a.c. bhaktivedanta swami
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| Prabhupada Letters :: 1969 a.c. bhaktivedanta swami |
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27 August 2005 Wednesday, August 27, 1969 Hamburg My Dear Hayagriva, Please accept my blessings. We have safely reached exactly at the scheduled time in Hamburg, and the journey was quite comfortable. Lufthansa is a very respectable airline, and the ladies and gentlemen and stewardesses and hosts were very kind in their treatment. One girl was insisting that we take some food, and when we refused she was very sorry, but she brought us a sufficient supply of fruit. So everything was nice, and I have lectured in the temple on Monday night. Professor Dr. Franz Bernhard, a learned scholar in Indology, was present. We had a long discussion yesterday evening when he came to see me, and he admitted that all his philosophical talks were simply wasting time. He remarked another thing that he had thought of us as hippies because he saw that Ginsberg on the notice board, seemingly like one of our members. From his conversation I understood that people are very badly impressed about Ginsberg, especially respectable persons, on account of his hippy tendencies. I of course supported our case that Ginsberg is a great friend of our society and we advise everyone to chant Hare Krishna, and I believe he also does so. Anyway, we should be very much careful to publish anything in our paper which will give impression to the public that we are inclined to the hippy movement. In our papers nothing should be published which has even a small tinge of hippy ideas. I must tell you in this connection that if you have any sympathies with the hippy movement you should kindly give it up. Regarding your coming here, it will be very nice. You will have no difficulty to stay with me. We have got two rooms: one occupied by me and one by Purusottama. So you can stay here or in the temple, as you like. In the case which we left behind with Brahmananda you will kindly find the following items and bring them here with you: one Bengali character Bhagavad-gita and Purusottama's copy of Bhagavad-gita As It Is. I hope this will find you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami PS: When you come here, please also bring with you the original manuscripts for Bhagavad-gita As It Is. Mandali Bhadra will translate into German. letters | 07:24 | August 27, 1969 Hamburg My Dear Brahmananda, Please accept my blessings. I am pleased to inform you that our journey from New York to Hamburg was very comfortable, and we safely arrived at the scheduled time. The boys were present to receive us, and the apartment they have selected is very nice. I am sending herewith a letter addressed to Hayagriva. The second part of the Ginsberg conversation article should not be published, and our policy should be to only publish our Krishna Consciousness articles in various forms. We are not concerned with any other movement save and except Krishna Consciousness in its pure form. In India it is said that a little bit of a pure thing is much better than huge volumes of impure, adulterated things. So please try to follow this policy and publish in BTG only pure Krishna Conscious articles. Regarding press starting, I have already given you necessary instructions, and again I say that you complete it as soon as possible. I wish to see the press is started when I go back to USA after my European tour, probably in the beginning of November. I received a note from one girl, Gita Rajput, and I am enclosing it herewith for your reference. If she comes to decorate in the temple, encourage her because a little service to Lord Krishna will protect one from the greatest calamity. That is the version of Bhagavad-gita. I think establishment of the Deities here will not be possible because the place is not very settled up. There is objection by the health department for performing kirtana. Anyway, they are doing very nicely, and in Monday's meeting one Dr. Franz Bernhard, a learned scholar in Indology, was there, and he is very interested in our movement. Yesterday I had discussion with him for about two hours and he is impressed, as you will find I have explained to Hayagriva in his letter. Please note also the items I have requested Hayagriva to bring here when he comes. I hope you are doing well, and I shall be glad to hear good news from you by return of post. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami P.S. I have got now connection with a firm dealing in musical instruments in Delhi. I think they are better than Dwarkin and Sons. P.S. Hand over to Hayagriva the enclosed letter. I didn't know where else to send it to him. letters | 06:20 | August 27, 1969 Hamburg My Dear Satsvarupa, Please accept my blessings. I am sure that you know I have come to Germany via New York on Monday morning. It is understood from different sources that Rayarama has written you a letter complaining that the charge of BTG has been taken from him without any justification. But the actual fact is that he was spending 600 dollars per month for maintenance of Iskcon Press with the result that the number of subscribers was only somewhere about 300. Most of the BTGs were being sold by our Sankirtana Party in Los Angeles. Anyway, the 600 dollars were to be saved for other useful purposes. Therefore, the staff engaged in Iskcon Press was dispersed, but Rayarama was there in his original position as managing editor. But since this expenditures was stopped, he is little bit sorry; so much so that he does not come regularly and practically he is inclined to give up our relationship. So I called him when I was in New York, but his attitude is different. I did not see him in the airport on my arrival or departure, neither did I see him at the function held on Sunday. So I think in the future you will have to take charge of managing BTG in consultation with Brahmananda when the press will be started in Boston. I have already decided to start the press, and I am glad to have your assurance that you will help in this respect, even with financial help. I thank you very much for this straightforward offer. Please let me know what is the position of the house at the present moment. You have promised to pay them 6,000 dollars down, and if it is possible, why not pay him the 6,000 down immediately. This will finish the transaction immediately instead of waiting for three months. I shall be glad to hear from you in details about this matter. I hope this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 04:17 | 21 August 2005 August 21, 1969 Los Angeles His Holiness Swami B.S. Bhagavata Maharaja Revered Sripada Bhagavata Maharaja, Kindly accept my humble obeisances. I beg to thank you very much for your letter dated 8th July, 1969, postmarked the 8th of August, 1969. I see this letter was addressed to me in New Vrindaban, and from there it was redirected to Los Angeles. I understand that you addressed another letter to me dated 6th June, 1969 addressed to my New Vrindaban address, but I did not receive that letter. Probably it is missing. I was expecting your reply of my letter dated May 23rd, 1969, and I am so glad to receive your letter in hand. I have also gone through the Memorandum of Articles of Association of your Mission and particularly seen the specific portion referred to in your letter in reply. I see it is in order, but similarly, we have also incorporated our International Society for Krishna Consciousness pursuant to the religious corporation laws of the state of New York. The main purposes of this institution are as follows amongst others: 1) To systematically propagate spiritual knowledge to society at large and to educate all peoples in the techniques of spiritual life in order to check the imbalance of values in life and to achieve real unity and peace in the world. 2) To propagate a consciousness of Krishna as it is revealed in the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam. 3) To bring the members of the Society together with each other and nearer to Krishna, the prime entity, and thus develop the idea, within the members and humanity at large that each soul is part and parcel of the quality of Godhead (Krishna). 4) To teach and encourage the Sankirtana movement, congregational chanting of the holy name of God as revealed in the teachings of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. So practically there is no difference of opinion in our missionary activities, especially because we all are deriving inspiration from His Divine Grace Prabhupada Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Maharaja. I think all of our Godbrothers are doing the same missionary activities without a doubt, but still the regrettable fact is we are doing all separately, not in conjunction. I have also read specifically your articles on the matter of acaryas, wherein on the 14th Paragraph I see the acharya shall be entitled to nominate in writing his successive acharya. But we do not find any record where our Srila Prabhupada nominated any acharya after Him. Different persons have interpreted on this point, and every one of our Godbrothers are acting as acharya, so this is a controversial point which I do not wish to enter into while we are proposing for cooperation. I think now we should cooperate fully for preaching the Mission of Srila Prabhupada. He very eagerly desired that the message of Lord Caitanya should be preached all over the world. About 40 years before, Sripada Bon Maharaja, guided by our senior old Tirtha Maharaja were sent to London, and perhaps Gaudiya Mission was established at that time. Since then, activities in foreign countries was practically stopped altogether. Although I was intimately connected with the Gaudiya Math institution, I was a householder. But when I first met His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada, He instructed me to preach in the foreign countries, but I could not do anything tangible on account of my family attachment. So after taking sannyasa in 1959 I prepared myself for coming to the foreign countries. As soon as three books were ready, Srimad-Bhagavatam, I started for New York in 1965. This was out of my inspiration in receipt from Srila Prabhupada, and it appears that my attempt in the foreign countries has become successful to a great extent. By my personal attempt I have established preaching centers numbering about two dozen, beginning from Hamburg to Tokyo. I think if my Godbrothers would have attempted similarly, preaching centers would have been established all over the world by this time. Therefore, I wish that Gaudiya Mission should send their preachers and establish different centers in different parts of the world. That will fulfill the Mission of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Maharaja. I know there is some difficulty in the matter of getting the passport and visa for preaching in foreign countries at the present moment, but if the Gaudiya Mission decides to send their representatives in all other parts of the world, I can help them in this matter. Similarly, I would also expect cooperation from all our Godbrothers in the matters where I require their help. This mutual cooperation can be established immediately. Apart from the point of the acharya question, I think everyone is working in his individual capacity. That may not be disturbed at the present moment, but if we concentrate our energies for spreading the message of Lord Caitanya all over the world, that will be right missionary activities on behalf of His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada. I thank you very much for inviting me to your head office in Calcutta for heart-to-heart talk and discussion. I shall be always glad to abide by this suggestion, but the thing is if I go to India, it will cost me at least Rs. 25,000 to go and come back. In this old age, wherever I go I take with me one personal assistant. This means if I go to India, I will have to take my secretary, and that means two return tickets also, as well as other expenses. But if something is tangibly understood on the line of cooperation, it will be not difficult for me to go and see the acharya of the Mission for the final decision. I am going to Germany the day after tomorrow via New York, and therefore my next address will be c.o Internationale Gesellschaft fur Krishna Bewusstein, 2 Hamburg 19, Eppendorfer Weg 11, West Germany. In the meantime I shall request you to cooperate with my missionary activities to supply me 10 mrdangas (kholes), first class and 50 pairs of karatalas, Navadvipa made, first class, every month to our different centers like New York, Los Angeles, London, Hamburg and Tokyo. Also I would request you to arrange for supplying Radha-Krishna Deities made in Vrindaban or Calcutta, 24" high, for our different centers. We can also cooperate in selling your books in our different centers, and similarly you can cooperate by selling our books in your different centers. So there is ample opportunity of cooperation in good will, and if we continue like that, in the near future it may be possible that we completely amalgamate both our institutions. I hope you will give your due consideration to my proposals and shall be glad to hear from you at your earliest convenience. Also please let me know if personally I can become a member of your society under Clause 3 on page 19 of the Memorandum. Please offer my humble obeisances to His Divine Grace Sripada B.K. Audulomi Maharaja and other Vaisnavas of the Math. Sincerely, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami enclosures: copies of news cuttings of our Rathayatra Festival, which we held in San Francisco, London, Boston, Ohio, and Hamburg. letters | 02:46 | August 21, 1969 Los Angeles My Dear Krishna das, Please accept my blessings. I thank you very much for your letter of 18th August, 1969, and today I have arranged to go to your place as follows: We shall arrive in Hamburg this Monday, August 25th, at 6:10. We are taking Lufthansa Airlines, flight 409. We are starting from Los Angeles at 8:00 AM on 23rd August, and reaching New York sometimes in the afternoon about 4:00 o'clock New York Time. I shall take rest there for 24 hours, and then start for Hamburg on Sunday, the 24th, and then reach Hamburg on Monday, the 25th at 6:10 AM. So kindly arrange to receive me. We are both starting together, Purusottama and myself. To inform you earlier I sent you one telegram this morning reading as follows: ARRIVING HAMBURG FLIGHT 409 LUFTHANSA AUGUST 25TH AT 6:10 AM. I hope you will do the needful, and as you are anxious to see me, similarly, I am also very much anxious to see you all. By the Grace of Krishna now the arrangement is complete to meet each other on the 25th of August. I am glad that you have arranged for a nice apartment on daily payment arrangement, and if by Krishna's Grace you find out a cheaper place in the meantime, we can transfer there. There will be no difficulty. You can also inform this message to Dr. Bernhard, and he can meet me sometime next week. I shall be glad to see him and talk with him. I hope you will receive this letter, sent by Special Delivery, at least by Sunday, and I hope in the meantime you have received my telegram as above mentioned. More when we meet. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 01:53 | |
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