Ghost (Letters)

Expressions researched:
"ghost" |"ghostlike" |"ghostly" |"ghosts"

1967 Correspondence

Letter to Jadurani -- Vrindaban 9 September, 1967:

The distinction between subtle and gross bodies is elementary. There are eight elements: five gross and three subtle. When a living entity has only subtle body he is considered to be a ghost, and when he has both, he is considered in full strength. To remain in subtle body in this material world is very uncomfortable.

Letter to Pradyumna -- Calcutta 17 October, 1967:

As a man haunted by a ghost talks so much nonsense, so also when a man is overpowered by the illusory energy—maya, also talks all sorts of nonsense. The last attack of maya upon the conditioned souls is impersonalism. There are 4 stages of attack of maya; viz.: 1) stage is that a man wants to be a protagonist of religion, 2) is that man neglects religiosity and tries to improve his economic development, 3) is to be protagonist of sense enjoyment & when a man is frustrated in all the above mentioned stages he comes to, 4) which is impersonalism, and thinks himself one with the Supreme. This last attack is very serious and fatal. Kirtanananda has very recently developed the 4th stage malady on account of his negligence & disobedience to his spiritual master. Sometimes a foolish patient when he is out of feverish attack by the grace of the physician, thinks that he is cured and does not take precaution against relapse. Kirtanananda's position is like that.

1968 Correspondence

Letter to Sivananda -- New York 19 April, 1968:

Regarding the Christian's Trinity, I believe it is called God, the Holy Ghost, and the son. Person in Krishna Consciousness accepts this by the name Visnu, Paramatma, and Jiva. God is a Person, the holy spirit or the supersoul is a person, and the living entity is also a person. Also, Mary is the representation of the energy of God. Either as internal energy Radharani or as external energy Durga, the energy of Godhead can be considered the mother of the living entities. But there is no clash between the Bible and the Vedas, simply some people formulate their personal ideas and cause quarrelings. Nobody can say the Bible was meant for the same class of men as the Bhagavad-gita. And Bhagavad-gita is the ABC's of spiritual knowledge. Beyond that is Srimad-Bhagavatam. How great Srimad-Bhagavatam is nobody can imagine. And beyond that is Caitanya Caritamrta.

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Rupanuga -- Los Angeles 24 July, 1969:

Regarding your question, "what is the difference between the spirit souls comprising the Brahmajyoti and the spirit souls here in Maya?", in the Brahmajyoti the spirit souls on account of their impersonal views are devoid of a body, exactly like here in Maya there are ghosts who are devoid of any gross bodies. The ghost being devoid of a body, he suffers terribly because he is unable to satisfy his senses. The spirit souls in the Brahmajyoti, although they have no desire for sense gratification, still they feel inconvenience like the ghost, and they fall down again in the Maya's atmosphere and develop a material body.

1971 Correspondence

Letter to Damodara -- Delhi 3 December, 1971:

You mention ghosts. So far I have experience, the best way to remove them is to chant Hare Krishna very loudly and have jubilant kirtana until they leave. In England, on Mr. John Lennon's house where I was staying in 1969, there was one ghost. But as soon as the devotees began chanting very loudly, he went away immediately.

1974 Correspondence

Letter to Muralidhara -- Mayapur 7 March, 1974:

have received your letter sent to Mayapur with a list of questions regarding your painting pictures for my books. The answers are as follows.

1. Kardama Muni should look something like you have pictured Vyasadeva, with beard and top know of hair, not as you have pictured him in your drawing. Generally munis have beards.

2. a) The kinnaras and kimpurasas should look like demigods.

b) Ghosts and hobgoblins look all rights as you have them pictured.

c) There is nothing peculiar looking about Yaksas and Raksasas; they are meat eaters. Just as meat eaters in the ordinary world do not look different. You may show them eating meat, or something like that.

d) The Manus should look like kings, they should not have beards, but mustaches.

3. As far as wearing beards one class of men like Advaita Prabhu never wore clean shaven appearance but always had a beard. The other process is to be nicely clean shaven, by the barber. King PratapaRudra was a king so he should not wear a beard but mustaches.

4. Svarupa Damodara should look like a brahmacari. He should not have a beard.

5. In Panca-tattva everyone has an effulgence, but especially Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda

6. The Mayavadi sannyasis generally wear their dhotis up over their knees, and because Lord Caitanya took sannyasa from a Mayavadi sannyasi He is shown like that. So He is seen like this as a sannyasi.

7. Lord Nityananda never took sannyasa. He was independent, like a brahmacari, and later he became married.

8. You may depict both the sages and Yaksas on the ground in the battle with Dhruva.

9. Yes, show Dhruva's soldiers along with him.

10. Ghosts sometimes manifest a body and sometimes they do not. When they took a body it was golden.

11. Dhruva was a Vaisnava, portray him like that. There is not harm that he have a mustache, also helmet, ornaments, and pearl necklace.

12. Svayambhuva Manu is a king, portray him with mustaches.

Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya is clean shaven.

13. The picture you have enclosed of Siva Linga is approved by me and it is in the right proportion. It may be black or white according to the stone.

Feel free to write me if there are further questions so that our paintings are completely bona fide by the parampara.

Letter to Ramesvara -- Vrindaban 14 September, 1974:

I very much appreciate your report of Sarvabhauma prabhu who distributed 138 hardbound books simply because of hearing about my letter. That is very, very nice. They are all very nice, Krsna will bless them. This boy he immediately attempted and Krsna immediately responded. So this is the success of your book distribution. So if books are distributed nationwide that is the success of our movement. I note that Beyond Birth and Death is going to be reprinted. This book is selling very nicely. Everyone is anxious to know what is beyond birth and death. They believe only in ghosts, but they do not know that their is actually another position; tatra dehantara-praptir; you have to change your body for another.

Letter to Dhrstaketu -- Bombay 1 November, 1974:

With regard to the offenses you are hearing it is not ghosts as you say, but they are creations of your mind. The mind is indeed wretched as you say. Therefore Krishna says that for the endeavoring transcendentalist he must first control the mind, and then by controlling the mind he will have peace. He says: jitamanah prasantasya, Paramatma smahitah. "For one who has conquered the mind, the Supersoul is already reached, for he has attained tranquillity." (BG 6.7) In this age the easiest method for controlling the mind, as taught to us by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, is the chanting of Hare Krishna.

1976 Correspondence

Letter to Punjabi Premanand -- Bombay 16 April, 1976:

To think of Krishna 24 hours a day, if you are serious this can be done. It is not very difficult. Your associates are harassing you for your interest in spiritual culture, yes, that is due to India's great misfortune. They're impressed with so-called politicians and scholars of the modern age. The example is given in this connection that when a man is ghostly haunted, he speaks all nonsense. At the present moment they're all ghostly haunted and in this delirious condition the only cure is chanting the Hare Krishna Mahamantra.