a.c. bhaktivedanta swami
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| Prabhupada Letters :: 1972 a.c. bhaktivedanta swami |
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31 December 2007 31 December, 1972 Bombay My dear Dhananjaya, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 28 December 1972 delivered by Latika from London, and I am very happy to hear of all the good news in English and Scottish temples in general. I have heard also from Revatinandana Svami how the things are going there, and his report is also very much encouraging to me. I am especially glad to note that everyone is feeling so much enthusiasm to work very hard in this preaching mission. That enthusiasm must be maintained under all circumstance. That is our price forentering into Krsna's kingdom. And maya is always trying to take away our enthusiasm to serve Krsna, because without enthusiasm everything else is finished. Therefore Rupa Gosvami has introduced this system of regulative principles which I have taught to you also. These regulative principles, such as rising before 4 a.m. for mangala aratrika, chanting 16 rounds minimum on beads daily, reading books, going for the street sankirtana, preaching to anyone and everyone, offering the prasadam, like that, these principles of devotional service are there to safeguard us from maya's attack by keeping us always enthusiastic. If we strictly observe these principles, we shall remain always enthusiastic. These are the sources and the maintainers of our enthusiasm to serve Krsna. As soon as someone is not following them regularly, it may be certain that his enthusiasm will gradually disappear. Therefore, my request to you is that under any and all circumstances that you yourself shall without fail stick to these principles and make certain that all of the devotees in your charge are also following them strictly. If new students are coming and they want to live with us in the temple, they must agree before living with us to follow these principles without any exception. Otherwise, it is better for them to live outside and attend the class, aratrika, prasadam, like that, and gradually as they become convinced by their intelligence, they will voluntarily agree to perform the austerity or tapasya of living in the temple. But anyone who lives in the temple must follow all these principles without exception, otherwise they may be asked to live outside. Of course we work very very hard just to get someone to come to the platform of devotee of Krsna, so we shall not be too much hasty to drive anyone out. Therefore we may forgive once, twice, but more than that we must take other steps. So if any new candidate for devotee comes forward you may test him very thoroughly to understand from him if he is ready to fully accept our strict standard of temple living. Let him understand that it is not an arbitrary or whimsical decision on our parts to become like military camp, rather we are strictly adhering to our devotional principles only so that we may make advancement in Krsna consciousness and be protected from the attack of maya consciousness. They may be thinking that these people are slaves of their strict principles, but we are thinking that the strict principles are slaves to us. Of course, the devotee is always very liberal-minded and tolerant towards everyone, seeing everyone as the part and parcel of Krsna and the pure devotee of Krsna, only seeing that due to maya they have temporarily forgotten their real position. So a devotee is always very understanding if there is some discrepancy behavior on the part of nondevotees, and even some devotees misbehave, he is always very tolerant and understanding. The point is that no one is actually qualified in this material world to approach Krsna, but if he makes the attempt through our inducing him gradually to give his energy to Krsna, by that attempt Krsna will extend his mercy and deliver the fallen soul despite his so many disqualifications. And such person or aspiring devotee, he is to be considered the most exalted of men because he has given his life to Krsna. bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate vasudevah sarvam iti sa mahatma sudurlabhah "After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders to Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare." [BG 7.19] So you are the leader of London temple, one of the most important temples in the world, so your responsibility is very very immense. But it is also Krsna's blessing upon you. So try to please Him always by understanding the instructions of Krsna as He is giving in Bhagavad-gita, and by that understanding you will be able to manage everything without any difficulty at all. But I think you must be already very much advanced in your understanding of Krsna consciousness, otherwise how so many nice devotees are coming and how there is always such good report from London temple? And I am especially pleased by the newspaper clipping from Edinburgh, they have given very good write-up, just to the points. So far painting of the deity, it will not be necessary to bring Muralidhara from New York just for that purpose. We should not be so hasty to make such drastic programs. Radha and Krsna are transcendental to such artistic work, they do not depend upon our painting of them for their beauty. But they should be painted as nicely as possible if there is at present some deterioration of the painting. But I think someone is there, either in London or some other place in Europe, who can do the work perfectly well. Now our first business in London will be to get that new place. I have been informed from Syamasundara that you are expecting to hear about that Priory at any moment, whether they have accepted our bid or not. But this place or that place, we must get sufficient new place in London to give facility to the preaching work there. I can understand that it is Krsna's desire that we have got that place at Bury Place, it has become world famous due to that location, so try to keep that place also as long as possible. But in order to expand properly all over British Isles we shall require a big big headquarters as you are contemplating. But if there is no solid program for getting the place, simply we are depending upon agents and George to do everything, then we may not be favored by Krsna to get a place very quickly. Better to take the upper hand and begin very energetically attempting to get some place. By our expending energy for Krsna, that is appreciated, not the actual result of our energy. But if there is lack of energy being devoted for some purpose, then everything will be delayed and possibly stopped. Better to seize the iron while the fire is hot, that my Guru Maharaja used to tell me. So George is now convinced of our movement, he will pay, so why the delay and difficulty? I think you should very seriously and with a cool head apply yourself to getting that place or some other place as soon as possible, at least by springtime. Otherwise Krsna may take away this golden opportunity, being disappointed by our lack of enthusiasm and labor. You may inform me from time to time how your search for the new place is progressing more and more. Hoping this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sda Labels: George Harrison, land, London, regulative principles letters | 07:36 |29 December 2007 29 December, 1972 Bombay My dear Cyavana, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated December 15, 1972, and I note that you have returned from another successful preaching mission in distant parts of Africa. I am always so much pleased to hear such good news how the traveling preachers are spreading this Krsna Consciousness movement to every nook and corner of the world. Such traveling and preaching activity is the most highly favored by Krsna and He will bless you more and more with the highest understanding and realization of Himself. Yes, that is correct proposal, you must have a program for getting income which will not depend upon anyone outside of our camp. Of course ultimately we must depend only on Krsna. If He gives us something we shall accept and offer it in His service, if we have nothing, what is the harm, we shall sit under a tree and chant Hare Krsna. But in any case, I do not want you to leave that temple and move to a smaller place. We must keep at least one nice temple of large size in that part of Africa. If we reduce in that way, that will not be good. Rather increase in all ways, that is our program. The moving and preaching work will be your most important business in Africa. There is not much population and the distances are great, so there is, no doubt, great need for several traveling parties to be working simultaneously. But if you keep that place in Nairobi as your base, sending all of the new recruits as you are able to convert them back to the Nairobi temple for getting themselves trained up, what is wrong with that? I think we need at least one big place for training up the new devotees just to the proper highest standard, just as we are doing in Los Angeles, New York, London, and other places. So also in Africa you require one such model center. If you remain only traveling parties, that will be nice for distributing many many books, and for having the sankirtana, but for new devotees that will be too much rigorous and they will not be able to adjust to the constant moving and changing about. That will spoil their chance for developing in their Krsna consciousness from neophyte stage. So keep the Nairobi center always very active, nicely decorated, worship the deities just to the highest standard, making sure that all of the students are rising to attend the mangala aratrika, chanting regularly sixteen rounds, reading books - in this way utilize what Krsna has given us there and develop it for the headquarters building for Africa. Yes, if anyone agrees to live with us in the temple he must without any exception follow the four rules and regulations, plus the other regulative principles, otherwise he may be asked kindly to leave the temple and live outside. Or he may not be invited to live in the temple until he has agreed and has proven his ability to obey the regulative idea. The point is that we should not be over anxious just to recruit men if they will not be of the best quality. If someone wants to become devotee but he is little weak, never mind he is living outside, he may come regularly to the temple, chant at home and at his work, and offer his foodstuffs always to Krsna, like that, and gradually he will develop the surrendering attitude and accept voluntarily the life of austerity or tapasya which must be practiced in the temple living. Without such voluntary understanding of the principles and agreement to obey them, no one is qualified to live in our temples. Of course if there are one or two instances of falling down, that may be excused, we are not so overly critical, otherwise who would be qualified of any of us to become devotee? So that tolerant attitude must be there to a certain extent, but we must remain also always firm on this point, that the brahmacaris living in the temple shall not disobey the orders of the spiritual master. One thing is, if both yourself and Brahmananda, the two strong leaders there, are always gone from the temple, who is managing in your absence? That is to be considered. One strong man, if he is very much fixed-up devotee, he can manage everything nicely, even in huge temple with many students. The problem is not the facility itself, rather the ability of the manager there. So immediately get one first-class man to agree to stick to the Nairobi temple and develop it fully, that will be the best solution. Hoping this will meet you in good health, Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami N.B. Mr. G.N. Shah is always writing me for money. What to do with him? ACB ACBS/sda Labels: leader, Nairobi, regulative principles, sankirtan letters | 07:31 |26 December 2007 Tuesday, 26 December, 1972 Bombay My dear Amogha, Please accept my blessings. I wish to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated December 1, 1972, and I have noted the contents. It is very much pleasing to me to hear that you are making such steady advancement in Krishna Consciousness. If you continue in this way, and strictly follow the four regulative principles, making sure to chant at least sixteen rounds on the beads, daily, it is without a doubt that at the end of this lifetime, you can go back home, back to Godhead. You mention that the Indonesians inside the country are good people. Yes, try to make local men into devotees. When I shall come there I shall try to convince that boy who owns the printing press. Don't neglect the Hindus. Collect money from them for printing and pushing on our preaching work. They are able to give enough money, but don't bother to try to mix with or preach to them excessively. Real business is to convert the local men to become Krishna Conscious and carry on the work. I shall be going there near February 1, so you may do the needful. Hoping this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sdb Labels: Australasia, Hindus, regulative principles letters | 07:25 |22 December 2007 Friday, 22 December, 1972 Bombay My dear Karandhara, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your dated December 11, 1972, and I have noted the contents with care. Regarding your proposal to cash my bonds and take that house in New York, I have heard from Bali Mardan that the bid was refused and that he has made another bid, but it will be some time before it is decided. And Dhananjaya has telephoned to Bombay to request for keeping that down payment, because George is very keen to purchase one monastery and there is every chance they will get it before one week. At least let us see. So there is no immediate need to cash my bonds, nor take the money from London. Jayatirtha has informed that Bali Mardan has saved more than $100,000 in few months time only, so New York is very rich place for collecting, so why not he shall collect there for few more months to raise the whole price? Also, that place on 77th Street is not so much important as 5th Avenue and 40th Street. If we are taking such big place for big risk, why not in the important business district? Now my plan for books in India is this: We shall pay MacMillan for 20,000 copies of Bhagavad-Gita at $1.25 each. Price may be settled as it is required, but not more than $30,000. I shall pay for 5,000 copies from my bonds, you pay for the balance 15,000 copies from Book Fund there. 5,000 Gitas may be sent immediately to India, the balance you distribute other places. In India we want to order a variety of books. So you may immediately order from Dai Nippon 5,000 copies each of KRSNA (Vol. II) (Hard-bound), TLC (soft-bound), NOD (soft-bound), KRSNA TRILOGY (soft-bound), Srimad-Bhagavatam (5,000 of each volume), plus you may send to India 10,000 each of each of the small books, like Easy Journey, Topmost Yoga, Beyond Birth and Death, Isopanisad, like that. So these books should be given at cost-price only, not wholesale price, and you may cash some of my bonds to pay the total cost-price of the above books to Dai Nippon and ISKCON Press. They shall pay me back here into one M-V Trust Fund Account at the rate of ten rupees per dollar, plus they shall give me some profit. So you may inform me what is the cost per book for each of the above, and the total cost you are having to deduct from my bonds. All books should be sent to India as quickly as possible. Regarding the work of Pradyumna, now he is working very hard to finish those missing portions, and he will send you very soon. Actually, whatever else he may be doing, I very much appreciate Pradyumna's work. Everyday he gives me some solid work, at least something every day, so I am very much appreciating. I was in Ahmedabad preaching daily in the morning and evening for last two weeks, and at least ten thousand were coming to hear. From January 12th our second Hare Krishna Festival will go on in the Cross Maidan in Bombay, and Tamala Krishna and Syamasundara are planning something very gorgeous just to push on the preaching work. Meanwhile I am little resting behind the scenes for few days, and one Karatieya Mahadevia has been very kind to give us his place all to ourselves just by the seaside on Warden Road. Many big men of Bombay are coming to see me daily for confidential talks, and they are beginning to very much become inclined to our philosophy. I think in this place, it is very restful and there is no interruption, so I think I shall be able to increase my translations work. Regarding your points about taxation, corporate status, etc., I have heard from Jayatirtha you want to make big plan for centralization of management, taxes, monies, corporate status, bookkeeping, credit, like that. I do not at all approve of such plan. Do not centralize anything. Each temple must remain independent and self-sufficient. That was my plan from the very beginning, why you are thinking otherwise? Once before you wanted to do something centralizing with your GBC meeting, and if I did not interfere the whole thing would have been killed. Do not think in this way of big corporation, big credits, centralization - these are all nonsense proposals. Only thing I wanted was that books printing and distribution should be centralized, therefore I appointed you and Bali Mardan to do it. Otherwise, management, everything, should be done locally by local men. Accounts must be kept, things must be in order and lawfully done, but that should be each temple's concern, not yours. Krishna Consciousness Movement is for training men to be independently thoughtful and competent in all types of departments of knowledge and action, not for making bureaucracy. Once there is bureaucracy the whole thing will be spoiled. There must be always individual striving and work and responsibility, competitive spirit, not that one shall dominate and distribute benefits to the others and they do nothing but beg from you and you provide. No. Never mind there may be botheration to register each centre, take tax certificate each, become separate corporations in each state. That will train men how to do these things, and they shall develop reliability and responsibility, that is the point. I am little observing now, especially in your country, that our men are losing their enthusiasm for spreading on our programmes of Krishna Consciousness movement. Otherwise, why so many letters of problems are coming, dissatisfied? That is not a very good sign. The whole problem is they are not following the regulative principles, that I can detect. Without this, enthusiasm will be lacking. Even mechanically following, and if he gets gradually understanding from the class, he will come to the point of spontaneous enthusiasm. This spontaneous loving devotional service is not so easy matter, but if one simply sticks strictly to the rules and regulations, like rising early, chanting 16 rounds, chanting gayatri, keeping always clean - then his enthusiasm will grow more and more, and if there is also patience and determination, one day he will come to the platform of spontaneous devotion, then his life will be perfect. All of this I have told you in Nectar of Devotion. So I do not think the leaders are themselves following, nor they are seeing the others are following strictly. That must be rectified at once. Each centre remain independent, that's all right, but the president and other officers must themselves follow and see the others are following the regulative principles carefully, and giving them good instruction so they may understand nicely why this tapasya is necessary. And GBC and Sannyasis will travel and see the officers are doing this, and if they observe anything lowering of the standard, they must reform and advise, or if there is some discrepancy I shall remove it. Of course, if new men are coming, they may not be expected immediately to take to our regulative principles cent per cent. Therefore we should not be so anxious to induce them to live in the temple. Anyone who lives in the temple must agree to follow the rules and regulations without fail. So if some new man moves in with us he may become discouraged if he is forced in this way. Therefore let them live outside and become gradually convinced in the class why they should accept some austerity, then they will live with us out of their own accord and follow nicely everything. It is very difficult to give up very quickly so many bad habits as you have got in your country. So educate new men gradually, first with chanting, and do not be so much anxious to count up so many numbers of new devotees, if such devotees go away later being too early forced. I want to see a few sincere devotees, not many false devotees or pretenders. So my point is that the regulative principles must be followed by everyone. Otherwise their enthusiasm dwindles and they again think of sex and become restless, and so many problems are there. There is some symptom of missing the point. The point is to be engaged in doing something for Krishna. Never mind what is that job, but being so engaged in doing something very much satisfying to the devotee then he remains always enthusiastic. He will automatically follow the regulative principles because they are part of his occupational duty - by applying them practically as his occupational duty, he realizes the happy result of regulative principles. So the future of this Krishna Consciousness movement is very bright, so long the managers remain vigilant that 16 rounds are being chanted by everyone without fail, that they are all rising before four morning, attending mangal arati - our leaders shall be careful not to kill the spirit of enthusiastic service, which is individual and spontaneous and voluntary. They should try always to generate some atmosphere of fresh challenge to the devotees, so that they will agree enthusiastically to rise and meet it. That is the art of management: to draw out spontaneous loving spirit of sacrificing some energy for Krishna. But where are so many expert managers? All of us should become expert managers and preachers. We should not be very much after comforts and become complacent or self-contented. There must be always some tapasya, strictly observing the regulative principles - Krishna Consciousness movement must be always a challenge, a great achievement to be gained by voluntary desire to do it, and that will keep it healthy. So you big managers now try to train up more and more some competent preachers and managers like yourselves. Forget this centralizing and bureaucracy. Hoping this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS:sda Labels: enthusiasm, leader, Los Angeles, publishing, regulative principles letters | 17:24 |17 December 2007 Sunday, 17 December, 1972 Bombay [Name withheld] Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated November 30th, 1972. I am shocked to hear from you that you have left your good wife for some time to have sex-life with another girl, who is also a devotee, and that she is now pregnant with your child. That is most disturbing to me. But I know that all big leaders are falling victim to sex-life. So let her live in New York and you live in Paris with your wife, what can be done? But you should not ever see or correspond in any way with her again. That will be the worst example. If you are leader, how you can do these things? If someone will have her, she may get herself married and be happy in Krsna consciousness - I do not want that she shall go away from shame. But you must have nothing more to do with her. Just like ________ has done. He was like the sifter, full of holes, and he was finding fault only in others: Oh, just see that needle, he has got a hole. Now he has made one girl pregnant and they were found out, so he has left me as my personal servant. That is the common practice: full of holes, yet they are accusing others, "Oh! He has got one hole!" Our business is to raise ourselves to the highest status of life as preachers of Krsna's message, and one should behave himself rigidly, then he should instruct others. Two things: Be himself exemplary, then teach others to be exemplary. If one has not come to that high standard, he cannot judge or criticize others. There is one saying from Bible: "Judge not, lest ye be judged." So how we can preach unless we are able to make judgements? That will not be possible. Only those who are above suspicion can judge others. One must himself act in such a way that he is always above suspicion. Then he can judge, then he can preach. But now you have no power to instruct. One who is not following himself, how he can instruct others? If you are repentant, that's all right. You have got your wife, so if you are sexually inclined therefore you should always be with your wife. You are repenting, so Krsna will excuse you. But never do this again. Rather you should stop sex-life altogether, make this your austerity. Do not eat nicely, chant always sixteen rounds, and pray to Krsna to excuse you for your great offense. You are one of the senior devotees, therefore if you behave like that then the whole Society will be at risk. By their nature, gestures, dress, women are lusty - that is their habit. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam it is stated that when a woman comes to serve you, you must be very careful, especially for sannyasis and brahmacaries. ACBS Labels: regulative principles, sex life letters | 17:20 |14 December 2007 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 |2 November 2007 2 November, 1972 Vrindaban My dear Mukunda, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated October 8, 1972, and thank you for your kind sentiments. Yes, I always think of you too. You are one of my first disciples, along with your wife, Janaki, so I am always praying to Krishna to give you His all blessings for bringing you back to Home, back to Godhead. Wherever you may be, it doesn't matter, but don't give up the principles of spiritual life, that is my request. You have become my disciple so I must request you to chant 16 rounds and follow the regulative practices of devotional service, and you may know it for sure that very quickly you will achieve the supreme perfectional stage of your life. Now we are in Vrindaban, and the programme for speaking daily morning and evening in the courtyard samadhi-place at Radha-Damodara temple is very much being appreciated by the devotees. Next we shall go to Hyderabad for some weeks. You have mentioned nothing of your wife, so what is her position? Hoping this meets you both in the best of health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sda Labels: regulative principles, Vrindavan, wife letters | 18:36 |1 November 2007 1 November, 1972 Vrindaban My Dear Giriraja, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated October 22, 1972, regarding the supply of deity for Chicago centre. I am told that the Bharatapur deity is more than 200 years old and is made of solid silver, and therefore it will be very difficult to get government permission to export it from India. It will be too much trouble, so if nice deities can be gotten from Jaipur as we have done before, that is better. Now first business is to get the permission of Charity Commissioner. One MP from Assam has forwarded his letter to Chief Minister Naik urging him to help us get that permission. If we cannot settle, then get the Charity Permission and sue in the court. Our position is strong. We can sue even without Charity Commission permission. You and Tamala Krishna arrange the pandal programme in Bombay to be the first-class presentation, and inform me of the dates. I think Tamala told me once from December 20 to January 10th. From Bombay I shall go to Calcutta, and after the 20th January I have been invited by Madhudvisa to go to Australia for about one month or six weeks, and then I shall return to Mayapur. Before coming to Bombay, I may go to Ahmedabad for some time, as Dinanatha has gone there to arrange the programme. So long the regulative principles are followed, everything else will follow, and at least we shall command the respect of the public. People may not have the impression that they are the same hippies under different dress. Hoping this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sda Labels: Bombay, deities, itinerary, land, legal, regulative principles letters | 18:34 |30 September 2007 Saturday, 30 September, 1972 Los Angeles My dear Susan Beckman, Please accept my blessings. I have received your letter dated September 22, 1972, and I have noted the contents carefully. I am very much encouraged that you want to join this Krsna Consciousness movement for perfection of your life. Householder life is also the perfect platform for rendering devotional service to Krsna. Any station of life, whether you are unmarried, married, or in any occupation of life, you can achieve the highest goal by adopting and practicing the principles of devotional service. You are married and your husband is striving to become a devotee of Krsna, so you become his devotee, that is the position of husband and wife, that the husband will become a great devotee of Krsna by his wife's assistance, and the wife will take benefit and advance in spiritual life by serving her husband. You are anxious about the rules and regulations, but without rules and regulations there is more frustration. So it may be a little difficult at first, but if you are sincere to achieve the highest result of your lifetime, then you can be assured that by your efforts in Krsna Consciousness that you will very quickly become happy more and more. The difficulties of this material world will shrink to no more than the size of a hoofprint left by the calf. Actually there is no difference between devotees living inside the temple and devotees living outside the temple. You are right that the important thing is to remember Krsna, whatever is your activity. So try to remember Krsna always by following the principles as you know them, namely, rising early, taking bath, cleansing, attending aratrika, reading scriptures at least one hour or two hours daily, chanting sixteen rounds on beads of Hare Krsna mantra, going for street sankirtana, offering all your foodstuffs to Krsna, like that. In this way very quickly you will make progress in Krsna Consciousness and become very very happy in your life. Hoping this meets you in good health, Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sda Labels: husband, Philadelphia, regulative principles, wife letters | 06:05 |21 September 2007 21 September, 1972 Los Angeles My dear Bhaktijana, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter, undated, and I have read the contents carefully. Yes, that is a good program that you are doing in New York by going from place to place and holding classes, having kirtana in the street, and generally recruiting devotees for sending to the Brooklyn Temple. If you do like that, going from one part of New York to another, New York is the biggest city in the world and there are innumerable places where you can hold chanting and classes, so if you go on like you are doing, I have no objection. But at all times, give your kind cooperation to Bali Mardan for working together on your program. He is GBC and President of Brooklyn Temple and he can give you all advice and facilities for your work. So kindly cooperate with him as much as possible, and that will please me very much. So far going to Puerto Rico, I have no objection if you go there, but if your program in New York is successful, better to develop that. But if someone goes to Puerto Rico in the future, that also sounds like a good adventure. But I think it is better to develop what we have got for now, and later on we shall see if someone can go to Puerto Rico. You do not require to worry as I shall never leave you, you are my disciple and I am your spiritual master, so there is no question, as long as you follow my instructions, then I shall never leave you. Just remember under all circumstances to chant sixteen rounds of japa daily, offer your prasadam to Krsna, and do all of the things which you already know, as you are senior disciple. These things will protect you under all conditions, without any doubt. Hoping this meets you in good health, Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sda Labels: New York, regulative principles, spiritual master letters | 10:12 |22 August 2007 22 August, 1972 Los Angeles My dear son, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated July 22, 1972 requesting initiation, and upon the recommendation of Madhudvisa Swami, I have gladly consented to give you Gayatri mantra. This second initiation is very, very serious business, and you must become very strong and firmly situated in devotional service, and stick rigidly to chanting at least 16 rounds daily, without fail, and following the regulative principles without any deviation. This things will insure that you will be protected from Maya, and that your life will be successful and in the end you will go back to home, back to Godhead. I was very pleased with the Deities when I was there. So I request you to continue, along with Dipak, to render sincere, regular, loving service to Their Lordships, and They will give you all blessings. I have given you the spiritual name Gaura Sakti das Brahmacari. Now you continue, as you have been, to give Madhudvisa and the others all help, and spread this great movement all over Australia. Hoping this will meet you in good health and happy mood. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Labels: initiation, regulative principles letters | 12:22 |11 August 2007 11 August, 1972 London Sriman Suresh Candra District Administrations Officer, Guyana My dear Suresh Candra, Please accept my blessings. I have received your letter from Guyana dated 16 July, 1972, duly forwarded to me at my London address. Thank you very much for the sentiments expressed therein. A disciple means one who is always following the orders of the spiritual master. So I instruct my disciples to refrain from four prohibitions, namely no eating of meat, fish or eggs, no illicit sex life, no taking of intoxication, including tea, coffee, cigarettes, etc., and no gambling. Besides that my students must chant sixteen rounds of japa-mala of Hare Krsna mantra daily. So if you are able to follow these principles without fail, then you are as good as my disciple. And after you have practiced these things for a few months' time, then we can see to your formal initiation. This chanting of sixteen rounds of japa-mala daily, chanting the full Hare Krsna mantra, Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare/Hare Rama Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare, on each bead 108 times in each round, this process will very quickly purify your existence, and you will come to your rightful spiritual understanding in very short order. Since you have asked me, this is my advice to you. You and your family sit down and chant daily some japa and have some kirtana (or chanting Hare Krsna mantra in full with kartas and mrdanga.) Besides that you may order our books from the Los Angeles world headquarters. When you have got our books, then you may hold class all together daily at least one hour and read the Bhagavad-gita, Isopanisad, and other scriptures. You may address your inquiries about the literature in Los Angeles to Sriman Karandhara das Adhikari. Regarding the visa problem for our devotees coming there, I shall very much appreciate if you can arrange something with the government so they shall have no problem remaining there for some time to do some tangible work in Guyana. I am returning myself to Los Angeles in a few days from London, so you may reply at the Los Angeles address as above. Hoping this finds you and your family in the best of health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sda/yda Labels: regulative principles letters | 17:13 |23 July 2007 Sunday, 23 July, 1972 Paris My Dear Jayadeva, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated July 1, 1972, and I have noted the contents. Krishna's plan becomes very easy for us when we follow Krishna's orders, otherwise, we are following Maya's plan and become frustrated at every step. Following Krishna's orders means chanting daily 16 rounds, following the four rules and regulations, rising early, associating with devotees, like that. Unless these principles are followed, we cannot expect Krishna's protection. Regarding householder life, I have no objection, this is not my responsibility. Henceforth my students must take the responsibility for their own householder life, get married outside the temple, take all risk for supporting wife and home, live outside the temple, like that. But they should live nearby and take part as much as possible in temple activities, such as mangala aratrik, sankirtana, etc. Living separately does not mean that we have nothing more to do with the devotees, no. You should associate with them as much as possible, and donate something regularly, 50% is the standard set by Sanatana Goswami. Keep your position, that's all right, but utilize it to make spiritual progress, that is the real thing, not for satisfying my hankerings and desires. Hoping this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Labels: grhasthas, regulative principles letters | 06:29 |28 May 2007 28 May, 1972 Los Angeles My Dear Balavanta, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated May 25th, 1972, and I have noted the contents carefully. Yes, that is a good policy, that you shall run for public office of state representative for Georgia state. That will be a good platform for preaching. Your speeches must be very effective because you will be always in the public eye and your behavior and words will reflect our whole society. But one thing is, because it is political election, you can criticize openly. When there is election you can severly criticize, and in that way it is nice proposal. At least this will give our movement good publicity and you will be able to enlighten in general by pointing out the bad state of affairs of present day society. At present moment, our leaders are simply misleading people, and the people in general are innocently following them to their ruin. So it is very much our duty to come to their aide and point out exactly how this sinful living, namely, slaughtering animals, intoxication, illicit sex life, and gambling, how these sinful activities are so much degrading to the human kind and how they are only producing hippies, wars, and endless suffering as a result. So we want to give the citizens the positive value of Krishna consciousness way of life, so for that activity we must always be preaching very strongly in the public. Therefore I approve your plan to run for public office, now you do it with full confidence and conviction, never mind there may be some opposition, that is to be expected. If you want to devote fully time for this political campaign, I have no objection if you turn over your office of president to someone else. Your plan for bringing Lord Jagannatha to Atlanta is also approved by me, provided there are sufficient Brahmans and other suitable arrangements. Upon your recommendation I am enclosing one sacred thread and two copies of Gayatri Mantra for Surendra and his wife Kali, duly chanted by me. Now you hold a fire yajna and give second initiation to them. I think by now you are familiar with the process of playing the tape through earphones through the right ear, etc. Hoping this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Labels: Atlanta, politicians, preachers, regulative principles letters | 16:15 |20 May 2007 Saturday, 20 May, 1972 Los Angeles My dear Dayananda, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter undated and your telegram from London dated May 16, 1972. I shall be very glad to see Lord Jagannatha dancing in His new dress when I come to London sometime in July. So you can immediately fix up a date for my coming there, along with my three assistants and you can send return airline tickets. It is certainly a great tragedy that there are no books in London Center so Kesava was not able to display his great talent for distributing them. But I have heard from him that you are all very enthusiastic to distribute books so when I come there I shall give you some hints how to do it. One thing is, when I come there I do not like to stay in any hotel. I shall stay in my room above the temple on the first floor. I have just heard from Malati that our Digvijaya and Pritha devi are presently staying with the devotees in Vrindaban in India. So we must take every precaution to prevent our devotees from slackening and falling away. This is done by observing that they are always chanting 16 rounds and observing the regulative principles. If these things are neglected, then they will fall down. It is not good if small numbers of devotees open a center and then fall away. Association of devotees is the most important thing. So I think in the future at least 10 or 12 men must open a center. But you have done the right thing to concentrate our forces on travelling sankirtana. I am very much encouraged that you are trying for that temple and that you have paid 1000 pounds into the temple fund. But if the temple costs between 200,000 and 500,000 pounds then 1000 pounds is not a very big sum, so how you will raise so much money? Another thing, I have heard that Revatinandana wants to return to USA but I do not see any need that he should return. It is simply sentimental feeling. You report that he is doing very nicely by speaking at colleges and schools so let him continue in that way. He may take as many assistants as he requires and very strongly preach this philosophy to the student class of men. That is the greatest service. But if we allow ourselves to wander here and there without any fixed-up program that is not good. So at least let him remain there until I come and then we shall discuss further. I have seen your wife Nandarani dasi here in Los Angeles and she is doing very well. I want that she shall help me improve the conditions at our Dallas school by going there and teaching the children. If children are allowed to play just like Krishna was playing with his cowherd boyfriends, then little ABC, then see the deity and have arati, then take little prasadam. In this way if they are always diversified, they will be always jolly and become fixed-up devotees at young age. And small children, they learn better these things from their mother and women in general. So I think that some mothers of our children should go to Dallas and take charge of teaching the children, especially how to play nicely the pastimes of young Krishna. If you ask one child to be a tree, he will immediately hold out his arms "Just see I am a tree." If you ask him to be a cow he will walk on his hands and knees immediately and you can hit him with a stick and say "hut, hut." And if they will not take prasadam you can say "Now you are a cow and you must eat the grass" and immediately they will stand on hands and legs and eat prasadam like cow eating grass. So in this way our children in Dallas school should be trained because I want that a new generation of devotees shall carry on this great mission successfully. I have received notice from Mandakini that her Russia trip was very much successful and that she will be returning to marry Anatole as soon as she can get proper visa. So you please give her all assistance to get proper visa so that she may continue her work. She is very very nice devotee. Regarding your request to take sannyasa order of life, we shall see to that when I come there. Hoping this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Labels: book distribution, gurukula, London, Ratha Yatra, regulative principles letters | 09:04 |10 May 2007 10 May, 1972 Honolulu My Dear Cyavana, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated May 1, 1972, along with plans. The plans are very nice. I have sent already one photo to Giriraja of our skyscraper in Los Angeles, so I want that this square building, whether as one bigger building or two square towers as you have proposed, that this type of square building be added to Govindaji's temple. Then it will be perfect. Otherwise, the round towers are too fanciful, and not so much practical because square building gives us more space to utilize. One other thing is that there should be a facade on top of the temple across the front like an ornamental arch, as below: [ILLUSTRATION] Otherwise, it is very nice and I approve completely, now work very nicely to finish it in short time and I shall come there to live. Regarding shortage of living space, you may build another such temporary living quarters on top of that other cement foundation. You can spare one room on this foundation for Indira, she wanted to live with us. Our point is that in the house or skyscraper we shall simply accommodate for occupants either guests or purchasers. So these purchasers must be a devotee, that is, no intoxication, no gambling, no meat or fish, like that. There are many families in Bombay, they want such association, to live with us, attend arati, prasada. This is a very important item. As soon as you get sanction, you can raise funds. People will be willing to pay in advance. In this connection, Indira has promised to help. You may send me her address and I shall write to her in this matter. Take her as one of our persons, she will be of tremendous help. So far Vrindaban plan, it is also very nice, have you sent copy to Gurudasa in Vrindaban? If not, do so immediately. They have already got one architect to design something, but if they like, they can use your plan or combine them. Gurudasa and Ksirodakasayi will do everything there, so you need not bother about supervising yourselves. Hoping this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sda Labels: Bombay, building, regulative principles, Vrindaban letters | 20:45 |5 May 2007 5 May, 1972 Honolulu My dear Nityananda, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated April 18, 1972 and I have noted the contents. Thank you very much for your kind invitation, and when I return to the U.S., I will seriously consider the proposal. So far your concern about management, the solution is to be always thinking of Krishna and the Spiritual Master, then maya cannot touch you. If you very strictly follow the regulative principles and chant 16 rounds minimum, there is no question of ever falling down. Krishna has given you very nice facility there, so you continue to serve Him with great faith and enthusiasm, and He will give you all blessings. Please offer my blessings to the others there. Hoping this will meet you in good health and happy mood. Your ever well-wisher A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/nkd Labels: management, New Orleans, regulative principles letters | 13:01 |23 April 2007 23 April, 1972 Tokyo My dear Giriraja, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated April 15, 1972 and I have noted the contents. This food distribution program is to be done very, very nicely as I have already written in my last letter. Generally people make a plea that why are there so many hungry and naked. So we invite all hungry and naked people to come to us and we will give them food and clothing and Krishna consciousness as well. This will attract the general public and there will never be any shortage of food-stuffs, so continue regularly. In Bombay there are many generous persons who like food distribution programs, and actually, our temple should be the via media for feeding the poor with food and spiritual knowledge. Our Bombay program should be based on giving Krishna consciousness through the English medium and distribution of prasadam without any discrimination. This will enhance our prestige and will accelerate our spiritual life as well. The temple program of arati, kirtana, bhoga offerings, discourses, etc. should continue. There should be no neglect of that program. You can have the gardeners decorate the whole land with flowers and if possible some fruits also. Have a boundary fence so that everyone cannot enter it. So far your hired Brahmin cook, since we have our prasadam distribution program this may be necessary, but he must be clean, no smoking, and he must wear kunti beads. As far as possible he must follow our principles. The temple foundation should be done first. There are many engineers in Calcutta who can give us free service, and if some of them can be brought at our expense to see to the supervision, that will be nice. Everything must be done very cautiously. For clearing the debt of Mr. Nair, he has to be paid three lakhs per year. That means if you make one member daily, that will be 360,000 per year. So you should make one member for clearing his debt, and one member for construction. This should be the calculation. Our latest edition of Krsna book is very handy and just like an ordinary story book. It can be distributed to every student and gentleman, and to all the English-speaking public. Our men can be engaged for this purpose. You can make one advertisement that can read like this: "Read KRSNA the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Available in all bookstores 3 Volumes - Rs. 15." So far funds from USA, if need be we shall help. The program should be that you take from the USA as much money as you want in the shape of books, and the whole amount can be engaged in building and construction work. For example, Krsna books cost 75 cents for 3 copies, so if USA has sent you the books at cost price, you can make profit by selling at $2. That is $1.25 profit per set, and you haven't got to pay back even the cost. This arrangement will be nice, otherwise in case of emergency, the other arrangement can also be adopted. If we get our plans sanctioned, automatically we will get customers for our flats. But we must get all these occupants as devotees, and you can consult with Indira regarding this matter. There are many devotees who are prepared to accept. The two Parsi sisters should be allowed to come and go as they like, and they should try to understand our procedure, follow the principles, and they are welcome. There are many Parsis in Bombay who are willing to come, and it only takes some organizing in the matter. Mahamsa can help you in this way. Regarding money from USA you can correspond with Karandhara. I cannot understand why our magazines were lying at the docks for three months. Is it that nobody took the time to clear them or what? Hoping this will meet you in good health and happy mood. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/nkd Labels: Bombay, book distribution, building, management, regulative principles letters | 16:18 |11 April 2007 Tuesday, 11 April, 1972 Sydney My dear Hamsaduta, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated April 7th, 1972, and I have noted the contents. The meeting of the GBC appeared to be very unconstitutional, because all the men were not informed or invited. Syamasundara. was not invited, Sudama was not invited, Krishna das was not invited, Tamala Krishna was not invited, neither I was informed. Why? You cannot hold meeting of 8 persons without inviting the others. Seven may be a quorum, that's all right, but you cannot convene without a general announcement to all the members and myself, giving a proposed agenda, like that, the topics to be discussed, why the meeting is being called, etc. Then there is correspondence for deciding these things, and if there is great necessity, then meeting may be called, but not whimsically, only after much thought is given and there is clear intimation of all the members plus myself. Anything whatever is done is done, but the whole thing appeared to be giving all power to Atreya Rsi. I cannot understand why, instead of one GBC man, a person outside the Commission was given so much power, and there was to be immediate action without divulging the matter to the devotees. And I am surprised that none of the GBC members detected the defects in the procedure. It was detected only when it came to me. What will happen when I am not here, shall everything be spoiled by GBC? So for the time being, let the GBC activities be suspended until I thoroughly revise the whole procedure. In the meantime, you do your duty as president of Hamburg Temple, and try to improve spiritually. Our spiritual way should strictly observe the following points especially: (1). Neatness and cleanliness of all personal bodies. I still see those who are initiated as Brahmins, they do not wash their hand after eating even. (Of course, there may be so many defects due to your births in non-Brahmin families, but how long it shall go on? It is very easy thing.) (2). Chanting 16 rounds daily. (I don't think everyone is following these principles.); (3) Temple worship, which should be performed rigidly between four and ten a.m. (I find that the devotees are still sleeping up to six, seven o'clock.) So in the GBC Agenda I do not find any such programs for reforming our past bad habits. So kindly as President of Hamburg center you try to observe yourself all the regulative principles and see all the members are following. Recently I have received from one Sannyasi complaint about another Sannyasi who is not chanting regularly. So our view is that we shall be strictly following the rules and regulations. Monetary matters are secondary. On principle, we should better starve than neglect our rules and regulations. We are trying to present an ideal Society to the world, so although we are very rigidly following these principles, still, we are very liberal to everyone. For this reason we are being appreciated everywhere. So anyway, I am not at all dissatisfied with you, but it is my duty to point out the mistakes. You are in charge of the Germany organization. Please do it nicely there, not very much on the material side, more on the spiritual side. Example is better than precept. Every one of you must be the perfect examples, then everyone will follow. Hoping this will meet you in good health, along with your good wife, Himavati devi dasi. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sda Labels: GBC, Hamburg, management, purity, regulative principles letters | 11:37 |2 April 2007 Sunday, 2 April, 1972 Sydney My dear Revatinandana, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 3/10/72, and I am very much pleased upon you for taking up the matter of preaching work in England especially, and also other places. I am happy to hear that new centers are being opened by you and others in Europe. This is our best field, and practically I am observing here in Australia that you western boys and girls are becoming angels by taking up this Krishna Consciousness process, and that our Indian boys and girls will not take it up. They think that to have a good wife and sufficient income, bas, that is the goal of their life. But you all are joining me and you are coming out very nicely by Krishna's grace, so I am very much thankful. One thing, if we are not very careful to always stick to the point of regulative principles and purest standards of high living, then everything will spoil very quickly and the whole show will be a farce. So impress this point in your preaching for training the younger devotees, they will follow your example in all respects. I think your idea to canvass the youth groups and colleges in England is good proposal, so do it nicely in cooperation with Dayananda and the others there, and I am sending Kesava there to England soon to organize the book-distribution and travelling Sankirtana Party, so you know him, now you help him very seriously to increase these two programs, because I think especially that England is the best field in the world for distributing our books, as good or better than USA. So I want that you all should be very active to increase the scope there. Kesava is the recognized expert in these fields, so you take direction from him how to do it, and you preach wherever you go throughout the British Isles, and make this travelling SKP a great success, a greater success, than it is now in your country. Regarding your questions, 1) The devotee always takes bodily pains as the mercy of Krishna. 2) Everyone who is chanting Hare Krishna is getting benefit. Sanatana Goswami says that one should not hear from a non-Vaisnava. So people who are imitating are hearing from a Vaisnava. They are not non-Vaisnava, because the Hare Krishna Mantra is introduced by us only into the western world, so whatever they have heard is from a Vaisnava. Hoping this will meet you in good health and happy spirits. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Labels: book distribution, London, regulative principles letters | 18:06 | |
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