a.c. bhaktivedanta swami
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| Prabhupada Letters :: 1972 a.c. bhaktivedanta swami |
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7 September 2007 Thursday, 7 September, 1972 New Vrndavana My dear Madhudvisa, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letters and Vyasa Puja offerings dated August 26, 1972. Your presentation of Vyasa Puja offering stands first. You are eligible for the first prize. Although it is imagination, still it is so nicely descriptive and systematic, that it proves how much you have perfect knowledge in other fields of activities, namely political, social, and economical. Thank you very much. Your ideas are not exactly imagination. It is factual, because the leaders of the society should have taken Krishna Consciousness in such serious attitude as described by you. The president of the United States, the Queen of England, the Communist leaders, all business magnates, all should have taken this movement seriously for the upliftment of human society. But because most of them are miscreants, rascals, lowest of the mankind, and lost of all real knowledge, they are still unaware of the importance of the Krishna Consciousness Movement. Indeed, however, it is our duty to enlighten them in different ways through our Sankirtana movement, so that one day may come very soon that they may be enlightened and take this movement with all seriousness and do the best thing for humankind. I thank you for two checks, one for $111.00 and one for $5.00. I am so glad that things in Australia are settled up, and I am confident that Mohanananda is a good boy although for the time being he is little disturbed, but if a good devotee like yourself can entreat him on my behalf, certainly he will come back and join the movement with fresh enthusiasm. I am so glad to learn that your Sankirtana movement is going on nicely. In this part of the world also, we have got several buses which are going all over your country and doing nicely. Yesterday I have seen one Sankirtana bus presented by Rupanuga Maharaja, complete with kitchen, shower, and deity room. It is completely self-sufficient and can keep 8 to 10 men. Their program is to remain on the road going from town to town and village to village. Lord Caitanya wanted this business, so by the parampara system through my Guru Maharaja and my humble self, the matter is handed over to you. Now it is up to you American boys and girls to do the needful. Hoping this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Labels: Australasia, buses, sankirtan letters | 19:30 |7 September, 1972 New Vrindaban My Dear Tamala Krishna, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated August 31, 1972 from Calcutta, and immediately on receipt of the letter, I have sent you a telegram to the Vrindaban address as advised by you, confirming your proposal for the Hyderabad program from November 17 to December 10. My immediate program is that I shall remain in Vrindaban from October 15 to November 15, and after that it will be possible for me to go to Hyderabad. Your preaching in Hyderabad has become very successful along with your other colleagues, Sriman Subala das Maharaja and others, and I thank you very much for your great success in this respect. As it is our motto on the head of Back to Godhead, "Godhead is light, nescience is darkness. Where there is Godhead there is no darkness." The whole world is full of darkness. The so-called yogis, swamis, mayavadis, scientists, philosophers, political leaders, all are different types of glowworms, so in the darkness of cloudy night during the rainy season, the croaking of the frogs and glitterings of the glowworms are supposed to be very prominent. But as soon as there is clear sunlight or moonlight, all these insignificant glowing and croaking disappear. So our movement is Krishna. The Krishna Consciousness Movement is nondifferent from Krishna. If we therefore present the Krishna Consciousness in right earnestness, then certainly all these insignificant glowworms and frogs will have no more importance. Please therefore take it very seriously and do it on the right path which is not very difficult, then certainly we will come out victorious all over the world. I have read all the newspaper cuttings and handbills very attentively, and I very much appreciate the counter presented by us against the vilificaion by the enemies. Sriman Subala das's reply in the paper with reference to the context of sastra are excellently gorgeous. He has given references from Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, Nectar of Devotion and Teachings of Lord Caitanya, and it is very nice. So Krishna is within everyone and He becomes revealed in proportion to our sincere service, Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau svayam eva sphuratyada. I am also glad that you have collected 25,000 rupees within three weeks with all great honor and prestige. Thank you very much. In Vrindaban I wanted a temple like Radha-Govindaji's and a simple residential quarter, but it has not yet begun due to so many reasons. Now when you have gone please do begin something without any delay. Our Bombay affair has been little muddled because the conveyance deed is not yet executed. I have sent Bhavananda to Bombay to look after the matter with Giriraja, but I do not know what is the resolution by this time. Anyway, let us work very diligently for Krishna all over the world, and our advancement will depend on our sincerity. Here in New Vrindaban, the Janmastami Festival continually from September 1 is going on very gorgeously. There are more than 500 guests and they are listening to Bhagavat Discourses with rapt attention, chanting and dancing. Many respectable Indians are coming. One Dr. Srivastava, professor of statistics at Colorado University, is interested in developing this scheme. Sriman Kirtanananda Maharaja has arranged very nicely. Everything is very satisfactory. Similarly, every one of us in charge of some activity may execute his responsibility in good Krishna Consciousness, and certainly things will come [PAGE MISSING] Labels: intellignet class, preachers, Vrindavan letters | 19:30 |4 September 2007 Monday, 4 September, 1972 New Vrindaban My dear Patty Dorgan, Please accept my blessings. I thank you very much for your letter dated September 1, 1972, and I have noted the contents with pleasure. I am so pleased to hear that you are living nicely with your parents and carrying on with your Krishna Consciousness activities. That is a good proposal. Never mind there maybe some inconvenience. Krishna always appreciates when his devotee makes some sacrifice on His behalf, so there is no real difficulty under any conditions so long as we remember the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Just like Prahlada Maharaja, he never asked Krishna for anything, oh Krishna please save me from my demon father, no. But because he was always remembering Krishna under all circumstances, Krishna saved him anyway, and when He became finally angry He came Himself and killed the demon father. But even Krishna came Himself, still Prahlada did not ask Him for any favors, only to please kindly have mercy upon my father. That is pure devotee. Of course we cannot imitate, but we should always try to remember the example of our predecessors and follow their example always. I am very much encouraged to hear that you want to open a Krishna Yoga Society branch in your high-school, along with Lalitananda. That will be the bet service to Lord Caitanya, and it is the best gift you can give me. 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: initiation, philosophy letters | 19:28 |4 September, 1972 New Vrindaban My dear Jadurani, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated August 31, 1972, and I have noted the contents. I am especially glad to hear that you have distributed 32 Bhagavad-gita As It Is in one day in New York. Now go on in this way and distribute all of our books profusely, as many as possible to all classes of men. Regarding your questions, second initiation is real initiation. First initiation is the preliminary, just to make him prepared, just like primary and secondary education. The first initiation gives him chance to become purified, and when he is actually purified then he is recognized as a brahmana and that means real initiation. The eternal bond between disciple and spiritual master begins from the first day he hears. Just like my spiritual master. In 1922 he said in our first meeting, you are educated boys, why don't you preach this cult. That was the beginning, now it is coming to fact. Therefore the relationship began from that day. If you think of me and work for me, then I am in your heart. If you love somebody he is in your heart. It is common thing, everyone understands it. If I hate somebody or if I love somebody he is also in my heart. Therefore simply by hating Krishna he gets salvation, like Kamsa. So if you want to hate, hate Krishna. There is no difference between me and my picture. Therefore we should honor and keep pictures in that spirit. If we throw pictures this way and that way, that is offense. The name and picture are as good as the person in spiritual world. In the material world either picture or person, everything is illusion. The spiritual master accepts the sinful activities of his disciples from the first initiation. I may give initiation very easily, but what can I do? I am prepared to go to hell for service of Lord Caitanya. Lord Brahma should always be shown front side. Hoping this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sda Labels: book distribution, initiation, New York, spiritual master letters | 19:28 |2 September 2007 Saturday, 2 September, 1972 New Vrindaban My dear Radha Damodara, Please accept my blessings. I thank you very much for your letter dated August 25, 1972, and I appreciate very much for your kind sentiments. Yes, the Bhagavata Dharma discourses here in New Vrindaban are going on very nicely and daily several hundred devotees and guests are coming to hear, and it is truly a wonderful time. I am glad to hear the nice report about St. Louis temple, and also that you are training yourself up nicely to be a serious preacher of this Krishna Consciousness movement. That much is wanted, sincere men who will become very strong for preaching work throughout the world, on behalf of Krishna. Now you apply yourself to this task very seriously and become learned in all the aspects of our Krishna Consciousness philosophy and take this opportunity in this lifetime to go back to Home, back to Godhead. That is my request. I have not yet seen the Devotee Sketch-book #2, but I shall see it when I again return to Los Angeles. Hoping this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS:sda Labels: Denver, preachers, St. Louis letters | 15:50 |2 September, 1972 New Vrindaban My dear Lalitananda, Please accept my blessings. Thank you very much for your letter dated August 26, 1972, and I have noted the contents carefully, along with your check for $50, which has been duly deposited in my Book Fund. Thank you very much. As for your questions, Lalitananda means one who takes his pleasure from Lalita, who is one of the chief Gopis around Krishna. So you are the servant of one who takes his bliss from Lalita. Yes, if there is arrangement for swinging the deities sometimes, that is all right. Anything may be done which will be pleasing to the Lord, and He is often fond of swinging motions. You may place cows and peacocks on the altar at Montreal, that will be nice. So far I am concerned, I have no objection if there is carved form of guru on the Guru-Gauranga altar, but one thing, is unless that sculptor is very excellent, it should not be attempted. How will you get photos from all angles of vision for the carving process? Unless it can be done very nicely, just perfectly realistic, he should not do it. Yes, God is always there in His Arca Vigraha form, either as Krishna or Rama or Caitanya, whatever. So He must be offered all respects as if He is there personally present, and if you are always sincerely chanting and following our Krishna Consciousness programme of chanting and other things you will very quickly develop the eyes to see Krishna there. So far installing deity in your home is concerned, better to wait until you move into the temple when you are little older. Meanwhile try and attend to the temple as often as you are able, and always without fail daily chant 16 rounds and follow the four prohibitive restrictions, and in due course of time you will feel yourself becoming happier more and more in Krishna Consciousness. Hoping this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sda Labels: deities, initiation letters | 15:49 | |
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