London (Letters 1972)

Expressions researched:
"London" |"London's" |"Londoners" |"Londonium" |"Londons"

1972 Correspondence

Letter to Visvanatha Babu -- Bombay 3 January, 1972:

Since I met you last at Radha Damodara Temple Vrindaban sometimes in 1963-64, I left India for preaching the message of Lord Caitanya abroad in U.S.A., I could not meet you but always think of you how much you love to hear Sankirtana. At present I have established 70 centers all over the world and if by chance you go to Europe, America, Australia, Canada, Japan, Africa, etc. where I have got many thousands of disciples in all those continents, I invite you to visit my temples, a list of which is enclosed herewith. I have five branches in India also; and in Bombay at present I am staying at my above temple. You will be glad to know that I am introducing Rathayatra and other important Vaisnava festivals in Europe and America and probably it is known to you that in San Francisco, California and in London we are having the festivals in grand scale for the last five years continually. Every year the local people are taking more and more interest and I am enclosing herewith a pamphlet in this connection which I hope you will read with interest.

At present I am here in India till the time of Lord Caitanya's birthday and then I shall again return to the United States or a South East Asian countries.

Letter to Ajita -- Bombay 4 January, 1972:

I am in due receipt of your letter from Sydney dated December 24, 1971, and I am very, very happy to note that you want to go back to your native place of Sweden, along with your good wife and some other Swedish boys, devotees, from Germany and other places, for opening our center there. That is a very good proposal. I think Krsna das tried to start something before in Stockholm, but he could not do anything. His wife is Swedish girl, and she has got two sisters who are also our disciples in London, so you may correspond with them whether they can assist you in some way. I think Vegavan is there also in Australia, he is also Swedish boy, whether he can assist you as well?

If you go there through India, overland, of course that will be cheaper for you, but it will also be a very, very difficult journey with many unfortunate or disturbing incidents. There may be chance for becoming sick also, or you may be sometimes robbed or cheated, like that. It will not be very pleasant thing. I think once before Hamsaduta and Himavati had gone to Europe from India that way, and they were telling me how much difficulty they had. Besides that, you will be taking so much time, I think at least one month, so why not utilize the time better for preaching work? So you are both young and adventurous, that I can appreciate, and you have got the energy for it, and you may go there in that way, I have no objection, but if you collect money in Australia, that is a rich country, I think there must be some charter flights or cheap airline flights from Australia to London, why not go to Europe the easy way and save time? Anyway I am coming to Australia by 1st of February, so we may discuss it further when I shall come there. Or if you have got plans for immediately going to Sweden, then you may go, I shall be very happy if you will open one center there on behalf of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Thank you for desiring to help me in this way.

Letter to Suresvara -- Nairobi 3 February, 1972:

I have just received it along with other mail which was forwarded from London. I am in due receipt of your $5.00 daksina, and I thank you very much. The verses of the Gita have a specific melody but you may choose a suitable tune. Most important is that the melody remains very simple. You can take further direction from Kirtanananda Maharaja regarding these matters.

Letter to Ksirodakasayi -- Calcutta 18 February, 1972:

Your son Caturbhuja is coming out a very good devotee. I am in receipt of his letters and he is asking very intelligent questions, so I have instructed London center to take special care of him. I am thinking he will come out a very good devotee. You are so fortunate to have such a nice son. Now you encourage him also, and he will be your great gift to Krishna.

So you may come to Mayapur, and I have also invited Ramananda and all my disciples in India, and I think we shall number at least 50 heads, because we are being joined from here by Puri Maharaja and some of his close assistants. We shall leave for Calcutta on Tuesday, the 22nd, and are supposed to arrive in Mayapur by 25th latest. So you come too, and if you have finished the latest Hindi BTG you may bring some of those as well.

Letter to Krsna dasa -- Calcutta 24 February, 1972:

I think that if you go on in this way and spend your whole time preaching and engaging others to hear you and become themselves engaged in Krishna's service, that will cure you of all misgivings and miserable conditions. Follow this simple formula of chanting regularly with full attention, reading at least one hour, and balance time preaching and speaking and managing one center, and then everything will be all right. For my part, there is no question of dissatisfaction, I am very much pleased with your sincere service and humble attitude of Krishna Consciousness devotee. And I am also aware that sometimes Hamsaduta will be very stubborn, but he is also doing something there, so why not let him go on, and you take charge of opening branches in those northern European countries like Sweden, and that will be very much appreciated by me. If you require some more help in any way, just inform and I shall do the needful, do not worry. Also, Syamasundara is writing to Dayananda to send you books, whatever they can, from London, and they can send some men to help also if you require.

Letter to Nandarani -- Mayapur 27 February, 1972:

I beg to thank you for your letter dated 1th February, 1972, and I am very much pleased that you are fully engaged in attending Sri Sri Radha and Krishna in London temple and that you are finding great satisfaction by pleasing always Their Lordships. I think you know the story how these deities practically miraculously appeared in our London center. Actually, miracle means see something I do not understand, so I am thinking, that is miracle. Just like if a small child sees me lift up one table, the child may think in that way, that it is miracle such big table could be lifted by me. So in real sense miracle means fool, because if I have no knowledge then I am fool, so I say Oh, it is miracle, but actually I am fool. So-called transcendentalists who have no real stock of knowledge they are fond of these miracles, and for the most part, because the innocent public is generally foolish, therefore they accept these rascals of magicians as saintly persons. But real knowledge means science or knowing everything about something. So this Krishna Consciousness is not a miracle, it is science, and because we are Krishna conscious, therefore we know everything, so practically we can understand how Krishna wanted to please His devotees and He appeared there so wonderfully, and we do not see anything miracle.

Letter to Nandarani -- Mayapur 27 February, 1972:

As you ask about Rathayatra Festival, I may inform you that this year it is held on Wednesday July 12th, but you may celebrate it on the following Sunday, July 16th. If I am able at that time, I shall most certainly be very glad to come. I think three times I have seen the San Francisco Rathayatra Festival, but I have not yet been favored to attend the London Festival, so I shall very much like to come there if you can arrange and if you like I shall come.

Letter to Caturbhuja -- Mayapur 28 February, 1972:

Now I am pleased that you are making serious study of this our Krishna philosophy, so I want that you go on like this until you will able to defeat any challenge from atheists and rascals, then your preaching work will have real potency and combinedly with your Godbrothers around the world and at London Temple you shall preach so strongly that one day this Krishna consciousness movement will change the world from the most dangerous condition; that is the wish of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and tomorrow we shall be celebrating the Lord's Appearance Day by laying down the corner-stone for our World Headquarters here at Mayapur.

Letter to Hamsaduta -- Sydney 2 April, 1972:

Your idea for printing books with Dai Nippon and concentrating on distributing is very good idea, so I very much approve of your techniques for selling our literatures, and this have very much relieved me to know that this program is progressing rapidly under your control. Also, you ideas for travelling SKP are very much liked by me. Here in Australia they have got one double-decker bus, like you have seen in London streets, and they have painted it very brightly, and as it moves there is kirtana party chanting very loudly inside, and on top floor there is sleeping space and kitchen. On the whole, it is so nice that I am suggesting Dayananda that he supply you and Krishna das with information, how you may purchase such busses in London and drive them all over European continent, and these "Hare Krishna Movement" busses will make us famous all over the world. I am enclosing one photo of their Australia bus in Sydney.

Letter to Hamsaduta -- Tokyo 24 April, 1972:

We are members of Krishna's family. Our aim is not to become a Mayavadi sannyasi, but to become family members of Krishna's devotees. Krishna maintains 16,000 families, and if you get a chance to serve in one of the families, then your life is a success. Real sannyasa means no more interest in material activities, but simply dedicated to Krishna's service. That is real sannyasa. So you are greater than a sannyasi. You train all these boys to be practical sannyasis in the service of Krishna.

If it is possible to make the London Rathayatra more gorgeous by your all going, than do it. Cooperate with Dayananda. Last year in San Francisco, there were three chariots, and it was very successful, so you can do the same there. I may come also, if Lord Jagannatha attracts me.

Letter to Tamala Krsna -- Tokyo 25 April, 1972:

If possible see Sri Mujibur Rehman, president of Bangladesh, and show him evidence that Parsis, Jews, Christians, Muslims, all parties are participating in this Krishna Consciousness Movement—so why they Bangladesh Muslims should not join? We want to unite everyone culturally. Without this, every society is imperfect, but with it, society is perfect. All intelligent leaders of society should try to understand in depth this fact. So take the help of Sri Bhakti Turyasrami and implant one center there at Jessore. He has land but no money, so we should invest a little money and open one center. Have a huge prasadam program. Gurudasa has secured foodstuffs from the American government, and I think he has acquired an excessive amount, so balance can be distributed, part to Jessore, part to Bombay, where they are also having a successful prasadam distribution program. Now there are many devotees coming from London and USA, so utilize them for vigorous propaganda in India and Bangladesh. All these reports are very much encouraging to me. Thank you very, very much.

Letter to Dayananda -- 26 April, 1972 Tokyo:

letter dated April 16, 1972, and I have noted the contents with great pleasure. Yes, I am hoping that Lord Jagannatha may attract me to come to London this year. I shall be very glad to come there if He displays His opulence from that side so that I may be attracted by Him. Actually, I have just received invitation today from Harivilas prabhu inviting me to come to one Hare Krsna Festival in Paris around that time also, so I am considering very seriously. Especially if there is good prospect for getting that church at Oval Cricket Ground. I want that you should get that place immediately. You may get books, as many as possible, from Karandhar, at cost price and sell them profusely for as much price as you like and all profits above cost price you may use to buy the church. That is my plan. And when I come there I shall appeal to the Hindi community personally to help us buy this church. Now I am sending Kesava there to help you organize widespread distribution of books and traveling SKP, and he may stay for two months minimum, or at least until I leave there.

Letter to Karandhara -- Tokyo 4 May, 1972:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated April 28, 1972, and I have noted the contents. I have no objection if Kesava tours the USA and gives instruction how to sell books, then when he is finished USA he can go to London. But one thing is, there is vast possibility for selling our books in England, I think more than in your country, and they have got program for buying a big, big church in London, so I want they should sell many books by buying cost-price from you and in this way pay for that church. I shall see when I go there for Rathayatra this summer.

Letter to Rsabhadeva -- Honolulu 5 May, 1972:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated April 26, 1972 and I have noted the contents. I am glad to know that you are now managing the activities of our San Francisco temple. Kesava has done a very nice job there, so you try to continue with the same enthusiastic spirit and Krishna will give you unlimited opportunities for serving Him. Thank you very much for your invitation to the Rathayatra Festival. Perhaps I can come, but I may go to London this year as I have not yet seen it there, and I have promised since one year. In India, we had many pandal programs and they were very successful, so you try to have one there also.

Letter to Aksoja -- Los Angeles 19 May, 1972:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 13 May 1972 and I have noted the contents. I have very much appreciated the enclosed photos of the Amsterdam activities. I am surely thinking to come to London for this year Rathayatra festival and if you like perhaps I can come to Amsterdam also if there is sufficient engagement there. At that time we can see about installing Lord Jagannatha in your temple. I was one time before in Amsterdam and I like that country very much. There are very many cows in that country and this especially is pleasing to me so if you can arrange some big engagement there then I shall gladly come.

I have met also your elder sister in Auckland, New Zealand and your mother also was there and they are both very nice and improving in their Krsna consciousness thanks to you.

Letter to Dayananda -- Los Angeles 20 May, 1972:

I am in due receipt of your letter undated and your telegram from London dated May 16, 1972. I shall be very glad to see Lord Jagannatha dancing in His new dress when I come to London sometime in July. So you can immediately fix up a date for my coming there, along with my three assistants and you can send return airline tickets. It is certainly a great tragedy that there are no books in London Center so Kesava was not able to display his great talent for distributing them. But I have heard from him that you are all very enthusiastic to distribute books so when I come there I shall give you some hints how to do it. One thing is, when I come there I do not like to stay in any hotel. I shall stay in my room above the temple on the first floor.

Letter to Bibhu -- Los Angeles 21 May, 1972:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated May 18, 1972 and I have noted the contents carefully. I have considered coming to New Vrndavana and Pittsburgh for Janmastami and I think that I shall be able to come after all. I am going to London for Rathayatra this year but I think I can fly from London to Pittsburgh without any difficulty. So you can accept that engagement on September 8th and I shall be there. And the national TV show sounds very nice.

I think my secretary has recently sent one copy of Gayatri Mantra for Kutila dasi and enclosed herewith please find one sacred thread and one copy of Gayatri Mantra for Mahendra dasa. Either you or Ranadhira can hold a fire sacrifice and present sacred threads to Kutila and Mahendra. One thing, you can get a copy of me reciting Gayatri Mantra from Rupanuga in New York but the tape must be heard through the earphones into the right ear.

Letter to Ranadhira -- Los Angeles 21 May, 1972:

I have already written to Bibhu that I shall be very glad to attend your Janmastami at New Vrndavana and I shall also visit the Pittsburgh temple at that time. You may arrange the engagement on September 8th, that is all right. Prior to my coming to New Vrndavana and Pittsburgh I shall be in London and Paris, so I can fly directly from Paris to Pittsburgh. I am very much pleased that you have consented to give me the 50% of your profits on that night. But I will have no objection if you consider giving me 100%.

Letter to Himavati -- Los Angeles 22 May, 1972:

Yes, your husband is expert in everything and also you are expert in everything. So do not think in this way that you are not very important devotees, because I am always thinking of you both and how much service you are rendering to Lord Krishna. Since a long time I have known both of you and I consider that you are among my very dearest disciples. Now do not worry that your husband will take sannyasa. I think I have told you before that I will not give him sannyasa at this point. He may travel very widely throughout the Germany zone and still remain Grhastha. He is more than Sannyas.

I shall be coming to London for Rathayatra Festival this year. So I hope that I will see both you and your good husband as well as all the nice boys and girls in the European temples there in London at that time.

Letter to Sudama -- Los Angeles 23 May, 1972:

I have received one letter from the boy Satyadeva and I think he is doing very nicely there as president. I think it is a good idea for you to start your center in the city of Tokyo and also to keep the asrama where I was staying. The Indians there in Tokyo will help you. You can first of all solicit their help in this matter by first making them life members, just as we have done in London. I am also glad to hear that Trivikrama has become enthusiastic for helping you in this way.

Letter to Bhavananda -- Los Angeles 28 May, 1972:

I am in receipt of your letter dated May 18th, 1972, and I have noted the contents. Upon your recommendation I am enclosing herewith one thread and two copies of Gayatri Mantra to be given to Purnamprajna das and his wife Narayani dasi. So you can hold a fire yajna and give them their second initiation. One thing, as you have got no tape of me reciting Gayatri Mantra, you may ask Dayananda in London or Rupanuga in New York to send you one. The tape should be heard through earphones into the right ear.

Letter to Vasudeva -- Los Angeles May 31, 1972:

Yes, if you can get a new and larger place that will be very nice. Also, I am coming to London this summer for Ratha-yatra Festival and if all of the European devotees come there I shall be very glad to see you all again. Yes, you may name your new son Caitanya dasa. So now be happy and chant Hare Krsna and take Krsna Prasadam, and in this way you shall find your life becoming more and more perfect and you will meet Krsna face to face very soon, rest assured.

Letter to Secretary to Minister of Education and Culture -- Los Angeles 7 June, 1972:

We also understand from one prominent Soviet professor of Indology that a few years ago your government published a translation of the Ramayana, an ancient Vedic scripture describing the pastimes of Lord Rama, who advented Himself as the Supreme Personality of Godhead long years ago, and that this translation, the whole stock, was sold out within a few days. With reference to this obvious preference by the citizens in general, we wish to publish our translation of another ancient classical Vedic literature, namely, Bhagavad-gita, in the Russian language. The English edition of this great book of knowledge, which has been called by us as Bhagavad-gita As It Is, is already published by the famous London publishing house of Mss. MacMillan Co.

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

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated June 8, 1972, and I have well appreciated your sentiments. Your father has indicated to me that he shall be returning to London very shortly, so I have encouraged him to meet me there when I shall arrive there by July 5th. So you may be assured, and your mother may be assured, that your father will be returning to your home in London very shortly. I am very glad to hear that Krishna has protected you from the physical injury to your left eye. Just like Prahlada Maharaja always remembered Krishna and that saved Him from the most difficult situations. If we constantly remember to take shelter only at Krishna's Lotus Feet, then we shall always be saved from all sorts of dangers.

I shall be meeting you and your good family in London. Meanwhile, hoping this will meet you in good health.

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

Now I understand that Ksirodakasayi is going to London soon, so in his absence you shall be the president and I think if Tejiyas is there, that he can be treasurer, or I have heard that Vaikunthanatha is there, so if it is better arrangement, then he can be treasurer and your wife Yamuna devi, may act as secretary.

I understand from Yamuna that our Gauracand Goswami feels still that we are unfit to render service to the Deity, so let him think like that, we don't care. We are worshiping Deity in 100 places and we become unfit in Radha Damodara? Why we are unfit. If you are beautiful Americans with good education and very pious and pure, and if you have got all qualities of Vaisnava, why you are not fit? We think we are quite fit.

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

I have received your letter dated 1st June, 1972, and upon your recommendation I am glad to accept Peter Brinkmann as my duly initiated disciple. His letter follows. Yes, I shall be glad to meet with you in London during Rathayatra in a few weeks, and at that time I shall be very glad to give you the Sannyas order of life, so you may prepare for that.

Letter to Sriman Joshi -- Los Angeles 13 June, 1972:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated June 2, 1972, and I have noted the contents with great pleasure. I am very much encouraged that you are offering your considerable services for helping me to advance this bhakti-yoga system or Krishna Consciousness Movement all over the world. So I shall be very pleased to meet you personally here in Los Angeles at my apartment, as I shall not be going to San Francisco in the near future because I am attending the Rathayatra Festival in London this year instead. So if you are free to meet me here in Los Angeles, I shall be very pleased to see you at that time.

Letter to Surasrestha -- Los Angeles 14 June, 1972:

I am leaving for London on July the 4th and am returning to New Vrndavana for Janmastami celebration and at that time we can make further plans on my coming to Trinadad. In the meantime, continue to distribute this great message of Krsna Consciousness to all the people there and work hard to make the whole country into devotees. Hoping this will meet you in good health.

Letter to Himavati -- Los Angeles 15 June, 1972:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated May 30, 1972, and I have noted the contents. I don't know who has given you this idea of shaving your head and wearing white garments. In India only the widows are allowed to shave head. I have never suggested your husband to take to Sannyas, but we can discuss this matter further when we shall meet again in London for Rathayatra.

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

Now I am coming to London very soon for your Rathayatra Celebration, and I shall be very happy to see you all, my beloved disciples there in England. You mention one very large festival being held there in Edinburgh from July 20 to August 9, so if you can arrange some big, big, meeting for me to speak there and address the public at large as well as the students, that will be very nice. One thing, I am already scheduled to speak in Paris on July 21, 22, 23, so if you arrange some meetings at the Edinburgh Festival, you should schedule them for last part of July or early August accordingly.

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

I am in due receipt of your letter dated June 9, 1972, and I have noted the contents carefully. My money is already invested in a Mayapur Trust Fund, so there is no possibility of lending you any money. Furthermore, in your absence I don't think there is need of very big house. If you make arrangements for purchasing two big, big houses and then go away, then that is not very good proposal. To purchase our own house in Los Angeles, London, these headquarters are required as permanent but we should not be very much anxious after purchasing many houses and properties. In future through out the society, it is better so far as possible that we should rent. Big house means big responsibility. So unless there are many men, and very big propaganda, buying house is risky and unnecessary.

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

I think we are just now typing up the tapes of those conversations we held in Mayapur, and we shall be publishing them into a book very soon. It will be called "Perfect Questions, Perfect Answers." I shall be sending you one copy as soon as they are ready for distributing. Meanwhile, I shall be stopping in New York for two or three days on my way to London for the Rathayatra Festival there. I am not certain yet when I shall be arriving in New York, but it shall be some time in the early part of July, and you may keep in regular contact with Bali Mardan regarding the arrival date, and I shall be very much engladdened to meet with you in New York once again. Again we shall discuss if you have got any questions.

Letter to Yadubara -- Los Angeles 20 June, 1972:

I have just now got one letter from Acyutananda Maharaja from Mayapur, and his plan is to photograph all of the original manuscripts of Bhaktivinode Thakura which are held by his son, Lalita Prasad Thakura, in Birnagar. This is a very, very important work, so I think you are just the right man for going there with Acyutananda to make photos of each and every page of the old manuscripts as they are in very bad condition. After taking the photos, we ___ shall be going to London on ___ 2, 1972, so send reply accordingly.

Letter to Giriraja -- Los Angeles 21 June, 1972:

So encourage her in this way, and I am very much engladdened that she is so much willing to help us, now you apply yourself to the matter very diligently and think always of Krishna and it will come out very auspiciously. You can ask her to write me her itinerary in London, or if you think so, I will send her a letter personally. You can tell her that I shall be in London during that time also. I am leaving here on morning of July 2nd and arriving London July 5th via New York. I shall be very glad to see her and bring her in our temple there. Or she can write to me when she is there c/o 7 Bury Place. That is a good proposal to receive her at London Airport. Somehow or other, either she pays for the temple herself or she raises the funds from others, she must be persuaded in this great project, which will bring great benefit to her countryman and which will attract many, many foreign devotees of Krishna to the Indian soil for taking up this spiritual life very seriously. It is a unique temple in the world, and if you show your wonderful abilities as American and European boys and girls to manage everything superbly, she will not hesitate to entrust you in every way.

Letter to Hamsaduta -- Los Angeles 22 June, 1972:

So let us concentrate on training our devotees very thoroughly in the knowledge of Krishna Consciousness from our books, from tapes, by discussing always, and in so many ways instruct them in the right propositions.

I hope this meets you and your good wife Himavati in good health, and I shall be arriving in London sometime on the 5th July, so you may all come to London at your convenience and see me there.

Letter to Acyutananda -- Los Angeles 28 June, 1972:

I am pleased to hear that the song books and tapes of Lalita Prasad Thakura are in New York for being edited and distributed. To answer your questions, the Deities in London, New York, etc. are not mentioned in TLC, the Deities mentioned there were before these Deities were installed. In Caitanya Caritamrta there is mentioned that all over the world there are to be found many Deities. They may be covered by flood, devastation, and so on. Svayam Prakasa refers to Baladeva. So far the songs of Jayadeva are concerned, there is one, Srita Kamala. Yes, if you want to translate the Bhakti-Ratnakara. When I go to New York in a few days, namely on June 2nd, I shall be very glad to peruse the tapes and writings you have sent there.

Letter to Gunagrahi -- New York 3 July, 1972:

I shall be in London this year for the Rathayatra festival and after that I am going to Paris for the twenty-first, twenty-second and twenty-third of July, and as I have already confirmed these engagements long ago, I regret I shall not be able to physically attend your Rathayatra at Buffalo, but my presence is always with the devotees who are serving so nicely.

Letter to Dayananda -- New York 7 July, 1972:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letters dated June 26, 1972, and July 4, 1972, and I have noted the contents very carefully. Now my advice is this, that you take your family to San Francisco and become the President there, because Kesava wants to change, and I think he has liked it in London very much, so he may come here immediately while I am here and help me to get one very nice temple here. What do you think of this proposal?

Letter to Sri Joshiji -- New York 7 July, 1972:

I did not reply your letter earlier as I was preparing to come here to London.

Your proposal to cooperate with this movement is very magnanimous, and I thank you for your suggestion. But before doing anything tangible, I wish to discuss with you in detail. I wanted to see you in Los Angeles, but I could not get up to San Francisco, neither you could come to L.A. Now I shall be away from California for about one month, but when I shall return we shall discuss further this matter. I welcome your suggestions for voluntary service. Thank you very much.

Letter to Madhudvisa -- London 8 July, 1972:

Because they heard of our program in Bombay along with the Zavery sisters Manipuri Dancers, here in London they had arranged one program of lecturing by me along with a recital by one man playing on the vina just to attract attention to my speaking. I am not in approval of such arrangements, and it will be dangerous thing in future if we begin this type of program just to attract the masses. Already I see this happening practically all over the Society, so better we stop it now and get ourselves firmly on the track chalked out for us by Lord Caitanya. We are simply Sankirtana men, our program is chanting, dancing, distributing prasadam, and speaking high philosophy, that's all.

Letter to Nandarani -- New York 8 July, 1972:

You can consult me freely whenever you like and I shall try to enlighten you as far as possible. But I am certain you are intelligent enough and I have already given you some hints on the basis of which you can do the needful.

Your husband has gone back from London, being completely overcome by family separation. So there is no need of living separately. Both of you husband and wife live together and render the best service to the Lord. We have never discouraged family life, so both of you are intelligent and can make your plan. Keep your situation fit for rendering service to the Lord more enthusiastically. That is my desire.

Letter to Ish Kumar Puri -- New York 9 July, 1972:

After you have studied the matter thoroughly, kindly send me your lowest quotations for printing the books listed herewith. I shall be in London at the above address until the 20th of this month, and after that you may write me at my New York temple-headquarters, 439 Henry Street, Brooklyn, New York, U.S.A. 11231.

Letter to Gurudasa -- London 11 July, 1972:

I am very much encouraged to understand that you are making nice progress with the building work. I have sent the Check Book, Punjab National Bank, account no. 642, under registered post, so kindly acknowledge if you have received or not. Then you remain as President of Vrindaban center, we shall see later on. As for Ksirodakasayi, he has decided to remain here in London to live with his family and work here to raise funds for future new London headquarters. There is one boy, Bhagavatananda, in Pittsburgh temple, who wants to have some new engagement and he is expert carpenter who has built many houses in New Vrindaban, so you may correspond with him if he can come to help you there.

I do not know what you mean when you mention the government is discouraging Americans from Vrindaban area, and that Subala may be deported. Kindly elucidate. So far the Delhi deities, one man here in London, Dr. Shah, wants to pay for the freight to bring them to Edinburgh where we have got one nice center for installing them there. But I do no know how it will be done. Anyway, keep them safely and we shall see later on.

Letter to Giriraja -- London 12 July, 1972:

I have met with Mrs. Morarji on arriving here in London and she has agreed to be the President of our Bombay Board of Trustees for building up the Juhu project. This is a good opportunity. So she, along with our other big Life Members, can form this Committee, and our own men will give direction. Now form the Committee by consulting her how to do it, and the Committee may meet and organize how to raise funds and push on this project, and I shall give direction how to do it.

Letter to Shyamsundar Mallik -- London 13 July, 1972:

I am in due receipt of your kind letter dated 7/7/72 in Bengali, and you will excuse I am writing in English because I am in London. I hope you are making the Ratha-yatra Festival very successful, along with my disciples headed by Bhavananda and Acyutananda Swami. In my childhood I used to take my ratha with my little friends, about 60 years ago. Again I am reviving the same attempt with my young disciples. I have become old, and you are also old, although not so old as I am. We may pass away, but my disciples will carry on this festival yearly, and so it will be remembered forever our eternal relationship with Sri Sri Jagannathaji and Sri Sri Radha-Govindaji. Ask your sons also to cooperate so that in future this festival will be continued for good.

I am presently engaged here in London for celebrating the Ratha-yatra Festival also. A huge festival will begin at Marble Arch and proceed to Trafalgar Square, where I shall speak to at least 10,000 persons. Similarly, my disciples are holding Ratha-yatra festival at San Francisco, Philadelphia, New York, Tokyo, Melbourne (Australia), Calcutta, and other places. So what was my childhood play 65 years ago is now a worldwide event. The same Radha-Govindaji worship and Jagannatha worship is going on all over the world.

Letter to Puri Maharaj -- London 13 July, 1972:

I understand that the Rs. 1000/= has already been sent to you on or about June 8, 1972. I hope you have received it safely, and that you are doing the needful. I shall be very glad to hear from you what is the progress.

Now we are in London for holding our 4th annual Rathayatra Festival of Lord Jagannath. The procession will begin from Marble Arch and finish in Trafalgar Square, where I shall be speaking to more than 10,000 persons and holding fire yagna. Simultaneously, my disciples will be holding similar Jagannath Rathayatra Festivals in San Francisco, Tokyo, Philadelphia, Melbourne (Australia), and in Calcutta.

Letter to Karandhara -- London 19 July, 1972:

As for Dayananda, I am enclosing the letter to him, so you may kindly forward to him. We have celebrated a very, very nice Rathayatra festival here in London, and in the Trafalgar Square itself I initiated nearly 30 new devotees with fire yajna before 25,000 persons, mostly Englishmen. All in all, it was the best Rathayatra we have seen to date. I have not heard anything from you about Rathayatra in San Francisco.

Letter to Sri Jogeswar Chowdhury -- Paris 22 July, 1972:

I have seen your letter addressed to the Secretary of our London branch, and I am very much pleased to note that you have somehow or other seen one copy of our "Back to Godhead" magazine and that you wish a copy of our Teachings of Lord Caitanya. I have instructed the secretary here in London to forward you one copy immediately by ordinary mail, gratis. I am glad to inform you that a party of my disciples will be coming to Bangladesh soon for spreading the message of Lord Caitanya there. They will be stationed at Jessore, but will travel wherever they are invited and hold Sankirtana. So if you are very much eager to receive them, about six or eight of my foreign American and European disciples, you can invite them to Chittagong and they shall be happy to stay with you there and hold programs of kirtana and preaching.

Letter to Sri Joshiji -- Paris 25 July, 1972:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated July 15, 1972, and I have noted the contents with great interest. From London now I am staying in Paris, and from here I shall go to Amsterdam and then to Edinburgh, again to London, and from there I shall go to Nairobi for installing Radha-Krishna deities in our own temple there. Your letter under reply gives me great pleasure when I understand from your childhood you are a great devotee of Lord Krishna, and now in your old age you are still anxious to preach the doctrine of Lord Krishna, namely, to surrender to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Actually, the whole world requires to understand the Bhagavad-gita As It Is. Although the Bhagavad-gita is a very popular book, widely read all over the world, unfortunately unscrupulous sannyasis and yogis presented the gospel in a perverted way so that people could not come to become a devotee of Krishna, instead they have become impersonalists. This infectious disease is spread in India, especially by the Mayavadis sannyasis and philosophers, therefore we have got greater task in India then in the western countries. In the western countries they have lost practically any religious system, and Christianity is declining. I was in London and practically I saw hundreds and thousands of churches are for sale because nobody is going there. The same position is in America also, but still a section of persons there are interested in church. But in Europe especially I see they have lost all respect for religious life.

Letter to Madhudvisa -- Amsterdam 29 July, 1972:

I am very glad to hear that there has been a very nice Rathayatra Festival in Melbourne, and that despite all obstacles many people joined and it was very successful. Similarly, in London we have already celebrated a very successful Rathayatra procession, and many thousands of persons joined in marching from Marble Arch to Trafalgar Square, and in Trafalgar Square I initiated nearly 30 new disciples and we had fire yajna and many, many thousands of persons observed it, mostly Englishmen.

Letter to Gurudasa -- London 1 August, 1972:

Kindly deliver over to Gauracandra Goswami the sum of Rs. 751/. Only as settlement of all old due donation, and take receipt and send to me. ACBS.

n.b. The Delhi deities have arrived safely. Presently we are looking for a large temple in London to install them, and I shall remain in London until we have got something.

Letter to Tulasi -- London 1 August, 1972:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated July 18, 1972 and I have noted the contents. I have received reports from all over the world; from Calcutta, San Francisco, Tokyo, Melbourne, Pittsburgh, and here in London also, that Rathayatra festival was a very great success, and this has very much engladdened me. So you have many festivals like this, and engage the public in Krishna consciousness as much as possible.

Letter to Gurudasa, Yamuna -- London 3 August, 1972:

So you may not be disturbed that Ksirodakasayi is coming back there, I shall ask him to remain here for developing London center. Today we are looking at a very nice place of 75 acres near London with Mr. George Harrison, who has found the place and wants to have our asrama there. He is coming to see me daily and he is a very nice boy and I like him very much. If we get this place, I shall make London my permanent world headquarters. Practically I am British by training, so I am also trying for dual Indian-British citizenship. I still remember that you both helped me very much by opening this London center, and it is the most important center in the world, so I am very much thankful always. Now go on and develop the Vrindaban centre with full enthusiasm and do not be discouraged by anything temporary setbacks but always work in the spirit of being completely dependent upon Krishna for everything. I shall be returning to India by October.

I shall remain in London through the month of August for holding Bhagavata Sapta discourses in various quarters of the city in Hindi and English languages. Temporarily, I have postponed the Nairobi program, so you may reply me here.

Letter to Bali-mardana -- London August 5, 1972:

I am in due receipt of your latest letter, undated, along with two advance copies of Back to Godhead #46 and #47. I have handed over these copies to Mr. George Harrison who is enjoying them very much. Yesterday he has taken me to one 75-acre farm near London which he has found for our London asrama. If we take this place then I shall make London my world or European headquarters, and I am applying also for British residential status. I have cancelled the program temporarily in Nairobi for completing my business in London, so I shall remain here until the end of August, and then fly to New Vrindaban as scheduled.

I am very happy to understand from you that the printing work is going on prolifically, that is our first business, to print and distribute this Krsna knowledge very widely. I am expecting very soon the delivery of Bhagavad-gita As it Is* and you may dispatch many copies to England also. I am very happy to hear of your daily walk through that Brooklyn neighborhood with the deities. That is customary in India, and all of the neighbors come out and offer incense, garlands and other gifts for Radha and Krsna, so you may encourage your neighbors there to also make offerings and chant with us, and their lives will be very much improved.

Letter to Niranjana -- London 5 August, 1972:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter from Bhilai dated July 7, 1972 and I have noted the contents carefully. I am sending the letter to Varanasi as you indicate that you will be leaving Bhilai by August 4. It appears that the working on the committee will be too much difficult for you, so it will be better if you can serve Krishna by translating into Hindi language. Ksirodakasayi is with me now in London and he will not be returning to India, so you may consult with Ramananda in Gorakhpur what should be your exact duty. For the time being, as you are studying in Varanasi and cannot leave that place, it is better for you to translate individually in cooperation with Ramananda, and at some later time when your studies are completed, then we can discuss further.

Letter to Jagadisa -- London 11 August, 1972:

I have received your letter dated August 7th, 1972, and noted the contents thereof. I shall be returning to Los Angeles in a few days from London, and I shall probably go to New Vrndavana for Janmastami as planned. I do not know if I will be able to come to Toronto after that, as I have been traveling all over the world over the past few months and it is a bit straining. Now I am thinking to sit down for a while in Los Angeles for translating work, but if I get opportunity I shall certainly come there as you have invited me.

Letter to Suresh Candra -- London 11 August, 1972:

I have received your letter from Guyana dated 16 July, 1972, duly forwarded to me at my London address. Thank you very much for the sentiments expressed therein. A disciple means one who is always following the orders of the spiritual master. So I instruct my disciples to refrain from four prohibitions, namely no eating of meat, fish or eggs, no illicit sex life, no taking of intoxication, including tea, coffee, cigarettes, etc., and no gambling. Besides that my students must chant sixteen rounds of japa-mala of Hare Krsna mantra daily. So if you are able to follow these principles without fail, then you are as good as my disciple. And after you have practiced these things for a few months' time, then we can see to your formal initiation. This chanting of sixteen rounds of japa-mala daily, chanting the full Hare Krsna mantra, Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare/Hare Rama Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare, on each bead 108 times in each round, this process will very quickly purify your existence, and you will come to your rightful spiritual understanding in very short order.

Letter to Suresh Candra -- London 11 August, 1972:

Regarding the visa problem for our devotees coming there, I shall very much appreciate if you can arrange something with the government so they shall have no problem remaining there for some time to do some tangible work in Guyana. I am returning myself to Los Angeles in a few days from London, so you may reply at the Los Angeles address as above.

Letter to Upendra, Citralekha -- Los Angeles 16 August, 1972:

I have received your letter dated 6 August, 1972 along with the balaclava hat. The hat is very nice and it is now cold in London it also had some immediate use. But now I am in Los Angeles and the weather here is very warm so I have kept the hat in London for my use whenever I shall go there.

I am very happy to hear that both of you are becoming happy in your Krishna Consciousness spiritual life, and that in general everything is going on very nicely there in Australia.

Letter to Nityananda -- Los Angeles 16 August, 1972:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated August 4, 1972, and you may know I have just arrived here from London. I am very pleased to hear that all of the programs there in New Orleans center are improving more and more under your capable supervision. Especially I am glad to note the judges decision in your recent court case and the nice words that he has used to describe our movement. Yes, that is the case, he has said rightly. So you may distribute a copy of the judges statement and the testimony of the child to all of our centers around the world. I am very glad to hear that you are training the devotees nicely in our philosophy and I also fully approve of your system for management. It appears in all respects that everything is going well at New Orleans center and I am so much pleased upon you for helping me in this way.

Letter to Gurudasa -- Los Angeles 22 August, 1972:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your long letter redirected here from London. Do not be upset. The thing is that the construction work must be begun immediately. Gargamuni is there, I understand, and you are there, and Tamala Krishna is preaching. So if you and Gargamuni can do the work, then there is no need of taking help from Tamala Krishna. So there is no need of talking any more. Begin the work immediately. That I want to see.

Letter to Tusta Krsna -- Los Angeles 24 August, 1972:

So when this complaint was lodged I called him here and I asked him to stay with me for some time. When I went to London I made arrangement that Siddha Svarupa Ananda Maharaja would speak in the sanctuary of Los Angeles Temple and this was settled up and he remained here in Los Angeles when I went to London. After coming back I understood that he left immediately when I left for London. I have received no letter from him. So there is no misunderstanding, but I want to keep him with me for some time, so if you have got his address you can ask him to come to me and live with me again for some time. It is better not to draw any wrong conclusions from so little evidence, actually he is very sincere soul and everyone knows it and I like him very much and so does Karandhara, so you need not worry in this connection.

Letter to Gargamuni -- Los Angeles 24 August, 1972:

I have received your letter from Vrndavana dated 15th July 1972 and I have noted the contents carefully. You may know that I am no longer in London but I am in Los Angeles and New Vrndavana for the month of September. I am going back to India by the 15th of October. So you have stayed so long in India, if you can remain there one and one half months more kindly remain there and wait for me. When I come there you will stay with me. Meanwhile if it is possible you try to work in conjunction with Gurudasa on the Vrndavana Project because I think you have got real interest to see that it is completed very nicely. If however you are unable to work with Gurudasa, otherwise you sit down and wait for me there. Do not fight with anyone, try to remain always very humble and meek like the advanced Vaisnava devotee, always thinking yourself lower than the straw in the street and more tolerant than the tree, and in this way very quickly you will be come relieved of so many anxieties. When we shall meet in October, then we shall chalk out some plan further.

Letter to Gurudasa -- Los Angeles 29 August, 1972:

In your letter you do not acknowledge the plans of Saurabha which were sent to you from London some two weeks back. From the beginning I simply said that I wanted a temple built in Vrindaban just like Govindaji's temple, and there have been so many letters, but that has not been done. Never mind, now I like that plan of Saurabha's, so if you have received it? Anyway, I am sending one other plan drawn by Saurabha (enclosed), and that is also nice, so that may be used for presenting to the municipality if the previous plan was not received. I do not think the plan of Mr. Suri will be possible for us, it is too grand. Simply I want one temple like Govindaji's that's all.

Letter to Krsna dasa -- Dallas 9 September, 1972:

When you went to Europe last time, I was hopeful that you would organize in Sweden. You have got the capacity to do that, you are one of my old disciples and you have proven your abilities to organize things very nicely. You went to Germany and organized very nicely. I know you have got that capacity. Why you have come back? You could have organized Sweden very gorgeously. You are very intelligent and also your wife is intelligent. Formally you were alone, now you are assisted by your good wife. Husband and wife equal double strength. You can do nicely anywhere. You know very well how Gurudasa, Mukunda, and Syamasundara organized the London center with great labor and hardship and now it is one of the first class temples. Syamasundara induced George Harrison to cooperate with us and he paid us nineteen-thousand dollars for Krsna Book. So there are so many works, if someone wants to work there are so many things. So eternally I want to remain your guide provided you want to accept me.

Letter to Caru -- Dallas 10 September, 1972:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated August 31, 1972, and I have noted the contents carefully. Now regarding this business of Sankirtana, the solution is simply to go on with Sankirtana activities as you have been doing, and let them arrest us if they like, we will not stop. Just like in London, they became arrested so many times and there was so much public display of arresting that gradually the police stopped arresting and now they have Sankirtana anywhere they like without any botheration. If we take this case into court and spend so much money for big big lawyers, and still if we do not win, then they have got legal right to stop us. So better to forget this business of lawyers and judges and simply go on with Sankirtana. That is Civil disobedience movement. Let them fill their jails with us again and again, but we shall not stop our Sankirtana movement. Also it may help if you get some public sympathy through publicizing our constant persecution in the newspaper journals. Gradually the city officials and constabulary will become embarrassed to arrest us further and gradually we will be allowed to carry on our Sankirtana unhampered. But I do not think this business of expensive lawyers and going to court will solve anything, better to simply become determined to hold our Sankirtana in our own manner as we like, and simply depend upon Krsna and His protection at all times.

Letter to Madhudvisa -- Los Angeles 21 September, 1972:

I am very much pleased to hear that you are distributing so much of our literature and books and I think if you go on like this that very soon you will become the number one book distributers in the whole world. At least I want that. I have already advised Caru in the matter of the legal business in Sydney, and I do not think there is any need for going to court and spending so much money. We are prepared to hold sankirtana on the street or in the jail, it does not matter, wherever we are, we are able to vibrate Krsna's name and be happy. So gradually they will grow tired of persecuting us and just like in London and other places we shall become established with our sankirtana party.

Letter to Pusta Krsna -- Los Angeles 25 September, 1972:

I have received your note from Boston dated September 22, 1972, and I think that by now you must be in London. I am very glad to hear that you will be holding Bhagavata-dharma Festivals all over England. I know that you are good preacher and sincere boy, and Revatinandana Maharaja is also sannyasi, so you work together with him and with the others in cooperative spirit to spread this Krsna Consciousness movement widely all over the British Isles. From Revatinandana I can understand that there is immense field for preaching amongst the youth and in all parts of the country, so do not hesitate to take the bold step forward and invite everyone to become devotee of Krsna.

Letter to Revatinandana -- Los Angeles 25 September, 1972:

Thank you very much for your letter from London dated 20 September 1972, and I have very much enjoyed hearing your description of the programs in England. I am so very much pleased to hear about your successfully preaching widely in the youth clubs and halls and colleges, this is my dream coming true. I wanted that many sannyasis would travel widely in the Western countries and preach to the young people, especially in the schools and colleges, and spread our Krsna philosophy in these places. Now Krsna has given you all facilities for this work, and I can understand that you are very intelligent boy and you have got good enthusiasm, so I am taking encouragement from your progress. One thing is, now you have got many many books and we require to raise huge sum for purchasing our new place in London, s my senior disciple and experienced man you should take lead in supervising the distribution of books widely all over Great Britain. You say that the sankirtana party in London requires more push, so you do the needful for organizing them and enthusing them to sell books and literatures more and more. Karandhara is coming there in a few days and he will see how everything is going on, because Syamasundara must remain with me. But if Syamasundara's presence is also required for getting that new place, he can also come there. Meanwhile, you satisfy yourself that the sankirtana parties are distributing our literatures as much as possible and depositing in the building fund. Everything above expenses should be put into the building fund and saved for the new place.

Letter to Revatinandana -- Los Angeles 25 September, 1972:

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.

Letter to Giriraja -- Los Angeles 29 September, 1972:

We shall be leaving Los Angeles by the 6th October for San Francisco, thereafter we shall leave for India, arriving in Delhi by 16th October. Kindly keep me informed daily what is the progress in this connection. Karandhara is in Germany and London on some business, so if it is required he can come there immediately to assist you. I want that this conveyance business be finished up immediately. I am sending also Tamala Krishna and Bhavananda there to help you do the needful. You may inform me by cable if you have got the bank loan or not, or if you require Karandhara to come.

Letter to Karandhara -- Los Angeles 29 September, 1972:

By now I think Syamasundara will have telephoned you with this information and instructions. First, regarding the business in London, it is best if you can finish it up yourself, remaining up to one week if necessary, then be prepared to go to India.

Regarding London affairs, whether George will stand as guarantor on the mortgage, or whether Syamasundara's presence required. If George is agreeable to be the guarantor, that is not a very big thing, only a small favor and he hasn't got to pay anything. We shall pay whatever money we have got and the rest monthly for so many years, the longest period we can get.

Letter to Karandhara -- Los Angeles 29 September, 1972:

I want to sell those bonds, so what is the process? Have you got some broker? I shall require to know his name and address and other details. If you are remaining in London for a few days, we shall contact you further what is the next step.

Letter to Tamala Krsna -- Los Angeles 30 September, 1972:

For renovating we shall spend for all the three or four houses and they will be used for the same purpose, as a Radha-Krsna Temple and for accommodating foreign visitors and devotees. This movement is so great and ISKCON is propagating Krsna Consciousness all over the world, so why not Bharatapur Maharaja donate the building for this great purpose? They have lost their kingdom but still they have these buildings, so if they are given in our hand it will perpetually commemorate their nice gift to the ISKCON institution and thus to the world. We are purchasing a very palatial building in London and the Maharaja will be welcome to stay there as long as he wishes, or in any one of our places, especially in New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, London, Bombay, etc. In this way try to induce him.

Letter to Giriraja -- Los Angeles 4 October, 1972:

Syamasundara is in London now for settling up the London house, and he will fly to Bombay very soon on his way to meet me in Delhi, so why not take his help to finish this business?

Letter to Tamala Krsna -- San Francisco 6 October, 1972:

Syamasundara has gone to London to purchase a very big palatial building about 20 minutes from central London, and George has agreed to loan L200,000. So he is engaged there, otherwise he would have proceeded immediately to India.

Letter to Puri Maharaj -- San Francisco 7 October, 1972:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your kind letter dated September 21, 1972, and I have noted the contents with great encouragement. I am coming to India by the 15th of October and will stay during Urja-vrata at the Radha-Damodara temple in Vrndavan. It will be a pleasure if you will come and stay with us at Vrndavan during the urja-vrata period. So I thank you very much for taking so much trouble. If we get that house we shall celebrate the 100th birth anniversary of His Divine Grace Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Prabhupada a little pompously. In my last letter to you I also requested you to take permanent permission from Visvanath Das, the chief minister, for permission of admission for my devotees in the Jagannath temple. At present I am here in San Francisco and your letter addressed to London is just now received by me.

Letter to Tamala Krsna, Giriraja -- Manila 11 October, 1972:

So you have to act according to this program on the advice of suitable lawyers.

Hoping this meets you in good health.

Your ever well wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

cc. to Sriman Karandhara in London

ACBS/sdb

Letter to Rupanuga -- Vrindaban 24 October, 1972:

I can understand from your letter that you are doing very nicely and everything is going well. But you did not inform me what is the progress on our new building in New York, whether there is any new proposal? You have loaned London the $30,000 for deposit on their new place, and they shall repay you, but if you require some money for deposit on some new place in New York I can immediately help you. Now go on collecting very vigorously and distribute books as many as possible, I think New York is the best field in the world for collecting money, and very soon Krishna will give you suitable place.

Letter to Bhutatma, Kesava -- Vrindaban 2 November, 1972:

Regarding our travelling parties, I have got some complaint from London and other places, so I have given Dhananjaya this policy, that from outside if any one party comes they must work under the direct supervision and instruction of the local management, not that they shall remain separate competitor, no. I want to sell as many books as possible, that is the main thing. By selling books, that is the best preaching work. But so there may not be any complaint, your travelling parties must cooperate with their local temple officers, and that means they shall operate wherever they are allocated, that they shall only sell books, no collecting without selling books, and that, above the wholesale price of the book, any profit there is must be given at least 50% to the local temple.

Letter to Bali-mardana -- Hyderabad 18 November, 1972:

We are not so much after big, big buildings, we are interested to preach only. But if such building will enhance our preaching work and not distract us from the main business, then it is nice. But you must determine if it will be easy task to raise so much money, not that we shall have to labour so much just to get money and after for maintaining, so much so that our spiritual life becomes neglected, no. Real business is to spread the message of Lord Caitanya throughout the world. But if we are able to get the place in downtown centre of New York City, that is the most important location in the world, and from that place we may broadcast Krishna Consciousness all over the world. You are the first-class business brain, so if you can get that place without too much difficulty, that will be a very great asset for preaching. So far the money you have loaned to London, they are trying for some other places, and you are also trying, so whichever of you requires the money first, then you may utilize as necessary by mutual agreement. For the time being you may leave the money in London bank, and if you need, they will send.

Letter to Jagadisa -- Hyderabad 18 November, 1972:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter from Vancouver dated November 2, 1972, and I have noted the contents carefully. Your question about travelling SKP parties in other zones I have answered several times before, so you may see the letters to Dhananjaya in London and others. The thing is, our main business is to distribute books, either here or there it doesn't matter. So if there is transcendental competition for increasing sale of books, that is good. If he buys one book his life may be turned, that is best preaching work. But everything must be done in the spirit of cooperation, without any irritation. If one party wants to travel into another zone, that's all right, but there must be prior agreement between the GBC men and mutual consent. If by going there the book sales will be increased, what is the harm? But supposing if there is any harm, that is to be judged by the local president, and if he has good reason to think that another party will be unfavorable to his temple's operations, then he may order them to leave, that's all. So local temple officers should be the final judge to allow or disallow anyone from outside to sell books there.

Letter to Revatinandana -- Ahmedabad 10 December, 1972:

Now give all the new brahmacaris your best instruction for making spiritual advancement, you are one of my senior disciples, so that much, if you do, that will be the best service.

One thing is, try to give Dhananjaya all encouragement for getting that new place near London with the help of George. I am always thinking of when I shall come to that place to live there, at least in summer months. I am always glad to hear your reports, you may send me from time to time.

Letter to Karandhara, Bali-mardana -- Ahmedabad 14 December, 1972:

One thing is, that you should inform me in detail and send the plans of that place, along with how you shall make all the payments. You may repay me the $80,000 gradually by paying the money to Dai Nippon and shipping books to India, as they require, and they shall pay Rupees there into our M-V Trust Fund Account in Indian Bank. Another thing, Syamasundara is going to London in one or two weeks for some other urgent business, so he shall see what is the position for getting the house there, and if there is no urgent need to use it there at London he may send the money you had sent for down-payment back to New York. If there is any immediate need to utilize the money for the London house, we shall make some suitable adjustment.

Letter to Karandhara -- Bombay 22 December, 1972:

I am in due receipt of your dated December 11, 1972, and I have noted the contents with care. Regarding your proposal to cash my bonds and take that house in New York, I have heard from Bali Mardan that the bid was refused and that he has made another bid, but it will be some time before it is decided. And Dhananjaya has telephoned to Bombay to request for keeping that down payment, because George is very keen to purchase one monastery and there is every chance they will get it before one week. At least let us see. So there is no immediate need to cash my bonds, nor take the money from London. Jayatirtha has informed that Bali Mardan has saved more than $100,000 in few months time only, so New York is very rich place for collecting, so why not he shall collect there for few more months to raise the whole price? Also, that place on 77th Street is not so much important as 5th Avenue and 40th Street. If we are taking such big place for big risk, why not in the important business district?

Letter to Kisora -- Bombay 25 December, 1972:

I am in due receipt of your letter from Edinburgh dated December _ 1972, and I am so much pleased to hear from you again. Actually, I liked that place Scotland very much when I was there last time, and especially I saw that the Scotsmen were very much inclined toward our preaching, but the weather was for me unbearable. But I think by next summer they might have got a nice place in London, and because it is little warmer there, I may go and stay some time in London, and if there is opportunity I shall see Scotland temple also.

Letter to Mukunda -- Bombay 27 December, 1972:

Just like in your country, there was election, and the opponent of Mr. Nixon, he was supported by all high-class men, but because Mr. Nixon had help of the common men he was successful and won the fight. But, if even one such high-class man becomes preacher on our behalf, if he actually becomes converted to Krishna Consciousness preaching work, then that is the best contribution of your preaching also. Just like George, now he is practically converted and he is only preaching about Krishna, and he has done that from the beginning—I think you knew him in London also, so you know how he is helping us push on the preaching—so that type of big personality, if you can catch one or two such men for preaching contribution, oh, that will be wonderful achievement for you. We want that the mass shall support us, but we want that the class shall preach for us, that is the distinction. Is it clear? Please inform me from time to time how that programme, of inducing influential men to preach somehow or other our Krishna philosophy is progressing. I know that you have got good ability to do that work, I remember how you used to bring so many big men to see me in London, at that John Lennon's house.

Letter to Jaggadeva -- Bombay 28 December, 1972:

With reference to a letter to me dated December 6, 1972, wherein Aksojananda Swami has recommended several students for initiation, I have since heard that he has left Amsterdam and he is supposed to be preaching in England, and I have heard that you are now the president of Amsterdam temple so I am informing you that, upon the recommendation of Aksojananda, I am happy to accept the two boys as my duly initiated disciples. Their letter and their beads, duly chanted by me, are enclosed herewith. Please find also three sacred threads enclosed, also chanted by me, along with three copies of gayatri mantra. Now if you have not got experience, then Hansadutta may come there for performing the fire yajna. Or if it is more convenient then someone may come from London, or Aksojananda may come for a few days and hold the fire yajna. Whatever, hold the fire yajna and sacred thread may be given to yourself, Hari Krishna, and Tirthasadhaka. You should be taught to count on the finger divisions and the tape of me reciting gayatri mantra should be played for each into your right ear. The fire yajna can be held for all five devotees.

Letter to Ksirodakasayi -- Bombay 28 December, 1972:

Since long time I have not heard from you, neither you replied my letter to you from Vrindaban last. I enquired from you about one month ago in that letter what is the position with yourself there in London? And I wanted to know where is that Gift Deed for the Saraf land in Raman Reti, whether it is with you. You told Gurudasa that it is in some trunk in Vrindaban, but we have opened and it is not there. So if you have got it, kindly send it to me at once. Now we have made good progress there in the construction work, but I want to keep that deed with me.

I have heard that you are collecting some money for the Vrindaban work, but how you are doing that and where is that money and how much you have collected? What you are doing there in London? You wanted to open one Iskcon branch in your home, but I could not allow it as official branch. But I encouraged you to hold arati, class, and invite your friends, sell our books, like that, not that you should become silent and go away. I wanted that you should attend regularly with your nice family to our Bury Place Temple, preach sometimes there to the guests, and give our young boys your encouragement and experienced advice.

Letter to Cyavana -- Bombay 29 December, 1972:

The moving and preaching work will be your most important business in Africa. There is not much population and the distances are great, so there is, no doubt, great need for several traveling parties to be working simultaneously. But if you keep that place in Nairobi as your base, sending all of the new recruits as you are able to convert them back to the Nairobi temple for getting themselves trained up, what is wrong with that? I think we need at least one big place for training up the new devotees just to the proper highest standard, just as we are doing in Los Angeles, New York, London, and other places. So also in Africa you require one such model center. If you remain only traveling parties, that will be nice for distributing many many books, and for having the sankirtana, but for new devotees that will be too much rigorous and they will not be able to adjust to the constant moving and changing about. That will spoil their chance for developing in their Krsna consciousness from neophyte stage. So keep the Nairobi center always very active, nicely decorated, worship the deities just to the highest standard, making sure that all of the students are rising to attend the mangala aratrika, chanting regularly sixteen rounds, reading books—in this way utilize what Krsna has given us there and develop it for the headquarters building for Africa.

Letter to Pusta Krsna -- Bombay 29 December, 1972:

By next spring or summer I shall be coming to London, so I shall be on that side, so if I get opportunity I shall like to see that place, Switzerland, as I have heard that it is the best place in Europe. Anyway, let us see what Krsna desires.

Letter to Dhananjaya -- Bombay 31 December, 1972:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated 28 December 1972 delivered by Latika from London, and I am very happy to hear of all the good news in English and Scottish temples in general. I have heard also from Revatinandana Svami how the things are going there, and his report is also very much encouraging to me. I am especially glad to note that everyone is feeling so much enthusiasm to work very hard in this preaching mission. That enthusiasm must be maintained under all circumstance. That is our price for entering into Krsna's kingdom. And maya is always trying to take away our enthusiasm to serve Krsna, because without enthusiasm everything else is finished.

Letter to Dhananjaya -- Bombay 31 December, 1972:

So you are the leader of London temple, one of the most important temples in the world, so your responsibility is very very immense. But it is also Krsna's blessing upon you. So try to please Him always by understanding the instructions of Krsna as He is giving in Bhagavad-gita, and by that understanding you will be able to manage everything without any difficulty at all. But I think you must be already very much advanced in your understanding of Krsna consciousness, otherwise how so many nice devotees are coming and how there is always such good report from London temple? And I am especially pleased by the newspaper clipping from Edinburgh, they have given very good write-up, just to the points.

So far painting of the deity, it will not be necessary to bring Muralidhara from New York just for that purpose. We should not be so hasty to make such drastic programs. Radha and Krsna are transcendental to such artistic work, they do not depend upon our painting of them for their beauty. But they should be painted as nicely as possible if there is at present some deterioration of the painting. But I think someone is there, either in London or some other place in Europe, who can do the work perfectly well.

Now our first business in London will be to get that new place. I have been informed from Syamasundara that you are expecting to hear about that Priori at any moment, whether they have accepted our bid or not. But this place or that place, we must get sufficient new place in London to give facility to the preaching work there. I can understand that it is Krsna's desire that we have got that place at Bury Place, it has become world famous due to that location, so try to keep that place also as long as possible. But in order to expand properly all over British Isles we shall require a big big headquarters as you are contemplating. But if there is no solid program for getting the place, simply we are depending upon agents and George to do everything, then we may not be favored by Krsna to get a place very quickly.

Letter to Revatinandana -- Bombay 31 December, 1972:

You are good kirtana man, you can sing and play mrdanga like anything, you are also good cook, you are expert philosopher and preacher, you are in the renounced order of life, having given up all thoughts of wife, family and home, you are determined to assist me by training up so many younger devotees in Krsna consciousness, you have got good ideas how to push on our movement also—in so many ways you are among the best qualified and most appreciated of my disciples. Because you are so much qualified and advanced in Krsna consciousness, therefore Krsna is giving you great strength and pleasure is being derived by you from your working in this way. By this traveling and preaching in the schools, colleges, youth clubs, like that, selling books, this program is very very much appreciated by me, and I think that you are accomplishing more good preaching result than anyone. Yes, let the good men go with you to preach all over England, and the less advanced devotees may stay at the London temple and become trained up to the point of becoming experts and then they also may go out for preaching in traveling party. And I think if you continue as you are doing in this traveling and preaching program in British Isles that very soon the entire population of that place will become our good devotees of Krsna. I am very much pleased upon you for your working and helping me in this way. It is the highest achievement of this human form of activity.