a.c. bhaktivedanta swami
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| Prabhupada Letters :: 1969 a.c. bhaktivedanta swami |
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9 July 2005 July 9, 1969 Los Angeles My Dear Rayarama, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated July 3, 1969, and I have noted the contents. So I am glad to learn that your program is to do some work independently, and at the same time to do work for our Krishna Consciousness Movement. This formula I have already accepted, and I have given you permission according to your leaning. If possible, then try to give the results of your work to Krishna. We do not disapprove of any activities of the world provided the result is given to Krishna. That is the whole instruction of the Bhagavad-gita. You have learned this philosophy for so many years, so try to execute it to your best capacity. So far as I am concerned, I have accepted you as my disciple and you have accepted me as your spiritual father. This relationship cannot be ended anymore. It is eternal. So it will be my duty always to pray to Krishna for your further and further improvement in Krishna Consciousness, so you should go on serving this movement to your best capacity. So far as your coming here, if you get money you can come by the 16th or 17th of July as you have stated, and then return to New York, that is all right. But I am scheduled to go to San Francisco by the 25th, and after finishing the Rathayatra Ceremony, in all probability I will be going to Germany. I understand that Krishna Das has already sent my ticket from New York to Luxembourg, but I have not received it as yet. Probably it is on the way. So my going to Germany is fixed. If you think that when you come for one week we shall be able to finish up the whole book, then take the trouble to come here. Purusottama has sent the most part of the remaining manuscript to Jayadvaita for typing fair copies, and try to finish it as soon as possible. In the BTG henceforward, the pictures of our Sankirtana Movement should be inserted as many as possible. The whole idea is now in BTG complete ventilation of our ideas should be exchanged from devotees to devotees by writing bonafide articles along with the other articles. This paper should now be completely a foreword of our movement. So combinedly make it successful. I hope this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Enclosure: one note from Tamala Krishna letters | 06:19 | 8 July 2005 Tuesday, July 8, 1969 Los Angeles My Dear Brahmananda, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated July 2, 1969, and I thank you very much for it. Regarding your proposal for soliciting members, this is not a good proposal. We tried for membership in the beginning, and it was not successful. Collection by Sankirtana Party is the best process, along with selling our books and magazines by organized sale. But you can advertise for membership, and when somebody inquires, you can give him your chart for membership. But do not advertise it. You can simply invite people that we invite all sincere souls to become our serious members. I am enclosing a copy of a letter addressed to Mr. Kair, which may be published so people may know what is the practical advantage of becoming a member of this society. You are correct that Tamala Krishna's endeavor is very successful, and we should cooperate with him fully, and other centers should follow the same principles to make it successful. Recently, Tamala Krishna has sent Madhudvisa to San Francisco to organize the temple there, and as soon as he had gone there, the Sankirtana collection has become raised from $17 to $70. So in this way we should help all the centers, and in the future both you and Tamala Krishna, assisted by the others, should be the main guiding stars of the society. You have written that you have given $350 to India, but I do not know why. Do not send any money to the United Shipping Corporation, because last time we advanced $500, and it has become a pinprick to realize it. I think you have sent a letter of credit, but no direct payment should be sent to them. I understand that Krishna Das has sent a ticket for my going to Germany on the 25th of June. I do not know where is this ticket; I have not received it. Anyway, I think I shall be going to Germany after the San Francisco Ceremony, via New York. I understand the ticket is from New York to Luxembourg, so I think from San Francisco I shall go to New York, and from there I shall go on to Luxembourg. If you have received the ticket, please let me know. Regarding MacMillan, if they will not print our Bhagavad-gita As It Is in hard bound then why not publish our own edition of the book, enlarge and revised hard bound? We cannot be checked by their decision to print or not to print our books. The paper bound copies may be taken from them, and then our own bookbinders can turn them into hard bound editions by pasting the cover on cardboard only. In this case, MacMillan should give us special concession. Anyway, the best thing will be to arrange [PAGE MISSING] letters | 06:18 | July 8, 1969 Los Angeles My Dear Bhurijana, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated June 27, 1969, and I have carefully noted the contents. I can understand that you are in need of some more brahmacaris there, and I have already told Tamala Krishna to send some devotees there. You may correspond with him immediately to make definite arrangements for this. You will be glad to learn that another center has recently been opened in Philadelphia, and another is to be opened very soon in Laguna Beach, 50 miles from Los Angeles. Our policy should be to open branches as many as possible, but not to close a single one. That would be a degradation. I think you have got enough potential opportunity in your center, so go on chanting and things will come out successful. I am pleased to note that you have decided to remain as brahmacari because it will be the most "undiverting" for your Krishna Consciousness. Actually this is correct. If one is able to remain as brahmacari, that is first class because so much botheration of household life is immediately avoided. But Krishna Consciousness is not limited that one must be brahmacari to execute, or one must be sannyasi to execute. Spiritual means that there is no conditions whatever, so in any position one may be in, he can chant Hare Krishna, preach Krishna Consciousness, and pray to Krishna to engage him more and more in His transcendental loving service. I remember that when you were in New Vrindaban with me you took some photographs with your camera. Please send these pictures to Brahmananda in New York for our Back To Godhead. In future issues we will be featuring many such photographs of our activities. I hope this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 04:16 | July 8, 1969 Los Angeles My Dear Subala das, Please accept my blessings hundreds upon hundreds of times for your successful attempt. I appreciate your service very much. Now organize the center in Philadelphia very nicely as you have got a good place, and it will be my pleasure to visit whenever there is an opportunity. Now you will have good assistance in the persons of Lalita Kumar and Gopinatha, and if you require more men, you can ask Tamala Krishna and he will help you. The LA center is now specially meant for training devotees and dispatching them in different centers wherever they are required. So open correspondence with Tamala Krishna, and I also will tell him to assist you as far as possible. Regarding your arrest by the police, it was Krishna's desire, so that it is now authoritatively admitted that we are not guilty. You can take a certified copy of the judgement. This will help not only your center, but other centers also. It will be of considerable aid in getting permission from the police. You take this copy immediately and make several photostat copies, and send to every center and one copy to me. Get mrdangas and karatalas from New York. Keep our books and magazines sufficiently, and make propaganda. You are now a veteran devotee, so you can help others and yourself nicely. Simply you have to execute the principles very rigidly and faithfully. Then everything is there, and all success is at your command. Regarding you taking a job, I hope if you properly execute your activities, you will have no lack of money. In the beginning there may be a little hardship, but everywhere it has proved successful. I have information from Brahmananda that last month they collected about $2,400. So after all, it is all Krishna's money. When He sees us very faithful and trustworthy, He gives up His money for expenditures. Simply pray to Krishna that you may be able by His Grace to serve Him nicely. Our prayer of the Hare Krishna Mantra means addressing Radha and Krishna for being engaged in Their service. Hare Krishna means "Oh Hare, Oh Radharani! Oh Krishna! Please engage me in Your service so that I can get relief from the service of Maya." Just like a person resigns from an inferior quality of service and accepts a superior quality of service, similarly, our prayer to Krishna is to give us relief from the inferior quality of service to Maya, and to be engaged in the superior quality of service to Krishna. Service we have to render, and the whole process is to accept the superior quality of service in Krishna Consciousness. I hope this finds you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 03:15 | July 8, 1969 Los Angeles Dear Mr. Kair, Please accept my greetings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated June 18, 1969, forwarded to me here from San Francisco. I quite appreciate the difficult problems in India, and I quite agree with you cent per cent that India is now in a miserable condition by its poverty, and natural atrocities like floods, earthquakes, etc. Your suggestion that this can only be solved by Lord Krishna, the Omnipotent, is also right. Therefore, if you want to do something for India, the only remedial measure that you can take is to spread Krishna Consciousness amongst the peoples. Otherwise, the next step is surely communism as you have already suggested. You say that there is a communist menace, and materialism is trying to dominate, but at the same time, religious faith is also progressing. Two things cannot go on simultaneously. Actually, India is the country of religion. The present government policy to kill religious faith of the people is resulting in frustration of religious life because it is not organizedly taught. But by nature the people of India have a hankering for spiritual advancement, and therefore the present situation is a natural result of the clash between two opposite ideals. In this case also the best treatment is to give the people scientific religious ideas which are very clearly stated in the Bhagavad-gita. But unfortunately, unscrupulous and rascal so-called scholars, religionists and philosophers have misinterpreted the teachings of Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad-gita, and they have misled the whole population. Bhagavad-gita is popular not only in India, but also all over the world. Unfortunately, the real idea has been distorted. We have therefore presented our Bhagavad-gita As It Is, and perhaps you know it; it is published by MacMillan. I have tried to explain in this book the real purpose of the Bhagavad-gita. Bhagavad-gita is the authorized book to teach people how to love Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There is nothing else except devotional service to the Lord described there, but great politicians have misinterpreted the sunshine-like clear statements of Bhagavad-gita with a cloud of mental concoctions. So if you think seriously to improve the condition of India, you can begin even in a small-scale the propagation of Krishna Consciousness, and if you do it seriously and sincerely, surely you will be successful. I came here alone in 1965. Gradually the young men here took the philosophy very nicely, and now they themselves are spreading and opening many branches, even without my presence. Similarly, you can do this also, under my instructions. Just begin with a small endeavor, and gradually it will spread. You have asked me what are the formalities that you have to observe for recruiting Krishna devotees in India, and the first principle is that you have to become a pure devotee of the Lord. Then you can attempt to convert others to become devotees. To become a pure devotee means one should be firmly convinced of his being the eternal servant of Krishna. You have hinted about the value of concentration and in the stories from the Bhagavatam and Mahabharata, but I do not exactly follow what you mean by this. The statements in the Bhagavatam and Mahabharata and the Puranas are all different historical incidents. Mahabharata is called, according to Vedic authorities, as the history of India. I do not know who first designated it as an "epic." That is the cause of the falldown of Hindu culture. They did not believe in their Vedic literatures presented by Vyasadeva. They are not stories after all. Stories are imaginary, but they are not imaginary. They are actual facts. But such historical facts are not chronological; but for the teaching of the commonplace people some of the important incidents of history are there. It is said saram saram samud dhritva. This means only the essential facts have been collected, and they are put together in the shape of Puranas, Mahabharata, etc. The formalities are as follows: You should take a vow not to have any illicit sex life. That means sex life should be accepted only by married couples. You should not take anything beyond the group of grains, fruits, vegetables, flowers, milk and milk products, and that also only after offering to Lord Krishna. You should not accept any kind of intoxication, including drinking coffee, tea, or smoking cigarettes, chewing pan, etc. Finally, you should not take part in any gambling, including so-called sports, cinema, theatre, or any such entertainment. Then you will have to be first initiated for chanting the Hare Krishna Mantra under regulative principles, avoiding 10 kinds of offenses and following the above regulative principles. Then, on or before the completion of one year, you will be finally initiated. In the meantime you will read our books like Bhagavad-gita As It Is, Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Srimad-Bhagavatam, Nectar of Devotion, etc. These books are all in English, and in addition you should read our monthly journal, Back To Godhead. You should go on inquiring about your pros and cons ideas in the matter of the Krishna Consciousness. Along with this you chant Hare Krishna in the assembly of friends and family members regularly, morning and evening, and then Krishna Consciousness will become revealed unto you. Krishna Consciousness is already in you--not only in you, but in every living being. Such consciousness is aroused just like a sleeping man is aroused from slumber by vibration of sound. Similarly, a conditioned soul is aroused by the vibration of the Hare Krishna Mantra into Krishna Consciousness. This is the process. We will be glad to give you all instruction on this point, providing you are serious to accept it, and to propagate it. Thank you very much for your letter. I hope this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 02:17 | 7 July 2005 July 7, 1969 Los Angeles My Dear Govinda Dasi, Please accept my blessings, and offer the same to Gaurasundara. I am so much pleased by reading your letter of June 26, 1969, describing your preaching activities in Hawaii, both husband and wife together. It is very much pleasing to me. I was shocked when I heard that Gaurasundara was hurt on the chin, but at the same time, I was so much enlivened by hearing of your spirited preaching activities. I am proud that a little young girl like you is so much spirited in preaching Krishna consciousness. Undoubtedly I was very much sorry to learn about Gaurasundara being attacked by a fanatic, but don't be disheartened. Even Nityananda also faced such difficult problems, but try to avoid them as far as possible. The whole world is full of fanatics and atheist classes of men, so sometimes we have to face such difficulties. But this is all tapasya. Without tapasya, nobody can approach Krishna. So preachers who boldly face all kinds of difficulties are considered to be under tapasya, and Krishna takes note of such tapasya of the devotee, and the devotee is recognized by Him. I have asked the BTG men to publish your heroic preaching activities under the heading of "Heroine Govinda Dasi." So I am sure Krishna is very much pleased of this incident, and He will surely bestow His blessings both on you and Gaurasundara. So try to continue preaching Krishna Consciousness to the suffering humanity as far as possible. I hope by this time your house problem is solved, and I shall be glad to hear from you on this point. I have received one letter from Subala das from Philadelphia informing me that he has opened a center there. So by Krishna's Grace our program is improving day after day. Most probably another center in Laguna Beach will be opened soon, and they are arranging for a gorgeous Rathayatra Ceremony in San Francisco. So you have all my blessings and encouragement for your nice preaching work, and I can simply pray to Krishna to save you from all sorts of difficulties. I hope this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami *Enclosed some literature from Germany. They are doing nice in Hamburg & they have published German edition of BTG. letters | 05:53 | 5 July 2005 Saturday, July 5, 1969 Los Angeles My Dear Upendra, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated July 1, 1969, and I have noted the contents carefully. I am glad to inform you that I will be arriving in San Francisco around the 25th or 26th of July, and I will see you there during the Rathayatra Festival. Regarding your questions, "Is Subhadra, Lord Krishna's Sister, the same Durga or Maya?", the answer is that originally Krishna's energy is one: that is spiritual energy. But according to different functions, the Maya is represented differently. In the material world the energy is called Bhadra, and in the spiritual world the same Maya is called Subhadra. The only distinction is su and without su. Su means auspicious. So in the spiritual world, the same Maya works auspiciously, and in the material world the same Maya works inauspiciously. This auspiciousness and inauspiciousness is our own choice. The same example that jail life is inauspicious, and free life is auspicious, but it depends on the choice whether we prefer free life or jail life. The energy of the government works in the same way both in the jail department and the freedom department. It is the choice of the person who is relatively concerned with either jail or freedom. Regarding frozen vegetables, they are not bad, but if they are twice boiled, then they should not be used. I do not know exactly, but I do not think it is twice boiled. Anyway, if it is, it should not be used. Now Tamala Krishna will be the supplying agent of devotees to many temples, because he is attracting many new devotees in the Los Angeles temple. So the program is after being trained up here, some of them may go either to open new branches or where they are required. But I wish that you should also attract new devotees from your quarters. Instead of importing devotees, it is better to attract devotees from your own area. And the basic principle for doing this is Sankirtana Party. I hope you have by now received one circular from Brahmananda in which it is stated that you are all requested to write articles of Krishna Consciousness as you have personally realized it, and also send as many pictures as possible of Sankirtana Movement for BTG along with short descriptions. Hope you are well. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 05:12 | July 5, 1969 Los Angeles My Dear Giriraja, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated July 2, 1969, sent along with your beads. I have chanted on them and your initiated name is Giriraja. Giriraja is the name of the Govardhana Hill on which Krishna used to tend His cows. In Vrindaban the Govardhana Hill is worshipped as a representation of Krishna. Sometimes devotees take stone from Govardhana Hill and keep it at home as a representation of Krishna, and they worship in this way. I am very glad to understand that you have at least relished some of the transcendental bliss of Krishna Consciousness. It is a great fortune for you. Living entities are roaming within the universes in different species of life and in different planetary systems enjoying or suffering the reaction of pious or impious activities. But they have no information how to get out of this entanglement of repetition of birth and death. Due to the darkness of ignorance, most living entities have no idea about the values of life. Therefore, one who understands the importance of Krishna Consciousness must be a very fortunate soul. So I marked it in your person when I was in Boston, and I prayed to Krishna that this good soul may be aware of the importance of Krishna Consciousness. With my blessings I am sending herewith your beads, duly chanted upon by me. You should avoid the ten offenses as far as possible, and follow the four regulative principles as Satsvarupa will instruct you. I know your good Godbrother, Satsvarupa, will always help you in this connection. Regarding your $2,000 which you promised to send me within three weeks, I beg to thank you for this.* Actually, a brahmacari should contribute whatever he has got to Krishna, through the Spiritual Master. The Spiritual Master does not accept anything for his personal use, but he employs everything for Krishna's service. Therefore the Spiritual Master is accepted in the renounced order of life. So far as householders are concerned, they may contribute at least half of their income to Krishna. Then life is sublime. After all, everything belongs to Krishna, and the sooner we return whatever we have got to Krishna, the better it is. That is our normal life. Regarding your stocks, you can keep it for yourself for the time being, and if need be I may ask you to deliver this in the future. Your engagements there are nice, so continue to follow rigidly. You may inform Satsvarupa that I have sent the Krishna tape, #13, so he may transcribe it and send me a copy. I will be sending further tapes henceforward, because my Nectar of Devotion is now finished, and I shall concentrate on the Krishna tapes. I hope this will meet you in very good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami * you can directly transfer this amount to my a.c No 12410 with the Equitable Savings & Loan Association Fairfax, Los Angeles, California. letters | 05:11 | July 5, 1969 Los Angeles My Dear Kirtanananda, Please accept my blessings. I thank you very much for your letter of July 3, 1969, sent along with the cheese. But the cheese has gone bad. Perhaps you did not note it what I said that this cheese should be made into sandesh; that is 1.4 part of cheese should be mixed with sugar and fried in a pan, constantly stirring till it is almost hard. Then after taking it down, knead it nicely and then prepare small balls. This sandesh can be kept at least for a fortnight without damage, but cheese cannot be kept more than three days. It reached me, but it had gone sour. If you can prepare sandesh and send it to me, it will be very nice. So try it, and if it comes out successful, you can send it to me. I am glad that Devananda is tending the Deities very nicely. He has learned this art directly under my supervision, so I hope he is doing it nicely. Your kirtana program as it is going on is very nice. You have kept the Vrindaban spirit so sublimely that I always remember it and always hanker when I shall go back again. In the meantime I am enjoying the tape which I recorded of your morning prayers and chanting. Here in Los Angeles also the temple is very gorgeous, and I am receiving reports from other centers that they are also doing nicely. I shall be going to San Francisco by the 25th or 26th of July, and from there I may be going to Germany, because they also want me there. Krishna das has already purchased one ticket for me, but I asked him to postpone it till the end of the month. In London they have secured a house, and I understand it is very nice. But it is in office quarters, so there will be difficulties to use it as a living house. Anyway, whatever Krishna desires He will do. In the meantime I have written one letter to Hayagriva regarding transfer of New Vrindaban in the society's name. I am glad that the girls there are taking my suggestions, and if things are done according to program, New Vrindaban will surely develop to the highest extent. You may inform Satyabhama that I have already received the Krishna book which she has sent. Please convey my blessings to all the other inhabitants of New Vrindaban. I hope this will meet you all in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 04:10 | July 5, 1969 Los Angeles My Dear Sacisuta, Please accept my blessings. I thank you very much for your letter dated June 23, 1969, and I have carefully gone over the contents. I am so pleased to learn that you are feeling very nicely in Buffalo temple and you are working hard and sincerely to push on this sublime movement of Krishna Consciousness. Regarding your question about marriage, the thing is that as I am a sannyasi, I am not concerned with family life, but because I want to see my disciples very happy in Krishna Consciousness, therefore, those who are feeling some sexual disturbance are requested by me to get themselves married. Another principle is that those who are brahmacaris, they should sacrifice all of their income and collection for the Krishna Consciousness Movement, whereas those who are married should work, earning money as much as possible, and at least 50% should be spent for the Krishna Consciousness Movement. So we have no objection for allowing you to get married, but it is up to you to consider if you will work hard and earn money both for Krishna and for your family. You cannot get married, and at the same time do not earn money. Of course, by preaching Sankirtana Movement, if you are satisfied with a small income, that is also nice. I think that your God-brother, Rupanuga is an ideal householder, and you should try to follow him. I hope this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 02:09 | July 5, 1969 Los Angeles My Dear Jadurani, I have already asked you to join the Sankirtana Party. Today I have received one letter from Govinda Dasi in which I understand that she is a spirited preacher. I am so proud of her, that even my girl disciples are so nice for preaching work. ACB. letters | 01:05 | 4 July 2005 Friday, July 4, 1969 Los Angeles My Dear Pradyumna, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter of June 28, 1969, sent by Special Delivery, and I am replying as follows. If Mr. Vora is going to Bombay, he can find out some reliable supplier of musical instruments. One friend gave me the following address: M.s D.S. Ramsingh & Bros., Harmonium Manufacturers and dealers in musical instruments; 344-48, Manchram Bldg., Sarder Vallabhai Patel Road, Bombay-4. He quoted for musical instruments as follows: Harmonium of double reed @Rs 260, Harmonium of triple reed @Rs 350, Tanpura @Rs 100 to Rs 200, mrdangas (wooden made) @Rs 150, khanjani @Rs 10 to Rs 15. What I want Mr. Vora to do is see this firm, or any other reliable firm which can regularly supply us with first quality instruments. The price quoted by the party appears to be high, so Mr. Vora has to inquire from other sources also, and he may purchase a sample transaction of one harmonium, one Maha-rashtrian mrdanga (wooden made), and a few first class kanjanis. He may bring with him as his personal property or he may see the director of the Scindia Steam Navigation Co., Sumati Morarji. If she takes charge for dispatching the goods on her ships, that is very good, but because it is a very small quantity, it may be better to bring them personally. If Mr. Vora sees Srimati Sumati Morarji, she will at once know me by my name, and she'll arrange everything. The sum and substance is that we want some reliable commission agent or supplier who can supply us regularly these things. If Sumati Morarji gives us the facilities of free shipping, that is all right. Otherwise we shall get them sent, freight paid by us. Regarding Baroda Bank, although I have got money, if the goods are dispatched through customs, then we will have to send the money from here. But if Mr. Vora either brings them personally or delivers it to Sumati Morarji as a free gift, then there will be no customs botheration. In that case I can give Mr. Vora a check on the ___ Otherwise, we will have to send American dollars. I am stressing again that we have to find out a reliable person who can regularly supply us with goods from India. This is the sum and substance, and now you can do the needful. If Mr. Vora wants to be our supplying agent, we have no objection. Let him make arrangement for supplying these goods as I have described, first quality and good price, and book it through a reliable shipping agent or through Scindia Steam Navigation Co. There will be regular business, and he will make good profit. But ask him not to make more than 10% profit over purchasing price. You may also ask him to bring with him a pair of cookers which are available in Pydhani brass utensil shops. The cost will be about $3.00, so if he can bring with him at least two cookers, that will be very nice. So things are explained above as far as possible, and now you can arrange with him. Regarding Gayatri Mantra, Arundhati's insistence is not very good. If she wants to offer prasadam to the Deities, she can simply chant Hare Krishna Mantra. There is no need of chanting Gayatri Mantra. One has to be formally accepted by the Spiritual Master for this, so you can tell her this fact. That is not the system. For the time being, if Arundhati wants to offer prasadam, the Hare Krishna Mantra will do. I hope this will meet you in good health, Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami P.S. You have written nothing about Arundhati's training for the Compositor machine. letters | 04:05 | July 4, 1969 Los Angeles My Dear Jaya Govinda, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated June 23, 1969, sent along with your German language Back To Godhead. It is very, very nice. You have achieved a great blessing from my Guru Maharaja. My Guru Maharaja had an ambition to publish the message of Lord Caitanya in all the languages of the world, and when He was present in India, He published six magazines in five languages; one in Hindi, one in Assami, one in Bengali, one in English, and one in Oriya. Your Zuruck Zur Gottheit is certainly a unique gift to me, and I shall ever remember it. It is all your credit that as soon as you arrived in Germany you have done some tangible service to the mission. May Krishna bless you more and more. And as you wish that this service may continue throughout all your life and the next, so it gives me more pleasure about your sincerity of service. I am also glad to know that sometimes the happiness you feel is very strong. There is some words spoken by Lord Caitanya that this service is a transcendental ocean of bliss. Ananda ambudhi bardanam. Here we have got experience of the material ocean; it does not increase. On the other hand, gradually it is decreasing. Formerly the whole planet was merged into water, and there was no earth; it ws simply inundated water. Now gradually the ocean is drying up, and the land is coming out. Therefore, this material ocean is decreasing, but the transcendental ocean of bliss is only increasing. So I can only say that you stick to your present nice service, entrusted upon you by my Guru Maharaja and Krishna. Try to improve it to your best capacity. You are three, just like Brahma, Visnu, and Maheswar. And Mandali Bhadra is going to join you as Indra. These four principal demigods are controlling the whole universe. So I hope in the near future Sivananda, yourself, Krishna Das, and Mandali Bhadra will have full control over the German young boys by pushing on this magazine Zuruck Zur Gottheit. I shall be glad to hear whether by this time Mandali Bhadra has arrived there. Regarding my going to Hamburg, I am writing to Krishna Das separately, and you will understand the situation. Regarding New Vrindaban, I think we shall have many advantages here that are not in Vrindaban in Mathura. The Vrindaban in Mathura is now congested with so many worldly men. Formerly, Vrindaban was excavated by the Goswamis, and only pure devotees were going there. But at the present moment, this has become a place for the bischovs, materialists, and in the interior part of Vrindaban there are so many rogues and robbers. Formerly, a devotee could live peacefully in any corner of Vrindaban; it is about 180 square miles, but now if somebody lives in some secluded corner, he will be attacked by so many rogues and robbers. Perhaps you know there is a place known as Nandagram, wherein Bon Maharaja has got a place. I have heard that it is very nice, but nobody can live there securely. So at least in New Vrindaban I hope there will be no such disturbances. If we nicely organize as it is going on now, only selected persons will live there and peacefully cultivate Krishna Consciousness. You have inquired why Caitanya Mahaprabhu has not mentioned anything about accepting a Spiritual Master in His Siksastaka. But perhaps you have missed the point that He says amanina manadena kirtaniya sada hari. This means one has to chant the Holy Names of Krishna, becoming humbler than the straw, and more tolerant than the tree. So who can become humbler than the straw unless he accepts a Spiritual Master? The whole world is puffed up. Everyone wants to become the Lord of everything. Ultimately, the Mayavadi philosopher wants to become one with the Supreme Lord. This means that when one fails to become Lord of everything, he wants to mix up with the Supreme Lord and tries in that way to automatically become Lord of everything. What he can't perform by his own capacity he wants to have done by being merged into the Supreme Lord. That is the mentality of the general people. But if anyone becomes humbler than the grass and more tolerant than the tree, it is understood that he has accepted a Spiritual Master. Besides that, if we accept Sikshastak as authority given by Lord Caitanya, this means we accept Lord Caitanya as Spiritual Master. In the Bhagavad-gita it is openly mentioned that Arjuna accepted Krishna as the Spiritual Master. There is another mention in the Sikshastak, Lord Caitanya says "I do not want any wealth of this world, I do not want any following, neither do I want a beautiful wife. Simply I want to become a servant of the Lord." To become the servant of the Lord means to accept a Spiritual Master. Without accepting somebody as master, how can one become an expert servant? It is not that in every literature you will find the words that everyone has to accept a Spiritual Master, but we have to study things scrutinizingly. In the Caitanya Caritamrta there is mention guru krsna krpaya paya bhakti lata bija. By the mercy of the Spiritual Master and Krishna one can get the seeds of bhakti lata, the plant of devotional service. I am glad that you have named your printing press the Radha Press. It is very gratifying. May your Radha Press be enriched in publishing all our books and literatures in the German language. It is a very nice name. Radharani is the best, topmost servitor of Krishna, and the printing machine is the biggest medium at the present moment for serving Krishna. Therefore, it is really a representative of Srimati Radharani. I like the idea very much. I hope this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 03:04 | July 4, 1969 Los Angeles My Dear Krishna Das, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated June 25, 1969. I understand that you have already purchased the ticket for my journey from New York to Luxembourg on the 8th of July. But now I am staying at Los Angeles, so naturally you have to purchase my ticket from Los Angeles or San Francisco to Luxembourg. So for the time being you can return this ticket, and as I am going to San Francisco to take part in the Rathayatra Festival which is going to be performed in a considerable grand scale, arranged by all the devotees on the West Coast; namely Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sante Fe, Seattle, Vancouver, etc. So your program may be suspended for a fortnight at least. Besides that, you have written that the schools will be closed by the 11th of July,* and they open sometime in September. Under the circumstances, why not postpone everything to that time? But still I am prepared to go if you think my presence there earlier will be nice. Then you can arrange for my ticket from San Francisco to Luxembourg. In some previous letter, Mukunda wrote that he would send tickets for both me and Purusottama. So if in the meantime he sends ticket for Purusottama, then he can also go with me. I think the best arrangement would have been if by mutual consultation you make the transportation arrangements for my European journey. I do not know when Mukunda is going to send me those tickets, so you can consult with him. In the meantime, if you are able only to send one ticket for me, Purusottama may go later on. But anyway, I heard that after the 4th of August there will be a concession in the fare from America to Europe, so you can inquire about it. I shall be in San Francisco by the 25th of July, so you can let me know your decision at the San Francisco address or the Los Angeles address, which ever is more convenient for you. Regarding Sankirtana Party, whatever heads you have got at the present moment, you continue. That is our main function. The pictures and pamphlets Jaya Govinda has sent me are very much encouraging. You can make my program for lecturing in the Indo-German society, taking it that I shall be going there in the month of August. I know there are many Sanskrit scholars in Germany, but unfortunately I have no practice to speak in Sanskrit. I can read and write, but I cannot speak in Sanskrit. But I don't think my speaking in Sanskrit will be required, and if I read from Sanskrit literature like Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, that will be sufficient. After all, I am not going to Germany as a Sanskrit scholar, but my attempt will be to deliver the message of Lord Caitanya in the shape of Krishna Consciousness. I hope this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami *After 27th July, I can start on any day from San Francisco. You can shave once in a month on the full moon day with head & beard. letters | 01:03 | 3 July 2005 Thursday, July 3, 1969 Los Angeles My Dear Yamuna, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated June 28, 1969, and I am very glad that Krishna has after all given you a nice place to remain in London and spread Krishna Consciousness with more enthusiasm. Your successful meeting in Oxford is also very encouraging. There is a verse in Caitanya Caritamrta in which Krsna dasa Kaviraja says that the whole world is busy to enjoy or to suffer by their respective results of karma, pious or impious, from past life. So in this material world, sombeody is enjoying material life in some higher planet and somebody is suffering some material inconveniences in some lower planets. But they do not know that suffering or no suffering, this material existence itself is not at all congenial to the living entity. In the Western countries, Europe and America, they appear to be enjoying life in the view of the Eastern people, and therefore they hear so much about the opulences in the different universities and towns of the Western countries. But actually, they have no knowledge how to get out of the material entanglement. The only bonafide engagement is Krishna Consciousness for the all around benefit of the human society. That is a fact. So now we have got very great responsibility to spread this message all over the world, and in London you have got now a good chance to preach in the most important city of the world. Decorate the place very nicely, as far as possible. Your idea for holding the Vyasa Puja Ceremony in London on the 5th of September is very much encouraging. On the 4th September is Janmastami Day, and I have received one letter from Syamasundara. in which he suggested that we should have our installation on that day. This is a good idea. On the 4th we open formally the temple, and on the 5th is my birthday, or your Vyasa Puja ceremony. So this idea is welcome. A special Vyasa Puja issue of BTG may be done, and you may open correspondence with Brahmananda, because publication of BTG will now be conducted by Iskcon Book Dept., and BTG will be under the supervision of Brahmananda and Hayagriva. Rayarama das Brahmacari is called by me to live with me here to engage in editorial work, so you may correspond with Brahmananda in this connection. Regarding Mataji Syamadevi, she wanted to give us some pairs of Deities, but since she has left the USA she has not mentioned what she is going to do. So you can ask her straightly whether she is going to contribute the 24" Deities. If not, then we shall have to arrange for that. In any case, if Mataji does not contribute the Deities, I shall take with me some Deities when I go to London. In the meantime, Syamasundara. may prepare the nice throne of which I have given him the design. I have received one letter from Mukunda, giving description of various engagements in London when I go there, and the most important is seeing the Archbishop of Canterbury. I have already sent one note for [TEXT MISSING] letters | 03:02 | July 3, 1969 Los Angeles My Dear Chidananada, Please accept my blessings. I thank you very much for your letter dated June 24, 1969, and I have carefully noted the contents. Madhudvisa has already gone there as desired by you, and I am sure he will be very helpful. He is now a veteran trained man, and the Los Angeles temple is now an ideal place for all centers to take example. Now I hope you will be able to make San Francisco as important as Los Angeles temple in cooperation with Madhudvisa and the other devotees there. Please convey my blessings to Jayananda, who is helping so much now in organizing for the Rathayatra Festival. Regarding Karatieya, if he wants to go to Germany, he can go, but if you require him in San Francisco at present, don't encourage him to go at present. But in Germany there is a need for brahmacaris, and Karatieya knows a little German language. In Germany they are now printing a very fine German edition of Back To Godhead, and I am enclosing some clippings and a leaflet they have printed there. If Karatieya can explain the words on these pages, then he can be encouraged to go to Germany. Just today I have received invitation from Krishna das that they want me to go immediately there, and even they have purchased one ticket for me. I will not be able to go to Germany immediately, but perhaps after the Rathayatra Festival this may be arranged. Please convey my blessings to the others. I hope this will meet all of you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami NB: Enclosed is one letter to be given to Umapati, along with German papers for Karatieya and one note for Madhudvisa. If you meet Reka the Bengali Lady, tell her that I have received her letter without her present address. If she wants to come here she is welcome otherwise I am going there until Ratha Yatra festival. letters | 02:01 | July 3, 1969 Los Angeles My Dear Subala das, Please accept my blessings. I thank you very much for your letter dated June 25, 1969, and I am pleased to note the contents. By Krishna's blessings surely you will find a nice place soon, and your enthusiasm for Krishna's service will be fulfilled. Srila Rupa Goswami has recommended six principles for advancement in Krishna Consciousness: enthusiasm, patience, conviction of success, executing the regulative principles, honest endeavor, and association with devotees. So these six principles you try to follow very rigidly, and wherever you go you will be successful. I am confident that Krishna will help you, because two centers, Los Angeles and Santa Fe, were given start by you, and they are still existing. But this time, Philadelphia, you should not leave half finished. Philadelphia is a very nice place, one of the most important places in your country, so try to stick there, and all facilities will be given to you by Krishna. I hope this will meet you in very good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 01:01 | July 3, 1969 3 July, 1969 [missing text] Archbishop to be presented through some friend, perhaps Mr. George Harrison, as it was suggested by Mukunda. You are trying to love Krishna, following the footsteps of Mother Yasoda, and this is very nice. We should not think in the way of Mayavadi philosophers. The Mayavadis think that they have themselves become Krishna. Similarly, if we think that we are Mother Yasoda, that will be the same philosophy. You should aspire to follow the footsteps of Mother Yasoda and Love Krishna in maternal affection. Please convey my blessings to the others. I hope this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 01:00 | |
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