Abandon (Lect, Conv. & Letters)

Expressions researched:
"abandon" |"abandoned" |"abandoning" |"abandonment" |"abandons"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 2.46-62 -- Los Angeles, December 16, 1968:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: 48: "Be steadfast in your duty, O Arjuna, and abandon all attachment to success or failure. Such evenness of mind is called yoga (BG 2.48)."

Prabhupāda: This is the explanation of yoga, evenness of mind. Yoga-samatvam ucyate. If you work for Kṛṣṇa, then there is no cause of lamentation or jubilation. Jubilation is there because you are working for Kṛṣṇa, but there is no cause of lamentation. Yoga-sthaḥ kuru karmāṇi, yogaḥ karmasu kauśalam (BG 2.50). That is the secret of activities, how you can very diligently work at the same time you are not entangled with the actions. That is the secret. Go on.

Lecture on BG 4.19-25 -- Los Angeles, January 9, 1969:

Prabhupāda: "One is understood to be in full knowledge whose every act is devoid of desire for sense gratification." The opposite is ignorance. Those who are in knowledge of sense gratification they are devoid of knowledge. Yes. "He is said by sages to be a worker whose fruitive action is burned up by the fire of perfect knowledge." "He is said by sages to be a worker whose fruitive action is burned up by the fire of perfect knowledge." This is very common thing. Everyone has to act but if he acts in full knowledge then that is perfection of activity.

Just like in our ordinary life if we do business or whatever we do if we are in full knowledge of the state laws and act accordingly, that is perfection of our activities. Go on.

Devotee: Twenty: "Abandoning all attachment to the results of his activities, ever satisfied and independent, he performs no fruitive action, although engaged in all kinds of undertakings."

Prabhupāda: Yes. "Abandoning all attachment to the results of the activities." Everyone is aspiring some result of his activity. So the plain example is suppose you are working in an office. So you are not concerned with the result. You have to simply do your duty. The result, the ultimate profit or loss of that establishment is concern for the proprietors or directors. But your duty is that the post which you are occupying, you must do your work very nicely. That's your duty. Without being attached to the result.

Lecture on BG 4.20 -- Bombay, April 9, 1974:

Pradyumna: (leads chanting) Translation: "Abandoning all attachment to the results of his activities, ever satisfied and independent, he performs no fruitive action, although engaged in all kinds of undertakings."

Prabhupāda:

tyaktvā karma-phalāsaṅgaṁ

nitya-tṛpto nirāśrayaḥ

karmaṇy abhipravṛtto 'pi

naiva kiñcit karoti saḥ

First of all I shall translate this into Hindu. Then I shall speak in English. (Hindi) So tyaktvā karma-phalāsaṅgam. This is very difficult task. Everyone is expected some result for his personal benefit. "How much I have gained by this business?" That is our disease. Everyone. Idam adya mayā labdham imaṁ prāpsye punar dhanam. All the people of the world, they are struggling hard for existence, simply calculating that "This much I have achieved today, and this much I'll achieve tomorrow. In this way my bank balance will be increased more and more." That is very much explained in the Sixteenth Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā, āsuri pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca janā vidur āsura-janāḥ (BG 16.7). Āsura-janāḥ. (aside:) Just find out the page, Sixteenth Chapter. Āsura-janāḥ. (Hindi) Oh, I will continue in English. Asuric means non-devotees. Atheist. Asuric. What is the page?

Lecture on BG 6.16-24 -- Los Angeles, February 17, 1969:

Devotee: "This indeed is actual freedom from all miseries arising from material contact. This yoga is to be practiced with determination and an undaunted heart. Twenty-four: One should engage oneself in the practice of yoga with undeviating determination and faith. One should abandon without exception, all material desires born of ego and thus control all the senses on all sides by the mind (BG 6.24). Purport: The yoga practitioner should be determined and should patiently prosecute the practice without deviation."

Prabhupāda: Now, this determination can be actually practiced or can be actually attained by one who does not indulge in sex life. His determination is strong. Therefore in the beginning it was said, that "without sex life," the determination. Or controlled sex life. If you indulge in sex life then this determination will not come. Flickering determination. You see. Therefore sex life should be controlled or given up. If it is possible to give up altogether, if not, controlled. Then you'll get determination. Because after all this determination is bodily affair. So these are the methods how to get determination.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 5.5.19 -- Vrndavana, November 7, 1976:

Pradyumna: "My transcendental body, sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1), looks exactly like a human form, but it is not a material human body. It is inconceivable. I am not forced by nature to accept a particular type of body; I take on a body by My own sweet will. My heart is also spiritual, and I always think of the welfare of My devotees. Therefore within My heart can be found the process of devotional service, which is meant for the devotees. Far from My heart have I abandoned irreligion, or adharma, and nondevotional activities. They do not appeal to Me. Due to all these transcendental qualities, people generally pray to Me as Ṛṣabhādeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the best of all living entities."

Prabhupāda:

idaṁ śarīraṁ mama durvibhāvyaṁ

sattvaṁ hi me hṛdayaṁ yatra dharmaḥ

pṛṣṭhe kṛto me yad adharma ārād

ato hi māṁ ṛṣabhaṁ prāhur āryāḥ

(SB 5.5.19)

So, God, whether impersonal or personal, that we cannot conclude by our speculation. It is not possible. Durvibhāvyam. Durvibhāvyam means beyond your conception, beyond your speculation. But He says that idaṁ śarīram. He has got His body;He is not impersonal. He comes sometimes as incarnation. We can see Kṛṣṇa with two hands, two legs, one head. Veṇuṁ kvaṇantam aravinda dalāyatākṣaṁ barhāvataṁsam asitāmbuda-sundarāṅgam (Bs. 5.30). This is described in the Vedic literature. He has two hands and He is playing on flute. He has got the peacock feather on His head. It is not imagination.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Carl Gustav Jung:

Prabhupāda: Part and parcel. That is our theory. We are part and parcel of God. Like fire and the sparks.

Hayagrīva: He writes, "It was obedience which brought me grace. One must be utterly abandoned to God. Nothing matters but fulfilling His will. Otherwise all is folly and meaninglessness."

Prabhupāda: Very good. Surrender. Sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66). That is real life. Śaraṇāgati, to surrender to God, to accept things which is favorable to God, to reject things which are unfavorable to God, always maintaining conviction that "God will give me all protection," and remain humble and meek, and think oneself as one of the members of God's family—that is spiritual communism. As the Communist they think a member of a certain community, similarly a man's duty is to think always as member of God's family. The same idea I was speaking, that God is the supreme father, material nature is the mother, and anything, any living entity coming out of material nature, they are all sons of God. So practically we see that all living entities coming out, either from land or from water or from the air—everywhere there is living entity—so the material nature is the mother. There is no doubt about it.

Philosophy Discussion on Jean-Paul Sartre:

Śyāmasundara: His claim is that we are tossed into the world and we are abandoned by God; that God is dead.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Abandoned by God does not mean God is dead. You are condemned, that we have admitted, so your condemnation does not mean God is also condemned. God is always, who has condemned you, He is always safe. So He cannot be dead.

Śyāmasundara: He says because we have been abandoned by God, therefore we must rely on ourselves alone.

Prabhupāda: No. Abandoned by God—why? God is not partial, that He is accepting somebody and abandoning somebody. You have done something for which you are abandoned. So if you rectify your position, you will be accepted again. (aside as someone enters:) Yes?

Philosophy Discussion on Karl Marx:

Hayagrīva: Marx felt that religion stood between man and happiness. He said, "The abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of the people is the demand for their real happiness. The demand to abandon the illusions about their condition is the demand to give up a condition that requires illusion. Hence criticism of religion is an embryo, or a beginning of a criticism of this vale of tears whose halo is religion." So religion was like a millstone around the neck of man, and that man must free himself of this illusion.

Prabhupāda: Religious system deteriorates, and without any understanding on philosophical basis. Then, if he is apt to, rejects that religion. But we understand that is fact that there is God on the top of all cosmic manifestation activities, and the law given by the supreme head of the cosmic manifestation, that is religion. And if we create our religious system on sentiments only, that will create troubles only and there will be misunderstandings. But actually it is a fact that there is some brain behind all this cosmic manifestation, and if we know what is that brain, how it is working, that is scientific understanding, and the law given by God is religion. That is our simple definition. Religion cannot be manufactured as law cannot be manufactured. So if we do not know what is God, how He is acting, what..., what are His words, how we have to follow that, that kind of religion will be failure.

Philosophy Discussion on St. Augustine:

Hayagrīva: No, he doesn't. Now here's, here's the point. Augustine believed that God elected some men to everlasting happiness and others to everlasting suffering. With the fall of Adam, or the first man, man was subjected to death. For Augustine, however, death is of two types: physical death—the soul leaves the body—and soul death—the death experienced by the soul when God abandons it. The damned face not only physical death but spiritual, soul death as well.

Prabhupāda: So it may..., it can be taken figuratively, that when one forgets his position, that is a kind of death also. One forgets himself. But actually soul is eternal, and what Augustine says as spiritual death, that is his forgetfulness. Just like in unconsciousness one forgets his identity, but if he is dead then he cannot revive consciousness. Similarly, it is little difficult for the bodily concept of life persons, but there are many proofs and understanding that soul is eternal. He, of course, until he gets his freedom from this material existence, he is spiritually dead. Even though he is working in this material form, because he has forgotten his real identity, that is also a kind of death. Yā niśā sarva-bhūtānāṁ tasyāṁ jāgarti saṁyamī. This śloka explains how one is dead and how one is alive. When one is forgetful of his spiritual consciousness, God consciousness, he is supposed to be dead, and when he, one is alive to the spiritual consciousness or God consciousness, he is alive.

Philosophy Discussion on St. Augustine:

Hayagrīva: So then... But Augustine would say that God would eternally abandon the damned soul, a soul damned to eternal perdition.

Prabhupāda: "Eternally abandon" means for very, very long years, millions of years, he remains forgetful. So...

Hayagrīva: Seemingly eternal.

Prabhupāda: Ah. But actually he can be revived at any moment in good association, sādhu-saṅga (CC Madhya 22.83), by this method of hearing and chanting, śravaṇam. Therefore this devotional service, beginning with hearing, is very important. If he consciously hears from the self-realized soul, then he becomes awakened to his spiritual life, and keeping himself always in the devotional service, he remains spiritually alive.

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Interview with the New York Times -- September 2, 1972, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: Why don't you take to that? God is all powerful, and He may create so many things for some purpose, but why don't you follow God's instructions? God says, "Surrender unto Me," so why not surrender? Why surrender to māyā? That is the individual's choice. Another example: the government does not want the youth to become hippies, but they are abandoning a wealthy life just to lie down in the street. In London I've seen many boys lying on the street. Why? We Indians may lie on the street because we are poor, but they are not poor, nor the Americans. Why has some of the younger generation accepted this way of life? You have enough food, enough house, enough money, facilities, machines—everything. Why are they accepting this kind of life?

John Nordheimer: They reject what they see.

Prabhupāda: Yes, but they are coming from respectable fathers, from a respectable nation. Why are they rejecting this mode of civilization?

Interview with the New York Times -- September 2, 1972, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: Everything is possible, provided we make the choice. Therefore according to Vedic civilization in the beginning of life you become a brahmacārī. Then you are allowed to marry and become a householder, and after a number of years you remain a husband but abandon sexuality, and that is called vānaprastha. Finally you take sannyāsa and leave your family to practice and preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is Vedic civilization. Everything is provided to enlighten the people in general. All the knowledge is there, and the method is there; we simply have to take advantage of it. If we do not, how can we expect a peaceful and happy world? If society creates animals, then how can it expect peace and prosperity? In spite of so many big universities and all educational facilities, this society is producing hippies and frustration amongst the youth because we are spirit soul and cannot become happy simply by amassing material comforts.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Mister Popworth and E. F. Schumacher -- July 26, 1973, London:

Haṁsadūta: Well, today, no one is practicing it. Otherwise why people are leaving the church? No one is in the monastery, no one is in the church. They are abandoning it. Because there is no center. As soon as there is a center, it will carry weight. Just like a wheel. If there's a hub, if there's a hub, that it will carry weight.

Popworth: I have not abandoned the church. I have embraced it.

Haṁsadūta: Anyway, our point is... We're speaking in general. In general, because the center, factually the center, God, is missing, somehow or other, He's missing, therefore people are also giving it up. They can't take it. Because it's not practical. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is practical. It's not a sentiment or a dry philosophy. It's a practical philosophy of life, absolute philosophy of life, how to do everything without any pollution, without any contamination. Just like we are experiencing by our so-called advancement that we have created so many modern facilities for comfort, but the result is, alongside, simultaneously, there's an equal disadvantage. Just like we create a motor car. But we create air pollution. Or you create a highway. But you have to create snowplow to clear the highway. You have to create police. You have to create so many other things.

Prabhupāda: And there is list of accidents, injuries.

Morning Walk -- December 5, 1973, Los Angeles:

Karandhara: An unchaste wife who abandons a swami.

Prabhupāda: He referred to Śrīdhara Svāmī. So swami means husband. So He sarcastically remarked, "Anyone who does not accept swami, she is prostitute."

Yaśomatīnandana: Is Vallabhācārya, Prabhupāda, in accordance with our philosophy?

Prabhupāda: Yes, he's Vaiṣṇava, ācārya. But that very deviation, that "I have done something better than Śrīdhara," that is not our paramparā system. Then he was thinking himself better than Śrīdhara. That is not allowed. We should always remain servant of the servant (CC Madhya 13.80). Never we shall think that "I am better than my Guru Mahārāja." That is fall down. Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare... Our Juhu Beach is very nice.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- January 3, 1974, Los Angeles:

New Devotee: I should abandon...

Prabhupāda: Nāsato vidyate bhāvo nā..., asataḥ vidyate bhāvaḥ. What is the next line? So, we take things which is conclusive. The scientists, they are making experiment, where is the beginning of life. Misled. They are thinking life is from matter. They have no experience. Still, the rascal Darwin gave a theory. They are persisting on it. They have no practical experience that life is coming from matter. That is called vṛścika-taṇḍula-nyāya. You have no experience in your country. We have got. Sometimes you'll find, scorpion is coming out from the stack of rice. You have seen it?

Karandhara: I haven't seen it, but I have heard of the example.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So they are thinking the rice is..., rice is producing the scorpion. It is called taṇḍula-vṛścika-nyāya. But rice cannot produce a life. The real fact is a scorpion lays down the egg within the rice, and by the fermentation it comes out. Just eggs. And the small creature comes out. And foolish creatures, they think it that the rice is producing scorpion. That is not possible. So they are putting forward this evolution theory that man is coming from monkey, but no monkey is producing a man. Nobody has seen. There are so many things.

Room Conversation with Biochemist, Dr. Sallaz -- June 4, 1974, Geneva:

Dr. Sallaz: It is to see, to look, for the real truth, the simple truth. The very simple truth. And to abandon our way of life aiming only for money, power and material things, to go back to simple living and especially to living with up.

Prabhupāda: Living with?

Yogeśvara: Living with higher thoughts.

Prabhupāda: Then higher thoughts... Is there any definition of the higher thoughts? (French)

Yogeśvara: He says humanly it is impossible to understand it.

Dr. Sallaz: We can feel it. We can believe it, but we cannot explain it.

Prabhupāda: No, if there is explanation by a person who is not a human being, say, God.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- August 12, 1975, Paris:

Yogeśvara: So when we say that we have finished all responsibility by surrendering to Kṛṣṇa, that doesn't mean that we've abandoned execution of duty, does it?

Prabhupāda: No, no. Who says that?

Yogeśvara: Well, some people say that "You've taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and now you have given up all of your..."

Prabhupāda: It is not duty? This is the main duty. This is the main duty. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām (BG 18.66). We have taken responsibility for Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We are doing. Why we are traveling all over the world thrice in a year? We have taken the responsibility. Otherwise, who is, an old man, he'll take such responsibility? That is a greater responsibility. When you become a big officer of the government, it means you overburdened with responsibility, not this flickering resp... Here the material respons... means it has no use.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- January 19, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: The difference between man and man was forgotten, and the fundamental unity of human nature and human destiny was stressed upon. But in the early nineteenth century, true religion was at a very low ebb due to lack of proper publicity of literature and also for want of great ācāryas to propagate the cults in their true aspect. It was a dark period for the Caitanya or Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavism when it fell from its highest transcendentalism to the lowest possible degradation because of so many abuses and evil practices which crept into it through plenty of pseudo-followers. Vaiṣṇavism was almost abandoned by the educated section of people. Its literature was hardly read. Kīrtana was looked upon not as a form of prayer but as a means of gratification by people of loose morals. Most of the Vaiṣṇava followers of the period lost their high standard of morality, their loving aestheticism, their intellectual superiority and devotional fervor, which were the main characteristics of the previous masters.

Garden Conversation -- June 8, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Immediately, he can take. Provided that he accepts. Just like Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). Find out this verse. Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ.

Hṛdayānanda: "Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear."

Prabhupāda: So, when you are free from sinful life and the reaction of sinful life, then you are immediately on the spiritual platform. So here Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He assures that "You simply surrender unto Me, and I immediately excuse you for all your sinful life." So it can be done in one second. It doesn't take much time. One second. He says "immediately." But we don't want that, that is the difficulty. Read the purport.

Conversation with Clergymen -- June 15, 1976, Detroit:

Kern: But that, that seems to abandon the foolish.

Scheverman: Father Kern's concern is always for the poor, for the downtrodden, for those who suffer, for those who are deprived.

Prabhupāda: Oh, that is imagination. That is never will be fulfilled. That is simply imagination. As I told you, that, what you can do? There are so many poor men. We can estimate like this: the rich men and the middle class men and the poor class men. These three orders are there everywhere.

Scheverman: So you see that as in nature, as coming from the Lord God Himself, these three levels.

Prabhupāda: Now, when I did not come to your country, I thought that in America, everyone is rich.

Garden Conversation -- June 23, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: Translation: "One should engage oneself in the practice of yoga with undeviating determination and faith. One should abandon, without exception, all material desires born of false ego and thus control all the senses on all sides by the mind." Purport: "The yoga practitioner should be determined and should patiently prosecute the practice without deviation. One should be sure of success at the end and pursue this course with great perseverance, not becoming discouraged if there is any delay in the attainment of success. Success is sure for the rigid practitioner. Regarding bhakti-yoga, Rūpa Gosvāmī says: utsāhān niścayād dhairyāt tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt, saṅga-tyāgāt sato vṛtteḥ ṣaḍbhir bhaktiḥ prasidhyati (Upadeśāmṛta 3). 'The process of bhakti-yoga can be executed successfully with full-hearted enthusiasm, perseverance, and determination by following the prescribed duties in the association of devotees and by engaging completely in activities of goodness.' As for determination, one should follow the example of the sparrow who lost her eggs in the waves of the ocean. A sparrow laid her eggs on the shore of the ocean, but the big ocean carried away the eggs on its waves. The sparrow became very upset and asked the ocean to return her eggs. The ocean did not even consider her appeal.

Room Conversation After Film -- June 28, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: Sometimes neophyte devotees think that they can continue the śravaṇa-kīrtana process without worshiping the Deity, but the execution of śravaṇa-kīrtana is meant for highly developed devotees like Haridāsa Ṭhākura, who engaged in the śravaṇa-kīrtana process without worshiping the Deity. However, one should not falsely imitate Haridāsa Ṭhākura and abandon Deity worship just to try to engage in śravaṇa-kīrtana. This is not possible for neophyte devotees. The word guru-prasāda indicates that the spiritual master is very merciful in bestowing the boon of devotional service upon the disciple. That is the best possible gift the spiritual master has to offer. Those with a background of pious life are eligible to receive life's supreme benefit, and to bestow this benefit, the Supreme Personality of Godhead sends His representative to impart His mercy. Endowed with the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the spiritual master distributes the mercy to those who are elevated and pious.

Radio Interview -- July 27, 1976, London:

Harikeśa:

utsāhān niścayād dhairyāt

tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt

saṅga-tyagāt sato vṛtteḥ

ṣaḍbhir bhaktiḥ prasidhyati

(Upadeśāmṛta 3)

"There are six principles favorable to the execution of pure devotional service: (1) being enthusiastic, (2) endeavoring with confidence, (3) being patient, (4) acting according to regulative principles (such as śravanaṁ kīrtanam viṣṇoḥ smaranam (SB 7.5.23)—hearing, chanting and remembering Kṛṣṇa), (5) abandoning the association of nondevotees, and (6) following in the footsteps of the previous acaryas. These six principles undoubtedly assure the complete success of pure devotional service."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Everything is there.

Mike Robinson: And you are sure this is the truth.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation -- August 2, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Prabhupāda: Sometimes neophyte devotees think that they can continue the śravaṇa-kīrtana process without worshiping the Deity, but the execution of śravaṇa-kīrtana is meant for highly developed devotees like Haridāsa Ṭhākura, who engaged in the śravaṇa-kīrtana process without worshiping the Deity. However, one should not falsely imitate Haridāsa Ṭhākura and abandon Deity worship just to try to engage in śravaṇa-kīrtana. This is not possible for neophyte devotees. The word guru-prasāda indicates that the spiritual master is very merciful in bestowing the boon of devotional service upon the disciple. That is the best possible gift the spiritual master has to offer. Those with a background of pious life are eligible to receive life's supreme benefit, and to bestow this benefit, the Supreme Personality of Godhead sends His representative to impart His mercy. Endowed with the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the spiritual master distributes the mercy to those who are elevated and pious.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Svarupa Damodara -- January 30, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: In fact, Rūpānuga Prabhu abandoned completely the idea of this Santa Claus in Washington while we were having our meeting. Stayed about a few days. And then he had this telephone call from distance, from outside saying that "Tomorrow I'll shoot you. I'll kill you," things like that. They get this telephone call in the temple from outsiders, "If you come like that, in Santa Claus, we'll give you a bullet," like that. So Rūpānuga completely abandoned this idea. So he said, "Tell what we are, be honest, and do as we have been doing." And in fact, devotees are doing, and they got more the next morning, got more books sold just going as Hare Kṛṣṇa, in Hare Kṛṣṇa dress, instead of going as Santa Claus. So I think...

Prabhupāda: So now it is stopped.

Room Conversation -- February 17, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: And then later they held one public deprogramming in Detroit. But our devotees went to that public deprogramming and began to ask them all kinds of questions, and they had to abandon the program because we caused so much trouble for them. All the... A lot of the Indian community went there and began to ask them, "What are you doing to this person?" They were giving a demonstration of their technique, and they had to stop. So this is one picture they took while they were actually abducting the person. Just like in the case of New York, this one girl, Mūrtivandya, she was taken. They pulled up in a van, in a car, and dragged her off the street, threw her in the van and drove away. And then, when we filed charges for kidnapping, they turned around and filed the charges against me for kidnapping, saying that we were the kidnappers.

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Gopala Krsna -- New Vrindaban 26 May, 1969:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated May 21, 1969. I am very glad to send you the beads for your initiation, but I think you wanted permission from your father, and I have received the following telegram from him: "Gopala Khanna at Montreal our only son pray his initiation to brahmanahood will doom and driven future of this small humble family. Pray abandon programme and earn our gratitude, cable. Accepting our prayers Lord bless every one and give us our joy back.—Mr. and Mrs. A. S. Khanna Aban Villa Santacruz East."

I do not know why you had wanted permission from your father. In the material world everyone is interested in pound-shilling-pence. Your parents must be thinking that upon your being initiated you shall become a mendicant and the pound-shilling-pence you are sending will be stopped, and they will suffer materially. But you can assure them they will be better off materially after you are initiated. Anyway, now I do not know what to do with you. Shall I wait till you get sanction from your parents, or shall I initiate immediately?

Letter to Sir -- New Vrindaban 5 June, 1969:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your Hindi letter dated May 27, 1969, and I do not know why Gopala Krsna's father is so much upset. I have received one letter from Gopala Krsna dated May 29, 1969 in which he writes "I don't think my parents will have any objections now because I have assured them in telegrams and letter that I am not going to abandon them." I hope this will clear the whole thing. So far as I remember, I met you in San Francisco, if I am right. I hope you are doing well.

1972 Correspondence

Letter to Friends -- Los Angeles 23 May, 1972:

So I have established ISKCON centers for the purpose of catching up the Lotus Feet of Krishna by intimate connection with the spiritual master. These are my authorized centers for that purpose. You say that whatever I instruct you you will carry out, so again my instruction is that you abandon this independent scheme and join your good god-brothers and sisters at some one of our ISKCON centers.

1973 Correspondence

Letter to Madhukara -- Bombay 4 January, 1973:

Of course if there is any instance of very advanced disciples, married couple, and they have agreed that the husband shall now take sannyasa or renounced order of life, being mutually very happy by that arrangement, then there is ground for such separation. But even in those cases there is no question of separation, the husband, even he is sannyasa, he must be certain his wife will be taken care of nicely and protected in his absence. Now so many cases are there of unhappiness by the wife who has been abandoned by her husband against her wishes. So how can I sanction such thing? I want to avoid setting any bad example for future generations, therefore I am so much cautiously considering your request. But if it becomes so easy for me to get married and then leave my wife, under excuse of married life being an impediment to my own spiritual progress, that will not be very good at all. That is misunderstanding of what is advancement in spiritual life

Letter to Babhru -- Los Angeles 9 December, 1973:

We have initiated so many projects and Centers and practically we are short handed all over the world, so it is better at this time if we work to maintain and develop whatever we have.

That Gaurasundara and Siddha-svarupa have sold the Temple in Hawaii and abandoned the beautiful Tulasi plants there is a great fall down on their parts. They did not ask my permission. If they wanted to go away they could have, but they had no right to sell the Temple. It is actually a criminal act on their part. Anyone who follows them will also fall down without a doubt.

Now, we have by Krsna's Grace built up something significant in the shape of this ISKCON and we are all one family. Sometimes there may be disagreement and quarrel but we should not go away. These inebrieties can be adjusted by the cooperative spirit, tolerance and maturity so I request you to kindly remain in the association of our devotees and work together.

Letter to Babhru -- Los Angeles 9 December, 1973:

The test of our actual dedication and sincerity to serve the Spiritual Master will be in this mutual cooperative spirit to push on this Movement and not make factions and deviate. Try to convince Gaurasundara and Siddha-svarupa to return to ISKCON and let us forget whatever has happened in the past.

Yes, you may return to Hawaii with Sudama Maharaja and take charge of caring for Tulasi devi there. I cannot understand how Govinda dasi could abandon Tulasi devi. Kindly try to induce her to return.

Letter to Govinda -- Los Angeles 18 December, 1973:

When we meet in Hawaii we shall discuss everything in detail. In the meantime, kindly induce Balabhadra and Gaurasundara to send the balance money. I still have very high regard for Gaurasundara. I have praised him always for being a kind and gentle boy. All of a sudden he has gone crazy even to the extent of abandoning you. It will all be forgotten history if you again begin preaching work sincerely.

1974 Correspondence

Letter to Sri Ballavh -- Geneva 4 June, 1974:

From your enclosed brochures I see you were developing a very promising business for selling incense, but if you are apart from the society, then how can you continue. I cannot send you five thousand dollars for your business as you request. You must again join with the devotees in our ISKCON community.

In any case do not abandon the regulative principles and be certain to always chant sixteen rounds daily. That will save you from maya. I know you are a sincere disciple, because you are always returning to our camp even though you go away. Krsna will not let you withdraw. But I am hoping that you will soon become sober enough to join with us and stick with determination. working together on behalf of Krsna and completely forgetting the material condition of life.

1976 Correspondence

Letter to Jayatirtha -- Mayapur 22 January, 1976:

Many times in the past it has proven difficult to get the support of the Indians in San Francisco. Because Citsukhananda said there were many men who were willing to help I was encouraging. Now abandon it. Citsukhananda should join Berkeley instead of wasting time. The Berkeley project is actually important. Your idea for establishing a center in San Jose is nice, so you may bring it up before the GBC at Mayapur. As you are finding a good preaching field at the colleges in Berkeley, you will find all places similarly receptive. Human psychology is the same—simply you have concentrated on Berkeley thus far. Now make this propaganda very vigorously every where.

1977 Correspondence

Letter to Vasudeva -- Bhuvanesvara 23 January, 1977:

Ramananda Raya said (to Lord Caitanya), "Lord Brahma said (to Krsna), 'My dear Lord, those devotees who have thrown away the impersonal conception of the Absolute Truth and have therefore abandoned discussing empiric philosophical truths should hear from self-realized devotees about Your holy name, form, pastimes and qualities. They should completely follow the principles of devotional service and remain free from illicit sex, gambling, intoxication, and animal slaughter. Surrendering themselves fully with body, words and mind, they can live in any asrama or social status. Indeed, You are conquered by such persons, although You are always unconquerable.' " (Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila Ch. 8 Text 67)