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Do not know how (Letters)

Expressions researched:
"did not know how" |"do not know how" |"does not know how" |"doesn't know how" |"don't know how"

Notes from the compiler: VedaBase query: "did not know how" or "do not know how" or "doesn't know how" or "don't know how" or "does not know how" not "did not know how to" not "do not know how to" not "don't know how to" not "does not know how to"

Correspondence

1947 to 1965 Correspondence

Letter to Sally -- New York 13 November, 1965:

The house is suitable for residence of the restaurant keeper and you see all these personally if you come here for a day or two. If you come here there will be no inconvenience for you because there is one lady friend at west 108th street and she will be very glad to accommodate you for a day or two. I think you should come and see the prospect of the business. I am sure you will get very good profit if you start this business and I shall teach you how to prepare nice vegetable dishes. I wish that you may consider this proposal a little seriously and decide to come here for a day or two.

Yes I have extended my visa period up to 1st April 1966 by paying ten dollars but I do not know how I shall live. Another ship of Scindia Navigation is starting on the 17th November but my negotiation with some publisher is not yet finished. The Paragon Book Gallery has received the 25 twenty five sets of books as sent by Gopala. The arrangement is that after selling the 25 sets they will pay the money and further sets will be taken. Similarly I may arrange with other booksellers in Los Angeles because it learnt that in California people are more interested in such books. But I cannot go to California for want of money. Besides that I have to embark on ship from New York. California is 3000 miles away from here and it is better to return to India from California directly without coming back here. But I have got my return ticket from New York.

1966 Correspondence

Letter to Mangalaniloy Brahmacari -- New York 11 June, 1966:

I thank you very much for your kind letter of the 3rd inst and I am glad to understand that you are serious for joining me in my great adventure for preaching the message of Rupa Raghunath in these parts of the world. I am confident to see fulfillment of Lord Caitanya's mission in every corner of the world. His Divine Grace wanted this mission to be fructified during His presence but He was so much disappointed in the last days of His life for many of His follower's indisciplinary activities. I do not know how far I shall be successful in this attempt but I am trying my best to do this job as He wanted me to do. If your Guru Maharaja Sripada Madhava Maharaja fully cooperate with me in this adventure I am confident to come out successful in my attempt. You have asked me to correspond with him but as he is always in preaching activities it is better you open the negotiation first with him and if he agrees to help me and cooperate with me in the matter of preaching work in the foreign countries, it will be great encouragement for me. Up till now I am working alone without any cooperation of any one of my Godbrothers and it is the first time that you have voluntarily extended your hand to cooperate with me in full spirit. May Srila Prabhupada bestow His Divine Grace upon you. I have already decided to get you here to help me and I am trying my best for your "No objection Certificate" as well as free passage to this country. Most probably you shall be requisitioned by the end of July next and be prepared for this. I want also another assistant who can play Khola very nicely. If you have got anybody in view you may also arrange for his coming here and I shall arrange for him also. If so please immediately send his name and address so that I shall try for his No objection certificate also. While coming here I shall require you to bring with you the following articles namely: (1) Two first class mrdangas (2) Ten pairs of first class karatalas (3) One first class Harmonium (4) one first class Tanpura (5) Four pairs of Ghungar for dancing.

1967 Correspondence

Letter to Carl E. Maxwell-Payne -- San Francisco 17 February, 1967:

I thank you very much for your letter of February 14, 1967 and I have received the copies of your schemes which did not fructify.

From a letter of Mr. William J. Taylor dated January 20, 1967 it appears that he authorized you for first mortgage negotiation and I do not know how Mr. Taylor's Lawyer can change this arrangement.

I can also understand from your letter and other sources that so far you have not been able to secure any financial assistance with any tangible hope.

You have also hinted in your letter under reply that I may try here some possibility of money source. Of course my students here raised fund by one scheme of dancing a fund of $4000.00 since I have come here and they have spent in different items almost all the fund. But they cannot take up the matter seriously unless there is fact. It may be possible to raise fund in that way if we have got actual sale-contract from Mr. Taylor on legal standing.

Letter to Satsvarupa -- San Francisco 21 March, 1967:

He must either deliver the possession of the house immediately or must return the money immediately or file cheating case against all the combined group namely Mr. Payne, Mr. Hill and Mr. Palmer. I do not know what is actual case but from the telephonic conversation of Brahmananda it appears to be an organized cheating case and you have to face with courage without excusing any one of them. We are not revengeful but we cannot lose Krishna's money for nothing.

Brahmananda has asked me whether San Francisco Branch will pay some money for purchasing the house. But where is your house and where is the purchase? So far it is talks of Mr. Payne and company in which you innocent boys have been entrapped. I do not know how I can help in great blunder. I can only hope that Krishna will help you.

Howard wants one of the Mimeograph machine here so that copies of Back to Godhead required here may be printed here. What is the weight of the machine and what will be cost of transport charges. I think you can spare one machine for San Francisco and charge cost of it.

Letter to Rayarama, Satsvarupa -- San Francisco 30 March, 1967:

Any way if on the 31st March Mr. Hill and his accomplice comes forward with second Mortgage money $20,000.00 and demands the second installment of $5000.00, do not lag behind. In case the house is actually being purchased by Mr. Hill from Mr. Taylor and if there is genuine transaction between the parties, we are prepared to pay the balance $5000.00 immediately. But I know this Mr. Hill has no money, as Mr. Lerner told me, to purchase the house on our behalf. It appears a bogus representation of Mr. Payne. Therefore it is a clear case of cheating and therefore all of them must be punished in the criminal Law court at any rate. I asked you to send me the copy of the agreement but you have not sent it. Otherwise I would have been able to give you clear directions. And yet I give you some suggestions as abovementioned and I do not know how you would tackle. If it can be proved that Hill has no money to purchase the house then it is clear cheating case arranged by Mr. Payne. So on the 31st March challenge them whether they have entered into agreement with Mr. Taylor or whether they have actually paid our money to Taylor. If it is a fact that he (Mr. Hill) has paid the $5000.00 to Mr. Taylor and if actually we are going to have the house, do not lag behind, we are prepared to pay the balance within a fortnight rest assured. I do not know why the Lawyers are not serious about this cheating case. If Mr. Hill has no money and on pretention of purchasing the house on our behalf he has accepted the money, then it is a clear case of cheating and Payne is the organizer of this cheating maneuver. And if this is genuine case that the house is actually going to be purchased we are prepared to pay the balance $5000.00. Let us have the house or return back the money. In default there is clear case of cheating as far as I can guess. Now you can do as you like.

Letter to Mukunda -- New York 13 May, 1967:

Any sitar player or tabla player or any other musician invited in the temple cannot play anything except Hare Krishna. Neither any one can utilize the temple for some musical demonstration. Such things are items for sense gratification. If somebody comes in the temple to chant Hare Krishna by his musical talents he is welcome otherwise not. Please follow this principle.

Here also new youngsters are coming more and more to take interest Krishna consciousness. We require a bigger place but I do not know how Krishna will help us. There is a very nice building in this area and we are negotiating but do not know what is Krishna's plan.

Letter to Rupanuga -- Vrindaban 9 September, 1967:

Regarding our temple affairs, as stated in your previous letter, I think Brahmananda might have written me something to my Delhi address, where I may go early next week; but in any case the temple affairs should be adjusted in the manner where the important members or all the members may work and support the temple affairs. I am getting very encouraging reports from S.F. and Montreal; but reports from N.Y. is not very much encouraging. Kirtanananda has decided to return back for preaching work in the states as he has accepted the sannyasa order of life. Acyutananda is here, but he is not eating well, so I am also put into anxiety. In the beginning Kirtanananda was also sick, and he also at the present moment is feeling some pain in his leg. On the whole, the American boys who come here become first depressed, so I do not know how far our American house in Vrindaban will be successful. I am negotiating with the Revenue Minister of Rajastan government to have some place in the very nice temple of Jaipur. This temple is very ideal place for our imagination of an American house, and it is almost 50% settled that the house may be partly occupied by us. But in any case, at least two American boys must live here and take charge of the management. I am old man. At the same time sick. Even if I am well, it is not possible for me to look after the affairs of the American house. I want to remain free, being taken care of by all of you. In your states I was happy being taken care of by you, and that enjoyment is liking to me in this old age. Anyway, ask Brahmananda what to do in this connection.

Letter to Nandarani -- Navadvipa 29 October, 1967:

I was very pleased to receive your letter. I have come to Navadvipa since I've received your letter, the birthplace of Lord Caitanya. We came here last Tuesday & probably I shall return to Calcutta early next week.

Regarding the Teachings in the temple; everyone of my disciples may become a teacher strictly following my instructions. I am a bona fide teacher as long as I follow the instructions of my spiritual master. That is the only one qualification for becoming a teacher. As soon as one deviates from this principle one is no longer a teacher. I do not know how Subala das speaks but if there is any deviation you can point it out & adjust things between yourselves. Personally I know both yourself & your husband, Dayananda, are very sincere souls & I am much obliged to you because you have opened a nice center in L.A. Similarly, Subala das also opened a center at Santa Fe. All this activity is very encouraging to my mission & I believe sincerely that you are doing the best to serve the cause of ISKCON.

Letter to Brahmananda -- Calcutta 12 December, 1967:

I am in due receipt of Your letter Dec. 2, 1967 with great pleasure. I am so glad to learn that we are receiving orders for our records from far distant places. It is all Krishna's mercy. You will be pleased to know that I have purchased my ticket for New York via Tokyo and San Francisco. I am starting tomorrow morning at nine-thirty. By evening reaching Tokyo via Bangkok and Hong Kong. I shall rest 24 hours in Tokyo and on the 14th at night, I am starting for San Francisco. By local time I am reaching San Francisco on the same day, the 14th at 12:45 p.m. by P.A.A. 846. Yesterday I have sent one telegram to this effect, and I hope I shall reach there safely as scheduled. I am so glad to learn that Satyavrata and yourself are trying to get the teachings of Lord Caitanya published. You do not know how pleased I am to hear this news. When one book is published I think I have conquered an empire. So try to publish as many books as possible and that will enhance the beauty and prestige of our society. The Ramakrishna mission has nothing to say substantial but because they have money and have published so many rubbish literatures they have become very cheaply popular. You can just imagine how much powerful our society will become when we have as many substantial literatures published. We should not only publish in English but also in other important languages such as French and German.

Letter to Rayarama -- San Francisco 31 December, 1967:

My joy has no bounds when I received your calendar so nicely imagined. Now I think Krishna has selected the right person for our propaganda department—Sriman Rayarama Brahmacari! A sincere worker is always recognized by Krishna. I do not know how shall I thank you, but I am confident of my future hopes in the sincere students like you, Brahmananda and others; & now if I die I will die blissful, the work will go on.

Here, all the students, especially Gaurasundara and Govinda dasi are taking my personal care. Upendra and Uddhava they are personally cooking for me, and Mukunda is personally looking after my permanent visa. So I see all round hopes; there is nothing to be disappointed in my service to Krishna. Let us go on with our work for Krishna for His satisfaction and for the benefit of the whole world. Thank you once more for your great service.

I have already sent the contract signed by me and given Brahmananda full power of attorney to do best as he likes.

I think if they accept our philosophy in total, we can make some compromise with Hayagriva and Kirtanananda. But they cannot interpret our philosophy in their own way.

1968 Correspondence

Letter to Brahmananda -- San Francisco 23 March, 1969:

I am enclosing herewith one letter from Pradyumna, and you can let me know what is to be done for his hospital charges. We are increasing our expansion, but we have to take account of these emergencies. I have already written you about taking steps for protecting our boys from the draft board; now, when we live together, somebody may fall ill. Now, find some future main source of income for our institution, and main source is publications. So if we can organize a good sales organization, that is our main hope. Besides that, if the Sankirtana party is nicely organized, we can have demonstration for public. I do not know how far we shall be successful, but we must find out a source of our income. At the present moment, some of the boys are working and practically it is going on under their working strength. Anyway, please think over what is to be done with Pradyumna. I have written also to Hamsaduta about the Sankirtana party, and I think our books, paintings, and the Sankirtana party can give us enormous help if we can organize it very nicely. I want therefore a permanent residential quarter at New York, so that my personal supervision of these things may go on. For the present, I would like to stay in my apartment at 26 Second Avenue, if cooking for the Temple can be arranged elsewhere. If it is silent and solitary, I feel pleasure to live there, better than elsewhere. I shall prepare to start for N.Y. sometimes by the 10th-15th of April. I think by that time the atmosphere in N.Y. will be warm, and I will feel comfortable.

Letter to Harivilasa -- Montreal 10 June, 1968:

I know that many European and American students go in that part of India to search out real spiritual enlightenment, but unfortunately they fall in the trap of so-called yogis and are misled. If you can draw such searching students to this real platform, spiritual platform of Krishna Consciousness, it will be a great service to the western students, as well as to Lord Krishna.

As regarding the Deities, I may inform you that immediately I require one pair of Deity for Montreal, and next, another pair for London. Besides that, we have got already 9 branches in your country of USA, and for each of them I require one pair for installation. I do not know how I can get these Deities, but they are manufactured in Vrindaban. I do not know how I can approach the Indian people, at large, but I am approaching Krishna only.

If you can manage, I can send you 1000 record albums, and the price of such records will be about $4000, which means according to Indian exchange, about 40,000 Rs. Now if you can manage to sell these records and/or distribute them free to respectable persons, and take some contribution for the Deity, that will be nice, instead of appealing as suggested by Mr. Poddar. Mr. Poddar or Mr. Lal or Mr. Dalmia, all of them know about our activities, and Mr. Dalmia tld me that there is demand for the record albums and I already sent 5 record albums to him. Now, if you can arrange with their cooperation to exchange 1000 record albums for 20 pairs of Murtis, it will be a great service to the society.

Letter to Kirtanananda -- Montreal 30 June, 1968:

I thank you very much for your letter dated June 22, 1968, and I have noted the contents. The suggestion of constructing New Vrindaban as I've suggested in Hayagriva's letter is the only method by which we can become successful in constructing the New Vrindaban scheme. But if you have got impediments in the matter, as you say that the proprietor of the land is of different views, then I do not know how you'll be able to construct it freely according to our idea. Mr. Rose may be very good man, but he does not know what is sectarian and what is non-sectarian. But at least you should know that Krishna is non-sectarian. Krishna claims that He is the seed-giving Father of all the 8,400,000 species of life visible within the material creation. They may be of different forms—some of them are aquatics, some of them are vegetables, plants, some of them are worms, some of them are birds, some of them are beasts, some of them are human beings. Krishna claims that all of them are His begotten sons. Neither Krishna claims Himself that He is an Indian or a Ksatriya, or a Brahmin, or white or black; He claims that He is the Enjoyer of everything that be, He is the Proprietor of all the planets and the creation, and He is the intimate friend of all living entities. He never claims that one should offer Him very valuable things to satisfy Him; or very delicious foodstuffs should be offered to Him—but He says that even a little bit of leaf, a little bit of fruit, and water, you offer to Him with devotion and love, and He accepts and eats such things.

Letter to Hayagriva -- Montreal 10 July, 1968:

If Mr. Rose wants something for the satisfaction of all sections of spiritualists, I think your endeavor in that part of the country will not be very successful. Under the circumstances, I would advise you to live with me, and try to develop this line of preaching work as we have been doing since the last two years. At the present moment, I am just organizing a Sankirtana party and if you come here, then we can make a rehearsal of the Caitanya drama which you have already made. My idea is, Sankirtana with some dramatic demonstration, by the members, will be attractive to the people in general. So I am trying to concentrate the idea at the present moment here in Montreal, because in the temple, we have got sufficient space and if the Sankirtana party is successful here, as we shall try to make some experiment in the local expo grounds, then we shall make a program to go to Europe, starting from London, and make demonstrations of this drama and Sankirtana in different places. I do not know how much you will appreciate this idea, but if you think it proper, you may come and join us here.

The New Vrindaban scheme under the present inconveniences is not possible to be successful ultimately.

Letter to Satsvarupa -- Montreal 19 August, 1968:

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. It is the technical art that brings out electric power from everywhere. So by service, you are not only in touch with me, but my Predecessors, the Acaryas, up to Krishna. The fourth Canto Bhagavata is already there, and I do not know how far you have made progress, but do not be in hurry. The temple organization is your first business, and editing secondary, because there are many others also who can do that. But the organization of the temple and to make the Boston center a nice center, because there are so many young men students. and we are specially interested in the younger generation because they can accept this philosophy very quickly. And in the Srimad-Bhagavatam it is recommended by Prahlada Maharaja that unmarried boys should accept this Bhagavata dharma or Krishna Consciousness for their life's benefit. We have to convince them about this, that this life is very valuable so long this material education has misled us. Misled us in this way, that it is without Krishna Consciousness. So when Krishna Consciousness added to this material advancement, it becomes aromatic gold. Gold is very beautiful, but if there is some aroma, aromatic gold, if it is available in the market, it will have greater value. So material civilization is very good for comforts of the body. Now if we do not utilize the strength and comforts of body for Krishna Consciousness, it will be used for sense gratification. And that will degrade our position. So the younger section of this country should take it very seriously, that they should take to Krishna Consciousness, and the next generation will be a different public, in the western world, who are materially and spiritually advanced and they will be happy in this life as well as in the next.

Letter to Uddhava -- Seattle 6 October, 1968:

Regarding binding: The cost of binding should not be more than 40 cents. And the best thing will be some of our students learn binding also. The book size of Srimad-Bhagavatam will be exactly as it is, at present, but it may be that the pages may be increased. Because next printing I am thinking three volumes in one. And the papers may be just like Bible paper, thin, and pages will be not less than 1000, and we shall print in one volume; the binding should be very first class, and similarly, part by part, we shall have to print 12 parts, altogether. So if some of our students becomes expert in binding, that will be very nice. I think Devananda, who is in Boston, he has some knowledge in binding. Binding is not very difficult task. Anyone can do it, but I do not know how it will be successfully done. But the cost of binding must not be more than 40 cents.

The Seattle center is going on very nicely, and most probably with our next center will be opened in Florida. I am so much thankful to you for your affection for me, and I pray to Krishna that you may make progress more and more in Krishna Consciousness.

Letter to Krsna dasa -- Seattle 21 October, 1968:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 13 Oct., 1968, and I have noted the contents carefully. In the beginning you write to say that you have written at least 3 letters to me, but this is the first time I have received any letter from you. I do not know how they are missing. Anyway, I have also received one letter from Sivananda, it is understood that you are trying your best to secure a place in Hamburg, but still you have not been able to find out. In the meantime, before this, Sivananda wrote me a letter that he has already opened a branch in Berlin. And this news was spread by me to others. Now it is understood that you have changed your idea and you want to open our center in Hamburg. It is nice so far I get information that Hamburg is very more important than Berlin, but if you find difficulty in locating a place for our center in Hamburg, it is better go back to Berlin and take whatever place is available.

To feel separation from the Spiritual Master or Krishna is very good position. That means one who is in pure love with Krishna and His Representative, Spiritual Master, he thinks always of Them. And this thinking process is Krishna consciousness. If we can think always of Krishna even in separation, that is Krishna Consciousness. And in the absolute platform, there is no difference of separation and meeting. The separation is also meeting, rather in separation one relishes the loving relationship more tasty. So don't be disappointed that you are separated from me, I am also always thinking of you how you are making progress there. And I am always expecting your letters that you have already opened a center there, and you are working very nicely.

Letter to Yamuna, Mukunda, Syamasundara -- Los Angeles 8 November, 1968:

He is claiming yogi, but he does not know that the greatest yogi is the devotee of Lord Krishna. So we can reply him in so many ways to teach this rascal a good lesson, but the more we continue such correspondence, we give unnecessarily some publicity to a rascal. Mukunda has already protested such rascal and we have to go on with our own work positively. Fault-finding men will always be there, that is the history of the world, but one has to execute his prescribed duties.

Regarding meeting Ravi Sankara or Mr. Harrison, Dayananda is trying his best to contact them, so also Nandarani is also trying, but so far there is no trace about them. I do not know how far this attempt will be successful.

So keep me informed about your activities weekly. You sent me one letter, a nice letter, from Laksmidasa, and I have replied him. Encourage him to cooperate with you. He appears to be a good boy. Keep contact with him.

Regarding giving protection to our students called by the draft board, I think the botheration may be stopped in future as there is a clause under form No. Cal-301 (REV.12 FEB 60L); Budget Bureau No. 33-R 140.3, the "Questionnaire for Registrants Claiming IV-D", which when filled up with my certificate of teaching, our men can be saved. As experiment I am giving certificate to Karatieya who is already called, and let us see the result. I think it will be fruitful because another student, Dindayal das, he is also fighting on this point. I think Krishna will help us in this connection.

Letter to Aniruddha -- Los Angeles 14 November, 1968:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated Nov. 7, and I am very glad to know that you are working in San Francisco equally with the same enthusiasm as I saw you here when I was in Los Angeles last year. Perhaps you have heard it that for the time being we have no temple. The landlord in Hollywood Blvd. did not like our devotees to stay there, and he returned $450 so that we would move our articles there from the storefront. So the Deities are here in my apartment, so I do not know how we shall find out a suitable place. And when there is a nice suitable place for our temple, then I shall consider whether you are to come back. For the mean time, you work in San Francisco, and try to organize sales of our Back To Godhead as many as possible. I have not heard anything from Cidananda since a long time, and I hope he along with the other devotees are all well. I understand that on the average you are collecting $22 a day, so this is nice, just go on trying to increase.

Whenever the Indian community invites you to go and take Prasadam, be always kind with them, and go there and chant Hare Krishna. They are vegetarian, so whatever Prasadam they prepare you offer to the Deity and enjoy it.

Letter to Brahmananda -- Los Angeles 16 November, 1968:

Regarding Purusottama, both you and Rayarama have inquired from me what specific duty he will have to execute here. My intention of calling him is that he expressed a strong desire to live with me in Montreal, so I wish to keep him with me at least for some time and train him to act as secretary. Of course, he will work in other spheres also, to secure advertisement, but in case Govinda dasi goes to Hawaii, I shall require a secretary. Govinda dasi is quite competent to act and she is doing very nicely, she is willing worker, educated and intelligent, everything complete, but the only thing is that she is young girl and I am a Sannyasi. At the present time of course Gaurasundara has gone there without any money, so he has no sufficient means just now for her to go there. At the present moment she is living at night with Nandarani and in the daytime she is assisting me as my secretary. Formerly when Gaurasundara was with me, she was living at night here also, but since he has gone with great responsibility for organizing a Hawaii center, he cannot be called, although I am feeling his separation because he was always helping me day and night. So after all it is an experiment, I do not know how the future program shall be fixed up, but if Purusottama's service is absolutely needed in New York, then he may go back again.

Letter to Gargamuni -- Los Angeles 22 November, 1968:

So in the first test I think I have come out successful. But this is a sporting. I have already told you that your father and mother are very good souls. They might be under the illusion of maya but still I must say that they are good souls, otherwise they could not have produced such nice children like Brahmananda and Gargamuni. We are trying to educate our disciples to produce Krishna Conscious children, but your father and mother, without being Krishna Conscious, have produced such nice Krishna Conscious boys, so I am very much obliged to them. The facilities which your father is giving you is going to his credit in Krishna Consciousness. The more he gives you facility, the more his balance in Krishna Consciousness. He does not know how his Krishna Consciousness balance is increasing, but one day will come when you will see that actually your father is a good soul. So you try to win the love and affection of your father some way or other. You are very intelligent boy and Krishna will also give you extra intelligence how to deal with your father. But you must treat your father as respectful as myself; even if you are sometimes ill-treated, you should tolerate. You should follow the example of Prahlada Maharaja. His father continually tortured him in so many ways, but he never protested against his father, but he never agreed with the opinion of his father. That should be your policy also, that you will never agree to your father's demoniac principles, but still you will try to serve him as faithfully as a nice obedient son. I am sure your father will be responsive and gradually our mission may be successful. I am always praying to Krishna to protect you because I know purposefully I have sent you in a fiery condition of maya. But our philosophy is different.

Letter to Brahmananda -- Los Angeles 31 December, 1968:

He is a hard worker and a good boy, and a devotee also. So far as portioning off part of the kitchen for prasadam taking area, the idea is very nice. But as usual, no prasadam should be taken in the kitchen where cooking goes on.

So far as your safe, I will send some papers for safe-keeping later on. I have also a safe deposit box in the bank here, and there is no charge for its use. I am wondering if there is any charge for the box at the Trade Bank. You have written that you have received the 2nd canto Srimad-Bhagavatam, and please keep it carefully in my room for the present time.

The new temple in Los Angeles is very nice and Sankirtana is going on there very nicely. I do not know how is your temple there, I have heard that it is very nice, but I think that the temple here is probably nicer. The rent is higher here though. Nara Narayana will give you details when he arrives. Enclosed is the duly signed documents for instating Rsi Kumar as the new secretary. He is very good boy.

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Sumati Morarjee -- Unknown Place 1969:

Of course, during the Hindu government in India, the kings were mostly Vaisnavas like Maharaja Pariksit, and he at once caught the Black man Kali who was attempting to kill a cow. But those days are no more. Neither there is a king like Maharaja Pariksit, nor the present government of India is inclined to give protection to the cows. But the mercantile community, specially the Gujaratis and the Marwaris are undoubtedly rich in India, and I do not know why such mercantile communities do not open large-scale dairy farms. That will certainly give actual protection to the cows. From Bhagavad-gita we understand that the Vaisya community is specially responsible for giving protection to the cows as much as the ksatriya kings are responsible for giving protection to the citizens of the state. As such, if you can organize-and I believe you can do so, because by Grace of Krishna, you are in good position amongst the mercantile community—big dairy farms with large pasturing grounds, then the problem of milk supply and cow protection will automatically be done. I do not know how much you will appreciate my this suggestion, but if you can do such organization, it will be a great service to the country and to the animals, and to this cause of Krishna Consciousness. If you be serious on this point then I can help you with all of my possible energies.

Letter to Brahmananda -- Los Angeles 9 January, 1969:

Therefore I had to quickly take to publication of the first volume and after this I got some money just enough to pull on. In this way I published the 2nd volume in 1963 and the 3rd volume in 1965. Then I began to think of coming to your country, and somehow or other I was brought here. Now since I have come I am unable to publish the 4th volume of Srimad-Bhagavatam, but with your help and assistance, since 1965 this one book only has been published, and I do not know what this Dai Nippon Company is doing.

Anyway, I am very much anxious for getting my books published. The manuscripts which I presently have may be converted into eight different books of the same size which I generally publish, (400 pages). But I do not know how I will get them published. Last year when I was in India, I thought that Acyutananda would publish them in India but this boy could not help me in the least, and the net result is that I have lost my typewriter, and Rs 2000 are now in the dark well of Hitsaran. Acyutananda was sent about Rs 1000 plus he has collected a similar amount from the Dalmia Trust Fund. All of this has been lost for nothing.

Whatever is done is done. I am now very much serious about printing my books. There may be three sources for their printing. One source is that if the MacMillan Company is interested to publish my books that will be a great relief. I do not mind for the profit concerned. But I want to see them published. Another source is if MacMillan isn't interested, we can get them printed from Dai Nippon, but the delaying procedure of this company in Japan is not very encouraging. Therefore the next step would be to start our own press at New Vrindaban, because Hayagriva is ready to start a press there immediately, taking responsibility for the investment. He has told me that he could take a loan from his friend, Dr. Henderson. In this connection of purchasing a press I sent a list to be filled by the press men of New York telling of the prices of printing machines but there is no response. So I ask you what to do in this connection. Ultimately, if nothing is done, I shall be obliged to return to India for getting them published there.

Letter to Hamsaduta -- Los Angeles 16 January, 1969:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter of January 12, 1969, and I have carefully noted the contents.

I have gone through the description of the various rooms of the house but you have not mentioned if there is suitable space for a temple also. Our present temple in Montreal has very nice space so our first consideration is how to make the temple room nice. So I do not know how this house shall be suitable for all of our purposes. It may be very suitable for residence and prasadam distribution, but unless there is nice arrangement for a temple, how will it be possible to rent it? So unless I understand how you intend to arrange for a nice temple like the one you have presently, a little difference doesn't matter, I do not know how you can accept such house. I shall be glad to hear further from you about this.

Regarding your questions, the incidence of Sanatana Goswami and Rupa Goswami should be taken as follows; Rupa Goswami treated Sanatana Goswami as his Spiritual Master, so therefore to pray to Krishna for serving Krishna or the Spiritual Master is very good. Similarly, if the house is very good for serving Krishna it is very good. But if our purpose is for our personal convenience, for that purpose we shall not pray. But for the convenience of Krishna and the Spiritual Master we should always pray.

Letter to Hamsaduta -- Los Angeles 16 January, 1969:

Love with awe and veneration and love that is spontaneous is different, but still one has to learn about the greatness of Krishna. To come to the stage of spontaneous love for Krishna is a very high stage, and it is not to be imitated. In our conditioned state of life, we should worship Krishna as God with respect and veneration. That is the system. The relationship of the Spiritual Master and the disciple is not the same as the relationship with Krishna in Vrindaban. The relationship with the Spiritual Master must always be continued with the greatest respect and veneration, without forgetting His exalted position; like father and son.

Regarding your question about my Guru Maharaja, I never told anyone that He was one of the eight saktis. I do not know how you got this news. According to Vaisnava principles, nobody should think or imagine somebody as Krishna, Radharani, or Their associates. Everyone should aspire to follow the footprints of such associates. If somebody thinks that somebody is Radha or Krishna that is not sanctioned by the Vaisnava philosophy. So far as I know, my Guru Maharaja's position was one of the assistants of the manjaris. For the present, it is better not to discuss on these confidential things of a higher level, but you are always welcome to put your genuine questions for an answer. Otherwise, how will you know things as they are?

The photographs you sent me appear very nice, but the house photograph is covered with snow. I have seen this house from the outside, and sometimes I was thinking that this is a nice house for a temple.

Letter to Satsvarupa -- Los Angeles 12 February, 1969:

The Deities should be decorated with sufficient flowers and nice gorgeous dresses and ornaments. Beforehand, you should polish the Bodies with a mixture of tamorind pulp and fullers earth. Apply the pulp on the Bodies, then rub it and then polish nicely with tissue paper. This will gave a very good shine. Then bath the Deities with milk, and dress very nicely with ornaments, and place Them on the throne with flowers, candles, etc. The throne, if possible, should be coated with silver sheets, and the canopy should be red velvet with gold embroidered work. Before the Deities, on the staircase, there may be some silver polished cups, pitchers, etc. I think the Deities have already helmets and peacock feathers and hair to be dressed with. If not, make arrangements for this also. I do not know how big is the throne, but if it is very big, then within the throne there may be a raised seat to accommodate the Deities. On the whole, everything should be very gorgeous; then it will be successful.

Actually, although Radha-Krishna is worshiped in Vrindaban which is like a simple village, but we worship Laksmi-Narayana, and the worship is accepted by the Radha-Krishna Deity. Actually, in our present status, we can not worship Radha-Krishna. But as all the Visnu Murtis are situated in Krishna, therefore, our Radha-Krishna worship is transferred to Visnu, Lord Narayana. Visnu worship is the regulative devotional principles, and Radha-Krishna worship is spontaneous service of eternal feelings. Therefore, as Laksmi-Narayana is the Deity of great opulences, similarly our Radha-Krishna Murtis also should be worshiped with great pomp and dignity. Krishna will give you the proper intelligence to do this very nicely. So far as prayers, you may sing Hare Krishna, Govinda Jaya Jaya, and Govindam Ādi purusam.

Letter to Janardana -- Los Angeles 2 March, 1969:

If a Christian believes in God let him love God prominently rather than loving matter. If we wish to criticize Christian faith we can do so, and we can prove that hardly there are any sincere Christians. In the ten commandments we see Lord Jesus Christ advised "Thou shalt not kill," but this killing process is still prominent among Christians as well as any other religious group. So much so that it is simply horrible. Recently, the head of the Christian people, the Pope, declined to sanction the killing process in the embryo, namely contraceptive methods. We can see that so many Christians revolted. Apart from this killing process within the embryo, there is also killing process in the slaughterhouse and in so many ways. I do not know how a Christian can violate this important commandment of the Bible, "Thou shalt not kill." So in this way, if we want to criticize we can, but it will simply increase our enemies. Better let us try to invoke the dormant transcendental emotion by chanting and dancing.

You try to understand this philosophy more seriously, and as you are able try to write articles on this subject matter without being inclined to compromise with any other religious faith. I shall write you again from Hawaii. In the meantime you can let me know if you have got the manuscript from Rayarama, and reply to this letter to the Hawaii address: ISKCON, 4 Leilani Building, 1649 Kapialani Boulevard, Honolulu, Hawaii. Enclosed is a page of poems by Bhaktivinode Thakura to be translated into French and printed in your magazine.

Letter to Satsvarupa -- Hawaii 8 March, 1969:

This climate of Hawaii is most healthy, with sunshine and fresh sea breeze, so I think if it is possible for Jadurani to come to this climate she may improve her health nicely. Consult together on this proposal, and you can correspond with Gaurasundara and Govinda dasi here in this regard.

Regarding your question: I do not remember if Rayarama ever chanted very loudly in my room, neither he ever lived in my room, nor I had ever asked him not to chant loudly. I do not know how these news are spread. There is no such requirement that Japa should be silently and chanting should be be done differently. Loudly or silently, everything is all right. There is no such restriction. Only thing is that we should chant very attentively, hearing the vibration very distinctly.

Letter to Tamala Krsna -- Allston, Mass 26 April, 1969:

I think Krishna's plan is working and as you have already informed Mr. Leo Brown to find out a big place for us, Krishna will help us very soon. The Los Angeles plan as described by you is so nice. The climate of Los Angeles is very much suitable for me, and if by Krishna's Grace we can have a nice headquarters for the Western side as planned by you, I shall be glad to place myself at your disposal. I am now seeking to sit down simply for training preachers and diverting my attention for completing the translation work of Srimad-Bhagavatam, but I do not know where Krishna will like me to do this work. But your nice plan makes me hopeful that Los Angeles may be the suitable place. We have certainly to develop the New Vrindaban plan, but side by side the Los Angeles plan should also be executed. I do not know how Krishna will help us, but your idea is very excellent.

Letter to Hayagriva, Pradyumna -- Allston, Mass 3 May, 1969:

I thank you very much for sending me the poster with pictures of Mr. Ginsberg and myself. It is very nicely done. Now on that I shall lead the kirtana. I shall first of all chant, and our devotees should respond as usual. And with the devotees Mr. Ginsberg will also be amongst our devotees, and the public will be requested to follow this response. In this way there shall be kirtana performance for at least half an hour. For our men I want four mrdangas and twelve karatalas or cymbals. If Kirtanananda can play the harmonium melodiously along with the chanting, it will be nice. If somebody can play the tamboura, that will be still more nice. But they should be rhythmically played. So I do not know how many devotees are there or how many mrdangas are there, but we will require four mrdangas. If this is deficient now in men or mrdangas, then you should arrange for that by calling New York men and Buffalo men. Recently I have made one record in Los Angeles, so in trying to train our men in that rhythm is not difficult. Just arrange for sixteen men; four mrdangas, harmonium, tamboura, and the rest playing karatalas. If we can perform kirtana following the recently made recording, it will be marvelous. The summary is that you should make the above preparations for when the advertised meeting is held.

I will be reaching there in Columbus on United Airlines at 10:47, so in the evening if there is an engagement, we can accept. I will not be tired. On the 9th, 10th, 11th, if you want you can make some programs. On the 12th it is already scheduled, and similarly, on the 13rd and 14th you may make arrangements. On the morning of the 15th I shall be going to North Carolina.

Letter to Sivananda -- Allston, Mass 5 May, 1969:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 23 April, 1969, addressed to the New York temple and redirected here. I am so much obliged to you for picking up the "Jugantar" publication of your activities in London. I understand that you are sending an annual subscription fee for Back To Godhead, but it is $5.00 per year. It is Rs 7.5 exchange for one dollar, so I do not know how you have calculated. Acyutananda's address is c/o Caitanya Saraswat Math, Kolerganj, P.O. Navadvipa, Dist., Nadia, West Bengal. Regarding your questions about my books, we are presently selling six volumes; namely Srimad-Bhagavatam (three volumes), Bhagavad-gita As It Is, Teachings of Lord Caitanya, and Easy Journey To Other Planets.

I am very much thankful for your promise to help me in my missionary activities, and I shall be glad to know about your press, whether you can print first class books in art paper and linotype composition. If so, we can give you so much work. We have got many books to be printed yet. If it is cheaper than in Japan, we can immediately give you some business. From Calcutta we may purchase many articles for being dispatched to our various centers. I do not know whether you can help us in that respect. We are importing many mrdangas and other musical instruments, Navadvipa karatalas also, so please tell me if you can help us in this respect. You can make some profit in this also.

Letter to Gargamuni -- Columbus, Ohio 15 May, 1969:

I thank you very much for your letter of May 11, 1969, sent along with the check for $250.00. You have written to say that you are still having problems in obtaining manpower for your business, and the only solution I can think of is that you engage outsiders to do this work. If you think you have a scarcity of money, then I can return the check to you, and you can utilize it. As I have mentioned in my letter to Brahmananda, I do not know how I can solve all of these departmental problems if they are all referred to me. It would be better if the department heads could work out such things amongst themselves. Today Kirtanananda Swami has left for North Carolina to take my place in lecturing there at two college engagements. This is very satisfying to me, and I wish that many of my disciples may become expert preachers so they may assist more and more in the great preaching work that we have to do for the benefit of mankind.

Letter to Nandarani -- New Vrindaban 23 May, 1969:

That is the sanguine process to stop repeated birth and death of the living entity. Simply by awakening the dormant love for Krishna, Who is known as Vasudeva, one can stop the material contamination of accepting a material body.

New Vrindaban is a very nice spot. We have to develop it in so many ways, and it will take time. For the time being there is no regular school because there is no sufficient accommodations for living, but soon it will be done when our children can be taken care of properly. I hope that by the time your Candramukhi grows such arrangements will be completed. Regarding my residence, I have already decided that Los Angeles will be suitable, at least for eight months of the year, I do not know how the heat is during June and July though. I have inquired about this from Dayananda also. Regarding my health, I am keeping well, but after all, this body is old enough, although personally I do not feel old. I feel exactly like your little child, and I am taken care of by my so many fathers and mothers like you. So I have no anxiety. Somebody asked me whether I am happy, so I replied that I left my home consisting of five children, where I felt not very much comfortable, but Krishna has given me many obedient and loving children, even though I am in a foreign country. That is my happiness. Actually, real love can be perceived only on the platform of Krishna Consciousness where there is no possibility of thinking oneself in the bodily concept of life. So let us try to introduce this nice consciousness in the human society.

Letter to Gopala Krsna -- Moundsville 27 May, 1969:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter, sent along with your japa beads, and I have duly chanted upon them and initiated you as my disciple. So you should go on with your chanting as you have been doing, and as your name is already Gopala Krishna, there is no need of changing your name. So now you will be known as Gopala Krishna Das. Try to follow the regulative principles and avoid the ten kinds of offenses. Next you shall be initiated by the offering of the sacred thread, so in the meantime you can convince your parents to give up their objections. But if you are personally determined, there is no question of any objections. No one can check another's spiritual advancement on the plea of any material relationship. There are many instances of someone accepting the spiritual line, despising all family relationships, and the best example is Lord Caitanya Himself. I do not know why your parents are so upset, so you should convince them there is no need for this. And why you should inform them of all the details of your activities? Of course as honest son you have done the right thing. But if they object and if you have to obey by their orders, I don't know how things can be adjusted. I am enclosing the letter I received from your parents, along with my reply to them, so you may do the needful.

Letter to Satsvarupa -- New Vrindaban 17 June, 1969:

The first thing is that I have written to Jadurani today that she may immediately return to you in Boston. There is some inconvenience in Hawaii for accommodating so many people because the landlady has said there are too many living there. So Jadurani will be returning very soon. I have advised her that she may go on Sankirtana Party in Boston. Regarding your present difficulty with the police, things are going by Krishna's desire, and it will be all right. Try to get recognition from the police that we are a non-profit religious organization. In Los Angeles they have got a permit for begging, so you inquire from Tamala Krishna, and get a copy from him of this permit. We are non-profit religious organization and we have so much expenditure, so try to get this permit. Please keep me posted as to how this is progressing.

Offer my blessings to the others. I am pleased to note that Murari is such a tremendous boon to your activities there, and you "do not know how you managed without him before."

Letter to Hayagriva -- Los Angeles 12 July, 1969:

In the meantime you devote your attention for first-class editorial work, and try to manage things there how to keep the inmates peaceful. There is no use to create a pandemonium. Better to keep it under your personal management to keep it nicely for your editorial work. I do not wish that you should be disturbed. In the meantime you can negotiate with the owner of the other property, and if there are suitable terms, the society can purchase that property outright. Then there will be no question of transferring your present property to the society's name. You can go on saving taxes as you are now doing, and similarly there is no question of our society paying any taxes because we are tax-free.

So far as Nara Narayana is concerned, I do not know how did you think that he alone would be able to tear down the whole house single-handed. He sometimes promises such utopian things, but never fulfills. That is my experience. I am returning the letter you have sent in this connection. I am missing one letter said to contain my ticket from New York to Luxembourg. From Hamburg they have informed me that this ticket was sent, but I have not received it.

Regarding the usefulness or uselessness of the inmates, it all depends on proper management. You can't expect that all men and women who will be going there will be very useful. You have to make them useful by your arrangement. I am very glad to inform you that Tamala Krishna and Madhudvisa are managing so nicely in Los Angeles that they are making all men useful for Sankirtana Party purposes. Of course there is no question here of construction work. I do not find amongst our men anyone suitable for regular construction work, so we will have to engage professional men for this purpose. That is my opinion.

Letter to Gaurasundara -- Los Angeles 2 August, 1969:

In Philadelphia, Subala has reported that simply by standing on the street corners wearing our robes, automatically many, many people come up to inquire and purchase BTG from them, and they are selling about 80 copies per day. My Guru Maharaja always stressed the importance of distributing this Krishna Consciousness literature, so try to do it as far as possible. Regarding your obtaining a new temple, and your idea for yourself, Govinda Dasi, Balabhadra and Turya dasa to go to Tokyo in December, on such matters you may consult with Tamala Krishna in Los Angeles, because he has agreed to take charge of organizing this aspect of our movement. But I do not know how you are planning that the Hawaii branch will be maintained if so many important members leave for Tokyo. Just today I learned that in about one month Sudama and Bali Mardan will be leaving to begin this Japanese center, and Sudama has already arranged for free tickets for them both. So you may open correspondence to discuss this with Tamala Krishna. My idea is that you may not divert your attention to Tokyo at this time. Your responsibility in Hawaii is very great, so make it well-established first of all. Then you may try for another center. For your selling BTGs there is no reason for you to be strained. Whatever you can do conveniently is all right. I have received information from the United Shipping Corporation that the Murtis are coming from Calcutta to Honolulu.

Letter to Jayagovinda -- Los Angeles 13 August, 1969:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated August 4th, 1969, and I have noted the contents carefully. Regarding your accepting a job in the Graphics profession, I think you can accept this job because it is paying, as well as you can get experience in the profession. So as Krishna Das has advised you, I confirm it. Regarding your meeting with the Ram Krishna Mission man, you write to say that he has advised you how you should work combinedly with the Maharishi group in Hamburg, and he has said that our goals are actually the same. I do not know how our goals are actually the same. Our goal is Krishna, and we are preaching the gospel of Krishna, Bhagavad-gita as it is. In the Bhagavad-gita the point is stressed to concentrate on Krishna only, and the highest perfection of yoga process is to realize Krishna both externally and internally. We are teaching to vibrate the transcendental chanting of "Krishna" because in that way, by hearing the sound vibration of Krishna, we can see everything as diverse extension of Krishna's external energy. And because we think of Krishna always in all our activities, therefore, internally we are 24 hours in meditation with Krishna. I don't think the Maharishi group or the Ram Krishna Mission is teaching like that. So how can it be accepted that our goal is actually the same?

Letter to Brahmananda -- Tittenhurst 3 October, 1969:

Another thing is that just at the present moment I do not think the society can invest any money in New Vrindaban, for the reason that we are starting this press, and until this press is all established I do not wish to divert my attention to New Vrindaban. Another difficulty is that nobody is staying in New Vrindaban. Even the boy Hrsikesa has left, and recently I received on letter from Ranadhira that Hayagriva and Kirtanananda are also not there. New Vrindaban is now in charge of Ranadhira, so on the whole people are not being attracted. In your next president's meeting you can consider these points. Tamala is trying to purchase some very nice property in Beverly Hills. The project is to establish there a nice Iskcon library to attract the richer class of men in that area. I do not know how far we shall be successful in this attempt, but if we are successful in purchasing a property there, it will be a great stride for our propaganda work. It is understood that the most selected persons of the Western world, both Europeans and Americans, they live in that quarter of Los Angeles. So why not a center there? That is the contemplation.

Letter to Satsvarupa -- Tittenhurst House, England 31 October, 1969:

Now coming to some other points discussed in the Cathedral Sermons pamphlet, we may take notice of the writer's statement which may help us in understanding the real position of Christian religion. In one of the statements he says the Bishop Dean, the former Executive Officer of the Anglican Communion, said to the general Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada last month that he gives the church as it exists today ten more years of life. The reason the church was dying he said was because it had become irrelevant. This means that the church people no more can convince the advanced, educated men of the present day. In another place he says in discussing the Ten Commandents of the Bible about the sanctity of (human life). Instead of exactly quoting the commandment "Thou shalt not kill," he replaces by his own words "Thou shalt do no murder". But he does not know how his own words reflect to the then society wherein Lord Jesus Christ was preaching. To say to his audience, "Thou shalt do no murder" means they were very much accustomed to commit murder. So what is the position of that society where the members are accustomed to commit murder, and what class of preaching can be made to such persons? As we see in another religious principle there is instruction that henceforward you shall not co-habit with your mother. So we have to judge such societies where there are murderers and those having sex life with their mothers, what kind of men they are. In the Bhagavad-gita the religious principles are divided into three categories: in the modes of goodness, passion and ignorance. Generally, all so-called principles are in the modes of passion and ignorance.

Letter to Pradyumna -- London 27 November, 1969:

The next point is centralization of our publication department in one place. Krishna has given us now a nice press in Boston, and you are now free from your job, so it will be very nice if you and your wife move to Boston conveniently. As you have written that Brahmananda has almost agreed to pay for the machine, so you have no anxiety. We have already discussed about purchasing another machine. So far as Syama Dasi is concerned, I do not know how it will be possible for her to live alone without her husband. I think her husband also requires her help in so many ways. So I am not very much sure about Syama Dasi's moving to Boston. But you and Arundhati can do it immediately. I am also going there, so we shall sit down together and call also Hayagriva and Syama Dasi to hold a nice meeting of all the editors, printers, etc. We will chalk out a nice program so that our work may go on very smoothly without any impediments, and surely Krishna will help us. So far as I am concerned, I would have been very glad to stay with all the editors and press workers in my presence, but the only consideration is the climatic influence.

1970 Correspondence

Letter to Bali-mardana -- Los Angeles 21 January, 1970:

Due to their extraordinary materialistic way of life, the so called "civilized" human society has degraded to the position of the animals. They are now dancing naked on the public stage and so called "respectable" persons are going to enjoy such performances. The animals wander here and there naked, the monkeys walk naked; even the aborigines in the jungles they also cover their private parts by some skin or tree or leaf. I do not know how the so called "civilized" men are gliding to the stage of animal life and still they are proud of their advancement of education and civilization.

So the disease of the human society is becoming more and more acute and Lord Caitanya desired that the Indians should preach this cult for the benefit of the human society. Unfortunately, the present generation of Indians is more attracted to technological knowledge than this cult of Krishna Consciousness. Their position is very precarious.

Letter to Professor J. F. Staal -- Los Angeles 30 January, 1970:

The engagements of the Great Souls, freed from delusion and perfect in their realization of God, are described here: "Satatam kirtayanto mam"—they are always (satatam) chanting (kirtayanto) My glories, and "nitya-yukta upasate"—always worshiping Me.

So I do not know how you can say "indisputable." And, if you want reference from the Vedas, I can give you many. In the Vedas the chief transcendental vibration Omkara is also Krishna. Pranaba Omkara is the divine substance of the Vedas. Following the Vedas means chanting the Vedic Mantras, and no Vedic Mantra is complete without Omkara. In the Mandukya Upanisad, Omkara is stated to be the most auspicious sound representation of the Supreme Lord. This is also confirmed again in the Atharva Veda. Omkara is the sound representation of the Supreme Lord and is therefore the principal word in the Vedas. In this connection, the Supreme Lord Krishna says, "Pranaba Sarva Vedesu" (B.G. 7:8)—"I am the syllable Om in all the Vedic Mantras."

Furthermore, in the 15th verse of chapter 15, Bhagavad-gita, Krishna says, "I am seated in everyone's heart. By all the Vedas I am to be known; I am the Compiler of Vedanta and I know Veda as it is." The Supreme Lord, seated in everyone's heart, is described in both the Mundaka and Svetasvetara Upanisads; "Dwa suparna sayuja sakhaya . ." The Supreme Lord and the individual spirit soul are sitting in the body as two friendly birds in a tree. The one bird is eating the fruits of the tree or reactions of material activities and the other bird, the Supersoul, is witnessing.

Letter to Bank of Baroda -- Los Angeles 28 February, 1970:

I beg to thank you for your letter number SB/34/1109, dated 18 February, 1970. Please let me know how the certificates should be duly discharged by me.

If there is any discharge form, please send it to me, which I shall fill up and return.

Regarding transfer of Rs. 6,000 from your Delhi Branch, I have got already a debit note from your Chandni Chowk Branch, Delhi, dated 22 January, 1970, and I am surprised that you write to say, even after a month, that the amount has not been received by you.

I do not know how things are being managed in this way. Kindly let me know, therefore, immediately what is the fate of this Rs. 6,000 transferred from your Delhi Chandni Chowk Branch.

Letter to Sriman Bankaji -- Los Angeles 13 March, 1970:

In the Bhagavad-gita also, the Lord says to Arjuna, "I shall teach you the philosophy of the old system of Bhagavad-gita because you are my dear friend and devotee." This is the secret of understanding Lord Krishna or to enter into the confidential part of Vedic knowledge.

The preaching of Bhagavad-gita has been going on both in India and abroad, but almost all of them on the speculative background without any knowledge of devotional service to the Lord. Many Swamis before me came in the Western countries, and they say that nobody could act so wonderfully as I am doing. Perhaps it is right. But I do not know how such things are happening. The only reason that can be adduced is that I am presenting Bhagavad-gita as it is.

In the Bhagavad-gita, Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The living entities are His eternal parts and parcels. The duty of the part and parcel is to render service to the whole; as much as different limbs of the body are engaged to render service to the whole body. These things are very simple to understand, but when they are presented in a round about way, simply by jugglery of words, it becomes cumbersome, and the desired result is not achieved.

Lord Caitanya advised that everyone of the Indians should go outside and, carrying His order or following His footsteps, one should preach Krsnakatha. The Krsnakatha is Bhagavad-gita as well as Srimad-Bhagavatam. If you split the word Krsnakatha, then it becomes Krishna's words or words spoken about Krishna. So Krishna's words are directly Bhagavad-gita, and words spoken about Krishna is the Srimad-Bhagavatam. I think the Society to which you have referred in your letter under reply, namely Vishva Hindu Parishad, should take up this message of Lord Caitanya if they are actually serious about doing something for the Vedic culture which is known as Hindu culture.

Letter to Brahmananda -- Los Angeles 20 March, 1970:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 17 March, 1970, and noted the contents. In the meantime, I have also received your note dated 18 March, 1970, along with the new set of beads for Nityananda Das. I do not know how they have been lost from the packet in the mail. But I have duly chanted this new set, and they will be sent securely wrapped.

Regarding printing of KRSNA on the cover and Title, it should not be "KRSNA Book," but it should be "KRSNA" in large type on the first line, that is the Title, and on the second line, by way of adjective, "The Supreme Personality of Godhead" should be printed in smaller type.

Regarding the salesman's statement that the printing would take 8 months, so we cannot wait for 8 months. They have given reference in their letter No. ODCUMIS-L/70-115, dated 5 February, 1970, as follows; "we would like to show you our rough schedule of typesetting, Printing and binding.

Letter to Satsvarupa -- Los Angeles 28 April, 1970:

Yes, publish the Bengali poem which I am sending herewith. Get it transliterated by Pradyumna. The meaning is as follows:

My Dear Lord Krsna, You are so kind upon this useless soul, but I do not know why You have brought me here. Now You can do whatever You like with me. 1

But I can guess that You have got some business here, otherwise why should You call me here which is demoniac. 2

Most of the population here is covered by ignorance and passion modes of nature, and I do not know how they will be able to understand the transcendental message of Vasudeva. 3

But I know Your causeless mercy can make everything possible because You are the most expert mystic. 4

Therefore, I am simply praying for Your mercy so that I can be able to convince them about Your message. 5

All living entities have become under control of the illusory energy by Your will, and therefore, if You like, by Your will they can also be released from the clutches of illusion. 6

If You so desire, I wish that You may deliver them, and only by Your such desire all of them will be able to understand Your message. 7

The words of Srimad-Bhagavatam are Your incarnation, and if they receive it in submissive aural reception, repeatedly, then they will be able to understand your message. 8

Letter to Paramananda -- Los Angeles 17 June, 1970:

I beg to thank you for your kind letter dated 7th June, 1970, and as I did not receive your letter since a long time it is a great pleasure to have it now.

You have rightly observed that I am simply trying to execute the order of my Spiritual Master. Whatever is being done it is not on account of my intelligence or endeavor because I am simply an instrument in the hands of my Spiritual Master. I do not know how far I have got the capacity to carry His order, but I may say that I have a sincere desire to do it. This is Parampara system. If a student tries to satisfy his immediate Acarya or the Spiritual Master, that is the only qualification for advancing in Krsna consciousness. This is explained in the "Guruvastakam"—yasya prasadah bhagavata prasadao.

So I am very much pleased that you are doing your job very nicely. Everyone should try his best to do his part depending on Krsna and Spiritual Master, then all success is there. I have heard about you how nicely you are working in New Vrndavana. Your good wife, Satyabhama, is also doing nice in teaching work. Similarly all our students are doing their jobs very diligently, and that is my satisfaction.

Letter to M. L. Chand -- Tokyo 17 August, 1970:

Kindly refer to my letter dated 24th June, 1970.

I did not receive any reply from you, but on the contrary I have received a copy of letter addressed to the Chief Controller of Import and Export by the Sri Caitanya Research Institute in which it is said that this letter has got reference to my letter addressed to you.

I do not know how the matter has gone to Sri Caitanya Research Institute who has falsely declared that the Murtis were donated by them. Actually it is not the fact. Five pairs of Murtis were collected by Hit Sharanji, one pair donated by Dalmia Trust and four pairs donated by Birla Trust.

So I cannot understand why the Sri Caitanya Research Institute writes such letter declaring that the Murtis were donated by them. Will you kindly explain why it is so.

Letter to Hamsaduta -- Calcutta 2 September, 1970:

I have therefore given the administrative power to the Governing Body Commission.

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.

So far my coming here, it appears that it was Krsna's desire. There was very good reception in the Airport and the public opinion is that it was the unique reception so far given to any VIP man. Here in India, especially in Bengal, the political conditions are not very good. Everyone is feeling some sort of anxiety due to the political condition, so I have given them a sort of hope that if they take to Krsna Consciousness their problems will be solved. It is not my mental concoction, but I believe in the words of Narottama Dasa Thakura that the shelter of the Lotus Feet of Lord Nityananda is as cooling effectively as the combined moonshine of millions of moons. So I am sure anyone taking shelter of Krsna Consciousness Movement will be happy. Please try to push this Movement on this process.

Letter to Hamsaduta -- Bombay 5 November, 1970:

I have not received any letter from you since I left Calcutta—neither from Kirtanananda Swami nor Acyutananda Swami. I do not know how things are going on there. I shall be glad to hear of your activities and enrollment of life members. In the meantime, I've received one invitation from Madan-mohan Mintri (enclosed) which speaks for itself. The copy of the reply is also enclosed herein. If you receive any letter from him, you can consider the case for going there with him with full party.

Letter to Madhudvisa -- Los Angeles 11 November, 1970:

Here in Bombay I have instructed devotees only to go out on Sankirtana party if they have no other engagement. Simply to dance in the street and to eat and sleep, that will not be considered real preaching work here. If you establish a temple, that will be real pracara. I have given you the hint how to purchase the property- by making life members. Yourself, Acyutananda Swami, Jayapataka Swami and Hanuman can divide up and go and see important men. There are so many big men in Calcutta who can become our life members if you convince them. This requires unwavering strength and enthusiasm to fulfill the desires of the Spiritual Master. When my Guru Maharaja ordered me to spread this movement to the English speaking countries, I did not know how I could do it, but I never lost faith nor did I ever forget this order. Now I am wanting that we will have some temples here since our organization is international. And for this purpose money is required. One has to create money but you must know how to do it. So you have got the means to make life members. Distribute all of these books which we are getting and purchase that Hamilton Building. That will be your credit.

While you are in Calcutta try and purchase the Hamilton property. If you find you are not able, then you can go to Gorakhpur as I have written in a letter to Jayapataka Maharaja but the best thing you can do is to work combinedly to establish a Calcutta center.

1971 Correspondence

Letter to Karandhara -- Gorakhpur 15 February, 1971:

They should be arriving soon. I have also sent many other sets of beads and letters in the same package and I think you can more easily distribute them to their respective temples than we are able to do from here in India where things are costly to send by airmail. I am expecting to return to the States sometime by the end of March, so I think you may inform all the Temple Presidents that prospective initiations may wait until that time. In the meantime, however, if you see fit, you may offer the second initiation to Sriman Yasodanandana Das Brahmacari and encourage him to open a nice center in Quebec. That will be great service and I know he is very enthusiastic devotee. So if you have got the copy of the Gayatri tape, you may conduct the ceremony according to the instructions. If you do not have the full set of instructions, let me know and I will have Devananda write them up for you.

I have received one letter from Dai Nippon in which they confirm our calculation of money deposited with our "Bhaktivedanta Book Fund Deposit." So your calculation as I have pointed out is short by $500. I do not know how this error has crept in. Anyway, things are in our favor.

Letter to Tamala Krsna -- Brooklyn 28 July, 1971:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter of July 20, 1971, and I have considered the contents carefully.

So far the Book Fund in the name of ISKCON, I changed it in Bombay before leaving India and I have advised the Calcutta bank to transfer all balance to the Bombay account. So there is no anxiety about taxation as you are so much afraid.

And another thing is, I do not know how you are going to audit the accounts without making the accounts perfect. The auditing of accounts is done when the business account is made perfect by drawing trial balance and balance sheet. Have you done these things? They must be made by an experienced accountant. I do not know how Jayapataka or Rsi Kumar can draw up this trial balance and balance sheet. Anyway somehow or other you have to prepare them, then talk of auditing. Send me a copy of what you have made. According to law our Society is registered within (less than) one year, so I don't think a one year trial balance sheet is necessary, therefore there is no question of auditing the account.

Regarding our cornerstone ceremony, if Indira Gandhi is not available at any time, then forget this ceremony. But if she is so kind to you as you said in your letter then she can come at her convenience. Otherwise we don't require to have such elaborate ceremony. Because it appears that nobody is going to give us any big donations, at least for the time being it appears that there is no such prospect.

Letter to Hamsaduta -- London 17 August, 1971:

In further reference to my letter dated 14th August, 1971, I understand from Syamasundara. that you have engaged all our Sankirtana members of Amsterdam to work in a cigarette factory. I do not know how you could dare to do this without asking me or any other GBC members. Amsterdam is doing nicely in Sankirtana Party collections; why they should go to work in a cigarette factory? In your last letter to me also you tried to impress me that everyone should go to work. That is not our principle. Our principle is not to work like the karmi or under a karmi. We are not sudras. Sudras are meant for working under somebody, not brahmanas. If you do not know this principle, you should know it now. All our men living in the temple are basically brahmanas. Otherwise, why they are offered sacred thread?

We should live on the paltry income, whatever we receive, by selling our magazines, but in dire necessity when there is no other way we may accept some service temporarily. But on principle we should go on Sankirtana, not work, and whatever Krishna gives us we should accept on that principle. You are a senior member of the society. You should have known all these things. Anyway, send them back on Sankirtana. All Amsterdam devotees should be engaged in Sankirtana, not in a cigarette factory.

Letter to Rupanuga -- Vrindaban 30 November, 1971:

With the public, that is a different thing. But our real business is to spread Krishna Consciousness, and for that our centers require so many things like books, tapes, photos, like that—and these should be freely exchanged between the temples to be utilized nicely in preaching work, without profit-making.

As far as Bhagavad-gita is concerned, I do not know why it is delayed. For the last three years you've been saying Bhagavad-gita is going to be printed and the last deadline was given by Advaita that it would be printed by the 1st October, 1971. Unfortunately, nothing has been done by now. Now it is December, 1971. If for printing one book it takes so much time I do not know how the other 60 books will be printed. I am very much depressed. The MacMillan Company simply wants to consider their business point of view. But we have to print our books just to present to the world. Please therefore have Dai Nippon print the books immediately, without any consideration by MacMillan Co.—promotion or no promotion. If by this time they have agreed to print the book from their side it is all right. Otherwise ask Dai Nippon to print immediately without delay.

The photography exhibit for Delhi pandal arrived, but the exorbitant price of $240 plus shipping costs was too much for 70 photos, so I have advised them to pay only the actual cost price as will be determined by Gurudasa. I have seen the photo price list from Uddhava and the prices quoted are very high. He is simply taking advantage of our devotees' sentiment to make money, and this is not a very good position.

1972 Correspondence

Letter to Karandhara -- Nairobi 25 January, 1972:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated Jan. 12, 1972 and have noted the contents carefully.

I am answering your letter from an air ship going to Nairobi, Kenya. Where I will speak from Jan. 26 - Jan 30 to the Africans and Asians alike.

I do not know how and why these transparencies were sent to India but Tamala Krishna Das has received your cable and is doing the needful.

Your proposal to move Tokyo Temple back to the center of Tokyo is very good. This was my Guru Maharaja's policy that we should remain in the big cities in order that the maximum amount of people could take advantage of our preaching.

In all printing matter I am completely in agreement with you, therefore you can determine when and if ISKCON press can do BTGs.

The reports of increased book sales all over the world gives me so much pleasure. I thank you very much for your very determined efforts to push on this movement of Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

Letter to Gargamuni -- Madras 15 February, 1972:

We shall gladly accept the offer, so kindly inform Ksirodakasayi to draw up all the legal papers and gift deed for handing the land over to our Society, and he can bring those papers, along with a plan of the plot showing length and width dimensions, and we shall settle up our Vrindaban program when he shall meet me in Mayapur. Meanwhile, Subala Maharaja may remain there for looking after things in Vrindaban and assisting Ksirodakasayi wherever possible. I am very much pleased to know that we shall be raising up a nice center now in Vrindaban, and also in Bombay, so Krishna has been very kind upon us, now let us all work cooperatively and with full enthusiasm to do the needful.

I am enclosing one plot-plan of the Bombay land for your attention. Kindly send me your report c/o our Calcutta branch.

So far the court case is concerned, I do not know how long it will take you to present the case to the court, but in any case you must take the help of some lawyer, and I think it will take some time to prepare. But if you give him all details and documents, why the lawyer cannot deal with the matter in your absence? Also, Subala may assist and make certain that everything is presented properly, and also Ksirodakasayi, if he is there. It is not a difficult problem, only I want assurance that my rooms at Radha-Damodara, that I shall not be obstructed from using them in the future and that something in my favor be settled about the illegal seizure of my entrance veranda, that's all. In other words, I am the legal tenant, and as long as I continue to pay rent, there shall be no interference.

Letter to All ISKCON Temple Presidents -- Sydney 8 April, 1972:

I beg to inform you that recently some of the Governing Body Commission members held a meeting at New York on 25th through 28th March, 1972, and they have sent me a big big minutes, duplicated, for my consideration and approval, but in the meantime they have decided some appointments without consulting me. One of the items which struck me very much is as follows:

"Atreya Rsi das was selected to be the Secretary for GBC and receive all correspondence including monthly reports." I never appointed Atreya Rsi member of the GBC, and I do not know how he can be appointed Secretary to GBC without my sanction. "He was also appointed to be on the Management Committee. with Karandhara for the purpose of supervising ISKCON business and implementing the decisions reached by GBC." This has very much disturbed me.

Sriman Atreya Rsi das may be very expert, but without my say he has been given so much power and this has upset my brain.

I also understand that immediate actions are going to take place even prior to my permission, and that, also, "without divulging to the devotees(!)"

I do not follow exactly what is the motive of the so-called GBC meeting, therefore I have sent the telegram which you will find attached herewith, and I have received the replies as well.

Letter to Satsvarupa -- Tokyo 2 May, 1972:

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.

Now Kirtanananda has bought me one bus, so now I am taking with me wherever I go three assistants, so my translating work is not stopped even while traveling, so I may continue to tour sometimes and my work will go on, therefore I shall certainly come to Dallas sometime after my coming back to USA.

Letter to Gurudasa -- New Vrindaban 1 September, 1972:

I am in due receipt of your telegram as follows: "Bharatpur Trust will donate Kesighat Temple will sell surrounding rooms and garden we must offer price wire immediately." So I have received this telegram and have replied by telegram as follows: "Why not donate the whole thing and we spend money to make super gorgeous. Otherwise how we can offer without knowing details and site plan of temple? Rush them New Vrindaban." So the thing is if I do not know how much land is there, what is the condition, what is the price, what are the terms, how I can make concrete offer? That is not good businesses. So you can send me immediately everything, the site plan, what are the exact terms of the contract, etc., then we shall see. I think that is a very grand temple, and we shall be able to utilize it if the other party is willing to help us. But one thing is, why they cannot donate the whole thing and we shall spend our money to make it very wonderfully done up and renovated. But I think their plan may be to give us the temple only, because that cannot be sold, and no one can maintain it any more, and then we shall have to buy the residential buildings, the compound all the other buildings there, and that is their trick to get money for those buildings, by so-called offering us the temple without having to pay anything for it, because they cannot sell it anyway.

So Bhavananda is coming there in a few days, and Tamala Krishna is coming with one engineer, so conjointly you three men consider everything with these points in mind and do the needful. If you all three big men think that it is a good bargain, then you may offer as you think best, but consulting with me first. But one thing is, what we shall do with the land in Raman Reti? How to utilize it if we purchase the Kesighat temple? I am remaining in New Vrindaban at least until 8th September, after that you may write me in Los Angeles.

1973 Correspondence

Letter to Bhavananda -- Bombay 3 January, 1973:

Now diligently and tactfully handle this matter, it is a very very good sign that our Tarun Babu and Mr. Bajoria are working together and promising to raise Rs. 2 lacs for Mayapur. If this is actually collected, then at least 5 lacs more can be collected just by advertising their 2 lacs collection.

So far the money transferred from Calcutta to Bombay, as much money as can be arranged from the Building Fund can be immediately returned to Calcutta. But I think there is only roundabout Rs. 10,000 in the Building Fund in Bombay, although there are two Building Fund accounts here and I do not know how much is there in the other Building Fund account. Most of the money collected in India has been deposited in my Bhaktivedanta Book Trust fund for printing and purchasing books for distribution in India. Actually, our main business in this country shall be to distribute our books profusely. Mayapur, Vrindaban, these temples shall be utilized for the most part by foreigners. So far the work in India of spreading Krsna consciousness, there are already millions of temples, so what shall our two more temples accomplish for spreading Krsna consciousness? They are meant for the foreigners and big life members. But our emphasis for preaching work will be on these books. Just as I introduced this life membership program based entirely on books, so you and other leaders here in India meet together or correspond frequently to devise more and more methods for introducing our literatures to the Indian public. That is the most important business.

Letter to Mr. Robert Keene -- Bombay 9 January, 1973:

Because they have become disgusted with this material world, sometimes our devotees appear to have foolishly disregarded everything, that is seen to be something bad in their eyes, but we should not take these things very seriously. Main thing is that these boys and girls have understood what is austerity and the difference between spirit and matter, that is the highest knowledge of existence. Because they are engaged in serving Krsna in this way, you have nothing further to worry, their position in life is very secure and sound because they are going back to home, back to Godhead, without any doubt. Though they may be dressed in rags, still they are more exalted than kings.

Nevertheless, I do not know how serious is the actual situation at Boston Temple or at other temples, but I am sending copies of your letter to all ISKCON centers and I am requesting the officers in charge in those places to do the needful as you are suggesting. Yes, if there is anything cold weather, the students should be sufficiently dressed and they should not work under such conditions that they will fall ill. Everything should be managed in a nice way, so that no one is dissatisfied and everyone keeps their health and energy fit for serving Krsna 24 hours.

Letter to Karandhara -- Bombay 31 March, 1973:

There is no need of adding further Deities. Once installed it cannot be changed. Do not make it childish, too much addition of Deities will encumber us. At first, either Panca Tattva or Gaura-Nitai Deities may be installed, taking care that there is sufficient space. There is no need to consult with me for these installations, the local president can decide whether the circumstances are opportune.

For two houses in M-V we are supposed to get 1600 dollars per month. Now we got three, but we get only $750 per month. What is the benefit? 12-13% interest was the original idea of investing but now you have given calculation for 6 1/2%. I do not know how you have decided this, to take so much burden of maintenance for so little return.

You have said Kesava is going to Tokyo as president, but what he will do there? Wherever he goes he cannot stay fixed up long. So how can he manage if he cannot stay regulated?

I am not going to Johannesburg, rather I am leaving tomorrow for Zurich for maybe 10 days while they are getting my place ready in London. As soon as I am informed, I will send you my address in Zurich. As far as I know it, my London address will be Piggott's Manor, Letchmore Heath, Hertfordshire, London, England.

Letter to Revatinandana -- Mayapur 5 June, 1973:

Actually, if we examine carefully, chemicals are coming from life, not life from chemicals. Just like the lemon tree. It is producing so many lemons. In each lemon there is so much citric acid. So, due to the presence of life, so many chemicals are being produced. Also, I have experienced, that one of my toenails has come off due to infection, but now my body is replacing that nail with another one of the exact size and shape as the one I have lost. If I have got such a potency to create, then what to speak of the Supreme Living Being lord Sri Krsna. If the sub-living entities can produce so much chemicals then what to speak of the Supreme living entity. This is called inconceivable potency. The living being has got an inconceivable potency to create. I do not know how my nail is coming. And the Supreme Living Entity or God, has got unlimited potency to create. I do not think that any reasonable intelligent man or scientist can deny. Aham sarvasya prabhavo, I am the source of everything, (BG 10.8).

Regarding my coming to London for Rathayatra on July 8th, if my health is by that time permitting, then I surely will come there to London.

Letter to Sudama -- Bhaktivedanta Manor 28 August, 1973:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated August 20, 1973.

I am happy to note that you are traveling and preaching, this process was also practiced by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, in the beginning of his sannyasa life he traveled all over India for almost six years and my Guru Maharaja also traveled, and similarly I am also traveling. One thing is that I do not know how practical it is to carry deities in the truck, by the jarring of the vehicle there may be some damage and also I think that it is not possible to keep the top standard of worship, cleanliness, punctual offerings etc. We must be very careful about deity worship, if it is neglectful then it is very offensive and that will not help us, we should not do it simply for show. My suggestion is that all our buses should be outfitted with the picture of Guru Gauranga, that will be quite nice. Main business of traveling buses is to distribute books profusely, what do you think?

On your recommendation I accept Pat Hedmark as my duly initiated disciple and his name is Praghosa Das. For the second initiate I am enclosing 3 sacred threads and four Mantras. Hold a fire ceremony and distribute Prasadm generously.

1974 Correspondence

Letter to Jayatirtha -- Bombay 1 May, 1974:

Concerning how to induce grhasthas to take part in Krsna Consciousness activities rather than in activities of Maya it is very simple: they should attend the temple program rigidly. Morning arati, classes, sankirtana. We have given houses with the purpose to execute devotional service exactly like the Brahmacaris and sannyasis. Otherwise, why purchase houses near the temple? The whole idea is to live near the temple and take advantage of the temple program.

Regarding the apartments, how is the rent being collected and where is it being deposited?

Locana das may deposit his contributions with the Mayapur Vrindaban fund for going to the Krsna Balarama temple. Kindly advise the Union Bank to send the monthly interest to ISKCON Mayapur Vrindaban Trust Fund. I still don't know how many installments they have sent or how quickly they are getting the money to the Punjab National Bank in Vrindaban.

As for grhastha worshiping Gaura Nitai deities that is only for those who live far away from the temple and cannot attend. Otherwise such worship is redundant: there is already deity worship going on in the temple and they should attend the aratriks, not install their own deities. The householding community in Los Angeles or any of our temples is not meant to be independent from the temple program.

Letter to Tusta Krsna -- Mayapur 14 October, 1974:

This will be your preaching principle wherever you go. On this basis travel and work, and Krishna will bless you.

I have come here to Mayapur and my health has improved much but still I am suffering from high blood pressure. After all, it is old age. As far as possible Krishna will keep me to work, and when He desires I will go. So I wish all my disciples to push on this movement for the rehabilitation of suffering humanity.

I see on the Indonesian stamps all Indian names: Hari Dharma, Laksmana, Sudarso. I do not know how they have become Mohammedan. They will take to Krishna consciousness, chanting of Hare Krishna because they already know Hari Dharma. When I was in Jakarta, several government officers came to see me, and they appreciated very much and were interested in Bhagavad-gita.

Letter to Jagannatha -- Bombay 28 November, 1974:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated November 13, 1974 and have noted the contents. Regarding your joining the travelling party for Sanskrit work, I have no objection, but these things have to be decided amongst yourselves. I do not know how the Press is managed for doing this work. Who will do your work if you leave? These things you all have to manage. My business is to write the books, and it is your responsibility to publish them. If you are talented to work on the Sanskrit department, then you should do that. This is important work.

Letter to Rupanuga -- Bombay 18 December, 1974:

He is fully capable and qualified for being GBC of India. But I want him to maintain his job for now anyway. Immediately although, you can make him one of the GBC men. His name can be added to the list. We can decide about the idea of him coming to India at our next GBC meeting in Mayapur. You asked in your letter whether Gurudasa Prabhu is authorized to collect money from US temples for Vrndavana project. No, he is not authorized to do this.

In regards to the $180,000 that was received in discounts. That money should be reinvested in printing books.

New York is now saved from the hands of this woman. Unfortunately it has victimized our Bali Mardan. He is a very nice boy but somehow or another he has become victimized by this woman. I do not know how he could be victimized by such a woman who is of mothers age. Somehow or another we must save Bali Mardan as he is very much attached to this woman.

You mention that in our Buffalo project that Saptaratha Prabhu is there making nice doll display for the temple. You should tell him that others should also learn from him how to make these dolls. We have to make these doll displays for all of our temples all over the world, on all different subject matters, from the scriptures. It is a very nice way of attracting all people especially in the West.

Letter to Durgesh -- Bombay 27 December, 1974:

I am in due receipt of your letter 10-12-74 and have noted the contents carefully.

It has been recommended to me by the leaders in London that you should move into our temple as a permanent brahmacari and that your father will allow it if I also recommend. After studying your letter carefully and seeing the devotion and sincerity that you possess I am also very much in favor of your staying at our temple as a brahmacari. In my previous letter I had said that you could go to school during the week and live in the temple on the weekends. But I did not know how serious and determined you were to become Krsna Conscious. Someone as determined as you should be given facilities to spend cent percent of his time in Krsna Consciousness. Therefore I would be very happy to see you living in the temple, following all of our principles of pure life and becoming an expert scholar in Vedic knowledge, through studying my books diligently. This is real education. The so-called education that they are teaching in the schools and universities today is simply useless knowledge which is all based on atheistic and speculative theories. The teachers themselves are following no real authorities in wisdom neither do they set any good examples for their students. By going to school today there is always the danger through bad association of becoming entangled in so many unwanted things such as illicit sex, intoxication etc. Therefore definitely the best thing for you is to live in our temple in London. Please request your father on my behalf to let you do this. If there is any hesitation on his part please request him to write me and I will try to clarify things. If you go to live at our temple, because of your age, you should have a written statement from your father showing that he has given permission. Then authorities will not think that you are a run away.

1975 Correspondence

Letter to Giriraja -- Honolulu 4 February, 1975:

I am in due receipt of the two copies of the Governors' letters but nothing from you. I do not know how far you have advanced in the matter of constructing of the building as sanctioned by the municipality. I hope everything is going on nicely there and please send weekly reports as I am anxious to know.

As advised by Sri M. Channa Reddy, have you seen the Chief Minister or not? If you've seen him, let me know the result. But I think the Governor is personally examining our case. So, what is the use of seeing the Chief Minister.

Regarding the bus, now I am serious to purchase one bus at least and I have secured money. So, arrange for this immediately with the help of Sridhara. We do not want the seats—it should be vacant. As such, the price should be reduced considerably. Gurukrpa Svami will go to India to lead the party, but at least 6 Indian men must go with him. As soon as I return to India, I shall take up this Bus sankirtana very seriously.

One copy of our book, Lord Caitanya in Five Features may be handed over to Svami Cinmayananda as our humble presentation. If somebody, or youself sees him personally, give him thanks for his letter recommending our admission in the temples and present this book to him. That will be nice.

Letter to Dr. Ghosh -- Mayapur 5 April, 1975:

I am in due receipt of your two letters dated March 20th and March 23rd, 1975 and have noted the contents very carefully. I thank you very much for your kind invitation and, tentatively, I accept it. Most probably, we shall go to Allahabad from Vrndavana by the 28th of April, 1975 and stay there for a week, and then start for Bombay on the way to Australia by the 5th of May I wish to hold classes on Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam for one hour in the evening and one hour in the morning. I do not know if gentlemen there will spare so much time. If not two hours, then I shall hold one hour Bhagavad-gita class, and I wish to see how people there appreciate our missionary activities. It is strictly on the basis of Lord Krishna's teachings as they are presented by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. That is our mission. So, if people become interested in our philosophy, then we shall consider the other two items, namely, the nursery school and dispensary. So far dispensary is concerned, we have none all over the world. It will be a new attempt. So far the school is concerned, we have got in Africa and America, and we have got men experienced to teach on our line. But for dispensary, we have no experience at all.

I do not know how you are at the present moment about your health but I request you again to come to Vrndavana about the 20th of April. Then we shall discuss elaborately and make a decision. Otherwise, if you do not come, we will go as already decided and open a nice center there if possible.

Letter to Mahamsa -- New Delhi 2 May, 1975:

At the present moment, I am in New Delhi. We came here on the invitation of two big ministers, the Home Minister and the Railway Minister and we had two successful meetings here. Now, on the third instant, we shall go to Kuruksetra invited by Mr. G.L. Nanda. Then I shall come back on the same evening. On the fourth, I shall take rest and on the fifth, I shall go to Bombay. I do not know how much you have proceeded about the land donation by Mr. Hari Prasad Badruka and brothers. If Hari Prasad Badruka donates the land as stipulated, then I wish to make him one of the trustees of Hare Krishna Land, Bombay. I am going to make a trust board for the Bombay Hare Krishna Land in which I wish to include Sri Panalala Pithi, Hari Prasad Badruka, as well as yourself as members of the trustee board. What is your opinion? If possible, please see me in Bombay on the fifth instant, and we shall discuss on this point. If Hari Prasad Badruka and brothers are serious about donating land to us, then my decision is to make one of them especially Hari Prasad become the member of the trust of the Hare Krishna Land. I hope you will understand my views. I shall be glad to see you in Bombay on the fifth before starting for Australia on the sixth instant.

Letter to Mr. Morris Lapidus -- Denver 1 July, 1975:

In order to manufacture and market your own inventions it would be a great struggle and too much time and energy would have to be spent, as you have stated. It also requires great business expertise to succeed and not be cheated.

You should regard your main business as trying to become Krsna conscious through reading my books and associating with the devotees in the Sankirtana movement there in Brooklyn temple. You are an older man, 68 years old, so I appreciate it if you can help my disciples in New York in cooperation with the President, Gopijanavallabha.

At any rate we do not know how long we shall live. So we have to concentrate on reading, chanting, and distributing books, and in this way try to become Krsna conscious completely before the next death.

Letter to Bon Maharaja -- Evanston, Illinois 7 July, 1975:

If you could have found the time to come to Hawaii, I thought I would take you with me to all these places and surely you would appreciate my humble attempts. I thank you very much for your appreciation, "A wonderful job in this country."

Sripada Sripada Sridhara Maharaja also appreciated my service. He said that Caitanya Mahaprabhu's prediction: prthivite ache yata nagaradi grama/ sarvatra pracara haibe mora nama, would remain a dream only, but he congratulated me that I have done it practically.

I do not know how things are going on automatically by His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada, because I have no other assets except his causeless mercy. I am glad to know that you visited some of our centers in Canada. Prof. O'Connell is well known to me. Last he met me in London. He sent a copy of his review of Prof. Stillson Judah's book, Hare Krishna and Counterculture. This book is a favorable presentation of our movement of Hare Krishna in this country, and he has done it very scholarly. I have seen in the book that your good name and Sripada Tirtha's name are also there. We are also having good sales of our books about 50 in number amongst educated circles both in America and Europe with good appreciation. Enclosed is one pamphlet published in Dutch. We are publishing in all languages.

Letter to Tamala Krsna -- Bombay 18 December, 1975:

Thank you for your letter dated December 4, 1975 I have noted the contents with great pleasure. Your letter is very very encouraging to me. I do not know how you are selling so many books. There is no instance in history where religious books were sold with such enthusiasm and success. Is there any such history? The Christians have spread their teachings all over the world, and they have only one book, so we have got already 40, Big books published in English, therefore if we distribute, as you are distributing we cannot even imagine the result. Your program is very nice, please continue more and more.

Yes we can print instead of 20,000, 50,000 copies of the first editions of each book, ask Ramesvara to do it.

Your idea for holding Jagannatha festival in the big cities is approved by me, do it. yes you come in January.

1976 Correspondence

Letter to Sri Kashinath Mullick -- Delhi 24 March, 1976:

Last night at the Thakura Bati we had a very nice meeting, so I wanted to talk with you of improvement of the Uddharana Dutta Thakura Path. I know you are managing the establishment so nicely till now but still further improvement can be done if you cooperate with us. We want to establish a small gurukula as mentioned in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, accommodating willing Vaisnavas who will follow the Vaisnava behavior strictly; arranging worship of the Deity by the sincere devotees who will not take any remuneration and who follow the Vaisnava principles.

I do not know how many devotees are staying there for taking prasadam, but I want at least 25 devotees to stay there regularly for taking prasadam, occasionally holding festivals also for distributing prasadam to anyone who visits the temple. I am thinking in this line. I am hoping that you can give me your considerate opinion as to how it can be done. Furthermore, I wish to be enlightened to know how much land the mandir possesses for cultivation because I wish the temple community to be self-sufficient by producing their own food grains. In foreign countries we are organizing our centres on this principle. Here also in Mayapur we are doing the same thing, and we have just taken on another place, Haridasapur, the place of Haridasa Thakura. There are 6 bighas of land and they have donated it to us, and we are trying to develop it according to the above mentioned program.

1977 Correspondence

Letter to VARIOUS -- Unknown Place Unknown Date:

I do not know how these doubts have come upon you. Why bother about all these things? They are not very important. Everything is explained in Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, why you are still asking? If you believe whatever the material so-called scientists are saying, that is your business, but I do not believe any of their so-called observations in outer space by the blunt material senses can be true without any doubt. So why you doubt Vedas and not scientists. I cannot even see into the next room, how I can see anything very surely so many millions of miles distant? But if someone who has been there tells me, then I can know everything about that place. So we must have to take the authority of experienced persons to get the truth, and what experience our so-called scientists have got? Can they deliver even an ant from the miserable conditions of this spot-life, from birth, death, disease, and old age? No. They have spent simply millions of dollars to make a show of their so-called learning and the resul is a handful of dust, that's all. So we are not very much impressed by them, neither we take their version as perfect. They will say that millions of years ago the human beings were primitive hunters. But if we see Vedic language, we can understand that their thought and language and intelligence was not that of primitive men, no. If you are looking for some excuse to doubt, then maya will always provide you. So this or that you may find out something flaw if you want. But Krsna says surrender unto Me and I will give you all protection, perfect knowledge of everything. You should not go to modern scientists for perfect knowledge. They cannot supply that. Krsna will supply you.

Letter to VARIOUS -- Unknown Place Unknown Date:

You may be forgiven once, twice, but more than that it is impossible. So I do not know why this weakness has come upon you, you are intelligent boy, but we shall not tolerate such nonsense again. Once before our Rayarama was also detected and exposed as a cheater and he left our society. So no one is exempt from being asked to leave, only I have gt also great affection for you personally and you have done so much service that I am little reluctant to become angry upon you. But do not involve the other devotees in your nonsense activities of intoxication.

Now I am old man, I have become a little weakened, and I do not know how much longer I shall be able to push on this Krsna Consciousness movement in active preaching capacity. Therefore I have entrusted my right hand men, like GBC, sannyasis and men like yourself, to take up where I had left off and continue expanding and propagating KC all over the world as per the desire of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. In this way, you have got the opportunity of being favored by Krsna to become responsible leader of the human society, therefore I am simply surprised that you have again fallen under the spell of old bad habits. If you are actually intelligent and not simply pretending intelligence, then you will take this as a lesson and make repentance. If Krsna sees that you are sincerely repenting, He will excuse you. As austerity, you should forget these things and never again think about them in your mind. That will make you very strong.

Page Title:Do not know how (Letters)
Compiler:MadhuGopaldas, RupaManjari
Created:18 of Apr, 2013
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=0, Let=81
No. of Quotes:81