a.c. bhaktivedanta swami
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| Prabhupada Letters :: 1972 a.c. bhaktivedanta swami |
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4 December 2007 3 December, 1972 Bombay My dear Karandhara, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated November 11, 1972, and I have noted the contents with care and attention. Still we have not finished the business with Nair, and the case has become very complicated without any settlement. They were supposed to settle the Conveyance Deed on December first, as we had made a supplemental agreement in Hyderabad and Mrs. Nair had signed it. That was very favorable for us. But other things have interfered, and they have defaulted for one reason or another, so we have got the upper hand. Now I have asked Mr. Diwanji to come to see me tomorrow morning, and Mr. Nair is also coming here, so I want to make a settlement with them without further delay. I shall let you know later. I have heard from Syamasundara. that there may be some difficulty with tax. That must be corrected. We are world-wide organization, and we must have the cooperation of the government authorities, so we shall not create any unnecessary misunderstandings by avoiding government requirements. That will not be good for our movement. Of course, Lord Caitanya led civil disobedience movement against the government because they used show of force to stop Him performing sankirtana movement. So if there is forcing us to stop this sankirtana movement, that much we must protest. But the government of your country is very nice, I think the best in the world at present moment, and they have not made any objection, even they are allowing our boys as ministers to be given relief from this drafting system. So we shall give them all cooperation. Now that requires proper accounts in all our temples. That policy of "frying the fish in its own oil" is all right, but don't touch the bonds. It should be kept as it is. And now I am thinking to pay Dai Nippon for supplying books to India because there is no money in Mayapur Fund. There is huge demand for books in India, especially Bhagavad-Gita. So I wish to transfer the bonds for paying Dai Nippon on account of supplying books to India. The idea is that you can supply all varieties of books to India, whatever they order, and send them a bill in dollars, cost-price dollars, and the cost-price dollars may be paid to Dai Nippon by encashing the bonds. All of our books may be printed by Dai Nippon in huge amount to the extent of $100,000 cost-price and sent to India. I shall pay them with dollars from the bonds and everything, and here the money will be paid in rupees into a Bhaktivedanta Book Fund and M-V Trust Fund in Indian banks, at the rate of ten rupees per dollar. So there is no difficulty. Just like TLC costs $1.50, and the temple takes 25% or $1.50, and above that there is $3 profit. So from Jayan if we get 10 rupees per dollar, this way we will get 20 rupees. So far Bhagavad-Gita is concerned, you must approach the MacMillan Company and either they must immediately stock somewhere in India so that our people may take it, or they must print it here. There is overall huge demand. You may copy this letter and send the copy to Bali Mardan. Why they cannot give us permission for printing Bhagavad-Gita? Make it clear whether we can print the older abridged edition, or if we can print the newer unabridged one. They must allow us to print here or immediately send 20,000 copies in India. We can sell all. Hoping this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sda Labels: India, Los Angeles, MacMillan, printing, sankirtan letters | 12:29 |5 November 2007 5 November, 1972 Vrindaban My dear Bhagavan, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated October 11, 1972, and I have noted the contents with great pleasure. I am very glad to see the things are going on well in France and other places, and that you are there in Europe is a great relief for me. Now I am sure there will be some solid work in Mediterranean zone and the preaching work will be expanded nicely. One thing is, if that printer is so cheap, why not print all our European books there? Anyway, print books, distribute profusely, and that will be the best preaching work. What will your three minutes' preaching do?--but if they buy one book, it may turn their life. So make this your important task, to print our books in French language and other languages, and distribute widely, and that will please my Guru Maharaja. Never mind it takes little time to make progress, our process is slow but sure, and we are confident that if we continue in this way we shall go one day back to home, back to God head. I have received report from Mandakini, she will soon married to that boy, Anatol, so you please give her all help and advice in this connection. Hoping this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sda Labels: book distribution, Paris, printing letters | 05:03 |26 September 2007 Tuesday, 26 September, 1972 Los Angeles My dear Giriraja, Please accept my blessings. Thank you very much for your detailed letter dated September 16, 1972. I am glad to learn in detail how the things are going on in Bombay. I am always thinking about that place, it is only a few steps to the Juhu Beach, and there are many nice palm trees overhead with cooling breezes, and I am looking forward very much to return there soon. Only I am always anxious how the things are going on there, therefore I have asked you to report regularly. So far the bank mortgage is concerned, that is all right. Why don't you do it and finish this business with Nair? This talk is going on since so many months, why it is not being finished up? Now we have formed a committee, now whatever you think, you do. I want to see how the things are going on, and how it is going depends on you. Now I cannot tax my brain so much from such distant place what to do if there is any difficulty, therefore I am relying completely on you, my trusted senior disciples, to finish up these things nicely. I want that construction work be immediately taken up. If this is not possible, as suggested by Madhukar Munim, we may file a criminal or civil charges, as you see fit. Either this way or that way, finish it immediately. So many letters you are sending for the past so many months, and still nothing is settled. You may take bank mortgage for 20-30 lacs extra and use it for construction, that is approved by me. I just want to see that things are done, that's all. The Board of Trustees is approved by me. Regarding the Rs. 4,000 for paper for the Gujarati issue of Back to Godhead, I have sent you already Rs. 70,000 and Rs. 29,000, whether that has been replaced? Then I will forward further sums. I have requested Satsvarupa to reimburse you immediately the Rs. 7,000 paid out for the Dallas and Detroit deities. One thing is, you have sent the conveyance for the unoccupied agricultural land valued at Rs. 900,000 but there is no conveyance issued for the occupied land or nonagricultural land with buildings valued at Rs. 500,000. When that conveyance will be also signed? Kindly send me one copy of that second conveyance* as soon as possible. It is mentioned in the one conveyance you have sent me that a second conveyance must be also issued, but I want to see that that is done as quickly as possible and settle up this matter once and for all. Your plan for forming sankirtana parties for selling our literatures throughout India is very much appreciated by me. Now you have got many many books there and in order to finance our building projects in India you must sell these books profusely. The traveling party idea is the best method for distributing our literatures widely. All funds should be deposited in the Book and Building Accounts and spent for those purposes only. I have very much appreciated your Hare Krsna monthly magazine, it is a great step forward, now maintain it actually monthly and collect many advertisements and spread our propaganda in this way. One thing is, Bhavananda has suggested that you need more help but he was called to help you from Calcutta and coming such long distance he was also silent and then he went away. I do not know why he has gone away because I asked him to stay there in Bombay and help you execute the conveyances and not to leave Bombay until the conveyances were signed. Kindly keep me informed more regularly what you are doing and how the things are getting done in Bombay. Hoping this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami *joint conveyance ACBS/sda Labels: Bombay, book distribution, building, management, printing letters | 05:57 |21 August 2007 21 August, 1972 Los Angeles My Dear Yadubara, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated August 10, 1972. Regarding printing BTG Hindi in India your scheme to print them in Bombay is accepted by me. So you do the needful being contact with Ramananda. Regarding Bhaktivinode Thakura's manuscripts, immediately we do not have any program for printing them. You keep them carefully and when I return I shall consider the matter. The translating work can be done both by Ramananda and Niranjana in Benares. Hoping this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Labels: Bhaktivinode, Bombay, printing, translating letters | 12:20 |13 July 2007 13 July, 1972 London My dear Yadubara, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated July 1, 1972, and I have noted the contents carefully. Dai Nippon has upped their price for Hindi BTG considerably, so it is better to print in Bombay just as you have done with Gujarati BTG. When you return to Bombay, you can try for this. Meanwhile, the manuscript is lying with Dai Nippon for next Hindi BTG, so they have quoted nearly 20 cents per copy or more than 2 rupees, so I think that it will be better to send the manuscript to Bombay. I shall await your advice before deciding the matter. You may develop the films of manuscripts from Birnagar and inform me what you have done and which manuscripts are with you, then I shall inform you where to send them for translating, etc. Hoping this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sda letters | 19:13 | 9 July 2007 Sunday, 9 July, 1972 New York Atmaram and Sons Book Sellers and Publishers Delhi-7, India My dear Ish Kumar Puri, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter from Delhi dated June 23, 1972, and I am pleased to note that you wish to take up publishing our books. Enclosed you will find information of several of our major works, such as number of pages, size of pages, etc. So far number of copies to be printed, that you can decide between yourselves and our ISKCON representatives there in India. I wish to publish with your firm less expensive editions of our existing English language books, keeping as far as possible to the high standard we have established, and also to print Hindi language books. In this connection, I am requesting two of my disciples there to either correspond or meet with you to discuss the matter thoroughly. Sriman Gurudasa Adhikari, President of our Vrindaban ISKCON center, can supply you with all samples of our literature, etc. His address is c/o Radha-Damodara Mandir, Seva Kunj, Vrindaban, U.P. In addition, the editor of our Hindi publications, Dr. R. P. Rao, Reader-in-Chemistry, 20-K Hirapur, Gorakhpur University, Gorakhpur, U.P., will be contacting you very soon regarding the work in Hindi language. After you have studied the matter thoroughly, kindly send me your lowest quotations for printing the books listed herewith. I shall be in London at the above address until the 20th of this month, and after that you may write me at my New York temple-headquarters, 439 Henry Street, Brooklyn, New York, U.S.A. 11231. Kindly convey my blessings to your good family, and especially my respects to your father. Hoping this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sda Labels: Delhi, printing, publishing letters | 19:10 |20 June 2007 20 June, 1972 Los Angeles My Dear Yadubara, I am in due receipt of your letter from Bombay dated June 14, 1972 and I have understood its contents. Today I have received one telephone call from Giriraja and he has informed me that there is some disagreement among you leaders there in our Bombay Center. This is not at all a pleasant situation for anyone. I am entrusting this huge task to all of you for working together cooperatively for doing something wonderful. I can understand that you are responsible and cool-headed along with the others, so you take the hand in reconciling all differences. I have just now written to Gargamuni, Mahamsa, Nara Narayana, Giriraja as follows: "It is my request even you do not agree on some points, Giriraja is in charge so please follow his direction and that will please me. I am very much anxious to see the progress at Bombay Center, and I want it shall become the first class preaching center in the world. Please help me in this ambition. If we can manage successfully, we will be attractive for the whole of India. Our task is very heavy, do not neglect by paltry disagreement. I hope Krishna will bless you to understand my heart and oblige." You state in your letter that everything is going on nicely there in Bombay, and I suppose that in general things are all right, but this todays news disturbs me and so I have ordered that Gargamuni shall immediately leave Bombay for his Gujarat tour and that Nara Narayana be given full assistance for extending the garden to all vacant areas of our property. Kindly assist me for seeing that these plans are carried out immediately and that our main task, namely, the construction work, shall not be neglected. This is very important matter. You say that the Clairidge Press owned by Susheel Somani has offered to print our Gujarati magazine free of charge, and then you say that the cost will be not more than Rupees 3,000/-. How it is costing so much when the work is being done without any charge? I hope this will meet you in good health, Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sda N.B. I have just now got one letter from Acyutananda Maharaja from Mayapur, and his plan is to photograph all of the original manuscripts of Bhaktivinode Thakura which are held by his son, Lalita Prasad Thakura, in Birnagar. This is a very, very important work, so I think you are just the right man for going there with Acyutananda to make photos of each and every page of the old manuscripts as they are in very bad condition. After taking the photos, we ___ shall be going to London on ___ 2, 1972, so send reply accordingly. Labels: Bhaktivinode, Bombay, disagreement, management, printing letters | 17:01 |28 May 2007 28 May, 1972 Los Angeles My Dear Giriraja, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated May 23, 1972, and I have noted the contents with great care. I am glad to hear your explanation how the men are being engaged there in Bombay. That will be the test of your management, how well the men are satisfied by their engagements. I am very glad to hear that Nara Narayana is doing so much work and that Puranjana has decided to remain there. He has decided rightly. The new Deity house should be paid for by Mr. Chhabria must be first-class. So far Mr. Vasist, we want that kind of man to live with us. So when you canvass for tenants for our skyscraper building, try to find out many such men as Mr. Vasist. Regarding a pilgrimage to Vrndavana yes, that is a good proposal, everyone can go in a group to Vrandavan for a few days and then altogether return. But the program in Bombay should not be hampered by everyone leaving. So you can plan accordingly, but the program in Bombay is the important thing, never mind vacations or pilgrimages if they will interfere with our work there. We are not tourists, but if a trip to Vrndavana will enhance spiritual life of the devotees without interfering with our Bombay program then it will be all right to go there for a short time, hold nice sankirtana widely throughout the city, and return altogether. I have written to Gargamuni Maharaja that his traveling sankirtana party should concentrate for distributing our literatures there in Bombay suburbs. The money is in Bombay. What is the use of going village to village when the village people not only can they not read in English but also they have no money. And we will not be able to preach to them. So I think best thing is to thoroughly travel into the suburbs and all sections of Bombay city, sometimes going to Thana, sometimes to Poona, somethimes to Surat, like that, and distribute our books in these places and collect. I have instructed Karandhara to order from Dai Nippon all of our English literatures to be printed in very cheap paper back editions for sending to India for raising building funds. In addition, I am requesting our Hindi translators to translate more and more of my books into Hindi language and these will be printed in Japan in cheap editions as well. So you will not lack for books there in India, and by selling these books very widely you can collect immense funds for building projects in Bombay, Vrndavana, and Mayapur. So far your question regarding Deity worship, during arati everything should be offered first to the Guru. Regarding the three alternatives for our Hare Krishna Housing Society, the alternative, namely, place the flats in the housing society in the names of our various disciples so that they will hold all the votes, and let them sublet or sell their flats, this alternative is very nice. Bhagavan was here from Detroit that he has mentioned that there has been some difficulty for him by sending money to Bombay for purchasing the Detroit Deities, and he is puzzled what has happened to the money and when the Deities are coming, etc. So you kindly investigate what is the position concerning those Deities and as soon as possible ship them from Bombay by air-freight collect to Detroit. I have heard that Mr. Birla has given us two more sets of nice Deities in Jaipur, so you can transport these two sets to Bombay and sent one set to Detroit an one set to Toronto by air-freight collect as quickly as possible. There is no need to purchase any more Deities as these two sets of Deities have been given to us without charge. Also Bhagavan reports for money which he has sent to India there is no acknowledgement. So you can kindly clear up this matter. On Ash lane near Meadows Street, Fort area, there is a wholesale dealer of books and magazines. They can be interested in distributing our literatures, especially magazines. And you can approach A. H. Wheeler in Allahabad for also distributing our books widely throughout his railway station book stalls all over India. Hoping this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swamia ACB/sda n.b. Brahmananda has requested some Krishna Books from you, so you may send them immediately with bill. ACB Labels: Bombay, book distribution, deities, Detroit, printing, sankirtan, Toronto letters | 16:14 |26 May 2007 26 May, 1972 Los Angeles My Dear Guru das, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated May 17th, 1972, and I have noted the contents carefully. You have gone to Kanpur and met with the Singhania family and you have had some very cordial dealings with him, so in this way, if you canvass him very sincerely and gently he can alone build our Vrndavana temple, and we shall build the residential quarters. So you maintain this close relationship with Sri Singhania and gradually try to convince him of our activities around the world. This is a new thing that Americans and Europeans will come to Vrndavana for spiritual progress, so he and other rich men of India should do their duty to these outsiders by providing them with the nice facilities for advancing in Krishna Consciousness. Regarding Devananda Maharaja, yes, he is very sincere devotee, but one thing is, he can be molded by any tricky man, so give him all encouragement to preach there in Vrndavana and he will gradually build up his defense against being easily misled. So far your question regarding women, I have always accepted the service of women without any discrimination, so I have no objection if Yamuna devi contributes her ideas on this construction project. Nothing should be done without group consultation. Our work in Vrindaban and elsewhere should be encouraged by good consultation. One thing is, kindly arrange for the tube well as quickly as possible, there must be sufficient water supply installed immediately. This is very important item. In Delhi my books were printed by one Mr. Kanshiram and his son Omkar at the New O.K. Press in Churiwalla, Delhi. So you may approach them and as soon as they hear about my books they will print them very cheaply. Enclosed find the carbon copy of one letter to Sriman Omkar and also one letter to Mr. Isho Kumar Puri of Atmaram & Son Book Publishers, so kindly note their contents carefully. I am now interested to print our books in India and distribute them very widely. So our Ksirodakasayi is finding difficulty by himself, so they are thinking to form one committee. of Ksirodakasayi, Ramananda and Niranjana, yourself and others, and I want that all of you conjointly chalk out some plan for translating, composing, laying out and printing our books in Hindi language and also in English language and distributing them very profusely. I have received one letter from Kenneth Keating, American Ambassador to India, and it is a very important document. But I have still not heard from you anything about the food contribution by your government, so I shall be anxiously awaiting news of same. But the comments by Mr. Keating are very nice, he offers us his admiration and his blessings for our selfless work, and that is a very great compliment coming from such an important man. So you are the best diplomat, you know how to mix with such big men and they are always giving you their blessings, so I am very much pleased that you are the best man for this work. Kindly continue our good relations with Mr. Keating, and I shall be be very glad to see him again when I come there in the near future. Hoping this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACB/sda Labels: life members, printing, Vrindavan, wife letters | 16:11 |26 May, 1972 Los Angeles Sriman Omkar New O.K. Press Churiwalla, Delhi-6, INDIA My Dear Omkar, Please accept my blessings, and offer my greetings to your good father Kanshiram. I heard that you were married during my absence, although I had been in Delhi there was not a chance to see you and your father. But I am remembering always you and your father, that you so selflessly aided me in my preparation for coming to the western countries and distributing the great gift of Srimad-Bhagavatam to the western society. Now I want to print some of my books in Hindi and English there in India. The size of the books is about 9-1/2 inches x 6-1/2 inches on the average. So kindly let me know the composition and printing prices per page for such booklets and then we shall send you the matter and do the needful. We have got already our office in Vrndavana and my representative from Vrndavana, Gurudasa Adhikari, my American disciple, whenever he goes to Delhi I will ask him to see you. Hoping this meets you and your wonderful family in the best of health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACB/sda letters | 16:11 | 26 May, 1972 Los Angeles Sriman Isho Kumar Puri c/o Atmaram & Sons, Book Publishers Kashmiri Gate, Delhi-6, INDIA My Dear Isho Kumar, Please accept my blessings and offer my respects for your father Mr. Puri. Since I saw you and your father in Delhi in November, 1971, I did not see you any more. Now we are thinking of publishing our books in India, both in Hindi and English languages. So I shall be very glad if you are interested in publishing my books. Here In America, Europe, Canada, et cetera, we are selling our books in huge quantities. At the present moment we are publishing our books in Japan, because in India there is no high class printing. But now just to supply cheap books in India, I want to publish there, so I shall be glad to know if you are interested in publishing both our Hindi and English literatures. On hearing from you I shall send my representative, Sriman Gurudasa Adhikari, whose address is c/o Radha Damodara Mandir, Seva Kunj, Vrndavana, U.P. Now you kindly consult with your father and if you are serious to take up the matter, then I will send you the matter for your immediate attention. If you are interested to publish my works that will be very much suitable to me and profitable for both of us, But if that is not possible, you please introduce us to one nice press and we can print on our own account, and you can be the selling agent. In both ways I am very much anxious to revive the old connection. Now our society is well known both in India and around the world and in India we have got our headquarters in Bombay, Vrndavana, Calcutta, Mayapur and very soon we shall have our center in Delhi also. Besides that we are exporting our Hindi books especially to Africa, Malaysia, Hong Kong and other places where there are Hindu communities in the world. So if you get opportunity to see any of our places either in India or we have got over 100 centers in other parts of the world, I cordially invite you to stay with us and see how the things are going on. Meanwhile, I hope this letter meets you and your good family in the very best of health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACB/sda letters | 16:10 | 26 May, 1972 Los Angeles My Dear Niranjana, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated May 18th, 1972, and have noted the contents carefully. Regarding Hindi literatures, I am very much encouraged that yourself along with Ramananda and Ksirodakasayi Prabhus are anxious to do some solid work. You form a committee along with Guru das, Giriraja and Bhavananda and altogether you work cooperatively both to publish and to distribute our Hindi literatures very widely throughout India. A committee must be also organized for distributing the books and magazines, otherwise what is the use of publishing? First make certain that our distribution is very nice organized. So after your exams you may plunge into this task whole-heartedly and try to enlist the help of all the others and make the project come out very successfully. Form the committee and whatever is needed, you do it. It doesn't matter if the Hindi translation is perfectly the same length as the English original, translate any issue of BTG or any book and send the manuscript after composing to Japan for printing, that is the best plan. For our English BTG's they have got the original photographs and negatives in Japan, so if you translate some issue of English BTG you can send there for printing and the cost will be cheaper because they have already got the photos, etc. In Benares there are many presses and they supply very cheaply. So you take quotations from Benares and find out the lowest quotation for soft binding, first-class paper, and printing in the size of our present Bhagavatam booklets, Easy Journey To Other Planets, like that. In Delhi and Mathura also there is very good facility for Hindi printing. So in this way cooperate with the others to find out either some printer there in India who will print our books in good quality and also very cheaply, or translate and compose the work there and send to Japan. Either way the work must go on and increasingly our literatures should be profusely distributed in India. Kindly report to me your progress in this respect after your examinations are finished. Meanwhile I hope this will find you in very good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACB/sda Labels: India, printing, publishing, translating, Varanasi letters | 16:10 |26 May, 1972 Los Angeles My Dear Madhudvisa, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter from Sydney dated May 16, 1972, and I have noted the contents with great encouragement. Your plan for traveling in Australia and New Zealand is very good. Sydney is naturally the center for that zone and if you have constantly traveling sankirtana parties roving in Australia and New Zealand, that will be first class proposal. Your letter to Tusta Krsna is very nice and just to the point. I had just written to Amogha in this connection. I had told him that purchasing another press in Melbourne was not very much required at the present moment. So if you think New Zealand can be fully reliant upon Sydney for printing work and that Sydney temple can become very responsible in this matter, then they should not purchase any press. New Zealand is first class dairy and farming country in the world, so if you can establish some nice asrama there for raising and protecting cows, that will be a great service. I had written you one letter to Bombay requesting that you shall be the GBC man for the South Pacific, South West Asia, and Australia-New Zealand zone. It was the idea of Karandhara, and Syamasundara. and the others to redivide the world into twelve zones and reappoint new GBC members to fill those positions. So we have been meeting for the past several days, and we have decided that you will be the best man to manage Australia, New Zealand, and all of the South West Asia zone, including Hong Kong, Philippines, Malaysia, etc. Now I want that my GBC representatives shall travel extensively throughout their zone, without stopping in any one place for very long. Their job will be to see how things are going on, that the spiritual standard is maintained very high, to give encouragement to the devotees, like that. So you organize one traveling party and yourself lead them and go all over that zone, opening new centers wherever possible. Trivikrama has written me one letter and he is requesting to change from Japan. So if you like he can come to Manila or Sydney or wherever you prefer. He is awaiting your instructions in Tokyo. I can understand that you have become very much enthusiastic by shifting to Australia and this enthusiasm is very much desirable by Krsna. Do not become ever depressed. But go on spreading this enthusiastic quality throughout that part of the world and this will be a very very great service. I have seen myself that there is a very good potential in Australia and New Zealand and other places in that part of the world, so you just apply your experience and your advanced knowledge and enthusiasm and this will please my very much. Thank you for helping me in this way. Hoping this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Labels: GBC, New Zealand, printing, Sydney letters | 16:07 |17 May 2007 17 May, 1972 Honolulu My dear Jayapataka, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated May 5, 1972, and I have noted the contents. Yes, we shall personally supervise everything there at Mayapur, instead of giving everything to contractor. The engineer may simply see that things are being done properly and we shall see that the labor is working properly. Purchase first-class building materials, then there will be first-class building. So far your recommendation for getting money, this arrangement is approved. Accounts and money should be in one place. You have already got Rs. 1,10,000 from me, so if you submit account of this expenditure, you will receive more. All collections and Life Membership money should go to Bombay for deposit in the Building Fund. It is understood that Giriraja has asked Bhavananda for the Life Membership collections, but Bhavananda has not replied. What is the reason? Please do the needful. This fund shall never be used for maintenance. If there is shortage of maintenance, that fund will be also supplied from Bombay. "Child is the father of man," so if you can train these children in Krishna Consciousness by kind instruction, feeding them, it will be a great service to Lord Caitanya. For the last 50 years the Gaudiya Math people are there but their relationship with the local inhabitants is not so cordial. If we continue this philanthropic work to give them enlightenment and food without any discrimination, it will be appreciated by all people. This meeting in Navadvipa was certainly very important and I am very much pleased that Sriman Acyutananda Maharaja has established our position. Krishna will bless him. Let him preach in that spirit, that is required. Our mission is to establish God-consciousness. We can give more information about God from authentic literature. So every religion has got some relationship with God, that is preliminary understanding. But actually what is God, how we can understand Him, how He is working by His different energies, how He is creating, maintaining and annihilating--all this information we can give in details, therefore anyone who is interested in the matter of understanding God, they should give their patient hearing to our descriptions. The result will be that his faith in God will be increased. In other words, if any person who hears from us will become a greater lover of God and learn what is the highest perfection of life. Unless it is absolutely necessary we should not purchase land at such high price. For the time being we are going to construct the residential quarters and then we shall take up the temple portion. So I think we can wait for some time. If we become very eager to purchase, naturally they will want to raise price. More demand, higher price, less demand, lower price. That is the economic law. So do the needful according to the situation. But things must be done very nicely. Regarding Lalita Prasad Thakura's proposal, merging is possible in two ways: They become merged in our institution and we make it as one of our branches. In that case, as we are supplying all necessities to our branches, similarly, this branch will be also supported. When there is scarcity of money, everything will be provided by us. So in that case the management will be under our direction. Otherwise, if they want to keep their own identity then there is no other alternative than to take the land on lease. They can keep aside their portion independently, and the land which is given to us on lease, we keep ourselves independently. So far our relationship is concerned, even though we keep independent of one another, there will be no misunderstanding, because the central point is Bhaktivinode Thakura. Our only ambition is that the birthsite of Bhaktivinode Thakura must be gorgeous and attractive so that people may come to see from all parts of the world. Bhaktivinode Thakura is no longer localized. His holy name is being expanded along with Lord Caitanya's. So let them understand this point. They are occupying the place for more than 50 years and none of their men could fulfill the desire of Bhaktivinode Thakura in the matter of preaching in foreign countries. With this spirit we should combine. So next you can talk with them on this understanding. I can understand also that Lalita Prasad Thakura is very much favorable in giving us the concession but his assistants may be hesitating unnecessarily. Hoping this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sda P.S. Gitar Gan should be immediately composed where you took quotation before. I had asked for it to be composed long ago for sending to Japan, but so far no one has done it, I do not know why. Anyway, I think the price of the composing was only about Rs. 250 or Rs. 300, because the total printing cost was Rs. 672/-. Simply get it composed and the other things will be done in Japan. ACB Labels: Bhaktivinode, building, land, life members, Mayapur, printing letters | 09:56 |16 May 2007 16 May, 1972 Honolulu My dear Bhavananda, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated May 9, 1972, and I have noted the contents. Last time when I was in India you told me that Lalita Prasad wanted to see me and according to his desire I saw him. And the proposal was accepted by him. Now it appears he has changed his mind so what can be done? For the time being, forget the transaction and later on we shall see. There is no haste. Regarding Gitar Gan composition quotation, I do not know which heavenly press you have gone to take the quotation--it is simple cheating. Jayapataka took the quotation from one press, which quotation included printing, paper, everything, 10,000 books for Rs. 4,000. This rascal wants so much. It is simply joking. Anyway, I think you cannot find out, let Jayapataka find out. The composition charges should not be more than Rs. 250 for 100 pages, very small pages. You can attempt to get it composed by the linotype machine in Juganta Press, owned by Tarun Kanti Ghosh. If it is attempted, he may give it free. Simply for composing there is no problem. If it is printed on linotype it is always new type. Why you have not mentioned Mayapur in your letter? Now the Building Fund is fixed up in Bombay, and all the Life Member collections and Building Fund collections must go there. Giriraja has written you one letter but you have not replied it. Life Member money cannot be spent for eating and sleeping. The landlord K. Prasad Singharoy has written me one letter complaining that there was a fight between our men and some outsiders, servant class men, and he says that it is disturbing to the whole area. Perhaps he's designing to eject us on these grounds. I shall be glad to hear from you what is the actual position. Have Srimati and Malati gone there? If so, what are they doing there? They left Bombay on ground that they have not sufficient engagement, so if they have come to Calcutta, what engagement is allotted for them? Hoping this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ada Labels: building, Calcutta, disagreement, Mayapur, printing letters | 09:52 |9 May 2007 9 May, 1972 Honolulu My dear Amogha, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated May 3, 1972, and I have noted the contents. I am very much pleased to hear from you that all the programs in Melbourne are increasing enthusiastically under your supervision. I like Melbourne very much. One thing is, too much competition between centers is not good, the emphasis should be on cooperation, not competition. I do not think it is necessary to have two presses. We should not misuse time and money, better to convince Mohanananda to increase his press work and supply you with all materials, and in return you supply him with something, that is mutual cooperation. And if you divert your attention to a lot of business, then spiritual advancement will be hampered. So I do not think it is wise to get that big store and start a big business with many departments. That will distract. Our main business is to become Krishna Conscious and to convince others through preaching work. Therefore, we do not want to strive for making big business and lots of money. Of course, money is required, but better to sell many, many books and collect in that way. I am very glad to hear that you have got one Life Member there in Melbourne. He is helping you to get that press, but I do not think your getting another press will help. You claim that Sydney press is not working; similarly, if you start a press and there is not sufficient work, you will suffer. If you want literature, it will be sent. If there are different small presses, the work will not be of good quality. So this opening of small presses here and there, I am not in favor. Of course, if you utilize that store for a kirtana hall and book store, that is another matter--then many people will be attracted to actually learn about our movement and join us. That is a good proposal. Mohanananda has not yet come, so do not do anything new until we have discussed, and when I hear what he wants to do, I shall contact you then. Hoping this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami cc: Mohanananda/Sydney ACBS/sda letters | 20:42 | 4 May 2007 Thursday, 4 May, 1972 Tokyo My dear Gurudasa, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 4/24/72, and I have noted the contents with pleasure. The Life Member meeting in Delhi is very important, so do it nicely. Also, about 20 men have come from U.S. to Bombay, so I think some of them may come there to help you. You may request Giriraja to send four or five men to help you, I fully approve. I have already written to Gargamuni, and he will not bother to become president. So combinedly you do everything nicely, he will supply money, but you can supply accounts and vouchers to Gargamuni for checking. Statements should be supplied regularly by you both, you both sign them, so he'll be encouraged to send you money. Your description of the temple sounds well. My only idea is that it should be just like Govindaji's Temple, but with further improvements. You are going to Kanpur, that is a good place, you can raise lakhs, many lakhs, for your Vrindaban scheme. Sighania himself can build. When I was in New York, Padampat Singhania promised me a temple in New York, but the government did not allow exchange. So he is a nice man, if you can convince him, simply he may require little attention, then he alone can build Vrindaban. Next to Calcutta and Bombay, Kanpur is the most important industrial center, so there are many rich men there, they require only some careful handling. I have forgotten the name of our panda there, but he lives somewhere in Kisora Pura, you can find him there. Purusottama Brahmacari can inform you, he lives in Gopinatha Ghera. Syamasundara has given instructions for making layout of Hindi BTG, as he has met with Dai Nippon today. Yamunamayi may help to make the layout. Hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sda Labels: life members, printing, Vrindaban letters | 12:59 |4 May, 1972 Tokyo My dear Ksirodakasayi, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 26th April, 1972, and I have noted the contents carefully. It is good news that you have come to your senses that nothing should be done by contractor. Everything should be done by ourselves. Mr. Saraf is experienced, so take his help. So go on raising funds, constructing, and send me the plans as soon as possible. I have got some idea from Gurudasa' letter, and it sounds very, very nice. So far Gargamuni is concerned, he'll not become president, I am requesting him to forget this idea. So do not become agitated in your mind. As Gargamuni supplies the money, you supply him with a full accounting. As things will be done by yourself and Gurudasa, you give him purchase bills and statements of account. I am asking him, he will send you money, and that money, along with whatever you raise, will be used for materials and constructing, you keep good accounts and send him regularly. Full instructions for Hindi BTG is given herewith by Syamasundara, as we have gone to Dai Nippon personally today, so you read it carefully and do the needful. So far whatever BTG's you have printed in India, whatever has been issued to the centers, they must now pay you, you send them bills. I shall notify Calcutta and Bombay to pay you. 4,000, 5,000 copies each issue printed, where they have been distributed and how the money is being collected? There was some money with Radha Raman Goswami, whether he has paid it? So collect wherever you have given BTG's. I have given you Rs. 4000/- on BTG account. This must be returned and deposited in the Book Fund Account in Bombay. Hoping this will meet you in good health and happy mood. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sda Labels: accounting, building, printing, Vrindaban letters | 12:58 |25 March 2007 Saturday, 25 March, 1972 Bombay My dear Patita Uddharana, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letters dated December 26, 1971 and January 24, 1972 and I have noted the contents. I have received also the forward to Bhagavad-gita As It Is by Sriman Sampath H. Kumaran Hemmige and I have appreciated it very much, but I think there is already a forward. In any case, I shall send it along to Iskcon Press and they can decide how to use it. You may thank him very much for me. Your suggestion to have a brahmacari asrama is alright, and you should train all these boys to become good preachers. So far installing new deities, I think it is best if you concentrate your energy on sankirtana and book distribution for now, and as your temple grows and facilities are there for very opulent deity worship, then this can be considered. I have made it a policy that there must be at least ten initiated brahmanas in a temple before deities are installed. My Guru Maharaja said that this materialistic society is a society of cheaters and cheated. Because people want to be cheated, men such as you mention have become very popular. They are preaching all nonsense and the people are accepting them, but if someone wants to be cheated, what can be done? This Krishna consciousness is authorized, practical and simple and those who have enough intelligence will recognize this fact and will join with us. Our program is to simply chant Hare Krishna, follow the regulative principles, and preach this philosophy without any adulteration. If we stick to this policy, then by our good example, people will see the potency of this great movement. I am in Bombay now and will be leaving for Australia in one week. After visiting Hong Kong, Japan, and Hawaii I will arrive in Los Angeles sometime near the end of April. Because I am travelling so much it is best not to send any checks through the mail. Better you send it to Karandhara in Los Angeles and he can put it in my book fund. Hoping this meets you in good health. Please offer my blessings to all the others. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/nkd Labels: Columbus, deities, itinerary, preachers, printing letters | 09:33 |22 March 2007 22 March, 1972 Bombay My dear Meenakatan, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 12/2/72. I am very much glad that you want to come to Vrindaban to assist there, because just last week we have acquired with Krishna's grace a very large plot of land for raising up a very excellent center to revive the spiritual life of Vrindaban on behalf of Rupa and Jiva Goswamis. Also they have consented to give us at least eight very nice rooms more at the Radha-Damodara Temple. Besides the two rooms and veranda already in my occupation, so it is a very big work and we require many men to come now to Vrindaban and assist. In fact I have just requested Karandhara to send me fifty more men by end of March or as quickly as possible. So it is also very nice that you are also layout man for the Press, because Ksirodakasayi Prabhu will live in Vrindaban also and his job is to layout the Hindi BTG there and send it to Dai Nippon for printing each month one issue. So I think you may come to Vrindaban immediately and give assistance to Ksirodakasayi in this department. You may bring your family also if you wish. Hoping this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sda Labels: Brooklyn, building, printing, Vrindavan letters | 09:30 | |
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