Horrible (Letters)

Expressions researched:
"horrible" |"horribly" |"horrific" |"horrified" |"horrifying" |"horror"

1947 to 1965 Correspondence

Letter to R. Prakash -- Allahabad 22 June, 1951:

The Vedic culture determines the standard of social upliftment in terms of the degree of self-realization and as such the social division was estimated accordingly in terms of goodness (intelligence and higher learning), passion (martial spirit to lord it over the world), passion-cum-ignorance (the spirit of productivity) and ignorance (the spirit of passive acceptance of being controlled by the laws of material nature).

According to Vedic scriptures the present age is called Kali-yuga and almost all human beings are now degraded to the standard of the mode of ignorance and therefore the greater number of population are subjected to the pangs of the threefold miseries of material existence in the most horrible manner.

In such rabid condition of human being the panacea is "Krishna sankirtana" recommended in all scriptures. By this process, the forgetfulness of human being of his eternal relation with Godhead, is removed altogether.

1968 Correspondence

Letter to Yadunandana -- San Francisco 26 March, 1968:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated March 21, 1968, and may inform you that the horrible scene in the hospital is certainly ghastly. But we should at the same time know that this ghastly scene is in the matter of bodily concept of life. This is Maya's illusion, and although the spirit soul has nothing to do with this horrible affairs, but due to absorption of one's consciousness in the body, one has to suffer the consequences of bodily identification. So far we are concerned, we shall neither be sympathetic or apathetic in the matter of such bodily concept of life. Of course, it is quite natural to become sympathetic when one's body is put into such horrible condition, but if you are firmly convinced that this body is separate from the soul, then we may not be distracted. That is not possible of course in the preliminary stage, but when we shall be in a transcendental position not to be disturbed ever by such a horrible scene, then our position is secure. The suffering of the man and the sympathy of the other man, both are centered on the body. But this we have to understand by knowledge. Then such horrible condition of body won't be disturbing to us. That is the position of liberation. It doesn't mean that we shall not be sympathetic with one who is suffering, but we should always remember that such sufferings are due to the bodily concept of life. As you stated, that you simply want to leave the material world and be with Krishna, that is the best solution, rather than taking account of how things happened that you came here. Like that our best occupation is to get out of the scene by constantly chanting Hare Krishna, and be engaged in the transcendental service of Lord Krishna.

Letter to Madhusudana -- Montreal 29 July, 1968:

Subhadra is yogamaya. The spiritual energy is called yogamaya. And she has 16 different expansions. Out of these 16 expansions, Subhadra is one. The mahamaya of the material energy is also expansion of the energy of yogamaya; and both yogamaya and mahamaya are equally important to Krishna as much as any government department is equally important for functioning of the government. The police department may be horrible for the criminals, but to the government it is a department as good as university department. Similarly, mahamaya is horrible to the conditioned soul, but to the liberated soul, there is no fear of mahamaya, because he is protected by yogamaya. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gita when Krishna said the following: "I am not visible to everyone on account of being curtained by yogamaya." So when a conditioned soul surrenders unto Krishna, the yogamaya winds up the curtain and Krishna is visible to the devotee.

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Janardana -- Los Angeles 2 March, 1969:

If a Christian believes in God let him love God prominently rather than loving matter. If we wish to criticize Christian faith we can do so, and we can prove that hardly there are any sincere Christians. In the ten commandments we see Lord Jesus Christ advised "Thou shalt not kill," but this killing process is still prominent among Christians as well as any other religious group. So much so that it is simply horrible. Recently, the head of the Christian people, the Pope, declined to sanction the killing process in the embryo, namely contraceptive methods. We can see that so many Christians revolted. Apart from this killing process within the embryo, there is also killing process in the slaughterhouse and in so many ways. I do not know how a Christian can violate this important commandment of the Bible, "Thou shalt not kill." So in this way, if we want to criticize we can, but it will simply increase our enemies. Better let us try to invoke the dormant transcendental emotion by chanting and dancing.

Letter to Jayagovinda -- Columbus, Ohio 8 May, 1969:

Regarding your future status in Germany, Krishna will save you; don't bother yourself about it. For the time being, engage yourself in His service, and I think it is the desire of Krishna that you live in Germany and be engaged in His service. I understand from Krishna Das's letter that there is great possibility of pushing our movement in Germany, so it is a great advantage for you to be there. I understand that you had some difficulty in reaching Hamburg, travelling for two weeks, but do not mind this trouble, because you underwent it for Krishna's sake. I was on the sea for one month and ten days continually, and that was a horrible account. Perhaps you have read it in my diary which you collected in Vrindaban. So let us forget our past difficulties and in Krishna Consciousness, if anyone faces difficulties, it is considered as blessings, because without tapasya, or voluntarily accepting some inconveniences, nobody can realize the Transcendence. So when we are put into difficulties while discharging Krishna Conscious duties, it is to be understood that Krishna puts us in a field of austerities and penances which help us making progress towards realization of our goal of life.

1972 Correspondence

Letter to Sudama -- Bombay 23 December, 1972:

Yes, from the very beginning I went to New York because I thought that Krishna Consciousness is the most important idea in the world, so let me go to that place, New York, which is the most important city in the world, and if I am able to do anything for Krishna and my Spiritual Master, even I am at the fag-end of my life, at least let me try for it there. So my dreams have all come true, and all of you nice boys and girls are getting the credit. When I was alone in your New York, I was thinking, who will listen to me in this horrible, sinful place? All right, I shall stay little longer, at least I can distribute a few of my books, that is something. But Krishna was all along preparing something I could not see, and He brought you to me one by one, sincere American boys and girls, to be trained-up for doing the work of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Now I can see that it is a miracle. Otherwise, your city of New York, one single old man, with only a few books to sell for barely getting eatables, how he can survive, what to speak of introducing God-consciousness movement for saving the humankind? That is Krishna's miracle. Now I can see it.

1974 Correspondence

Letter to Malati -- Bombay 25 December, 1974:

Concerning that remark by Himavati about your being guilty because you are the wife of Syamasundara who has done horrible things, therefore you must suffer, that is not a fact. Your husband has done nothing horrible. Maybe he has made mistake but he has not done anything horrible.