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Gentelmen (Letters)

Correspondence

1947 to 1965 Correspondence

Letter to Sardar Patel -- Calcutta 28 February, 1949:

2. The second item is to take up the temple entry or temple worship movement. This is, in the real sense, a theistic cultural movement and the facility or opportunity shall be open to every one whatsoever he may be. All the past acaryas accepted everyone who desires to offer his respect to God inspired by transcendental love and devotion. We can support this movement of Gandhiji on the authority of sastras. There are thousands and lakhs of temples all over India but they are not always properly managed. Some of them have become the positive dens for undesirable activities and most of the owners or trustees of such temples do not know how to utilize these sacred buildings. Neither modernized gentlemen have any interest for these neglected theistic institutions. Originally the aim of these temples was to diffuse spiritual culture in every quarter. These temples or theistic institutions should therefore be reorganized as the centre of spiritual culture according to authentic principles as laid down in the scriptures like Bhagavad-gita.

Letter to Mr. Bailey -- Allahabad 7 July, 1953:

The registered office of the above League is situated at the big spacious building "Bharati Bhawan" at Sipri Road, Jhansi. Gentlemen interested in such cultural activities may ask from the Founder Secretary, the prospectus of the mission (in Hindi or in English) with details of the institution.

The matter is so important that it cannot be (now) set aside to be managed by the Sadhus and Sannyasins only but it must be taken care of by all responsible men.

Letter to Gosvami Maharaja -- New Delhi 19 September, 1955:

I hope in the meantime you have received my last letter. This day I had been to the office of the Director of Postal Service along with our friend Sri Horendra Natha Shome and Sripada Akincana Maharaja. Some of the would be customers whose addresses were given for registration denied to be our paid subscribers and this was against the registration certificate. We had some talks with the Asst. Director who was a perfect gentleman. Heron Babu being one of them he told that he is also a customer. When he wrote in black and white his version the Director agreed to register it and I am glad to inform you this day our "Sri Sajjanatoshani Patrik" is registered in the postal department as a monthly newspaper under registration No. D797. Just on the way I dropped in at the Kapoor Art Press and I gave him the No. for printing on the cover. Our posting date has been fixed up on the 26th and 27th inst. I do not know if the press will be able to finish the job by that date. I have already given him the pressure and I shall see that it is duly published by the above date and posted.

Letter to Gosvami Maharaja -- New Delhi 5 October, 1955:
Some non-Bengali gentlemen are demanding my Hindi edition of Caitanya Caritamrta. They are prepared to pay any price for this (Rs 32/ or Rs 25/- ) your Holiness has already seen the manuscript. I wish to get it out part by part. The first part will cost near about Rs 600/-. If this part is sold out, The other parts will automatically come out. I would request you to invest this initial Rs 600/- for this purpose under any arrangement you like. I shall be glad to receive your reply on this point. I hope you will give this starting & oblige.
Letter to Sirs -- Delhi 25 December, 1955:

With reference to the inaugural meeting of the Delhi section of the League on 22/12/55 the gentlemen named above have been selected to be the executive members. The immediate program of work is to find out some suitable place for the central office as also to provide the place of residence for the workers.

Letter to Sirs -- Delhi 25 December, 1955:

A meeting of the executives has to be called for discussing the above subjects but before doing so I wish that you all gentlemen may kindly fill up the typed membership forms enclosed herewith—so that following your foot prints other members of the public may __ members of this institution in large numbers.

Letter to Chief-Justice Sri M.C. Chagla -- Bombay 20 February, 1957:

I beg to inform your Lordship that on the 16th instant I was present in the meeting of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in which your Lordship spoke something at length on the matter of equal distribution of wealth as the ultimate solution of economic problem. The subject matter dealt with in the meeting was "What is the matter with the world?", and you all respectable gentlemen tried to solve it in different angles of vision. Sri Munshiji tried very faintly to solve it by going back to Godhead and I do not know whether your Lordship agrees with him.

Letter to Mr. Banerjee -- Bombay 28 July, 1958:

As advised by you the other day I went to see Mr. Mangumal at Kalvadevi but he did not entertain the idea of missionary work. I talked with him and found him perfect gentleman but he has spiritual realization of the lowest rank. According to Bhagavata a person who is attracted by the Arcana Marga without any knowledge of the science of Vaisnavism is called the Kanistha adhikari Vaisnava. He has of course honoured me with Rs. 11/- and a glass of milk for which I have thanked him very much but mission is not fulfilled.

I beg to inform you that one gentleman has allowed me to sit down in his office for propaganda work in Bombay city and I am seeking your help in this matter. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's message of universal love and fellow feeling requires to be preached in an organized manner and we Bengalis the countrymen of Lord Caitanya have a responsibility for this transcendental task.

Letter to Mr. Banerjee -- Bombay 28 July, 1958:

Respectable gentlemen specially the Bengali community may come forward first so that others will automatically follow the suit. The modern set of human civilization is an anachronism and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's message only can adjust the things all over the world. It is not blind conviction but actually this a fact which can be judged if people will make an analysis of the mercy bestowed by Lord Caitanya. The whole world is looking for it and it will be a credit for the Indians generally and he Bengalis specially if they can give the message to the suffering humanity in the right direction as chalked out by the authorized Acaryas.

Letter to Jawaharlal Nehru -- Bombay 4 August, 1958:

My humble advice to you, as I am your old friend from Allahabad, is that you should now take leave form you present responsibility of Prime ministership and as you are a popular gentleman of the world you can just engage the rest of your most valuable life in this organized spiritual movement to achieve the aim of your life which is yet to be known by the __ the world. By pushing on this authorized spiritual movement you can make a real adjustment of the western material science combined with Indian way of spiritual realization.

Letter to Ratanshi Morarji Khatau -- Bombay 5 August, 1958:

As an Indian and a man of good sense with practical business-brain you should not at least indulge in such organization under the influence of unauthorized person. Instead of indulging in the organization of such unauthorized persons you may kindly learn the science from the authority and make your life enlightened and attain success of the boon of human form of life. The League of Devotees is an organized effort to render this service to the human society without any pretentious conventions. We are publishing one paper of the name Back to Godhead to educate people in the right direction and I am sending herewith one pamphlet in which the opinions of several respectable gentlemen are inserted as to how they are being appreciated.

Letter to Anand Prakash -- Bombay 14 August, 1958:

As you are a gentleman in public welfare activities, I am in need of your help for advancing the cause of my missionary activities. The programme in nutshell is enclosed herewith in an appeal form which please read and oblige. And on receipt of your reply to this letter, I shall send you my publications both in Hindi and English.

The whole idea is to preach the cult of Lord Caitanya who desired to bestow upon every living being the highest benefit by transcendental love of Godhead, which alone can bring in peace in the world.

As an experienced philosopher gentleman of practicality this facet is not hidden before you. According to Lord Caitanya every Indian is competent to do good to the rest of the world. Provided such Indian has fulfilled the mission of life. And the mission of life is to revive the dormant divine consciousness in every living being.

Letter to Anand Prakash -- Bombay 14 August, 1958:

I wish that a personality like you may accept the head man ship of this institution and conduct the missionary work in a suitable manner befitting the time circumstances of the modern civilization. The old way of leaving the matter to the irresponsible class of men will not help the preaching work of this important mission. Responsible gentlemen who are managing all other affairs, must also take up the responsibility of this branch of activity and then it will successful. The present world situation is too much entangled. It is the duty of all sane men to loosen the tightened condition by the simple method of Bhagavad-gita and the result is sure to be successful.

Letter to Ministry for Scientific Research and Cultural Affairs -- Cuttack 20 March, 1961:

I beg to inform you in this connection that the following gentlemen know me well and about my cultural activities in literary careers.

Letter to Mr. Toshihiro Nakano -- Delhi 1 April, 1961:

The easy method is suggested in my book which is called Bhakti-yoga easy to be performed by any layman in any part of the world. By such practice of Bhakti-yoga one can reach even the spiritual sky which is far far away from this material sky. But the propagation of Human Spiritual Culture, your institution the International Foundation for Cultural Harmony, can teach all the people of the world about the easy method of Bhakti-yoga which can carry the practitioner to any other planets even up to the spiritual sky. They are all results of cultivating Human Spirit. And if you take up the matter seriously, I can help you also very seriously in cooperation with all important gentlemen who will arrive at Japan from every corner of the world. Please therefore think of a programme for execution by your good Foundation.

Letter to Mathura Prasad -- Vrindaban 23 May, 1964:

I beg to thank you for your kind cooperation in the matter of Bhagavatam Mission. I shall try to see the Hathras gentleman of whom you have given me the name and the address. Kindly send me some more addresses of gentlemen so that I shall send them the books and other necessary papers to convince them about the importance of the work I have undertaken. After seeing the Hathras gentleman I shall go Delhi and from there I shall send you some sets books and other literatures to you per Railway parcel and then I shall again go to Agra from Delhi to secure some members of the League of Devotees which is a registered society possessing certificate of exemption of income tax to receive donations.

Letter to Mathura Prasad -- Vrindaban 23 May, 1964:

Srimad-Bhagavatam gives us practical solution for all the problems political social ideological philosophical cultural and transcendental knowledge for all human being. Srimad-Bhagavatam is meant for all human beings and it is the duty of the Hindus specially the Vaisnavas to disseminate the great knowledge throughout the whole world. With this purpose in view I have taken up the mighty project and I wish that you gentlemen cooperate with me fully. The cooperation is possible to be made either by life, wealth, intelligence or words. Every one has got some of the above assets of the above four principles if not at least one of them must we have and we can engage them in the service of the Lord.

Letter to Sir -- Unknown Place May 1964:

You, gentlemen, of the Western Countries have seen much about material science and yet peace is not within your control. In most cases you may be feeling the want of peace although you have enough in the matter. This basic defect of materialism remains undetected by the misleaders of India and therefore they are not serious about going BACK TO GODHEAD the ultimate aim of life's journey.

Letter to Gosainji -- Bombay 31 July, 1965:

In the meantime Sri Atmasingh Bajaj will see you with this letter as he is going to Vrndavana sometimes in the next month. He is a great devotee of Lord Krishna and it is this gentleman about whom I talked with you in the matter of Sri Radha Madhavaji Vigraha of Sri Jayadeva Goswami.

He will erect a grand temple for Sri Radha Madhava jeu and conduct Rajaseva with great pomp and accompanied by Utsavas according to Vaisnava smrtis.

Letter to Sally -- New York 6 November, 1965:

Dr. Rammurti Mishra is also very kind gentleman and I am living very comfortably at his care. He is keen after looking my all kinds of comforts. I am negotiating with some booksellers and publishers and I hope I shall be able to settle something before I leave for the next station. I shall be New York still for a few days more and I shall let you know when I leave the station. I am so grateful to your kindness and surely I shall ask you if I need anything. I have left my hearth and home in India but here by the Grace of the Lord I have got good sons and daughter like you. So I do not feel any foreign complexion.

Letter to Tirtha Maharaja -- New York 23 November, 1965:

Recently one lecture of mine is arranged in our Indian Government House (New India House) organized by the Tagore Society of New York who organize such meeting only for the most distinguished persons. The consul and other officers of the New India House are impressed with my book and practically the 2nd officer (consul) is arranging the meeting inviting all distinguished gentlemen both Indian and American with Tea Party. The copy of the invitation letter is also subjoined herewith. "The Tagore Society of New York Inc. Cordially Invites You to a lecture "GOD CONSCIOUSNESS" by A.C. BHAKTIVEDANTA SWAMI Date: Sunday, November 28,1965. Time: Lecture, 3:30 P.M. Tea, 4:30 P.M. Place: New India House, 3, East 64th Street.

1966 Correspondence

Letter to Tirtha Maharaja -- New York 4 February, 1966:

Kindly accept my humble dandabats, I am in due receipt of your kind letter of the 1st instant and I am glad to note that you will get the Exchange sanction on receipt of the letter of the donor. The donor is a big business magnet of India and as required by you I am enclosing here with the letter of Sri Padampat Singhania of the J.K. Organizations, Kamla Tower, Kanpur dated 14th January 1966 which will speak for itself. I think you may also know the gentleman and he is competent to spend any amount for a nice temple of Sri Sri Radha Krishna in New York. The Singhania family is traditionally devotees of Dvarakadhisa and therefore they are the right persons to take up this transcendental service of the Lord.

Letter to Sir Padampat Singhania -- New York 18 March, 1966:

As I told you before the matter was entrusted to two responsible gentlemen in India. One is my godbrother Sripada B.V. Tirtha Maharaja the President of Caitanya Research Institute Calcutta and the other is one influential officer in the All India Congress Committee in New Delhi. Both of them are very responsible men and they are trying very sincerely to their best capacity to get the exchange sanctioned. But till now there is no hopeful signal from both of them.

Letter to Sumati Morarjee -- New York 18 March, 1966:

Since I came down to New York from Butler Pennsylvania, I have rented the above room at $70.00 per month and I am delivering lectures on the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam accompanied by Sankirtana and the American ladies and gentlemen come to hear me. You will be surprised to know that they do not understand the language of the Sankirtana and yet they hear with attention. The movement which I have started here is completely new to them because the Americans are generally acquainted with the Indian Yoga gymnastics as it is performed by some Indian yogis here. They never heard of Bhakti cult or the Science of Krishna before and still they are hearing me,—this very idea is a great success for me.

Letter to Reserve Bank of India -- New York 30 April, 1966:

At present I am staying in New York city at the above address and holding my classes on the culture of musical kirtana as well as discourses on the cult of devotion (Bhakti) on every Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays which are participated by the American Youths, Ladies and Gentlemen. They appreciate the musical mellow very much although they are not conversant with the language. And without understanding the language they give a aural reception to the kirtana in a devout manner. So there is ample prospect for propagating this Indian culture in this country.

Letter to Mr. I. N. Wankawala -- New York 11 June, 1966:

I have received one letter from Srimati Sumatiji Baisaheba dated the 11th April 1966 in which she writes amongst other things as follows: ". . . Regarding free passage to be provided to your men from India to New York on our ships, kindly note that these gentlemen will have to obtain permission from the Reserve Bank of India and therefore I suggest that you please request them to complete the P form formalities and thereafter please ask them to contact Sri I.N. Wankawala of our Calcutta Office whom I am advising suitably.'

Letter to Mangalaniloy Brahmacari -- New York 23 June, 1966:

So far your dress is concerned, I think you will require several suits for visiting gentlemen here. As a sannyasi I cannot take suits and boots but you are brahmacari so you can accept such gentlemanly dress. Regarding the mrdanga player, if you think that he is REALLY expert as it should be, then he may come even though he does not know English. We may engage him so many other things. Please send me immediately one copy of Panjika and a copy of Satkriya Sarartha Dipika of Gopala Bhatta Goswami. Hope you are all well and awaiting your early reply. Once more I may request you to cooperate with me in full spirit. Do not think for a moment that my interest is different from that of your Guru Maharaja. We are executing the will of Srila Prabhupada according to our own capacity. But combined effort would have been by far more better.

Letter to Madhava Maharaja -- New York 1 August, 1966:

I have therefore very recently incorporated one organization very recently (within a fortnight past) under the name of INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS (Incorporated in U.S.A.) The Trustees of this organization are all American gentlemen headed by one of the leading lawyers of New York Mr. Steven J. Goldsmith B.Sc. M.A.B.L. who comes regularly in my weekly classes and chants the Mahamantra very devoutly.

Letter to Panchu -- New York 11 October, 1966:

At Gopinatha Bazar almost in front of Mahaprabhu's Temple, there is a Bengali gentleman's shop for selling Pan and pictures. I want one dozen each of Sri Radha Krsna and Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu dancing with His associate pictures. Please ask him what is the price. Whether he can send these pictures by post to my above American address. On hearing from you I shall send you the money either to the above shop keeper or to you as you write to me. How is Sarojini and other devotees of the temple.

1967 Correspondence

Letter to Gargamuni -- San Francisco 3 February, 1967:

Please let me know what is to be done. Does the tape or the machine require to be cleaned. So far the machine is concerned it is brand new and there is no need of cleaning the machine. But if the tapes are to be cleaned how it is to be done. Please consult the gentleman who supplied the machine and let me know the instruction. If there is cleaning instruction either of the tape or some part of the machine how it is to be done and what are mediums please let me know in detail. I am also sending the pass book under separate post please find and do the needful. A letter for Neal is also enclosed herewith please find. I hope you have all received all my other letters.

Letter to Kirtanananda -- San Francisco 10 February, 1967:

Regarding the house I was correct in my remarks that there was no definite understanding. If Mr. Taylor can change his word of honour transpired between him and Mr. Payne certainly that is not definite understanding. Mr. Taylor's lawyer cannot change the understanding between the two gentleman, he can simply give a legal shape only. Therefore, in such negotiations everything is done in black and white. Nothing is being done in black and white but everything is being done with faith on Mr. Payne.

Letter to Rupanuga -- San Francisco 11 February, 1967:

This evening we had very successful performances of Kirtana and discourses for two hours (7-9 P.M.) at the Himalayan Academy the Christian Yoga Church and there were about 100 respectable gatherings. All the ladies and gentlemen were cultured and decent and all of them appreciated our Kirtana and lectures. They profusely garlanded me and exposed me for photo snaps. Ranchor played the Harmonium and they were pleased with his playing and garlanded him. They handed over to me some collection about $12.00 and most probably they will invite us again for such performances. The students of this Himalayan Academy have built a very nice temple and I wish the students in New York also finish the proposed building as nicely as they have done at San Francisco. Tomorrow we are going to see Dr. Haridasa Chowdhury one Calcutta man who has a similar institution under the name of Self Realization Organization of San Francisco. An American gentleman Kriyananda (J. Donald Walters) will take me there by engagement. And in the evening tomorrow a couple will be married and two students will initiated prior to their marriage. And the same Kirtana function will be performed at California college on the 14th instant Tuesday.

Letter to Jadurani, Rayarama -- San Francisco 11 February, 1967:

My dear Rayarama, Please keep in touch with Mr. Leo Ypstantin. One Indian gentleman who is here for the last five years as permanent resident, suggests that if my students and admirers submit application to the visa department submit that they want me for their benefit they sanction Permanent Resident Visa: Several other organizations the __ mothers my students as admirers, __ papers have appreciated my work. Why not adopt this procedure before the expiring of my tentative period. Please consult Mr. Ypstantin and let me know his opinion. Show him the cuttings.

Letter to Brahmananda -- ISKCON New York 14 March, 1967:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated March 13, 1967. I am surprised to note that still meetings and negotiations are going on while our money is arrested. I do not know what short of business is this, if the negotiations are not complete while Mr, Taylor is so unscrupulous how this transaction can be terminated I do not know. If Mr. Taylor is receiving cash money what is his further demand I cannot imagine. I guess there is some defect in the whole manipulation. However we are completely dependent on Krishna and let us see what does He desires. There are so many gentlemen involved in this negotiation and all of them are Americans so I have nothing to say in this matter. And what about Mr. Kallman? Still he is manufacturing records? I shall be glad to hear about him. Please offer him my regards.

Letter to Brahmananda, Satsvarupa, Rayarama, Gargamuni, Rupanuga, Donald -- San Francisco 28 March, 1967:

As I have told you several times that my Guru maharaj used to say that this world is not a fit place for gentleman. His version is corroborated by the following verse of Srimad-Bhagavatam. It is said like:

Yasya asti bhagavati akincana bhakti
Sarvai gunais tatra samasate sura
Harav abhaktasya kuto mahat guna
Manorathena asato dhavato bahi.

"A person who is not in Krishna consciousness has no good qualifications. However so called gentleman one may be or academically educated he may be he is hovering over the mental plane and therefore he must commit nuisance being influenced by the external energy. A person who has however unflinching faith in the Supreme Personality of Godhead has all the good qualifications of the demigods." In other words you should not keep your trust on so called gentlemen of the world however nicely dressed he may be. In the matter of discharging our mission of Krishna consciousness we have to meet so many so called gentlemen but we must be very cautious for dealing with them as we are cautious in dealing with serpents.

Letter to Kirtanananda -- San Francisco 7 April, 1967:

Brahmananda may try Mr. Kallman and Mr. Fulton to help me getting a permanent Visa immediately. These two gentlemen have entered into Contract with me for recording and lecturing all over U.S.A. and it will be a great loss on their part if I am not granted a permanent Visa. Mr. Fulton may arrange immediately some lectures in Canada and that will help us both ways namely to save the Visa from being cancelled at the same time I can visit Montreal without any hindrance.

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

I am in due receipt of your letter of the 9th May as well as Srimati Janaki's letter of the same date. Please convey my blessings for her and all the boys and girls in San Francisco. Since I have come to New York I have not heard anything from Jayananda Das Brahmacari (Jim). Is he regularly attending meetings. I shall be glad to hear from him. The gentleman who wrote on Meditation is Dr. Haridasa Chowdhury. You can find his name from the telephone directory.

Letter to Mukunda -- New York 10 June, 1967:

The idea is that if I get that permanent visa, then I shall settle things up in that way. I do not mind whether I am in the U.S.A. or Vrndavana, because my life and soul is to preach Krishna Consciousness; but if you think those certificates are not sufficient for my permanent visa after consulting gentlemen like Mr. Dhar or others whom you are consulting, then I shall think of going back to India. But if I get the permanent visa,, even in my broken health I shall stay in U.S.A. and try to propagate my mission through my disciples like you, Hayagriva, Kirtanananda, and others. I don't mind whether I die here or in Vrndavana—wherever there is Krishna, that is Vrndavana. So I shall be glad to hear from you the clear position about this. That will give me relief and new energy.

Letter to Janardana -- New York 22 July, 1967:

I wish that after finishing your M.A. exams that you be fixed up and come for some time to Vrindaban in my personal touch. In the meantime, just go on organizing your Montreal center, and the Indian gentleman, Professor Dwivedi may be induced to take a more substantial interest in the temple. When I come back, I shall install Radha-Krishna Murti in the temple, and I hope it will be a great center for the society and for both Canada and the Indian community.

Letter to Hayagriva -- Vrindaban 29 August, 1967:

I am so glad to learn that you have sacrificed your long beard and hair. I have forgotten your mother's address, or I would have informed her of your action, and I think she would have liked it very much. Anyway, you must have reduced your age considerably by sacrificing this "maya," and now you must look like a very nice young gentleman. I have received one letter from Acyutananda that he is coming here on the 1st. I will send Kirtanananda to receive him at Delhi. I am also scheduled to go to Delhi on the 5th; so after Acyutananda's arrival, if he likes to stay for some days in Vrindaban, I will make arrangements with Swami Bon (who as you know has offered free room and board and tuition to any interested student), or he can accommodate __ three of us will do some traveling about India __ for the society. Since we have this good arrangement with the Inst.

Letter to Jayagovinda -- Delhi 15 September, 1967:

NB It is expected that one gentleman Dr. Dalmia a prominent Indian business man who is now touring in the U.S. may visit our temple in N.Y. and other centers. If he goes therefore, please try to receive him properly and inform him about our preaching work and our paintings and Lord Jagannatha deity there, offer him some prasa-

(TEXT MISSING)

Letter to Janardana -- Delhi 30 September, 1967:

I am very anxious to go to Montreal. Therefore you must try your best to get my immigration visa on the basis of my being an authorized Vaisnava minister, based on Srimad Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam. I hop you have got the copies of my certificates in this connection. If not you can get the same immediately from N.Y. of S.F. centers. I wish that either from Canada or U.S. I should get my visa for free movement.

Regarding the incidence that took place on Janmastami day immediately send the following gentleman a copy of your grievance.

Letter to Brahmananda -- Calcutta 11 October, 1967:

Let Kirtanananda Swami do something practically. Let him do whatever he likes and let us see that thousands of American are following him. Unless he does so do not accept his principle. I think all of you except a Sannyasi may dress yourself just like a fine up to date American gentleman but one must have the Tilakas etc as I have mentioned above. Kirtanananda is the first man in our society who cleanly shaved and kept the Sikha on the top of the head and now he has begun to keep beard again. This is not good. Whatever he is doing nowadays has no sanction from me. And he has deliberately disobeyed me by not going to London. Now he appears to be out of my control and therefore I advise you not to follow his principles unless he shows practically something wonderful. I gave him a chance to do this in the matter of opening a Branch in London but he has failed to do it.

Letter to Damodara -- Calcutta 13 October, 1967:

I told him personally if you think that Americans in great numbers will follow you, simply for not having robes & flag, I therefore advised him to drop for a few days in London & test this theory. But he has gone directly to N.Y. & is now causing these disturbances without consulting me. I have not sanctioned these methods. In my opinion, Clean shaved Brahmacharies & Grhasthas in saffron robes look like angels from Baikunta. Translation of prayers into English is good & if somebody dresses like nice American gentleman without any robes, I have no objection; but every one of my disciples must have the flag & marks of tilak on forehead. This is essential. Besides that, nobody should do anything without my sanction.

Letter to Brahmananda -- Calcutta 14 October, 1967:

Do not be misled by him. I have never advised him to act like that. If he is causing such disturbances he should not be allowed to indulge in such nonsensical activities. I have already written you to inform you that somehow or other he has become crazy; otherwise he would not have disobeyed me to go directly to N.Y. For the time being he has cut all link with me, therefore any instruction given by him is unauthorized & should at once be rejected. He has no right to dictate as he has without my sanction. Whatever is to be done will be executed when I return. He is too much puffed-up nonsensically therefore you should copy this letter & forward to all centers that Kirtanananda has no right to dictate anything to the Society in this way. I am very sorry that he is exploiting his present position as a sannyasi. I have no objection if members of the Society dress like nice American gentlemen; but in all circumstances a devotee cannot avoid tilak, flag on head, & beads on neck. These are essential features of a Vaisnava. Hope you are well.

Letter to Kirtanananda -- Calcutta 16 October, 1967:

Since you have returned to N.Y. you have falsely dictated that I do not want the robes or flags. Why are you disturbing the whole situation in my absence. I never ordered you to speak like that. They must continue to have robes & tilak & flags & they must distinguish themselves from the hippies. I never objected to any of my students dressing like nice American gentleman, clean shaved; those who are my disciples must have flag, tilak & beads on neck without fail. Anyway I never advised you to dictate on behalf, please therefore do not misrepresent me. You have been given sannyasa to follow my principles & not to disturb me. If you do not agree with my philosophy you can work independent and not with-in the walls of ISKCON. You have not understood Krishna properly. The best thing will be to stop your talks my return & if you love me at all please do not talk in any meeting but chant in solitary place—anywhere you like. Hope you are well.

Letter to Pradyumna -- Calcutta 17 October, 1967:

Regarding the hippy religion; we must distinguish ourselves from the hippies. The hippies generally maintain long hair & beard & in order to distinguish ourselves from them we should be clean shaved. When our devotees go outside I have no objection if he dresses as nice American or Canadian gentleman. Up to date gentlemen are all clean shaved so if we do not keep long hair & dress ourselves nicely with tilaka, flag & beads on the neck, apart from our devotional service, then certainly we shall be distinct from the Hippies. I think we should follow this principle rigidly & there is no question of giving up robes in the temple.

Letter to Kirtanananda -- Navadvipa 28 October, 1967:

They must continue to have robes & tilak & flags & they must distinguish themselves from the hippies. I never objected to any of my students dressing like nice American gentleman, clean shaved; but those who are my disciples must have flag, tilak & beads on the neck without fail. Anyway I never advised you to dictate on my behalf. Please therefore do not misrepresent me. You have been given sannyasa to follow my principles & not to disturb me. If you do not agree with my philosophy you can work independently and not within the walls of ISKCON. You have not understood Krishna properly. The best thing will be to stop your talks till my return & if you love me at all please do not talk in any meeting but chant in solitary place - anywhere you like. Hope you are well.

Letter to Brahmananda -- Calcutta 7 December, 1967:

Air cargo will be too costly, we have already sent 1 tanpura to Mukunda and the cost was 106 Rs. but air cargo was 1,100 Rs. So you cannot do business by paying 11 times more than the cost for freight. Regarding books I've already consigned along with mrdangams harmoniums karatalas and beads & bags. I have arranged for supplying incense with a gentleman here and I'm taking samples with me. Similarly I've arranged for sending spices and frankincense. The contact with MacMillan should be finished before you leave. Your journey, as you have suggested is important for your touring in Europe. We cannot expect any tangible help from Miss Bowtell. She is not my godsister but a disciple of my godbrother. The best thing will be to start a center independently.

Letter to Brahmananda -- San Francisco 29 December, 1967:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated 12/27/67, along with the MacMillan Co. agreement form. Prior to this letter I have received your other two letters, but I was expecting this letter, so I did not reply your prior letters earlier. I am sending herewith the agreement duly signed by me. Regarding Mr. Alan Watts introduction, I may inform you if the books will sell nicely by Mr. Watts introduction I do not mind his nonsense. The other gentleman Professor Edward Dimmock of the University of Chicago who is a student of Vaisnavism is willing to give some introduction. But you say he is not well known. For me, either Professor Dimmock or Mr. Watts both are nonsense. Now for selling purpose, if you think Mr. Watts is nice, I have no objection. I give you full power of attorney in this connection. Whoever you like like you can accept.

1968 Correspondence

Letter to Sri Krishna Pandit -- Los Angeles 20 January, 1968:

So far your coming here I think at the present moment it is impossible for the reason that the government of India will not allow anyone to go to foreign countries by spending Indian money. This time when I was coming back to the U.S. I had a great deal of trouble. Though when I went to the U.S. Consul General my visa was granted in 1/2 hours. The gentleman in charge was an Indian and as soon as he saw me he told me, "Swamiji, I'll give you your visa; simply wait here for half an hour." So it was Lord Krishna's Grace. My granting of the P-form was also delayed. My travelling agents had so many difficulties in getting my P-form. The form was sent to the chief controller in Bombay and returned after a month after several telephone conversations from Calcutta to Bombay. Then he sent instructions that if I had money from America I could go. So with great difficulty I had to convince him.

Letter to Bhaktijana -- Los Angeles 12 February, 1968:

That won't help you in your spiritual advancement. We don't forbid sex life, but we cannot allow illicit sex. For a young man it is very difficult to check sex desire, therefore best thing is for him to get himself married, and live like a responsible gentleman. Irresponsible man cannot make progress materially, or spiritually. You're intelligent young man, you can understand things as we say, and you follow and you will be benefited. Mistakes we may commit because it is not out of human activity, but at the same time, we must use our good consciousness how to achieve the goal of our life, Krishna. Please stick to this chanting process, sincerely, without any offense, and everything will be all right with you. Thanking you once more for remembering me. Hope you are well.

Letter to Purusottama -- Los Angeles 22 February, 1968:

Both of you shall go and try to convince this gentleman about the importance of our movement, and the rest will depend on Krishna as He desires. We shall try our best and the ultimate result may be dependent on the dispensations of Krishna. These institutions are related with us and each of the Maths are the headquarters for hundreds of branches, and we can disseminate much information about the U.N. through them.

Letter to Brahmananda -- Los Angeles 24 February, 1968:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 19 Feb. 1968, and am so glad to learn that you have delivered the manuscript of Bhagavad-gita to MacMillan & Co. on the date of my Guru Maharaja's birthday ceremony. The questionnaires which you have sent me I am answering them on separate typed paper and both the questions and answers are enclosed herewith. Please find and do the needful. I have also received the letters from Mario Windisch. This gentleman appears to be a disciple of my German god-brother Sadananda Swami. He appears to be very much interested in our movement and very shortly he is visiting Montreal. Perhaps I may meet him in June when I shall go there and there is every possibility of opening two centers. One in Sweden and another in Austria. Regarding glossy photo, I am writing to Guru das but I think Rayarama has got many specimens of my photograph. If you so desire, you can select one of them. I am also writing to Gurudasa in this connection. I understand that you have ordered some books from Gaudiya Math and Mr. Kalman is cooperating.

Letter to Sri Krishnaji -- Los Angeles 1 March, 1968:

Another proposal is that many Indian gentlemen request of me to sponsor them to come to U.S.A. In that connection, I may inform you that if somebody is ready to spend rupees 20,000/—at least I can arrange for his coming here U.S.A. and stay with us as our guest for six months in our different branches. If somebody is ready to deposit this amount in India then I shall arrange to send him a return ticket by air with letters of sponsoring for six months as our guest and Mr Singh who you introduced to me in Delhi may be interested to accept this proposal then you can talk with him if he is serious about this. Not only Mr Singh but anyone who is ready to spend like that will be sponsored by my Society to come here and stay with us for six months in different branches as our guests. I hope you are well. I am going to San Francisco on March 8, 1968. So you can reply me there.

Letter to Harikrishnadas Aggarwal -- Los Angeles 3 March, 1968:

Please therefore accept this concrete proposal for common platform of transcendence and spread this movement by all means. Bombay is the most important city in India. There are many advanced gentlemen in Bombay interested in transcendental elevation. Why not join this movement which does not discriminate between human being to human being, and thus everyone, either Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Jews, Buddhists, Sikhs, or anyone also, all can join in this melodious Sankirtana movement and accept Lord Krishna Prasadam in Temple with great relish. I have begun this movement in this country America, and I think I am successful. I have many hundreds of Krishna Bhaktas in this country, and they are increasing in number daily. And why not in India and in Pakistan? We are trying to get admission in the U.N. as non-governmental organization. And when successful, we shall introduce this cultural movement in all countries, including Russia and China.

Letter to Balai -- San Francisco 12 March, 1968:

Householders may wear dhotis in the Temple, or as they like, but not of the saffron color. They may wear white, yellow, or whatever. Outside the Temple they may wear American gentleman's dress, with Tilaka, flag, and beads. It is not required to wear dhotis, as this society does not understand, so outside the Temple dress suit is more socially acceptable. If they so desire, for ceremony, they can dress in dhotis for Kirtana.

Letter to Brahmananda -- San Francisco 6 April, 1968:

So far the quotation by the late minister Shastri is concerned, that statement is printed up in the leaflet with picture on it; you know the one, where he is receiving the Bhagavatam from me. He was very much respectful, and met me three times. He was to help me in so many ways, but he died; he was my friend. In the beginning on the Srimad-Bhagavatam volumes there are some different appreciations written by some influential Indian gentlemen. Hanuman Prasad Poddar also has written several letters. I will enclose one copy for you of a more recent letter, and also some other letters.

Letter to Janardana -- New York 26 April, 1968:

Regarding the action of Bon Maharaja: We shall discuss the matter when we meet. For the present, you may know that this gentleman is very much materially ambitious. He wants to utilize Krishna Consciousness for his material name and fame. Sometimes he greatly offended our Guru Maharaja, and it so happened that at the last stage, practically Guru Maharaja rejected him. And the result, we can find that instead of becoming a great preacher of Krishna Consciousness, this gentleman has become artificially a head of a mundane institution. To become a very important man in the mundane estimation is not success in Krishna Consciousness.

Letter to Brahmananda -- Montreal 21 June, 1968:

Regarding the 1000 records: Please do not dispatch them until you hear from me. I have written several letters to Mr. Dalmia, Acyutananda, and Jaya Govinda, but I have heard nothing from them still. So, unless I hear from them, do not export the records. Please write to Acyutananda and Jaya Govinda whether they can distribute the records free to respectable Indian gentlemen, and collect some contributions for purchasing Deities, to be installed in our several temples. For the last 2 weeks I have received no reply from them. I do not know what they are doing there. I thought Jaya Govinda would be intelligent enough to cooperate with Acyutananda, but he is also silent. I do not know what to do with them.

Letter to Upendra -- Montreal 4 July, 1968:

Regarding your pen-friend in South India: I have not as yet received any letter from him, but as soon as I receive any news from him, I shall be glad to give him necessary instructions. In the meantime, if you write to him you can convey this message to the gentleman. Any friend in any part of the world that you may contact, try to infuse him with this Krishna Consciousness idea. Never waste your time in any other talks. I think our students have already developed this attitude and they are not interested in idle talks. Ambarisa Maharaja, he set very nice example by engaging his mind always on the Lotus Feet of Krishna, and talking always about him. We should follow the same example.

Letter to Vinode Patel -- Montreal 6 July, 1968:

Your desire to do something tangible for the temple and it is a very welcome suggestion. There are many things to be done in the matter of the temple. Perhaps you will appreciate that this Radha Krishna temple is the one only in San Francisco. And I know there are many Gujarati gentlemen in San Francisco to whom you can approach for improvement of the temple. If we get our own temple we can organize so many things, which will be appreciated both by the Indians and the Americans. So far business is concerned, Gargamuni is getting goods from some importer on credit, and he is selling the goods and then paying him the amount.

Letter to Hayagriva -- Montreal 17 August, 1968:

Last night we celebrated here Janmastami festival very gorgeously, and many Indians in large number attended and they contributed also very liberally. One Madrasi gentleman demonstrated a Krishna dance by his two young daughters, and it was nice. At the present moment, many devotees from San Francisco, New York (specifically your intimate friend Umapati, is present here) have come here. Today they will observe Vyasa Puja ceremony (my Birthday Anniversary), so from this day, I will be stepping on the 73rd year. I hope the remaining days of my life may be utilized to serve you all Western devotees of Krishna. Please pray to Krishna that he may give me the necessary strength to discharge the duty entrusted by my Spiritual Master. Convey my blessings to Kirtanananda, and I hope you are all doing well.

Letter to Acyutananda, Jayagovinda -- Montreal 21 August, 1968:

The next important thing is that if you both, both of you, jointly work, then our mission in India will be successful. Now so far printing of the books, let me know whether you can take charge of doing this work nicely. You can see also the following gentleman who is also a devotee of my activities, and you can show him this letter whether he can spart a room for your stay to supervise the printing work: Gopala Krishna Babu; c/o Bhananull Gulzari Lal; Iron Merchants; Chauri Basar; Delhi-6, India. It is near the O.D. Press, and if he agrees it will be a very nice thing for you.

Regarding gramophone records: When I was in India, Acyutananda knows that my record player was stolen. But when we went to Calcutta, one gentleman loaned us his record player machine, and it was nicely played. This is known to Acyutananda. This means that our record was played in another gentleman's machine. So there is no difficulty to play the records in Indian machine.

Letter to Vinode Patel -- Montreal 22 August, 1968:

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness wants to establish that one God, one scripture, one mantra, and one service. One God is Krishna, one scripture is Bhagavad-gita, one mantra is Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, and one service means everything for the Lord. So it is pleasing to me that the Gujarati ladies and gentlemen who are in San Francisco, they should take keen interest in this movement because superficially or from the historical point of view, Krishna was a Gujarati. His father was a Gujarati, but His maternal uncle's house was in Mathura. And His foster father's house was at Vrindaban. So of course, these are superficial, so even we take Krishna as a historical Person, the Gujaratis must take more interest than others.

Letter to Jayananda, Kartikeya, Syama, Dorothy, Visnujana, Dan, Tom, Russell, Michael, Krsna Devi, others -- Montreal 26 August, 1968:

I am in due receipt of your letter, Jayananda, dated August 21, 1968, and I am glad to learn that one Indian gentleman, Sri Ranchhoubha Patel, is returning to India and upon returning they will send two 18" marble Radha Krishna Murti, and certainly when you receive those Murtis, we shall have a grand festival. In the meantime, the Murti of Murli Manohar when arrives by the end of September, I must be present and do the needful nice ceremony. When I go to San Francisco, I shall deal with these Indian ladies and gentlemen, and in the meantime, keep them alive in the activities of our temple. It may be that we may open another center in San Francisco, near this Patel community. Anyway, let Murli Manohar come, then Radharani will automatically come.

Regarding the Associated Press: It is a very good opportunity to push our publicity through this sympathetic press. I have got so many things to say to such press representative, and if you can see the gentleman and arrange to send a representative here in Montreal, so it will be a nice opportunity to speak to them personally.

Letter to Brahmananda -- San Francisco 9 September, 1968:

We have safely reached yesterday after noon at 3:00 and there was grand reception, arranged by Jayananda and Patty. Many Indians were present, and I was very much pleased to see the activities of San Francisco devotees. They are doing very well. In the evening, some of the respectable Indian gentlemen came to see me, and they have offered one silver Murti of Krishna, to be installed today. So this evening, I am going to install that Deity, as well as initiate some of the newcomers devotees, as well as offer the sacred thread to Jayananda, Tamala Krishna, and like that, old students. So far our San Francisco business is concerned, they are doing very nicely. I understand Tamala Krishna has collected $1,500 in two months. And people are gradually taking interest in the Sankirtana. They are selling Back To Godhead also, and the whole situation appears to be all Krishna's Mercy. And you may convey my many many thanks to Rayarama for his nice article, "Evolution—the God that's failing."

Letter to Brahmananda -- San Francisco 15 September, 1968:

Hope this will cover all your enquires and you will do the needful. By the by, I am inquiring that you know two addresses in Hawaii, one university professor, and another gentleman who came to our temple and took records. So if you send the addresses to Gaurasundara immediately, either by letter or by phone, then he can utilize their friendly connection.

Letter to Jaya Govinda -- San Francisco 15 September, 1968:

In Florida we have 10 acres of land arranged by Dayananda and Nandarani. So all my disciples here are doing marvelously in spreading Krishna Consciousness. In San Francisco, Jayananda arranged a grand meeting yesterday amongst the Gujarati community here and most probably we shall very soon have our own gorgeous temple in San Francisco. So everyone is doing very nicely and I hope that you two also do something wonderful in India. And Bombay is the right place. As you don't like to reside in Vrindaban, but you prefer a city like Delhi, then the best city in India is Bombay. There, you don't require to speak Hindi or Bengali, all gentlemen and residents there speak in English. So you will have better facility to work there and probably to establish a center there. I do not know why you are hesitating.

Letter to Brahmananda -- San Francisco 17 September, 1968:

This is Parbat Maharaja's request. (Jaya Govinda)" This means that Parvat Maharaja is canvassing to break them from the society and remain with him. He is another edition of Bon Maharaja, who has broken the poor Hrsikesa from the society. Besides that, you have sent me a note dated 9/10/68, which reads as follows: "Dear Swamiji, Please accept my most humble obeisances. Enclosed is a magazine published by Sri Srimad Parbat Maharaja which Jaya Govinda sent us. You will be interested to see one article published about the San Francisco Ratha Yatra festival. (Brahmananda das)" From this note it appears that Parvat Maharaja is misrepresenting himself as the publisher of the paper "Truth." But actually he is not so. It is published by one very big Doctor, Medical Practitioner, Dr. N.R. Sen. I knew this gentleman in connection with my medical business. So in this way, it is clear that this Parvat Maharaja is trying to entice Jaya Govinda.

Letter to Sivananda -- San Francisco 18 September, 1968:

The Grhasthas or the householders can engage himself in earning money, either by accepting job or some professional work. But a Brahmacari, Vanaprastha, and Sannyasi is supposed only to depend on Krishna and beg from the Grhasthas. The same system can be followed if it is possible. You are completely right when you think that if by begging alms we can provide ourself, we should not accept any job. So far I can understand from the indication in your letter, that if you form a party of Sankirtana, and walk in the street, I think you can get not less than 50 to 100 marks daily. If five or six men who are sympathetic to you and as some of them has already assured that you can count upon them, the best thing will be to form a local trust party, including those gentlemen and yourself, of 12 heads, and immediately start your work. In the meantime, we shall have our book, Bhagavad-gita as it is, and Teachings of Lord Caitanya, ready. That will sell also.

Letter to Mukunda -- Seattle 27 September, 1968:

Regarding the bank affair: You write to say "We are expecting a letter from the Canadian Bank any day as to whether the money was credited back to your account." This means that you have not received the money, and you are arranging to get the money again credited in my account in the Canadian National Bank, at Montreal. But I have received one note from Hamsaduta who says like this: "I went to your bank and checked into that 1655.00 for Syamasundara and the gentleman in charge of the affair said that is all taken care of and that by this time they have got that money in London." I cannot understand what is the real position, but I request you to open correspondence with Hamsaduta and let me know conveniently what is the actual position. Hope you are well, and offer to Janaki my blessings, and all others also.

Letter to Brahmananda -- Seattle 6 October, 1968:

The next point is that you should dress just like perfect American gentlemen, but the sikha and tilak must be very prominent. Coat, pants, necktie, and everything, Brahmacari and Grhasthas, they can put on, because you are not Sannyasi. In the temple, you can dress as brahmacari, but in order not to become ridiculous in the eyes of others, outside you should dress just like a very nice perfect aristocratic American. So there is no objection. But we must have always our tilak and sikha and there is no compromise for this purpose.

Letter to Hamsaduta -- Seattle 10 October, 1968:

Regarding the Sikh gentleman's request to use our temple for performing some Sikh religious ceremony: You know that we have refused even the Hindu people to hold demigod worship in our temple, and what to speak of the Sikhs, who are not to the standard of Vedic principle. As a matter of fact, we should not allow anyone to hold any function in our temple, otherwise than Vaisnava principle. In your temple, if your finances condition is going on nicely then there is no need for allowing anyone to hold ceremonies against Vaisnava principle. If anyone wants to hold some function, they should pay to the temple at least $50.00 and we shall prepare Krishna Prasad, offer to the Deity, and as we do generally, and the same Prasad may be distributed to anyone, may he be Hindu, Christian, Sikh, etc. So if Mr. Singh agrees to this principle, then he may pay you the required money to prepare Prasad, which after offering to the Deity, you can hand over to him, and he can offer to Guru Nanak or anyone else, and then you can distribute to the devotees.

Letter to Hamsaduta -- Seattle 10 October, 1968:

You can see in this connection one young gentleman Mr. Peter R. Jones U.S. Vice-Consul and he will help you.

Letter to Mukunda -- Seattle 13 October, 1968:

In Columbus University, Hayagriva is doing very nicely. He is trying to have classes in the University, and the situation is very hopeful. Similarly, here also the Washington University students, they have taken interest in our movement, and one Christian gentleman, he did not like our men to speak at the University, because University is a secular. But he has been very strongly criticized by the student community.

Letter to Janaki -- Seattle 13 October, 1968:

I am in due receipt of your letter, very nice letter. You have expressed very nice sentiments and this shows that you are positively advancing in Krishna Consciousness. Your talk with the Indian ladies and gentlemen is very interesting. They inquire from you, and they are astonished that you are very serious. That means they are not at all serious. They take Krishna Consciousness as something fictitious. So they are not very hopeful combination, but try to make them interested as far as possible, it is our duty. We do not mind whether he is Englishman or Indian or any man; our duty is to impress Krishna Consciousness as far as possible. Answering your puzzle, it may be said that a pure devotee is he who loves Krishna, without any material desire. People are generally engaged in karma. Karma means work and get the result and enjoy life. And jnana, jnana means speculating process to understand the Absolute Truth.

Letter to Rupanuga -- Seattle 15 October, 1968:

When you speak the truth it must be very palatable. So this social convention is not applicable to a person who is preaching the Absolute Truth. Absolute Truth is not dependent on material pleasure or unpleasure. I think Mahapurusa's personality did not impress upon him, but so far I know, his behavior could not be anything offensive. So forget the incident, but our mission is to preach Krishna Consciousness, and if possible, try to tackle this gentleman. Because he has got some inclination toward Krishna Consciousness, so let us try, to help him as far as possible. So continue correspondence with him, and let us see how we can deal with him later on.

Letter to Gurudasa -- Seattle 16 October, 1968:

I have also received one letter from Ginsberg, that Mr. Tom Driberg is an intimate friend of Ginsberg and he has already written to him promising all help to us. So by Grace of Krishna there you are meeting nice gentlemen, interested gentlemen, and I hope it will come very grand success. And so far I am concerned, I may be going back again to Montreal, because there is an interview with the Consulate General in Montreal on the 25th Oct., and from there I may be going to Santa Fe, and from there I may be going to Los Angeles, so my program is going on here. Here also in Seattle there is work going on. And similarly I am receiving report from New Vrindaban and Columbus that our Hayagriva Brahmacari, Professor Howard Wheeler, he is also doing there preaching amongst the students. So by the Grace of Krishna this mission is going on nicely, and I shall be glad to hear from you further good news. Please offer my blessings to your good wife, Yamuna, as well as all other devotees, Mukunda, Syamasundara, Malati, Janaki, and Sarasvati devi. I hope this will find you in good health. Thanking you once more for writing me.

Letter to Rayarama -- Los Angeles 6 November, 1968:

I have received one letter from Guyana, and one gentleman, Sriman Petambar Dindayal is very much interested in our Krishna Consciousness movement. He has invited me to go there, so first of all I want to send him some various literatures and pamphlets about our society. So you please send him some Back To Godheads, our new prospectus, and press cuttings, etc. which will be of good information for him. Also, please send here to Los Angeles some of the new prospectus, a good amount, as they are very nice.

Letter to Rayarama -- Los Angeles 7 November, 1968:

I have received a very nice letter from England, sent to Mukunda, by an Indian gentleman named Laksmidasa. If it is possible, maybe you can make an editorial column, with letters to the editor or to our various centers, and use it in that way. It is very nice letter and I would like to have it printed in our magazine.

Letter to Bali-mardana -- Los Angeles 20 November, 1968:

We require unlimited money for constructing New Vrindaban and other schemes in KC. So if it is possible to get some money from your father's business and employ it in KC, it will be glorious both for your father and your self. It is a very good opportunity that he has supplied you car and does not object to KC. So gradually turn your father to KC. Not immediately, but gradually. In the meantime you can serve your father working at his business and live like an aristocratic American gentleman, use his car, chant Hare Krishna, and live with the devotees at the temple. Anyway, your temple attendance must continue. So if it is possible that you shall live with the boys at the temple, then that is very good idea, and work also with your father. Please keep me informed how you are arranging for this matter, as I will be anxious to hear.

Letter to Gurudasa -- Los Angeles 24 December, 1968:

I am sure that Krishna is helping you all around for your honest and sincere endeavors. Just previous to your letter I received one very encouraging letter from Syamasundara, reporting of his meeting with George Harrison who I understand has promised to give us a 5-story building in one of the busiest quarters of London. You have arranged for the convocation and I have seen the list of invitees. It is very encouraging. Please conduct this convocation carefully and try to recruit some sympathizers for our nice London center. I am dispatching one tape by separate register air mail in which you'll find my speech for this occasion. It begins with "Ladies and Gentlemen." I think this speech will be nice and it is recorded on speed 3 3/4.

Letter to Sumati Morarjee -- Montreal 30 August, 1968:

Regarding free passage to be provided to your men from India to New York on our ships, kindly note that these gentlemen will have to obtain permission from the Reserve Bank of India and therefore I suggest that you please request them to complete the P form formalities and thereafter please ask them to contact Sri I.N. Wankawala of our Calcutta office whom I am advising suitably.

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Unknown -- Unknown Place 18 January, 1969:

An Indian gentleman, one B. P. Parikh B.A. D. education has written to me to say that being inspired by your "devotion to Krishna and being fascinated by your character, discipline, and devotional surrender to the Lord, he has been drawn to your activities." For this I am very much proud of you. Please maintain this status and certainly you will be welcomed everywhere. Get this enclosed article edited by Mukunda or Syamasundara and then send it for publication in the Times of London or any other respectable paper in London, giving the heading as indicated.

Letter to Janaki -- Los Angeles 18 January, 1969:

An Indian gentleman, one B. P. Parikh B.A. D. Education has written to me to say that being inspired by your "devotion to Krishna, and being fascinated by your character, discipline, and devotional surrender to the Lord, he has been drawn to your activities." For this I am very much proud of you. Please maintain this status and certainly you will be welcome everywhere. Get this enclosed article edited by Mukunda or Syamasundara and then send it for publication in the Times of London or any other respectable paper in London, giving the heading as indicated.

Letter to Sri Balmukundji -- Los Angeles 18 January, 1969:

As an Indian, Hindu, educated gentleman, it is not unknown to you how these principles were active in India even 50 years ago. Gradually things are deteriorating, and the cause of all unhappiness in the modern human society is this lack of Krishna Consciousness. By the Grace of Krishna there is no scarcity of anything in this world, but there is a scarcity of Krishna Consciousness. Therefore there is a great necessity of spreading this transcendental message all over the world. It is very encouraging to me that you are now in London as a retired gentleman and your cooperation in this movement will be highly effective. I hope that by this time you have already secured my book, Bhagavad-gita As It Is, and there are other books also. If you will kindly join our movement it will surely be a great stride.

Letter to Brahmananda -- Los Angeles 30 January, 1969:

Regarding the United Shipping Corporation, you had sent me some documents which I actually do not understand. Why did you send them to me? Anyway, I am returning them to you so you may do the needful with them. In the meantime, I have sent one letter to a gentleman of the United Shipping Corporation, and you will see one copy of the letter enclosed. If they deal very nicely, you may assure them we shall send more orders to our different centers, and there will be no difficulty for a letter of credit. But they must deal with us very nicely and straightforwardly so our business connection can continue with no difficulty.

Letter to Dr. Chaudhuri -- Los Angeles 6 February, 1969:

For the last five months, our kirtana movement is going on in London. Our office is situated there at 22 Betterton Street, WC 2 London, England. The people are appreciating our movement very much there. You will be surprised to know that I have sent there for preaching work 6 boys and girls, married couples, and they are neither elderly nor very much conversant with Vedic philosophy. But still, by their character, behavior, and devotion, they are attracting many people in London, including the High Commissioner of India and others. One gentleman, Mr. Parikh, is a Doctor in Education and was formerly the principal of a college in Kenya. He is actively working with our students there, and very soon they should have a Radha-Krishna temple there in gorgeous style.

Letter to Govinda -- Los Angeles 10 February, 1969:

The spirit soul is impossible to find out by materialistic scientific means, but if one will hear from the right authority, he may understand. The gentleman is disappointed that probably no one will ever know about spirit, but this is not true. We know what is spirit, how does it work, how does it transmigrate from one body to another or from one planet to another. We know these very scientifically, and we are firmly convinced about it. We can refute any dogmatic arguments against this conviction, and how do we do that? Simply because we start our understanding from the data of authoritative sources like Krishna or His representative. In the Bhagavad-gita, Lord Krishna speaks about spirit soul from the very beginning. Unless one understands what is this spirit soul, his further advancement of the Supreme Spirit God has no value. So this gentleman is puzzled in his understanding about wherefrom we have come, what we are, and where we are going. But we are certain about it.

Letter to Rayarama -- Los Angeles 15 February, 1969:

Anyway, the whole thing is depending upon you because I can not possibly divert my attention. But if I receive some contribution from each center for publishing Back To Godhead regularly, that will be a nice program so that we may not have to depend on advertisements or sales. Each center should take responsibility of contributing some money towards the publication of Back To Godhead, instead of depending upon each center for selling Back To Godhead. For example, if a center contributes $100, we send them copies at cost price to the amount and it doesn't matter whether they sell it or not. It doesn't matter if they sell it or not. But we must have the monthly contribution. The copies which are not sold may be distributed free to schools, libraries, influential gentlemen, etc. This will greatly further our propaganda, and I am thinking in these terms.

Letter to Rayarama -- Los Angeles 22 February, 1969:

In this way, if four centers sell on an average 200 copies daily, then we come to the point of selling 6,000 copies directly which will cover the expense of printing and other charges. The balance 14,000 copies can be sold by the temples simply on profit. If they are not sold, then we distribute free to different societies, libraries, public institutions, respectable gentlemen, schools, etc. In this way we shall make propaganda. The idea is like that of a Bible society in India which distributes millions of dollars in the shape of biblical literature without any consideration of return. Similarly, we have to sacrifice each $750 on this principle. If there is return, that is alright, but still we have to do it on a missionary spirit. That is my idea. So try to think on this program and do the needful.

Letter to Sivananda -- Hawaii 9 March, 1969:

I am in due receipt of your three letters post dated March 5, 1969, and I thank you very much for them. I have noted your points, and one thing is that the instruction given by one gentleman Mr. Somanatha to go to India as agriculturalists is absurd. Don't be carried away by all this nonsense advice. So far Indian authority is concerned for preaching work, I am prepared to go to your center for preaching at any time you call me. Your statement that you will try to organize the Hamburg center very nicely and have a smooth running energetic temple when I go there is also very encouraging. Please stick to this principle without any diversion. Take it from me that I am always praying to Lord Krishna for your success in Krishna Consciousness movement. You're very sincere devotee and if you simply stick to the principles, success is sure for your life. Krishna's Mercy is always bestowed upon one who is sincerely serving Him.

Letter to Himavati -- Hawaii 18 March, 1969:

I am enclosing herewith one copy of letter from one German gentleman. I could not read it. So will you send me the English translation of this letter. And if possible you can write to him that this letter has been received very late by Swamiji Maharaja, so you acknowledge receipt of the letter immediately. In the meantime, on receipt of the translation, I shall reply.

Letter to Jayagovinda -- Hawaii 27 March, 1969:

Another prospect is that one Mr. Windisch and another woman Mrs. Barbara, they have become very much interested in Krishna Consciousness movement, and they have seen me while I was in Montreal. Now they are in Vancouver, and most probably they will be interested to translate my books and magazines in German language. So already there are three boys in Hamburg and when you join, four, and if the German gentleman and woman go, then you will be six altogether. So a good party for preaching Sankirtana movement. Here in almost all our centers the Sankirtana movement has proved very successful. Everywhere, especially in London, L.A., and N.Y., especially in these places the Sankirtana movement has very much become successful. Every day when they take the party in the street, market, or parks, they collect sufficiently and sell BTG quite a number. In Germany I think also the Sankirtana prospect is there.

Letter to Sivananda -- New York 13 April, 1969:

You have mentioned about the disagreement amongst our god-brothers, and it is a fact. But so far as I am concerned, I am trying to execute my humble bit, and if somebody disagrees in these activities, what can I do? But so far I get their letters, they fully appreciate the work going on here, and I do not know who is the gentleman against these activities.

Letter to Pradyumna -- New Vrindaban 26 May, 1969:

Now it is up to you to collect $10,000. So upon hearing from you whether or not you are able to collect $10,000. So upon hearing from you whether or not you are able to collect the money in connection with Mr. Brahma, Mr. Ghosh and other Indian gentlemen, then we can negotiate further in this matter. Mr. Worley has said that the assessed value is 45% of the value and he has advanced the argument that for Franklyn County tax purposes, the value was assessed as around $59,000. But in our case there is no question of tax. So without tax the assessment of the city authorities is correct. Anyway, I shall talk with them seriously if you give me assurance you can arrange for the $10,000. For the balance I shall arrange; rest assured.

Letter to Tamala Krsna -- New Vrindaban 1 June, 1969:

Of course your idea that when I go I shall talk with him and get some big contribution from the Indian community is all right. But my mission will be more successful if the Americans construct a temple, although we have no distinction as to American or Indian; anyone can do it. The best thing will be that since you are trying for a better place, why not try to purchase a nice church if it is available, or a big land within reach of the city with some old hutments. If you find such a place, then you can ask the Indian gentleman to pay for the down payment amount, which may be 10 or 20 thousand dollars. Then we will arrange for the monthly payments. Or if you think it best to wait until my arrival and then hold a meeting of the Indians, making him the chief guest, that is also nice idea.

Letter to Gopala Krsna -- New Vrindaban 5 June, 1969:

So far your parents are concerned, I have received another letter from a friend of your parents whose name is Bhartendu Vimal. I am enclosing this letter for you to read. Your father has induced him to ask me not to initiate you. This gentleman came to see me in San Francisco. He might be some congressman, and at the expense of the government he was making some so-called cultural tour. The government is interested to send anyone for dancing or recitation of poetry, but when the government is requested for giving some facilities for preaching Krishna consciousness, they will not encourage. On the other hand they encourage publications in which Krishna is depicted as black and low-born. This is the position of our government.

Letter to Krsna dasa -- New Vrindaban 13 June, 1969:

Regarding your father's suspicion, you should not keep him in suspicion. As you are working in apprenticeship for jewelry work, you should continue that occupation, and even if your father comes and sees that you are engaged in your occupation as well as looking after management of the temple, he will not be displeased. I can understand from your attitude that your father must be good gentleman, otherwise how could he have such a nice son? So there is no need of playing hide-and-seek. If you continue learning the jeweler's trade, he will not be displeased. Besides that, some of our men must work, otherwise it is difficult to maintain all the expenses in the European countries.

Letter to Syamasundara -- Los Angeles 15 July, 1969:

If such throne is made with golden or silver pillars, platform, ceiling, and canopy bedecked with jewels, and if the Deity is kept within such throne, it will be a super-excellent manifestation. So when you do such work you can consult me, and I shall give you some right directions. I am also glad to learn that you are going to press some records of the Hare Krishna Mantra with the help of the Beatles and Co., cooperated with some of the celebrated artists like Donovan and the Rolling Stones. It is a very good opportunity that you are making friendship with these famous men, and if you can turn them as they are already a little inclined towards Krishna Consciousness, then our Sankirtana Movement through all these famous artists and gentlemen will take a shape which will be appreciated all over the world.

Letter to Hayagriva -- Hamburg 27 August, 1969:

We have safely reached exactly at the scheduled time in Hamburg, and the journey was quite comfortable. Lufthansa is a very respectable airline, and the ladies and gentlemen and stewardesses and hosts were very kind in their treatment. One girl was insisting that we take some food, and when we refused she was very sorry, but she brought us a sufficient supply of fruit. So everything was nice, and I have lectured in the temple on Monday night. Professor Dr. Franz Bernhard, a learned scholar in Indology, was present. We had a long discussion yesterday evening when he came to see me, and he admitted that all his philosophical talks were simply wasting time. He remarked another thing that he had thought of us as hippies because he saw that Ginsberg on the notice board, seemingly like one of our members.

Letter to Gopala Krsna -- Hamburg 3 September, 1969:

I thank you very much for your solemn assurance that you shall try to follow my teachings throughout your life. It is very encouraging. Regarding dress, I have already written to you that you can dress as smartly as possible to deal with the public, and dress is immaterial in Krishna Consciousness. Consciousness is within. I am a sannyasi, but if some important work requires I dress myself just like a smart gentleman, I would immediately accept it. So it is not a problem. Acyutananda Prabhu is in correspondence with Gargamuni, and I have already sent one trial order to the Bina Musical Instrument Company in India, of which you have sent me a catalog. I don't think your Montreal center will require many musical instruments, so you may not send order separately.

Letter to Brahmananda -- Hamburg 9 September, 1969:

We shall fully utilize the press facilities in various ways. My suggestion to meet the business men is to convince responsible men of your country to understand the importance of this Krishna Consciousness Movement and how we are molding the character of younger generation by giving them peaceful home, philosophy of life, artistic sense, musical entertainment, nutritious foods: and above all these, we are giving them spiritual enlightenment, which is never to be found elsewhere throughout the whole world. Every gentleman in your country is anxious about their children, and gradually if the richer section of the people or the government cooperates with us, we can expand this movement for total welfare of the younger generation. This calculation is only one side of the picture: The other side of the picture means the solution of the eternal problem. Even though people in general may not be able to understand it, the fact is there. So in winter season this propaganda may be done.

Letter to Hamsaduta -- Tittenhurst 28 September, 1969:

So far as you are thinking about me, I always think about you and your wife, how beautiful devotees you are. May Krishna bless you more and more. Things here in England are satisfactory, and I am meeting some interested important Indian gentlemen, who may take also seriously this Krishna Consciousness Movement. Regarding your two questions from Bhagavad-gita, in both instances the reference is made to the Supersoul, or Krishna.

Letter to Krsna dasa -- Tittenhurst 8 October, 1969:

Another slogan may be "Join the Krishna Consciousness Movement. It is peaceful, and it will bring peace and prosperity to everyone." Regarding your idea for a jewelry shop, it is nice. You become an expert jeweler and you must open a jewelry shop to earn millions of dollars for spending in Krishna Consciousness. Your father is a kind gentleman. I have all good wishes for him, and Krishna will also be very much pleased upon him because he has such a nice devotee son. So your father will also be pleased if you open a jewelry shop. It is a good opportunity both ways: to keep good relations with your father and to make money and serve Krishna with the money profusely. Your plan for supplying the temples with nice ornaments for their Deities is also very good. We should decorate our temple Deities with first class ornaments and nice flowers. In this temple you make a throne situated in a big closet. Just like I kept my Deities in a place where they were locked up at certain times, similarly you do the same. In this way the valuables of the Deities will be protected.

Letter to Tamala Krsna -- Tittenhurst 13 October, 1969:

I understand that you have sent $1,000 to Brahmananda for the press instead of $5,000. So I have completed that $5,000 by sending him another check for $4,000. Whatever you have done is all right, but if you have taken anything from the book fund, you may replace it as soon as possible. I am so glad to learn that the book fund is doing very well. I think the book fund should be immediately deposited to my savings account, and if need be, I shall pay you again. I am very glad to learn about the contribution of Mr. Raj Anand. He appears to be devotee, so deal with him very carefully. Invite him to take Prasadam as often as possible. He must be a very nice gentleman to have purchased 100 BTGs for giving freely to his customers.

Letter to Madhudvisa -- London 24 October, 1969:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated October 20, 1969 and have read it carefully. The arrangements as stated by you appear very nice. Mulgibar Patel is a nice gentleman, and when he offers $5,000 he can be elected a life trustee of our temple. That is a nice proposal. If the arrangement is successful, then immediately complete the negotiations and purchase the house. I am also glad that Tamala Krishna, Gargamuni and Jayananda also agreed. So it is a good chance, and the best opportunity is that we can keep the three Rathas in the garage. As expressed by you, our Rathayatra Festival in San Francisco must be continued every year with increased gorgeousness. I hope Krishna will bless you. So try to complete this purchase. I have got complete approval.

Letter to Tamala Krsna -- Tittenhurst 25 October, 1969:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letters dated October 17, 1969 and October 22, 1969. The letters were very long; I have read them once and shall read them again carefully. Here things are improving. We have got now practically two centers in London: one in Mr. Lennon's place and one in 7 Bury Place. We are negotiating for a big church in Oxford and there is possibility of this coming out successful too. Besides that, I am negotiating with some local, influential Indian gentleman for the world Sankirtana Party. They have also given some hopes, and the preaching work here is also going on nicely. Yesterday we had a meeting in a law college and all the boys and girls joined us in chanting and dancing.

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

Yesterday we had a very successful meeting at Oxford at the Town Hall. About 350 boys, girls, old men, ladies and gentlemen participated, and we made them all dance and chant with us, every one. After the meeting, many boys and gentlemen came to congratulate me. Out of them, one was an Egyptian gentleman. Similarly, in another meeting in Conway Hall one Chinese boy came and offered his obeisances exactly like my disciples, bowing down to my feet. Negro boys are also taking part. So it is a fact that our movement will appeal to the heart of everyone, and they will join us. If one is not very much sophisticated and overburdened by material contamination, then he must respond to our call. The only thing is that we as preachers must be very, very pure, sincere and serious. The crude example is that when a man is physically very strong, and if he has sex intercourse with a woman, she is sure to become pregnant.

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

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. Maybe there are some moral instructions, but moral instructions without God-consciousness is impossible to follow. In another place the gentleman quotes one book written by Prof. Charles Smith. The book's name is "The Paradox of Jesus in the Gospels". In this book it is admitted that all the statements in the Bible are not directly spoken by Jesus. Some of them are staged through the mouth of Jesus Christ; and specifically this passage: "I am the way, the Truth and the light. No man comes unto the Father but by me." This gentleman admits that it is put into the mouth of Jesus because that is the literary convention of the author of the 4th Gospel.

Letter to Hamsaduta -- Tittenhurst 2 November, 1969:

You have sent me one plan for constructing a dais for the Deities in which you have placed Radha-Krishna under Lord Jagannatha. Instead of putting it like this, you put Lord Caitanya's Sankirtana picture underneath Lord Jagannatha, and make a separate throne for Radha-Krishna exactly on the pattern of Los Angeles temple. Regarding Melvani, I am glad that he has come to you from Montreal, but his photo shows he is not in the standard dress; and the tilak is not correctly made. Anyway, you welcome him. He is a very nice gentleman. But try to convince him to follow all of our principles. That will be very nice. Please offer my obeisances to your good wife, Himavati. I hope this will meet you both in good health.

Letter to Nara-narayana -- London 24 November, 1969:

The cart you have constructed sounds very nice from your description, and when you are able please send me photographs of this cart. I have all approval of your plan to travel from temple to temple in order to give them the benefits of your carpentry skill. Do it nicely. It is very important service and Krishna will be pleased to bestow upon you His blessings for it. Here in London things are going on very nicely, and one India gentleman has promised to help us in our plan to make Deities. Therefore, I request you to send immediately to the London temple the carving of Lord Krishna which you made in Los Angeles while I was there. As you are writing from Detroit center, please inform some responsible person in the temple where the Deity is presently staying to immediately send it by air post to London address. I shall be returning to the East Coast USA sometimes in December, and if it is possible, I shall be pleased if you can come and meet me at that time.

Letter to Brahmananda -- London 10 December, 1969:

In your previous letter you told me that Mr. C.L. Jaipuria visited our temple and he paid $10 as contribution and you also presented him with one TLC. Since then, did you write any letter to this gentleman? I know this gentleman has a charitable disposition of mind, and he can help us in so many ways. Try to keep in touch with him by sending magazines and writing letters. He may be able to supply us many things from India, especially Deities.

1970 Correspondence

Letter to Sudama -- Los Angeles 8 January, 1970:

I am so glad to learn that Mr. Row, a South Indian gentleman, is helping you, and why not take some help from Dai Nippon Co.? They can issue a certificate in our favor that we are completely non-political, religious institution meant for every human being. Bhurijana is very intelligent boy and good match for cooperating with you in the absence of Bali Mardan. I have talked with Gargamuni yesterday, and he is going to send you the letters of guarantee very soon. I shall remind him again. Even if you don't rent a temple for the time being, you can go on street Sankirtana and hold meetings from a rented hall. That will also do.

Letter to Kirtanananda -- Los Angeles 18 February, 1970:

Our Isopanisad is now published. This excellent book of God-Consciousness should be introduced as study book for school and college students because it is so nicely explained about God-Consciousness. Any sincere gentleman serious about knowing God-Consciousness must read this book. A little education will make every one aware what is meant by God. It is a challenge to the atheists, agnostic, skeptics and gross materialists. Please get this book in quantities from Boston and try to introduce it.

Letter to Tamala Krsna -- Los Angeles 20 February, 1970:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 15 February, 1970, and noted the contents carefully. My first request to you is to take from Mr. Goyl, the gentleman who donated the Sri Murtis, the address of the manufacturer or supplier of the Murtis. I know that the Murtis were supplied from Jaipur, India, but I do not know the address of the supplier. So please take it from him and please send it to me immediately.

Letter to Hit Sharanji -- Los Angeles 28 February, 1970:

By the by, I may inform you that we require many pairs of Deities, but the Vrindaban manufacturer, Ramnath murtikar, is very slow. Under the circumstances, I would prefer ready made marble Murtis from Jaipur. One gentleman, Mr. Goyl, donated our London Deities—42 inches high Krsna and Radharani proportionately shorter. The photograph of London Murti is sent herewith. Will you kindly take the trouble to find out someone in Jaipur who can supply us such Murtis regularly.

Letter to Sumati Morarjee -- Los Angeles 4 March, 1970:

So any one of these patterns may be supplied by you, and I shall be glad if you kindly send me a list of prospective donors of such Deities from Bombay. There are many Vaisnava respectable gentlemen in Bombay, and they can cooperate with my mission.

Letter to Hanuman Prasad Poddar -- Los Angeles 4 March, 1970:

The Dalmia Jayan Trust and Birla Trust have given us 5 pairs of Radha Krsna Murtis for installing in our different centers. Sriman Hit Sharan Sharma is dispatching these Murtis, and the Director of Scindia Steam Navigation Co., Srimati Sumati Morarji, has kindly consented to carry them on their ships. If you will also recommend some of your Vaisnava friends to contribute such Murtis, it will be very much encouraging. Or if you give me a prospective list of gentlemen, then I can directly request them for this cooperation.

Letter to Sri Balmukundji -- Los Angeles 15 March, 1970:

So I would again request you to take up the preaching work of this great movement. It does not matter whether you accept Sannyas order of life or not. You can preach this Krishna Consciousness movement even along with your good wife, and why not this procedure? My disciples are only children. If they can preach this Krishna Consciousness movement husband and wife together, without having any background of Vedic culture, why not an experienced gentleman like you with full knowledge of Vedic culture preach this movement? If you take up this work in right earnest, I am sure you will feel transcendental bliss.

Letter to Bali-mardana -- Los Angeles March 26, 1970:

I take it for granted that you are one of the selected devotees of Lord Caitanya, and therefore from within your heart He has inspired you to go to such a distant place, leaving your parents and home, just to satisfy Krsna. This is a great transcendental adventure. Try your best, and I am sure you will be successful. Formerly your forefathers, many European and American gentlemen, were courageous to go outside their country for colonization, and Australia is vivid example of such adventures. Now, by the grace of Krsna, yourself and Upendra, the descendants of your adventurous forefathers, have gone there with a great mission, and try to execute it to your best capacity.

Letter to Balmukundji -- Los Angeles 17 April, 1970:

Your good self are an influential gentleman both in London and Kenya, similarly Sriman Becharbhai G. Patel, and Birlaji etc. are willing to contribute substantially, so why not join together in this Krishna Consciousness movement and construct an unique and imposing KRSNA temple in London, the most important city of the world. If you agree to this proposal, then I am prepared to work personally along with you for this temple construction work.

Letter to Robert, Karen -- Los Angeles 19 April, 1970:

The physical activities in Vrindaban are not material activities. Just like Arjuna, in the beginning he declined to fight, and Krishna apparently induced him to fight. But does it mean that Arjuna after understanding Bhagavad-gita became a violent fighter? If that is the result of understanding Bhagavad-gita, then no gentleman would read it ever. Therefore the real thing is that in Bhakti cult the activities appear to be like those of the Karmis, but actually they are all devotional service. In New Vrindaban everyone is engaged in Krishna's service, they have no interest in material activities, but they are always ready to act anything for Krishna's sake.

Letter to Rupanuga -- Los Angeles 27 April, 1970:

I am negotiating with a gentleman in India to get the management of a very old Radha Krsna Temple, and if this negotiation is successful, we will organize a very nice preaching center in the center of India. From this part, any side extreme boundary is not more than 1000 miles. I think that will be a very nice preaching center. So try to recruit more members for our Society because we have to open many centers, and from each center we shall organize this moving Sankirtana Party. That will be nice program for executing the will of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

Letter to Yamuna -- Los Angeles 4 June, 1970:

So open branches there. When there is inquiry, the people are receptive. It is now already experimented that wherever we may open a center, Hare Krsna mantra will be chanted with great delight. Our Japanese center is doing very well. They have got very many television engagements. Brahmananda has gone there, and he says that in those parts of the world there is very good chance of spreading Krsna consciousness. Most probably Brahmananda will open a branch in Hong Kong. One Indian gentleman has taken very active interest, and he is paying $50 per month. So if there is possibility of opening centers in the places from where you have got inquiries, do it as far as possible.

Letter to Harivilasa -- Los Angeles 14 June, 1970:

So for the time being you just remain in Paris with the devotees there and grasp the ideas more explicitly and then try to open a center in one of the Middle Eastern countries. Sometime before I met one gentleman in New York from Iran. His name and address is given below:

Mr. Majid Movagarh / Mehr Monthly Review

224, Shareza Avenue / Tehran, Iran

He informed me that people in Tehran are interested in such yoga societies like ours. They are also hankering after something like this for spiritual advancement.

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

So not only you, but almost all the conditioned souls within this material world, practically 99% of the whole population is committing suicide. As it is natural for a gentleman to try to stop a person committing suicide when it so happens just in one's presence, similarly when we see that so many men and women are simply committing suicide as described in the Isopanisad ye ke catma-hano janah, let us try to save them through this Krsna Consciousness Movement.

Letter to Yamuna -- Los Angeles 26 July, 1970:

The slides which you have sent of recent temple innovations is very, very excellent. One Bengali gentleman from London has sent me a letter praising your decoration of the Deities. The exact words he has used are that one cannot turn his face once turning towards the Deities. I have also seen the slides and my opinion is also the same. Please, therefore, go on getting credit for your service to the Lord. I am very much happy to learn it. Does your husband sometimes help you in this connection or not? I think he should be also trained up so that one day in a week he may also take charge of the Deities although he has got many other duties.

Letter to Bali-mardana -- Tokyo August 21, 1970:

In our movements all over the world certainly we require huge amounts of money. When I came to your country first my primary strength was chanting the Maha-mantra and maintaining myself on public contributions and distribution of my Srimad-Bhagavatam. The same principles can be followed still namely collecting some funds by distributing our books and literatures. I thank you very much for appreciating my two recent books, Nectar of Devotion and KRSNA. If we distribute these two wonderful books by meeting respectable gentlemen everywhere, I think we can collect $100 at least by presenting these two books. So it is my suggestion immediately you should try and collect some money and I am sure Krsna will supply it and keep it for opening different centers. Please consult with the GBC regarding this program and make a practical schedule.

Letter to Bhavananda -- Calcutta 9 September, 1970:

New York is very much attractive for me because New York is the starting place of my activities in your country and when I had no place of preaching, one Armenian gentleman offered me a two storied building in Brooklyn with a nice hall downstairs for only $125 per month, but at the time I was paying only $70 for my apartment and I could not bear at that time to pay 125 dollars. That situation continued for at least one year and then I was bold enough to accept an apartment for $200. In this way the Society extended with so many branches and now you are paying $1,450 per month, so it is very encouraging. I thank you very much that you have already allotted a nice apartment for me, an entire first floor, so if I had the wings of a dove I could fly immediately to Brooklyn and enter my apartment. Anyway, in future I wish to go there.

Letter to Bali-mardana -- Calcutta September 24, 1970:

I have just received one letter from Nayanabhirama and he has met one Indian gentleman who lives in Taiwan and would like us to open a center there. His address is as follows:

Navin Gajjar, Mgr. Du Pont Far East Inc.

703, Chia Hsin Bldg, Taipei, Taiwan

You should immediately contact Nayanabhirama about this prospect. Anyone who goes to Fiji must contact Mr. Sharma and amongst others he will be a nice friend.

Letter to Central Bank of India -- Calcutta 29 September, 1970:

A meeting of the President, Secretary, Treasurer and Founder-Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, Calcutta Branch, at 37/1 Hindusthan Road was held, and it is passed by resolution that a local account be opened with the Central Bank of India, Ballygunje Branch.

In the meeting the following gentlemen were present:

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Founder-Acarya

Tamala Krishna Das Adhikari-President

Acyutananda Swami-Secretary

Jayapataka Swami-Treasurer

Out of the four, checks will be signed by any two.

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

Letter to Gurudasa -- Calcutta 5 October, 1970:

Now if your preaching work in Bombay is going nicely, then you can stay there for some time and do preaching work as they are doing here in Calcutta. Otherwise, you can immediately come here and work jointly. We are expecting to have our own place by the end of this month. When you come, you should send a telegram with the details of your arrival.

If you interested to open a branch in Bombay, you can see the following gentleman and he will help you.

Letter to Tamala Krsna, Syamasundara -- Amritsar 25 October, 1970:

The letter addressed to Ksirodakasayi has been approved by me and sent by airmail to London. I think the procedure followed by you for Bombay activities is quite nice. I was thinking of going to Delhi and Vrndavana but, as you say, that my presence in Bombay will be more beneficial. Therefore we have all reserved our seats in the Deluxe Train on 30th October, Friday. We shall start from here at 6:35 a.m. reaching Bombay central station next day 31st October, Saturday by 4:40 pm. I think I shall send you another telegram but you can take it as certain that we are starting on the 30th. On this basis you can make arrangements for meeting the respectful gentlemen and ladies mentioned by you. So far I've not received the copies of the magazines sent by Dai Nippon from Japan. I'm very glad that you are organizing the temple worship at Chembur. It will be a great opportunity to show your capacity how to worship the deity in the temple. I hope this will meet you in good health.

Letter to Jadurani -- Bombay 4 November, 1970:

I am pleased to hear that the paintings for Vol. I Canto II have been finished and that more paintings for Vol. II have begun. At least from 50 to 100 paintings should appear in each volume, and that will be the perfection of your service for Lord Krsna. In reply to your specific question, there is no ocean of milk, rather they are standing on a normal ocean. I am always showing your paintings in Krsna Book to respectable Indian gentlemen and ladies and they are very much impressed that my American disciples have taken to this process with so much love and determination. Hope this meets you in good health.

Letter to Sri Birlaji -- Bombay 8 November, 1970:

I have been told by my disciple that you have kindly agreed to donate 500 rupees to our society. There are many beautiful books which our society has published within the last few years and which many of the gentlemen of Bombay are now receiving as life member of our society, and take advantage of these wonderful Krishna Consciousness books. The membership fee is 1111 rupees.

Letter to Bali-mardana -- Bombay 24 November, 1970:

Your enthusiasm for starting centers for educating the people of the world in this sublime Krsna Consciousness process is very good. You are actually authorized agent of my Guru Maharaja and through Him, Lord Caitanya. He predicted that in every town and village of the world His Name will be well known and you are trying for fulfilling His mission, certainly He will give you all strength and blessings. We simply have to work sincerely and automatically all other things will come. Recently one very responsible Indian gentleman was in our Temple in Sydney and he has given very good certificate for our activities there.

Letter to Gurudasa -- Indore 5 December, 1970:

In the meantime one gentleman has come to me here in Indore and he has offered us one small Krsna Temple in Vrndavana with room for about 20-25 men. He has written to the man there to receive you when you go. So you may go immediately as soon as possible go there for the purpose of seeing the Temple whether it is suitable for us. The name is as follows:

Chhatrabihariji's Temple; Gopinatha Bazar; Vrndavana. It is in care of our friend Sri N. C. Zamindar, of Indore. So please go there and see it and do the needful. Let me know how things are going on.

1971 Correspondence

Letter to Bali-mardana -- Bombay February 6, 1971:

If we can get some Chinese followers of this cult, it will be a great success. I know that amongst the Chinese there are many scholars and learned cultured gentlemen. So to convince them will be easier than others, even though they are of the Buddhist philosophy. That is akin to our philosophy although it is a little different. Buddhist philosophy is direct renunciation of material life but they have no information of spiritual reality because the followers of Lord Buddha were more materialistic. Spiritual information was not suitable for them. Now we are presenting complete spiritual information. So preach to them in that light and surely you will be successful.

Letter to Gargamuni -- Bombay 24 February, 1971:

If you at all seriously intend to go to East Pakistan, please contact this gentleman and open correspondence with him and if you think it is favorable you may go there with the blessings of Krsna.

Hope this will meet you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

P.S. When you go and decide your departure after correspondence with the above gentleman, I will give you further instructions on this.

Letter to Ksirodakasayi -- Bombay 17 April, 1971:

I know that Sri N. C. Chatterjee and his son-in-law Mr. Mukerjee, who are both known to me, will be helpful to you. Sri Hans Raj Gupta is a very nice gentleman. He gave me sometimes some contribution for my printing work and because he belongs to the Arya Samaj, he will be pleased that we are bringing so many foreigners to Krsna culture. He is already known to you also. Please let me know whether the dharmasala has been given for our center in Delhi. Regarding Birla Temple Trust land, yes, take some plot immediately which is very nice and we shall immediately begin one Hare Krsna Sankirtana Festival as we held in Bombay. At least four acres are required; then we shall construct one very nice Temple and preaching work will start. Panditji is also known to me.

Letter to Govinda -- Calcutta 28 May, 1971:

So far you and your good husband's service is concerned, I am so much proud of you both. So far your health is concerned, your constitution is made like that but don't worry about it. Go on discharging your Krishna Conscious duties and Krishna will help you to live for a long time. Your service in the matter of implanting Tulasi seeds as introduced in the Western countries has proved it definitely that actually you are Govinda Dasi, maid-servant of Govinda. I always speak to many gentlemen how strenuously hard you work to have introduced Tulasi in the Western countries and I am hearing from everywhere that Tulasi is growing very luxuriantly. May Tulasi be kind upon you and introduce you to Krishna, to be one of the assistant maid-servant gopis in Vrindaban.

I am sorry that Sadhana Dacca has not replied your letter. The next alternative is to write to the proprietor, Sri Baidyanath Ayurved Bhawan; P.O. Jhansi; U.P.; INDIA. He is the right gentleman who can give you the right instruction and you can write him immediately.

Letter to Bill -- London 29 June, 1971:

I thank you very much for your letter dated 19th May, 1971 and have noted the contents. I am so glad to learn that Hrdayananda Prabhu has joined you in Gainesville and that you have got a nice place also. Now my desire will be fulfilled. I have wanted a center in Florida for a very long time. Two years ago I tried to open a center there with the help of one local gentleman but it was not very successful. So you are intelligent boy; I have heard so from Gargamuni Swami, and now Hrdayananda is there also. So do something wonderful there in Gainesville. Wonderful means simply you chant loudly and distribute prasadam. That is not very difficult. It is very easy. Simply if you do it enthusiastically and sincerely, then success will be there.

Letter to Gurudasa -- Brooklyn 28 July, 1971:

I have learned from Giriraja that it is not possible to get any big donation. We have to construct the temple at Mayapur by collecting membership fees. So far I understand, the collection rate is at one member per day. So even it is so, then keeping this standard, we may collect 25,000 to 30,000 Rs. per month. Four months means one lakh. One year means three lakhs. So if we want to spend 25 lakhs at Mayapur, it will take 8 to 10 years. Do you think that is a practical proposal? So we should not imagine some big project unless we have got insurance from our admirers. This life membership program has proved a little successful, so continue it and form 3 or 4 parties to collect membership fees. As Giriraja and Revatinandana have formed one party, so you and Tamala form a party to approach respectable gentlemen to become life members.

Letter to Tamala Krsna, Gurudasa -- London 23 August, 1971:

This membership program is so nice that you can make members all over the world. So this temple should be subscribed by money raised all over the world and it must be very unique. The aim is to make it an international institute for taking perfect spiritual order of life; we shall give titles like bachelor of divinity, master of divinity, doctor of divinity. Besides that as I have already told you all several times in India, respectable gentlemen want to educate their children through the English medium. If we can organize such an institution such as St. Xavier's college in Calcutta and Bombay and we can give them instruction through the English medium and raise them in a Krishna Conscious culture we shall get unlimited number of students from respectable families of India. Such institution will be very much welcome especially in Bombay and Delhi. So think over this matter how best to organize such an institution as St. Xavier's college. Our mission is solid. Our philosophy is not utopian. Our men are being trained for exemplary character. So we shall have a unique position all over the world provided we stick to the principles, namely unflinching faith in Spiritual Master and Krishna, chanting not less than 16 rounds regularly and following the regulative principles. Then our men will conquer all over the world.

Letter to Vaikunthanatha -- London 6 September, 1971:

I am sending herewith, please find, complete plans for a temple there in Trinidad, drawn by Rancor Prabhu here in London. So as soon as you receive the deed you should give these plans to the government, get them sanctioned and begin construction. In the design you will find a portion especially meant for my residence. So it will be a great pleasure for me to go there and live with you for some time. Since 1965 or before that there was a plan for me to go to Trinidad. I had some correspondence with one Mr. Kuldap. I do not know if you have met this gentleman. He was very anxious to get me there. At that time it was not possible for me to go there. Now, by Krishna's grace, if you arrange for my going there it will be very nice.

Letter to Dr. Bali -- Kenya 9 September, 1971:

I beg to thank you very much for your letter dated 3rd September, 1971 and my blessings are there for you and your good wife. One S. Indian gentleman, Mr. Cheety, came to see my in L.A. when I was there and he has invited me to go to his place. I had promised him that I am going there during my Madras tour in October. Formerly also when I talked with Vaijyantimala, she also said that October would be first class climate for going there. But now the program is changed, so I have no idea about the programs in India.

Letter to Damodara -- Nairobi, Kenya 3 October, 1971:

Yes, the picture is bona fide. Whatever the Indian gentleman may say, that is up to him, but this picture is bona fide; it is called Bala Krishna.

Letter to Govinda -- Delhi 20 November, 1971:

The Panca-tattva can all be golden. The Deity of Lord Caitanya is very nicely done so there is no need to change the color. Yes, Srivas Pandit has sikha. Vaisnava must have sikha. Advaita Prabhu has a full white beard. He was an old man. He was practically older than the father of Lord Caitanya. He was an elder gentleman in the town of Navadvipa, elder of the brahmana community. All should wear Tulasi kunti beads, not less than two strands. Three, four strands or my Guru Maharaja had five strands. Only Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda wear crowns and nosepins. Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda can be decorated with all kinds of jewelry. For Krishna Tulasi and Rama Tulasi the the worship is the same. There is no difference between Rama and Krishna. Both are the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Simply they are expansions of the same Absolute Truth.

Letter to Hiranyagarbha -- Delhi 22 November, 1971:

I am in due receipt of your letter of November 7, 1971, and I am very pleased to note that we have now got our center in Ottawa, Canada. I understand that Ottawa is the seat of government and a very important place. A few days back, the Canadian High Commissioner to India, Mr. James George, came to our festival which we are holding every night for two weeks in the central square of Delhi as the special Guest for that night. He garlanded me and spoke many nice words about our Movement, which he has observed for some time in Montreal and Boston. He is very favorable to our Movement. It appears that more and more the gentleman class of men in your country is respecting this Krishna Consciousness Movement, so you should approach them one by one and convince them very tactfully to help us.

Letter to Dayananda -- Delhi 5 December, 1971:

Empires come and go, so many huge empires and lands and properties—all vanished, just like the British Empire. Now we are offering the real solution, so present them our philosophy nicely and they are very intelligent people, they will understand and appreciate. By becoming Krishna Conscious, no more need for wasting time by acquiring this or that to expand our economy. Every Krishna Conscious man should know it for certain that this material world simply has no use for us. Now there is war here between India and Pakistan; tomorrow there may be war somewhere else. With every step there is danger and so many anxieties. No gentleman should want to live here in this material world. So preach to the Britishers very strongly in this way. You have got good opportunity for preaching there, and I am encouraged by so many people I meet here in India who have visited our London Temple and we are very impressed that we are teaching pure Krishna Consciousness and that we are having good success.

Letter to Nayanabhirama -- Bombay 22 December, 1971:

Everyone enjoys play-acting, only there is at present a dearth of proper material for elevating the general mass of people to the proper standards. Practically, the whole world is going to hell. There is no decency, no gentleman anywhere. So we have to portray to the people of this fallen Age of Kali-yuga what is the right standard for their behavior. When they see that, Oh, here is such nice activity, such nice people, they will automatically become changed, simply we have to engage their senses in the right taste. So this drama-playing is very good presentation for attracting their attention and displaying Krishna Consciousness very beautifully. Make everything very simple, without too much fancy costumes, and the real message will come out very nicely.

1972 Correspondence

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

I am very encouraged that all aspects of your KC program are increasing under your supervision, and I have especially appreciate prominent Indian gentleman as examples of our propaganda work. Just go on printing such leaflets, as Karandhara is also doing in Los Angeles, and everyone will take one and get some solid information about Krishna. You may print small essays also in this way. I am pleased that your distribution of literatures is also increasing. Go on giving this matter your full attention. The more books we sell, the more we ourselves advance in Krishna Consciousness.

Letter to Giriraja -- Tokyo 23 April, 1972:

The temple foundation should be done first. There are many engineers in Calcutta who can give us free service, and if some of them can be brought at our expense to see to the supervision, that will be nice. Everything must be done very cautiously. For clearing the debt of Mr. Nair, he has to be paid three lakhs per year. That means if you make one member daily, that will be 360,000 per year. So you should make one member for clearing his debt, and one member for construction. This should be the calculation. Our latest edition of Krsna book is very handy and just like an ordinary story book. It can be distributed to every student and gentleman, and to all the English-speaking public.

Letter to Giriraja -- Honolulu 15 May, 1972:

Regarding books, posters, and stamps, I am writing to Karandhara that he should send you all of these things at cost price, and the cost can be deducted from the Mayapur Fund in U.S.A. I think if you get these stamps, every businessman in Bombay will take. Somehow or other we have to make vigorous propaganda. These two words "Hare Krishna" must appear everywhere. So if we work sincerely without any material aspirations, Krishna will help in all respects, be assured. So far the donation of roses, utilize them nicely. There will be flowers for the deity, it will be a great service. Nara Narayana is enthusiastic so let him do this work. One thing: why you and Cyavana are sending carbon-copies of your letters to Brahmananda? What is the use, he is not returning, he has to manage African affairs. You have to manage there with your assistants. I have received the Hindi article sent by you written by Mangalananda Goutam, and this gentleman is known to me, and it is written nicely. So I am enclosing herewith one letter for him, you can forward.

Letter to Puri Maharaj -- Los Angeles 26 May, 1972:

Bhaktivinode Thakur and Srila Prabhupada wanted that American and European Vaisnavas should come to India and join with dancing our Vaisnavas there, but if they have got some difficulty to enter into the temple it will be against the desire of Bhaktivinode Thakur and Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. So I am sure that Mr. Dass, the chief minister, is a very nice gentleman, I know him personally. So while he is in the office he must rectify this anomaly and situate himself in the history for doing such nice service for Lord Chaitanya's mission.

Letter to Ksirodakasayi -- Los Angeles 26 May, 1972:

So we have made friends with the Singhanias. Padmapat Singhania can alone construct the temple. He is a Vaisnava devotee of Lord Krishna and he wanted to construct one temple in New York but the government did not allow exchange. Guru dasa can go to see him and ask him to construct one temple on our behalf. He can tell him that he wanted to help us in New York, and in this way, very mildly, if he is canvassed he alone can construct the temple and we shall construct the residential portion. So far the temple design is concerned, in cooperation with these two gentlemen architects we can build in Vrndavana on a very grand scale. It is a new thing that American and European Vaisnavas will come to Vrndavana, so it is the duty of rich men like Singhania to construct something very nice for the foreigners so they will come and see. And if he is impressed with our kirtana then it will be very easy to convince him and many other rich men. In Kanpur also we can hold Hare Krishna festival. There is a big open field, it is called "Parade." There is a big park, "Mall Road," so any of these places a Hare Krishna festival can be held like Calcutta.

Letter to Tejiyas -- Los Angeles 12 June, 1972:

I am very pleased to hear that the collecting work for Vrndavana project is going on by cooperative endeavor amongst yourselves there. ___ to interest the life members and richer class of men to purchase rooms in our Vrndavana Temple on the Bhetnama system for staying with us on weekends. Many high class gentlemen in Delhi who are also devotees would relish the chance to live with us on weekends and it will be for them just like Vaikuntha. I very much appreciate your courageous preaching work and I can understand that Krishna is giving you all facilities for making your spiritual advancement.

Letter to Tribhuvanatha -- Los Angeles 16 June, 1972:

Now organize the temple very nicely and request tourists to come in, and with many flowers you can decorate the whole hall with flowers and it will be very much attractive. You can make a sign-board that says "Guests are requested to offer a flower to the Deity". The flower market is nearby and any gentleman will bring flowers, and give them prasadam. A gorgeous temple means many flowers, beautiful decorations, and prasadam distribution. Some sort of kirtana must go on continuously. Further, chanting 16 rounds must be completed, that is our spiritual strength. And I am very much stressing nowadays that my students shall increase their reading of my books and try to understand them from different angles of vision. Each sloka can be seen from many, many angles of vision, so become practiced in seeing things like this. If we are selling the books but we do not know what is inside the book, that will be a farce, especially if you are preaching and selling books to the students of Edinburgh.

Letter to Mr. Loy -- Vrindaban 7 November, 1972:

Krishna assures us that "After many many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare." (Bhagavad-gita, VII, 19). In this light, try to view these children. They have realized that life together spent in the pursuit of God is real knowledge, and that they have not done lightly by any means, no actually they must be considered as great souls, the most exalted persons among all persons. Our married couples are rendering the greatest service to humanity, their countrymen, and to their parents, of that kindly be assured by me. Do not worry for anything in this connection, you are a great gentleman, otherwise you could not have fostered such intelligent daughter, and gentlemen are known to be broad-minded, so therefore I appeal to you as their spiritual father to encourage them in every respect.

Letter to Hamsaduta -- Ahmedabad 10 December, 1972:

We shall not be very much concerned for that. Devotee means he is able to tolerate all kinds of discomfort and whims of the material nature, and because he is so much absorbed in serving Krishna, he takes no time to become angry or take offense with others or find out some fault, no. Devotee means very liberal and kind to everyone, always gentleman under all kinds of conditions of life. So now you have practically become inseparable from Germany temples, and you have introduced this strict brahminical standard in those countries and it is coming out successful. So I am always appreciating you and your good wife, Himavati, for your kindly helping me in this way. May Krishna shower you with His all blessings.

Letter to Tusta Krsna -- Ahmedabad 14 December, 1972:

Your next question is, should we love Krishna or love the spiritual master: You cannot go to Krishna directly, loving Him. It is common sense that if Krishna is the object of your love, His pet dog is also the object of your love. Friends meet friends and if the friend is with his dog the gentleman pats his dog first, is it not? So the man becomes automatically pleased, his dog being patted. I have seen it in your country. The conclusion is this: Without pleasing the spiritual master he cannot please Krishna. If anyone tries to please Krishna directly, he's fool number one.

1973 Correspondence

Letter to George -- Bombay 4 January, 1973:

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? So the friend becomes automatically pleased, his dog being patted. I have seen it in your country sometimes when I used to walk in the Regents Park early mornings. So it is like that, the spiritual master is the pet dog of Krishna, and if he is pleased so Krishna is also pleased. That is the process.

Letter to Rupanuga -- Sydney 14 February, 1973:

Regarding our sankirtana party members dressing up as hippies in order to increase book distribution this is not a very good plan. I am instructing Bali Mardan Maharaja that this should be stopped, that we should not give anyone cause to call us hippies, but the devotees can dress up in respectable clothes like ladies and gentlemen in order to distribute my literatures under special circumstances, but even this program should not become widespread. It should only go on under the supervision of Bali Mardan Goswami and Karandhara das.

Letter to Trai -- India 4 March, 1973:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your nice report dated the 20th of february and I have carefully examined the contents. Your plans for increasing book distribution are very good. If so many books are being sold then very soon we will be finished the second edition. Distribution of all these books is making a firm basis for our movement.

The educated gentleman you mentioned who has now become a nice devotee should develop into a very good preacher. Your policy of encouraging his chanting is good, gradually Krsna consciousness is developed, that is natural.

Letter to Dr. Aggarwal -- Calcutta 7 March, 1973:

Four things can be surrendered:—Our life, our words, our intelligence, and our money. So just try to gradually engage these things in Krishna's Service. One thing you can enquire from Damodara, is about our Life-Membership-Program. Here in India we have now over 2000 members, including may prominent men.

You are a learned gentleman, a medical doctor, so kindly apply your determination, to understand this Krishna-Conscious movement, and I am confident that Krishna will bless you more and more. Kindly just read our books, and help us as you are able.

Letter to Giriraja -- Zurich 3 April, 1973:

I think no need asking specific action on our behalf, on the other hand please try and get the land at Grand Paridi through the help of Karatikeya Mahadevia or Mr. Ramchand Chabria. They told me about this land for Temple and I think both of them can secure it, either freehold or cost price. The gentleman Mr. Thirani was met 2-3 times on planes or in airports and is eager to construct a temple for us immediately. So this is an opportunity given by Krishna and if possible we can construct both a city Temple as well as one at Juhu. If possible to construct in the city location then that should be given more priority. You may reply this letter to L.A. I hope you have taken possession of the new apartment at Juhu and are doing the needful. May this find you all well.

Letter to Puri Maharaj -- Los Angeles 3 April, 1973:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated March 25, 1973 and I have noted the contents with great interest. While in Mayapur I expected to see you. You would have been pleased to see the excellent building that we have constructed. People say it is a unique building in all of Nadia district. There is ample space for 300 gentlemen to come and visit. The proposal is to construct four such buildings and a big Temple two hundred and fifty feet high.

Letter to Niranjana -- Brooklyn 21 May, 1973:

I can understand your difficult position in preaching work. Not only you, but I also had the same difficulty when I wanted to start this Krsna Consciousness Movement from India. I approached many respectable gentlemen and requested that, "My dear sir, you have got four children, out of them can you spare one only under my guidance, because I want to make a brahminical society all over the world." Everyone replied in this connection, "Sir what benefit will there be in becoming a brahmana??"

Letter to Karandhara -- Bhaktivedanta Manor 19 July, 1973:

Here at Bhaktivedanta Manor the place is the nicest possible. It is calm and quiet and the village is neat and clean. I am daily walking in the morning with all devotees and I am taking the usual class from 7-8 A.M. Very respectable gentlemen are coming in the evening. Last night George Harrison came. He has become a great supporter of our movement. He may spend more for expanding our activities. He told me smilingly yesterday, "I shall try to help you for expanding many temples." So arrangement is going on here for installing the deity on Janmastami: Many Indians are also coming and we are proposing to start a Gurukula here in London so that Indian children may be admitted. Indian gentlemen are perplexed because there is no institution to admit children to keep intact the Indian cult. So our idea of teaching sanskrit and English and our books they appreciate very much. If we start another Gurukula here I think it will be not an unprofitable activity.

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

Yes, your plan for people paying for a guest room at Vrindaban is very nice. The idea is they pay the price of the room and they may come there for their lifetime duration. This practice is called bhetnama, where a room is reserved for a donor for a lifetime. You will be able to secure much money in that way as many gentlemen will want to come to Vrindaban. So arrange to accommodate them in the new temple. You should also arrange for that in Mayapur building.

Letter to Bhagavan -- Bhaktivedanta Manor 22 July, 1973:

The best date for the installation of Deities will be August 10th, Friday. So we shall probably arrive in Paris on the 9th of August and stay until August 15th when we shall return to London. You can arrange for meetings with respectable gentlemen of France, to take place in my quarters while I am there. You can immediately send open plane tickets for myself, Srutakirti, Hamsaduta and Pradyumna (Vincent Florentino, Hans Kary and Paul Sherbow).

Letter to Gurudasa -- Bhaktivedanta Manor 25 July, 1973:

I think all respectable gentlemen will come and you can arrange for that. Our temple is the only Krsna Balarama temple in Vrindaban and it will be so attractive that people will automatically come and see. That quarter is aristocratic and our temple is unique. From Bombay and Delhi we can rent rooms in the temple. This is called bhetnama. Perhaps you may know. The room is used by the contributor for lifetime then it becomes again the property of the temple.

Letter to Tamala Krsna -- Bhaktivedanta Manor 8 August, 1973:

The collections from your part meant for Vrindaban may be sent later because the construction is going on there. First of all fill up if you are serious about negotiations.

I have met Mr. Therany in Zurich and he is a nice gentleman, he will pay as promised, so keep him satisfied.

Observe many festivals, that will keep both public and devotees alive. Temple means festivals and Festivals means chanting and distribution of Prasadam.

Letter to Tejiyas -- Bhaktivedanta Manor 15 August, 1973:

It is good news that you have got the L.I.C. ground for holding our festival, maybe I shall be back in India at that time. Last time the L.I.C. festival was unique and successful many gentlemen wanted to increase the period, so try for the maximum period provided with Prasadam distribution. If possible arrangements should be made so that the kitchen can continue to cook and Prasadam distribution may go on continuously, in Delhi this is not difficult. If you do so the richer section of the public will contribute food grains, flour, ghee etc.

Your idea to get our men made as official government guides is nice, also if the government agrees to build one or two room in our temple that will be good. If respectable gentlemen become interested in our Krishna Conscious Movement then our temple in Vrindaban will stand first, because all other temples in Vrindaban gather general mass of people without philosophical understanding.

Letter to Satsvarupa -- New Delhi 2 November, 1973:

I will especially draw your attention to articles written by Dr. O.B.L. Kapoor. He has many such philosophical articles, and he wants to get the book published by us. I shall be glad to have your opinion in consultation with Karandhara whether we can take up the publication of such philosophical books. Another gentleman whose name is Hari Goswami is a Sanskrit scholar, as well as knowing English. He is enthusiastic to join us. Please let me know if you can utilize him for our Dallas Gurukula institution. He is coming from a respectable brahmana family belonging to Radha Raman goswami house, but he is very much pleased with our activities and wants to join us wholeheartedly. In case you consider his service is valuable, then you have to make arrangement for his passage. These two points, namely Sri Hari Goswami going to Dallas and the publication of Dr. Kapoor's book by us may be consulted amongst yourself, Karandhara, and Bali Mardan, and you please let me know your considered opinions.

Letter to Minister in charge of Immigration -- Bhaktivedanta Manor 24 November, 1973:

So I had to wait for two hours, namely from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m., but there was no definite decision by the immigration department, and whenever I sent my man to inquire, the man in charge simply replied "Please wait". Later on one gentleman came to inform my men that I was refused entrance in Nairobi from higher authorities. As such, he did not inform me what was the reason of my being refused to enter Nairobi, neither there was any written order from the department on me particularly to stop my entrance in Nairobi. Anyway, when I could understand there was no profit asking them the reason of my being refused, I immediately arranged for coming to London where also I have got two branches. Now from London, I wish to bring the matter for your consideration why I was refused entrance into your city without giving any written or verbal reason.

Letter to Tamala Krsna -- Los Angeles 24 December, 1973:

Regarding Vrindaban construction, we are trying to make an arrangement with one gentleman here in the U.S.A. for giving him dollars and taking rupees in India at the rate of 22 1/2 rupees per dollar. Presently the Book Trust and Gurukrpa and Yasodanandana Swamis' travelling sankirtana party are collecting the $100,000.00. To date approximately $30,000.00 has been collected. We are waiting to see if the arrangement with this man for three to one rate exchange will actually materialize and at the same time are still collecting the funds. So it may take one to two months so for the time being you will have to stand by for these funds. Meanwhile construction of the Vrindaban Temple should go on with whatever you have there. The Temple construction should go on first and later the residential quarters. You may assure the life members that they will surely get their residential quarters without fail, but first the Temple must be built. The $100,000.00 being transferred is for the Vrindaban project and other arrangements will have to be made for the new kitchen and pavilion in Mayapur.

1974 Correspondence

Letter to Dr. Ghosh:

I wish that in the fag end of life if you and I together can preach Krsna Consciousness all over the world, people will be benefited and all problems of the world will be solved. That is my conviction. I take the opportunity of sending this letter with your cousin-brother Mr. Zazumdar. He is a nice gentleman, almost of our age. I talked with him and felt great pleasure. Sometimes I think of going to Allahabad. So whenever I shall get the opportunity I may go, as I like the place. I am obliged to you for your remembering me even after so many years passed when we were together in Prayag Pharmacy.

Letter to Mr. Saxena -- Hyderabad 23 April, 1974:

I thank you for your letter of 16 April, 1974 addressed to our Bombay temple. For the present I am staying in Hyderabad and from here I will go to Tirupati to Balaji and by the 1st of May I will return to Bombay. I am very much pleased to know that you are trying to organize a home for retired gentlemen for fully devoting the rest of their lives for service to Lord Krsna.

Letter to Rupanuga -- Tirupati 28 April, 1974:

If Guru Maharaja could have seen someone who was qualified at that time to be acarya he would have mentioned. Because on the night before he passed away he talked of so many things, but never mentioned an acarya. His idea was acarya was not to be nominated amongst the governing body. He said openly you make a GBC and conduct the mission. So his idea was amongst the members of GBC who would come out successful and self effulgent acarya would be automatically selected. So Sridhara Maharaja and his two associate gentlemen unauthorizedly selected one acarya and later it proved a failure. The result is now everyone is claiming to be acarya even though they may be kanistha adhikari with no ability to preach. In some of the camps the acarya is being changed three times a year.

Letter to Pancadravida, Aksayananda -- Melbourne 28 June, 1974:

Your report that a Christian gentleman became a life member being attracted to our books is also our experience. Just today we spoke at a seminary in Melbourne, Australia, and the young Franciscan monks listened very respectfully. When speaking to Christians we never say our religious system is better than theirs but we speak on the principles of love of God, Sa vai pumsam paro dharmo (SB 1.2.6). They become convinced and pleased to hear our explanations of God consciousness based on the Vedic conclusion—if they are at all sincere. So whenever you come upon such gentlemen or institutions try to place our books there and make them life members also.

Letter to Giriraja -- Vrindaban 16 August, 1974:

Regarding reducing the expenditure, you should reduce the conveyance account by 50%. You should localize your preaching and collecting programs as much as possible. The attempt should be made to raise monthly subscriptions from gentlemen in Juhu and Ville Parle Scheme. No one will give less than Rs. 5/- and you can collect Rs. 20,000/- monthly if you organize it properly, so you may not have to go downtown. Juhu and Ville Parle schemes are developing rapidly and all important men are coming to this side. You make up some monthly subscription books like a passbook with the name and address of each subscriber each with a number and the amount of the monthly subscription and the date paid, and when the subscription is collected the subscriber signs his name. In this way three or four men can go house to house. Now that our temple is recognized, everyone will pay. Now there is a food program that is popular amongst the local people, so they will pay. They can also pay in goods such as rice and dahl.

Letter to Hamsaduta -- Bombay 12 November, 1974:

Whenever you call me for coming there I shall come. Never quit the Frankfurt palace. It is very nicely situated, in a open place. The landlord is a good gentleman, so keep good relations with him and his wife.

The report that the newly published books are all selling like mad is very, very encouraging. Now publish more books. Make more translations. You have not yet published Bhagavatam and also Krsna Book Second Part. Is this translated or not? And what about "Leben Kommt Von Leben?" Are they also selling? I have never studied science, but I am challenging them. They may take me as crazy, but I am not crazy. I am right.

Letter to Professor Stillson Judah -- Bombay 20 November, 1974:

Without being God conscious you cannot expect perfection in the human society. It is said in the sastra that if a person is God conscious, then all good qualities manifest in his person, but without being God conscious no material quality can make anyone a respected gentleman. Therefore it is essential to teach God consciousness in every school, college, and university to revive man's dormant God consciousness.

Letter to Patita Uddharana -- Bombay 2 December, 1974:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated November 21, 1974 and have noted the contents. It is nice that you had a nice Diwali-Govardhana Puja celebration. I have not received any photos however. Regarding the Indian gentleman Krishna Das, he can go to Dallas and teach Sanskrit and English, or he can come here to Bombay if he likes.

Letter to Hrdayananda -- Bombay 27 December, 1974:

As far as my coming there is concerned, I can come immediately. And the programs that you mention in your letter would be very nice. Try to arrange many such programs with all different kinds of respectable gentlemen, philosophers, scholars, educationalists, etc. We will be coming by way of London where we will probably stop for a few days. Also we will be stopping in Bermuda on the way from London to Mexico City for one or two days to have a program there if it can be arranged. In this connection we have contacted Rupanuga das. One telegram has already been sent to you to inform you of this and to request tickets immediately. If you have not sent the tickets as of yet please send them without delay. The tickets should be sent to the Quantas office in Bombay.

1975 Correspondence

Letter to Pancadravida -- Bombay 6 January, 1975:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated Dec. 29th, 1974 and have noted the contents. I have sent one letter already responding to your most recent letter, via one life-member, but in case of it not reaching you, I am sending another. Three men have been recommended to me by one of our life-members here in Bombay as men who may be able to help by signing our registration there. Their names are, Mr. Panikar, Mr. Raman, and Mr. Chaisrikul (Thai National). We have sent word to Mr. Panikar to come and visit you and to bring the addresses of the other two gentlemen so you may contact them. I think it is all right to have men who are non-life-members sign our registration if they are good men, sympathetic to our movement. But, you should try to make them members if possible.

Letter to Govinda Datta -- Caracas, Venezuela 19 February, 1975:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated 1-1-75 and have noted the contents. I am very glad that you are eager to see our foreign temples and that you wanted my advice in this connection. So, I am now on tour and very soon, by the 15th of March, I will return to India. Maybe, by the 20th I will be in Calcutta and you can see me there. I shall advise you personally. You are also invited to participate in our Mayapur festival during Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's appearance day ceremony, as well as the opening celebration of our Krishna-Balarama Temple in Vrndavana on Rama-Navami day. The governor of U.P. will also come there to participate and many other important and respectable gentleman will also be coming. I hope you will also come with your wife and son and mother, and encourage us by taking part in the festivals.

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

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.

Letter to Mr. Ogata -- Honolulu 13 June, 1975:
By experience, we gather that Japanese ladies and gentlemen are very much interested with our Krishna Consciousness movement, especially with our literature, and more specifically with Srimad-bhagavatam. Here in Hawaii, many Japanese gentlemen, they purchase Srimad-bhagavatam simply by hearing the name, but they have got the language difficulty—they don't know English. So, if our books were translated into Japanese language, it will be a great help to us and to you also because it will be another opportunity for printing books. So, why not give us a good translator who can regularly translate all our books into Japanese? This will be another enterprise for printing in your press.
Letter to Mahavir Prasad Jaipuriaji -- Philadelphia 13 July, 1975:

So this Vrindaban temple is being visited by many devotees to the extent of 500-1000 per day, and we have got a very nice guest house. I request you to come there at your convenience and see how it is nicely done especially for the retired gentlemen, vanaprastha.

Letter to Dhananjaya -- Berkeley 18 July, 1975:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated June 14, 1975 and have noted the contents. Yes, if you get guests there in the asrama you can easily make them Life and Patron members. For a gentleman who stays with us there is no difficulty in paying one or two thousand Rupees for this purpose. They come there to Vrindaban to spend for religious purpose their money. But, those who stay with us must be well behaved. From our side we will attend to their needs and make them comfortable, and from their side they must be clean and attend the aratis. Somehow or other they must be induced to take interest in spiritual life. Then it will be successful. You will get money and they will get spiritual profit. Both will be benefited by the grace of Krishna Balarama.

Letter to Giriraja -- Detroit 4 August, 1975:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated July 15, 1975 with enclosures redirected to from various places. I am enclosing herewith a check for Dollars 50,000.00 from Bank of America in favor of ISKCON, so you can deposit in your account. It is good that you are contacting interested persons who want to donate. Bhogilal Patel is a perfect gentleman. He has got money and also heart. His son is also good. Yes, get the tax exemption, and they can donate to us each year regularly. It costs them nothing and we get money.

Letter to Giriraja -- Detroit 4 August, 1975:

When you go to Ahmedabad, you see the following gentleman and invite him to come to Hare Krishna Land. He can recommend many men for becoming life patrons. His name is Dr. Y. G. Naik, N.Sc., Ph D., Retired Principal, Gujarat College, 66, Hemdeep, Sharda Society; Ahmedabad 7, Phone 85516. He wrote an favorable comment on my original edition of Easy Journey to Other Planets.

Letter to Deoji Punja -- Vrindaban 26 August, 1975:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated August 12, 1975 and have noted the contents. What you have proposed I have no objections. Do it. Krishna will bless you for this work, rest assured. He will give you all facilities; that is His promise, and actually it is so. You are all respectable gentlemen, and I have full confidence in you.

Letter to Hamsaduta, Bhagavan -- Vrindaban 1 September, 1975:

I have received one letter from Alanatha das Brahmacari, President of ISKCON Stockholm, in which he reports that there is much interest in Krishna consciousness in Eastern European countries. He is recommending two boys for initiation from Czechoslovakia. I do not know the language otherwise I would have gone there. So I am requesting you to make vigorous propaganda in Eastern Europe. In the latest English BTG there is my discussion about Marx philosophy which will appeal to any sane gentleman. This should be read and translated. Lenin killed the Czar that's all, but any gunda can do that.

You make one book containing my conversations with Prof. Kotovsky and also the one with Syamasundara, and translate it into Russian and distribute in Russia.

Letter to Kurusrestha -- Ahmedabad 26 September, 1975:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated September 13, 1975 and have noted the contents with pleasure. The District Court has given us the permission "for as long as the country lasts." Were these exact words used in the judgement? This is very funny. The judge is a very funny man. He should be sent a congratulation letter. This should be quoted. Actually any gentleman should be a little humorous.

Letter to Jayapataka -- Bombay 17 December, 1975:

I beg to inform you that this time while coming from Delhi to Bombay I saw one Mr. M.N. Chandhuri he is a very nice gentleman and important West Bengal Government officer, he is in charge of the department of development and planning, government of West Bengal. His office is at Raj Bhavan, Calcutta. He wanted to help me in any way in the government affairs. So immediately see him with some prasadam and flowers. His office phone number is as follows; 23 29 19, 221681/476, 230177-79. His residential number is as follows; 44 53 22.

1976 Correspondence

Letter to Satsvarupa -- Nellore 5 January, 1976:

Now you and all of your men are experienced in distributing books to the libraries. If you can get our books placed in the public libraries it will be a great victory. Do whatever you think bet to make this possible. Yes, the reviews you are getting are very important. Many times I am showing them to influential gentlemen.

Everything should be done co-operatively. "Our" and "your's" are material conceptions and have no place in our Krishna Consciousness movement. If the members of our movement are unable to co-operate it will be very difficult to spread the mission of Lord Caitanya.

Letter to Ramesvara -- Calcutta 12 January, 1976:

The quote book, "The Krishna Consciousness Movement is Authorized", is very important. From each city find out important persons names and post it. You can send it to important members of the Government, businessmen, entertainers, sportsmen, etc. Another device is that you can address it to "Any Respectable Gentleman, Post Office . . ., City . . ., State . . .". The postman will then deliver it to some respectable gentleman. Everyone who gets it will think: "I am a most respectable gentleman because he has give it to me." The best thing is to find out the customers list to some big magazine like "Time" or "Life", and post it to them. I think the post office can give concession rate for huge numbers of postings. Yes, go on adding any new important quotes in the reprinting.

Letter to Sri S. N. Nayar -- Calcutta 16 January, 1976:

I beg to thank you for your letter dated 21st December, 1975. I have gone through your translation, but it is not acceptable. We have already settled with a Vrindaban gentleman. I am returning herewith your manuscript. Thanking you.

Letter to Sir -- Mayapur 22 January, 1976:

It is understood from His Holiness Babaji Advaitanandan das Bhaktibhusan that some respectable gentlemen, headed by your Honor, have selected me as the President of Sri Krishna Caitanya Sangeet College, Bhaktivedyalaya Bisramtala, at Serampur. I wish to speak in detail about this institution. For this purpose I should like to invite you on Sunday, 1st February, 1976, or if this is not convenient, then on such day as is convenient to you. I am here in Mayapur and it will be a great pleasure for me to see you along with your associates. I invite you also to respect noon-day Prasadam with me. Please confirm through Babaji and we shall arrange to receive you.

Letter to Sravanananda, Bhavabhuti -- Mayapur 4 February, 1976:

In Madras we have to construct a very gorgeous temple. In Nellore the owners of the land are putting so many impossible conditions that we cannot construct. So that foundation stone can be brought to Madras and used for the Madras temple. Now immediately find out some land and begin the construction. Never mind what the cost will be. We are not concerned with the amount of money, but we want a very attractive temple. The money should come from the gentlemen of Madras. The foreign funds are reserved now for Bombay, Kuruksetra, Jagannatha Puri and Mayapur. But if absolutely required, something may be arranged. Go on sending funds to Hyderabad. That construction should be completed as soon as possible. But whatever amount you have sent there, Hyderabad will repay you after their Temple is finished.

Letter to Svarupa Damodara -- Mayapur 11 February, 1976:

As far as the College and University Lecture Party is concerned that is very important and it may be done very seriously. As a matter of fact Tamala Krishna Maharaja is here and he suggests that our educated gentlemen travel with his buses. So what is the use of working alone. Working conjointly is better. Therefore I have instructed him to call you when he returns to the United States. He has assured me that his college programs are very organized and he is very enthusiastic to increase.

Letter to Nalinikanta Roy and others -- Vrindaban 24 March, 1976:

With reference to our meeting on March 20, 1976 at Haridaspore, I beg to propose that immediately we require at least Rs. 50,000/- for development of the place. Kindly let me know exactly what is the area of the land (include a sketch of the land), and then we can make a site plan and a building construction plan.

I heard from Prabhu Swarup Das that one gentleman has already promised Rs. 10,000/- so another Rs. 10,000/- can also be given by us. The other Rs. 30,000/- can be collected by your endeavour and the thing can be started immediately. I wish that before the next rainy season we can begin work.

Letter to Brahmananda -- Honolulu 18 May, 1976:

Somehow or other I want that the Nairobi center is maintained, not closed. As sannyasi you can come and go, but my only ambition is that the center may not be closed.

You can inform the Mr. Motichand Shah, the gentleman who has started "Krishna Industries," that he can pay at least 50% of his income to the temple. If he wants to serve Krishna and he doesn't spend anything for Krishna, then it is not at all good.

Letter to Sridhara -- Los Angeles 4 June, 1976:

You can go dressed as gentleman because it will be easier to travel in this part of the world. I have given full instructions to Trivikrama Maharaja and the both of you can cooperate in this very important mission.

Letter to Saurabha -- Los Angeles 7 June, 1976:

Concerning the workers who were not allowed to go to America, there is no question of illiterate or literate. They are going to construct a temple. They are good workers so we should take them. Concerning using some Indian gentlemen for managing our buildings, that is a good idea. Mr. Vyasa is a competent man, but the difficulty is that he is not joining. Together, I know that they can manage very nicely. Concerning the Govardhana hill sila (stones), keep them there with you and when I come I shall see.

Letter to Giriraja -- New Vrindaban 30 June, 1976:

Concerning the tax exemption, do it nicely and take help from friends. Ours is a public institution.

Why wasn't the lift for the towers planned from the very beginning? You can go on with your work and try to install the lift as soon as possible otherwise we will have to wait. When I come I shall see the situation.

Mulchand Deomal should be nicely taken care of. He is a very nice gentleman. I know him.

Letter to Dhrstaketu -- New York 17 July, 1976:

Unless absolutely necessary, one should keep head shaven and not allow the hair to grow long. If absolutely necessary, one can dress like an American gentleman, with short hair, but long hair is prohibited. The reason that one with long hair is not my disciple is because he is against the principle. Unless absolutely necessary one should keep hair short, and if necessary one can dress like an American gentleman with short hair. It is not expected that everyone will join. For that reason we can't compromise. The tendency is there to be hippy. When the acaryas are seen with beard, that is during Caturmasya, July-September. If observed strictly there is not simply a beard. There are so many rules and regulations. One can't eat a variety of foods. Only kitri prepared and poured on the floor, and then licked up. There are so many other rules also. That is not always that they kept beard.

Letter to Trivikrama -- Hyderabad 20 August, 1976:

I have received your letter dated July 29, 1976 and have noted the contents. Your idea of raising some funds and support in the West and then going back to Taiwan is a very good idea. Do it. This is a very good program. This is a very gentlemanly idea. Unless one has an office and a sitting place, no one really cares about you.

Letter to G. L. Kapoor -- Hyderabad 23 August, 1976:

When I returned to INDIA in 1970, she gave me a good reception in her office building. Many nice gentlemen also met me at that time. I feel obliged to this benevolent lady in so many ways for her helping this Krishna Consciousness Movement. I wish that Lord Krishna may give her a long life fully engaged in the service of the Lord."

Letter to Gaura Govinda -- Vrindaban 18 September, 1976:

In answer to your question as to why the Indian population is so slack in spiritual life: during the British rule there was a secret policy by the British to cut down the Vedic civilization in India. There was a confidential policy by the British government to kill India's original culture and everything Indian was condemned. From the very beginning they took this position. In our childhood and boyhood we had to read some book by a Mr. Ghose called, "England's Work in India". The purport was that we are uncivilized and the British had come to make us civilized. Later on the policy became successful because in our childhood days any anglicised gentleman was considered to be advanced in civilization.

Letter to Jayapataka -- Vrindaban 23 October, 1976:

One elderly gentleman, who claims to be my Godbrother, named Jayanarayana das Babaji, from Burdwan district, will be coming there. You may give him a place.

Letter to Lokanatha -- Hyderabad 14 December, 1976:

Regarding starting a center in Kanpur, that is a very good proposal. Yesterday one gentleman came from Kanpur to see me. His name and address are as follows: Mr. G. Pant/ 111A/87 Ashoknagar/ Kanpur 208012. He's a great devotee, he can help you. But, the center should be for this purpose, that you go to the villages for preaching and come back. But, if you become packed up in the center, that is not wanted. The center should be opened for financial help for the preaching program. Just like our Aksayananda Maharaja is sending out men to the surrounding villages and towns preaching and holding programs. This should be the purpose, otherwise you may simply go on as you are now and simply depend on Krsna.

1977 Correspondence

Letter to All Iskcon Temple Presidents -- Calcutta 18 January, 1977:

Now you must arrange in each temple there must be sufficient stock of prasadam for distribution. You can keep first class cooks, two or three, and they should be always engaged. Whenever any guest comes, he must get prasada. This arrangement must be made, that the cooks prepare ten-twenty servings at a time, of puris and subji, and you can add halava and pakoras, and the visitors must be supplied immediately. Whenever a gentleman comes, he must be served. As the twenty servings are being distributed, immediately the cooks prepare another twenty servings and store it. At the end of the day, if no one comes, our own men will take, so there is no loss. You cannot say, "it is finished," "it is not cooked yet," "there is no supply for cooking" etc. This must be enforced rigidly.

Letter to Hari-sauri -- Bombay 1 May, 1977:

Yes, the name "New Govardhana" will be very appropriate for your farm. Regarding the idea of getting 36" nim wood Gaura Nitai from Calcutta, that is very good. Or if somebody can carve them locally, that will also be very nice. Regarding the gentleman whom you have met who speaks so many languages, let him translate in any one of these languages any of our books and that will be a great service.

Letter to VARIOUS -- Unknown Place Unknown Date:

So what is the use of such wasted labor? So we are most pleased that you and other good members and employees of Dai Nippon Company are giving such nice service to Krsna. That means you are getting benefit also. That means whenever Krsna is pleased by our working on His behalf, automatically everything becomes successful. He is the supreme proprietor of everything, so if He likes, He can give any amount of wealth, fame, reputation, like that. Therefore if one dedicates some portion of his energy to Krsna in this way, he is never the loser. And as you are wishing me the best in the new year, so also I wish you nice gentlemen and your co-workers at Dai Nippon the same. May Krsna bless you all more and more, in this year and all years to come.

Page Title:Gentelmen (Letters)
Compiler:Mayapur
Created:29 of Oct, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=0, Let=220
No. of Quotes:220