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Misguided (Letters)

Correspondence

1947 to 1965 Correspondence

The difficulty is that misguided people are more interested in the matter of sense gratification than in self-realization which is the ultimate goal of life. We have therefore taken up the difficult job to perform and it is our duty to do it.
Letter to Members -- Bombay:

The difficulty is that misguided people are more interested in the matter of sense gratification than in self-realization which is the ultimate goal of life. We have therefore taken up the difficult job to perform and it is our duty to do it.

We invite you to cooperate with the mission for collective welfare and help in the matter of wider circulation of the spiritual propaganda made by the BACK TO GODHEAD.

This Vedanta Sutra is now mishandled in India by unauthorized persons of different camps and as such the people are being misguided.
Letter to Ved Prakash -- Bombay 7 July, 1958:

This Vedanta Sutra was compiled by Srila Vyasadeva and by the advice of His Spiritual master Srila Narada—Vyasadeva wrote a commentation of the Vedanta Sutra by compiling Srimad-Bhagavatam. So Srimad-Bhagavatam is the last gift of Srila Vyasadeva to represent an authorized commentation of the Vedanta Sutra and Lord Caitanya's mission is to preach this cult in every corner of the world in order to make the people really happy. This Vedanta Sutra is now mishandled in India by unauthorized persons of different camps and as such the people are being misguided. Newly sprung up national enthusiasm of the Indian leaders, Industrialists and plan makers, has no time neither desire to understand the message of Vedanta Sutra or even the Bhagavad-gita. You cannot do acts of humanity without proper guidance. The Vedanta Sutra is the proper guidance because the sastra "Athata Brahmajijnasa" is the beginning of an inquiry in the essence of our different engagements.

We have to learn the lessons of Gita from the authorized disciplic succession as it is advised there in the book (4th Ch.). Unfortunately every one not in that line tries to explain Gita in his own way and this process is misguided the people.
Letter to Dr. Y. G. Naik M.Sc., Ph.D -- Delhi 28 March, 1960:

I am glad to note that you have got the highest estimation for Gita. I am just trying to present the conclusion of Gita to the world as it is and without any imperfect compromise with speculative interpretations. We have to learn the lessons of Gita from the authorized disciplic succession as it is advised there in the book (4th Ch.). Unfortunately every one not in that line tries to explain Gita in his own way and this process is misguided the people. We have to counteract this disruptive tendency and put them at right.

1967 Correspondence

You have done right by removing the pictures which deal in Gopis and Krishna. They are never for public show. They are very confidential and meant for advanced devotees who know Krishna fairly well. The neophytes will be misguided by such pictures. I hope you will understand me right.
Letter to Brahmananda -- San Francisco 14 March, 1967:

I shall be glad to hear from you when you are going to take possession of the house. Inform all friends there that I wish that we may enter the house on or before the 26th March 1967. You have done right by removing the pictures which deal in Gopis and Krishna. They are never for public show. They are very confidential and meant for advanced devotees who know Krishna fairly well. The neophytes will be misguided by such pictures. I hope you will understand me right.

1968 Correspondence

We should always remember that K.C. is a challenge to the modern misguided human society, and we have to meet many unfavorable incidents.
Letter to Gargamuni -- Los Angeles 11 January, 1968:

I am glad to learn that your co-operation for this society is appreciated by the authorities, We should learn to forget and forgive minor incidents because whenever there are two men in a place, there is always some misunderstanding. Such misunderstanding happens even between husband and wife—what to speak of others. But we have to adjust things on the basis of Krishna Consciousness. We should always remember that K.C. is a challenge to the modern misguided human society, and we have to meet many unfavorable incidents.

Your attempt to present a nice article on Krishna Consciousness on the basis of scholastic understanding is very much encouraging to my mission, and I shall be thinking successful in my mission when you present your Krishna Conscious article before the misguided philosophers and religionists of the world.
Letter to Janardana -- Los Angeles 21 January, 1968:

Your attempt to present a nice article on Krishna Consciousness on the basis of scholastic understanding is very much encouraging to my mission, and I shall be thinking successful in my mission when you present your Krishna Conscious article before the misguided philosophers and religionists of the world. Vedanta means ultimate knowledge. Knowledge is never perfect unless one comes to the point of understanding Krishna. To remain in Krishna Consciousness is actual understanding of Vedanta. Anything which is not Krishna Consciousness is polluted profane consciousness. Generally the philosophers are acting on the mental plane. The Bhagavatam clearly confirms it, unless one is not situated in Krishna Consciousness he is sure to fall down to material consciousness because he has no other platform. Just like one man flying in the sky, if he doesn't get any supporting planet, he has to come back again on the planet from which he started. Similarly those who are hovering on the mental plane, they must come back to the material manifestation without being in knowledge of spiritual life.

Please try to deal with him softly because he has got some tendency for spiritual upliftment of his life, but he is misguided or without any knowledge in the line.
Letter to Rupanuga -- Seattle 15 October, 1968:

Regarding Mr. Fugate in Florida: I have read the letter, the copy of which you have sent to me, and I am forwarding it to Nandarani. Because she is also very much surprised at the behavior of Mr. Fugate in connection with Mahapurusa. After all, this class of men, they are falsely puffed up that they know something about mysticism, but actually they want to be flattered by somebody. So they are keeping some spiritual master or instructor, means to keep them as pet dog and cat. I think Mahapurusa may not have spoken anything which is very offensive, but he was so intolerant that he could not give him shelter even for one day. So he was so angry. That is not the sign of a mystic. Anyway, please try to deal with him softly because he has got some tendency for spiritual upliftment of his life, but he is misguided or without any knowledge in the line. Neither he is ready to accept any bona fide instructor, this is his position so far I can understand. There is a proverb in Sanskrit that you speak truth but don't speak unpalatable truth. When you speak the truth it must be very palatable. So this social convention is not applicable to a person who is preaching the Absolute Truth. Absolute Truth is not dependent on material pleasure or unpleasure. I think Mahapurusa's personality did not impress upon him, but so far I know, his behavior could not be anything offensive. So forget the incident, but our mission is to preach Krishna Consciousness, and if possible, try to tackle this gentleman. Because he has got some inclination toward Krishna Consciousness, so let us try, to help him as far as possible. So continue correspondence with him, and let us see how we can deal with him later on.

1969 Correspondence

So Lord Caitanya introduced this fighting principle of Sankirtana Movement to reclaim all the fallen souls, who consist of so-called philosophers, half-educated scientists, misguided educationists and a miscreant society.
Letter to Robert Hendry -- Los Angeles 3 August, 1969:

We cannot understand the position of Godhead by our mental speculation because God is beyond our mental, bodily and speaking capacity. But when we are sincere in service mood, just like Arjuna, who surrendered himself to Krishna, then we are able to understand who Krishna is. Arjuna understood Krishna after hearing the Bhagavad-gita submissively that Krishna is the Supreme Absolute Truth, the Source of everything, the Supreme Purity and the Supreme Person. He also confirmed that Krishna is accepted as such not only by him, but also by other great authorities; such as Vyasadeva and Narada, who propagated the philosophy of Vedanta and Srimad-Bhagavatam all over the universe.

Therefore, Krishna Consciousness is also a sort of fight; but not with rifles. Our weapon is karatalas. In this age there is no need of fighting with rifles because the population is so poor that they are already killed by so many disturbances. They are short lived, poor in knowledge, slack in advancement of spiritual life, unfortunate, and embarrassed by so many miserable conditions of life; like war, famine pestilence, poverty and so on. So to kill these persons by rifle is like bringing a cannon for killing a mosquito. So Lord Caitanya introduced this fighting principle of Sankirtana Movement to reclaim all the fallen souls, who consist of so-called philosophers, half-educated scientists, misguided educationists and a miscreant society. If you can consolidate a party of soldiers as described by you, chanting Hare Krishna Mantra and claiming everyone of them to Krishna Consciousness, that will be a glorious task, and you have all of my good wishes for you for this purpose.

1970 Correspondence

No other religious institution are so much serious about God consciousness as we are. So you must train your contemporaries in such spirit of alertness, then we shall be able to open hundreds of centers, and the people in general shall be saved from being misguided.
Letter to Harer Nama -- Los Angeles 15 January, 1970:

We require hundreds of bona fide students in Krishna Consciousness. The world is in need of this function. People are going to hell for want of proper guidance. No other religious institution are so much serious about God consciousness as we are. So you must train your contemporaries in such spirit of alertness, then we shall be able to open hundreds of centers, and the people in general shall be saved from being misguided.

Regarding your second question how to convince the young persons who are thinking that Meher Baba is an avatara. It is very difficult to deal with these misguided people.
Letter to Janmanjaya, Taradevi -- Los Angeles 9 July, 1970:

Regarding your second question how to convince the young persons who are thinking that Meher Baba is an avatara. it is very difficult to deal with these misguided people. If you meet sincere people you may inform them that we are concerned with Krsna Who is historically 5,000 years old. So any other party who comes from India or any part of the world cannot claim such long history as far back as 5,000 years. There are sometimes manufactured avatara. in the history of the Vedic literature, but we don't accept them. We take the oldest one which is genuine—that is Krsna consciousness. We are not interested in anything newly manufactured. If Meher Baba or for the sake of that, any other Baba claims to be Krsna, so why any intelligent man will go to the substitute leaving aside the original?

With our own place we can dispense these to the young boys and they will be easily cured. They have already shown their willingness to cooperate when I was in Calcutta last and I am sure of this plan to curb their misguided and frustrated activities.
Letter to Jayapataka -- Surat 17 December, 1970:

You go ahead and arrange the meeting with Birlas and Bangurs and there will certainly be no difficulty for raising the required funds for our Calcutta project. If we have got our place and the support of these big men, I am sure that I can cut down this Naxalite movement. I know how to do it. We have diagnosed the disease and the medicine is Hari Sankirtana and the diet is Krsna Prasadam. With our own place we can dispense these to the young boys and they will be easily cured. They have already shown their willingness to cooperate when I was in Calcutta last and I am sure of this plan to curb their misguided and frustrated activities.

1971 Correspondence

We want to influence these misguided college students so that they might take to this Krishna Consciousness Movement very seriously.
Letter to Tulsi -- Bombay 24 February, 1971:

Presently we are in Gorakhpur, one of the important cities in Northern India, and we are guests of the Gita Press authorities. Here we are negotiating for a plot of land on the University of Gorakhpur campus for establishing a center. If we are successful in our attempt, it will be unique in all the world and soon more and more college campuses will follow. We want to influence these misguided college students so that they might take to this Krishna Consciousness Movement very seriously. And if we can establish a seat of Krishna Consciousness these students may take their doctorate degree in Krishna Consciousness and go out and preach all over the world. From here I shall be going to Mayapur and then to Bombay, and should be returning to U.S.A. by the first week of April. Please offer my blessings to Sandy, Pat, Bill and Jeff Prabhus, and all the others there. Hoping this will meet you in good health.

Our process of helping the misguided youth should remain the same. Namely, they should join the different services in the temple; chanting, dancing in ecstasy with Hare Krishna Mantra. They must be cleanly shaved, with tilak, have saffron robes, take prasadam, attend classes, chant 16 rounds of beads daily, etc.
Letter to Bhagavan -- Bombay 24 March, 1971:

Regarding the drug-addicted young boys and girls in your country, we can give them the best service as it is already evident from our practical movement. Most of my students were drug addicted formerly and now having taken to Krsna Consciousness, they have given up everything and rapidly progressed toward spiritual realization. There is a Vedic injunction that one has to realize Krishna nicely and then he becomes perfectly wise. Here is a good opportunity to get cooperation from the government in the matter of our Hare Krishna Movement. Our process of helping the misguided youth should remain the same. Namely, they should join the different services in the temple; chanting, dancing in ecstasy with Hare Krishna Mantra. They must be cleanly shaved, with tilak, have saffron robes, take prasadam, attend classes, chant 16 rounds of beads daily, etc. We are sure anyone who joins us will be free of all material disease including craziness and madness.

Actually these college students have all been misguided. Without Krishna Consciousness, all their book learning amounts to zero.
Letter to Vamanadeva -- Bombay 25 March, 1971:

I am so glad to hear your program is steadily expanding in St. Louis and how you are regularly making university engagements and are being so well received. Actually these college students have all been misguided. Without Krishna Consciousness, all their book learning amounts to zero. Simply if they will add Krishna Consciousness to their curriculum all their endeavors will know perfection. So it is so important that we distribute our books, especially in the schools and colleges, because anyone who reads them is sure to become Krishna Conscious. So make your program in that way and Krishna will surely help you.

1972 Correspondence

This college program is very good, and you should continue in this way, giving all these student an opportunity to learn this Krishna consciousness philosophy and culture. They are all seeking after some knowledge, but they are being misguided by their blind leaders.
Letter to Bibhu -- Sydney 8 April, 1972:

I am so glad to know that your temple is growing and you are expanding your programs. If we simply remain very sincere, then Krishna will give us all facility for serving Him nicely. This college program is very good, and you should continue in this way, giving all these student an opportunity to learn this Krishna consciousness philosophy and culture. They are all seeking after some knowledge, but they are being misguided by their blind leaders. It is our duty to give them real knowledge and understanding of the purpose of life.

Sometime ago you asked my permission for accepting some disciples, now the time is approaching very soon when you will have many disciples by your strong preaching work. Stick to the line of our strong preaching method and many misguided persons will be blessed by your proper guiding.
Letter to Acyutananda -- Honolulu 16 May, 1972:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated May 9, 1972, and you have done very nicely in the meeting at Navadvipa. You have done right, that is the proper spirit. Sometime ago you asked my permission for accepting some disciples, now the time is approaching very soon when you will have many disciples by your strong preaching work. Stick to the line of our strong preaching method and many misguided persons will be blessed by your proper guiding.

So, the quality of the elderly members must be also very much to the standard of excellent Vaisnavas; otherwise, the children learn by example and they will very easily be misguided if their senior god-brothers and god-sisters are themselves neglectful.
Letter to Satsvarupa -- Los Angeles 1 July, 1972:

Similarly I have received such nice letters from Rupanuga and Hrdayananda, and I am very much satisfied that you are all feeling the serious nature of this Sannyasi mission. So far you are concerned, I am especially stressing the importance of our Dallas Gurukula for training up the next generation of Krishna Consciousness preachers. This is the most important task ahead. I am seeing practically how wonderful the children are coming out. Therefore, we shall be very, very vigilant and careful to maintain the highest standard of temple atmosphere and conduct in Dallas. You may install Radha-Krishna Deities and worship Them very, very gorgeously. Simply by associating with the elderly members, the children will learn everything. So, the quality of the elderly members must be also very much to the standard of excellent Vaisnavas; otherwise, the children learn by example and they will very easily be misguided if their senior god-brothers and god-sisters are themselves neglectful. I shall certainly come there to Dallas to see how things are going on as soon as there is opportunity. We must develop our Krishna Consciousness school at Dallas to be the model for education in all the world, and let anyone see our Krishna Consciousness children and they will immediately understand the importance and necessity for such education amongst the citizens at large.

I observed that Mohananandan is very, very good boy and he has great intelligence and talent, simply it has become little bit misguided due to circumstances.
Letter to Madhudvisa, Amogha -- Los Angeles 24 August, 1972:

I have received your letters dated August 13 and August 15 respectively and have noted the contents with some dismay. I do not like to hear these things, but whatever is done, is done. What you have is all right, now go on preaching as you are doing. So far the presidents are concerned, they should not be abruptly changed in future. If there is any complaint they should be first of all informed to me. One thing we should always remember is that all of our devotees picked up here are accustomed to all of these bad habits in their past life, so if sometimes they reveal their old characteristics, instead of rejecting them, it is up to us to rectify them as far as possible. So try to reform Mohananandan there. What he will do by coming here? Amogha has indicated he has already shaved his sikha and has left everything. do you think U.S.A. is a magic place, simply by coming here he will become reformed? If possible you can send to the U.S.A., but it is better to correct him to the standard point by friendly gestures. We can reject anyone, that is very easy, but to reform him that requires great skill and tact and if you can reform him there by kind words and dealings, that is best. When I was there in Sydney, I observed that Mohananandan is very, very good boy and he has great intelligence and talent, simply it has become little bit misguided due to circumstances. Now you both big leaders in Australia, along with the others, you make a very concerted attempt to help Mohananandan over his difficulties and persuade him that everything is all right; that I am not angry or displeased in any way. These things will sometimes happen even with the best devotees, and in this way try and persuade him to become engaged with his previous enthusiasm for becoming once again a great devotee.

Only the demons and blind leaders are misguiding the whole population in the name of politicians, leaders, swamis, yogis, philanthropists, and making the whole world entangled more and more in problems.
Letter to Kirtanananda -- San Francisco 7 October, 1972:

Actually there is no problem, even in the material condition of life. Krsna has provided everything sufficiently and there is no question of scarcity or poverty. Only the demons and blind leaders are misguiding the whole population in the name of politicians, leaders, swamis, yogis, philanthropists, and making the whole world entangled more and more in problems. Our proposition is preaching the gospel of Krsna and request everyone to accept the truth that Krsna is the Supreme Master and everyone should surrender unto Him. Then there is no problem.

1974 Correspondence

There are so many rascal leaders in politics, social life, cultural, philosophy, religion, etc. They are all misguided.
Letter to Dr. Ghosh:

The whole world is Krsna's property. The material world is a field of activities for the corrupt conditioned souls who desire to enjoy in imitation of the Supreme. For them, Krsna gives facilities for material enjoyment, but He wants the conditioned souls—after finishing their material enjoyment—to come back to Him with bitter experience of material existence.

Therefore in the Bhagavad-gita there is the essence of Vedic instructions. The plan is that the conditioned soul may fulfill his desire for material enjoyment and at the same time be trained up in spiritual identity to come back to Godhead, back to home. As such, Bhagavad-gita contains the solution of all problems of the material world. Unfortunately, foolish people described as duskrtina, do not want to take instruction from the Lord, although it is completely perfect—but they select their own concocted leaders who are themselves blind, and therefore the world is in chaotic condition on account of rascal leaders in all fields. There are so many rascal leaders in politics, social life, cultural, philosophy, religion, etc. They are all misguided. Bhagavad-gita, therefore is the only light from which we can take direction for all our civic activities. Our Krsna Consciousness Movement was started only for this purpose.

1975 Correspondence

So for our guidance Krsna has spoken everything in Bhagavad-gita. Unfortunately so-called scholars and saintly persons have misguided the people by making different interpretations of the divine instruction unnecessarily.
Letter to Sri V. S. Murthy -- Bombay 14 November, 1975:

So for our guidance Krsna has spoken everything in Bhagavad-gita. Unfortunately so-called scholars and saintly persons have misguided the people by making different interpretations of the divine instruction unnecessarily. That is the cause of the ruination of our culture in India.

Now knowing the aim of human life, one is constantly being misguided. The aim of life is Visnu, or Krishna.
Letter to W.J. Carpenter -- New Delhi 30 November, 1975:

Material life means attachment for women, children, friends, countrymen, position, wealth, and good name. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam material existence is compare to a forest full of plunderers, dacoits, jackals, tigers and other ferocious animals. The jackals are compare to one's wife and children. In the dead of the night jackals cry very loudly, and similarly one's wife and children in this material world also cry like jackals. The children say, "Father is wanted: give me this, I am your dear son." Or the wife says, "I am your dear wife. Please give me this. This is now needed." In this way one is plundered by the thieves in the forest. Now knowing the aim of human life, one is constantly being misguided. The aim of life is Visnu, or Krishna (Na te vidhu svartha-gatim hi visnum) Everyone works very hard to earn money, but no one knows that his real work is to serve Krishna, the supreme Personality of Godhead. Instead of spending money to advance the cause of Krishna consciousness, one spends his hard earned money on clubs, brothels, liquor, drugs cigarettes, slaughterhouses and so forth. All these activities are sinful, and because we are engaged in such sinful activities constantly we are constantly reaping the result of our sinful work, which is suffering in one way or another.

1976 Correspondence

Concerning your questions: Yes, it will help to read Bhagavad-gita but to have to hear from the realized person. Without the help of guru, if you read independently, you may be misguided.
Letter to Punjabi Premanand -- Bombay 16 April, 1976:

Concerning your questions: Yes, it will help to read Bhagavad-gita but to have to hear from the realized person. Without the help of guru, if you read independently, you may be misguided. Therefore, so many politicians, scholars, etc. not being guided by the parampara system, have simply misled the public. The Bhagavad-gita is the standard book of knowledge in India and many eminent persons like Gandhi, Aurobindo, Dr. RadhaKrishnan, etc. they tried to understand the Bhagavad-gita, but could not do it. They were themselves misled and on account of their big position they misled so many followers. Our system, the Vedic system, is to approach the right person and hear from him exactly as Arjuna listened from Krishna. Mental speculation will not help. Hearing is the main point. In the Bhagavad-gita, it is written, dharmaksetre kuruksetre . . . when you hear from a realized soul, a person who knows things, he'll explain that Kuruksetra is a place where religious ritualistic ceremonies are performed from time immemorial, from the time before the Battle of Kuruksetra. But, if you read the books of some cunning politician, he'll mislead you and you'll learn that Kuruksetra means this body which is not actually the fact. That is the difference, hearing from devotees, the sound vibration coming from the realized person. Reading the book is the same thing . . . tattva-darsana—hearing from one who has seen the truth. Reading or hearing from the realized person there is no difference, but hearing the sound vibration from the realized soul is still more effective, better.

Yes, there is no harm if you have to do some research. Krsna will supply the materials. You may write slowly, but give something full of meaning and instruction for the misguided people of this age.
Letter to Satsvarupa -- Krishna Balaram Mandir October 22, 1976:

It will be a great achievement if you can write this book on the theme, "anything undertaken without Krsna fails." Here in India we have just seen how they have made a big, big plan for the city of Chandigargh. So much land is lying vacant, and in the meantime people are going hungry. Because they are not Krsna conscious, they do not know how to utilize anything properly. They are simply thinking of satisfying their own senses. So many big, big plans, but the result is that people are unhappy. Napoleon and Hitler made big, big plans, where are they now? All failures. Churchill wanted to keep India under control. Gandhi wanted to drive away the Englishmen. Now, the Englishmen are driven away and things are going on by the laws of nature. Churchill and others have remained in comatose condition before dying due to excessive attachment to their plans. All failures.

Yes, there is no harm if you have to do some research. Krsna will supply the materials. You may write slowly, but give something full of meaning and instruction for the misguided people of this age.

Page Title:Misguided (Letters)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, MadhuGopaldas
Created:24 of Nov, 2008
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=0, Let=24
No. of Quotes:24