Drive (Letters)

Expressions researched:
" drive" |"drives" |"drove"

1967 Correspondence

Letter to 'Children' at New York -- Vrindaban 26 July, 1967:

We were glad to get back on the plane and start for Delhi. The flight from Moscow to Delhi took about 8 hours, and when we arrived it was about midnight local time, and when we stepped out of the plane I KNEW IT WAS INDIA! It was like walking into a solid wall of HEAT. But that's what I've been wanting, and it felt good to me. Some friends were there to meet us, so after clearing customs we drove into town, where we stayed (and are presently) at a Radha Krishna Temple near Kashmiri Gate.

Today I have consulted with two Ayur Vedic physicians, one of whom is famous in these quarters, and they conclude that my trouble is with my heart, but that all danger is past, and that I will be just fine, provided I follow simple regulative measures with my diet and work. I also have been given some medicine, so we shall see how Krishna desires. Tomorrow, Krishna willing, we will go to Vrindaban, where you can send mail to me.

Letter to Jayananda -- Delhi 16 September, 1967:

I'm so glad to receive your letter of Aug 30, and I know also that you are a sincere devotee of Lord Krishna. When you drive your car you always chant "Hare Krishna" and when I was by your side I could understand how heartily you have accepted the philosophy of Krishna Consciousness. Krishna is very kind to all but He is especially kind to his sincere devotees. Krishna is always with us, within our hearts and He is always ready to give us direction but because everyone is independent Krishna responds cooperatively. Anyone who voluntarily cooperates with Krishna's desire He responds to his call very eagerly. Krishna descends to teach us Bhagavad-gita begging our cooperation and anyone who cooperates with Him becomes blessed. You are sincerely cooperating with Krishna and therefore you all boys and girls in San Francisco, working together harmoniously. Harmony means Krishna Consciousness. Without Krishna Consciousness there cannot be harmony in the world. I've received the report of successful performance of Janmashtami ceremony.

Letter to Rayarama -- Navadvipa 27 October, 1967:

Our circulation manager, Sriman Gargamuni, is surely taking great interest in seeling the copies. Regarding Kirtanananda's article, I do not know what he has written but I can guess that it must be polluted with impersonal poison, so for the time being you can keep this article aside. I was so glad to learn that you are acting exactly like a lion cub & I know that in the future you shall conquer ever many jackals. We have got experience in India that the jackals roar four times at night without any influence but the one roar of a lion drives away many elephants. The pressure Maya is elephant-like, big, but the roaring of Nrsimhadeva can drive away many elephants. Please convey my thanks to Satyavrata (Moskowitz) & inform him that I've received his letter. His humble attitude is just befitting a genuine devotee. I very much appreciate his devotional attitude.

1968 Correspondence

Letter to Harivilasa -- Montreal 10 June, 1968:

Next time I will write about his cooperating with you in answering your letters promptly, and sending you literature as you require for your preaching work.

I am so glad that your Kirtana is driving away the Mayavadi philosophers from that part of the country, and Haridvar and Hrsikesa are full of impersonalists. If you can drive them away by your vibration of Hari Kirtana, Krishna will be so much pleased and Lord Caitanya will shower His blessings upon you.

Letter to Annapurna -- Los Angeles 5 December, 1968:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated Oct. 30, which has reached me after travelling over the whole world. It was addressed to Montreal, sent to Hollywood Blvd., then to Orange Drive and finally it has come to me. So it has taken so long time and I am very glad to learn that you are now in your father's country and feeling very nice. Mukunda and all the other devotees are trying their best to start a temple in London and a temple is already there by Krishna's Grace. The landlord has offered them the place free of rent until the house is disposed of so I think that they should try to influence the landlord to donate the building for our great cause. At least he should let us conduct our business there for the benefit of all of mankind. It is understood that the landlord belongs to the hippie group and he has purchased the house for hippie propaganda but now wishes to sell the house and property.

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Tamala Krsna -- Allston, Mass 6 May, 1969:

So we have to train preachers, and they will go to the students in public institutions to educate them in Krishna Consciousness. So if our men simply study our books and magazines, and assimilate them nicely and clarify as soon as there is some doubt, then surely we shall drive out all these so-called yogis and propagandists who are simply cheating the innocent people to solve their pecuniary problems. Regarding the Radha-Krishna Murtis, they may be kept for the time being, and when I go there I shall take care of them. Regarding my backache, the 10% balance appears to be out of my body, but after all, the material body can be infected at any time, so we should not bother very much about it. We must simply go on with our activities in Krishna Consciousness.

Letter to Bali-mardana, Sudama -- Tittenhurst 3 October, 1969:

The food goes to the account of the hookworm. Similarly, we have got our dormant loving spirit for Krishna, but it is being misused by Maya. As such, we have gradually to disassociate with Maya or take such medicine which will counteract the contact of Maya. Then our pure Krishna Consciousness will come out automatically. So this chanting of Hare Krishna Mantra is the only medicine to drive out the smokey curtain created by Maya, covering our pure heart. In other words, our love for Krishna is being blocked by the intervention of Maya, and as soon as we stop this intervention, our life becomes sublime. So this is not a sectarian religious convention, but it is a fact, and the proof is that the Hare Krishna Mantra is liked in USA, in Canada, in Europe, and now in Japan.

1970 Correspondence

Letter to Dr. Chakravarti -- Bombay 3 November, 1970:

I left Calcutta on Sept. 29 and came to Bombay to attend the Bharata Sadhu Samaj conference and then again from Bombay to Amritsar I went to attend the Vedanta Samelan conference. Now I have come back to Bombay again and the return address should be c/o Kailash Seksaria; 74 Marine Drive; Bombay-20. I've received your kind contribution of some valuable books and I've gone through them with great interest. Although I've had no chance to study these books thoroughly, still I can understand the spirit of the writings.

Your tendency to give Srila Jiva Goswami the proper position a philosopher is very much appreciated. Some years back I attended a meeting in Calcutta wherein Pramathanath Trakvhusna, the learned Sanskrit scholar, was present. He said about Jiva Goswami very highly that there was no comparison with Jiva Goswami and any other philosophers of the world.

Letter to Sudama -- Bombay 4 November, 1970:

So please work closely together and do everything in cooperation.

Please send immediately ten copies of Japanese BTG as soon as they are printed by Dai Nippon. You can send them to the Marine Drive address. Thank you very much for your check for 45 dollars for my maintenance fund. Please offer my blessings to your good wife Cintamani and to all the other good Tokyo Prabhus. I hope you are well and jolly.

Letter to Damodara -- Bombay, India 12 November, 1970:

They are a good field for spreading our Krishna Consciousness activities. Try and get all our books accepted in the college libraries and classroom courses. That will be our real success. Dr. Cenkner is correct in saying that Sankaracarya's belief is personal. Actually he is a covered personalist. He became impersonalist just to drive away Buddhism. All of India was Buddhist voidism. So, although a personalist, he had to keep pace with voidism by expounding impersonalism. There is very little difference between impersonalism and voidism, but because he had to bring Buddhists back to the Vedic cultural form, he adopted impersonalism. From the Padma Purāṇa, it is learned that Sankaracarya is Lord Siva, and who can be a greater devotee than Lord Siva? Lord Siva is considered to be the foremost Vaisnava.

1971 Correspondence

Letter to Karandhara -- Bombay 18 March, 1971:

I have the seven sacred threads (including one for Sriman Yasodanandana) and they are returned by separate post with my blessings. I have received the Bank of America deposit slips for $1,080.00. Thank you very much.

I am encouraged by your new membership drive. This membership program is so important that we get money, sympathizers and push on our mission of distributing books, all simultaneously. Anyone reading our Krsna book, Nectar of Devotion, Teachings of Lord Caitanya and Bhagavad-gita will certainly become a Krsna conscious person. Someway or other we have to push these literatures, whether through schools, colleges, libraries, membership or ordinary sales. In your country practically there is no illiteracy. Everyone can read and write. So when they will read Krsna book, certainly they will enjoy this as a story or as philosophy, morality, religion, etc. and gradually they will become perfect in Krsna consciousness.

Letter to Suresh Candra -- London 13 August, 1971:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated 15th July, 1971 and have noted the contents. I am glad to learn that you had contact with my disciple Vaikunthanatha and his wife Saradia Devi there in Guyana. Presently Vaikunthanatha and wife are in Trinidad at the following address: c/o B.N. Singh; 258 Christian Drive; Plaisance Park; Pointe-a-Pierre; Trinidad, W. Indies, and are working very hard to push on this Krishna Consciousness movement in that part of the world. They are very sincere young couple and I am very much appreciative of the fine work they are doing there. Formerly they were in Guyana but when their visas expired, they were forced to leave the country, despite the local support. But I know that there are many people in Guyana who are wanting to see us establish one center of our International Society for Krishna Consciousness there in Guyana.

Letter to Patita Uddharana -- Delhi 15 November, 1971:

It will be a good idea in the future if our devotees take lesson from this unfortunate incident and take precaution not to drive late at night for any reason—no gain can come from such driving at night which will ever compensate for much great losses. Please advise your GBC zonal secretary that in future great precaution must be taken.

Please continue in your writing of songs and poems for Krishna, because singing Krishna's praises is the highest type of spiritual activity and will give Him great enjoyment. I would be pleased if you can send me a tape of some of your compositions.

I plan to remain here in Delhi until 26th November, then we are all going to Vrindaban for a few days.

Letter to Bahulasva -- Vrindaban 30 November, 1971:

So we are not concerned with this kind of business. We are concerned to go deep into the sea and have our own individual identity exactly like the fish and other aquatic animals, and enjoy perpetually in the sea. This is liberation. This Mayavadi philosophy is very superficial, and therefore they cannot go deep into the matter and they are simply satisfied simply by suggesting the activity of the waves.

I am very glad that you are challenging all of these so-called swamis and gurus. My Guru Maharaja appreciated devotees who boldly present our Vaisnava philosophy. We must take advantage of every opportunity to defeat these rascals and drive them away, so please continue this strong attitude.

Letter to Upendra -- Delhi 8 December, 1971:

This is the best activity, to distribute solid information about Krishna. Our preaching stands solid on these books. No other movement or cult has such vast background of authority, so we are not afraid to challenge anyone and everyone to defeat their philosophy on the basis of that authority. Krishna appreciates such strong preachers as His dearmost servants, so let us work very enthusiastically to drive away rascal philosophy and establish the real religion of Bhagavad-gita As It Is.

You say that you have met people who claim that by evolution we are approaching a higher stage of existence. That is true in one sense, that anyone who takes to Krishna Consciousness may elevate himself to the highest status of life. Krishna mentions many types of higher beings in Bhagavad-gita, such as demigods and those who dwell on higher planets. We have information that there are 8,400,000 species of life.

1972 Correspondence

Letter to Hamsaduta -- Bombay 10 January, 1972:

Translators are there, all facilities of German first-class printing machines are there—simply we are not serious to do it. Now you and Krishna das work combinedly to arrange for printing of so many books in Germany, French, and other languages. That will be a great help to me. I have given Krishna das suggestion to purchase one van there and drive it to India. What do you think?

I am going to Nairobi for a few days from the 25th January, returning by 1st February. Then we shall hold our programs in Ahmedabad, Madras, Mayapur.*

Hoping this will meet you and your good wife, Mataji, in strong health and lively mood.

Letter to Krsna dasa -- Bombay 10 January, 1972:

For this collecting money, we shall require that some of our men go every day into Bombay some distance away for seeing rich men and persuading them to give something. And I think for this purpose a suitable van or bus from Germany would be very nice. If you like, you may purchase there and drive here in that van as soon as possible and then go back. Syamasundara has written to Karandhara that he may assist you in sending money to purchase, so you may consult Karandhara.

Mandali Bhadra should be encouraged to translate as much as possible.

I think that you are now very serious to resume working very hard for spreading the light of Lord Caitanya's mission in the European countries, so I am very much encouraged and relieved. Thank you very much.

Letter to Sri Govinda -- Bombay 10 January, 1972:

Regarding your proposal to open one store, that is not a very good proposal. Our devotees cannot work in that way. Better they are preaching and selling books door-to-door. That man simply wants to take our men for nothing, create some trouble, then drive us away. This has been our experience. If the man wants to open such store and without us working give us some profit, that is all right.

Letter to Hamsaduta -- Madras 14 February, 1972:

The individual presidents should be more managerial, more individual, and you can supervise, and if some defect is detected, you can make suggestions how to correct it. But if we lose individuality and simply become mechanical, what is the point?

With reference to your point that it may be too difficult to drive with van to India, if it is not practical then we should not attempt. But I see so many world tourists here in such vans, how they can do it and we cannot?

Regarding Krishna Das, I have heard that Sweden is a very good field, so if he is doing something tangible there, that is to his credit and why not he should remain there for some time—but why he does not write me letters and send his address? I do not know if he is taking active part of if he is not doing anything.

Letter to Satyabhama -- Mayapur 28 February, 1972:

Your idea to start a nursery school in New Vrindaban is very good proposal and you may immediately try for it by cooperatively consulting amongst yourselves how to do it. But one thing, we are teaching Bhakti by practical attendance and by decreasing playing desire or drive. If the children simply do as their elders are doing, that is, regularly attending mangal arati, rising early, chanting, eating prasadam, looking at books, worshiping the __ like that, then automatically they will become trained up in right way and there is no need for special program for education. Children will always do as they see others doing, so if by the good association of their parents and the other older persons, they will come out nicely fixed in Krishna Consciousness, and because they are not spoiled by an artificial standard of sense gratification, they will think that performing austerities is great fun, just like in India we see the young brahmacaris are sent out to beg for their spiritual master to teach them humility and non-attachment, and they spend the whole day in the hot sun and come back at night, take a handful of rice, and sleep without blankets on the hard floor—and they take this type of life as very much enjoyable and great fun.

Letter to Hamsaduta -- Sydney 2 April, 1972:

On the whole, it is so nice that I am suggesting Dayananda that he supply you and Krishna das with information, how you may purchase such busses in London and drive them all over European continent, and these "Hare Krishna Movement" busses will make us famous all over the world. I am enclosing one photo of their Australia bus in Sydney.

I have acknowledged the $250.00 from you with thanks. Now I am remembering you in Calcutta when you were performing kirtana on the __ street. All of them, huge crowds of Bengali natives, and they were very much appreciative and they were paying you. That is a very pleasant memory. Thank you very much for helping me in this way. May Krishna give you all His blessings.

Letter to Gargamuni -- Los Angeles 28 May, 1972:

Bhagavan dasa in Detroit is trying for some cars __. Also , Hamsaduta has got some very nice buses in Germany __ has written to me that he can purchase one for sending to __ there is need. but I do not think it is possible to drive __ India by crossing over Pakistan, because the border has been __ Anyway, in the near future we shall be dispatching some vehicle __ India, but meanwhile you should concentrate on this plan of distributing books and magazines very extensively in Bombay area.

Letter to Gurudasa, Yamuna -- London 11 August, 1972:

Better if our own men design and build the temple in our way. So I like these plans from Saurabha very much, and you may submit them as they are.

Now do everything in Vrndavana very peacefully, and always cooperate with each other at all times. There is some trouble with Satchitananda, he informs me you are trying to drive him away because he has written that letter about Yamuna, so that should not be the case. Better to cooperate all of you and do something tangible for Krsna. Stop this fighting. Have a European preaching center and try to enlist all the hippies and tourists who come to Vrndavana. Give them nice prasadam, engage them in chanting, cleaning the temple, reading our books, and give them all facilities for becoming devotees.

Letter to Madhudvisa, Amogha -- Los Angeles 24 August, 1972:

He is young boy, so we should not take his actions too seriously, better to forget the past and try to reform him. His service can be once again very much valuable there in Australia, I know he is very good boy. Do not drive him away, that will be the discredit to all of you leaders. But if there is great difficulty, he may come and live with me here in Los Angeles for the time being, I have no objection. But he has done very nicely in Sydney up to the present time, so if you can utilize his experience and talents there, that is the best plan.

I am very glad to hear that Amogha is returning to Djakarta along with others for continuing our preaching work there. He may send me regular reports how work is going on. Krsna is always prepared to give special favor to His devotees who take special risk to spread His name in the far away places and who do not care very much for the comfortable surroundings. Thank you very much for helping me in this way.

Letter to Karandhara, Tamala Krsna, Giriraja, Bhavananda -- Vrindaban 24 October, 1972:

Our position is very strong. Do not think think weak and timid, he is bluffing. You have not read the purchase agreement carefully.

Immediately an application should be submitted to the magistrate that he has accepted the money and has willfully delayed the conveyance on tricks, and he has threatened to drive away even by violence, what is this? You could not find out a good lawyer even? This must all be heard before a magistrate.

Letter to Karandhara, Tamala Krsna, Giriraja, Bhavananda -- Vrindaban 24 October, 1972:

The transaction is finished, he has illegally delayed to give us the conveyance. Now through the courts we can force him to give. We shall stick to the purchase agreement, nothing else. And take police precaution that he is threatening us. Go to the magistrate and tell him we gave Nair money and now he is threatening violence to drive us away. We shall go to the court, there is no other way. Criminal court means complaint that we have given money, he has not given conveyance, he is threatening by force to drive us from the place. This is the only settlement possible, that he returns our Rs. 2,70,000 immediately and we vacate, or immediately file criminal case. There is no other alternative. We have finished the business. He is entrapped because he has received the money. Our boys do not understand. Anything, as soon as you receive money the transaction is finished. And even it is six months passed, it is our option to rescind, not his. Charity Commissioner has delayed, that is not very serious for disqualifying us.

Letter to Dhananjaya -- Bombay 31 December, 1972:

Of course we work very very hard just to get someone to come to the platform of devotee of Krsna, so we shall not be too much hasty to drive anyone out. Therefore we may forgive once, twice, but more than that we must take other steps. So if any new candidate for devotee comes forward you may test him very thoroughly to understand from him if he is ready to fully accept our strict standard of temple living. Let him understand that it is not an arbitrary or whimsical decision on our parts to become like military camp, rather we are strictly adhering to our devotional principles only so that we may make advancement in Krsna consciousness and be protected from the attack of maya consciousness. They may be thinking that these people are slaves of their strict principles, but we are thinking that the strict principles are slaves to us.

1973 Correspondence

Letter to George -- Bombay 4 January, 1973:

I was informed by some of my disciples at London, namely, Dhananjaya, Jaya Hari, Revatinandana Swami and others, that you so kindly have sent your car and drive to our place filled-up with fruits and flowers to offer to Radha and Krishna on the Disappearance day of my Guru Maharaja, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. I am so much pleased that you have thought of Him in that way, thank you very much. Surely you will become blessed by Him more and more.

Yes, if one simply comes to that platform of spontaneous love for the spiritual master, then very quickly he will get love of God, or Krishna, and his all hankerings and lamentations of life will be finished. That is the process. Just like when two friends meet and, if the friend is also with his dog, the gentleman pats his dog first, is it not?

Letter to Tamala Krsna -- Bhaktivedanta Manor 20 July, 1973:

Yes, Mayapur construction must be completely finished before I return. The next time I come there must be no more workers or carpenters with their "tack-tack" sound. I would have continued to stay in Mayapur but the hammering sounds drove me away. When you are completely finished I will go there, otherwise not. You will be glad to hear that I am eating and working nicely here. The village is neat and clean and I am walking daily in the morning with the devotees and taking the class from 7-8 A.M. It is calm and quiet here and people are coming to talk with me in the evenings. George came to meet with me and he is very enthusiastic to cooperate. Rathayatra was very successful here, as 10,000 people attended and prasadam was distributed. See enclosed newspaper.

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

When I hear about the Sankirtana Buses that are moving all over the world then I think that we are becoming like a gigantic guerilla warfare movement fighting with maya. This traveling in buses is the best means to drive away maya and establish Krishna consciousness all over the world. After all the whole world is the property of Krishna, but temporarily it is being illegally occupied by maya's agents. Flood them with kirtana and books, this is the best weapon, increase the number of buses that will be your success.

The new initiates are named as follows: Peggy Flyn—Purnamasi Dasi, Garry Pennington—Punderikasam Das. I am also enclosing one sacred thread and mantra for Ganapati Das. You may proform a fire ceremony and distribute prasadam feast.

Letter to Karandhara -- Bhaktivedanta Manor 1 September, 1973:

My schedule of program is as follows; Sweden on the 5th September after returning I shall go to Japan by the 15th via Tehran and India. Then from Japan I shall return to Los Angeles via Hawaii, estimated by the 10th October. Certainly at that time I shall drive on my Rolls Royce car with great pleasure at least for three months. Pray to Krishna that I may execute my touring program without any disturbance.

1974 Correspondence

Letter to Dr. Ghosh:

In the western countries there have been many revolutions, in France, England, Germany and Russia, simply to change leaders of this ism to that ism. In India also since India's contact with the western countries, there have been certain types of revolutions, and they are now going on. Recently in our experience there was attempt to drive away the British. This revolution changed India from dependence to independence, but factually the situation has deteriorated from bad to worse. We are old friends, we know that in Allahabad when I was there, ghee was selling for 1 kg. per 1 rupee, and now its costs 20-25 rupees per kg. In this way, things have not improved, in so many ways. This is due to imperfect leaders.

Letter to Jayapataka , Bhavananda -- Bombay 3 April, 1974:

If there is so much harvest, you have cows, vegetables, then why do you require money for maintenance?

I have read in your letter how the brahmacaris find it very difficult to plough. It will be very difficult if we do not work the land ourselves. The difficulty can be overcome provided we are sincere. I think we can use modern machines, to drive a tractor, for example, is as easy as driving a car. Suppose we hire a tractor for the time being. I heard they are available from Krishnanagar. In America they take to agriculture; they are farmers although they are not Indians. So why can't the Americans work and farm in India? We just have to adjust in order to raise as much crops as possible for the animals and men. I have seen many farmers near New Vrindaban working nicely with tractors and growing food. One day Kirtanananda Swami hired one and within two hours he tilled many acres of land very nicely, although it was not even land.

1975 Correspondence

Letter to Tejiyas -- Johannesburg 16 October, 1975:

Please forward the visa to him in Johannesburg as quickly as possible. Also, kindly find out what are the regulations if a tourist brings (drives) his car into India and forward this information to Pusta Krishna Swami in Johannesburg.

Letter to Pusta Krsna -- New Delhi 2 December, 1975:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated November 17, 1975. Regarding the car, you just register it in your name in Germany. Hamsaduta Prabhu has agreed to give the 11% tax until export. Then drive it here and when it is here we will see how to manage.

1976 Correspondence

Letter to Yasomatinandana -- Mayapur 15 February, 1976:

Yes, I approve your distribution ideas, namely subscriber agents, news agents. The subscription drive is a solid program. And if you regularly publish and get registered, you can get a one or two paise charges (postal concession). All right, you may take advertisements. Go ahead and educate the public regarding our philosophy and ISKCON activities. Also in the future there are many cities such as Bombay, Surat, and Calcutta with large numbers of Gujaratis, you may arrange for getting subscriptions there. Gradually as you work there, you will get local men to join you.

Letter to Bhargava -- Honolulu 29 May, 1976:

Simply because there is no stock of books, we can do anything whimsically??? Is this logic? Gita is not spoken in Vrindaban, it is spoken on the battlefield of Kuruksetra, but this is Vrindaban picture. That chariot drive by 4 horses, that is the real Kuruksetra picture. It is not that because there is no stock we can do whimsically as we like and lose the idea, that is rasa-bhasa. Because there is no bread, you take stone to eat? There is no stock of bread so you will take stone??? The front picture is most important thing and you have changed it. It must remain standard, and not change. Also, the lettering is not nice on the cover. You could have taken a color picture of Krishna and Arjuna and used it black and white (one color) on the front cover. Just as you did with the inside back cover of the Bhagavat darsana, the original picture of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was in color but you have printed it in black and white.

Letter to Satsvarupa -- Krishna Balaram Mandir October 22, 1976:

Because they are not Krsna conscious, they do not know how to utilize anything properly. They are simply thinking of satisfying their own senses. So many big, big plans, but the result is that people are unhappy. Napoleon and Hitler made big, big plans, where are they now? All failures. Churchill wanted to keep India under control. Gandhi wanted to drive away the Englishmen. Now, the Englishmen are driven away and things are going on by the laws of nature. Churchill and others have remained in comatose condition before dying due to excessive attachment to their plans. All failures.

Yes, there is no harm if you have to do some research. Krsna will supply the materials. You may write slowly, but give something full of meaning and instruction for the misguided people of this age.