. I am pleased to note that you will be coming here to New Vrindaban, and when you come you may bring with you the Radha-Damodara Temple File which is in the closet near my room in a box. All of my books and files should be kept very securely. I am very anxious to know about Sadanandini, but this misunderstanding by rascals about a Krishna conscious person is always there. Hiranyakasipu understood Prahlada as crazy, and he tried to put him in so many forms of Bellevue organizations amongst the animals, amongst snakes, amongst fire and poison. Even Lord Caitanya, His relatives thought of Him as crazy. Therefore I wrote the essay, "Who Is Crazy?" Anyway, try to save the girl, and if she likes, she can be married with Candanacarya. She will then be in charge of a good husband, so if the marriage is settled, they should take a regular marriage certificate, and then they should come here, and we shall perform our mode of marriage ceremony. Regarding BTG, if you think it is better to not have the books sent to London directly, that is all right, but then you will have to pay the shipping charges to London. But unless you need more than your own 5,000 copies, why not let them try to sell what they can, and then if necessary, they can send to you their remaining copies. Or else if they are sure they cannot sell a sufficient part of their order of 5,000 then what they can sell may be shipped to them from Japan, and the difference will be added to our shipment of goods from Japan. Regarding Atma Ram & Sons, you may offer terms as you have on your rate sheet, and when you correspond with any seller, the terms is cash and delivery. That is generally understood unless otherwise arranged. I shall be very happy to see you again when you come here. I hope this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 07:17 | May 31, 1969 Moundsville, WV My Dear Satsvarupa, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letters dated May 22, and May 26, 1969, and I have noted the contents carefully. I am very encouraged to learn of your very nice Sankirtana success in Boston. One thing though you are thinking of quitting your job, that means you are already in the job, so if in spite of your working, your Sankirtana Movement is going on nicely, why you should give up your job? But if you think by giving up your job the Sankirtana Party will be organized more nicely, then you can do that. Regarding Jadurani, if she does not improve in a month or two, then she will come back and live with you, chanting Hare Krishna and depending on Krishna. Don't bother; Krishna will take care of her. I don't think that she is very dangerously ill because her face indication was not bad. But after all, we have got these material bodies, and some temporary ailments may come and go, but we have to tolerate. But in all cases, you must find out a nice place as temple, either by purchasing or by renting. If you think that advancing $10,000 will get a nice house, then you can find out and we may find out the money. But first you must let me know how you shall repay. If you purchase one house, even you make down payment of $10,000, you have to make monthly payments of $300 or $400. So these things are to be considered. But if you can find a nice house which will accommodate all the householders and brahmacaris, then that will be very good. But do not take on any big responsibilities now. Concentrate on organizing Sankirtana very nicely and try to sell Back To Godhead. That is our main propaganda. It is very encouraging that you are daily collecting about $50. Now you have got a nice carriage, and thus you can go anywhere you like. Try to keep nice peace with the police as far as possible, because our method is to be tolerant more than the tree and humbler than the grass on the street. We don't mind for so-called prestige. If keeping peaceful we can execute our Krishna Consciousness duties, that is all we want. Regarding the manuscripts which Pradyumna requested you to send him, first of all let Pradyumna get the machine. Then I shall advise. For the time being you keep it as you have been doing. I shall let you know in due course. Two Krishna tapes have been recently sent to you, so you shall receive them soon, if you have not done so already. I hope this will meet you in very good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 06:14 | May 31, 1969 Moundsville, WV My Dear Patita Uddharana, Please accept my blessings. I thank you very much for your letter post-dated May 27, 1969, and I have noted the contents with pleasure. I am pleased to note that through your influence your family is gradually taking to this sublime process of Krishna Consciousness. This is the proof of how the presence of one devotee will have an uplifting effect upon all of the people he comes in contact with, whether family members or acquaintances. I am very pleased also to note your appreciation for our Bhagavad-gita As It Is, and I want that all of my students will understand this book very nicely. This will be a great asset to our preaching activities. I am sending along with Candanacarya some old editions of our Back To Godhead Magazine for you to bind. I wish to have bound each year's editions of BTG. Thus, there should be one book with all the 1966 issues, one book with the 1967 issues, and one book with the 1968 issues. If possible, please have these books sent along with Brahmananda when he comes here to see me in New Vrindaban. I understand that you have bound two of my Srimad-Bhagavatam's, but there is no necessity of sending them here immediately. When I need them I will call for them. Please convey my blessings to the other devotees there with you. I hope this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 04:11 | May 31, 1969 Moundsville, WV My Dear Raktaka, Please accept my blessings. I thank you very much for your letter of May 26, 1969, sent along with your beads. I have duly chanted upon these beads and have initiated you as my disciple. Your spiritual name is Raktaka das Brahmacari. Raktaka is a cowherd boyfriend of Krishna. I am very pleased that you have become very attracted to and serious about this Krishna Consciousness Movement. As you continue to follow the regulative principles and thereby as you continue to advance in your understanding of Krishna Consciousness, you will find that your attraction for Krishna and spiritual life will increase more and more. The main regulative principles for brahmacari life are four in number, and they are 1) no illicit sexual connections, 2) no intoxication, including coffee, tea and cigarettes, 3) no nonvegetarian diet, and 4) no gambling. So if you will follow these principles, chant 16 rounds each day upon your beads, avoid the ten offenses which Hamsaduta will give to you, and help propagate this chanting of Hare Krishna as far as possible, then you will see your life becoming more and more subime. From your letter I can understand that you are an intelligent boy, so now you may make the best use of your intelligence in perfecting your life in Krishna Consciousness. Please continue to be very serious about this endeavor, and surely Krishna will give you all facilities for serving Him nicely. If you have any further questions you should ask Hamsaduta, or if you like, I am always ready to help you in whichever way I can. I hope this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 03:05 | 29 May 2005 May 29, 1969 Moundsville, WV My Dear Upendra, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated May 27, 1969, and I have noted the contents. I do not know what I can do in these legal matters. You try your best in consultation with Tamala Krishna. I think that perennial watch-dog is playing some mischief. But the best thing would have been to change your location to the church. In the church there is everything as required by the law. So best thing is to consult Tamala Krishna and occupy the church. That is my opinion. You can give your statement to the authorities that it is a private temple, not many people come in cars, so there is no necessity of parking places; and some two or three people only come to the feasts and temple meetings. It is a private temple. Another possibility is that Ananda may be called from Vancouver to help you in maintaining the church in Seattle. You may correspond with him in this connection. Or else if you feel that Vancouver may be a nicer place, then you may join Ananda there. Please keep me informed as to your progress in this connection. I hope this will meet you in very good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 05:30 | |
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