a.c. bhaktivedanta swami
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| Prabhupada Letters :: 1972 a.c. bhaktivedanta swami |
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19 May 2007 Friday, 19 May, 1972 Los Angeles My dear Aksoja, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 13 May 1972 and I have noted the contents. I have very much appreciated the enclosed photos of the Amsterdam activities. I am surely thinking to come to London for this year Rathayatra festival and if you like perhaps I can come to Amsterdam also if there is sufficient engagement there. At that time we can see about installing Lord Jagannatha in your temple. I was one time before in Amsterdam and I like that country very much. There are very many cows in that country and this especially is pleasing to me so if you can arrange some big engagement there then I shall gladly come. I have met also your elder sister in Auckland, New Zealand and your mother also was there and they are both very nice and improving in their Krsna consciousness thanks to you. Hoping this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACB/sda Labels: Amsterdam, Ratha Yatra letters | 09:57 |19 May, 1972 Los Angeles My dear Jagadisa, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated May 14, 1972 and I have noted the contents. Now I am in Los Angles and everything is going very nicely here. I think that you may also come here and see me. Rupanuga, Satsvarupa, and Bali Mardan are coming here also, at least before the 27th of this month because I am giving them the sannyasa order of life on that date along with Karandhara. However, there is certainly no urgency for taking sannyasa. But if my senior disciples wish to take sannyasa then I shall give it. But there is no urgency. Still, you may come as there are many things which we may discuss concerning GBC and other activities. Now I want to retire, and you all appointed GBC men must do the work that I am doing. Therefore, I have recommended this traveling extensively for the GBC men, just as I am doing it. If I did not travel there would be no nice organization. Traveling and preaching, that is the Sankirtana movement. But now I am old man; let me retire for writing books in my last years. Hoping this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta, Swami ACBS/sda Labels: GBC, sankirtan, sannyasa, Toronto letters | 09:56 |17 May 2007 Wednesday, 17 May, 1972 Los Angeles My Dear Satsvarupa, Please accept my blessings. I have received several letters from Hrdayananda requesting sacred thread initiation for Pusta Krishna and Mahamaya dasi in Houston centre. So now he has come to Los Angeles so I am sending you their threads and two copies of gayatri mantra enclosed. You may hold a fire yagna and give them both gayatri mantra. you know well how to do it. Another thing, I am giving sannyasa to Rupanuga, Karandhara and Bali Mardan and as you have also asked me, I shall also be pleased to give you sannyasa. The others are coming to Los Angeles by the 25th May, 1972, and the ceremony will be held on the 27th May. However, as I am most probably coming to Dallas on my return from Mexico City, it is more practical to give you sannyasa order of life at that time. If possible you can also come and take sannyasa along with others. Hoping this will find you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Labels: initiation, sannyasa letters | 09:56 |17 May, 1972 Honolulu My dear Jayapataka, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated May 5, 1972, and I have noted the contents. Yes, we shall personally supervise everything there at Mayapur, instead of giving everything to contractor. The engineer may simply see that things are being done properly and we shall see that the labor is working properly. Purchase first-class building materials, then there will be first-class building. So far your recommendation for getting money, this arrangement is approved. Accounts and money should be in one place. You have already got Rs. 1,10,000 from me, so if you submit account of this expenditure, you will receive more. All collections and Life Membership money should go to Bombay for deposit in the Building Fund. It is understood that Giriraja has asked Bhavananda for the Life Membership collections, but Bhavananda has not replied. What is the reason? Please do the needful. This fund shall never be used for maintenance. If there is shortage of maintenance, that fund will be also supplied from Bombay. "Child is the father of man," so if you can train these children in Krishna Consciousness by kind instruction, feeding them, it will be a great service to Lord Caitanya. For the last 50 years the Gaudiya Math people are there but their relationship with the local inhabitants is not so cordial. If we continue this philanthropic work to give them enlightenment and food without any discrimination, it will be appreciated by all people. This meeting in Navadvipa was certainly very important and I am very much pleased that Sriman Acyutananda Maharaja has established our position. Krishna will bless him. Let him preach in that spirit, that is required. Our mission is to establish God-consciousness. We can give more information about God from authentic literature. So every religion has got some relationship with God, that is preliminary understanding. But actually what is God, how we can understand Him, how He is working by His different energies, how He is creating, maintaining and annihilating--all this information we can give in details, therefore anyone who is interested in the matter of understanding God, they should give their patient hearing to our descriptions. The result will be that his faith in God will be increased. In other words, if any person who hears from us will become a greater lover of God and learn what is the highest perfection of life. Unless it is absolutely necessary we should not purchase land at such high price. For the time being we are going to construct the residential quarters and then we shall take up the temple portion. So I think we can wait for some time. If we become very eager to purchase, naturally they will want to raise price. More demand, higher price, less demand, lower price. That is the economic law. So do the needful according to the situation. But things must be done very nicely. Regarding Lalita Prasad Thakura's proposal, merging is possible in two ways: They become merged in our institution and we make it as one of our branches. In that case, as we are supplying all necessities to our branches, similarly, this branch will be also supported. When there is scarcity of money, everything will be provided by us. So in that case the management will be under our direction. Otherwise, if they want to keep their own identity then there is no other alternative than to take the land on lease. They can keep aside their portion independently, and the land which is given to us on lease, we keep ourselves independently. So far our relationship is concerned, even though we keep independent of one another, there will be no misunderstanding, because the central point is Bhaktivinode Thakura. Our only ambition is that the birthsite of Bhaktivinode Thakura must be gorgeous and attractive so that people may come to see from all parts of the world. Bhaktivinode Thakura is no longer localized. His holy name is being expanded along with Lord Caitanya's. So let them understand this point. They are occupying the place for more than 50 years and none of their men could fulfill the desire of Bhaktivinode Thakura in the matter of preaching in foreign countries. With this spirit we should combine. So next you can talk with them on this understanding. I can understand also that Lalita Prasad Thakura is very much favorable in giving us the concession but his assistants may be hesitating unnecessarily. Hoping this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sda P.S. Gitar Gan should be immediately composed where you took quotation before. I had asked for it to be composed long ago for sending to Japan, but so far no one has done it, I do not know why. Anyway, I think the price of the composing was only about Rs. 250 or Rs. 300, because the total printing cost was Rs. 672/-. Simply get it composed and the other things will be done in Japan. ACB Labels: Bhaktivinode, building, land, life members, Mayapur, printing letters | 09:56 |16 May 2007 Tuesday, 16 May, 1972 Honolulu My dear Gurudasa and Yamuna, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 5/5/72, and I have noted the contents. Yes, Tejiyas is a very good worker, and I very much appreciate, you may ask him to write me his report and I shall be very glad to hear from him. Your plan for collecting Rs. 6000 to 11,000 for each room, that is very nice process. Then rooms will be there always to receive the owners. There is a system, bhetnama, it means the person who contributes, for his lifetime the room is reserved for him and after his demise it goes to the temple. There are many buildings in Vrindaban which are constructed on this principle, and for Delhi men it will be very convenient. It takes only two hours by car--they can come on weekends, associate with the devotees, take prasadam, hear lectures on the philosophy. That will enlighten them. In Vrindaban, we must do something very grand and gorgeous, both in the matter of preaching and accommodating the educated class of devotees. Try to get that Import License. You can take any amount of books and sell them and utilize the money for building in Vrindaban, Mayapur and Bombay. And if possible, in exchange of the books, because for importing there must be some exchange through the Indian banks, so in exchange for books we can get mrdangas, deities, arati articles, like that. So in that way wholly or partly the books may be "purchased" by you. And you may get men to donate the deities, mrdangas, etc. That will be good exchange program. Hoping this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sda n.b. Immediately install one strong letterbox for ISKCON outside the Radha Damodara Temple. Syamasundara. has heard from Devananda that 50% of mail coming there is opened by someone else. So advise the postmaster that all mail for us be dropped in our box. Or, better, one man can go daily to the post-office mornings between 8 and 8:30 and he may be introduced to the postmaster to be authorized for taking delivery of all our mail. Bon Maharaja does like that. ACBS P.S Ksirodakasayi requested for 4 copies of Vrindaban Temple plans blue copies, so I am sending them per separate regd. post parcel. Now present them to the Municipality and get them passed as soon as possible. They are approved by me. ACBS Labels: bank, life members, management, Vrindaban letters | 09:55 |16 May, 1972 Honolulu My dear Acyutananda, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated May 9, 1972, and you have done very nicely in the meeting at Navadvipa. You have done right, that is the proper spirit. Sometime ago you asked my permission for accepting some disciples, now the time is approaching very soon when you will have many disciples by your strong preaching work. Stick to the line of our strong preaching method and many misguided persons will be blessed by your proper guiding. I have already advised Tamala Krishna Goswami to go to Bangladesh and if you also sometimes join with him and preach this Krishna Consciousness movement amongst the Mohammedans in Bangladesh, it will be a great service. So far the practical side is concerned, as it was possible to attract so many Christians and Jews to this movement in your country, similarly, it is possible to attract the Muslims in Bangladesh by administering the right medicine. So try your best and Krishna will help you. You keep in touch with me like this and I shall try to give you direction as far as possible. But it is a good attempt and we may continue the adventure, praying always Lord Caitanya may bestow His blessings. You have been offered to be secretary of some committee to protest against Jagabandhu and others claiming to be incarnations. So keep that position, it will be a great credit for our institution. I am enclosing the copy of one letter I have sent to Golan Ahmand Murtuza for your consideration. Thank you very much for helping me in this way. Hoping this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sda Labels: Mayapur, Muslims, preachers letters | 09:54 |16 May, 1972 Los Angeles My Dear Madhudvisa, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated May 9, 1972, and I have noted the contents. By now you have received our request for you to become the GBC man for South-east Asia, South Pacific zone. If you like, you may take up this post and travel extensively through that zone and do something wonderful there. I think Sudama Vipra Maharaja and one assistant have gone to Manila in the Philippine Islands and their report is very encouraging. So I shall be very anxious to hear your reply in this connection. So far the Akash Ganga people, I think they shall remain quiet. Regarding your questions, generally we do not discuss these incidents because a devotee of Lord Caitanya does not feel very happy to discuss them. But so far we have heard from authorized sources, He simultaneously entered Jagannatha Temple and Gopinatha Temple in Puri and He did not come out. That much is sufficient. The living entities are not created, the material world is created. Just like a building is constructed, not the inhabitants. Sometimes the word created is used in connection with the living entity, but then it is to be understood that it refers to the manifestation of the marginal energy of Krishna. We say that the spiritual world is a creation of the spiritual energy, but actually the spiritual world is never created and it is just to indicate to what department it belongs. The living entity is the manifestation of the marginal energy of Krishna, and Krishna's energy is everywhere, so the living entity is also spread everywhere. Just like the sunshine is composed of small particles, so sunshine is distributed all over the universe, so also the shining particles are distributed. Similarly, the atomic living entities are existent in the Brahmajyoti and the Brahmajyoti is distributed everywhere, so the living entities are also spread everywhere. Their another name is sarvaga, all-pervading. Hoping this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Labels: Australasia, GBC, philosophy, questions letters | 09:53 |16 May, 1972 Honolulu My dear Bhavananda, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated May 9, 1972, and I have noted the contents. Last time when I was in India you told me that Lalita Prasad wanted to see me and according to his desire I saw him. And the proposal was accepted by him. Now it appears he has changed his mind so what can be done? For the time being, forget the transaction and later on we shall see. There is no haste. Regarding Gitar Gan composition quotation, I do not know which heavenly press you have gone to take the quotation--it is simple cheating. Jayapataka took the quotation from one press, which quotation included printing, paper, everything, 10,000 books for Rs. 4,000. This rascal wants so much. It is simply joking. Anyway, I think you cannot find out, let Jayapataka find out. The composition charges should not be more than Rs. 250 for 100 pages, very small pages. You can attempt to get it composed by the linotype machine in Juganta Press, owned by Tarun Kanti Ghosh. If it is attempted, he may give it free. Simply for composing there is no problem. If it is printed on linotype it is always new type. Why you have not mentioned Mayapur in your letter? Now the Building Fund is fixed up in Bombay, and all the Life Member collections and Building Fund collections must go there. Giriraja has written you one letter but you have not replied it. Life Member money cannot be spent for eating and sleeping. The landlord K. Prasad Singharoy has written me one letter complaining that there was a fight between our men and some outsiders, servant class men, and he says that it is disturbing to the whole area. Perhaps he's designing to eject us on these grounds. I shall be glad to hear from you what is the actual position. Have Srimati and Malati gone there? If so, what are they doing there? They left Bombay on ground that they have not sufficient engagement, so if they have come to Calcutta, what engagement is allotted for them? Hoping this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ada Labels: building, Calcutta, disagreement, Mayapur, printing letters | 09:52 |16 May, 1972 Honolulu My dear Tamala Krishna, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 9th May, 1972, and I have noted the contents. Why the construction work has not yet begun? The materials were collected long ago, piles of building materials but no building. Why the plinth work is not yet begun? What is the matter? Bhavananda has just written to me also, but he also has not mentioned anything. Before you depart for Bangladesh, kindly send me photos of the construction. I have read the letter from Turya ___, so he is anxious to get our papers, so arrange to send him our English and Bengali literature and advise he should regularly get all our papers. When you go there, on cooperation with him you can establish a center in Bangladesh by mutual arrangement, and that will be very suitable for your preaching. If the Americans can take up this movement seriously, why not the Bangladesh people? Try to meet with this educated public, and if you can convince them, it will be a great service. We are trying to unify the whole population of this globe by this cultural movement. There are blessings of Lord Caitanya in this connection, and if we try sincerely it will be successful. Now many devotees have come from U.S.A. You wanted 100 men and so now there are about 100 men, and many have come to Bombay, so engage all of them in book distribution specifically, and take with you some kirtana party, as many as you like. Hoping this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sda Labels: book distribution, building, Calcutta, Mayapur, preachers letters | 09:52 |15 May 2007 Monday, 15 May, 1972 Honolulu My Dear Giriraja, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated May 5, 1972, and I was anxiously awaiting for this. So actually we have taken a very responsible task on behalf of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. At the present moment, to speak the truth, the whole population of the world are demons and animals. It may be a very strong aspersion on the people of the world, but this is the fact. But still, because they are part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, so originally they were pure and therefore it is the mission of Krishna to get back His parts and parcels to home, exactly like a father likes to get back his son at home because this son had gone out of home for false happiness. But the people are so mad, they are talking so many nonsense things - nonsense philosophy, nonsense science - and our task is to meet all of them and at the same time pacify them in their lunatic condition. So I am sure you are a very good soul to act on behalf of Krishna, and do it nicely. Krishna will give you the proper intelligence. He is sitting in your heart. Simply he wants to see us working sincerely. I have received reports from Mahamsa and Cyavana, and it appears they are doing nicely. Some of the men, however are complaining they have no sufficient engagement. Two girls have left already Bombay and their complaint was that they had no sufficient engagement. Similarly I have received letters from Puranjana, Varadhana, and Atmarama and either they are not willing to work according to direction or otherwise, how do they complain there is no sufficient engagement? I think there is more than sufficient engagement for everyone. We have got so much to do. We have to deal with so many men with different personalities. So kindly utilize their energies and at the same time keep them satisfied. That is leadership. If one man is appointed as leader, all must follow him and be obedient. "Obedience is the first law of discipline." They are pointing out irregularities, but they themselves are not doing their duty, so they are pointing out the irregularities in others. They came to serve, now they don't want to serve so there is some excuse. Oh, irregularity, let me go away. The workers should not suggest irregularities. I am pleased you are selling many Krishna Books daily. All our men should go with books. There is sufficient engagement. If Indira devi has approved Rs. 4700/- for that job, that's all right, pay it. One thing: Don't rent tarpaulin, that is money lost. Better to purchase and get for cheaper price. What is the Rs. 7,500/- paid to Mr. Nair. On what account that is paid? So far the building plans, they are nice. I have already sent telegram to Cyavana reading as follows "Fully approve your plans. Go forward immediately" and I have sent you the copy of plan with sketch of domes on the temple roof. So do the needful. So far our investing, where is our money to invest? We have no money to invest. Our process is to collect and spend, from left hand to right hand, or from right hand to left hand. So far you are revising your plan to fit the Los Angeles skyscraper, I do not say that is necessary, it is only a suggestion. Whichever is nicer, you do. Cyavana says that the L.A. skyscraper is impractical for India because it will have to be air-conditioned, so there is no need to follow this plan if it is impractical there. But I am thinking to invest some money to provide for maintaining Vrindaban and Mayapur temples. So in that case, we can follow Indira's instructions, but this will be done when we go back to India, not now. So far the scheme to give Rs. 10,000 and get Rs. 12,000 in return, it is not bad proposal, but we shall think it over and let you know. About the business proposed by Indira's brother, yes, we can give some land on condition that 50% of profit he gives us, but we cannot guarantee that our men will work. We have had bad experience in this partnership business in New York with Mr. Kallman, so we are not going to do that anymore. As far as possible we shall not deal in business. That will not be very good for our spiritual progress. But if somebody contributes for our good cause, that is different. I have suggested in previous letters that we want persons to live in our house who will observe our devotional regulations. We want to pick up some devotees who will be satisfied with regulated life, daily having darsana of the deity, chanting - we want some selected men to live with us, either as cooperative housing society or however. So far prasada distribution, it is not a question of rich or poor. That will be Karma Kanda. Our program therefore is that we offer prasada to everyone. Make our temple so nice that everyone who comes is offered some prasada. Not that we are after poor men. It is nice that we are feeding 200 daily, but gradually try to increase. But do not advertise, we shall be self-advertising. And do not go to poor areas, this is not our philosophy. Our philosophy is prasada distribution, without discrimination rich or poor. I am writing to Bhavananda, he cannot spend membership money. Regarding books, posters, and stamps, I am writing to Karandhara that he should send you all of these things at cost price, and the cost can be deducted from the Mayapur Fund in U.S.A. I think if you get these stamps, every businessman in Bombay will take. Somehow or other we have to make vigorous propaganda. These two words "Hare Krishna" must appear everywhere. So if we work sincerely without any material aspirations, Krishna will help in all respects, be assured. So far the donation of roses, utilize them nicely. There will be flowers for the deity, it will be a great service. Nara Narayana is enthusiastic so let him do this work. One thing: why you and Cyavana are sending carbon-copies of your letters to Brahmananda? What is the use, he is not returning, he has to manage African affairs. You have to manage there with your assistants. I have received the Hindi article sent by you written by Mangalananda Goutam, and this gentleman is known to me, and it is written nicely. So I am enclosing herewith one letter for him, you can forward. Hoping this meets you in good health, Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sda Labels: Bombay, building, land, management, prasadam distribution letters | 09:51 |15 May, 1972 Honolulu My dear Ranadhira, Please accept my blessings. We have received you letter dated 3/18/72 recommending Katila dasi for second initiation. Enclosed please find one copy of gayatri mantra. Hold a fire yajna and give gayatri mantra to her. Rupanuga has got a tape of me reciting gayatri mantra, so you can get a copy from him. One thing is that the tape should be heard through earphones into the right ear. Hoping this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sda Labels: initiation, Pittsburgh letters | 09:51 |14 May 2007 Sunday, 14 May, 1972 Honolulu My dear Jayananda, Trai, and Rsabhadeva, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letters dated May 9, 1972, and have noted the contents carefully. I have no objection to any of the points mentioned therein by you. Only thing is, we must try to avoid becoming too much overly organized like the material businessmen. Our business is to ourselves become Krishna conscious, advance in spiritual life, and to preach to others how they can also take advantage and come to the perfectional stage of life. Too much business or paperwork, vouchers, plans, these things become too much cumbersome for our spiritual growth, they take us away from our real emphasis of work, namely, to go back to Home, back to Godhead. But I think your plan is not like that, so far I can see. It is practical and to the point. But now you must do it very nicely and complete it. Not that we make some plan, change things, then do not complete it, again change, this way, that way--no. There was some plan by Kesava to purchase a new San Francisco temple in a better part of the city. What happened to that plan? I shall be coming to Los Angeles by Thursday, May 18th. So we shall discuss later. When I shall come there, I shall be glad to give sannyasa order to Jayananda, as Kesava has recommmended. Hoping this meets you all in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sda Labels: management, San Francisco letters | 20:54 |May 14, 1972 Los Angeles (after the 18th) My dear son, Please accept my blessings. Upon the recommendation of Balavanta I have gladly consented to accept you as my duly initiated disciple. Your beads have been duly chanted by me and they are sent under separate post. Your spiritual name is Radha Mohan das Brahmacary. I am so glad to learn that you have been such a great help to Balavanta there in our Atlanta center. I can understand that you are a very sincere boy and that you are a very eligible candidate for going back to home, back to Godhead. And the process is simple. Follow the regulative principles, chant at least 16 rounds of beads daily, read our literatures, go for street sankirtan, etc. In this way keep yourself engaged in Krishna’s business 24 hours and you will be really happy in this life and in the end you will reach the Supreme destination. Hoping this will meet you in good health and happy mood. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/nkd Labels: Atlanta, initiation letters | 20:53 |14 May, 1972 Honolulu My dear Jagadisa, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated May 8, 1972, and I have noted the contents. I am very much encouraged by your increase in literature distribution for Canada zone, and I can understand that you are very methodical and careful to keep proper accounts. That is very good qualification for manager. Now one thing, as you know we are thinking to re-distribute our GBC secretaries around the world, so I am wondering, if you shall be willing to go to some other part of the world for managing things there? Another question, whether or not you are speaking French language nicely? Kindly inform me at Los Angeles Temple, where I am going on May 18th from Honolulu. Hoping this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sda Labels: book distribution, management, Toronto letters | 20:52 |14 May, 1972 Honolulu My dear Jadurani, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated May 10, 1972, along with Bali Mardan's letter. I am replying Bali Mardan's letter after I have heard from him regarding the proposal by Dai Nippon to print all our foreign-language BTG's simultaneously. Regarding your questions, Kasyapa Muni is inside his hut, or hermitage, which is just a garden cottage or like our Mayapur cottage if you have got one photo. Sri Hari met the Four Kumaras. The seven walls surround Vaikuntha, with seven gates, just like a building may be located there, but you have to pass through seven gates and courtyards, with walls surrounding, to reach there. Gardens, houses, everything is there between the walls. Hoping this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sda Labels: art, New York, questions letters | 20:52 |14 May, 1972 Los Angeles My dear Satsvarupa, Please accept my blessings. I have received your letter dated May 12, 1972, and have noted the contents. I am encouraged to hear that you are prepared to take sannyas and travel widely for GBC's real business. I am thinking to go to Mexico City by end of this month or first of June, and we shall stay there for one week, and, as you have invited me to come there several times, I am thinking to return to Los Angeles by way of Dallas. I can stay in Dallas for several days, so you can arrange like that. We shall discuss more at that time. Hoping this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 20:51 | 13 May 2007 Saturday, 13 May, 1972 Honolulu My dear Gurudasa, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated May 5, 1972, and I have noted the contents. You can accept Suri's plan, it is very nice, so you execute it perfectly. That will be the grandest temple in Vrindaban. May be a little costly, but if you can collect Rs. 25,000 per month and also Gargamuni can collect Rs. 25,000 per month, then it can be done nicely. In the Hindi BTG there are so many mistakes, spelling, grammar, and some places the philosophy is faulty with some other ideas mixed in; the printing is shabby, the second page is almost invisible. So this has to be improved somehow or other. Dr. Kapoor has remarked exactly. So you may inform Ksirodakasayi, and you try to help him for improving Hindi BTG. You must construct something wonderful. Otherwise, it will be a discredit to you American boys. That will exalt the position of America in India. And in every temple food distribution must go on profusely with American food supplies. Have the Americans given us the food supplies, is there any tangible donation? Or is it simply promises? If we can supply some proof they have given us such and such amount of foodstuffs, some document, that will help us in all parts of the world as propaganda and for approaching your country's government in other places for supplying us. So if you have got such document, kindly send me one copy. If we open a branch in Madras, actually there are so many poor children there. Spiritual education and food, that is proper. Simply supplying food is nonsense. Spiritual education means just to inject in their ears about our philosophy, externally they chant beads, wear tilak, without any discrimination of Hindu or Muslim or anything. So I am very much encouraged by your letters, and I am confident I have entrusted this Vrindaban project, which is one of the most important of our this ISKCON, to the right persons, namely, yourself, your good wife, Yamuna devi, and Ksirodakasayi Prabhu. So kindly offer the others my blessings. Hoping this meets you all in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sda Labels: building, gurukula, prasadam distribution, publishing, Vrindaban letters | 20:51 | |
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