a.c. bhaktivedanta swami
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| Prabhupada Letters :: 1972 a.c. bhaktivedanta swami |
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23 May 2007 23 May, 1972 Los Angeles My Dear Sudama, Please accept by blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your latter dated May 1972 and I have noted the contents carefully. I am very glad to hear that there is an increase in classes and that the mantra class is beng held daily twice. In this way if we always concentrate on reading our literature then there will be no difficulty to preach. Nor will the mind wander to other subjects. By reading these books regularly we become more and more convinced in Krishna Consciousness. And if we become more convinced, that will spread the potency of Lord Caitanya's sankirtana movement with great strength. I have received one letter from the boy Satyadeva and I think he is doing very nicely there as president. I think it is a good idea for you to start your center in the city of Tokyo and also to keep the asrama where I was staying. The Indians there in Tokyo will help you. You can first of all solicit their help in this matter by first making them life members, just as we have done in London. I am also glad to hear that Trivikrama has become enthusiastic for helping you in this way. [PAGE MISSING] letters | 15:37 | 28 February 2007 28 February, 1972 Mayapur My Dear Sudama, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letters of February 15 and 18, 1972. I am very much glad that you are arranging so many important programs for when I shall come to Japan. Tentatively, I shall leave India by end of March and I want to spend one to two weeks in Australia, Hong Kong Tokyo, Honolulu, then reach Los Angeles by late Spring. Therefore I shall probably reach Tokyo as you have planned about end of April. But I see that you have planned a much longer program than for two weeks. If the programs are very important, then I have no objection to staying longer there. But if you can arrange for all important programs to be organized in such a way that they shall be one after the other within shorter time, that is better. I especially like your idea to speak to many students, and if they are important meetings, I have no objection to travelling to other cities in Japan, but I shall appreciate if the meetings are scheduled within shorter time and more frequently. So far the visa is concerned for Missionary Lecturing, you may send the papers as suggested by you immediately, one for a guarantee and the other with Society seals and notarized, and as I shall be in Delhi by tenth of March for finishing up some business in Vrindaban, you may send them at once to me c/o S. K. Joshi, 4-A Kamla Nagar, Delhi-7. But I do not think there is time to get letters from Los Angeles in this regard, so you can do the needful, but main thing is that papers should reach Delhi no later than, say, 8th or 10th of March, 1972. For our part, we shall also be sending you our letter of application, as suggested by you. My idea in the beginning was that instead of learning yourself the Japanese language, if you could convert one Japanese man that would be better for him to head up the preaching after learning from you and then you would be free to organize everything. But if you think it is better to learn yourself Japanese language, then I have no objection. Thank you very much for the tapes which we have duly received. You can tell Bhanu that I have received his letter of February 16, 1972, and I am very glad that he has arrived there to help you. He is a very good boy, and very intelligent also, so now you engage him full-time in translating my books, and he may train other Japanese-speaking boys also to translate and preach, then everything will be successful. Hoping this will meet you in good health and happy mood. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sda Labels: itinerary, Japan, translating letters | 10:05 |19 February 2007 19 February, 1972 Calcutta My dear Sudama, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter of February 1, 1972 and I thank you very much for the news that many cassette-tapes you have sent for continuing the taping process of my lectures and translating. Otherwise they are either unobtainable or very costly here in India, so it is a very nice service. I am also very encouraged to hear that Japanese language translations of some of my books will be brought out soon. That is very important step forward for our preaching work there, because without books and magazines, what authority or what basis have we got for preaching? By end of March I shall be going to Australia, at least for two weeks, and after that Hong Kong, similarly, for about two weeks and then I shall be coming to Tokyo, so perhaps by early May I may arrive in Tokyo. You are correct to be very tolerant with Karatieya, and if you also preach very strongly and with full conviction, and if you are always kind and gentle with him, then he will take the hint and give up his nonsense attraction for Maya and want to make himself perfect as the firm devotee of the Lord. I have received the letters from Shayatyadanya, and they are under reply. He shall receive it soon. I'm glad to hear that despite so many language difficulties, still Trivikrama Maharaja and the others are increasing sales of BTG. That is good sign. I hope this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sda Labels: itinerary, Japan, translating letters | 19:45 |4 February 2007 4 February, 1972 Bombay My Dear Sudama, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter of January 21, 1972. I am especially glad that Karandhara is there and that you are working conjointly to print many books. That is my greatest pleasure, to see books being printed and distributed profusely. Without books, how can our preaching go on? I will be very glad if you can print Bhagavad-gita As It Is in Japanese version, and that will be sufficient to convince many Japanese boys and girls to become devotees of Krishna. You are learning Japanese language, that's all right, but it will be better for our preaching and translating work if the local boys and girls can perform such work, instead of us wasting so much time by learning difficult languages. So if you spend your time to engage many native persons to translate for us, and train them up in our Krishna philosophy at the same time, that will be a better use of our time. But if you think it is necessary in order to establish this Movement that you learn Japanese language, then it is all right, but generally I do not think it is absolutely necessary. If you can find some boys who speak English, and if you can engage them for translating and teach them our philosophy by holding classes, then that is better. We cannot become very good preachers in such difficult language, even if we spend years to learn, but if we take a few weeks to train some local men in Krishna Consciousness philosophy, then they can preach like anything, leaving us free time to organize and manage everything properly. In this way, we shall expand very rapidly. If you can arrange for me to meet with the Emperor of Japan, I shall be most happy to meet with him. If it is difficult, there is no need for a pandal program. Simply some very nice speaking engagements with intelligent people, that is nice. I am not very much anxious to speak only to Hindu community, but I want to speak to Japanese people and students, just like in Africa we have recently held one festival, and, although there is very large Hindu community, I was encouraged that so many black Africans came as well, and that they listened carefully and grew very fond of our deities. So I think the Japanese people, too, can all become Krishna-ized very easily, as they have become now very opulent like Americans and they are very intelligent, clean, quiet, and respectful on the whole. I shall inform you when I am coming there. Hoping this will meet you in good health and cheerful mood. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sda Labels: Hindus, Japan, preachers, printing letters | 09:47 |25 January 2007 25 January, 1972 Nairobi Dear Karandhara das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Jan. 12, 1972 and have noted the contents carefully. I am answering your letter from an air ship going to Nairobi, Kenya. Where I will speak from Jan. 26 - Jan 30 to the Africans and Asians alike. I do not know how and why these transparencies were sent to India but Tamala Krishna Das has received your cable and is doing the needful. Your proposal to move Tokyo Temple back to the center of Tokyo is very good. This was my Guru Maharaja's policy that we should remain in the big cities in order that the maximum amount of people could take advantage of our preaching. In all printing matter I am completely in agreement with you, therefore you can determine when and if ISKCON press can do BTGs. The reports of increased book sales all over the world gives me so much pleasure. I thank you very much for your very determined efforts to push on this movement of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami MS/jdb letters | 11:24 | 21 January 2007 21 January, 1972 Jaipur My dear Sudama, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated December 23, 1971. I am pleased to hear that everything is going on nicely there in Tokyo center. Japan is now one of the world leaders, so I calculate it as one of our most important fields, therefore I feel some relief to know that you are a very intelligent and capable American boy in charge of such important affairs. You are setting the example of determination which others may see and follow. In this way, go on increasing and such sincerity is noticed by Krishna and He is helping you to approach nearer and nearer to His Lotus Feet. The tapes which you have sent have been duly received, but I think we shall require many more before leaving India, so if you can provide in the same way as before, please do it. You may send marked clearly "Gift Parcel, No Commercial Value" to Bombay address. Each small packet may be marked "Value less than $2." So far I know, Bhanu is awaiting some money clearance matters to be completed from the Reserve Bank of India and then he will be departing here very soon. I am happy to hear that Karatieya Maharaja has returned to our camp. Now you give him all good counsel and friendship, and if he somehow develops some enthusiasm by becoming artfully engaged, he is very good boy and will be a great preacher. He always has my blessings. I think that by now Karandhara is there, so he may write me his report, one copy to Bombay address, one copy to Nairobi. I hope this will meet you in good health and happy mood. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sda letters | 08:01 | 5 January 2007 5 January, 1972 Bombay My dear Sudama, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your recent air-letter, part II, which has been redirected to me from Madras. I have not yet received the first part to your letter so I am replying anyway so that you may not be too anxious. I thank you for being so sincere in helping me to spread this great mission of Krishna Consciousness. You have always served me very faithfully, so I pray that Krishna may bless you with a long life with which to open many temples and that in this very lifetime you may return back to home, back to Godhead. I am planning to leave India just after the appearance day of Lord Caitanya, in the beginning of March. First I shall go to Hong Kong for a few days, and from there I will go to Australia and perhaps New Zealand. Three devotees are leaving here shortly to open a center in New Zealand. So after that, say by the end of April, I will come to Japan. It would be very nice if you can organize a pandal program as they have organized here in India. There are so many people in Tokyo, that a pandal program will attract thousands of Japanese people. So if you can organize such a program that will be very excellent. Perhaps the Indian community would be able to help you. Try and arrange as many engagements as possible at places like universities where English is understood. I am very glad that you are all attending Japanese school full time. That is most important now. The Japanese people will make very excellent devotees, once you can explain to them our philosophy in their own language. I have seen the last time I was in Japan that the people have great respect still for spiritual persons. And the people are very intelligent. If you remain patient and determined, then it will not be too long before we start to have real success in Tokyo. Now learn the language, that is of first importance. We have received the 50 sets of tapes you have sent and are recording on them daily. I have written Bhanu instructing him to go immediately to Japan, so very soon he will be coming. Is it true that Karatieya Swami has returned to Japan? I hope this meets you all in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS:tkd Labels: Australasia, Japan letters | 09:54 | |
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