This Vedanta Sutra was compiled by Srila Vyasadeva and by the advice of His Spiritual master Srila Narada—Vyasadeva wrote a commentation of the Vedanta Sutra by compiling Srimad-Bhagavatam. So Srimad-Bhagavatam is the last gift of Srila Vyasadeva to represent an authorized commentation of the Vedanta Sutra and Lord Caitanya's mission is to preach this cult in every corner of the world in order to make the people really happy. This Vedanta Sutra is now mishandled in India by unauthorized persons of different camps and as such the people are being misguided. Newly sprung up national enthusiasm of the Indian leaders, Industrialists and plan makers, has no time neither desire to understand the message of Vedanta Sutra or even the Bhagavad-gita. You cannot do acts of humanity without proper guidance. The Vedanta Sutra is the proper guidance because the sastra "Athata Brahmajijnasa" is the beginning of an inquiry in the essence of our different engagements.
Camp (Letters)
Correspondence
1947 to 1965 Correspondence
So Srimad-Bhagavatam is the last gift of Srila Vyasadeva to represent an authorized commentation of the Vedanta Sutra and Lord Caitanya's mission is to preach this cult in every corner of the world in order to make the people really happy. This Vedanta Sutra is now mishandled in India by unauthorized persons of different camps and as such the people are being misguided. Newly sprung up national enthusiasm of the Indian leaders, Industrialists and plan makers, has no time neither desire to understand the message of Vedanta Sutra or even the Bhagavad-gita. You cannot do acts of humanity without proper guidance. The Vedanta Sutra is the proper guidance because the sastra "Athata Brahmajijnasa" is the beginning of an inquiry in the essence of our different engagements.
Any one who follows strictly the footprints of Sri Arjuna is certainly a Mahatma. It does not mean that a red-dressed man is a Mahatma and a noble householder like your good self is otherwise. We can find out Mahatmas like Arjuna in the householder life also and in this age of Kali we should find out More Mahatmas in the householders life than in the other camp.
We are struggling very hard to give the mission a practical shape for want of money. It has not yet come to the point save and except publication of two papers only one in Hindi and the other in English. And if your good self joins, many other richmen of the world will certainly join.
The minimum expenditure is estimated to be Rs. 3000/- a month to begin with. Three hundred members of this noble mission can at once raise this sum for training the preachers and other necessary expenditure.
Now I request you to arrange for my passage to Japan and oblige. Last you were ready to bear my passage expenses from India to South America. And as I could not get the No objection certificate I had to postpone the journey. This time there is no such question and the passage expenses to Japan are far less than South America.
Kindly therefore do the needful immediately and give me a chance to speak to the enlightened people of the world the message of Human Culture from the Vedic literatures. I am sure such views will change the angle of vision of the world activities.
Awaiting your early reply to the above camp Address and thanking you in anticipation.
Thank you for your D.O.No.25(16)/61-r-II dated the 27th instant with enclosure.
I have now come to Delhi and staying at the above camp address for expediting the matter and therefore further correspondence maybe made to my above camp address.
Enclosed I beg to hand you herewith the form sent by you and duly completed by me.
Thanking you in anticipation and awaiting your early reply.
I have sent you only 20 pictographical ideas. But if you think that I can send you the remaining 30 pictographical explanations also, you may let me know at once and I shall do the needful.
For the present I have come to Delhi from Vrindaban and am staying at the above camp address. You can therefore address for the time being at my abovementioned camp address.
My small booklet Easy Journey to Other Planets is a novel step towards the path of cultivating Human spirit. The Russian scientists are trying to reach other planets by sputniks but such attempt is more or less utopian. There are innumerable planets, within the visible sky and each of them have different climatic conditions. Human being of this planet can hardly adjust with the climatic conditions of other planets even if he is able to reach there by the sputniks.
Immediately I want some good assistants to work with me. They must be educated and able to talk in English as also read Sanskrit nicely. For preaching here two languages English and Sanskrit will be very much appreciated. I think under your leadership every camp of our god brothers should supply a man good for this purpose and they must agree to work under my direction. If that is possible then you will see how our beloved Srila Prabhupada will be satisfied on all of us. I think we shall all forget now the past fratricidal war and now come forward for a good cause. If they are not agreeable then do it yourself and I am at your service. Please therefore consider this and let me know by wire if you are agreeable. Otherwise I shall not extend my visa period but I shall return to India without being able to do anything tangible at my first tour. Hope you will take this matter as very urgent and let me know your decision by immediate return of post or by wire to my above address and oblige. Hope you are all well and thanking you in anticipation.
1966 Correspondence
There is not a single Hindu temple here at least in New York or all the places so far I have traveled in this country. Regarding management of the temple is concerned for the present I have called for one of my of my disciples from Delhi. If other persons from our so many camps want to come here I shall welcome and I think after the temple is started some men even from America may be available as I see there are in the Ramakrishna Mission as well as in so many Yoga societies.
So I am trying to open a temple here because Srila Prabhupada wanted it. Kindly therefore help me in this direction as far as you can. I am thankful to you for taking so much trouble in taking the estimate of deities. But before having the Deities there is great stumbling block of Exchange difficulty. My money in India is ready but I must have the exchange, by special sanction of the Government of India.
Srila Prabhupada wanted us to do everything in complete cooperation and thus I am inclined to have full cooperation in this great attempt of preaching in the foreign countries. All the camps of our various camps may at least cooperate in the matter of special activities and I may be able to provide any number of men who may be now inclined to come here and work under my direction. There is great possibility of Lord Caitanya's cult being preached amongst the younger section of the Americans and some of them are hearing me very seriously to accept the philosophy. Our men in the ideal line of activities chalked out by Srila Prabhupada will be great help to me and the persons who are now seriously attending my classes.
Awaiting to hear from you as early as possible with the list names of the persons who will come here from different camps.
1967 Correspondence
In the morning class there are not less than 25 students and in the evening there are 30 to 50 students. And I think they are gradually understanding the philosophy seriously. Sriman Mukunda Das has in view a plot of land about sixty acres for the society and he wishes to organize our community camp there. It is very encouraging.
Please reply this letter point by point and let me know the progress of the house purchasing negotiation. Hope you are doing well with greater enthusiasm even though I am absent. Please take care of Jadurani so that her painting work may go on very nicely. She is entrusted with great responsibility. More in my next.
We invite every one to our feast and Kirtana but when one comes into the confidence we initiate him in the process and request him to observe four principles of restrictions based on philosophy and morality. Nobody can realize spiritual enlightenment without following the principles of purity. Therefore our four principles of restriction must be adopted when one is serious about further enlightenment. I am glad that Ravindrasvarupa and Devakinandana (David) is already negotiating with the authorities and it is good that you are arranging for twenty four hours chanting in the proposed camp.
I think Hayagriva is anxious in having his name printed in the publication of Gitopanisad. I do not have any objections that his name may be mentioned as one of the editors helping in the editing of Gitopanisad, just to encourage him and keep him in our camp, in case that he may come back and accept our philosophy and resume his editing talent. He has committed a blunder, but just so that he may be encouraged to come back you may mention his name also along with Rayarama's. He is not so convinced of his impersonalist philosophy. It is only due to Kirtanananda's influence that he has left us.
Krishna can be loved in any feature and because he is absolute there is no difference to love Krishna as a military man or as a simple Gopi.
During the day the two sides would battle, and at night they would visit one another's camps, just like friends, talking and eating together. Bhisma was accused of not trying hard enough to kill the Pandavas, due to affection for them. So, he said, tomorrow I will kill all five brothers, and these five special arrows I shall kill them with. For safekeeping Bhismadeva gave the five arrows to Duryodhana, who had accused Bhisma of too much affection for the Pandavas. Formerly, Duryodhana had made promise to Arjuna that he could someday ask for some favor, so Krishna, knowing all these things, sent Arjuna to Duryodhana for asking favor of giving the arrows to Arjuna.
1968 Correspondence
I have received another letter from Acyutananda in which it appears that he is not fixed up in staying in India. He is very seriously thinking of coming back, and this is very disappointing. If he comes back then our dream of opening a center in India is not very encouraging, because Kirtanananda came back, Ramanuja has joined with the Buddhist camp, and Acyutananda at the beginning showed very encouraging hopes, but that is gradually vanishing, and he is eager to come back. The other two boys living with Bon Maharaja, they are not very much hopeful, especially Harivilasa. I have heard about him lots of things from Ramanuja and Acyutananda, and you have written about him that he is little fanatical. Under the circumstances, how it is possible to combine them together and open a branch in India? If I would have been there, I could manage, but I am here. I do not think Rayarama may prepare to go to India at the present moment. When I return to New York, we shall consult together and do the needful. In the meantime, let us consolidate our energy for bringing the books.
Still I had the strength of mind, and I continued to stay. Similarly, if you have strength of mind, you can stay always in India even in the most inconvenient condition. Another difficulty is that although you are four already in India, you cannot live together. Ramanuja left the camp as soon as I left you. You do not like Harivilasa. So you are living scattered. That is another difficulty. If you would have lived together with mutual cooperation, there would have been no trouble; but I think that is also not possible.
In my plain opinion, I think if you can all three at present moment, namely yourself, Harivilasa, and Rsikesa, live together, there will be no difficulty. You are going to Vrindaban, so formerly you told me that you selected a very nice house at Rs 50 per month, why not take that house and live together, all three, chant Hare Krsna, and try to remain in transcendental peace.
Members of ISKCON may retain their own respective religious faiths, as ISKCON is meant to establish a clear, practical common formulation of the common ideal of all theists, and to defeat the unnecessary dogmatic wranglings that now divide and invalidate the theistic camp. This common ideal of theism is to develop love of God.
We are following in the footsteps of Lord Caitanya to invoke the dormant love of Godhead. The sum and substance of this teaching is that the living entity is eternally the subordinate servant of God, but unfortunately, being sophisticated by illusion, everyone in the human society is trying to predominate over others without accepting the Supreme Predominator. A case in point is the recent Russian invasion of Czechoslovakia.
You can send copies to Hawaii also to Gaurasundara to the following address: Gary McElroy; room 5066; Armed Services Y.M.C.A., 250 South Hotel Street; Honolulu, Hawaii, 96813.
Regarding my stationary: It is almost finished and you can arrange for printing next copies to your good choice. Govinda dasi doesn't like the setting of camp and date. But I am moving everywhere, practically I am not fixed up at any address, so you have to adjust as nicely as possible.
1969 Correspondence
Please do your duty combinedly without any disruption of peaceful attitudes amongst yourselves. We are pushing our movement on the background of a peaceful atmosphere in the world, and if we show a little disturbance in our own camp that will not be a very good example. Therefore, everyone should be forebearing, tolerant and cooperative. That is my special request to you all.
So far as I am concerned, I have written to Syamasundara whether there is any possibility of my going there immediately. If not, then I may go to other places for the time being.
Later on, it was found that he went to see a Christian priest who had impressed upon his mind that one can drink wine after offering it to Lord Christ on the first Friday of every month. I had been informed by Karatieya that before his coming to our Krishna Consciousness camp he was drinking too much. So now he wanted to give me evidence that drinking was good when it is offered to Lord Christ. I tried to convince him that drinking is not at all good. The very fact that one should drink on the first Friday of each month means it is rigidly restricted; one can drink only once every month, but in the case of bread, it is said that one should pray daily for bread from the Lord. In this way there was some remonstration, but he was silently hearing from me while being not at all satisfied. I understood from Purusottama that the whole night he was not satisfied.
I think that our Hare Krishna Movement is just following the same concept of God by awakening the dormant transcendental emotion of the human being without any consideration of religious faith. In our camp all of my disciples are coming from different faiths, mostly Christians or Jews, and why are they accepting this Sankirtana Movement, unless there is the awakening of mystical emotion described by a great scientist like Albert Einstein.
If somebody does not accept Caitanya Mahaprabhu for want of archeological evidence, it will not hamper our movement. There is sufficient archeological evidence in this connection, and it can be supplied from various sources which are in India. There is even archeological evidence of Vyasadeva which was recently propounded by one Dr. Cakravarti.
Regarding your other questions, yes, you may wear any clothing that you find comfortable; no, it is not very good to use yeast in preparing prasadam. It is better to prepare bread in the process as you have seen done in the temple. I hope this will answer all of your important questions. I have also received one letter from Isanadas dated July 4, 1969, and his camp program sounds interesting. I am anxious to know what are your plans for going to London because now I understand they have facilities to accommodate you and your husband. So either yourself or Isanadas may write to me to inform me.
Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 30 July, 1969, and I have noted the contents carefully. I am always encouraged to learn of the nice activities of our Hawaii Iskcon as they go on under your direction. These concerts which you are attending will not go in vain, because all of these people who are now hearing these vibrations of Hare Krishna Mantra will be gradually coming to our camp of Krishna Consciousness. This is the Vedic process that simply by sound vibrations there will be the reaction of spiritual benefit. And for all of these people who are joining you in chanting and helping you in your various activities, for them Krishna has shown His Special Mercy, and it is to be understood that Krishna will guide them more and more to return to Him again in His Spiritual Abode, Goloka Vrindaban.
Srila Prabhupada said that it was better to accept some menial service for maintaining oneself then to get some money by showing the Deities to the innocent public and being satisfied thereby. Now there is great necessity to train preachers in all the camps of our Godbrothers and send them all over the world. Of course, they must be impregnated with real preaching spirit, without any material profit. Whenever I ask somebody to take this job, they are silent. They are simply satisfied with some Mathas, and they have forgotten the preaching spirit of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Maharaja. When none of them came to preach outside of India, I thought I was to do this humble service to His Divine Grace, and by His blessings, I am getting good cooperation from the local boys and girls. That is my satisfaction. Otherwise, none of my Godbrothers is helping me substantially. So I am not very much hampered by this action.
1970 Correspondence
Why do you come here and disturb? Our Temple is especially meant for preaching Krishna Consciousness. In the world there are different philosophies and they have got their own temples also, long before our Temple was opened. There are places of worship of the Jews, of the Christians and of many other sects. They have got their different camps. Why do you come here and create disturbance?
New devotees should be told that the Christian preaching is already there; so if they are attracted by Christianity, the Christian Temples are there. When one comes to the Krishna Temple, he should try to understand krishna Consciousness. Actually, one who is advanced will not find any contradiction. The Christians teach love of Godhead, and we practically do it.
And if they are still inclined to remain Christian, they can go. There is no need of raising controversial points and thus wasting each other's time.
There are even different political groups and one group does not go to the other group to preach their tenants, but they have got their own camp. Besides that, when we perform our Kirtana in our home or Temple, nobody can legally disturb it. I hope this will clarify the situation.
It appears the invoice of pictures which you have imported from India. You should not be unnecessarily embarrassed on the point of Raktaka's marriage with somebody who is not initiated. Yes, I have received the deposit slip of $50, and I am enclosing herewith a separate letter to Gopala Krishna.
Regarding competition with Ramakrishna Mission and Yoga camps in Toronto, why should you be afraid of them? They are very insignificant organizations in the face of Krishna Consciousness Movement. Everyone says that what Ramakrishna Mission could not do in 80 years time, we have done many more times in three years time. So nobody can check this genuine movement of Krishna Consciousness by artificial means of bluff. Any sincere soul, serious in the matter of self-realization, will certainly be attracted by our Movement.
They are not known to Madhava Maharaja, so how they can write directly to Madhava Maharaja? Neither I wish to overburden Madhava Maharaja with further addition of my disciples in his temple. This is a very delicate point. Better you can ask Madhava Maharaja whether he is willing to receive further members of our camp in his temple.
Therefore, I wanted that when we get our own place, the Brahmacaris may go.
Regarding long visa, as you say that you can arrange or advise how they shall apply for it. Sriman Nanda Kumar Brahmacari and Jayapataka Brahmacari are ready to start. So I do not know what to do in this connection. I do not think that writing to Madhava Maharaja for their accommodation from here will be right thing. Better verbally you can ask him whether he will allow two other Brahmacaris to stay there.
So first of all let me know if you have changed your address, then I shall let you know the program of work and if required I shall send some more American and English boys. As soon as we get our own place many Indian boys from other camps will join us. So immediately let me know if you have removed to your new address.
The king Pariksit has no beard. His face should be very nice looking, young king between 30-40 years age.
I have already approved of the schedule which you have sent me. If you follow this new schedule very strictly there will be no chance of Maya penetrating our camp. And try to introduce the same schedule in New York and other centers.
According to your report of the July 25th, 1970 Press meeting you are going to issue a booklet for Vyasa Puja, but as yet no such booklet has been received by us.
Our program here in Surat is very successful and we are terminating it for the time being when we depart for Bombay on the 2nd January. From Bombay we are catching the 1 down (via Nagpur) Howrah Mail Train leaving on the 3rd at 6.45 PM and reaching Calcutta on the 5th at 8.25 AM. So I will be glad to see you there if you can arrange a nice reception. We shall be coming either two men or four.
In the meantime the rest of our party is going to Allahabad for establishing our Magh Mela Camp.
If you can get one cow that is very auspicious. Then you can have fresh milk and butter. Also the garden mentioned by you should be cultivated. In India the system is that no matter how poor a man is, still, if he has a little land, he can grow some flowers or vegetables and offer to the Deity. In this way take advantage of all that Krishna has so kindly provided. In addition if you can begin production of of spiritual sky incense there, that will be helpful. Your temple can be named as New Gaya.* Gaya is the province where Lord Buddha flourished. Japan is Buddhist country and we accept Lord Buddha as incarnation of God.
So far as Bruce Prabhu is concerned, he may return to Tokyo at any time if you feel that his service is required there. Presently he is in Bombay, so you can write him at our Bombay camp address given above.
1971 Correspondence
So there will be no difficulty. You can simply intimate me that you have transferred such and such amount through the Central Bank at Surat. Then I'll take care of it.
We have now taken a very nice floor in Bombay; the address is given above as our CAMP address. By the end of March we will have Deity installation ceremony for one week. At that time, if possible please come and join us. I hope you are reading my books with interest and any questions that arise out of such studies may be inquired from me directly. Very soon you'll receive all the other books, as they have arrived in Bombay.
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your repentant letter dated 28th January, 1971, and I am so much glad that you have again come to our camp after some time being mislead by Maya. You should take severe warning from this incident and not treat the matter as very light. Maya is always peeping for a chance to allure the neophyte devotees from the path of Krsna Consciousness and this potential danger is always there everywhere in the material world. The only solution to the danger of material entanglement and consequent unhappiness is to surrender unconditionally at the Lotus feet of Krsna because only He can give assurance of protection from all sinful reactions. So you are very much fortunate that Krsna has again taken you back into the company of devotees.
Although our philosophy is revolutionary, even in India also, it is being received favorably. In our Kumba Mela camp it was very successful. Our camp stood out first in the whole campus. Many government high officials, retired high-court judges, big police officers came to see me and invited me also for lecture and all of them were very much encouraging. Our program of recruiting life members is also going on nicely. Actually we are and meeting our expenditures very heavily on this book distribution scheme of life membership. 50% is utilized for reprinting books and 50% is being utilized for increasing the number of centers. I think the same program may be vigorously introduced in your country and that will be a great success.
I know that you are the fit person for carrying out his plan, so I am entrusting you to see that everything is done very nicely and up to standard. This project of opening a school for young children may be expanded to include inviting children of respectable families for some tuition fee to come there for an ideal education including the basic requirements of reading and writing, but giving them also real spiritual knowledge of how to live perfectly—what other school of learning can offer such wonderful educational opportunity? There has also been suggestion of a kind of summer camp for children from crowded cities. What do you think?
I am pleased to note the birth of your second son. Now kindly deliver him to Krishna and your life will be perfect.
So you have to plan nicely in advance, either by consulting with ISKCON Press or by printing locally. Even if it is only a few pages, something must be there. You may organize your travelling party on the lines of a festival which moves from city to city, and if there is good field, a camp may be set up and you may carry on with our Hare Krishna Festival as long as there is good response. In this way, you may move from country to country as the weather permits. And you can equip yourselves to be completely self-sufficient—sleeping, cooking, everything. This program is very very pleasing to me.
So far the Soviet Yatra is concerned, Syamasundara, who is with me here in India as my secretary, has made a plan with that boy Madhukar. Madhukar is in Delhi for the vacation months from his University in Moscow, so there have been discussions in Delhi and a plan has been made. You may consult with Syamasundara what they are doing.
It is only because Krishna has somehow or other given me such assistants as yourselves that I have got any success I appreciate your helping me in this way, you are more dear to me than my own daughters.
Here in Bombay we have got good prospects to purchase very large land in Juhu for even, cheap price, just in the middle of a neighborhood. We shall build our camp there & begin constructing temple immediately, & later on we shall develop large hotel & school. There is also chance for getting a nice bungalow in Bombay city also. So in general we shall make our headquarters in Bombay, & build up Vrindaban and Mayapur, that's all. I will take care of everything, you just give me two life-members daily in India, & I shall do the rest.
1972 Correspondence
The Delhi municipality has promised to give us land, so why they are not giving? Secure the land in Delhi which the municipality has promised and you immediately save the Rs. 500/- from rent. And from the Building Fund we can immediately construct a building also. Somehow or other secure the land and in the beginning pitch camp and then later on we can build.
Gurudasa has gone to Delhi, so he can take further permission from there. There is good chance the ban may be lifted by the 15th, so as soon as five men can go, they should go there immediately to make preparations for a grand festival. I do not think there will be difficulty if we just go there like the ordinary pilgrims and set up our camp there for kirtana continuously. Anyone will see we are only serious devotees of Lord Caitanya and not Pakistani spies. So I think you should plan that we shall definitely be coming to Mayapur and hold a grand festival there for Lord Caitanya's Appearance Day celebrating. You may collect advertisements for Mayapur on this basis that somehow or other we shall go there.
One more thing, those One-Rupee Coupons, they may be given one book of Gitar Gan also, and 50% will go to Book Fund, 50% to Building Fund. In this way 10,000 books will be distributed very easily.
So far I know, Bhanu is awaiting some money clearance matters to be completed from the Reserve Bank of India and then he will be departing here very soon.
I am happy to hear that Karatieya Maharaja has returned to our camp. Now you give him all good counsel and friendship, and if he somehow develops some enthusiasm by becoming artfully engaged, he is very good boy and will be a great preacher. He always has my blessings.
I think that by now Karandhara is there, so he may write me his report, one copy to Bombay address, one copy to Nairobi.
During our absence, the vacant plot which we have purchased must be levelled, cleared, and at least four latrines constructed, in preparation for the pandal festival which we are holding there throughout month of March. I will be coming back to Bombay about the first of March to ___ once in the morning and once in the evening, and we shall ___ camp there, so that people may be attracted and some ____ may be raised. Now there is one very good boy, Mahamsa ____ who is now in charge of things in Bombay, and he has ____ experience and is perfectly qualified to manage every ____ he is there now. But since he has not got opportunity ___ bay for more than one year, because he has always ____ behind to look after things, therefore Madhudvisa ____ he can come to Mayapur. It will be good if he can ____ So you please go there and take instruction from him ____ regard to levelling the vacant plot and constructing ___ see what progress he has made.
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letters dated May 22 and May 30, 1972, from Delhi and Vrndavana camps respectively. I am very, very pleased to hear that you have accomplished your task for getting the CCP license, it is a very great service. I have instructed Karandhara to always send accompanying cover letter and statements of quantity of books, individual cost of books, total cost of books, in Rs. and dollars for the future shipments to India.
I am very glad to hear that the American officers in Delhi are very much favorable to our movement. It is very good news. If you can persuade them to give us foodstuffs directly, then we shall use it properly and America's prestige will be widely spread throughout India. We can organize for distribution of prasadam all over India, in factories, schools, and so on.
Our Bhagavata Dharma Discourses are going on very nicely here in New Vrindaban, and hundreds of devotees and other persons from outside are also coming here, and there is one large pavilion on the hill-top where I speak every evening and the meetings are being very well appreciated by all. Now go on holding this Bhagavata Dharma discourses in every city of the world, in simple way, as we have done it in Nairobi, speaking something, having kirtana, distributing prasadam, and keep place to stay, camping and tents, for the devotees and guests, and in this way very quickly Lord Caitanya's movement will be spread all over the world and actually everyone will get enlightenment out of it.
No, let me come gradually, let me study also Krishna Consciousness and see how it is practical and sublime. Gradually I may get some taste for these other things and agree to do them voluntarily and intelligently. We are not dogma or like army-camp, no. We are servants of Krishna, that means because we understand that Krishna is our Protector under all circumstances, we have no more any anxiety, so we become very liberal and tolerant of all kinds of seeing others' sinful activities, and we see them innocent victims of maya, and we try to help them understand what is the real position of life. So you know this art, how to attract and engage men, so aim yourself at the top-class of men and give them every opportunity and facility to become convinced of our philosophy and engage themselves to their satisfaction. That will be the best contribution. Now spread this idea also to the other leaders.
These things must be cleared up or there may be danger of split within our ranks. Try to keep the whole situation in unified condition, but if Siddha Svarupa and his disciples are living there separately and peacefully, I have no objection, so long there is no controversy or ill feelings between their camp and yours. You may initiate some program to integrate the two camps by sending some of our own strong men there to assist. And if they get that land as gift, it should be in the name of International Society for Krsna Consciousness. Now I am so much looking forward to seeing all of you, my beloved disciples, there again in near future, so kindly make all arrangements as you know best. I think you wanted me to stop in Djakarta first, so that is all right, but if there is too much strenuous traveling program, that will not be favorable. Better stop in fewer places and have first class programs there, but I am simply at your mercy and I have only the protection of Krsna in all circumstances; therefore, whatever you make me to do, that I am prepared.
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.
Your mentioning Bangladesh feeding of refugees, of course we are feeding sometimes the local inhabitants, up to 1,000 persons on some occasions, but there is no organized program of feeding the refugees at Mayapur. In fact, so far I have seen, all the refugees from Nadia District have gone back to Bangladesh, there are no more refugee camps. So it will not be the truth to say to people like that, but I have no objection if they give more hearing such thing. Let them say, who will check us? We may tell any damn thing to induce people to give us money on Krsna's behalf, that is not the point. The point is that by saying lies, the less advanced neophyte devotees may become entangled or disturbed in their minds by it. Of course by their collecting more money and giving to Krsna, He will relieve them of all anxiety of telling lies. But not everyone is able to catch the big fish without themselves becoming wet. I am convinced that if you simply glorify Krsna and our books in the best descriptive manner, that anyone and everyone, no matter even atheist or otherwise, they can be convinced to purchase.
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.
1973 Correspondence
I am in due receipt of your letter dated December 31, 1972, and I have noted the contents carefully. Yes, that will be the best idea, to move your Austin temple closer to the University where there are so many potential devotees. Of course, we may set up our camp below any tree and preach anywhere, but because they will expect some comfortable place just to their standard of comfort, therefore we provide, but only so they will be more receptive to our preaching. So whatever must be done, must be done. Now in consultation with Satsvarupa, just do the needful and think always in your mind how much what you are doing will be pleasing to Krsna. That standard for pleasing Krsna is simply to spread this Krsna Consciousness message far and wide all over the globe. So if you are engaged in that activity, somehow or other, for preaching Krsna's name and fame, then that is the proper use of your energy and time, and you have nothing to worry further.
You may get some guns and some of the boys may be trained as ksatriyas. Such gun shots could have taken place long ago since we are challenging everybody. So we must be prepared to fight. We cannot stop this movement. It is actually a fight against Maya. So Maya may also sometimes cause casualties in our camp. So, we must only thank Krsna and seriously dedicate everything for Him. So, you are Kirtanananda Maharaja, take pleasure in performing kirtana. That is our real weapon against Maya.
I am very pleased that the corner stone function was nicely done and successful. Continue the work enthusiastically. Thank you very much for the check for $200.
I am slowly regaining my health. It is now the rainy season here and accordingly the digestive process is slowed down. Therefore the rainy season means slow recovery.
I was just thinking of you and wondering why I hadn't heard from you in a long time. You'll be pleased to know that your assistant Srutakirti is here.
1974 Correspondence
If our temples cannot even be maintained then it is a great defect in our management of the society. Neither can I be expected to deal in these matters and also pay attention fully to the translating of my books.
Between Mukunda and Madhavananda they are opposing camps and cannot cooperate, and Syamasundara is not even present. So go at once and do the needful. You may write to me at Bombay until the second week of May when I am leaving for Paris. At that time I intend to visit also Geneva, Rome and Sweden not staying for more than 4 or 5 days at each place, and then I will go to Germany and visit 3 or 4 cities. A Mr. Hans-Werner Erdman of D 8011 Baldham bei Munchen, Fichtenstrabe 11 visited me in Bombay and was very enthusiastic for my visiting Germany. He was wearing sikha and said he would make arrangement for my travel tickets and visiting prominent men. You can get in touch with him and if he is serious plan together my visit to Germany.
It is not good that things have deteriorated to such a stage as you describe in your letter, but let us try to rectify and save the situation. I myself will be traveling to Paris in the second week of May, for a tour of European cities, and I will meet with Hamsaduta then as well as other leaders, and we will make a decision for the permanent leadership of the centers.
For the time being work with Hamsaduta and stop the bickering and conflicting camps. You must work hard to absolve the debts you have massed so we will not lose our standing there. If everyone is strictly chanting at least 16 rounds daily and reading the books and observing the regulative principles then management will be at our finger's end, and there will be no difficulty in maintaining Krsna Consciousness.
So Sridhara Maharaja and his two associate gentlemen unauthorizedly selected one acarya and later it proved a failure. The result is now everyone is claiming to be acarya even though they may be kanistha adhikari with no ability to preach. In some of the camps the acarya is being changed three times a year. Therefore we may not commit the same mistake in our ISKCON camp. Actually amongst my Godbrothers no one is qualified to become acarya. So it is better not to mix with my Godbrothers very intimately because instead of inspiring our students and disciples they may sometimes pollute them. This attempt was made previously by them, especially Madhava Maharaja and Tirtha Maharaja and Bon Maharaja but somehow or other I saved the situation. This is going on. We shall be very careful about them and not mix with them. This is my instruction to you all. They cannot help us in our movement, but they are very competent to harm our natural progress. So we must be very careful about them.
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.
I am in due receipt of your letter of May 25th and have examined the contents.
You should not write anything to Madhava Maharaja's camp. You may have talked many things with Mangala Niloy but why write him in black and white. The letter must not be sent. Their policy has been all along to suppress me and take credit for himself. Their proposal for cooperation is a myth. They haven't done anything which is cooperative. You know in a recent article they managed to write in such a way that Madhava is doing the world movement and we are his subordinate. From the beginning that has been their mentality. So there is no possibility of cooperation with them. Rather you should avoid strictly meeting with them. They are not after preaching but material gain and reputation and adoration. Otherwise why they are non cooperating with me? So no cooperation is possible.
Also all devotees when writing a letter to Srila Prabhupada should include the return address on the letter and not only the envelope. Sometimes the envelope gets lost, and if there is no return address on the letter it is difficult to address the reply. All temples should be sure to print their full temple address on their letterhead, and not just have the name of the society with a blank space for the camp address which is sometimes omitted by the writer of the letter.
1975 Correspondence
I am writing this letter to inform you that Sudama Swami has left our camp. He has his own plans. He has violated our rules and regulations and thus fallen down from the spiritual platform. Under these circumstances, please do not act under his advice. I have been very much busy here in Bombay. In about a week, I am going to come to Honolulu. I will notify you of my definite arrival date and I request that you please come and see me there.
So please do not have any correspondence with this Purusottama or any of my godbrothers, so-called. And do not do anything without consulting me. You can inform this instruction to everyone and send back to me the sheets of corrections sent to you by Purusottama.
I was very much anxious to know how Purusottama entered in our camp. Now the matter is clear. Be careful for further dealings with such men.
1976 Correspondence
We have published so many books to explain our viewpoint, and why we should sit idly by and allow the press to unfairly take advantage of such a situation to misrepresent the Hare Krishna Movement. In any case, the movement cannot be judged simply by the activities of some individuals, but these men were not in our camp and still the press took unfair notice of all the facts. We should demand at least equal time from the press to explain the entire situation clearly, and when necessary we should file suit against such newspapers in order that things are not distorted. It is not in our aims anywhere to build bombs for any purpose. The same mentality is involved in trying to blow-up a slaughterhouse as is there in meat-eating. Such things will not stop people from unnecessary animal slaughter. It is only by educating people in the science of Krishna Consciousness that they will automatically develop all good qualities. Yasyatma bhaktir bhagavati akincana, sarvair gunais tatra samasate surah. And the nondevotee will not have any good qualities even they may be vegetarians.
As it is convenient we can do it. Because our devotees are not allowed to enter Jagannatha's temple at Puri I'm thinking to build a duplicate temple at Bhuvaneśvara.
You are welcome to come to India. When you come we'll begin the Bhuvaneśvara temple by the 15th of January. They are also arranging a Kumba Mela camp in January. You'll enjoy that also.
We have got the land already in Bhuvaneśvara. I'm waiting for the plan and estimate. So keep the $160,000 for this purpose. Further developments I shall let you know. The Bhuvaneśvara address is as follows: Iskcon Center/ Nayapalli/ Bhuvaneśvara-12/ Orissa.
| Page Title: | Camp (Letters) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, RupaManjari, Mayapur |
| Created: | 08 of Aug, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=0, Let=61 |
| No. of Quotes: | 61 |