a.c. bhaktivedanta swami
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| Prabhupada Letters :: 1972 a.c. bhaktivedanta swami |
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21 November 2007 21 November, 1972 Hyderabad My dear Niranjana, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated November 11, 1972, from Allahabad, and I have noted the contents with care. Of course I excuse my disciples always, but they should not take advantage of it. But whatever is done, is done. Now let us see what positive contribution we can produce for pushing on the message of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu all over the world. If you are serious to be an important assistant in our Society you should fully engage yourself in translation work, and do not mix yourself with my so-called god-brothers. As there are in Vrindaban some residents like monkeys and hogs, similarly there are many rascals in the name of Vaisnavas, be careful of them. And do not dare to question imprudently before your Spiritual Master. Further talks we may discuss when we meet. I shall remain here up to December 1st, then I am going to Ahmedabad and then to Bombay by last week of December. Hoping this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sda Labels: Gaudiya Math, spiritual master, Varanasi letters | 20:04 |1 November 2007 1 November, 1972 Vrindaban My dear Niranjana, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated October 16, 1972, and I have noted the contents with care. You say that Saugar is a nice place and people are very much eager to see me there, therefore I shall be glad to go there. So you can set up the programme in consultation with Tamala Krishna Goswami, who is presently in Bombay centre. He is making up our Indian programme. I shall be remaining here in Vrindaban up to 16th November, and then we are going to Hyderabad, so I shall be very glad to see you again if you can come here before I leave Vrindaban. Hoping this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Ref: Your second letter from Allahabad. It appears that you have been poisoned by some rascals. Such rascals cannot do anything to push on the mission of Lord Caitanya but can put hindrances in the path of spreading KC all over the world. I am very sorry that you have fallen a victim of such poisonous serpents. Because such easy going rascals are unable to assume the position of "Prabhupada" or unfit for the post, they are so envious and you are talking on their behalf. I am very sorry for this. ACBS/sda Labels: disagreement, Gaudiya Math, India letters | 18:35 |22 October 2007 Sunday, 22 October, 1972 Vrindaban My dear Jayapataka, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated October 17, 1972, and the pleasure of my again spending some days in Vrindaban is only exceeded by the pleasure of hearing from you the good news of our activities in Mayapur. I am very much encouraged to note the many signs of progress in the building work and other things. You are the best man for this task of being responsible for our world headquarters at Mayapur, thank you very much for helping me in this way. Regarding the preparation of rice by steaming and then drying, we can offer such rice even it is twice-cooked. Gaudiya Math offers, even during the presence of Prabhupada it was done, so there is no wrong. It is called sidha. I never took sidha except in Gaudiya Math. Now you have got one very nice Jersey cross-bred cow, so take care of her very nicely. Feed her nicely fodder and she will give more milk. Never mind coming here, I shall come very soon to Mayapur and speak thrice times what I am speaking here. I am coming there soon to live with you, so do not be anxious. Hoping this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sda Labels: Gaudiya Math, Mayapur, Vrindavan letters | 18:27 |7 October 2007 Saturday, 7 October, 1972 San Francisco My dear Puri Maharaj, Kindly accept my humble dandabats. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your kind letter dated September 21, 1972, and I have noted the contents with great encouragement. I am coming to India by the 15th of October and will stay during Urja-vrata at the Radha-Damodara temple in Vrndavan. It will be a pleasure if you will come and stay with us at Vrndavan during the urja-vrata period. So I thank you very much for taking so much trouble. If we get that house we shall celebrate the 100th birth anniversary of His Divine Grace Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Prabhupada a little pompously. In my last letter to you I also requested you to take permanent permission from Visvanath Das, the chief minister, for permission of admission for my devotees in the Jagannath temple. At present I am here in San Francisco and your letter addressed to London is just now received by me. Hoping this meets you in the best of health, Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS: pda Labels: bhaktisiddhanta, Gaudiya Math letters | 20:32 |26 August 2007 26 August, 1972 Los Angeles My Dear Jayapataka, Please accept my blessings. I thank you for your letter from Calcutta dated August 19, 1972 and I have noted the contents carefully. I am very glad to know that the work is going on carefully under your direction and that building will the first class building in all of Nadia Province. Wherever it is possible try to save the construction costs by getting donations. But we must have that building completed at any cost. But if you can raise at least 60,000 rupees per month locally that should be given by the local men without any difficulty. I have received one letter from Madhavananda and he has assured me that the collecting is going on well. He has also mentioned that you are planning your Maidan Pandal from 7th October to November 5th tentatively. But these things must be consulted amongst all of you leaders, not that one man decides these things whimsically. My program is already sent to you earlier, I shall be in Vrndavana from middle October to middle November, but after that time I am free to come to Calcutta for holding our festival, but these things should be decided amongst all of you leaders in India, including Gurudasa, Giriraja, Tamala, Bhavananda, Gargamuni. So far the people asking you what is the actual birth site of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, ask them to go to Tirtha Maharaja. We do not bother about these things. He is in charge of the Caitanya Math. We are foreigners and we have come here the last. There are so many other temples before us, why don't they go there for asking. They should inquire from our predecessors like Caitanya Math. This is a long controversial point, do not bother with it. We accept our predecessor's version, that's all. Navadvipa means nine islands or dvipas and the present Navadvipa city is Koladvipa. Hoping this meets you in good health, Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sda Labels: building, Calcutta, Gaudiya Math, Mayapur letters | 12:33 |30 July 2007 30 July, 1972 Amsterdam My dear Jayapataka, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated July 22, 1972, and I am very happy to hear the things are going nicely in Mayapur. I do not hear very often what is going on there, but from your description I can understand that it must be very nice there now in this monsoon season. I have not heard from Tamala Krishna at all in this connection, so I do not know if he is still taking part in the Mayapur work or what. If you make it a first-class temple, there will be no lack of visitors for preaching, you will never even have to leave that place for preaching. And if you serve nice prasadam, the whole of India will come. So stick to our principles very rigidly, and everyone will come to see these American Vaisnavas. I want that we shall excel the Caitanya Math. They have been struggling for the last 50 years, and we shall surpass them in two years. We are working two shifts of labor: that is American style of doing things. I am very pleased if you can continue in this manner of American style. But if you do not, then I shall remain on the same level, then it is a great discredit to the Americans. But if I defeat my godbrothers, then I am worthy to be called the guru of the Americans. Even there is competition in spiritual life. Regarding funds, we are supplying for building purposes from here, but if there is emergency, then Giriraja can help. But for the present we are sending whenever you have requested. But your form of requesting has not been as we had arranged, therefore there has been delay. I told you at least two must sign, but in the last request from Bhavananda, even he did not sign, the letter was not even signed by one person! Try to be very careful in these matters at all times, we are doing very responsible work. And so far the maintenance, Calcutta is taking care, so there is no problem. Yes, you are correct, all membership and book collections shall be sent to Bombay, donations for maintenance may be kept there and spent locally, unless they are very sizeable, then they can go to Bombay. Very soon you will be receiving many, many books. I shall instruct Giriraja to send you as many books as you shall require for selling there for raising fund for Mayapur project. I do not wish to send more funds from here, but we shall send you free of charge many books and the whole money collected from them may be spent in building. I am glad to hear that you are purchasing more land for expanding. What about our former land purchased from some Ghose that is on the left side of our land? From so many wonderful varieties of vegetables, you will get very soon full of vitamins. Keep a cow, then there will be no question of scarcity or relying upon somebody else for your maintenance. Now you have got a big hall on first floor, so keep rice stock there to protect from floods. I think the whole atmosphere in Mayapur must be now very, very nice and I shall be so much glad to return there sometimes in the month of September, so kindly finish up the work by that time. Malati has expressed desire to decorate my quarters there, so as soon as they are ready she may come there and prepare everything very nicely. Hoping this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sda cc: Giriraja/Bombay Labels: book distribution, building, Gaudiya Math, Mayapur letters | 06:37 |13 July 2007 13 July, 1972 London Tridandi Swami Sri B.V. Puri Maharaj, Sri Krishna Chaitanya Math, Sri Krishna Nagar, Visakhapatnam, A. P., India My dear Puri Maharaj, Please accept my humble dandabats. I understand that the Rs. 1000/ has already been sent to you on or about June 8, 1972. I hope you have received it safely, and that you are doing the needful. I shall be very glad to hear from you what is the progress. Now we are in London for holding our 4th annual Rathayatra Festival of Lord Jagannath. The procession will begin from Marble Arch and finish in Trafalgar Square, where I shall be speaking to more than 10,000 persons and holding fire yagna. Simultaneously, my disciples will be holding similar Jagannath Rathayatra Festivals in San Francisco, Tokyo, Philadelphia, Melbourne (Australia), and Calcutta. Thanking you, and I hope this meets you in the best of health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sda Enclosure: (1) Labels: Gaudiya Math, Ratha Yatra letters | 19:19 |26 May 2007 Friday, 26 May, 1972 Los Angeles Sri B.V. Puri Maharaj President, Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mission Aryapuram, Rajahmundry 1 P.O. S. India My Dear Reverend Puri Maharaji, Please accept my humble obeisances. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter from Rajahmundry dated May 19th, 1972. It is a good idea that you are proposing. The two claimants of proprietorship and the tenants should be given some money and they will go away. So I am advising my Bombay center to send you Rs. 1000/=. So now you do the needful, I am completely trusting in you in this matter. I am very glad that you are in contact with the chief minister of Orissa, Mr. Dass, he must have full knowledge of our world wide activities. Jagannatha Puri is one of the main headquarters of the Vaisnavas, so if the outsiders have trouble in entering Jagannatha Temple it will be a great scandal, so the government must be liberal on this point and co-operate, as we are trying to interest so many foreigners and tourists to come there. And if they co-operate we shall build a very nice center there. At least the government must agree to admit anyone who is certified by ISKCON. I know that they admit foreigners into the temple who are certified by some mayavadi sannyasis living there. So why not they shall allow anyone who is certified by me or the society? You know how strictly we are following the principles of Vaisnava way of life. So kindly try to persuade the government officials on this point and it will be a very great service to Srila Prabhupada’s cause. Bhaktivinode Thakur and Srila Prabhupada wanted that American and European Vaisnavas should come to India and join with dancing our Vaisnavas there, but if they have got some difficulty to enter into the temple it will be against the desire of Bhaktivinode Thakur and Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. So I am sure that Mr. Dass, the chief minister, is a very nice gentleman, I know him personally. So while he is in the office he must rectify this anomaly and situate himself in the history for doing such nice service for Lord Chaitanya’s mission. I expect to hear from you soon regarding these matters and I shall look forward very much for your letter. Hoping this meets in you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Labels: bhaktisiddhanta, Bhaktivinode, Gaudiya Math letters | 18:51 |25 April 2007 25 April, 1972 Tokyo My dear Tamala Krishna, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 20th April, 1972, and I have noted the contents with great pleasure. It appears that things are going very nicely there in all respects, and I am very much relieved. I did not hear from you in Sydney, as you have mentioned, but anyway I was also writing to you and Acyutananda that my godbrother in Jessore district was very much anxious for us to come there and I was suggesting for you to go there. So now I think it is a very good opportunity, so you may go with your party immediately. If possible see Sri Mujibur Rehman, president of Bangladesh, and show him evidence that Parsis, Jews, Christians, Muslims, all parties are participating in this Krishna Consciousness Movement--so why they Bangladesh Muslims should not join? We want to unite everyone culturally. Without this, every society is imperfect, but with it, society is perfect. All intelligent leaders of society should try to understand in depth this fact. So take the help of Sri Bhakti Turyasrami and implant one center there at Jessore. He has land but no money, so we should invest a little money and open one center. Have a huge prasadam program. Gurudasa has secured foodstuffs from the American government, and I think he has acquired an excessive amount, so balance can be distributed, part to Jessore, part to Bombay, where they are also having a successful prasadam distribution program. Now there are many devotees coming from London and USA, so utilize them for vigorous propaganda in India and Bangladesh. All these reports are very much encouraging to me. Thank you very, very much. Hoping this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sda Labels: Gaudiya Math, Mayapur, prasadam distribution letters | 13:06 |14 April 2007 14 April, 1972 Auckland My dear Jayapataka Maharaja, Please accept my blessings. I have received also your letter of April 4, 1972, and everything seems to be going very nicely there in Mayapur, and also at Calcutta Temple. Four lakhs sounds like a reasonable price for that house. I have given you one lakh, ten thousand, already, so balance you try to raise funds, but if there is scarcity there will be no trouble, we shall supply. One thing is, as soon as you send me, jointly signed, a statement of how the money I gave you was spent, along with vouchers, then I can arrange more in future, as there may be some need to move swiftly before the monsoon comes. So try to do it very nicely, quickly, and sagaciously. Tamala Krishna can go also to my god-brother's math near Jessore, Bangladesh, as I have got a letter from him requesting our men to come there but they will not meet all expenses. His address is Bhakti Sambandha Turya Srami, c/o Gaudiya Math, Bordia, Jessore, Bangladesh. The pandal program at Mayapur should go on, along with prasada distribution. We are already on the top of all our godbrothers, that should be maintained. Invite all Hindus, Muslims, Jains, etc., without any discrimination, as we do in foreign countries, and continue the evening program. One thing, I have received on complaint from Damodara Maharaja that there was some quarrel with Acyutananda Maharaja. I do not know what is the fact, but we should avoid any quarrel with our godbrothers, and always be very nice and kind to them, and cooperate with them. Because Damodara Maharaja is offended, so Acyutananda Maharaja should go to Damodara and beg his forgiveness, and bow and touch his feet. There is no harm in such behavior of begging forgiveness. So far Gita Gan, it should simply be composed there and sent to Japan c/o ISKCON Tokyo for printing. Hoping this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sda Labels: Calcutta, Gaudiya Math, management, Mayapur letters | 05:35 |8 April 2007 8 April, 1972 Sydney Tridandiswami Sri B. V. Puri Maharaj, Sri Krishna Chaitanya Math, Vishakhpatnam. My dear Puri Maharaj, Please accept my greetings. I beg to acknowledge your letter of 18/3/72, and Ihave noted the contents carefully. You will be happy to know that our centers in Australia are expanding very rapidly, and many many young boys and girls are surrendering their lives in rich country to Lord Krishna. Now I think I have got about 100 disciples in Melbourne, and Sydney, exactly like those you have observed with me in India. So there is very good scope here because we have opened up our preaching here less than two years back. The other day I was invited by some Christian monks to come to their very large monastery in the countryside near Melbourne, and they were so much appreciating our Krishna Consciousness philosophy of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, and they read our Bhagavad Gita every night, and they are all very nice persons and have stopped eating meat. So practically they have become our allies, and with their co-operation there is immense work to be done. Then last night we had a meeting in the Melbourne Town Hall in the central part of the city, and there was very ecstatic kirtan with more than one thousand persons and many of them joined us by dancing on the stage. So in every respect these western countries are the best field for our Vaisnava culture to spread and take effect, that has been demonstrated. You have requested me in your letter to consider for purchasing another house. But there is one difficulty, because the present administration of Jagannath Puri sometimes do not allow us to enter the temple. Of course, for our vaisnavas this discrimination is spiritually illegal: Arche siladhi gurusu navamati vaisnave janavate: if one is dressed in vaisnava dress, according to vaisnava law, if he is considered not a vaisnava, then that is a hellish condition. You know this also. So I think so long Viswanath Das, Chief Minister of Orissa, is there, he should pass some law to help us. Viswanath Das knows everything, he can pass an act to allow foreign disciples into Jagannath Puri. Many hundreds of foreign disciples will be coming to India in the near future, and already we have got nearly 100 men there, so it is a great opportunity for the administrative officials of Puri to increase the fame and prosperity of Jagannath Puri all over the world, and it will be their misfortune if so many qualified devotees of the Lord are not allowed into the temple, simply because they have taken their birth in a faraway place. So if you are able to do something, and approach the right persons like Mr. Viswanath then we shall be free to have our center in Puri. Kindly let me know at your earliest. I shall be at the above Sydney address until 18th of April, 1972, then I am going to Hong Kong and Tokyo, so you may write me at Tokyo ISKCON, 3211 Minami Asakawa-cho, Hachioji-shi 193, Tokyo, Japan, after the 18th to the first of May, 1972. After that you may write me c/o my Los Angeles ISKCON World Headquarters, 3764 Watseka Avenue, Los Angeles, California, 90034, U.S.A. Thanking you once again. Hoping this will meet you in good health. Yours in the service of Krishna, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami (handwritten:) N.B. So far Srila Prabhupada’s birth place is concerned, I must have it in all circumstances. ACB ACBS/sda Labels: Australasia, Bhagavad-gita, Gaudiya Math, preachers letters | 18:15 |4 March 2007 Saturday, 4 March, 1972 Calcutta His Divine Grace Lalita Prasad Thakura Bhaktivinode Institute Ulla-Birnagar, Nadia dist., W. Bengal My dear Uncle Prabhupada Lalita Prasad Thakura, Kindly accept my humble obeisances at your Lotus Feet. The whole day spent at your Temple on Thursday was so pleasant, and happy that all my disciples felt celestial blessings in your association. Personally, I am so much encouraged by you, that I appreciate this as the blessings of Bhaktivinode Thakura through his living representative. Now you can expedite the lease agreement immediately so that before returning to U.S.A. in about three weeks time I may advise my assistants to take up the work seriously and begin construction and other things. Next time when I go to you I shall stay not less than one week. Hoping this will meet you in the very best health and happy mood. Yours affectionately, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sda Labels: building, Gaudiya Math, land, Mayapur letters | 06:21 |20 January 2007 20 January, 1972 Jaipur My dear Bhavananda, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated January 16, 1973, with list of programs. They are very nice. But one thing is, all of these arrangements, whether they are going to receive us at each place or if we are just taking the place to put on our own program? From their side we should be received, not just that we simply canvass to take their place for our own program. The Gaudiya Math invitation should not be accepted. We shall reach Calcutta on 23rd morning, Indian Airlines Flight No. 129, as I think Syamasundara. has already informed you by cable. Hoping this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sda Labels: Gaudiya Math, Mayapur letters | 07:54 |6 January 2007 Wednesday, 6 January, 1972 Bombay His Holiness Tridandi Goswami B.V. Puri Maharaj, Sri Krishna Chaitanya Maith, Sri Krishna Nagar, Visakhapatnam-2. My dear Sripad Puri Maharaj, Kindly accept my respectful obeisances at your lotus feet. I have received your telegram. The Madras Program appears to be uncertain. I am going to Jaipur to attend a function from the 15th to 23rd. Then I am going to Africa to hold a function there. If you think I must go to Visakhapatan, then I will come back from Africa and go to your place. If so arrange for our reception from Bombay 5th to 12th February, 1972. Yours affectionately, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS:tkd Labels: Gaudiya Math letters | 08:40 |2 January 2007 2 January, 1972 Bombay My dear Kirtiraja dasa, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated December 23, 1971. Regarding the list of my Godbrothers, you do not any longer need to send them issues of BTG or other books. That we will do from here in India. Similarly whenever you get requests for BTG subscriptions or other literature, you can forward these requests to Bombay ISKCON to the Secretary and he will deal with the requests. You do not need to approach Gaudiya Math for films or photos of my Guru Maharaja. I do not think they have such films. Whatever photos we now have already of Guru Maharaja can be used. Neither is it necessary to send the Indian life members circulars, since this will be very costly and they are not very much interested in our circulars. I thank you very much for taking so seriously to helping me fulfill the order of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati to distribute Krishna consciousness literature to the whole world masses. What strength our Movement has now got is due in large part to the enthusiasm we have had to distribute our literatures profusely throughout the world. I have got very, very encouraging reports how my books are being distributed vigorously in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Our New York Temple has got the most devotees so rightfully, they should also lead our Society in book distribution. You have got a very important duty to see that all the branches are kept with a full stock of all my books. And I know that we are getting many mail-orders daily, so you must see that these orders are all filled promptly. If we take the public's money, and then delay too long in filling the orders, this will give us a bad reputation. So be very conscientious and hard-working and Krishna will give you the ability to do everything nicely. There is no difference between chanting Hare Krishna or Sankirtana and doing one's assigned work in Krishna Consciousness. Sometimes we have to do so much managerial or office work, but Lord Caitanya promises us that because in the Kali yuga this is required for carrying on our preaching mission. He gives assurance that we will not become entangled by such work. When the work has to be done, do it first, then chant. But you must fulfill at least 16 rounds daily. So if necessary sleep less but you have to finish your minimum number of rounds. Regarding Mr. Kallman, the matter is very simple. If he says he will do whatever I ask, then let him give us the rights. Then only shall I understand that he has got some feelings for me. We cannot pay him any money. The difference between competition and Maya. Here, competition is for sense gratification. How much I can enjoy, my sense, and the other person sees how much he can enjoy his senses. In the spiritual world the competition is how to satisfy Krishna. There the center is one. If you draw innumerable circles they will not overlap. But here the circles will overlap. Even a small circle can overlap a large circle. This is because in the material world there are many centers, whereas in the spiritual world there is only one center. In the spiritual world whether the circles are big or small they will never overlap. In the spiritual world similarly, whatever or whoever is rendering the service, there is never competition of maliciousness. I hope this finds you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS:tkd Labels: bhaktisiddhanta, Gaudiya Math, spiritual world letters | 08:42 | |
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