I am in due receipt of your interesting letter & also the copy of the letter you have sent to the newspaperman. Yes, you must now be careful so that people may not misunderstand us to be a second edition of the hippy movement. What is done in the past to advertise us is already done. Now we should work solidly to attention of important men, and try to make them understand that this movement is the most authorized scientific agitation to invoke man's dormant Krishna Consciousness. I completely support your idea about the preaching method. We are not lacking in philosophy—by the grace of Krishna we have got ample stock to answer anybody's intricate philosophical questions. There is no necessity of stopping questioners by dogmatic statements as it was done in the beginning. I have every hope in you because you are educated and have understood the philosophy completely. You should try to get another newspaper article out explaining the real scientific position of our movement.
Hippies (Letters)
Correspondence
1967 Correspondence
On my arrival in Calcutta I have duly received your two letters dated __ & 5th instant. Regarding change of dress, I beg to inform you that every Krishna conscious person must be clean shaved, must have Tilakas on the forehead and other eleven places and must have the Sikha on the top of the head besides beads on the neck as usual. Rarely one can continue to keep beard but it is better not to keep it to distinguish oneself from the Hippies. We must let the public know that we are not Hippies. Do not try to follow the unauthorized advice of Kirtanananda. Nobody cares for the dress; every sane man follows the philosophy and practical talks. 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.
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. Now let him show first of all that by seeing his newly grown beard he has been successful to have many Americans following him and our financial condition has improved, then try to follow his instruction. Otherwise reject all idle talks. A Krishna conscious person must be seen by ears and not by the eyes or in other words one should try to know the depth of realization by Krishna conscious person and not see the beard which has become the practice of the Hippies.
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.
1968 Correspondence
That blissfulness is being searched for by the materialist by advancement of material science, but they cannot find it in such a way. Therefore, the younger generation, especially in the Western countries, who have seen much of material amenities, are now feeling something greater than that. Unfortunately, they have not received it. There are some movements like the Beatles, or Hippies, among the younger generation, by realizing the negation of matter. Their attempt is to forget matter by some hallucination or mental concoction, with the help of some deluding matter. So their attempt is nice, but there is no guide. Therefore, the younger generation in Europe and in America require an authorized guide for their present urge for spiritual realization.
Syamasundara wanted to go to London; what is his opinion about this? I am very much eager to open a center in London. If Syamasundara and Malati go there, then one or two other Brahmacaris may go there to organize a center in London; and as soon as it is in makeup then I may also go there for sometime, to deal with the Beatles who are so much anxious to understand about spiritual knowledge. Any sincere person, never mind whether he is hippy or Beatle, if he is actually searching for something beyond this hackneyed material sense gratification, surely he will find the most comfortable shelter under the Lotus Feet of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Who is non-different from Lord Krishna. We should try our best, begging every person to give us some time to listen about this Krishna Consciousness movement, as it is taught by Lord Caitanya.
Our principal aim is to preach the importance of chanting the Holy Names of God. And if there is no such opportunity then the place will be specifically meant for persons who want to retire from activities. To retire from activities is not very good idea for the conditioned soul. I have got very good experience, not only in our country but also in your country, that this tendency of retiring from activities pushes one down to the platform of laziness, and gradually to the ideas of the hippies. One should always remain active in Krishna's service, otherwise the strong maya will catch him and engage him in her service. Our constitutional position being rendering service, we cannot stop activity.
They are practicing so-called yoga performances for the matter of reducing fat, and keeping the body fit for sense gratification. If somebody has no sufficient money, it is very hard for him to get justice from the court. And if anyone can simply bluff by so-called advancement of knowledge, he is offered the doctorate degree. If a man is poor, he is at once accepted as non-civilized. If a man is falsely proud, he is accepted as civilized. By frustration, people are gradually becoming communists and hippies, and the guardians of the society must now take up the situation very seriously, without further delay.
Because the system in your country to allow the boys and girls enjoying sex life from the very early age makes them most irresponsible and careless. Student life means complete celibacy, but that is not observed in your country, rather they are indirectly encouraged by distribution of contraceptive pills. If things are allowed to go on like this, the future of the Western world is very dark. By such unrestricted association of young boys and girls, is gradually turning them to be victims of the hippy and communist philosophy. So far I have considered it is very difficult to turn the people's face toward spiritual advancement. There is so much protest all over the world in the Catholic church on account of the Pope's refusal to sanction the contraceptive method. Even if you change the locality, you cannot expect very good audience. But still, wherever we may remain, we have to chant and distribute Prasadam, and I think the best method is to do it in the public parks.
I also beg to acknowledge receipt herewith of your letter dated July 13, 1968, which was not delivered so long due to mail strike. And you enclosed in that letter a check for $75.00 which has been duly received. Regarding Tamala Krishna, I have replied separately, I understand from different sources that he is doing very wonderfully. And he has become a great assistant to you. It is all Krishna's Grace. Please ask him to enhance the Sankirtana party more and more, and then the whole San Francisco city will be followers of our Krishna Consciousness movement. It is so pleasing that more and more boys are joining the Krishna Consciousness movement and I wish that the whole group known as the hippies may take advantage of this movement, and make their life very successful.
I hope that New Vrindaban will give shelter to so many unhappy men of this country and they will be happy by working there, and living there in good association of devotees. Pradyumna and Vamanadeva are very good boys; keep them very nicely, and they will be very much helpful. I have come here to Seattle, last evening, and things are hopeful here also. Yesterday, before coming here I was talking with one hippy boy. He came to see me in my apartment in San Francisco, and was talking that hippies are in search after such peaceful place, like you have got in New Vrindaban. And they do not like to live in the cities anymore. So if some of us go and make some canvassing work among the hippies, that the thing which they are searching after is here in Krishna Consciousness, and as soon as they come they will understand, so somebody may be engaged in such propaganda work.
If you can write a nice short article, inviting the hippies, to take to Krishna Consciousness, and practice it in New Vrindaban, I think many sincere hippies who are looking after something genuine, peaceful, they will come. So our movement if it is introduced amongst the hippies, because so far I can understand, they are after such thing for peace of the mind. Not only for the hippies, but for everyone. Everyone is seeking after peace and happiness, but they are seeking in the material platform. That is not possible to be achieved there. One has to be elevated on the spiritual platform and then his aspiration will be fulfilled. I think you can write a nice article for publication in our Back To Godhead. Hope this will find you in good health.
Regarding hippies, I know hippies have no money. But in New Vrindaban, our program is that the inhabitants should produce their own food, somehow or other they should be self-independent. Otherwise, what is the use of occupying such great tract of land. If we can think of starting a small institution, I think we shall get help from government and many foundations, if they understand that we are actually a training people for building up character and health along with imparting education.
1969 Correspondence
So far as I understand, the number of regular subscribers is not very satisfactory. Back To Godhead is being distributed by individual canvassing only. So if that is the position, then there is no need to publish something which is not pure Krishna Consciousness. Purely Krishna Consciousness means as you have published the article Isopanisad, and similarly we can publish all the Upanisads, the Vedanta Sutra, and many similar articles. The articles like Dr. Spock, the Beach Boys, or nonsense book reviews should be completely avoided. I know in India, the Kalyana Kalpatu paper and similar other papers do not take any advertisement, neither do they review any book unless it is published by them. So I think we should follow this policy. I shall be glad to hear from you in this connection at your earliest convenience. But for the time being, things may go on as it is regarding advertisements, so long as you avoid the hippy advertisements as far as possible.
I have received your very long letter dated February 9, 1969. I have to read it very carefully and reply you in due course, but I wish to inform you that the advertisements are not very congenial to our prestige, especially the hippy kind of advertisements. So we have to think over how we can avoid the advertisements and publish at the same time. The hippy advertisements referred to by Purusottama was written to you on my consent. When I look through the back issues, the comic pictures of Vamanadeva, of the hunter, of the bride-groom party, such things are very instructive. I think instead of engaging our pages in the matter of book reviews with which we do not agree, we should utilize these pages for such comic pictures. On the whole, I wish to present Back To Godhead purely in the line of Krishna Consciousness throughout and criticism of too much materialism, as you have written many articles already. That is very nice.
Regarding printing 20,000 copies of Back To Godhead, I have appealed to 4 centers, namely New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and London to contribute $750 monthly. I have got confirmation from Los Angeles, so I shall be glad to hear from New York also whether this center is going to hand over to me $750 per month. I have no objection if this $750 is collected in the way of advertisements from New York, but charges will be increased because we are going to print 20,000 copies henceforward. So we shall charge $100 per page and we shall not accept any advertisements from the hippies. So who is going to pay me this $750? If I get $750 from the 4 centers, then I shall take charge of distribution; because Brahmananda has already taken responsibility for distributing the books. I simply want this contribution continually at least for 6 months against delivery of 5,000 copies of Back To Godhead. If I am able to print 20,000 copies continually for 6 months, perhaps I will no longer require the contribution from the different centers. Therefore, please ask Subala or any one else in New York center who is going to collect this $750 and pay me.
That Rohini Kumara is assisting you in artistic abilities is very gratifying. So you are preparing for the Japanese issues. In fact, from the number when we begin our Japanese issue we shall stop advertisement altogether . . . either hippies or dhippies.
You select your articles according to your best choice but I shall recommend to publish the article of Hayagriva, "Hare Krishna Movement Exploded." I have received suggestion from Dindayal—he is getting good response from Berkeley and he is expecting that the whole quota of 5000 may be completely sold. In Hawaii, however, they have no Back To Godheads, and receipt of them is very much delayed and sporadic. So if the shipping is closed they can be sent by air cargo. So we have to organize the transport means also. I think there is some special postal rate for 50 lb. lot. So with the assistance of Subala please do the needful and make Back To Godhead a successful Krishna Consciousness magazine.
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter of July 9, 1969 along with the copy of the article, and I have noted that your new address is Box 1684, Sunset Beach, Hawaii. I think it is Krishna's desire that you would vacate the former building and go to the hippy quarters. Actually, the hippies are our best customers. Almost all of our important disciples are recruited from that group, and you are also from that group. So actually we should try to serve the hippy group more than others because there is great potency of recruiting Krishna Consciousness devotees from them. You will be pleased to know that one hippy girl named Chris who came to see me in your apartment is now living in our Los Angeles temple and doing very nicely. So if you make propaganda amongst the hippy group simply by our standard method; Sankirtana, reading some portion of Bhagavad-gita, and distributing prasadam, then I am sure the quarters in which you have now shifted will be very much prospective.
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.
From the description of your letter I understand that Hawaii is good field for our preaching work. The hippies are actually immediate candidates for our Krishna Consciousness. We pray to Caitanya Mahaprabhu, "My dear Lord, Your Incarnation is to claim the most fallen souls." So in this age of Kali almost everyone is dangerously fallen, and the hippies appear to be still more greater fallen. Besides that, from their behavior it appears they like this movement. This is a very good sign. Your description of that Yogi Sai, that is also little hopeful. He is reading Bhagavad-gita and quoting some lines. So you are very intelligent; you can tackle these people very nicely, assisted by your good husband and the other boys and girls. You write that you have desire to avail of my association again, but why do you forget that you are always in association with me? When you are helping my missionary activities I am always thinking of you and you are always thinking of me. That is real association. Just like I always think of my Guru Maharaja every moment, although He is not physically present, and because I am trying to serve Him to my best capacity, I am sure He is helping me by His spiritual blessings. So there are two kinds of association: physical and preceptorial. Physical association is not so important as preceptorial association. So try to preach this Krishna Consciousness Movement amongst the hippies there, and simply induce them to chant Hare Krishna. If they kindly join in chanting Hare Krishna, that will make our movement successful. Then gradually make them more and more advanced by participating in Love Feasts and ceremonies, like Janmastami and Rathayatra. Then everything will go smoothly. The only thing wanted is that we should work very sincerely, with full faith in Krishna and the Spiritual Master. Then all help will come automatically.
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. From his conversation I understood that people are very badly impressed about Ginsberg, especially respectable persons, on account of his hippy tendencies. I of course supported our case that Ginsberg is a great friend of our society and we advise everyone to chant Hare Krishna, and I believe he also does so. Anyway, we should be very much careful to publish anything in our paper which will give impression to the public that we are inclined to the hippy movement. In our papers nothing should be published which has even a small tinge of hippy ideas. I must tell you in this connection that if you have any sympathies with the hippy movement you should kindly give it up.
Regarding BTG no. 27, it is nicely done, but there is no mention of the words "Back To Godhead" on each page. Why this mistake has been done? Besides that, some of the headings, like "Parts and Parcels," are not very prominent, while at the same time there are many places where empty space is found. If some space is available, the heading should be broader. Henceforward, we shall try to avoid the Beatles or hippy's articles, because they have no spiritual importance.
1970 Correspondence
Please see that the French and German issues of BTG are published as soon as possible. I hope Hamsaduta has met you by this time, and when you go to Germany along with him I think he may be situated as the president of the center being the seniormost member. I am so glad to learn that you expect to open another center in London in the hippy quarter as soon as possible. When I was in London I went to Oxford and there was a very successful meeting. Therefore I think Oxford will be a good center for our activities.
You write to say that your preaching work has not been very successful at the Ohio State University, but your visits to several other nearby have been well received. This is good news that in several university campuses Krsna Consciousness movement is well liked and you are giving a credit course next winter. So do not be discouraged that some of the young students are too much involved with some other business to listen, but go on with the work undaunted. Actually the younger generation, especially the hippies are our best clients, so they are feeling very keenly the frustration of material life and it is our duty as Vaisnavas to be very sympathetic with them and give this Krsna consciousness to them some way or other.
I am so happy to learn that you have been so well received in Provincetown by the young boys and girls. It is a fact that the hippies are our best clients. I had very good response in San Francisco during Rathayatra festival. I saw that they were taking up the chanting of Hare Krsna maha mantra very feelingly even without the presence of any devotee to lead them. They appreciated my lecture and I appreciated their attitude. They joined in Rathayatra very enthusiastically. So try your best to convince them by very nice preaching and in particular very nice Sankirtana party and distribution of our literatures.
So as you are given full facilities for the execution of Sankirtana activities you must do it wholeheartedly and especially try to encourage the hippies to accept this Krsna consciousness movement. They are our best clients. They are feeling very keenly the frustration of material life and it is our duty as good Vaisnavas to be very sympathetic with them and bring them to take up this Krsna consciousness, then their lives will become perfect and our mission successful.
6. The boys and girls here naturally they are born of rich nation and materially cultured families, but there is no spiritual guide. According to Vedanta Sutra this human form is meant specifically for spiritual understanding. So a person or a community or a nation when in the top position of material enjoyment and still does not find any peace, he searches after something better. That is the position of the Western countries. But they have no information what is that better. Therefore, the younger generation especially they are turning to be confused and frustrated and they are generally known as "hippies." Here in this Krsna consciousness movement, because the actual solace and remedy is there, they are finding it very nice and gradually they are being attracted. Some of them actually experience that before coming to this movement they did not know what is spiritual life. So there is a great potency of spreading this movement all over the world. The India Government has a Department for Cultural Affairs; if they would have taken this cultural movement as the background of Vedic civilization, then the whole world would have been happy, and India's glories would have been magnified many thousands of times than by simply imitating the Western technology which is on the verge of failure.
Amsterdam sounds like a good place for our movement. The hippies are not bad souls, because soul is part and parcel of Krishna. So in fact everyone is good, because everyone is spirit soul. But by demoniac association they have been mislead. Try to save these boys and girls. That is our duty. If you can arrange for a Dutch BTG it will be very nice.
1971 Correspondence
There is immense field of our activities. In your country there are so many confused young men and girls known as the hippies and if you work very steadfastly I am sure a tremendous advancement can be done in our missionary activities. I have studied the behavior of the hippies—they are searching after something good, but they have no proper guidance. In the material world the highest principle of happiness is supposed to be sex indulgence, but real happiness is not attainable by eschewing the senses; it is above the senses which means on the spiritual platform. Unless one is able to deal with the Supreme Personality of Godhead on the spiritual platform, there cannot be any permanent bliss. People don't know it. It is our duty only to explain the situation to the ignorant persons. Many leaders have to be trained up for this purpose so that they can go from town to town, village to village and enlighten the people to be trained up in this Krsna Consciousness.
Please continue your program in the universities. They are the best places for propagation of our philosophy and the students are very eager for this crucial information. They are not unaware of the futility of material education which gives a paper degree only, because it is common observation that the graduates are unable to find good employment and the students are becoming hippies, etc. So they are wanting something good and that best thing is Krsna consciousness.
The Kabul proposal sounds very nice and hippies are already there. If you begin your movement with hippies, then gradually the local inhabitants will take interest. Caitanya Mahaprabhu wanted that in every town and village this cult would be spread and the hippies are already spread all over the world and they are our best customer. These hippies are simply frustrated and want something sublime. So we are delivering this sublime movement all over the world and if we do it cautiously and carefully surely we will be successful.
The point is that these drawings should be realistic. Not that you make Krishna a cartoon character and therefore laughing stock. And hippy ideas shouldn't be used either. Whatever technique is there, make it realistic. That will be nice.
Women must be engaged otherwise they will be inclined to think of sex only. They are called kamini. Unless there is sufficient engagement their only thoughts will be concentrated on sex. As men are engaged in devotional service, similarly women are engaged in ritualistic engagements so that household life becomes very auspicious. These things are at the present moment impossible to perform regularly. Lord Caitanya therefore recommended Harer nama iva kevalam. Practically also we see our students being engaged in chanting Hare Krishna Mantra keeping free of all contamination. The vedic system takes especially care of women from illicit sex life. Illicit sex life is so dangerous that it produces unwanted children who create hellish life as described in Bhagavad-gita. In this age, all over the world, the sex indulgence is being unrestricted and religious principles are not being followed. The population is increasing with unwanted children like hippies.
I am very much anxious to open schools for educating children of responsible leaders in our Krishna Consciousness way of life, especially also in India. If these leaders simply become a little convinced about the real purpose of human life, there is tremendous potency for improving the world. Last night the topic of my lecture at our Delhi pandal was the necessity for teaching Krishna Consciousness in all our schools and colleges. This is a revolutionary thought. But we have seen that the practical outcome of so much hippies, one after another. What is the use of their skyscraper buildings if their sons will not maintain them? The old system of gurukula should be revived as the perfect example of a system designed to produce great men, sober and responsible leaders, who know what is the real welfare of the citizens. Just as in former days, all big big personalities were trained in this way. Now you have got the responsibility to inject this idea in your country. Please do it with a cool head, and very soon we shall see the practical benefit for your countrymen.
As for the extra room, that may be utilized in future as classrooms as our school program expands. But for the time being why not open a hostel for the hippies? I want that all the hippies should come to me and I shall solve their problems. Actually all these hippies should join us. I am seeing that in this Delhi city many hippies from your country are coming, but they are simply hungry and dirty and being cheated. During our pandal program some of them came to me and became my disciples. So we must look out for them and take interest that they should be delivered from this miserable condition. They are our best customers. If we give them place to sleep comfortably and nice prasadam, and if they agree to follow the four rules and attend our aratis and classes, why not invite the hippies to live with us? Gradually they will become devotees. The American Ambassador to India, Mr. Kenneth Keating, is very much in favor of our Movement, especially on this point of giving you people the right advice and saving them from intoxication and being hippies. If your government would give us some help I can save all of them. That would be a great blessing for your country. Otherwise this hippie class will simply spoil everything they have worked so hard for.
I am in due receipt of your letter of November 10, 1971, and have noted the contents carefully. I am currently in Vrindaban with a party of 40 devotees, and we are having daily parikrama of the holy places. We shall return to Delhi tomorrow by coach. The officials and residents of Vrindaban have greeted us very nicely, and they are simply astounded to see our SKP chanting with great jubilation through the city streets. The Mayor has publicly proclaimed that I have done something wonderful, and practically speaking, they realize that before I went to the western countries no one there knew about Vrindaban. Now hundreds of visitors and hippies from your country come here to see Krishna's place. The Vrindaban devotees have understood that Vrindaban is now world-famous due to my preaching work, so they are all very much appreciating their hometown Swamiji.
You may be pleased to know that this morning I met here in Delhi with your American Ambassador to India, Mr. Kenneth Keating. He has got very good respect for our Movement, and he has promised to help me to arrange a meeting with your President when I shall return to your country perhaps by late Spring. I have requested him to help this Movement and that help will save your country from great danger by turning hippies into happies. Generally I don't have much faith in these politicians. They are no more interested for the welfare of the citizens. Simply they want some votes to exploit others. But let us see what can be done.
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? We cannot create even one flower, what to speak of one sun, so we should not be hopeful that in this material atmosphere there will be any kind of improvement at all. Better to become closely associated with the Supreme Perfect, then we shall know what is perfection of our life. This is the culmination of evolution.
They think that if their children get the right knowledge then they will become very successful in life, and that is their concern, so they sacrifice everything for good educational cause. Now their children are all becoming hippies, and they do not want so much technology and knowledge which gives them no real satisfaction, so they are losing all interest in education and only they want to enjoy life, that's all. But if such children are given practical guidance on the transcendental platform, above the bodily and mental conception of life, then they will develop into perfect citizens—moral, honest, hard-working, law-abiding, clean, faithful to home and country, like that. That is the unmatched success of our Krishna Consciousness schooling system, so you introduce it nicely, so that your country's leaders will see something very nice and come to our assistance.
1972 Correspondence
When I shall come there you can make extensive preparations for my speaking, etc., by advertising and propaganda, even more than this Cinmayananda Swami. My work is to preach, so you can prepare many very nice speaking engagements, especially to the intelligent class of men and the hippies. I am especially appreciating the writings of Siddhasvarupa in the "New Navadvipa News" and "Open Letter" pamphlets, like "Die Hippy, Die!" and these articles should be published in our "Back to Godhead" magazine and distributed very widely.
I am very, very pleased with your program to infiltrate the schools and colleges, especially by introducing our books and classes in Krishna Yoga. I say one thing, if you can somehow or other turn all of these students and hippies, or even a portion of them to Krishna Consciousness, then this Movement will sweep across the world and save it from the present-day precarious condition when everything has become so much degraded. If many of their student class take up this Movement, your country's government will help, and if they help, there is immense potency for spreading to all other places. Now you push very cool-headedly and tactfully on this program of reaching and convincing the student-class with our books and philosophy, and that will be your success of life and for that Krishna will very quickly reveal Himself to such sincere worker face-to-face, you may know it for certain.
For example, for the question about poverty, you should have said that some persons are destined to suffer poverty by their karma. It is said that good parents are no guarantee for good children, medicine is no guarantee for health, a ship is no guarantee for a drowning man—all of these counter-remedies are useless if a man is not protected by Krishna. Therefore, in you country, even they have very rich parents, the children are turning out to be poverty-stricken hippies, so here or there, it doesn't matter, poverty must exist by the laws of nature because people have forgotten Krishna, therefore they must suffer alternate poverty and so-called opulence just like being pushed under the water for some time and then relieved by coming up, then again pushed down, and they are thinking this is life.
So it is very much our duty to come to their aide and point out exactly how this sinful living, namely, slaughtering animals, intoxication, illicit sex life, and gambling, how these sinful activities are so much degrading to the human kind and how they are only producing hippies, wars, and endless suffering as a result. So we want to give the citizens the positive value of Krishna consciousness way of life, so for that activity we must always be preaching very strongly in the public. Therefore I approve your plan to run for public office, now you do it with full confidence and conviction, never mind there may be some opposition, that is to be expected.
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letters dated June 13, 1972, and I am very glad always to hear from you about how the things are going on in Vrndavana. I am especially pleased to hear that Mr. Kenneth Keating is becoming more and more interested in our movement, and that you have received the first allotment of foodstuffs from the American Government. One thing, why the American Government does not give us more help for America's hippies who come to India? They have got tendency to live with us, and we have got every facility for giving them comfortable shelter, clean living, spiritual training and good moral standing. So if the American boys are coming to India to get this philosophy, is it not up to the American Government to give them assistance?
But one thing is, we are observing here in Europe many, many hippies have become so disgusted with material life but they are also now so much degraded that they will not hear our philosophy, simply mocking. So our devotees may become very much learned to remove their doubts and become very much fixed up in Krishna Consciousness, but so far preaching to the general public, especially the hippie class, it is better not to preach very much philosophy, just somehow or other get them to chant Hare Krishna mantra, and if some of them are curious to learn something they may purchase one of our books. Only if they chant with us, that will help them.
Now do everything in Vrndavana very peacefully, and always cooperate with each other at all times. There is some trouble with Satchitananda, he informs me you are trying to drive him away because he has written that letter about Yamuna, so that should not be the case. Better to cooperate all of you and do something tangible for Krsna. Stop this fighting. Have a European preaching center and try to enlist all the hippies and tourists who come to Vrndavana. Give them nice prasadam, engage them in chanting, cleaning the temple, reading our books, and give them all facilities for becoming devotees.
I am encouraged also that the programs in Nottinghill Gate Church were attended by many hippies and they enjoyed the program fully. Similarly, we can hold one Hare Krsna Festival every night somewhere in London by renting halls and distributing our men in various places. That Bury Place house is small, so if there are too many men for such small space they may be dispatched to open new centers at Glasgow and other places as you see fit. Or they may stay other places in London and hold programs as we did in Wembley. Now you are experienced man, you do everything nicely by consulting with Dhananjaya and the other leaders and strive always always to please Krsna constantly. Now I am old man and a little inclined for retirement, but now our organization is expanding more and more and I simply want to see that the things get done, therefore I am relying on you, my senior disciples, to do everything nicely for Krsna. Thank you very much for helping me in this way.
So long the regulative principles are followed, everything else will follow, and at least we shall command the respect of the public. People may not have the impression that they are the same hippies under different dress.
1973 Correspondence
You may please inform me everything in connection with the Delhi business, I am always anxious to hear from you. I think that they have sent you books from Bombay so now you distribute them as profusely as possible and make also life members, as many as possible. I am informed there are many so-called hippies staying at Delhi, so you try to recruit some of these men or other local men to assist you there. Your description of struggling is to be understood as the mercy of Krsna, and when He is satisfied by your giving energy in this way just to please Him despite all conditions of difficulty, then you need not worry for money, there will be sufficient and more.
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.
The idea of the Temple bus is to attract them aboard back to Krsna and the hippies and college students, anyone, will be very much attracted to the program. Now you have my full blessings, so go out and recruit some solid new devotees to help us push on this movement.
Vedic knowledge is definite. Take for example Padma Purāṇa, there it is said there are 8,400,000 species of life: two million trees, one million insects, four hundred thousand humans. Nowhere do we find about so and so many, but exactly the number is given. Or we see the description of Kali yuga, and we are experiencing it. "People of this age will keep big bundles of hair and thus think themselves very beautiful." So this is going on. "For want of bathing the population of this age will appear like Pisacas"—hippies. Everything is given in Vedas exactly. Why should we go to such men for knowledge? They pose themselves as big leaders, philosophers. But we have to accept our leader according to the standard symptoms—or qualifications. The standard text book for civilized administration is Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam. A leader must be peaceful, self-controlled austere, pure, tolerant, honest, wise learned and religious.
Yes, you can go on with your book distribution as you were doing before, there is not any harm. I thought that our men were becoming like hippies, but now I understand from you that that is not the case. So I have no objection. Our main business is to distribute books, and from the reports I am receiving from all over the world, the progress is very encouraging.
1975 Correspondence
Your kind letter dated June 6, 1975 in hand, I thank you very much for this. The chapter 5 of Caitanya-caritamrta is already dispatched yesterday by post. It is my great delight that you have realized how Krishna Consciousness has transformed lives from drug addicted hippies to loving servants of Krishna and humanity. Loving service of Krishna is so exalted, that it automatically turns loving service to humanity. 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.
Regarding the farm, if by getting money from the cash crops, then do that and improve the place. Construct temple and residential quarter. Somehow or other you have to keep the men who are there engaged. If they are allowed to become idle gradually they will again become hippies. If the farm cannot be utilized, then it may be sold. What is the use of keeping a bad cow? But if you are utilizing, then we can purchase the truck to help. But, what about the idea of selling the bus and repaying me Dollars 3,000.00? What happened to that idea? I had lent Dollars 5,000.00 and that should be repaid somehow or other. Everyone I advance money to, they repay. Brahmananda Swami took Rs. 16,000/-, and he has returned, so why not you also? Anyway, if there is some potential there then keep it and go on. But, if you are able to make profit, then why not you purchase the truck?
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."
I am in due receipt of your letter undated with enclosed check for $500. Thank you very much. I am very glad to hear that everything is going on nicely, especially your developing your new 250-acre farm. Yes, if you can get the government to support our project, that would be big triumph for us. They are spending millions and millions of dollars trying to keep the young people from turning into hippies, drug-addicted, and we are actually doing it. So why they should not give us some support?
1976 Correspondence
Our religion is not a part time transcendental recreation. We live in God. Of course, "Hare Krishna" is there on all these newspaper reports, that I want, that somehow or other hundreds and thousands of men will chant Hare Krishna. They have made all plans to avoid God, and our plan is that they accept God. The struggle will become acute, because formerly they thought we were simply hippies, but now they see our books, that we are here to stay. The professors are writing books, like Hare Krishna and Counter Culture, beginning to realize that Hare Krishna is here to stay. So, now the people are becoming envious that in such a short time we are so well known. Do not be discouraged by these fools and rascals, and simply push on sincerely and Krishna will save you.
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.
Regarding the point about whether our movement is bona fide, you can use the following arguments. Bhagavad-gita has got so many editions. Our books are older than the Bible. In India there are millions of Krsna temples. Let the judges and juries read our books and take the opinion of learned scholars and professors. Regarding the second point about the parents jurisdiction over their children here are some suggestions. Do the parents like that their children become hippies? Why don't they stop it? Do the parents like their children to become involved in prostitution and intoxication? Why don't they stop this? When the government takes the children for the draft neither the parents nor the children like it. This question should be raised.
So before being chastised we should be conscious that this is our rules and regulations, we must observe. Therefore it is advised by Canakya Pandit (Sanskrit) After the 16th year of the disciple or son, he should be treated as friend because if you chastise when he is grown up then he will break up- that is also another risk. So our request is that instead of chastising, with folded hands I request you, don't you become hippies again by growing hair. Keep your head cleansed at least once in a month. That is my request. Neither I can chastise you, I am an old man and you are young men."
1977 Correspondence
So far as Gurukula is concerned, literary education is for the Brahminical class, not for all. Others should learn by seeing, like the ksatriyas, vaisyas, and sudras. Just like driving a bullock cart; it doesn't require education. Modern so-called education is simply a waste of time producing hippies. Shameless! Why compulsory education? To make hippies—compulsory education to degrade. So it is very fortunate that there is no compulsory education required by the state of Mississippi.
| Page Title: | Hippies (Letters) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, Mayapur |
| Created: | 26 of Mar, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=0, Let=64 |
| No. of Quotes: | 64 |