a.c. bhaktivedanta swami
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| Prabhupada Letters :: 1972 a.c. bhaktivedanta swami |
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15 December 2007 Friday, 15 December, 1972 Ahmedabad My dear Nirmala, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated nil and thank you very much for the nice sentiments expressed therein. We have neither changed our plan nor have we any intention of changing our plan of developing Hare Krishna Land in Bombay. We shall stick to the place to the last moment and we require your cooperation very much. I am coming to Bombay on Monday the 18th instant by 11:30 a.m. by flight No.461 and shall be glad to see you at the following address: c/o Karttikeya Mahadevia Mafatlal Park Warden Road, Bombay Hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/pda letters | 13:08 | 15 December, 1972 Ahmedabad My dear Capt. Singhal, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter and have noted the contents carefully. I shall be the last man to give up the Hare Krishna Land to the rogue Mr. Nair. He has taken our money but tactfullly has not given us the conveyance. He wanted to take farther Rs. 300,000 by similar tactics, but we have saved the situation for the time being. Now I am going to Bombay on Monday and shall be staying at the following address: C/o Karttikeye Mahadevia. Your suggestion to hold a meeting of the Life members is very much welcomed. I wish that a meeting as suggested by you may take place on the Hare Krishna Land immediately. Please come and see me on Monday conveniently after 4:30 pm and we shall talk about it. The land is still in our possession and we are not going to leave this land so easily. More when we meet. Hope this meets you in good health, Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sda Labels: Bombay, land, life members letters | 13:07 |14 December 2007 Thursday, 14 December, 1972 Ahmedabad Byron's Bay, Australia My dear Tusta Krishna, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letters dated November 18, November 22, and December 3, 1972. I have heard that you are having some difficulties, so I have sent Siddhasvarupa there to help you. Now try to keep a cool head under all circumstances and always remember that Krishna will protect you in any case, you haven't to worry anything. I think that without you the New Zealand affair will not go on. But now you are leaving there to live on some farm in Australia. Of course, our serving Krishna is voluntary affair, so what can I say? If you think that is the best choice, I must agree, otherwise you might go away altogether. Anyway we shall discuss in detail if I come there in future. Regarding your questions in the letter of November 18, 1972, you have asked me if the spiritual master is ultimately Krishna, so the answer must be that if you think that way then everyone is Krishna. So why we should think like this? Saktyavesa Avatara means a living entity, but he is specially empowered. Not that he is Krishna. But on account of his exalted position he is honoured as much as Krishna. Not that he is Krishna. That is Mayavadi. He acts in the position of Krishna, but he is not Krishna, he is very dear to Krishna. That is explained: (here the verse was quoted: yasya prasadat bhagavata prasadat . . .) The spiritual master is acting in the position of Krishna because he is the most confidential servant of Krishna. Your next question, after leaving this material realm does the devotee remain forever with his spiritual master? The answer is yes. But I think you have got the mistaken idea in this connection. You speak of pure devotee, that he is saktyavesa avatara, that we should obey him only--these things are the wrong idea. If anyone thinks like that, that a pure devotee should be obeyed and no one else, that means he is a nonsense. We advise everyone to address one another as Prabhu. Prabhu means master, so how the master should be disobeyed? Others, they are also pure devotees. All of my disciples are pure devotees. Anyone sincerely serving the spiritual master is a pure devotee, it may be Siddhasvarupa or others, a-Siddhasvarupa. This must be very clearly stated. It is not only that your Siddhasvarupa is a pure devotee and not others. Do not try to make a faction. Siddhasvarupa is a good soul. But others should not be misled. Anyone who is surrendered to the spiritual master is a pure devotee, it doesn't matter if Siddhasvarupa or non-Siddhasvarupa. Amongst ourselves one should respect others as Prabhu, master, one another. As soon as we distinguish here is a pure devotee, here is a non-pure devotee, that means I am a nonsense. Why you only want to be in the spiritual sky with Siddhasvarupa? Why not all? If Siddhasvarupa can go, why not everyone? Siddhasvarupa will go, you will go, Syamasundara. will go, all others will go. We will have another ISKCON there. Of course, Mr. Nair must stay. And if somebody does not go, then I shall have to come back to take him there. One should remember this and every one of my disciples should act in such a way that they may go with me and may not have to come back to take another birth. As for your next question, can only a few pure devotees deliver others, anyone, if he is a pure devotee he can deliver others, he can become spiritual master. But unless he on that platform he should not attempt it. Then both of them will to go to hell, like blind men leading the blind. Next you ask if I am present in my picture and form? Yes. In form as well as in teachings. To carry out the teachings of guru is more important than to worship the form, but none of them should be neglected. Form is called vapu and teachings is called vani. Both should be worshiped. Vani is more important than vapu. Your next question is, should we love Krishna or love the spiritual master: You cannot go to Krishna directly, loving Him. It is common sense that if Krishna is the object of your love, His pet dog is also the object of your love. Friends meet friends and if the friend is with his dog the gentleman pats his dog first, is it not? So the man becomes automatically pleased, his dog being patted. I have seen it in your country. The conclusion is this: Without pleasing the spiritual master he cannot please Krishna. If anyone tries to please Krishna directly, he's fool number one. Hoping this meets you and your good wife, Krishna Tulasi dasi, in good health and devotional mood. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sda Labels: Australasia, disagreement, questions, spiritual master letters | 13:06 |14 December, 1972 Ahmedabad My dear Karandhara/Bali Mardan, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your several telegrams. I have replied by telegram as follows: YES YOU CAN USE BOTH THE FUNDS IF IT IS A GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR NEW YORK GORGEOUS TEMPLE. One thing is, that you should inform me in detail and send the plans of that place, along with how you shall make all the payments. You may repay me the $80,000 gradually by paying the money to Dai Nippon and shipping books to India, as they require, and they shall pay Rupees there into our M-V Trust Fund Account in Indian Bank. Another thing, Syamasundara is going to London in one or two weeks for some other urgent business, so he shall see what is the position for getting the house there, and if there is no urgent need to use it there at London he may send the money you had sent for down-payment back to New York. If there is any immediate need to utilize the money for the London house, we shall make some suitable adjustment. Hoping this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sda Labels: building, Los Angeles, M-V Trust, New York letters | 13:06 |14 December, 1972 Ahmedabad My dear Visvambhara, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated November 23, 1972, and I have noted the contents carefully. Regarding your four questions, I am replying them one by one. But these things should not be asked until you have first of all asked them to the GBC men. Whatever they say you should accept, but if they cannot satisfy you, then you may ask. But I have answered these questions many times, why you are not learning these things? (1) So far your question about the Gopis, in the beginning there is no such question. In the beginning we have to follow the principles of devotional service rigidly, like chanting 16 rounds, regularly following the instructions of the Spiritual Master, which includes study, temple worship, sankirtana, like that. And the more one become perfect at following these principles, the more his relationship with Krishna becomes manifest. Following in the footsteps of Gopis comes in the perfectional stage. First you come to the perfectional stage, then you talk of Gopis. Going to girls and making them pregnant, then talking of Gopis, that is going on, that is nonsense. Without coming to the perfectional stage, if anyone tries to understand the Gopis he becomes a sahajiya. Gopis are not ordinary women, they are all expansions of Krishna's pleasure potency. So when we understand Krishna, then we shall understand Gopis. We can simply follow foot prints of Gopi how they loved Krsna. (2) You mention there is fighting and making politics in the temple. But that is your previous qualification. That means you could not give up your qualification. You or anyone. So you should be careful not to revive your old qualifications. It is the business of the Temple President to check it. If such things are happening, it should be brought to the notice of the President. How I can judge from here? It may be you who are fighting and making politics, it may be you who is wrong. It is up to the President to judge. But we must always be enthusiastic to serve, that's a fact, so much so that we will gradually reduce eating and sleeping and save time for Krishna's service. (3) Regarding your question, what is the difference between Krishna and the deity, that is nonsense. There is no difference between Krishna and the Deity. Anyone who sees such difference, he has not understood the philosophy. There is nothing like that: inside and outside the Deity. This is Dr. Radha-Krishna's philosophy: "It is not to the Krishna, but to the inside Krishna." (4) You have asked about "chemical changes of consciousness" or drugs, and if these may ever be utilized in Krishna's service. To change consciousness, therefore the Spiritual Master is there. Do not do anything whimsically, like taking these drugs, that will ruin everything. Because you are imperfect you require help from the Perfect, and anything material like drugs is imperfect. So do not be distracted by contemplating in this way. This chemical is intoxicant, it will not help, it will send you to hell. So if you have received initiation, then you have got the instruction no intoxication. So why do you ask this? That means that you have still addiction to these intoxicants. It was said, and you promised, no intoxication, so why do you think of this? Hoping this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sda Labels: Montreal, questions, regulative principles letters | 12:49 |14 December,1972 Bombay Dear sir, Re. Our Account No. 14538. With reference to the above Account in the name of the International Society for Krishna consciousness Book Fund, said Account shall be closed and terminated, after first transferring (1) the sum of Rs. 10,000/= (Rupees Ten thousand Only) to our Account No., Central Bank of India, Head Branch, Flora Fountain, Bombay-l, (ISKCON Building Fund Account), and (2) the sum of Rs. 19,000/= (Rupees Nineteen Thousand Only) to my personal Account No. 14876 with your Bank CBI, Gwalior Tank Branch. The entire balance in the above Account, after transferring the above mentioned two sums, shall be divided as follows: (1) Re. 1,00,000/= (Rupees One Lakh only)shall be entered into a Fixed Term Deposit for the period of Fifteen Days (15 Days) Only, after which time it shall be transferred as per my Advice; I, the undersigned, shall be the sole operator; (2) Rs. 1,00,000/= (Rupees One Lakh Only) shall be entered into a Fixed Term Deposit, being divided into Two sums of Rs. 50,000/= (Rupees Fifty Thousand ), each sum for the period of Six Months Only (6 months); furthermore, a Recurring Interest Account shall be opened in my name and the Interest on this Amount shall be transferred monthly into the Recurring Interest Account; furthermore, the said Fixed Term Deposit Account shall be in the name of "Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Fund," as per the enclosed copy of the Trust Agreement, and I, the undersigned, shall be the sole operator of the Account; furthermore, in the case of any emergency the two Members of the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, besides myself, may be called upon to enter and withdraw funds into and from the Account as may be necessary, and their signatures specimens are enclosed herewith; (3) The remaining Balance of the ISKCON Book Fund, deducting the sums of Rs. 10,000/=, Re, 19,000/=, Rs. 1,00,000/= and Rs. 1,00,000/=, or total of Re. 2,29,000/0# as indicated above, shall be entered into a Fixed Term Deposit, being divided into Two sums, one of Rs. 50,000/= (Rupees Fifty Thousand Only) and one of the remaining portion, each sum for the period of One Year Only (1 Year); furthermore, monthly interest on these Amounts shall be transferred monthly into the Recurring Interest Account mentioned in the above (2); furthermore, the said Fixed Term Deposit Account shall be in the name of "Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Fund," as per above (2), I, the undersigned, being the sole operator. Kindly return the copy of the Trust Agreement at your earliest convenience, and oblige. If there are any more points to be discussed I shall be in Bombay in about a week's time. Yours faithfully, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sda Labels: bank letters | 12:30 |13 December 2007 Wednesday, 13 December, 1972 Ahmedabad My dear Sukadeva, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your kind letter dated November 13, 1972, and I have noted the contents with great care. I am so glad to receive your report after such long time, and it appears that everything is improving more and more, by Krishna's grace. I like this idea of distributing books and preaching, that is Lord Caitanya's plan, and because you are doing it so nicely you are already making the greatest contribution, so what need there is for some special instruction from me? But if you want, I must give, because you are serving Krishna so nicely, so in that case my request to you is that you enter into the universities and colleges wherever possible and preach there with a view to recruiting some first-class devotees for helping me manage and push on this movement all over the world. Overall there is shortage of first-class, experienced men to manage things just to the highest standard, as you are doing. Therefore I am calling upon you the big leaders to push this idea forward, namely, to attract some educated men to join us. The idea is that they will only agree to join us if we ourselves conduct ourselves intelligently by the preaching approach. The secret will be to engage them as they like to be engaged, that is, supposing I have got some education, I am business student, or I have got some skill or talent, I am typist or musician or something like that, so I will like to utilize these things for Krishna only if I am encouraged in a certain way, very tactfully. I must not be discouraged by too much forcing me at first to accept everything of shaving the head, rising very early, going for street sankirtana, like that. No, let me come gradually, let me study also Krishna Consciousness and see how it is practical and sublime. Gradually I may get some taste for these other things and agree to do them voluntarily and intelligently. We are not dogma or like army-camp, no. We are servants of Krishna, that means because we understand that Krishna is our Protector under all circumstances, we have no more any anxiety, so we become very liberal and tolerant of all kinds of seeing others' sinful activities, and we see them innocent victims of maya, and we try to help them understand what is the real position of life. So you know this art, how to attract and engage men, so aim yourself at the top-class of men and give them every opportunity and facility to become convinced of our philosophy and engage themselves to their satisfaction. That will be the best contribution. Now spread this idea also to the other leaders. So now I do not think there will be any difficulty for you to fill your Seattle centre with the best devotees in our Movement, and then I shall be very glad to come there at next opportunity to give them all my personal instruction. In this way, appeal yourself to the high class of men, not the mass. Mass, too, we do not eliminate anyone, but if best men are there to run on things, mass will follow later. Upon your recommendation I am accepting the three persons to be my duly initiated disciples and their letter and beads are enclosed herewith. You may report me from time to time how you are making progress. Hoping this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sda Labels: college preaching, initiation, intellignet class, Seattle letters | 13:04 |13 December, 197 Ahmedabad 19, Douglas Street, Milton, (Brisbane), Queensland, Australia 4064 My dear Upendra, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated November 14, 1972, and I am very, very happy to hear from you that you have started one new ISKCON center at Brisbane, Australia. I do not know if Madhudvisa has made any arrangement for me to come there, I have not heard from him in that connection, but he has invited me to come there, so if I get the opportunity I shall be glad to visit you at Brisbane as well. As for your taking sannyas, that we shall see when I shall come there. For the time being do not disturb yourself or your wife in this matter, there is sufficient time. As for your opening still another center, if you are only few men there it will be better to stick there for some time and develop everything first. If we open so many centers and then later there is difficulty to maintain them because insufficient men, or if we have to close them, then what is the use. We are not after so many centers, but we want to make devotees, pure devotees of Krishna, that is all. Better one temple with sufficient strong men than many temples with few strong men. Do not open temples simply for the sake of adding some numbers. Let us see the success of one temple, then we shall discuss opening other center. You have named your child Bhakta Saumya Abhay Charan Dasa, so that’s all right. But if you leave your wife with such new-born child, to open other center or take sannyas, what will be the result or benefit of mother alone with child? There must be some proper arrangement, that is not our policy to get married an go away without any responsibility for these things. Husband-wife means he must accept responsibility for her his life-long, it is not such light matter we can reject and do as we like, no. Better I think you stick there for some time more, live peacefully husband and wife, and develop the temple to your full capacity. Later on we shall see to other things. Hoping this meets you in good health, Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sda Labels: Australasia, children, management, wife letters | 13:03 |13 December, 1972 Ahmedabad My dear Balavanta, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated November 13, 1972, and I have noted the contents with great care. I have had a good laugh and enjoyed your tricking the opponent candidates in election race, especially in front of the college students. That is a very good sign. Now I want that we shall recruit more and more our men amongst the intelligent class of men. They, because they are little educated or they have got some wealth or fame or ability, so they will be sometimes little puffed-up, but that is all right, they deserve it. Now we shall have to learn the art how to approach such higher-class of men and attract them to apply themselves to this Krishna Consciousness process of self-realization. That requires much tact, and we shall have to expect to meet all challenges by sharp minds. But if we remain always absorbed in remembering Lord Caitanya, how He converted so many intelligent men, even sitting for three days and nights to hear them speak without Himself speaking anything, and if we remember how Krishna was so much patient to explain everything to Arjuna, even Arjuna was speaking like a fool - in this way, being always tolerant of others and appreciating their points-of-view, it will be easy matter for us to convince them gradually to join us. So you have got a very great opportunity for this kind of preaching work. You want to place yourself for public office, that is nice. But that will require your best brain how to do it. Try to win, why not? Of course we may utilize the situation to expose our philosophy and ideas, but if there is also competition spirit, that will increase our enthusiasm to preach and try to convince the citizens. So if there is again occasion for voting race, why not invite and organize some of the other devotees in your country who have got some experience to advertise, canvass, make propaganda, like that, and they may come there for few weeks at a time to help you. In this way, make big, big propaganda. Attract the public to hear our views and plans for practical welfare for the common men. You are American boys and girls, you have got the best brains, now cooperate to place this Krishna Consciousness movement at the front of all others, that is my request. You are having difficulty with police-force, that is to be expected. This material world is so full of danger, even from our so-called "protectors." But we have got the best Protector, Krishna, so do not worry about anything police or other envious persons. In one stroke Krishna can finish them all. But you may get some relief in this connection if you can approach very carefully some leading members of the city government, or big, big men of the town. Convince them by your words and behavior that our devotees are not in any way unworthy persons, that in fact they have left their lives of criminals to try to turn others away from being criminals, and that if simply we get a little facility we can render immense service to the cause of law and order. Like that, if you are sincere and cool-headed, they will appreciate after some time - and if only one of such big, big leaders understands the real fact, that is sufficient to stop all further cases of police attacks. But one thing is, we have not got anything to gain by "fighting the demons in the streets and courts." No, our process of solving the matter is simple, why should we unnecessarily take botheration for fighting? Only after exhausting every possibility of peaceful solution shall we fight anyone. Just like Krishna. He did not call for fighting until after every chance for settlement failed. So we shall try to overcome our opponents by, first, our words and our behavior, and all means of friendly approach we shall attempt by sober planning, and only later, all else failing, shall we actually fight. That is our philosophy. And if we stick to these lines of politics and diplomacy as set out for us by Krishna, we shall expect always victory, without any doubt: vatra yogesvarah krsno yatra partho dhanur-dharah tatra srir vijaya bhutir dhruva nitir matir mama [BG 18:78] Hoping this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sda Labels: Atlanta, college preaching, politicians letters | 13:03 |13 December, 1972 Ahmedabad My dear Jayadharma, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated November 10, 1972, and I have noted the contents, along with the drama-script from Srimad-Bhagavatam. It is very nice. This kind of play-acting is wanted. Now introduce it to your country-men very nicely presented. Emphasis should be given to the words of Bhagavat, they are spiritual and will have powerful effect if someone only hears them with attention, do not be very much enamoured by fancy costumes and stage-decorations, they will only distract. Real acting art is to know how to speak. The greatest dramas, even in your western culture, they can be played without any extra equipment. Just like your Shakespeare - sometime I saw they were playing one drama, I think Hamlet or something like that, and only two men were there on the bare stage and everyone was praising. So the art is catching their ears. Now in that spirit go on with your work and try to do something wonderful. So far your question, how far should the orders of my duly appointed officers like GBC, etc., be obeyed and followed, the answer is that they must always be followed exactly as he says. Have you not heard me on this point? Why these questions are repeated again and again? This individual begging must be stopped. So many questions, it's not good at all. This question-begging is going on, even some of the important men are doing like that, that I know. So how I can say your question from here? I do not know what you are trying to do by such question. Of course, my authorities and so-called officers, they sometimes also order in such a way that everything becomes topsy-turvy. So you may write to me your grievance - what can I do? - but meanwhile you must follow him exactly whatever he says. If there is complaint, I can make adjustment later. But first of all you must without hesitation obey. It is something like the appealing to the higher court if one is not satisfied by decision of the lower court. Hoping this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS:sda Labels: Atlanta, disagreement, drama, questions letters | 13:02 |13 December, 1972 Ahmedabad My dear Candrabali, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated November 4, 1972; and I have noted the contents with great care. I have received also one letter from your good husband Citsukhananda and he is going to Caracas, South America, for opening our ISKCON Branch there. I am very much pleased upon him for his doing such prominent work in spreading this Krishna consciousness movement to that part. Especially I was happy to see your nice temple in Mexico City, and I am always thinking of that place and all the nice devotees there. I am happy to note also that you have given birth to a daughter. You may call her ____ DASI, which means eyes like the spreading petals of lotus. Raise your family to be exemplary Vaisnavas by yourself following the regulative principles and rigidly chanting Hare Krishna mantra, and without any doubt they and yourself will become all of you firmly situated on the path back to home, back to Godhead. Regarding your questions, Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura never took formal sannyasa. He was babaji, living in seclusion away from wife and family as Paramahamsa. One can have as many children as Bhaktivinode Thakura as long a one is as good as Bhaktivinode Thakura. Visnupriya, wife of Lord Caitanya, was young woman of 16 years old when her husband took sannyasa, leaving her without any children, but she always remembered Him, so in that way she was always serving Him and she was never separated from Him. Regarding your husband taking sannyasa, you should not worry as we shall see to the matter later, not now, and I promise you he will certainly fulfill his family obligations in Krishna Consciousness. Hoping this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sda Labels: children, husband, Mexico City, sannyasa letters | 13:01 |13 December, 1972 Ahmedabad My Dear Bhagavan dasa, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated November 21, 1972, along with letters of requesting for initiation by me. I have accepted all of them as my duly initiated students, and their letter along with beads are enclosed herewith. I am also very happy to receive the copies of your booklets in French language, and I am surprised that the price is so cheap. So why not make arrangement that all our books should be printed there? At least we may print the books in German and French and other European languages. Consult with the others, and if it is good opportunity in their all estimation, then why not combine and print there? That is the first business, make books and distribute. So I am always encouraged to hear that you are increasing in this respect of making books in foreign languages. Your title, "Anti-matter and Eternity - A study on immortality through Bhakti-yoga" is liked by me, it is a good translation of Easy Journey. So far the other things, they are all like nectar to my ears, and I am very, very much pleased with everything you are doing. I can understand you have saved the situation there and have done the first-class preaching distribution because you are making so many new devotees from many countries, and still you are crowded even after opening the new centres, so that is a very good sign. Now find out that new place in Paris and expand yourself in a solid way, keeping always the propagation of Krishna Consciousness as the goal, simply be engaging all men in Krishna's service. Everyone has got some way he can contribute himself for serving the Supreme Personality of Godhead, everyone. Now conduct your preaching in such a way that when anyone becomes attracted to get something from us he may be induced or allured into serving Krishna in his own way as he likes to do it, not being forced to do something else he may not like to do, that will discourage him and no intelligent men will come. But I think you have mastered this art perfectly well, and because I have not got any complaints from anyone since you have come to Paris temple - although before I was getting many complaining letters - I think the devotees there are feeling themselves satisfied by your engaging them happily in Krishna Consciousness life. Thank you very much for assisting me in this way. I think by now Mandakini has again gone to Russia, so she may send report as soon as she is able. Under all circumstances, keep our preaching work in front, it will save us in all conditions from the clutches of maya, that we have learned. Hoping this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sda Labels: initiation, management, Paris, publishing letters | 12:59 |13 December, 1972 Ahmedabad My dear Sons and Daughter, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letters dated November 22, 1972, and upon the recommendation of Bhagavan I have gladly consented to accept you all as my duly initiated disciples. I have chanted on your beads and they are enclosed herewith. I have given you the spiritual names as follows: Rick Joaquim/RASADA DAS David/DVIJAVARA DAS Anita/ANNADA DASI Now please continue to strictly follow the regulative principles and rigidly observe the four principles restrictions as Bhagavan has taught you, and without fail always chant at least 16 rounds daily on your beads, and be happy. If you stick to these principles with determination, you will be freed from all attachment to maya, by Krishna's grace. The example is that when the sun is in the sky then where is the question of darkness? Similarly, when Hare Krishna mantra is vibrating on your tongue and you are hearing attentively, then your consciousness become clear or Krishna Consciousness. Then there is no question of maya or hazy consciousness. Just as when the darkness and the light come together the darkness cannot stand before the light, so maya cannot remain in the presence of Krishna. Always remember therefore to chant Hare Krishna, and that will save you in all circumstances without any doubt. Now I am enclosing also one sacred thread, duly chanted by me, along with copy of gayatri mantra. Bhagavandas will hold the fire yagna and give sacred thread to Sri Gopala. He may play the tape of me reciting gayatri mantra into his right ear and teach him to count on the finger divisions. The fire yagna can be held for all the four devotees. Hoping this will meet you all in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sda Labels: initiation, Paris letters | 12:58 |11 December 2007 Monday, 11 December, 1972 Ahmedabad My dear Citsukhananda, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated November 17, 1972, and I have noted with pleasure that you want to go to Caracas, South America, to join Hanuman for opening centre and preaching work there. That will be very, very nice. I know that you are the right man because I saw for myself how nice you have created the Mexico City temple of ISKCON, and I was very much inclined to those devotees. Only I had some difficulty with language difficulty to preach, but still I could see how pious they were and eager to listen anyway. That is the only qualification, if someone is eager for spiritual improvement. So I think because Hanuman is always sending me successful reports of preaching meetings, so many newspaper articles and photos, that this Krishna Consciousness movement will be very famous there and you will find many interested persons to become devotees, just like at Mexico. Now you go there, along with your good wife and family. But one nice thing is, before you had told me you thought it was best if first you had got one nice place and made all arrangements before your wife and child joined you, then they will not have to suffer unduly nor shall you be hampered in the beginning to work very hard without good facilities at first. Later they may come when there is sufficient place. I think Gaurasundara in Hawaii is the GBC man for South American Zone, so you should also write to him in this connection and take his advice and make report to him, along with Hanuman, at least once in a month what you are doing. I have recently got one letter from Hanuman, and his address is: c/o Agencia Wallis C. A. Edificio Karam, PO Box 1826, Caracas, Venezuela. I am sending one copy of this letter to Caracas, as you have mentioned that you are leaving New York first week in December. If there is good possibility to arrange nice programmes, and if you have got a very nice place by then, why not I shall stop there in Caracas while returning to your country sometimes next year? Hoping this meets you in the best of health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sda Labels: New York, South America letters | 12:58 |11 December, 1972 Ahmedabad My Dear Mohanananda, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge your letter dated November 22, 1972, and I have noted the contents with great care. I am very, very glad to hear of your desire to return to Gurukula school and apply yourself to developing that place. I am so glad to hear this good news. Only a few weeks back I had got a letter from Satsvarupa wherein he has informed me that Stoka Krishna has left Dallas and that he must go there to take charge himself. But he is sannyasi and he should travel and preach, and he has not much taste for watching after so many things. So I had suggested him to get a full-time manager, some grhastha, nice husband and wife together, to manage the things, and that he shall expect that such person will stay tightly and develop it and make that his life work. It is the most important preaching work, to train our children in Krishna Consciousness education of life. And I think that you are just the right man to do it. Krishna has given you the right idea, just see! I was also at Dallas school last summer and I was very much impressed with these children, how nicely they are becoming preachers and kirtana men and girls. If we can develop properly, one day they will turn the world by their preaching. Let the small children from all good families in your country come to our Gurukula school and take education from us. They may be certain their children will get the real knowledge which will create the best citizens of brahminical type, clean, honest, law-abiding, healthy, industrious, all good qualities they will have. Now I think Krishna has inspired you in this way, and every facility is there, you are the pioneer in Dallas and you know how to do everything nicely, that I know, so now you go there immediately after consulting with Satsvarupa and Karandhara and Madhudvisa and the others, take their advice and do the needful. If you become Head Master of the Gurukula that is more important than going to South America. This is the most important post in pushing on this movement, practically, because you shall create our preachers of the future, many, many of them. That will be your great credit and contribution. May Krishna give you His all blessings more and more for this task. If you still like to contact Hanuman, he is having some difficulty with the governments in these places, but I have just got on letter from him the following address: c/o Agencia Wallis C. A. Edificio Karam, Avenida Urdmeta, P. O. Box 1826, Caracas, Venezuela. But I think it is better if he takes some brahmacaris and sannyasis with him for travelling in such difficult and dangerous places. You are manager with best experience, and besides you have got wife and child to protect, so it will be very much pleasing to me if you shall take up the big work of Gurukula school and develop it very nicely. Thank you for helping me in this way. Hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sda Labels: gurukula, management letters | 12:58 |11 December, 1972 Bombay My Dear Madhudvisa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of you telegram from Melbourne, Australia requesting to name Sanauk's new girl-child. They may name her Bhakti Moti dasi. Now I have not heard from you any report in so long time. Why you are silent? You had invited me to come there this winter, but I have not heard anything definite program from you; therefore, I am unable to chalk out any plan where I shall be going in the near future. But I think there is sufficient programs here in India. I need not require to come there, they want me to come also to Calcutta and other places during February month. So I do not think there will be time to go so far to Australia and then return to India for only two, three weeks. But let us see what Krishna desires. If you have got some plans for my coming there, you may let me know also. You can correspond with Syamasundara in this connection. Another thing is, I can understand there is some great difficulty in New Zealand temple, that boy Tusta Krishna has telephoned to Bombay that he must soon leave from there and he is having trouble in so many ways, so I have sent Siddhasvarupananda there to help him, and you may also go there at once and work cooperatively to try to rectify the situation. I am very much worried the whole thing will collapse if Tusta Krishna must go away. You go there and send me full report. There is such good potential. I like that place very much, it will be great disaster if things are in confusion. Especially you should try to approach the government authorities who are against us and try to pacify them and convince them about our Krishna Consciousness movement. Hoping this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Labels: Australasia, difficulties, government, itinerary letters | 12:57 |10 December 2007 Sunday, 10 December, 1972 Ahmedabad My dear Revatinandana, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated November 3, 1972, from Edinburgh. I am so much pleased that you are doing the real work of a sannyasi, travelling, preaching and training the devotees to preach. I am too much proud of you on account of seeing the newspaper items. Yes, if there is good response for purchasing our books and asking intelligent questions, that is the test of your preaching capacity. I can well remember that Woodstock Hall or Woodside Hall in Glasgow, so I can very well appreciate how nice these Scottish people listen to our discourse. Now develop this field very carefully, it is one of the best places in the world for our preaching work to take hold and convince the population gradually. So far I am concerned, we have just completed our pandal programme in Hyderabad and it was very, very successful. In that portion there was no rain for two years, but due to our Sankirtana yagna the rain came and everyone was happy that we came to make it rain, and besides that they gave us some nice land in the most central marketplace of the city and we are raising up a gorgeous temple with the help of the local devotees. In the pandal programme sometimes I am thinking of you, how you are always playing the drum and singing. You are a very nice singer, that much I recall. Now give all the new brahmacaris your best instruction for making spiritual advancement, you are one of my senior disciples, so that much, if you do, that will be the best service. One thing is, try to give Dhananjaya all encouragement for getting that new place near London with the help of George. I am always thinking of when I shall come to that place to live there, at least in summer months. I am always glad to hear your reports, you may send me from time to time. Hoping this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sda Labels: George Harrison, leader, London, sankirtan, Scotland letters | 12:04 |10 December, 1972 Ahmedabad My dear Hamsaduta, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated November 8, 1972, and the paper sample enclosed by you is very nice for Bhagavad-gita in German language. I shall be very glad indeed to see that book printed by you, and that will be your greatest credit. You may send the copy with plastic cover and I shall see how it is put out. I can understand that your preaching work there is going on nicely just to the standard, because now you have got so many devotees and you are distributing so many of our books and magazines. That is very, very pleasing for me to hear. But now I think it must be very cold there. Even I was there in summer, still I had to go to England it was so much cold in Hamburg. But never mind there is any discomfort of the body. We shall not be very much concerned for that. Devotee means he is able to tolerate all kinds of discomfort and whims of the material nature, and because he is so much absorbed in serving Krishna, he takes no time to become angry or take offense with others or find out some fault, no. Devotee means very liberal and kind to everyone, always gentleman under all kinds of conditions of life. So now you have practically become inseparable from Germany temples, and you have introduced this strict brahminical standard in those countries and it is coming out successful. So I am always appreciating you and your good wife, Himavati, for your kindly helping me in this way. May Krishna shower you with His all blessings. Regarding the new initiates, I am sending their letter along with beads duly chanted by me under separate posting. So far the Hindi typewriter is concerned, keep it with you for the time being and we shall see later, I will let you know. Hoping this will meet you both in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sda Labels: Heidelberg, initiation, publishing letters | 12:03 |10 December, 1972 Ahmedabad [To Brahmanya Tirtha - text missing] Regarding your question should force be used on children, no, there shall be no forcing the children to do anything. Child should not be forced. This is all nonsense. Who has devised these things? If we want them to become great devotees, then we must educate the children with love, not in a negative way. Of course, if they become naughty we may show the stick but we should never use it. Child is nonsense, so you can trick him to obey you by making some little story and the child will become cheated in the proper behavior. But never apply force, especially to his chanting and other matters of spiritual training. That will spoil him and in the future he will not like to do it if he forced. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sdg Labels: children, gurukula, New Orleans letters | 12:00 | |
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