This correspondence is going on since January 1966 with Sripada Tirtha Maharaja but his last letter appears to me very disappointing. Now He asks me to go back to India and try for the sanction with his joint effort from the Deputy Controller of Exchange in Calcutta. Srila Tirtha Maharaja has definitely assured me that the exchange will be sanctioned on submission of plans and expenditure of the proposed temple. But I am not very much encouraged to have this information. I therefore beg to request you to enquire immediately from the Deputy Controller of Exchange, Control Depart. Reserve Bank of India Calcutta. Please take definite information about this and if the information is correct as per statement of Srila Tirtha Maharaja then let me know the procedure to be followed in this connection. This very important item of my foreign travel. If we can open one centre in New York there is great potency for opening other centres also not only in America but also in Europe, Japan, China and many other places just to fulfill the desire of Srila Prabhupada and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
Correct (Letters)
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Correspondence
1966 Correspondence
My cultural mission as I have tried to explain in my books Srimad-Bhagavatam has been highly appreciated by all responsible quarters in India including the Late Prime Minister Lal Bhadur Shastri. The All India Congress Committee has reviewed my books in the following words: "At a time when not only the people of India but those of the West need the chastening quality of Love and Truth in the corrupting atmosphere of hate and hypocrisy, a work like this will have corrective influence. What is God? He is truth, He is love. Even an atheist must accept the supremacy of those qualities and how much they are needed by the people of the world who have been taught to deny God and these qualities do not require much emphasis."
I am so glad to hear that you are now married. I pray Krishna that you may live henceforward happily as a householder, without thinking of a separation from your wife. According to Vedic wisdom, a good wife is a great assistant for material and spiritual prosperity. Even if there is some deficiency, you should try to correct it without thinking in the Westernized way. I hope your wife may be taking interest in your chanting Sankirtana and reading Srimad-Bhagavatam. As she has become your life's companion, it is your duty to induce her, peacefully, in the matter of spiritual advancement of life.
1967 Correspondence
Regarding the house I was correct in my remarks that there was no definite understanding. If Mr. Taylor can change his word of honour transpired between him and Mr. Payne certainly that is not definite understanding. Mr. Taylor's lawyer cannot change the understanding between the two gentleman, he can simply give a legal shape only. Therefore, in such negotiations everything is done in black and white. Nothing is being done in black and white but everything is being done with faith on Mr. Payne.
So far I can see from the correspondence of Brahmananda it is not possible for us to get the house for so many reasons. The main reason is that we have no money to pay cash and nobody is going to invest cash in that house because it is neither complete nor has any income. It is simply utopian to think of possessing the house and Mr. Payne is simply giving us false hope. That is the verdict of devotees and trustees here and for reasons I believe it is correct. Please see therefore that the above amount is immediately transferred. When actual sale contract is there I shall again retransfer the amount as I did it a few days ago.
I thank you very much for your letter of 3rd June 1967. I have noted the contents carefully, and I am glad that you are reading my god-brother's book (Raghava Caitanya Das). You are correct in your conclusion that "Hari-Nama" is the only means for spiritual realization in this age. Swami Bon Maharaja is also my God-brother, and under the discipline of our Spiritual Master we were all trained up for preaching this gospel of chanting the Holy Name, and I am trying to do my bit in these western countries; and by Krishna's Grace people are receiving the mantra with great interest.
Now as to what you should do: there are a number of courses of action open to you. First of all, you are a family man, and usually at this point a man must think about providing for his wife and child. So if you like you can take a job in N.Y. or elsewhere and settle as an ordinary householder, like Rupanuga and others; or, if you prefer, you can continue to work within the Temple, either at Montreal or wherever there is sufficient space to accommodate you. But you must think of your health. I had already noticed a deterioration when I was in N.Y., and now you say it has gotten worse. That is not good, and you must correct it. So do the needful. Above all don't be worried. Krishna will help you. If it is necessary to go to work in order to maintain you wife and family nicely, Krishna will give you all support necessary.
Your letter is certainly full of sense, and a K.C. boy or girl cannot be "nonsense". I am proud to have disciples like you, who think freely, but correct their mistakes by consulting me without any reservation. I am always feeling separation for you all. Let Krishna help us meet again.
Please accept my blessings. On my arrival in San Francisco amongst my sincere spiritual sons, daughters and practically in my spiritual home in U.S.A., I was so glad to receive your encouraging letter of December 23, 1967. I have already sent you the purports of each and every sloka that you sent me for correction. I hope you may have received them by this time. If not, please write me and I shall send you another copy.
1968 Correspondence
Kirtanananda's refusal to accept the Parampara system and authority of the scriptures is the cause of his misfortune. His version that the sun and the sunshine are one and the same is right, but when the sunshine is in the room it is not correct to say that the sun is in the room. His knowledge therefore is imperfect and therefore he cannot be a preacher. He is therefore contemplating for starting nightclub of the psychedelic type. His association is not desirable for the present neither I can think of his future correction. Hayagriva has fallen a victim and I am sorry for this.
Yes, it is correct as you have handled the draft. As you have played the part of crazy, there is no necessity of reporting. That is quite in conformity.
Therefore for the present we cannot make such distinction in the American House. We are just beginning the American House there and gradually we shall make departmental division later on. Your quotation from Lord Caitanya that nobody should identify as a Brahmacari, Householder, Sannyasi, is quite correct. On the Krishna platform there is no such distinction. The only reason is that on the material platform sex life is very predominant. Therefore a Brahmacari is advised not to live with Grhasthas. But if there's strong sense of Krishna Consciousness, this distinction of material world will disappear in spiritual light. Anyway, so far you are concerned, I have received letter from Acyutananda which reads as follows about yourself: "Yamuna and Gurudasa are welcomed and they may come soon so I must have your decision." So you can prepare yourself for going there and keeping correspondence with Acyutananda, so that as soon as the house is settled there you can go with a car.
Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated March 19th, 1968, along with copies of Srimad-Bhagavatam and I thank you very much. The astronomical calculation is that every 3 years, 1 month is added, so the year in which 1 month is added, that is always calculated as consisting of 13 months. Otherwise, generally it is 12 months in a year. At present I am keeping the copies as it is, and I shall see again and do the necessary corrections.
So far standard Sanskrit transliteration, that which Pradyumna is doing will be our standard. The spelling should also be standard, and based on his work. So far the word "Ksatriya", this is the correct spelling. All these discrepancies are happening on account of my students being unaware of Sanskrit language. Therefore, I requested Pradyumna to learn Sanskrit very seriously. He has got the aptitude, and I hope he may come out very successful.
Yes, those twelve symptoms of the spiritual soul are correct, except for "all-knowing". All-knowing it cannot be, but full of knowledge.
The scientists' anti-matter is different from the anti-matter conception which I discussed in my book, Easy Journey to Other Planets. I think I have explained this by correspondence with Dr. Welk.
Regarding Dai Nippon, please let me know whether you have sent the corrected proof sheets, and advise the Japanese bank in New York of necessary credit letter. Regarding Dwarkin and Son: I think you have sent one cablegram. If not, please send it now, and also ask United Shipping Corporation whether they have transferred the money to Dwarkin & Sons. If not ask them to do it. And ask Dwarkin & Sons to send more tanpuras covering the value which they received from United Shipping Corporation.
Also, if somebody is coming here in Montreal from New York, please send me the dictaphone transcribing set lying in my closet. I think there are two sets—one of them may be sent. Also, please send the Bhagavatam copy as I told you before.
In the meantime, if Brahmananda asks you to join in some important meeting, I think you will be able to go for a day or two. I am so glad that Sriman Srinivasa is already contributing some money for the activities of the society, and please convey my sincere thanks to him, and Krishna will be very much please, for his mentality. Regarding your question: Is it not true that by service I am with you? It is very correct. You are not only in connection with me, but you are connected with the whole posterity, up to Krishna. It is so nice thing. By service only, we are connected. As it is stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, "Sevon mukhe hi jihvadau svayam eva sphuraty adhah." So the presence of Krishna is always everywhere, but it is simply manifested by your service. That is the technique. "Sabhung Kalidumbrum" everywhere Brahma is present. Just like everywhere there is electricity
Regarding your question: "What is the correct sexual etiquette for a strict Grhastha; and what is spiritual family planning?" Unless one wants to beget a child, there should not be any sex life. The best thing is to forget sex, but it is not possible immediately or all of a sudden, especially in the Western countries where sex life is so liberal. So under the circumstances, one should try to have sex life only for children, not for any other purpose. Spiritual family planning is that one should be determined to train up children in Krishna Consciousness. According to Bhagavata, the spiritual family planning is that one should not become a father or one should not become a mother, unless he is able to maintain their children to the extent of liberation. It is the duty of the parents to see that the children are growing luxuriantly not only materially, but spiritually also. So spiritual training should be given from the very beginning.
The third mantra of your Gayatri ceremony was stated wrong. It should read as follows: "AIM GURUDEVAYA VIDMAHE KRISHNANANDAYA DHIMAHI TANNAH GURO PRACHODAYAT." In other words, "TANNAH GURO" should be inserted, and "DHIYO YO NAH" should be removed. Please correct as need be.
I am in due receipt of your letter dated Oct. 20, 1968, and I understand that you are beginning to learn Sanskrit grammar which I think will be a great difficult task for you in these late hours of life. It is very nice to hear that Dr. Singh will conduct a special course of Panini's grammar. But our immediate task is to prepare the transliteration and correction of the 1st Canto for next publication. But if you have to do the same after learning Sanskrit grammar, it will take a long time to finish it. I have not heard anything how far yourself and Hayagriva combinedly finishing the editing of the 1st Canto which we are going to print next. If you can learn Sanskrit grammar conveniently it is very nice. But the mode of teaching in the schools and colleges are so slow that it will not be practical to learn Sanskrit grammar there and then prepare our transliteration. Of course, the grammar helps in analyzing the combined words, but I think it will take a very long time.
Regarding Srimad-Bhagavatam, please send me the chapters which you have already revised. I want to see it, how it is being done. I am glad that you are not omitting anything, but just making grammatical correction, and phrasing for force and clarity, and adding Pradyumna's transliteration, that is very nice.
In the Caitanya Caritamrta it is said that the activities of the Vaisnava cannot be understood even by the greatest scholar. So we have to understand everything through the transparent via media of the Spiritual Master. So there is no doubt about it that Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura is eternal energy of Lord Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. And whatever he did, was just to suit the time, place, circumstances, and etc. There is no contradiction in his activities. Yes, also, what you have learned about Sukadeva is correct. He stayed in the womb of his mother for 16 years because he was fixed on the Brahman conception, and then on hearing the Srimad-Bhagavatam, he became realized and decided to come out and be active in the service of the Lord, to enjoy blissful varieties.
I have read with pleasure your recent letter (undated). From it I can understand that you are advancing very nicely in Krishna Consciousness. You are correct in your estimation that all activities, even so-called frustrations, become a great joy when is working for Krishna. This is the clue to successful work which is revealed in Bhagavad-gita, that we should concern ourselves only with giving everything to Krishna and all the frustrations of sinful reactions will be no more. The reason men are suffering and frustrated is because they are accepting the sinful reactions from their sinful activities, so in Krishna Consciousness we are free from all such botheration because we have donated all of our fruits and reactions to the service of the Lord. When we keep our association with Krishna every activity is proper and liberating but if we should dissociate ourselves from the Lord's Mercy then like a hand which is severed from the body we become ugly and useless. Please continue your efforts to improve New Vrindaban along with your god-brothers there and no doubt Krishna will help you to make further progress in perfecting your life in Krishna Consciousness.
So far as the certificates are concerned, they are very beautiful and nicely done. But I have noticed that there is one small spelling mistake which you may be able to correct. "Srimati" you have spelled as "Srimate". Srimate is used for addressing someone, but Srimati is the title which is appropriate on the certificate. So if you can change this on all of the certificates it will be better.
Regarding your question about arati, no there is no special prayers to be said just in the morning. Also you have asked about the compiler of Sri Brahma Samhita and the four-headed Brahma of this universe is the compiler.
Regarding your third question, both incidents are correct. I hope these shall answer your questions. Please convey my blessings to Satsvarupa, Jadurani, Devananda, Rukmini and all others. Hope you are all well.
I thank you for your letter of December 16, 1968 and I have noted the contents carefully and with pleasure. So far as the mistake on the certificates, I think that only on the certificates to be given to brahmacarinis is it necessary to change the spelling, because on the brahmacari's certificate this word Srimate will be crossed out. So on the certificates for the brahmacarinis, you may cover the letter "e" with a white paint and insert the correct letter "i", making the word read "Srimati". So do this nicely and it will be all right. It is all right to read the books you have mentioned, namely Swami Bon's Bhakti Ramsamrita Shindu and Caitanya Caritamrta by Nagendra Kumar Ray, but you will be pleased to know that we are now composing the Nectar of Devotion, which is a complete summary of the Bhakti Rasamrita Shindu. Regarding the translation by Bon Maharaja, it is only one quarter of the complete work and I do not know if the other parts will come out very shortly.
Regarding the article suggested by Rayarama, you are correct in your doubts that Radha-Krishna lila should not be discussed in Back To Godhead. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam there are so many philosophical discussions and we should concentrate on these philosophical aspects. Otherwise the less intelligent will surely understand Radha-Krishna lila as simply nonsense boy and girl sex life. Hanuman Prasad Poddar and company are all mundane types and they have no entrance into actual spiritual activities. Superficially they pose themselves as great devotees, but we can feel their pulse; ultimately they are impersonalists. We should not depend upon writings from such unauthorized sources.
1969 Correspondence
Regarding the answers which you gave to Bilas Vigrahadas, they were all correct. When you study very carefully all of the literature which is available, especially Bhagavad-gita As It Is, you will have in your grasp answers to all questions that may be put to you. Please encourage the others to read this Bhagavad-gita at least one chapter every day.
Your previous letter was duly received by me and was replied to by me, and I hope you have by this time received the same. In both of your letters you have mentioned about grand preparations being made for the celebration of Golden Jubilee for Sri Caitanya Math from 7 February through 6 March. Prior to your information, our god-brother, Y. Jagannathan also informed me about this impending ceremony but so far as I concerned, I have received no official information from Sripada Tirtha Maharaja. I do not know why. If it is thought however that my preaching work in this part of the world is not connected with Sri Caitanya Math, I do not think this is correct because I was authorized to do this work by Srila Prabhupada, and I am trying to do my humble bit.
So far as your question about evolution, you should know that the aspects of this theory which are actually correct offer no contradiction to the Vedic version. This whole topic has been very nicely explained in an article in Back To Godhead, "Evolution, the God That's Failing". So I refer you to this article which was in a few issues back. This should clear up your questions.
I am in due receipt of your letter of January 11, 1969 and I have noted the contents. The picture of Vasudeva exchanging the babies is not correct because Nanda Maharaja should not be in this scene. Vasudeva silently exchanged babies with the sleeping Yasoda, and neither Yasoda nor Nanda Maharaja knew about this till long after. Yasoda had just given birth to her girl baby, and having fell asleep right after this birth, she did not even know that the child she had given birth to was a girl. So please correct this error somehow. In the meantime I am awaiting the other paintings which are sending to me in Los Angeles. Hope this meets you in very good health.
You are correct in your estimation that Dai Nippon is not to be blamed. It is our blame. In future we shall be careful and take into writing how much time they will take for each volume. When you print from Dai Nippon, the size of the books will be the same as Teachings of Lord Caitanya, but the pages will be from 350 to 400 pages. So you can try to fix up the time. Formerly they agreed to fix up their price at $5000. So immediately you make an understanding with them that just after receipt of Teachings of Lord Caitanya we will submit a manuscript of some other book. So both MacMillan and Dai Nippon should be utilized in this way, and as soon as we have our own press we shall divert our activities in this direction. I think this arrangement will be nice.
I am in due receipt of your letter dated January 21, 1969, and I have carefully noted the contents. Since receiving this letter I have learned that you have decided that it is best that you do not leave your position in the San Francisco temple for the press department in New York. I think that this is the correct decision because your presence is very much needed in your temple. I am always glad to know that you are there to help manage the affairs of the San Francisco center so I am glad that you have decided to remain there as president. There are many places in San Francisco who will advertise in our Back To Godhead, so as much as possible you may try for this. But one thing is that the brahmacaris who are there must help in supporting the temple so you will have adequate time for this added responsibility upon you. So those who are able to earn money for supporting the temple must assist you in this connection.
Regarding my teaching in different universities, you will be pleased to know that recently I got one letter from Cultural Integration Fellowship President, Dr. Haridasa Chaudhuri. He has appreciated my book, and he remarks as follows: "The book is without doubt the best presentation so far to the western public of the teachings of Lord Krishna from the standpoint of Vaisnava tradition and devotional Hindu mysticism." So actually this is the correct position of our Krishna Consciousness movement. There are religious classes held in almost every university of your country, and they are eager also to study different kinds of religions. So far as Bhagavad-gita is concerned, there is no doubt about it that I am the only authority in your country in this matter. Nobody can speak on the Bhagavad-gita so authoritatively as I can do. That is a fact.
We are all students, and we are apt to commit mistakes; but that does not mean that we should be disappointed. Lord Caitanya also presented Himself before Prakasananda Sarasvati as a foolish student of His Spiritual Master, although He was the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. Anyway, the actual fact is that the eight Gopis are as good as Krishna and Radharani. Therefore, no Vaisnava will claim to be one of the eight Gopis because that will tinge one with Mayavadi philosophy. If somebody says "I am Krishna." or "I am Radha." or "I am one of the eight Gopis." that is against Krishna philosophy. My Guru Maharaja claimed to be one of the sub-devotee assistants of the eight Gopis. Lord Caitanya also claimed Himself as servant of the servant of the servant of Krishna (CC Madhya 13.80). So even though you might not have understood, you can correct it now and don't be disappointed.
I beg to thank you very much for your letter pointing out some of the discrepancies of many of the devotees in New York. You are correct regarding the items which you have stated, such as sleeping in front of the deities, eating in front of the deities, taking of unoffered foodstuffs, drinking water from the bathroom, and non-chanting of rounds. But the thing is discipline can not be observed unless there is obedience. As you are obedient to me, you should be similarly obedient to my representative. Your statement about Brahmananda that he is a wonderful devotee is 100% agreed by me. He is in charge of the New York center, and, therefore, if proper obedience is not given to him it will be impossible for him to manage the affairs of the temple. Under the circumstances, the discrepancies you have observed in the temple may be referred to him, and he is quite reasonable, and will handle the matter with the respective devotees. Please don't you take any direct actions because it will cause disruption. You are a very talented boy, and I have every confidence in you, so I hope you will do this and oblige.
Regarding utilizing intelligence in devotional service, intelligence should be confirmed by the Spiritual Master. Therefore we accept the Spiritual Master for guidance. You should not depend on your own intelligence. Just like a child requires a parent to tell him the correct thing to do, similarly, a strict disciple should always use his intelligence in conformity with the instructions of the Spiritual Master.
About the shell which you are presently keeping in the temple, because it is not a conchshell, it should be considered as impure, and therefore it may not be placed upon the altar. Regarding the meter sung by Narada Muni, it is not necessary for us to practice this. For your final question, you are correct in your idea that leaflets which are destined to be thrown upon the ground should not contain pictures of Krishna, Jagannatha, etc. Such leaflets may only be hung up for people to see.
Your fifth question, "Is this understanding of verse 18, chap. 4, correct; that the sage sees material activities as zero (inaction in action) and sees the devotee seated chanting as eternally active (action in inaction)?" Yes, action in inaction—action means to do something of which the result is enjoyed by the doer; that is action. But when things are done for Krishna, the result is enjoyed by Krishna. When we put ourselves in the position of enjoying good or bad reaction, then we suffer or enjoy. But action in Krishna Consciousness has nothing to do with such material suffering or enjoying. Therefore action in Krishna Consciousness is inaction, whereas a person doing nothing materially may appear to be inaction to others, but actually he is doing something for Krishna. In other words, the materialist thinks of the devotees as inactive. Similarly, the devotees think of the karmis as inactive—simply spoiling time, building sandcastles.
Regarding your questions about Deity worship, please refer these to Himavati in Montreal or else Harsarani in Los Angeles. Yes, on the certificates you may correct it as Srimatee. I hope this will meet you in very nice health and cheerful mood.
Debtor means receiver, and the particular begins with the word "to." Whatever I am paying is entered into the creditor column. Creditor means payer. In this way, after the whole day's transactions, you make a total of the debtor column and creditor column, and if there is any balance, it is adjusted by the words "balance carried forward." This balance is entered in the creditor column. So we have to see that the amount in the debtor column and the amount in the creditor column is equal. This is called a correct account. Next day you begin with "To Balance B.F." That means whatever balance you had the day before you put in the debtor column with particulars To Balance B.F.. Then begin your transactions as in the previous day. This is the system of keeping an account in general. For the time being, keep your account in that way, and later on, as you inquire, I will let you know more about how to keep books.
Regarding the church building, from Mr. Worley's letter I can understand that the tone is acceptance, not rejection. Now as I have told you before, if out of the $30,000 you can collect at least $10,000 from the local devotees, then the balance $20,000 can be arranged from the bank. That is my responsibility, and I shall do it. Now it is up to you to collect $10,000. So upon hearing from you whether or not you are able to collect $10,000. So upon hearing from you whether or not you are able to collect the money in connection with Mr. Brahma, Mr. Ghosh and other Indian gentlemen, then we can negotiate further in this matter. Mr. Worley has said that the assessed value is 45% of the value and he has advanced the argument that for Franklyn County tax purposes, the value was assessed as around $59,000. But in our case there is no question of tax. So without tax the assessment of the city authorities is correct. Anyway, I shall talk with them seriously if you give me assurance you can arrange for the $10,000. For the balance I shall arrange; rest assured.
You are correct when you say that when the Spiritual Master speaks it should be taken that Krishna is speaking. That is a fact. A Spiritual Master must be liberated. It does not matter if he has come from Krishna Loka or he is liberated from here. But he must be liberated. The science of how one is liberated is explained above, but when one is liberated, there is no need of distinction whether he has come directly from Krishna Loka or from the material world. But in the broader sense everyone comes from Krishna Loka. When one forgets Krishna he is conditioned, when one remembers Krishna he is liberated. I hope this will clear up these points. I hope this will meet you in good health.
I am pleased to note that you have decided to remain as brahmacari because it will be the most "undiverting" for your Krishna Consciousness. Actually this is correct. If one is able to remain as brahmacari, that is first class because so much botheration of household life is immediately avoided. But Krishna Consciousness is not limited that one must be brahmacari to execute, or one must be sannyasi to execute. Spiritual means that there is no conditions whatever, so in any position one may be in, he can chant Hare Krishna, preach Krishna Consciousness, and pray to Krishna to engage him more and more in His transcendental loving service.
You are correct that Tamala Krishna's endeavor is very successful, and we should cooperate with him fully, and other centers should follow the same principles to make it successful. Recently, Tamala Krishna has sent Madhudvisa to San Francisco to organize the temple there, and as soon as he had gone there, the Sankirtana collection has become raised from $17 to $70. So in this way we should help all the centers, and in the future both you and Tamala Krishna, assisted by the others, should be the main guiding stars of the society. You have written that you have given $350 to India, but I do not know why. Do not send any money to the United Shipping Corporation, because last time we advanced $500, and it has become a pinprick to realize it. I think you have sent a letter of credit, but no direct payment should be sent to them.
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated July 8, 1969, and I have noted the contents. Regarding articles for BTG, I have already issued instructions to all centers requesting my disciples to send articles every month, and I am going to repeat it again for the second time. You may continue to send me the Sanskrit transliterations for being corrected as I did last time. It will not be difficult for me to do the work in the same way. Your first business is to see my books and the magazine, BTG, published very nicely, and for this work certainly you require a very calm and quiet place. So in the absence of sufficient accommodations we may now restrict the influx of devotees to New Vrindaban. Unless we have got sufficient place it will not be possible to make separate arrangements for brahmacaris and women and children. There is sufficient place there but there is no buildings. If we depend on our own men, I don't think we will have sufficient accommodations within the thinkable future period.
I am in due receipt of your letter, one undated, and the others dated July 12th and 14th, 1969. Regarding the house on 43rd Street, I think you have made the correct decision in not taking this place during the summer because now you have so much Sankirtana activities to devote your energy to, and things are improving gradually as you are now performing your activities. So now you devote your time to Sankirtana Party and the Book Department. I have been taking price quotations from various printers in Los Angeles, and it does not look very hopeful at all that they will be able to compete with our other prices from New York, so as you have requested to be in charge of all aspects of our book publication, I think you are very qualified for this, so please do it very nicely with the help of the others. Regarding your plan for advertising membership in BTG, that is nice. I do not see how we can insist that all members must follow the four regulative principles, but this is certainly our recommendation to anyone who is serious about pursuing Krishna Consciousness.
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter postdated July 17, 1969, and I have carefully noted the contents. I am very pleased to note that you have been coming to our Krishna Consciousness temple in New York and what you are learning there from the disciples and from our literature is provoking you to think very deeply on the matters of self-realization. Actually, what the devotees there are telling you about the Hatha Yoga system is correct. In Bhagavad-gita you will find confirmation of the fact that this Hatha Yoga system is not so easy process as you have been led to believe by various "masters". To do actual Hatha Yoga one must not live in the city, but he must go to a sacred spot, and completely freed from all attachments and all material desires and disturbances, he must concentrate his mind upon the Lord within his heart. This process is not completed in just six months time, but it extends over many, many lifetimes.
Jaya Govinda was correct in his observation that Radha-Krishna Pastimes should not be discussed at the present time. Unless one is highly elevated in spiritual understanding it is risky to discuss these Pastimes. Caitanya Mahaprabhu never discussed Radha-Krishna Lila with ordinary persons. We have so many other things to discuss; what is the soul, what is bhakti. To understand Radha and Krishna's Pastimes, that is our aim, but we should not indulge in this at present. Then there is sure to be misunderstanding.
So you cannot type everything from the IBM. That is not possible. In the IBM machine you shall do the English work and the diacritic transliteration work. So far as the devanagari type is concerned, you have to do it with the help of another machine, and either you will have to paste on the lines or adopt some other device so that they can be joined. That shall be the process. But if we publish our Srimad-Bhagavatam exactly in the way I have already begun it, it will be a unique contribution. The scholars only require diacritic marks. Then it is all right. That should be very correct and standard. If there is devanagari character it is still better. Otherwise, correct transliterations will do. So you think over this matter seriously and train your wife for composing, and help her to the best possible way.
I thank you very much for your letter No. FGN: 14/1026, dated July 30th, 1969. First of all I beg to draw your attention to the credit balance in my SB account #4966. I think the credit balance quotation by you, Rs. 280.55, is not correct. The last balance in my credit on the 24th of July, 1965 was Rs. 502.55. Since then I have added further amounts, and I do not find any amounts drawn since then. Therefore, the balance should be not less than somewhere around Rs. 800. I request you to send me immediately a statement of account and oblige. In the meantime I am enclosing a separate advice for transferring the balance of the League of Devotees to my personal account.
Regarding the collapsing of the wheels during Ratha Yatra Ceremony, that doesn't matter. If possible, you may organize another procession on Janmastami Day. Regarding the footprint on Krishna's chest which you say is Radharani's, that is not correct. That footprint is of Bhrgu Muni.
I am in due receipt of your letter dated September 23rd, 1969 along with the press proof copy of BTG #28. It is nice. Everyone here liked it. Simply the mistakes which you have already admitted may be corrected in the future. That is to say the headline should be broader and each page should mention the words "Back To Godhead". I think from next issue the editor's and co-editor's name should be mentioned: that is Hayagriva and Satsvarupa. At least officially there must be the editor's name there. I think that is required by the press act. You have received my letter dated 16th September, and I hope by this time you have made up my passbook in the bank. I am very much anxious to know the credit balance in my favor up to date. Regarding transferring my account to another branch, I think a simple letter to the present branch will be sufficient. When I transferred my account in the Bank of America from San Francisco to Los Angeles, I simply sent them one letter and everything was done. If you think that changing the branch is necessary, then I shall send them one letter on hearing from you. In the meantime, please let me know what is the correct credit balance in my favor.
I do not know in the absence of the book how I can help you. But the way of English synonyms given by you on page #3, under heading "Sri Isopanisad English Synonyms, Invocation and Mantras I-V" is set up very nicely. If you follow this principle throughout in all our books, it will be very, very nice, super-excellent work. But if you sometimes refer me on my touring program, it will be difficult for me. Of course, after my return from Europe I am sitting down tight for book work, and then it will not be very difficult job for me if you refer any sentence for correction. In the meantime, I think you are doing nicely. Just pray Krishna and do your best.
I beg to inform you that yesterday Mr. M.A. Grant of 7 Bury Place, London, WC 1, ENGLAND has transferred dollars in exchange of 150.5 pounds to be deposited in my account #12410. But I see the account number has been wrongly mentioned as 90034. So please rectify this mistake and credit the amount in my savings account duly. In reply to this letter please let me know what is the correct balance at present in my credit. Also please send me some envelopes for sending checks. Please treat this matter as urgent and write to me at the above address. Thanking you in anticipation.
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated October 12, 1969 and have noted the contents. Regarding your question about Mantra 12 of Isopanisad, the verse as it is, is correct. The Absolute means Brahman, Paramatma and Bhagavan. When the Absolute is realized hazily it is Brahman. When the Absolute is realized more clearly it is Paramatma. And when the Absolute is realized distinctly it is Bhagavan. So Brahman, Paramatma and Bhagavan are different phases of the Absolute Truth. But the Bhagavan aspect of the Absolute Truth is distinct from everything. Those who worship the Brahman and Paramatma aspect of the Absolute Truth are in a dangerous position because they have every chance of again falling down into the lowest regions.
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated October 22, 1969. I have duly made corrections on the Isopanisad glossary you had enclosed, and I shall send it to Brahmananda as requested by you. I want that in all of our books, magazines and other writings the scholarly presentation be given in all instances, so for every Sanskrit word there must be the appropriate spelling and diacritic marks. Regarding your question about BTG containing more than one essay by me in certain issues, you may use your own judgement in this connection. Enclosed is a tape for Krsna, and at the part on this tape where Kamsa is killed, that is the end of the first volume of Krsna. The remaining portion shall be published as the second volume. Now we must make arrangements for its publication. Please consult with Advaita as to the price for 10,000 copies on the style of TLC. There will be approximately 350 printed pages and 50 pages of paintings. So combinedly you determine what the production costs will be and let me know your figures. Regarding your final question, you are correct that Garbhodakasayi Visnu and Karanodakasayi Visnu are not divisions of Paramatma. So you may change the words "divided into" into "is one of". I am so pleased to learn that already the press is ready to begin printing some Krsna Consciousness booklet, and please keep me informed on your progress.
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letters dated October 18, and October 20, 1969. Regarding Isopanisad, enclosed please find the glossary that Satsvarupa has sent to me for making corrections. From now on all of our writings should be presented in the scholarly manner, so all spelling and diacritic marks must be done correctly. I have already sent you the corrected page which you sent me and now the glossary is also corrected. I do not think there is any necessity for any dedication on Isopanisad because it is a small book. Regarding the number of BTG which you print during the winter months, that must be decided amongst yourselves. Similarly you should decide about what is to be done with the North Carolina center. I have no objection if they move to some other place. Perhaps they will require some other nicely trained brahmacari to give them assistance either in North Carolina or some other place. So decide amongst yourselves what is to be done and do the needful. This is management.
After all, Krishna Consciousness philosophy is as old as 120 million years at the least. So nothing can be compared with our philosophy either in the matter of antiquity, philosophy, ethics, science, morality, etc., all in correct vision and approved by great stalwart acaryas. So far others are concerned, they cannot be compared even. For example, if Lord Jesus Christ said "Thou shalt not kill", or "Thou shalt do no murder" to the people, it does not reflect very good social structure of the audience. Our philosophy is above all these things. Just like we prescribe to our students no illicit sex-life, no meat-eating, no intoxication, no gambling, but they are not ends in themselves.
I thank you for your letter dated November 18, 1969 and have noted all the points carefully. I can understand that the composing program is not going as planned. Therefore, I think Palika Dasi may immediately be trained to help with this task. For layout work I have already asked Aravinda to come to Boston to do that work. So these two devotees will be posted in Boston for the time being to centralize the activities. Then we shall see how to pick up further men. For editing the Sanskrit words you can send me a list of the words, and I shall send you the correct diacritic marks. You write that you shall send me your changes for the Krsna manuscript pages here with me, and upon receipt of them I shall do the needful. Please also send carbon copies of the tapes you have edited in the past few months. By separate post a new tape is being sent to you.
So please let me know what is the exact position why the work is going slowly. Here some respectable friend has promised to publish my book, Krsna, in two parts. The manuscript is also ready. So after Nectar of Devotion, I want to take up this work immediately. Formerly the plan was that Arundhati and Syama Dasi combinedly will compose at least 20 pages daily under the guidance of Hayagriva and Pradyumna; Pradyumna will be responsible for the diacritic marks and Hayagriva for correct English and grammatical composition. This was the arrangement. The press is ready, the manuscripts are ready, but I find from your department things are not up to the standard. So please let me know what is the position whether it is possible for you to take this responsibility. If you take the responsibility, what is the difficulty that things are going so slowly? I shall await your reply to this letter and shall thank you very much in anticipation.
I understand that is the standard size of this kind of book. Please also inform me if we have got arrangement for printing color pictures also. So in consultation with Advaita please give me immediately the actual expenditure for printing 10,000 Krsna books on the style of TLC; four hundred pages, including fifty color pictures. It is essential for me to know this because the friend who wants to publish this book should be informed about the cost of production within a week. Also, I have not received any edited versions of the tapes which I have sent you from Europe. So please send them to me as soon as possible, keeping carbon copies with you in Boston. If there are discrepancies in your editing techniques between the beginning and later chapters, please inform me what they are so we can make the corrections here.
I have also noted down the lawyers instruction that outside work can be taken if the profit does not go to some individual person. I think if it is legally possible, this is all right. I have no objection if you make some profit on outside work. That is very nice. My only point is that we have got our press for printing our own literatures more and more. We should not miss this point. Otherwise combinedly together do it nicely. I shall be very much pleased to see things are going correct.
Regarding land in Mayapur, the price is not $2000, but it is about $1200, so far as it has been offered to me. So you do not talk about the price with Acyutananda. When it is settled up, then I shall let you know. The article which you have sent to me appears to have been written from London, thank you very much for collecting this. I am sending herewith an article translated by a girl in our Hawaii temple named Monique Wynkoop. I do not know the French language so I cannot check whether or not it is correct. If it is all right, you may publish it. It is very good news that the French BTG is also selling nicely, and if you think the sales will be 2,000 copies, then you can print at least 5,000 copies in our own press in Boston. That will be cheaper. If you simply send the layout work, they will immediately print and send it back to you. You can open correspondence in this connection with Advaita das Adhikari at the Boston address.
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated December 7, 1969 along with the article of Acyutananda. Your decision not to publish this article is correct. To the neophyte devotees we should issue instruction that there are four stages of understanding the Absolute Truth. The first stage is re-establishing our relationship with Krishna. This is the first stage. The second stage is after understanding our relationship, to perform devotional service under proper guidance. The third stage is acquisition of the desired Object. The fourth stage is relishing the nectar of perfectional love. So Radha-Krishna Lila belongs to the fourth stage of understanding, and we are publishing BTG for people in general to re-establish their forgotten relationship with Krishna.
1970 Correspondence
Impersonal conception of God is a side issue or one of the three features of God. The Absolute Truth is ultimately the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Paramatma conception is localized aspect of His omnipresence and the impersonal conception is the aspect of His greatness and eternity. But all combined together makes the Complete Whole. Dr. J.F. Staal's statement that Krishna cult is a combination of Christian and Hindu religion—as if something manufactured by concoction—is not correct. If Christian, Mohammedan or Buddhist religions are personal that is quite welcome. But Krishna religion is personal from a time long, long ago when Christian, Mohammedan and Buddhist religions had not yet come into existence. According to the Vedic conception, religion is basically made by the Personal God as His laws. Religion cannot be manufactured by man or anyone superior to man. Religion is the law of God only.
I thank you very much for sending me the pass book.
But I am surprised to see one item: withdrawal of $10.08 (ten dollars and eight cents) on the 16th December, 1969. I have not withdrawn anything, so how it so happens?
Please therefore correct the pass book sent herewith, and send it back.
Regarding the third point: all kinds of mellow includes servitude. Therefore a mixture of servitude and parenthood is not incompatible. So Ugrasena's mellow is correctly written as mixed with servitude and parental affection and the statement in part IV should be corrected to state that a mixture of parenthood and servitude is a compatible one.
We must have close cooperation between America and Germany for the successful publication of our BTG regularly in French, German and English languages. So now you are collecting a staff of translators in Hamburg and they are all very qualified to do the work. Please organize everything nicely so that the French and German editions may be prepared for printing at the same time as the English edition. But you must see that all work is thoroughly correct by mutual checking so that errors of spelling and grammar will not appear in the printing. I do not know the technical details, but I think your idea on standardized columns is very nice.
I have read the transliteration of Bhagavad-gita verses, but I think you have to do it very carefully because there are some mistakes in some of the verses. But I am sure in your next reading they will be all corrected.
So your next compositions shall be Bhagavad-gita As It Is, revised and enlarged edition. Please do it nicely.
Your attempt to work on Brahma Samhita is very nice, do it carefully. Regarding the first chapter, eighth verse: the manuscript is correct "Saumadattis tathaiva ca." I have compared the text with Gita Press edition as well as Baladeva. Vidyavhusan's edition.
Please offer my blessings to your good wife, Arundhati, and be happy in Krsna Consciousness. I hope this will meet you in good health.
It is correct that Nanda, Krsna, the gopas, gopis, etc. left Gokula to move to Vrindaban. There is no discrepancy because the whole area of Mathura is known as Vrindaban. Every place there is known as Vrindaban, but there are different quarters.
Some of the Gopis were detained, not allowed to go to Krsna, we accept that the Gopis danced with Krsna anyway, and they went in their spiritual body. Whatever was detained was material body.
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter No. DJT/, dated 21 February, 1970. In the meantime, I have sent you one reminder dated 24 February, 1970, in this connection. So as advised previously, I may again repeat the same that if Scindia Steam Navigation Co. has not as yet replied my letter or your letter, then the Murtis should be dispatched without delay by other freighters through the shipping agents Messrs. Cox and Kings. I shall arrange for clearing the goods at the destination.
I may once more give the following list for dispatch of the Murtis, and please note the corrected Boston address.
I thank you very much for sending me the transcribed copies of two tapes #17 and #18, and I see it is well done. Although there are some minor mistakes in spelling of the proper names, that is not a problem. In my next letter I will point them out and give the correct spelling.
So offer my thanks to all the boys and girls who are working so hard for my Guru Maharaja's sake. Certainly He will be very pleased and bless you all for making your Krsna Consciousness life very successful.
1. Pg. 9 line 14 you can make it Karatieya.
2. Pg. 9 line 15: In my Srimad-Bhagavatam it is written Sri Sailam. At that time it was known as Sailapura, and now it is known as Solapura. It is still a pilgrimage in Mahar, and because Balaramaji was traveling in South India, this is Solapura is in South India.
3. Pg. 9 line 18; yes, Dravidadesa is correct.
4. Pg. 9 third paragraph: Bvankatachaila is incorrect. It should be Venkatacala.
5. Pg. 10: panda is correct
Please offer my blessings to your good wife, Arundhati. I hope you are both in good health.
Regarding your tenth point, the word "Radharamanahari" is one word compound, therefore it is correct. Regarding your 9th point, the exact verse is as follows:
- samasrita ye padapallavamplavam
- mahatpadam punyayaso murareh
- bhavambudhir vatsapadam param padam
- padam padam yat vipadam ne tesam
- (Bh. 10/14/58)
meaning for a person who has taken shelter of the lotus feet of Lord Murari (Krsna), which are the shelter of all great souls and are famous for being the reservoir of all piety, this great ocean of material existence shortens like the pit-hole created by the foot of a calf and for him the supreme abode of the Lord is quite fit place for living, but not this miserable material world where there is nothing but danger in every step.
Yes, it is just a line for repetition of a great verse prayer for Jagannatha-svami, but I do not remember the whole verses just now, neither do I remember immediately where it can be found. For the present you be satisfied with this one line. Regarding ___ tipadika sabda, I consulted grammar and it is correct to mention the first case ending or nominative case. The authorized injunction in this connection is as follows:
- abhidheyamartre prathama
- pratipadikartha langa parinama
- vacana matre pratama
Translation: The sound which indicates a particular subject or word should be the first case ending or nominative case.
So in your last correction of Krsna tape number 27, on page 11 you have mentioned "Sannyasin", "Gosvamin", "Mayavadin", "tridandins", "svamins," etc. They should be corrected without "n"s like "Sannyasi", "Gosvami", "Mayavadi", "tridandis", etc. So in future, only the first case endings should be used, not the sound, that is the rule.
I think the scheme of publishing Srimad-Bhagavatam chapter-wise decently is good, so that it will keep all of you engaged and the press going on. When all the chapters of the canto are printed, they can be assorted in one book form for hard bound publication. The size of the book must be symmetrical of my present Bhagavat editions—that is to say 6 1/2 inches by 9 1/2 inches. I think the present composition of the NOD is not to my standard; so whatever is done is done, but the Srimad-Bhagavatam must be to the standard size. If the books are printed in standard size (6 1/2 x 9 1/2), then the chapter pamphlets may be easily bound into a hard cover when all the chapters of the canto have been printed.
Regarding your 8th point, I am enclosing a corrected xerox copy of the text for aratrika prayer by Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura, please find.
In KRSNA chapter #87, on page 4, the last line, it is said, "known as budbuvasa, which is manifested by Govinda." I do not know what is this editing. The correct word is Bhurbhuvasvah as it is in the Gayatri mantra and everybody knows it. This "budbuvasa" is an extraordinary word, neither it is Sanskrit nor English, so how it has avoided the vigilance of so many editors? So if none of the editors knew this word, why was it pushed? There should be no such negligences like this, nothing uncertain should be pushed. Now what other discrepancies there may be like this? Or what is the use of such editing? Everything must be done very carefully and attentively.
I have just received the blueprint copy of KRSNA, the Reservoir of Pleasure and I have begun to read it through. But I notice that there are some points you should correct before the final printing. I have already noted you the injunction that you should change the pretipadika artha to first case ending instead. Sannyasin should be printed Sannyasi, etc. So please correct these.
In this way I have read the book sporadically, not very minutely. I think it should be gone through once more very carefully and all the mistakes that are still existing there should be corrected. If the books are printed with spelling mistakes and other mistakes, that will be a discredit for our publication. So please see that editorial work is done very nicely.
Have you got any information of the Prahlada pictures?* Purusottam got them here last year when I was living at Hayworth Avenue. I thought that the pictures were left here, but Dayananda has no information and nobody can tell where they are. So if you can say if it was returned to New York again, where is it now?
1. Herapancami is correct (9 July 1970).
2. When there is an important Dvadasi, the Ekadasi fasting is transferred on the Dvadasi, and this is called Mahadvadasi. The 26th October, 1970, is actually Dvadasi, so the fasting is observed together, or Ekadasi fasting is disregarded, and the Dvadasi (Mahadvadasi) fasting is taken as important.
You were give this old Panjika just to consult the names and spelling only. The dates are different, so whatever date I have given, that is correct. Why you are searching Byanjali Dvadasi in this last year's Panjika? What I have given is from this year's Panjika, so everything will not collaborate.
3. The word is __. That is called Odana-Sasthi and the date is 14th December, 1970. That is correct even if you do not find it in the dictionary. The dictionary may not have every word.
6. So far determining Ekadasi it is counted 11 days after the full moon and 11 days after the new moon, but sometimes it so happens as you have noted one day later. However, what I have given is correct.
The Panjika which I gave you is old Panjika, our calendar is for this new year.
Regarding the Prayer book, I did not ask you to transliterate this—somebody else has underlined, I have not underlined it. I have received both the prayer book and the panjika also with your letter. Regarding your work on the Staal Correspondence, locating references to chapter and verses and adding appropriate translations after the Sanskrit, that is alright as you have done it
On page 13 of Three Essays, manasinah is the correct word.
You must always ask the Lord's grace to make you in the right position. It is not for your sense gratification, it is for the Lord's service. For the Lord's service we can ask for His grace and mercy a hundred times, but for our sense gratification we cannot pray or ask anything—that is pure devotion.
I have also received a note from you, and regarding KRSNA chapter 31, page 4, top, the word Hrdaya is correct.
I know you are sincere servant of Krsna, so sometimes we may do something which is not very congenial, but Krsna is so kind that one who is engaged in His transcendental loving service is corrected immediately from within as Krsna is sitting within everyone's heart. So you have gone there with a great responsibility on behalf of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and try to convince people about the importance of Krsna Consciousness, that will make everything nice and in order.
I thank you very much that the work with Dai Nippon is going nicely. Gargamuni said that they want to increase price for printing the pictures one side. There is no need of such arrangements, there is no harm to do it as you have got it in TLC. I have received the blueprint from Uddhava and I have already corrected 180 pages and sent it to Boston, and the balance will be sent tomorrow. So there is no anxiety for this.
The pictures are very nicely printed. However, can the color printing be improved on the two pictures titled 1) "Returning home, Krsna and Balarama were received by Their affectionate mothers" and 2) "The joyous vibration at Krsna's birth ceremony could be heard in all the pasturing grounds and houses." If not, that is alright. There is an error in the second caption, i.e. "pastruing" should be "pasturing." There is also a correction in the Dedication, line 3, "In my boyhood ages He instructed me": this "he" should be small "h". And at the end you may add these words: (my spiritual master) ,the eternal father.
I am in due receipt of your letter dated 14th June, 1970, and have read it carefully. So your efforts in the matter of our Sanskrit editing are effectively improving our books more and more with scholarly standards. All your work and programs are approved by me as you have listed them. So please continue to develop your capabilities by careful work as you are doing. Your corrections of the discrepancies found in the Gita Press editions of Srimad-Bhagavatam are alright. On page 39, verse 24, the word vyajyate is correct. The style of Srimad-Bhagavatam just as I had printed earlier in the First Canto editions is very nice. Go on with this style for all our Bhagavatam editions.
Regarding composing our literatures, diacritic marks will carry weight amongst the scholars, so for the present moment you can do this: wherever a word is required with diacritic mark, or when a verse is needed, since you are translating from our literatures already printed in English language, simply cut the word or verse from the English edition and past it on the layout in the correct place in the text. They are already using this system in Boston for printing the Devanagari script, and the result is very good.
Regarding exporting Vrndavana articles, you may kindly let me know what will be the charges for sending 100 pieces of japa mala, ordinary, by surface mail parcel. So far I have calculated the price of 100 pieces of japa mala will not be more than Rs. 50, and for dispatching by surface post parcel maybe almost the same amount. So kindly let me know if this is correct. I have got my account with Punjab National Bank of Vrndavana, and as such, whenever you supply some goods you will be able to take payment from the bank without any difficulty. Similarly, if your friend supplies Benaras dhoti and sari that will be very nice arrangement.
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your two letters, one dated 6th July, 1970, and the other listing Sanskrit points from Tape #43, Chapter 90 of KRSNA. So I have noted the corrections in each case and I am returning the sheets to you herewith.
I am very happy to know that your family is doing well in Krsna consciousness. Please offer my blessings to your good wife, Arundhati, and your son, Aniruddha.
Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 12th July, 1970, along with the blueprint for the third chapter of Srimad-Bhagavatam Second Canto, entitled "Pure Devotional Service: the Change in Heart."
I have looked over the blueprint and noted a few points to be corrected, so I am sending back the blueprint to you for seeing the necessary changes as they are in the text.
I have also corrected the points sent by Pradyumna and the sheet is also sent back herewith.
I beg to acknowledge your letter dated 20th July, 1970, along with the blueprint for chapter 4 Second Canto Srimad-Bhagavatam. I have gone through the blueprint and I am also sending the necessary Sanskrit corrections to Pradyumna. So when these corrections are made then you can print immediately.
Yes, I am awaiting for the propaganda photographs which you are sending.
Regarding your questions, the first answer is that it is correct that the body transcendental of Krsna and Krsna Himself are nondifferent. So what is the difficulty to understand that the soul of Aghasura merged into the body of Krsna? In other words Krsna benedicts the demons Whom He kills personally with the impersonal liberation of merging with Him.
I am in receipt of your letter dated July 14, 1970 and its contents have been carefully noted. Yes, you are correct when you say that for a true devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Sri Krsna theoretical speculations are avoided. Not only is devotional service the simplest way of God realization, as you have agreed, it is clearly pointed out by Lord Krsna in the Bhagavad-gita in every chapter that He can be achieved only by finally engaging directly in devotional service, or bhaktiyoga, the highest stage in yoga practice. In the First Canto, second chapter, verse seven of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, it is clearly stated that by the process of applying devotional service unto the Personality of Godhead Vasudeva (Krsna), the immediate result is that causeless knowledge and detachment follow. Therefore the burden of useless theories can be avoided, simply by following the Sastras.
What you have heard about me that I have left the U.S. for the time being is more or less correct. I left L.A. on the 7th August. I lived for one day in Honolulu on my way to Japan and then I have come to Tokyo on Saturday the 8th August, 1970. I am starting for Calcutta on the 29th August to see if the World Sankirtana Party could be organized and to see if our Mayapur Temple could be constructed.
The Mayapur matter is lingering since a long time, so we are going to Calcutta, seven including one Japanese Brahmacari, to complete the transaction.
I have tried to give you all Krsna Consciousness, now it is your duty to develop it. If you remain strong on the spiritual platform then your progress will not be checked or blocked. I do not know what was resolved in New Vrindavan although Sriman Rupanuga Prabhu has informed others that he has sent a tape in this connection. I am still in darkness about the proceedings in New Vrndavana, but I have heard that Brahmananda is preaching about me that I am Krsna, that I am Supersoul, that I have withdrawn my mercy from the disciples, that I have left the Society and so on. I do not know how far they are correct, but I have written him a letter that he may not do something which may harm the interest of the Society. You are also one of the members of the GBC, so you can think over very deeply how to save the situation. It is a fact however that the great sinister movement is within our Society. I have not heard anything from Krsna das or Syamasundara, so all of you may try to save the Society from this dangerous position.
I am in receipt of your letter dated 8/30/70, and I have noted the contents carefully. Yes, you are correct that that anything outside of Krishna Consciousness is insanity, and I am glad that you are realizing it more and more. Similarly I have been getting letters from Karandhara, Rupanuga, and Hayagriva telling how they are feeling new assurance in Krishna Consciousness. So if our GBC members remain strong, strictly following the regulative principles, everything will be all right. Please continue to travel among the centers and preach as much as possible.
I have instructed Mr. Siddheswar Sen for registration of our Society in India and he was to do that after the Puja ceremonies. But in the meantime I have left Calcutta, so you have to see him immediately and do the needful. He will make the necessary papers and you have to pay only Rs. 50 for the fee of registration. The London Memorandum of Association is already in his possession and he will make the necessary corrections to fit the Indian situation. The copy is with him. Simply see that the new registration under Society Acts Number-1860 is made and let me know the result.
I am glad to see that you are working in the universities. They are a good field for spreading our Krishna Consciousness activities. Try and get all our books accepted in the college libraries and classroom courses. That will be our real success. Dr. Cenkner is correct in saying that Sankaracarya's belief is personal. Actually he is a covered personalist. He became impersonalist just to drive away Buddhism. All of India was Buddhist voidism. So, although a personalist, he had to keep pace with voidism by expounding impersonalism. There is very little difference between impersonalism and voidism, but because he had to bring Buddhists back to the Vedic cultural form, he adopted impersonalism. From the Padma Purāṇa, it is learned that Sankaracarya is Lord Siva, and who can be a greater devotee than Lord Siva? Lord Siva is considered to be the foremost Vaisnava.
Regarding affairs of Temple management, financial distribution, etc., it is not necessary that you keep me informed of all the details. Regarding marriages, the correct way is that you should first get the marriage sanctioned by me and then perform the ceremony with my blessings.
I am very glad that you have decided to become a Grhastha member of our Society. That is the way of civilized and upright human life. After practicing brahmacarya and training under the guidance of a Spiritual Master the Vedic system is prescribing the asrama of Grhastha for those who are still desiring to enter into married family life. The so-called institution of free love marriage is ruining the human society and it is our duty therefore to reestablish the correct procedure of human life in the matter of encouraging our disciples who wish to marry to enter into a contract of spiritual wedlock. Such contract is made on the basis of compatible service of the Lord because such mutual cooperation in serving the advancement of Krsna Consciousness minimizes the illusion of material compatibility and incompatibility. We are seeing practically that our householder couples are setting an example for all persons that the perfection of happy family life is not based on sense-gratification, but on sincere service to the Lord.
Hope this will meet you in good health. Another thing, although we respect the demigods, we may not take their prasadam if invited. We observe the system followed in Jagannatha Puri. First the foodstuff is offered to Lord Jagannatha and then His Prasad is offered to the different demigods; then we may take such remainders as prasadam. This is the correct procedure.
1971 Correspondence
Regarding your tendency to become angry in public, that is alright provided there is positive reaction. Otherwise we do not wish to create any unnecessary enemies and you should curb your anger by your advanced intelligence in Krishna Consciousness. We have to better correct the faulty habits of the conditioned souls by persuasive authoritative preaching and personal example without stop. The mantra to Ganapati is not bona fide. That is another nonsense. Your worship of Guru-Gauranga and Nrsimhadeva is very nice. Please make it as attractive and gorgeous as possible though simple. The leaves and flowers of Tulasi may be offered to the devotees of the Lord for offering to the Lotus Feet of the Lord Krsna, not even Srimati Radharani. It appears that Fiji is very nice place for Krsna consciousness from the appearance of such nice flowers and Tulasi for the worship of Krsna there.
So far as sending money to my book fund for the Dai Nippon debt as advised in my previous letter, henceforward $3000.00 should be sent only. The next installment of paying my book fund should be paid to my Bank of America checking account #3081-61625 until further instruction to you. Your reply to Dai Nippon was very correct. I do not like their policy of intermingling Bhaktivedanta Book Fund deposit with BTG account. I am awaiting their further reply in this connection. Then I shall advise you to send directly to the book fund.
So far as a Trust Body for seeing to the correct publicity and distribution of my books, we shall discuss on this matter upon my arrival. It is also encouraging to note that one educated boy is wanting to translate some of our literature into Tamil language, so encourage him. Yes, when I come I shall bring slides, as there are many here.
One thing is that in some cases I wasn't certain whether the names given were masculine or feminine. So from now on in all such cases the letter M or F, indicating Male or Female, must follow the name in brackets. Still there is some question, so if the gender is incorrect in the following names, you may make the necessary corrections:
I. (Pat Hogan) = Paratrikananda if male, or Paratrikanandi if female.
II. (Irene Kent) = Iksvakuraja if male or Iksvakurani if female.
I think of the twelve, Irene, Linda, Stephanie and Vickie were the only girls. Then the enclosed letter is all correct. Otherwise you can let me know.
Regarding the Bengali translation by S. Ganguli, it is almost perfect; 90%. But 10% incorrect is not his fault. He is a new man. Therefore there are little discrepancies with our thoughts. Besides that there are some mistakes in spelling as Sanskrit verses. On the whole we can immediately start the Bengali paper but there is not one qualified man who can check over the correctness of the papers. Even it is 99% all right, still that 1% must be corrected. So far I am concerned, I cannot give my time to this. The best thing would have been if this Mr. Ganguli would come and be our student and learn our philosophy carefully and then he would be most suitable man for becoming editor of our Bengali paper. Do you think that Amrtananda will be able to check as the second Bengali man? Ask him if he is able to check the papers. Then jointly with the endeavor of Amrtananda and Ganguli you can start the Bengali paper as well as publish books.
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letters dated 17th August, 1971 and have noted the contents carefully. There will be many discrepancies in the trial balance if books are not kept properly. Trial balance means to test how the accounts are kept scientifically. So if the accounts are not kept properly but haphazardly there will never be a correct trial balance. To present a correct trial balance means to correct the whole past accounting system. One letter has just come from Giriraja in which it is said "As for accounts, at least the trial balance sheet has shown great discrepancies. For example I have collected Rs 70,000/- from the Maidan advertisers, but only Rs. 55,000/- has been recorded, and after being informed I was able to account for a possible Rs 5600/- of the difference, but still Rs 9,400/- is unaccounted for. Also a profit of Rs. 15,000/- was supposed to have been made due to the maidan program, and that profit was to have paid off a previous Calcutta debt to the building fund, but now that Rs 15,000/- has been spent for maintenance, and an additional Rs 8000/- of membership money collected since the program has also been spent, so the Calcutta debit is now Rs. 23,000/- and is increasing".
And who has been appointed treasurer and secretary? The president, secretary and treasurer elected by the members of the center cannot be changed at least for one year; better to continue it for three years. All combined together should be responsible for keeping correct accounts. Giriraja is reponsible and he should be made the treasurer. You should remain as president and Acyutananda Swami as secretary. So make arrangements in that way.
So please keep me informed regularly but one thing I note is that formerly I was informed that the Calcutta function will take place from 21st October, but I have received one letter from Jayapataka Maharaja in which it is said that the function will take place from 28th October. So which one is correct? I am puzzled. Let me know definitely and the different programs.
So far your questions: No one can be avatara. unless he is authorized in the scriptures. We have no such record of avatara. in the present age, according to Srimad-Bhagavatam. Real God means he accepts a spiritual master, even He is God Himself. Like Krishna, His Spiritual Master was Sandipani Muni. And Krishna confirms in Bhagavad-gita, IV, that the supreme science is only received in disciplic succession, so where is the question of receiving this knowledge in nay other way? Are these people greater authority than Krishna? As for the teachings of Sri Aurobindo, his idea is not correct. Just like the whole material universe is the creation of the sunshine, so to go to the sunshine does not mean to sit down in the shade of a tree. If somebody argues that this tree is also a creation of the sun so why not sit under the shadow of a tree, this philosophy is not practical and is not accepted in BG. Krishna states that everything is resting in His impersonal feature, but that He is not there.
The schedule to be followed in worshiping the Deity is as follows. Morning Aratik may be performed at 4:30 until 5 am. Then immediately following the Deity room should be washed clean and the dirty utensils removed. Then everyone can chant before the Deity until 6:30. The Deity should then be bathed and dressed and fresh flowers put. It should not take longer than one hour to bathe and dress the Deity if one actually knows how it is done. But it may take longer so you may offer the bhoga at 8:00. The idea of bathing the Deity after offering bhoga is not correct. So please follow this schedule as I have advised.
It is a fact that householders should not live in the Temple together. Whether with child or without child, householders should not live together in the Temple. Otherwise, what will the Brahmacaris and Sannyasis think? So this should be discouraged. Bali Mardan is correct in this point.
I am very encouraged by the reports of the tremendous success of your TV and radio programs. As much as possible try to increase our preaching programs by using all the mass media which are available. We are modern day Vaisnavas and we must preach vigorously using all the means available.
In reply to your question whether TLC or the original cover of Srimad-Bhagavatam gives the authoritative picture of the hand symbols, what is written in TLC is correct. On page 69 of TLC first there is a description of the symbols for Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha. Then follows a description of the representations of Narayana. Although there should be twenty, only eighteen are given. The two who are missing are Sri Kesava who is represented holding from the lower right hand lotus, conch, disk, club; and Sri Vamana holding conch, disk, club, and lotus flower. So altogether this makes twenty-four. The twenty-two as they are written in TLC are correct.
In reply to Jayadvaita's questions, henceforward the policy for using diacritic markings is that I want them used everywhere, on large books, small books and also BTG. If there is any difficulty with the pronunciation, then after the correct diacritic spelling, in brackets the words "pronounced as _", may be written. So even on covers the diacritic markings should be used. We should not have to reduce our standard on account of the ignorant masses. Diacritic spelling is accepted internationally, and no learned person will even care to read our books unless this system is maintained.
1972 Correspondence
The program for publishing as you have outlined is very nice with a few corrections. We do not need to publish in English either BTG or books, since these we will import from either Dai Nippon or ISKCON Press. But if you can arrange for Hindi and Bengali BTG and Hindi books as you suggest, that will be excellent. The idea is that by the profit out of BTG and Book Sales if you can maintain the establishment and meet the expenses, then I have no objection. From Book sales at least 50% of the face value of the book has to go to the book fund. And from the sales of the BTG at least one rupee per magazine should be paid to the book fund. So whatever remains after this can be utilized by you to do the publishing. But I cannot pay you Rs. 1000/- per month from here, that is not possible. So somehow arrange for the publishing of all our literatures. I have got full faith in you, I know you are sincere and a hard worker, so I have got confidence in you to do this.
I am in due receipt of your letter of 14th December, 1971, and I am happy to accept you for Gayatri mantra. One copy of Gayatri mantra and one sacred thread duly chanted by me have been sent under separate post. Hold a fire yajna and your president, Dhananjaya, can give you Gayatri mantra. Hamsaduta and Dayananda have copies of tapes of me reciting Gayatri mantra, so you can get it from one of them. One thing is that the tape should be heard through earphones into the right ear. So the fire yajna can be held for all three devotees.
It seems there has been some confusion about the spelling of your name. The above spelling is correct.
So far translating, I have made Mandali Bhadra as Chief of translating department. He shall translate comfortably and all other translations must be checked and edited and approved by him, with grammatical corrections. It is not that we may present anything crude translation and that is acceptable. No, even though the transcendental subject matter of Vedic literature is still spiritually potent despite the crudest translation, still, because we have got facility to make it perfect, that is our philosophy. When I translated Srimad-Bhagavatam I had not the facility so you may notice grammatical discrepancies. But because Mandali Bhadra is now Head of the translating department you have got all facility to translate our books in perfect German language.
I am in due receipt of your letter dated December 28, 1971, and with pleasure I have noted that your translation work is going on. This I want, that you shall from now on be the Head of the translating department in German language for all ISKCON literatures. You translate yourself as it is comfortable, but all other translations in German language by other translators must be checked by you, edited, and corrected very strictly for grammar and proper use of German language. It is not our philosophy to print errors. Of course, our spiritual subject matter is transcendental and therefore it remains potent despite mistakes in grammar, spelling, etc. But this type of translation may only be allowed if there is no other way to correct it, then it is all right. But if you know the correct order, then you must make it perfect. That is our philosophy: everything perfect for Krishna.
I very much appreciate your attitude in saying "It is not sannyasa so much that I am interested in, its Krishna Consciousness and working to please my Spiritual Master." This is the correct understanding of devotional service, to be engaged one hundred percent in the Service of Krishna, never mind what position you are occupying. Please continue in this way and try to live peacefully with your wife.
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter of 29 January, 1972, and I am very pleased to note that you are so enthusiastic to push on Krishna Consciousness and follow yourself very faithfully the regulative principles chalked out by our great predecessors. If you simply go on in this way, everything will come out successful, that we are seeing practically. So as GBC you must see to it that the highest standards of routine work are maintained throughout all the centers, and that chanting, rising early, cleansing, and all other aspects of our regular program may not be neglected. That is our first business. GBC men should not dictate very much, simply supervise and see that the standards are maintained. The individual presidents should be more managerial, more individual, and you can supervise, and if some defect is detected, you can make suggestions how to correct it. But if we lose individuality and simply become mechanical, what is the point?
By end of March I shall be going to Australia, at least for two weeks, and after that Hong Kong, similarly, for about two weeks and then I shall be coming to Tokyo, so perhaps by early May I may arrive in Tokyo.
You are correct to be very tolerant with Karatieya, and if you also preach very strongly and with full conviction, and if you are always kind and gentle with him, then he will take the hint and give up his nonsense attraction for Maya and want to make himself perfect as the firm devotee of the Lord.
I have duly received, signed, and returned the MacMillan Co. contract to Rupanuga. Has he got it? Also you were to send me a copy of the contract for distributing our other books by MacMillan Co. also. Now Pradyumna is with me, so he and Syamasundara conjointly they will everyday prepare my night's translation work, one transcribing by typing, one with sanskrit corrections and synonyms, and they shall dispatch regularly to you.
I beg acknowledge receipt of your letters dated April 10 and April 18, 1972, and I have noted the contents. It is better to forget past incidents, whatever is done is done. Let us look forward to correcting our mistakes. So far you are concerned, I am very much convinced of your sincere service. I am especially glad that the school Gurukula is improving more and more in its standard under your management. That is our real work, to educate people in spiritual life by giving them the practical example, so I wanted that the GBC would be a chosen body of men for that purpose, to see how the students are learning and reporting to me as my secretaries. I do not know how you could have missed these points, as they are clearly spelled out in my original constitution. Anyway, whatever is done, is done. So I am very glad that you are leading all others in book distribution, so you go on with your work in this way and Krishna will give you all the clear idea of how to do everything.
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your special delivery letter dated May 9, 1972, and I have noted the contents. You may borrow the $15,000 from me, I have no objection. But now you have agreed to give Hayagriva $4000 per month, that was a great mistake. Now you have to rectify it. Now Hayagriva writes me that he is coming to Los Angeles, so we can discuss. Abruptly if we stop, that will not be good. So we have to rectify by arrangement and agreement. I am simply surprised how you all GBC men agreed to give him $4000 per month. So the mistake has been made, now it has to be corrected by other ways.
I was very pleased to see in the newspaper clippings that you were voicing our Krishna Consciousness platform very nicely and that the public was given opportunity to understand something. As you are so much eager for this political activity in Krishna Consciousness, you may go on endeavoring to utilize this activity for preaching to the public. If Satsvarupa and others have encouraged you to make settlement in the Gainesville city and thus become well known as a political figure, that is a good proposal but you may do as you see fit in this matter. You are correct in thinking that simply by this full-time preaching activity all other problems will be solved very easily in the matter of financial and other problems. What is that financial security? Real security is only there at the Lotus Feet of Krishna, and Krishna is most pleased of all upon His devotee who is always preaching His message. It is recommended in Srimad-Bhagavatam that simply by engaging your tongue in the service of Krishna that He becomes revealed unto you, so in this way we can understand that all of your questions will be answered more and more as the preaching work progresses.
Regarding funds, we are supplying for building purposes from here, but if there is emergency, then Giriraja can help. But for the present we are sending whenever you have requested. But your form of requesting has not been as we had arranged, therefore there has been delay. I told you at least two must sign, but in the last request from Bhavananda, even he did not sign, the letter was not even signed by one person! Try to be very careful in these matters at all times, we are doing very responsible work. And so far the maintenance, Calcutta is taking care, so there is no problem. Yes, you are correct, all membership and book collections shall be sent to Bombay, donations for maintenance may be kept there and spent locally, unless they are very sizeable, then they can go to Bombay.
One thing we should always remember is that all of our devotees picked up here are accustomed to all of these bad habits in their past life, so if sometimes they reveal their old characteristics, instead of rejecting them, it is up to us to rectify them as far as possible. So try to reform Mohananandan there. What he will do by coming here? Amogha has indicated he has already shaved his sikha and has left everything. do you think U.S.A. is a magic place, simply by coming here he will become reformed? If possible you can send to the U.S.A., but it is better to correct him to the standard point by friendly gestures. We can reject anyone, that is very easy, but to reform him that requires great skill and tact and if you can reform him there by kind words and dealings, that is best. When I was there in Sydney, I observed that Mohananandan is very, very good boy and he has great intelligence and talent, simply it has become little bit misguided due to circumstances.
So there are sometimes allegorical explanations. So there are many things which do not corroborate with the so-called modern science, because they are explained in that way. But where is the guarantee that modern science is also correct? So we are concerned with Krishna Consciousness, and even though there is some difference of opinion between modern science and allegorical explanation in the Bhagavat, we have to take the essence of Srimad-Bhagavatam and utilize it for our higher benefit, without bothering about the correctness of the modern science or the allegorical explanation sometimes made in Srimad-Bhagavatam. But this is a fact that in each and every planet there is a predominant deity, as we have got experience in this planet there is a president, so it is not wonderful when the predominating deity fights with another predominating deity of another planet. The modern science takes everything as dead stone. We take it for granted that everything is being manipulated by a person in each and every affair of the cosmology.
"I become the moon," and "yac chandramasi yac cagnau," (ibid, 12) "I am the splendor of the moon," and "jyotisam api taj jyotis," (BG 13.18) "I am the source of light in all luminous objects," so no one is able to give us the correct information than Krishna, that you should know.
Regarding Hitler, so Hitler may be good man or bad man, so what does he help to our Krishna Consciousness movement? But it is a fact that much propaganda was made against him, that much I know, and the Britishers are first-class propagandists. And I have heard that his officers did everything without informing him, just like in our ISKCON there are so many false things: "Prabhupada said this, Prabhupada said that." But we have nothing to do with Hitler in our Krishna Consciousness.
So I have given you the guiding principles, it is not that I must be consulted with every small detail, that is the business of the in-charge, but if no one is there who can manage in the right way, what can I do? Now if you have got the right idea how to do it, you may go there again and take some responsible post for correcting the situation, that will be your real duty, not that there is some disagreement and I go away disgusted, no. That is not Vaisnava standard. Standard should be that, never mind there is some difficulty, my spiritual master has ordered me to do like this, now let me do it, that's all.
I have heard from Syamasundara that there may be some difficulty with tax. That must be corrected. We are world-wide organization, and we must have the cooperation of the government authorities, so we shall not create any unnecessary misunderstandings by avoiding government requirements. That will not be good for our movement. Of course, Lord Caitanya led civil disobedience movement against the government because they used show of force to stop Him performing sankirtana movement. So if there is forcing us to stop this sankirtana movement, that much we must protest. But the government of your country is very nice, I think the best in the world at present moment, and they have not made any objection, even they are allowing our boys as ministers to be given relief from this drafting system. So we shall give them all cooperation. Now that requires proper accounts in all our temples.
Regarding you question, do mental sinful activities cause a bad reaction? The answer is no, they do not. We do not suffer for thinking something sinful. Not in this age. That is a special concession for Kali-yuga. Yes, you are correct in stating that spiritual activities, even mentally performed, are beneficial. You have seen the picture in NOD how a brahmana simply by mental service was promoted to Vaikuntha.
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.
1973 Correspondence
Yes, that is correct, the deities should never be bathed with water or something like that. Always bathe them with the mantra process. Of course the big deities should be bathed daily! Should not the Supreme Personality of Godhead, if He is recommending to us as brahmanas to bathe so many times, should he not also take bath? There is no objection either to applying the jewels to Their bodies with beeswax or to swinging them in the public functions in the temple on Sunday, so long there is very nice jhulan or swing being profusely decorated. Radha and Krsna may be swung in this way, but you may avoid swinging Lord Jagannatha like that. Yes, that will be very nice if your men go to South America for opening some new centers. They may write to me in that connection.
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 1/8/73, and I have noted the contents with satisfaction. Thank you very much for your kind sentiments. This attitude of serving first the spiritual master is the correct one, for only by the mercy of the spiritual master can one obtain the mercy of Krsna. Just as we sing every morning yasya prasadad bhagavad-prasado yasya prasada na gatih kuto 'pi, in this way the disciple advances more and more in understanding God. So if you simply execute with full faith the instructions that I have already given you, then you will see so many people will be sent by Krsna to become devotees because of your sincerity. So as you are my appointed leader, you must also see that the others are following very strictly the regulative principles like chanting 16 rounds, reading my books regularly, rising early for mangala aratrika, these things will keep us purified for advancing more and more in Krsna Consciousness.
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated April 15, 1973 with enclosure of m/s. Narada Bhakti Sutra. . I have no objection to your publishing it, however there are many, many mistakes in the Sanskrit which have to be corrected, so I am returning the m/s. to you under separate cover. Regarding "Prayers of King Kulasekhara," I never said I was displeased with your publishing it in BTG.
Regarding Gurukula, it is not required that parents live there with there children. We can take care of the children, but not the parents. Any parents there must be engaged preaching and selling books, and going on the Sankirtana party. Mohanananda Prabhu has agreed to fully cooperate, now you just direct him. I just want that the children learn English and Sanskrit nicely, that's all. I want that things go on there nicely, it is so important work. If necessary I will come there myself to see how it is going, but only if the climate is suitable, neither too hot nor too cold. This Los Angeles climate is just suitable for me.
So let Syamasundara come to Mayapur and we can discuss this and correct any difficulty.
Regarding our involvement with the property in Bombay: by chance we have been entangled but now a strong committee should be formed of our life members. Let them take it up, otherwise what can be done? Our men should be engaged for preaching—why should the preaching be stopped? I was very much encouraged when you and Gargamuni Swami purchased jeeps and formed a travelling sankirtana party. So why have you stopped it? Let the matter of the property in Bombay be dependent on the life members. They have paid us for membership and we have paid them, so they are also concerned.
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 3rd July. You are exactly correct when you write that Krishna has benedicted you with a first class husband. In Vedic society no girl was allowed to remain independent and unmarried. Independence for women means they become like prostitutes, struggling to capture some man who will take care of her. In this way the so called independent woman has to work very hard to make herself attractive by artificially wearing cosmetics—mini skirts and so many other things. Formerly the girl would be married to a suitable boy at a very early age, say six years old. But although a girl was married early she did not stay with her husband immediately, but was gradually trained in so many ways how to cook, clean and serve her husband in so many ways—up until the time of her puberty.
Previously I heard that Giriraja had opened another Book fund account in the Overseas Bank. Is this correct? If so what is the balance amount there, that I also want to know, and who is jointly signing checks in the Overseas Bank. If there is any such account please immediately transfer to the Central Bank of India Building Fund Account and let me know all these points in detail, this is absolutely necessary. Whatever amount you have collected, that also deposit in this account. But the main point is whether any negotiations or settlement. I am prepared to send the balance of 9 Lacs, but I do not wish to block this amount without definite understanding. Kindly reply this letter immediately.
Karandhara's plan to eventually purchase the entire block of land for Gurukula at the low price it is available is good. Yes, Dayananda is correct. When the boys and girls become ten or twelve years and above, then should be separated. At that time special care should be taken, because once they become a victim of sex their whole life becomes spoiled.
I am very glad to learn that Govardhana dasa has become a leader in the deity worship, due to his inspired service. That is the real thing—one who has inspiration of life, he can do anything. Rupa Goswami explains this as "utsaha", enthusiasm.
1974 Correspondence
The money sent by Tamala Krsna Goswami is given by Bhogilal Patel, and Giriraja told me that was his contribution for the temple. Never mind, you can employ all collections in India for the asrama, but the money I shall take will be devoted to finishing the temple. For finishing my quarters I don't think it will require more than Rs 5,000. Do the needful and I am coming with the required money. But what you have heard from Giriraja, some utopian 22 lacs, is not correct. So begin work immediately.
I am glad to hear you are correcting the pamphlet for the Bhaktivedanta Manor. I share your confidence that if done rightly, we can attract many persons, to visit the Manor and take prasadam and chant Hare Krsna. That will be a great victory, and if they can take our books and hear the philosophy then we can make devotees out of them. This great responsibility is in your charge. I have given you all the guidance and hints and it is described in all my books. Now it is up to you. Please keep our principles firmly and everything will come out successful.
You have analyzed that you are distressed because you are not given an engagement in Krsna Consciousness. This observation is correct, unless we are engaged with all our senses and intelligence in serving Krsna where is the question of Krsna Consciousness? We are reading here in the evenings how in the 4th chapter of Bhagavad gita Krsna has arranged for catur varnam, the social division of four orders, whereby everyone has some engagement according to his propensity, his quality and work, and thus everyone can go back to Godhead while performing their work.
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated May 22, hand delivered to me by Atreya Rsi prabhu.
As far as your questions which information you urgently need for completion of the paintings, the answers are as follows.
It is correct to show Prthu Maharaja giving a speech to the Kumaras inside his home.
For Lord Visnu's appearing at Prthu Maharaja's sacrifice, the sketch you have enclosed is all right.
Lord Visnu should rest His left hand on Garuda.
As for the wooden sacrificial instrument mentioned during Daksa's sacrifice, yes you can use it in Maharaja Prthu's sacrifice.
The explanation given by Ramesvara that sankirtana is Lord Caitanya's lila, which he compares to the gopies trying to engage others in Krsna's service, is the correct understanding.
Please inform Sudama Maharaja that I have received his May 27th letter and that I am encouraged by the progress of the farm as well as the continued book distribution. I have asked Yasodanandana Swami to help out in Taiwan where there are only two men, rather than come to Hawaii. By now Sudama Maharaja should have been informed by Bali Mardan that myself and my two secretaries will be stopping off in Hawaii on our journey from Australia to the U.S. and that we will arrive July 3rd on Quantas airlines at 8:45 A.M.. We will stay for 30 hours and he should arrange for our staying in Honolulu. More when we meet.
So far as your questions are concerned, in India a sannyasi or a person in the renounced order of life is always honored. Even in this fallen down condition of India a sannyasi is honored everywhere, and he has no problem for his living condition. So you are correct that a person in the renounced order of life is honored. Unfortunately some unscrupulous men take advantage of this renounced order dress and being filled up with all material desires they commit so many wrongful things, and the people in general take note of it and gradually the honor for the sannyasi is dwindling. Exactly like a person having received some counterfeit money is always afraid of being cheated, but this does not mean there is no good money. So unscrupulous men on account of this age of Kali yuga are taking advantage of sannyasi dress and are exploiting the people. So there is very awkward, and even a genuine sannyasi is sometimes in trouble. In the sastras therefore it is stated that unless one is perfectly detached from material things he should not be allowed to accept sannyasa order.
Regarding the art of management, constant changing is not good. Even if there is some fault in management it should be corrected, not changed. Besides that, Vaisnava philosophy is that everyone is addressed as prabhu, or master. Everyone should consider himself the servant of the other. That will make management very nice.
Yes, you remain there in Cleveland permanently and manage it very nicely. That will please me.
Regarding the restaurant, you should not name it as you have suggested, but "Hare Krishna Restaurant." That should be the name. In each restaurant there should be the picture of Lord Caitanya, and the foods should be offered and distributed to the respected customers. There should also be a tape recorder playing the Sankirtana in mild voice.
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated Aug. 14th, 1974 and have noted the contents. Yes you are correct that even though you do not consciously try to create misunderstanding still it seems to always come to you. Samsara davanalalidha loka tranaya karuna gana ganatvam praptasya kalyana gunarnavasyam vande guroh sri caranaravindam. This is the nature of the material world.
I am glad to hear that now in Bombay finally you have good facilities for eating and sleeping, other-wise how will you live? It is also good that Mr. Candrai has donated a water filter.
"I am not going to manage Spiritual Sky. This is ridiculous. Why they are dragging me into the management. Now the acharya is meant for handling business? Jayatirtha should handle this. He is the manager. Jayatirtha and Karandhara are the chief men. they should manage. Why I have to manage? They have big, big brains. Why they are failing? Now the Founder-Acarya has to manage. Without my consent the BBT has financed."
He has suggested that the GBC take steps to correct the Spiritual Sky mismanagement, and that local GBC men request the temples under their jurisdiction of those listed in your letter to pay instead of Srila Prabhupada writing himself. He said that this is not the business of the Founder-Acarya of ISKCON.
Regarding question #7 why red background? You can show the full Visnu form. Regarding #8 the color is referred to in the text, so you have to see that portion of the book.
Regarding your letter of August 20, Narada can have yellow dhoti. Brahmacaris can be shown in both yellow or saffron, both are correct. Yes, you can make the flower ships as you have described. Why have you discontinued writing the mantras on the bottom of the portrait paintings?
I am in due receipt of your letter dated August 3, 1974. I have the proposed advertisements for BTG and I approve them. I have also seen the article by Brahmananda Swami and it has been returned to you with Dayananda together with corrections.
So anyway he has given service to the Society, but when there are all GBC present they may consider the complaints and do the needful. But, so far I have studied, if all the GBC so desire, he can retire. Personally I wish all the existing GBC may be trained up so perfectly that in the future in my absence they can manage the whole Society very nicely and strongly. That is my desire. At least in this stage of my life it is not at all desirable that there be any factions amongst yourselves. Try to settle up amicably and correct yourself. One man is trained up with great difficulty especially in spiritual life. Everyone has got some weakness and deficiency. It is better to correct or mend it than to break it. It will be best to discuss this in an open meeting of the GBC and then do the needful.
Regarding the tax exemption for research, we are doing actual research of the Vedic literatures. In this connection you can give the quotations from the many professors in America regarding how they are receiving my books which are heretofore unknown and unavailable to Western readers. Furthermore we are doing active research. We are demonstrating how people can live peacefully and simply, according to the correct civilization. Our ideas are not man-made imperfect ideas, but perfect scientific conclusions. In addition I have a number of Doctorate students in various fields of science, Dr. Svarupa Damodara, Dr. Wolf-Rottkay, Dr. Rao, and others. They can act as the Heads of the research. We are presenting ideal living on Vedic principles of purified life of no illicit sex, no meat eating, gambling or intoxication.
I am returning the draft with corrections and additions as per enclosed. I have just received notice from Hamsaduta that he has sent Dollars 4,000 to Central Account for Food Relief. That money may be immediately transferred to Gargamuni Swami Calcutta account for use on construction of the Prasadam Distribution Pavillion.
I believe all my students they are very serious devotees, maybe sometimes influenced by maya, but they can be corrected and the whole thing will go on as usual without any difficulty. Please try to help me in this connection in this endeavor.
I hope you are living very peacefully with wife and children without being disturbed by anything else. More in my next.
I am in due receipt of your letter dated September 24, 1974 and have noted the contents. Any discrepancy, that can be corrected. A change of management that is not good. All faults shall be corrected. You are already trained up man. Do not worry. Jaya-tirtha Prabhu is here, and I have advised him in this connection that the three of you: him, Jagadisa, and yourself, chalk out a program. So do not worry. You three men change the discrepancies. Why Jagadisa's wife should interfere? We must run the Society on cooperation. Whatever is done, is done. You are all experienced men, and I have confidence that everything can be corrected.
Debt is not good. It is said that a happy man is he who lives at home and has no debts. That is a happy man. Please try to correct this situation.
Gurudasa is coming to London, but he cannot be allowed to collect on any account. Enclosed is one letter from Brahmananda Maharaja to me that will explain.
Regarding German Switzerland territory, you cannot do anything with them? You cannot make any adjustment? Why are you referring to him this small thing?
I think George's home address is Henley-on-Thames. I have been there. Is this the correct address?
Regarding the London affair, what can be done. This is the American and European habit of diplomacy. Unless there is spiritual advancement they will do by their nature like this. The whole thing should be corrected by diverting their attention to chanting and the regulative principles. We have to tackle these problems very carefully. In Bengali it is said wherever there is the goddess of fortune, there are varieties of responsibility. When I was alone there were not so many letters of so many problems.
So you organize freely. You are the incarnation of book distribution. So take the leadership and do the needful.
Your bus program is a very nice idea, and I pray that by Krsna's grace you will have all success. Yes, you are correct that by distributing books, that income will be sufficient for all programs.
Regarding publishing the Life from Life in English it should be grammatically correct because it is written book. Yes, it will be very good if you publish a book of lectures. Regarding going to New York, oh yes, certainly you can go. I have telegrammed Bali Mardan to come here but not yet received any reply.
I understand from Nitai that if another man can be sent; he mentions Jagannatha dasa; then work on Madhya Lila will be shortened by half and he can also help in the Srimad-Bhagavatam work now resumed after completing Caitanya Caritamrta. So it will be very helpful and convenient to have this boy.
I am due receipt of your letter dated November 10, 1974, and have noted the contents. Regarding the correct form for Srila Prabhupada's name for appearing in publishing books, it should be as follows:
BHAKTIVEDANTA, SWAMI A.C.
You should see that henceforth all 13 volumes of Srimad Bhagavatam are listed, in Four Cantos, and that they are published by Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.
The Krsna books can be listed as: KRSNA. However in the formal name of the Society the KRISHNA form is used.
Bali Mardan says that taking milk is also the same as eating meat, therefore you can eat meat. Therefore does it mean that because what I eat all turns to stool, then I should eat stool? If everything I eat turns to stool, does it mean I should eat stool? Is this sound logic? He was a sincere boy, but he has fallen down by bad association. Still I can rectify both of them, provided they agree.
If possible send me his address. I want to write to him. I asked him to correct himself, not to leave. Anyway if he agrees he can be corrected. Jagai agreed to the terms of Caitanya Mahaprabhu and was corrected by the Lord.
Yes you are correct, when one associates with one who is in illusion or mislead naturally he will also become influenced by that illusion. So you must pray to Krsna to protect you from such bad association. Do not forget our most important business which is to develop pure Krsna Consciousness by following our strict regulations and Vaisnava standards, and always be engaged in service. Yasya prasadad bhagavata-prasadao, yasyaprasadan na gatih kuto 'pi, anyway by Krsna's grace everything is going on there very nicely. So you are one of the officers there, please continue working very enthusiastically and setting a good example for others.
1975 Correspondence
Herewith please find the corrected copy of Gita Gana. Do the needful immediately. The bearer of this letter, Krishnagraja das, is going to Delhi on a mission to see the Home Member. So, give him all help in this connection. If you have got the Hare Krishna film, please make it available for his use.
I am in due receipt of your letter dated March 13rd, 1975 and have noted the contents. I am very glad to hear that everything is going on nicely there. Encourage Siddhasvarupa Maharaja to continue to speak as much as possible and give him all facilities. Whenever there is some question or if he speaks something incorrect, you may humbly correct him or if need be, I can also give correction by mail. His booklet is very nicely done. It is sound preaching.
I am in due receipt of your letter dated 7-5-75 and have noted the contents. Please find enclosed the copy of the draft agreement with my corrections made therein. The money you have requested can be paid, but unless there is a solid transference of the land over to ISKCON, then how can we invest any of our funds? It is not good business to invest money when it is not sure yet that the land will actually be transferred in the name of ISKCON. This must be considered very carefully before anything can be spent. Immediately send me one copy of the original trust document as drawn up by the settlor and I will examine it. After I have seen it, I will give my next instruction. Send reply to this letter along with copy of document to my Hawaii address: 51 Coelho Way, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.
I am in due receipt of your letter dated August 15, 1975 and also the copies of the Vyasa Puja book. It is done nicely, but why it is mentioned my 79th birthday. It is my 80th birthday. That is correct. You do not know this? One of the GBC articles says 79th birthday. Big GBC man, so many editors, and it is not detected? You are all mudhas, what can I do? Anyway it is better to remain a mudha before your spiritual master. Just like Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He said that My spiritual master saw Me as mudha.
Do not worry, in spite of war, Srimad-Bhagavatam will be distributed. We don't care for war. Our preaching business will go on. Your desire for the complete Srimad-Bhagavatam will be fulfilled. The Sixth Canto I have already completed and I shall begin the Seventh Canto within a fortnight. When I am relieved from the administration work, then it will be done.
I am in due receipt of your letter dated August 14, 1975 with enclosed check for Rs. 2222/- and Membership form. Sometimes in the year 1954 if I am correct I had the chance of meeting you in Jhansi. At that time I was trying to organize my movement with the help of some young men at the Bhakti Bhavan, Jhansi.
So after ten years of struggle, in 1965 I went to USA, and by the grace of Krishna it has become successful all over Europe, America, Canada, and Australia. As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita; yad yad acarati sresthas, tad tad evetaro janah, sa yat paramanam kurute, lokas tad anuvartate (BG 3.21). "Whatever action is performed by a great man, common men follow in his footsteps. And whatever standards he sets by exemplary acts, all the world pursues.". Your donation to this movement and your becoming the Patron Member is a very great thing, and it will ensure others who will also follow in your footsteps. So I am very much grateful to you.
Mundane archeologists are mistaken because they say from monkey the human beings have come into existence, but at the present moment both the human being and the monkey are existing. The monkey is not extinct. So these theories are not correct. Nobody has seen a monkey giving birth to a human being. As the monkey and the human being are existing side by side at present, so for millions of years they were existing like this. That is our theory. The modern material archeology has no meaning for us. Our realization is depending on the spiritual platform. Transmigration of the soul does not depend on history.
Upon your recommendation I accept the children of Rasa-lila as my disciples. There spiritual names are Radhika devi dasi and Sanatana das Brahmacari. You can chant on their beads. I know the devotees there are working hard, especially as you have mentioned Prabhanu, Sharma, Dinanath, Jnana das, Caitya-guru, Jalakara das, and Pusta Krishna Swami. Because you are all cooperating with me, so much has been done. When I was alone I was taking so much trouble, but now there are so many assistants. But now you have to manage things very carefully and relieve me from the management so I can translate my books. But I do not want to see that everything deteriorates by your management. If you cannot increase then you should at least maintain what I have established.
Yes, you are correct in feeling sorry for mistreating Shakti Mati and Nava Yoginder. Hitting the devotees is not good. We have to teach by our example.
The title of the book can be Nectar of Instruction. We already have the Nectar of Devotion so now you will have the Nectar of Instruction. You can make it just like the set-up of the Nectar of Devotion book. The words Sri Upadesamrta do not have to appear in the title. A dedication is not required because it is not a big book. The suggestion for the picture of Rupa Gosvami's Govindaji Temple is approved. Regarding the conclusion of the book, yes, it says in the text that the most fortunate devotees execute devotional service near Radha-kunda. That is stated in the book. I am enclosing the introduction for the book; please find.
Regarding the corrections you have sent, this kind of changes is admissible. There is no harm.
Regarding your managing production of Spanish and German books, yes, it is approved by me.
We give analogy for the general mass of people who have no faith in sastra. Analogy is not proof; sastra is proof. Foolish people cannot understand or accept, so we use analogy. The conclusion is not drawn from the analogy but from the sastra. We don't use a combination of logic and authority, we use authority. Logic we use to convince someone who doesn't accept the authority. The basic principle is authority. Vedas say that cowdung is pure and we accept it. There is no logic, but when we practically use it we see that it is correct. The logic of using analogy is called in the sastra "sakha candra nyaya." It is easier to focus on the moon through the branches of a tree. The moon is great distance away, and you say that it is just through the branches. So you can focus more easily on the moon because 2 points joined make a straight line. So focusing on the nearby object helps us to focus on the far-away object. This is the use of analogy.
Please let me know why Purusottama Das was supplied books (S.B.) for corrections.
I am glad to hear that Govardhana Prabhu is doing nicely now. I am very happy. If there is any discrepancy, we have to request them to correct, not changing or dismissing. Our whole process is to humbly request, sometimes falling down on the feet and flattering. The vivid example is Nityananda Prabhu converting Jagai and Madhai.
So study my books and reproduce the purports in your own language. You should instruct your temple presidents to preach like this. This is preaching. We haven't got to invent something by our fertile brain for preaching. Everything is there. One who is expert for presenting these things before the audience so they can conveniently understand, this is a successful preacher. You have only to speak what Krsna has said. Then you become a preacher. I am also glad to learn that Sripati Prabhu is traveling with you. Keep him nicely.
I am in due receipt of your letter dated October 24, 1975 and I have noted the contents. I am very glad to receive your letter. I can understand this cunning Purusottama das has taken advantage of your simplicity. So any one of my godbrothers cannot help me in this way of book writing because they are unfortunate in the matter of preaching work. They are simply trying to infiltrate our society to so something harmful by their attempt. 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.
The dresses are made very nicely. It appears from the photographs. Some of the dressmakers may come here to India, one or two of them. Krsna is supplying the ideas for you to take photos like this, so you will be recognized by Krsna. Sarvasya caham hrdi sannivistho/ mattah smrtir jnanam apohanam ca (BG 15.15).
Regarding the review, the professor has got the real picture. We do not want any compromise. Indological means you have to have the correct view.
I am in due receipt of your letter dated November 2, 1975 with enclosed articles and I have noted the article. So those who say that the Mahabharata battle was fought 3,000 B.C., that is correct. But they had a big, big meeting with big, big professors but was there any conclusion? No. So therefore these kinds of meetings are all useless. Unless there is some conclusion, it is simply a waste of time.
The word progress is used when there is imperfection at the beginning. So this regular changing of standard knowledge in the name of progress proves that they are always imperfect. It is a fact that they are imperfect, because they gather knowledge with imperfect senses. At any rate we cannot deviate from vedic knowledge. Regarding coming to Mayapur festival, you must come, because after that we are going to Manipur.
I will send your corrections to the editors. Thank you.
1976 Correspondence
Regarding the "dust" supposedly brought from the moon, that dust can be gotten anywhere. It has already been openly admitted that the same dust is available on this earth planet. These astronauts and scientists are all bluffing. But Srila Vyasadeva is the correct authority. Just study Srimad-Bhagavatam carefully with full faith in Krishna and Guru and all knowledge will be revealed.
I will have to see personally what are the mistakes in the synonyms and also how you intend to correct them. I was not satisfied with the corrections that were made before. I saw some changes which I did no approve. Nitai may correct whatever mistakes are there, but the corrected material must be sent to me for final approval. So reprinting the volumes will have to wait until the mistakes are corrected and approved by me. In the meantime you can supply the standing orders whatever new volumes are published.
Yes, try to supply the damaged books to the prisoners. That is a very nice idea. The books should not be wasted, just for some small defect.
I beg to thank you for your letter dated January 23rd, 1976. Please come with your articles and see me at Mayapur, we shall discuss on the articles and if they are correct, then we shall publish them. It will be our great pleasure. But first I must see how they are written. We have got sufficient place so you can stay here and we shall read them together.
As you say that the mango season is fast approaching, then I will come and visit by April or May. Everyone knows that I am very fond of mangos. Actually amongst all fruits I like them most. They are considered the king of fruits. And Hawaii has very excellent mangos.
The Panca-tattva should not have long hair. It should only come to Their shoulders as you have shown in the drawing. Please correct this.
I am in due receipt of your letter of January 22, 1976, and I have noted the contents. Thank you very much for your nice translation of Markine Bhagavata-dharma. It is well appreciated. I think it can be included in the front of the new printing of the song book, and it can be sung in kirtana like the other songs of Bhaktivinode Thakura. I have included a few corrections below which can be noted. The other prayer can be called Prayer to the Lotus Feet of Krsna, and I will be sending comments on that shortly.
Corrections:
Verse 2: synonyms: ei—in this ugra-sthane—terrible place
translation: . . . to this terrible place.
Verse 3: synonyms: prasanna—is happy or jubilant
Verse 5: transliteration: bujhale
synonyms: bujhale nija-vasa—under your controlling power
Verse 8: synonyms: kane—by aural reception
bara bara—again and again
Verse 9: translation: accumulated in the core of the heart
Verse 15: synonyms: dhara—determination
translation: . . . in my mind there is only great determination
Try to renovate our own position. Rectify it with the blessings of Krishna. Trivikrama Swami is well expert in Japanese dealings.
Yes, your idea is correct. The Japanese boys should join our movement.
Gurukrpa Swami has arrived here this morning and if he is not needed there I can send him to Bengala Desh.
We can see that at night, how the whole planetary system is turning around, the pole star being the pivot. Each planet has its orbit fixed but the sun is moving up and down, north and south. It is not that we shall accept the theory that the sun is fixed up and the others are all going around the sun. That is not correct. Even the 7th star is rotating once around the pole star in each 24 hours. The whole universe is just like a big tree, that is a fact. I do not think that the modern astronomers have any such idea that the whole universe is like a big tree. The planets which are full of living entities are one after another, one above the other. The relative positions of the planets is fixed up but the whole thing is turning. The sun is going north and south, it has its own orbit below the moon. So now you all Ph.D.'s must carefully study the details of the 5th Canto and make a working model of the universe. If we can explain the passing seasons, eclipses, phases of the moon, passing of day and night, etc. then it will be very powerful propaganda.
I am in due receipt of your letter dated April 22, 1976, and I have noted the contents with care. Yes, there is no need for corrections for the first and second Cantos. Whatever is there is alright. Once Pradyumna comes to join me here from India, then there will be no need for Nitai das or Jagannatha das to edit the Srimad-Bhagavatam.
I would like to know who has done the advertising layout for the ad on page 98 and 99 of the brochure entitled, Association for Asian Studies, San Francisco, March 24-25, 1975. Please make enquiry and inform me who has done the layout and who placed the advertisement. If you do not know, then perhaps Ramesvara das Swami or Satsvarupa das Maharaja would know.
Please have my Bengali book Gitar Gan composed by some printer there in Calcutta in the next two or three days, and immediately send it to ISKCON Tokyo. I will correct it personally and hand it over to Dai Nippon for printing. I have asked Jayapataka Maharaja to do this, but he has not done anything yet, so you do it immediately and please do not delay. Books are being sent to our branches in India from Japan, at no cost to you. You may sell them and use the profits for our building funds, 50%, and book fund, 50%. I do not know if we may require the COP permission, so you may inquire this from Gurudasa.
I am in due receipt of your offering of July 27, 1976 of 108 pounds and I thank you very much for it. Actually you are correct, it is not possible for the disciple to repay the debt to the spiritual master. Therefore the disciple remains eternally indebted to the spiritual master and continually works in such a way that the spiritual master may become pleased upon him for such sincere services rendered. Always follow the four principles, take prasadam, and above all chant your sixteen rounds a day, and thus you will make steady advancement in devotional service. Continue to preach this movement all over the world and thus you will become happy and you will make others happy also.
I thank you very much for your many gifts to me and your concern for my well being. This is the correct attitude for a disciple. The disciple should be prepared to offer everything he has including his body, mind, and words, in the service of the guru. Anyone who is sincerely serving to his greatest capacity becomes dear in the eyes of the Lord. So continue in your efforts to spread Krsna consciousness and to help Jayatirtha prabhu win this case, and always follow the regulative principles of devotional service without fail.
I am in due receipt of your undated letter and I thank you for it. Your siddhanta is correct to the sastra and in this way go on reading books and have the correct perception and Krsna will help you. siddhanta baliya citte na kara alasa iha haite krsna lage sudrdha manasa (CC Adi 2.117). A sincere student should not neglect the discussion of such conclusions, considering them controversial, for such discussions strengthen the mind. Thus one's mind becomes attached to Sri Krsna.
You should be always alert in understanding the sastric conclusions that will help you, otherwise we can be misled by bogus philosophies. I am very pleased that you are studying the books. This will make you happy and successful.
When one becomes advanced he can preach. The kanistha adhikari is not condemned. It is a comparative study. The kanistha adhikari can also achieve perfection. If one does not preach, it does not mean that he is fallen, condemned. It is not artificial, one gradually becomes perfect by association.
It is correct that the brahma-jyotir is comprised of spiritual souls and that ultimately nothing is impersonal. Dead matter means forgetfulness of Krsna.
If you want to stay in Krsna Consciousness you will have to develop firm faith in Guru and Sastra. Therefore, you must study my books very scrutinizingly, follow the four regulative principles very strictly and chant 16 rounds daily avoiding the ten offenses. Don't take this movement as something cheap.
1977 Correspondence
Srimati Govinda dasi is here and I have heard everything from her about yourself. Therefore, immediately after hearing from her I have sent you the following telegram: My dear son Madhudvisa please immediately come and live with me letter follows. So, when you come here we shall talk in detail and according to the conditions we shall arrange everything. There is no worry. I am still prepared to accept you as my original disciple and if there is anything wrong, I am prepared to try and correct it so that your life may not be spoiled. Please therefore come here immediately and live with me.
Oh yes, it is quite correct to try for complete exemption for your land. Why we should be taxed? Our work is all welfare work meant for the good of the general public. Such properties are always given tax exemption as you have pointed out to the newspapermen. The presentation of our position in the article is nicely given.
Yes, if our householders cannot distribute books, then let them live in the farm communities. They can produce thread for cloth, spinning, and other such activities. But they must do something, not sit idly, for an idle brain is the devil's workshop.
I beg to thank you for your letter dated April 8th, 1977 along with the enclosed review from "Choice." The review is very remarkable considering the importance of the journal, and I thank you very much for securing it. You have written: "We are all eager for the day when your books are recognized as the greatest masterpieces of all. We are all eager for the day when your books are the most demanded works in the library. We are sure that day is not far away." Yes, Krsna will fulfill your desire. Actually it is so. But because they are fools and rascals it will take some time. Regarding the error which the critic has noted about the location of Tirupati, I did not say so. It should be corrected.
There is no harm if the land in Mauritius is jointly in the name of ISKCON and the Gita society.
Why do these life members not come on time to see the Deity? Yes, in special cases you can open the curtain for a moment. But they should be instructed next time to come at the correct time to properly respect the Deity. The best thing will be if you immediately send a printed schedule to all of the life members showing what are the times of darsana.
All of the artists' drawings are alright as they are showing, except for this one correction, that baby Krsna should be showing lying down, not standing up in front of Visnu.
I am very glad to know that you are all working so hard to double the book distribution this year. Here in Risikesh Mahesh Yogi has his headquarters and he is training his disciples. But he has to pay each of them a regular monthly salary and give them vacations as well. So he is not so fortunate as I am, that I have so many sincere disciples that I do not have to pay them any salary nor do they ever ask for any vacation. Instead they are working twice as hard to double the book distribution. I am so much thankful to all of my sincere disciples who are working so hard to fulfill this great mission of Krsna consciousness.
From now on the twelve GBC men will be acting as Srila Prabhupada's secretary on a rotating basis as Srila Prabhupada originally planned, and it appears that I shall have to go with Him to Australia, at least a couple of weeks, to explain the system to Madhudvisa Swami. Syamasundara prabhu will be shortly going to London via Los Angeles. You will probably be seeing him there shortly. He has many big ideas for increasing the preaching work, which he will probably tell you about. I have just received your letter regarding polygamy and Prabhupada has told me it should strictly be prohibited; although he does not object to the principle, we do not have the correct persons nor the correct time and place for putting it into practice.
The picture of Yamaraja and Skanda is all right. But generally Yamaraja is portrayed in a fearful way and so is often pictured as black. That is all right. But actually he is a demigod and must be fair complexion. He is a mahajana and a Vaisnava as well and he is also very good looking. Skanda is Kartikeya. He is very beautiful and is situated on a peacock's back with bows and arrows and two hands. From the photograph, he appears to have many heads. But that is not correct. He only has one head. And he is considered the most beautiful personality next to Cupid. In India if a person is very beautiful, he is compared with Kartikeya.
| Page Title: | Correct (Letters) |
| Compiler: | Mayapur |
| Created: | 21 of Sep, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=0, Let=199 |
| No. of Quotes: | 199 |