In the midst of his multifarious duties, Gandhiji never missed to attend to his ramdhun kirtana meeting. This is one of the soundest method for the culture of devotion to God. In the opinion of Srimad-Bhagavatam, one who is imbibed with the devotion of Godhead is also endowed with all the good qualities of the gods. But one who is not a devotee of Godhead, has not any value for his good qualities because he utilizes his so called good qualities for ulterior purposes. As such the easy way to raise the moral standard of people in general, is to make this sankirtana movement more popular all over the world by philosophical discourses based on reasoning and moral and ethical codes. The Vaisnava acaryas especially Lord Caitanya and his six Gosvami disciples give us ample opportunity and scope for this work. Lord Caitanya first inaugurated the sankirtana or randhun movement and the later Gosvamis supported it by scholarly philosophical synthesis. The six sandarbhas by Srila Jiva Goswami are marvelous in this respect.
Good qualities (Letters)
Correspondence
1947 to 1965 Correspondence
1967 Correspondence
I do not know what had actually transpired but the incident is not very happy. If possible the boy who had spat upon Kirtanananda in the presence of Hayagriva must be requested to send a letter of regret and apology for the mistake he had done. I have already given you a list of good behavior for the devotees. The person who is a devotee must develop those good qualities. Kirtanananda's attempt to defy me might have provoked all these undesirable incidences, but in the future we shall be very much careful to deal in such provocative situations; I can understand the provocation in this situation was set in motion by Kirtanananda's uncalled for behavior.
Please utilize your energy in this good task as I am sure success is awaiting you.
If there is labor cheap you can organize there some incense manufacturing concern. I wish that in every center we shall now manufacture incense very good quality. The only thing you have to assured to get the splinters or the thin sticks. If you think it will be possible to get, then immediately start the work. The ingredients are the splinters, charcoal, starch or gum and essential oils. It will be very lucrative business and the profits will be sufficient to maintain the center once you begin the work. I will give you many business ideas by which you can accumulate nice profits. For business four things are required. Namely place, labor, capital and organization. For incense we have already organization. Little capital you are gathering. The poverty place means you can get cheap labor and the place you have already in your possession. Guidance, I am present.
1968 Correspondence
I have received one letter from Dr. Athvale whom you met in Amsterdam, and he was so much pleased with your behavior and talk that he has been induced to see me at Los Angeles. A qualified disciple increases the importance of the Spiritual Master. So I find in you some good qualities. You think yourself as very humble but you appreciate the services of your God-brothers and I am very much pleased on your such behavior. I have received the news cutting. This is also very nice attempt, and by your sincere endeavor you have now got a nice house to stay free of charges till it is sold. So all this encourages me that you are doing your best, and Krishna will bless you for your noble attempt.
When one is chanting or speaking of Krishna or working for Krishna then so many living entities hear him or help him in some way and thus find benefit also. This is why the devotee is dear to all creatures and to Krishna. So always be engaged as you are doing and with your all good qualities Krishna will surely bestow his full mercy, rest assured. So all of the girls you have mentioned, such as Ekayani, Kancanbala and Indira are similarly very good souls and I am always praying that Krishna will help you all more and more.
I was pleased to note that you are happy with your plans for marriage to Uddhava. He is a very good boy and please always serve him nicely as a good wife. You are fortunate to obtain such a nice husband and he is also fortunate to obtain a nice wife. So all in all it is very nice arrangement and certainly it is Krishna's special mercy upon you both.
It is nice that you are doing preaching work there, but you should know that such practices like stealing are against the principles of Krishna Consciousness. I always want that my students should be very ideal in character and not discredit our society. Actually, one who is in Krishna Consciousness automatically develops all of the good qualities which are possessed by the demigods. So we should always try to develop in this way by becoming fully surrendered to Lord Krishna. For Krishna we can execute any activity, but this is not free license to act whimsically. Arjuna was able to fight on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra because this was Krishna's desire, not because it was simply his whims. So please try to remember this and Krishna will help you surely as you are sincere soul.
1969 Correspondence
The purport is that if somebody acquires Krishna Consciousness, then all of the good qualities of the demigods develop in his person. On the other hand, what is the value of all kinds of material qualifications for a person who is not in Krishna Consciousness? His only business is to hover on the mental speculative plane, and he is sure to come back down to the platform of the material external energy.
So I am very glad and proud that you have so much appreciated the character, discipline and devotional service to the Lord of my six young disciples who are working there with faith and confidence. You will be pleased to know that all of my disciples are trained from the beginning to build up character, and such character is built up by following the restrictions of no illicit sexual connections, no meat-eating, no intoxication, and no gambling.
This means they are not being educated; rather they are being degraded. According to the verdict of Srimad-Bhagavatam, if one is not devotee, then he has no good qualifications, and if one is simply devotee, it is to be supposed that he has got all the good qualities. For the present you do not try to have a small temple in your house, because I know that you are not strictly vegetarian. I do not know whether now you are also strictly vegetarian, but unless you become so, don't try to have a small temple in your house as proposed by you. The four principles which we ask our students to follow, namely, restraining illicit sex life, etc., must be the basic principles of spiritual life. I am glad that you are preparing for your exam, and after that, please try to move the Indian papers, how Krishna consciousness movement is improving and flourishing here in USA, while the Indian boys and girls have rejected it.
A Krishna conscious person like Arjuna is not inclined to the activities of warfare, but when there is a necessity for peace in the world to educate men to become Krishna Conscious, a Krishna Conscious person does not lag behind. Therefore the first necessity for peace in the world is to instruct men how to become Krishna Conscious, because as soon as one becomes Krishna Conscious all the good qualities in human society are manifested. So if it is possible that the party of Mr. Lennon and Mr. Harrison cooperate with this Krishna Consciousness Movement, I am sure we shall be able to stop all this nonsensical war.
I think by this time, by your sincere practice, you have come to this conclusion that a Krishna Conscious situation is the only means for peace and happiness. I am very glad to see your sarcastic remark in the article where you write, "cigarette smoke hangs heavy in the air."
Your explanation regarding my P.S. is very much engladdening to me, and I am so proud of having beautiful disciples like you who understand the inner meaning of my mission. Actually, I want the people of the whole world to come to God consciousness and be happy. Without God, there is no question of happiness, and without God, there are no good qualities in a person. So the leaders of the human society are missing this point, and here is a program of Krishna Consciousness that if sober and truthful men join, certainly we shall be able to give something very sublime to the suffering peoples of the world. As requested by you, I am sending herewith a note addressed to the Archbishop, and you may do the needful.
In Srimad-Bhagavatam also it is said that unless a man is Krishna Conscious, his external advancement of knowledge has no value. On the other hand, any person who is on the platform of Krishna Consciousness is supposed to have acquired all the good qualities of the demigods. So your present engagement is very nice; neither I think that you can be better educated in the universities. Practically we find that in your country there are so many big universities, and the government arranges for educating the entire population, but still the hippies are coming out from the educational institutions. It is understood that in some of the big universities the entire student body has turned to be hippies. Of course the hippy philosophy is nice in the sense that they have been disgusted with the materialistic way of life. Therefore they want to renounce this stereotyped way of life. Unfortunately, they have no good leader, neither they have information that there is another beautiful life in Krishna Consciousness.
Under the circumstances, we must find out some bigger place to accommodate all our devotees. I am glad that you appreciate the behavior of Sriman Gaura Hari Brahmacari, and please see that everyone of you becomes ideal devotee so people may see your exemplary character. It is stated in Bhagavad-gita that one who is in Krishna Consciousness, all good qualities of the demigods develop in him automatically. So see that everyone of you chants the prescribed rounds and follows the rules strictly along with chanting and dancing. Then you will see Krishna fulfill all of your desires. As you know that we are now opening a press in Boston, we shall be requiring a $20,000 investment in this connection. So if I need some money, I may ask you. Otherwise you may keep your money for investing in the house affairs.
1971 Correspondence
Thank you very much. You are doing so much for my Guru Maharaja. It is still more encouraging that the number of devotees in N.Y. temple is increasing. I wish that the number of devotees in every temple be more and more increased. I know that there are many young men in your country who are very frustrated but they have got one good quality. That is renunciation of this worldly attachment. From this platform they can very easily take to Krishna Consciousness. So our Krishna Consciousness Movement should be especially directed towards these frustrated persons. Make all our temples full with many devotees and after being trained up they should be sent to every town and village in your country so that they will be benefited as well as all others.
I do not know why you disagreed with such a nice husband. If you take my advice, then you will immediately return to your husband and live there peacefully. You are a qualified girl. You can do extensive service to Krishna. I require your service in the matter of translating work. So I advise you to engage yourself fully in your good quality occupation and be advanced in Krishna Consciousness.
Our ISKCON Society married couples means that both parties fully are engaged in Krishna's service. I have noted your several complaints against the devotees but it would be better to set the example rather than to criticize the defects of the devotees. We should always remember that we recruit members from people in general. It is not expected that every one of our members should be immediately to the standard qualification. The best thing for you is to set the example by your personal behavior and try to reform the others, not by criticizing but by friendly behavior.
Follow the regulative principles very strictly, and be ready to tolerate all kind of setbacks and disappointments. The difference between a devotee and a nondevotee is this, just like the bee and the fly: the bee always is attracted by the honey and flies go to the open sores. So the devotee is only attracted by the good qualities in other people and does not see their faults. He is friend to everyone and in this way he finds his life sublime. Of course we are not ourselves perfect, so sometimes there may be something, and we may lose our enthusiasm to do something—but these things come and go and you should not bother very much with them. Just be attached to Krishna and try always to think how to please Him, and He will personally rescue His devotee from all kinds of unfavorable situations. Even we may not like to do the work, if we work very hard for Krishna soon we lose our attachment and become satisfied just to be serving Krishna, and as long as at least 16 offenseless rounds daily are being chanted, know it for certain that our anxieties will disappear very soon.
Even that body may be new here, it has always existed also somewhere else. So if a man qualifies for that body, he may be rewarded the body of superman, as he desires. So if someone wants such body, he must learn the process for acquiring it, that is Bhagavad-gita.
Practically speaking, history tells us that human life is becoming more and more degraded in respect of good qualities. Even there may be some temporary advancement of technology, where is the question of being higher than previously? In Vedic literature we find description of all kinds of wonderful machines, like great airplanes which moved as fast as the mind on the principle of sound vibration. Where is that science now? And how is their science advancing when their sons are all becoming hippies who have no interest in such science? Compare our so-called knowledge today with the giant brains who gave us Vedic literature. No poetry, no science, no philosophy, no religion, no culture, no knowledge we have today can be said to be superior to that we find 5,000 years or more ago in India. So where is the question of advancement of civilization?
1972 Correspondence
I am very glad to hear that you have got one Life Member there in Melbourne. He is helping you to get that press, but I do not think your getting another press will help. You claim that Sydney press is not working; similarly, if you start a press and there is not sufficient work, you will suffer. If you want literature, it will be sent. If there are different small presses, the work will not be of good quality. So this opening of small presses here and there, I am not in favor. Of course, if you utilize that store for a kirtana hall and book store, that is another matter—then many people will be attracted to actually learn about our movement and join us. That is a good proposal.
It doesn't matter if the Hindi translation is perfectly the same length as the English original, translate any issue of BTG or any book and send the manuscript after composing to Japan for printing, that is the best plan. For our English BTG's they have got the original photographs and negatives in Japan, so if you translate some issue of English BTG you can send there for printing and the cost will be cheaper because they have already got the photos, etc. In Benares there are many presses and they supply very cheaply. So you take quotations from Benares and find out the lowest quotation for soft binding, first-class paper, and printing in the size of our present Bhagavatam booklets, Easy Journey To Other Planets, like that. In Delhi and Mathura also there is very good facility for Hindi printing. So in this way cooperate with the others to find out either some printer there in India who will print our books in good quality and also very cheaply, or translate and compose the work there and send to Japan. Either way the work must go on and increasingly our literatures should be profusely distributed in India.
Otherwise, the children of your country and other countries, they are simply growing up to be sophisticated animals, so what good will their education do? But if they will agree to try to understand our Krishna Consciousness education or way of life and allow their children to be educated by us, they will see them come out as the topmost citizens with all good qualities such as honesty, cleanliness, truthfulness, loyalty, etc. So that is a very important work and you are especially responsible to make it successful. All other GBC men should give you all assistance for building up the standard there.
You mention that you are no longer much occupied with seeing that the rent and mortgage is paid and that the incense is sold, but GBC means to be occupied with everything in the zone. It is not that now we are preachers we can neglect all other points. No, the GBC member is supposed to know everything and anything about the condition and situation of all matters within his jurisdiction.
If we can develop properly, one day they will turn the world by their preaching. Let the small children from all good families in your country come to our Gurukula school and take education from us. They may be certain their children will get the real knowledge which will create the best citizens of brahminical type, clean, honest, law-abiding, healthy, industrious, all good qualities they will have. Now I think Krishna has inspired you in this way, and every facility is there, you are the pioneer in Dallas and you know how to do everything nicely, that I know, so now you go there immediately after consulting with Satsvarupa and Karandhara and Madhudvisa and the others, take their advice and do the needful. If you become Head Master of the Gurukula that is more important than going to South America. This is the most important post in pushing on this movement, practically, because you shall create our preachers of the future, many, many of them. That will be your great credit and contribution. May Krishna give you His all blessings more and more for this task.
1974 Correspondence
Unfortunately the modern leaders of the society have made the common man forget God somehow or other. Our humble attempt is to revive the forgotten consciousness of the human society.
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.
1975 Correspondence
Krishna is just like the root of the tree and if you pour water on the root, it automatically reaches other parts of the tree. It is said in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, yasyasti bhaktir bhagavaty akincana sarvair gunais tatra samasate surah harav abhaktasya kuto mahad-guna manorathenasati dhavato bahih (SB 5.18.12). If a person has unflinching devotion at the lotus feet of Hari (God), then all the good qualities of great personalities like the demigods, automatically becomes manifest in the person of a devotee. Whereas a nondevotee, even he is decorated with material qualities, he is forced to act on the material plane and he stays in temporary field of activities. The idea is that spirit-soul is eternal and the material body is temporary, or for the sake of sense gratification. The mental plane is also material. People being forced to stay on the material platform, they are planning for temporary happiness, and being frustrated, they are jumping from one platform to another which are all temporary.
The idea is that local inhabitants will be satisfied with their bare necessities of life and their attention will be diverted towards spiritual development of life. That is the aim of human birth. We are trying this also in Africa, and it is partially successful. The whole scheme is that if a man becomes a devotee all good qualities inherent in him become manifest, whereas a person without being a devotee even though he has so-called academic qualifications, he will remain on the mental platform and will again be brought to the material field of activities which will always bring dissatisfaction. The total scheme is for simple life and high thinking and exalted character of the human society. As a matter of fact all of our members refrain from eating meat, gambling, intoxication, and illicit sex. In this connection Prof. J. Stillson Judah of the University of California, Berkeley, has remarked, "Krishna consciousness has transformed lives from drug addicted hippies to loving servants of Krishna and humanity."
With this aim in view try to convert your great country to become krishna conscious. There is a good chance for it, so if you try, you can do it. That is my opinion. I like America very much. So many good boys have come to me from America. Unless your country is good, how could good boys and girls come? You are not poverty sticken. That is a great qualification. You have all good qualities. You are open-minded people. So please go on breaking every month the records of how money you send to BBT. The more you go on in this way, the more your country will go on everlastingly. I see in your country that the girls are being exploited. They are taught to be independent so they become the playthings for sex. So where is the freedom? I want that they live, man and wife together, chant Hare Krishna and be happy.
Now I have come back, so let me stay in India. I will remain in Bombay, Vrindaban, and Mayapur. As you have desired, now let me do that, to sit down tightly and concentrate on the translating business. But, if you disturb me, then my mind will be disturbed. I want that what I have established may go on nicely, but I see that some of the devotees are reviving their old "good" qualities. That is the difficulty. If the old habits come back, then everything is finished. If my mind becomes disturbed in this way, then how can I concentrate on book writing. It is not possible. Better not to inform me anything, and let me sit in Vrindaban.
1976 Correspondence
The same mentality is involved in trying to blow-up a slaughterhouse as is there in meat-eating. Such things will not stop people from unnecessary animal slaughter. It is only by educating people in the science of Krishna Consciousness that they will automatically develop all good qualities. Yasyatma bhaktir bhagavati akincana, sarvair gunais tatra samasate surah. And the nondevotee will not have any good qualities even they may be vegetarians. Harav abhaktasya kuto mahad guna manorathenasati dhavato bahih (SB 5.18.12). So we should clearly establish our aims in such situations and sit by idly. We must preach very boldly whenever the situation is favorable.
"All the demigods and their exalted qualities, such as religion, knowledge, and renunciation, become manifest in the body of one who has developed unalloyed devotion for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vasudeva. On the other hand, a person devoid of devotional service and engaged in material activities has no good qualities. Even if he is adept at the practice of mystic yoga or the honest endeavour of maintaining his family and relatives, he must be driven by his own mental speculations and must engage in the service of the Lord's external energy. How can such a man possess any good qualities?"
I think that the idea of pasting the jacket cover picture on the front of the book is a good idea (the half-bound books which you mentioned). It will not be very respectable. I don't like the idea. Make it hardbound and softbound, that's all.
Hitsaran Sharma can not give good quality work at all. Forget him. Last time that we tried him he also did not do good work. You can also get good composition and good prices in Mathura. They have many hindi presses there as well.
The Rs. 15,000 was sent personally by me to Yasodanandana Swami for printing books. What right had Mahamsa Swami to spend this money? He is spoiling.
South India is a good field for our books. The library party of Mahabuddhi and Bhugarbha are doing very nicely. Indeed there is a good potential or better for our books in Indian libraries and universities. Try to get them visa extension or do the needful in this connection to see that this program goes on increasing.
| Page Title: | Good qualities (Letters) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 27 of Jun, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=0, Let=28 |
| No. of Quotes: | 28 |