November 15, 1971
My Dear Patit Uddharan,
Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge your letter of Oct. 9, 1971; due to our frequent moving about and heavy schedule I have been unable to answer until now. Please forgive me.
I have noted especially your description of the unfortunate accident which took place and which took away our friends Jananivasa das Brahmacari and Will Prabhu. So on one side we have to be very sorry if our dear friends are taken away from this world, and on the other side we should be satisfied that a pure devotee is never lost. He gets another good chance to cultivate Krishna Consciousness, or if one is advanced he goes back to Home, back to Godhead. But even if it is taken that a devotee is not mature, we should be confident that he will take birth in a rich or devotional family. So their human life in a very good position is guaranteed. A devotee's position is always better than an ordinary karmi's position. Karmis do not know what is the next life, but devotees know it as certain as anything that he is going to have a nice human form of body.
So let us pray for the departed souls that they may be engaged again in Krishna's service.
It will be a good idea in the future if our devotees take lesson from this unfortunate incident and take precaution not to drive late at night for any reason—no gain can come from such driving at night which will ever compensate for much great losses. Please advise your GBC zonal secretary that in future great precaution must be taken.
Please continue in your writing of songs and poems for Krishna, because singing Krishna's praises is the highest type of spiritual activity and will give Him great enjoyment. I would be pleased if you can send me a tape of some of your compositions.
I plan to remain here in Delhi until 26th November, then we are all going to Vrindaban for a few days.
I hope this meets you and all of my spiritual sons and daughters in Columbus in good health and jolly mood.
Your ever well-wisher,
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami