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Not more than... (Letters)

Correspondence

1947 to 1965 Correspondence

Letter to Scindia Steam Navigation Company Ltd -- Delhi 31 March, 1961:

It would be a great favor if necessary passport and a visa to visit Japan are passed to him to make his arrival in Japan before the 10th May 1961.

sd/-Toshihiro Nakano

General Secretary

International Foundation for Cultural Harmony

N.B. Japan is far nearer than U.S.A. and therefore your sacrifice for travel to Japan even in full concession will be not more than 50% concession to U.S.A. I hope therefore you will agree to this international cultural harmony and let me know your affirmation per return of post.

1967 Correspondence

Letter to 'Children' at New York -- Vrindaban 26 July, 1967:

We had a very nice plane ride here to New Delhi, although it took somewhat longer than we had anticipated. We arrived in London on schedule Sunday morning, and Kirtanananda gave me a massage, and then I took shower bath and rested until afternoon. We boarded the plane for Moscow and no more than we got in our seats, when it was announced that due "to health regulation" there would be a short delay—the delay, however, turned out to be some 16 hours. It seem that someone on the plane when it came into London had smallpox, so the plane was quarantined until it could be thoroughly fumigated. So they put us up for the night in the "Excelsior" Hotel, which was something like a dream palace, complete with air conditioning, TV, Hi-Fi, swimming pool and everything else. We had a nice meal and slept very nicely. We boarded the plane for the second time the next morning at nine a.m. and took off for Moscow shortly thereafter, and arrived at that bastion of propaganda about three hours later. We had an hour stop there, so we got off the plane just to take a walk. We were met by a "friendly guard" and informed that they would keep our passport until we returned to the plane, and then "guided" down the corridor to the terminal. Unlike London or New York, there was no hustle or bustle at the terminal, nor were there many people—and it was very quiet! The only remarkable features were the propaganada pictures and the many racks of free books and literatures. We were glad to get back on the plane and start for Delhi. The flight from Moscow to Delhi took about 8 hours, and when we arrived it was about midnight local time, and when we stepped out of the plane I KNEW IT WAS INDIA!

1968 Correspondence

Letter to Balai -- Los Angeles 25 January, 1968:

Thank you for your letter of Jan. 8, 1968, and I have noted the contents carefully. Regarding your questions: Yes, leave Krishna's plate for 15-20 minutes or more, not more than half an hour. After offering the plate, the balance in the pots should be distributed immediately. The plate can remain on the altar while the rest is being distributed.

Any initiated girl can take part in preparation of prasadam, and even a boy who is not initiated cannot take part.

Maya and living entities are different energies of Krishna and all of them are eternal. Maya is acting under the direction of Krishna but her task is to punish the revolted living entities; therefore, she has to business in the spiritual platform. Maya cannot go to Krishna means that Maya's influence cannot be active in the presence of Krishna. The example of darkness can be given herein. The darkness has no existence in the presence of sunlight, similarly Maya cannot exist in the presence of Krishna. As darkness and light exist eternally, similarly, Maya and Krishna exist eternally, but Maya has no existence in the presence of Krishna. Try to understand this simile.

Letter to Jadurani -- San Francisco 8 April, 1968:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated April 2, 1968, and I thank you very much for it. So far the 9 blocks are concerned, I do not mind a long walk, if it is flat land and not hills. Here I am walking at least 2 miles daily voluntarily, so if the house is nice, you can keep it. If a car is available, from New York, then that will be very nice, otherwise, I can walk. So far as devotees are concerned, if there is only one toilet room, then not more than 2 devotees can remain with me. I must have a separate silent place; if there was no noise, all the six rooms could be filled up with devotees. For my personal service I require only one. So you can make arrangements in that way.

Whenever there is need of my lecture, I am always prepared to serve; it doesn't matter whether big or small. Probably as you are making fine arrangements, many will come to the Temple to hear me, so in that case, I must come. Best thing will be to see people in the class, not in my private apartment. Lecturing or meeting must be done in the classroom, that's all.

If the two girls, Ekayani and Sudarsana, want to be engaged in drawing for helping BTG, let them do so. The simple thing is they must be engaged in this artistic work. It is very nice that they want to occupy in every spare moment with their artwork, it is very laudable, and it means they are anxious to serve. So I am also awaiting to see them very eagerly, and see how nice they are.

Letter to Kirtanananda -- Montreal 30 June, 1968:

Hayagriva has not yet replied my letter. Please ask him to write. He has many things to do in the library cases and I want his assistance greatly in this matter. I am planning to go to London in August. Srimati Annapurna's father. Mr. Louis Weble is trying to get a good house for us. I wish to go there with a party of not less than 6 and not more than 12 heads. I wish to establish a center there which is my long cherished ambition.

Letter to Satsvarupa -- Montreal 3 July, 1968:

If Jadurani wants to paint the picture of Bali Maharaja, it should be like this: 1) The hall must be very nicely decorated, & princely hall, 2) in one side of the hall, the royal throne should be presented as vacant, and 3) Bali Maharaja should pose himself bowing down before Lord Vamanadeva, and Vamanadeva should be painted with one leg on the earth; and one leg high in the sky; and one leg coming out of his navel, and put on the head of Bali Maharaja. This means the charity of one's possessions is not full for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but when one's personal body and head is given to the service of the Lord, then one becomes perfect in offering everything to the Lord. This is called complete surrender of everything that a devotee may possess.

Bali Maharaja may be shown as not more than 40 years old, very nice looking king, well dressed like the royal order, and with mustache and no beard. Sukaracharya should be wearing a Saivite tilaka, and also Maharaja Bali can have a Saivite tilaka, until after he meets with Vamanadeva, and then you can change Bali Maharaja's tilaka into a Vaisnava one.

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Jayagovinda -- Hawaii 30 March, 1969:

Your sympathetic expression about my magnitude of work with which I am pressed here is undoubtedly very much encouraging to me, and certainly I am pressed with heavy work. I am receiving letters about 12 daily, from different centers with different problems and then at the same time I am just trying to write my books, Srimad-Bhagavatam, Nectar of Devotion, and Krishna, and lately Vedanta Sutra. So certainly this is heavy task but by the Grace of Krishna, it does not depress me. I feel encouraged to act so busily day and night. But the body sometimes does not allow me to do so. So I have to sleep about 4 to 5 hours. But in comparison to our predecessors, the Goswamis, this engagement in insignificant. These Goswamis used to work almost 24 hours. They used to sleep not more than 2 hours, and they produced immense literature. Of course, it is not possible to be in their level of activities, but as far as possible, we should everyone of us try to work as hard as possible for Krishna's satisfaction. This material body can be adjusted with practice. If we adjust these bodily activities towards Krishna's side, then the labor is fruitful, but if we adjust towards maya's side, then the labor is useless. A little labor done for Krishna is never lost. But the greatest labor done for Maya is simply waste of time. So I think by the Grace of Krishna you are feeling nice now. Please try to work hard for Krishna, and your life will be glorious. By Krishna's Grace and by His desire, you are destined to go to Germany to take up the work of BTG in German.

1970 Correspondence

Letter to Mukunda -- Los Angeles 24 March, 1970:

I have received word that English citizens can fly to Australia as immigrants, and the cost is only $20 per person. So under the circumstances, you can send some Brahmacaris to help out our new center in Sydney. This will be best because the British government will bear the expense of their transportation. Also you can help them out by sending them the papers of ISKCON, Ltd. from London, so they can immediately incorporate as a Commonwealth branch. The Sydney address is as follows: ISKCON Temple, 26 Horderns Place, Potts Point, N.S.W. 2011.

Regarding the manjiras, I am surprised that the custom duty is cent percent. I do not know what does it mean. The whole consignment is worth L50, and they want to impose the similar amount as custom duty. In India, although our country is advertised to be very poor, the custom duty is not more than 30% on such articles. I think there is some misinformation about this consignment. Please inquire scrutinizingly.

Letter to Hamsaduta -- Los Angeles 18 April, 1970:

Regarding Krishna das's marriage with Heidi, it cannot take place. From hygienic point of view, the boy should be at least five years older than the girl. If the boy is weaker, then the progeny will be weaker sex or females and the man will get still weaker. So Krishna das may not be married immediately because he is too young and he can wait even up to five years and become a strong brahmacari. But if a suitable girl is there, not more than 15 to 16 years old or utmost 17 years, he can be married to her. I think he should wait for his marriage.

In the meantime, find out some other boy for Heidi, she should be married immediately. I am glad that she is a good translator, and let her be blessed by translating our literatures.

I have received the letters of Neal, Heidi, and Stephanie, and their beads have arrived today. I have duly chanted their beads and will return them by separate post. At the time of initiation, it is incumbent that the disciple should collect some alms and offer it to the Spiritual Master.

Letter to Rupanuga -- Los Angeles 27 April, 1970:

So the time has come as per my dream, by the grace of Krsna you are carrying on this program. Please therefore organize this moving Sankirtana Party as you are already doing from one school or college to another. If we can rightly impress the Krsna Consciousness idea in some intelligent student's heart, it will be of great service. Perhaps sometime after, I will request you and Kirtanananda to go to India and execute this program in the student community there.

I am negotiating with a gentleman in India to get the management of a very old Radha Krsna Temple, and if this negotiation is successful, we will organize a very nice preaching center in the center of India. From this part, any side extreme boundary is not more than 1000 miles. I think that will be a very nice preaching center. So try to recruit more members for our Society because we have to open many centers, and from each center we shall organize this moving Sankirtana Party. That will be nice program for executing the will of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

1971 Correspondence

Letter to Gopala Krsna -- Allahabad 21 January, 1971:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated 31st December, 1970. Also I very much appreciate the new edition of French Back To Godhead enclosed, printed by our ISKCON Press. Overall the magazine was very nicely produced and I am pleased.

Some improvements in the format of the magazine can be made though. For our English edition I have instructed Satsvarupa that there should only be one article by myself no more than four pages in length and that the remainder of the magazine should be made up of articles by our students. Also, so far as the order of presentation, first my Guru Maharaja or senior acaryas, then myself, then our sannyasis, and then other students. In this way you can present our French BTG and that will be very nice.

I am very glad to learn that you are trying to distribute our books. Please continue with this program as it is so very important. Especially try to place our books in the schools and libraries. Our literatures are for the intelligent class also.

I have also received from you one very interesting article interviewing one Dr. Wilfred G. Bigelow, a heart surgeon at Toronto General Hospital. I have commented on his points in one letter, a copy of which is enclosed herewith. Perhaps you could encourage the doctor by presenting our literatures to him and inviting him to our temple there.

Letter to Bhagavan -- Bombay 11 April, 1971:

So we must take advantage. The natural propensity of a human being is that he wants to give, he wants to love, he wants to take, but these propensities are simply misdirected because of no Krishna Consciousness.

Your program of door to door Sankirtana is very encouraging. The more men understand the importance of our movement, the more they will invite us to their homes and clubs, because Krishna Consciousness is the life-giving ambrosia. So increase this program more and more and we shall be able to distribute all our books, which is even more important than membership. Of course, if we can do both at the same time, that is best. Life members can pay four installments. The period during installments may be increased even as much as six months; that doesn't matter. But there should be no more than four installments that would decrease amount of payment.

Yes, the gayatri mantra initiations may be performed by you. Hold a fire ceremony and give the sacred thread on my behalf. I am enclosing herewith one thread, duly chanted on by me, along with a copy of gayatri mantra for Sri Govinda Das and mantra for his wife Srilekha Devi also. To each you should recite the mantra individually and they will repeat and then the thread should be offered to Sri Govinda Das. The tape recording is not required.

Letter to Madhudvisa -- Los Angeles 29 June, 1971:

She is very much impressed with the basic principle of our Back to Godhead movement. In this way we are getting support gradually in the U.S.A. Maybe our movement will be supported in the future by the United Nations. So we Krishna Consciousness people have accepted a very important and responsible task in the whole world, therefore, our principal work also must be very responsible.

I am very much anxious to know what is happening about the houses. To tell you the truth, I am willing to purchase the Little Gibb's road house of Mr. Vakil. The terms offered lately are as follows: 1) $80,000 American by three yearly installments; first (down payment) at $25,000; $25,000. and $30,000 respectively. The total price should be not more than 16 lacs. Out of this, 10 lacs plus 40,000 will cover the payment in dollar money. The balance 5 lacs plus 50,000 would be paid as follows: Down payment of 1 lac, 60,000 or 70,000 and the balance money at Rs 10,000/- per month. The tenant on the upper story will be Mr. Vakils responsibility. The procedure should be like this: As soon as the sales agreement is done, we pay the down payment of 1 lac, 60 or 70,000 and he gives us possession of the ground floor. Immediately after taking possession of the ground floor, we pay a check of $25,000. for immediate encashment. Then he clears out the upper story tenant and we go on paying him Rs 10,000 per month, and dollars payment as arranged. So if possible, do the needful with the help of Mr. Chabria and try to secure that house and reply this letter to our London address.

Letter to Jayapataka -- London 24 August, 1971:

Now who will be responsible to account for this Rs 23,000/-? Please let me know.

And who has been appointed treasurer and secretary? The president, secretary and treasurer elected by the members of the center cannot be changed at least for one year; better to continue it for three years. All combined together should be responsible for keeping correct accounts. Giriraja is reponsible and he should be made the treasurer. You should remain as president and Acyutananda Swami as secretary. So make arrangements in that way.

Yes, we are prepared to purchase the land at a rate of not more than Rs 1500/- per bigha. They are under the impression that Americans will purchase at any price so don't be taken in. We can purchase any neighboring land at the above price. You can negotiate and consult with D.C. Sarkar in this connection.

1972 Correspondence

Letter to Giriraja -- Tokyo 2 May, 1972:

So let him do gardening work and if Bhavananda needs his help to build Rathayatra car he can go to Calcutta for some time to work there. I have not got any plans from Saurabha, though I requested him many times, only I have got two sketches from the architects in Cyavana's letters Saurabha was going to sketch the interior of Govindaji's temple and make plans for Vrindaban also, but he has not sent, so I do not think he is yet very reliable.

I am very much pleased about the children's classes. These are very, very important program, so let it go on nicely, even if Madhudvisa leaves there. I have heard that some men have come from USA, so if Gurudasa needs some help, some can go there to help him. Also, Gargamuni wants to form a travelling party for raising funds, so some men can be given him, not more than four.

You may offer my thanks to Sumati Morarji for giving us some sofas and chairs. So far books are concerned, don't reduce the price on hardback Krishna Book unless there is vast increase in sales by making cheaper. But I do not think that if you reduce the price for Krishna Book hardbound that more people will buy it. You can send report if making cheaper has sold many more books. But if someone wants Krishna Book cheap, they can purchase our paperback edition which has been sent to India from Japan recently. Mr. Deewanji has done very nice service for Krishna, please offer him my heartfelt thanks. Always consult with him on these matters before doing anything. You can form the Hare Krishna Cooperative so we shall avoid the stamp tax, that's all right. So far CCP permission is concerned you should be more in correspondence with Gurudasa in this matter, as I have sent him all the details and he has assured me that getting the license will not be at all difficult from Delhi.

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

You state in your letter that everything is going on nicely there in Bombay, and I suppose that in general things are all right, but this todays news disturbs me and so I have ordered that Gargamuni shall immediately leave Bombay for his Gujarat tour and that Nara Narayana be given full assistance for extending the garden to all vacant areas of our property. Kindly assist me for seeing that these plans are carried out immediately and that our main task, namely, the construction work, shall not be neglected. This is very important matter.

You say that the Clairidge Press owned by Susheel Somani has offered to print our Gujarati magazine free of charge, and then you say that the cost will be not more than Rupees 3,000/-. How it is costing so much when the work is being done without any charge?

Letter to Susan Beckman -- Los Angeles 29 September, 1972:

You are married and your husband is striving to become a devotee of Krsna, so you become his devotee, that is the position of husband and wife, that the husband will become a great devotee of Krsna by his wife's assistance, and the wife will take benefit and advance in spiritual life by serving her husband. You are anxious about the rules and regulations, but without rules and regulations there is more frustration. So it may be a little difficult at first, but if you are sincere to achieve the highest result of your lifetime, then you can be assured that by your efforts in Krsna Consciousness that you will very quickly become happy more and more. The difficulties of this material world will shrink to no more than the size of a hoofprint left by the calf. Actually there is no difference between devotees living inside the temple and devotees living outside the temple. You are right that the important thing is to remember Krsna, whatever is your activity. So try to remember Krsna always by following the principles as you know them, namely, rising early, taking bath, cleansing, attending aratrika, reading scriptures at least one hour or two hours daily, chanting sixteen rounds on beads of Hare Krsna mantra, going for street sankirtana, offering all your foodstuffs to Krsna, like that. In this way very quickly you will make progress in Krsna Consciousness and become very very happy in your life.

Letter to Karandhara -- Bombay 22 December, 1972:

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?

Now my plan for books in India is this: We shall pay MacMillan for 20,000 copies of Bhagavad-Gita at $1.25 each. Price may be settled as it is required, but not more than $30,000. I shall pay for 5,000 copies from my bonds, you pay for the balance 15,000 copies from Book Fund there. 5,000 Gitas may be sent immediately to India, the balance you distribute other places. In India we want to order a variety of books. So you may immediately order from Dai Nippon 5,000 copies each of KRSNA (Vol. II) (Hard-bound), TLC (soft-bound), NOD (soft-bound), KRSNA TRILOGY (soft-bound), Srimad-Bhagavatam (5,000 of each volume), plus you may send to India 10,000 each of each of the small books, like Easy Journey, Topmost Yoga, Beyond Birth and Death, Isopanisad, like that. So these books should be given at cost-price only, not wholesale price, and you may cash some of my bonds to pay the total cost-price of the above books to Dai Nippon and ISKCON Press. They shall pay me back here into one M-V Trust Fund Account at the rate of ten rupees per dollar, plus they shall give me some profit. So you may inform me what is the cost per book for each of the above, and the total cost you are having to deduct from my bonds. All books should be sent to India as quickly as possible.

1974 Correspondence

Letter to Bhagavan -- Bombay 6 April, 1974:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter of 30/3/74 along with the French edition of Back to Godhead which is certainly a great pleasure for me. I can see by this publication and by your report that things are going on nicely in Europe. All your programs are approved by me; simply if you keep on with it, slowly but surely we will become very solidly situated there with many devotees and books and temples. Krsna simply wants to see our desire.

I will be glad to come to Paris on your invitation for the second week of May. I will also be able to visit Geneva, Sweden and Rome if you will arrange programs for me. As you know, I must return to India for the Janmastami celebration in August. So if I fly from India to Paris and arrive the second week of May, then I may stay no more than 4 or 5 days each in Paris, Geneva, Stockholm and Rome, and then go to Germany and stop at three or four centers there also. Then in late June I may go to Australia. Satsvarupa can write you further concerning the fixing up of visas, arrival dates etc.

Letter to Madhudvisa -- Bombay 6 April, 1974:

I am not exactly certain of your whereabouts now; I trust your arrangements for visa are going on and that you will soon be back in Australia.

I am presently fixing a traveling schedule for visiting Paris, France in the second week of May. Then I will visit, Geneva, Rome, Stockholm, and three or four cities in Germany, each place for no more than four or five days. So since I will not have to return to India until August, after Europe I can go to Australia for your Rathayatra if you can purchase our tickets. You can reply to me here in Bombay until the second week of May, when we shall go to Paris.

Letter to Giriraja -- Mayapur 19 October, 1974:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated October 14, 1974 and have noted the contents. Regarding the tax commission case, we are receiving approximately Rs. 18,000/per annum including the tax payments, which means at 10% interest the value is Rs. 1,80,000/-. So we have paid Rs. 14,50,000/-; less Rs. 1,80,000/is Rs. 12,70,000/-. So we have paid Rs. 12,70,000/- for 6,000 sq. yards; which means we have paid approximately Rs. 200/- per sq. yard. At that time the rate was not more than Rs. 150/- per sq. yard; so we have paid more than the market price. This argument should be placed.

Regarding the road, if by sacrificing the wide road we have gotten the sanction of constructing according to the layout plan, then there is no harm.

Regarding construction, begin something. Begin little, little, so it can be understood that we have begun. At least one foot high walls should be built up on all buildings. That should be done.

Saurabha can go there for one week because now Dhananjaya is there and can look after things while Saurabha is gone. That is nice if you get the NOC from the Police by two weeks time.

1976 Correspondence

Letter to Aksayananda -- Calcutta 13 January, 1976:

Why Saurabha should be consulted for Temple functioning and maintenance? He cannot give you any idea for these things. He is busy with other matters.

Dramas are alright if you can perform them nicely. Even if you don't speak them in English, they can be rendered into Hindi on the microphone while the drama goes on. But the puppet shows should be stopped. It is nonsense.

What are those Bengali dramas that Nitai is working on? He should work on arcana-paddhati, not divert his attention here and there. He should make Hari-bhakti-Vilasa into short cut, not more than twenty pages. He can consult Nrsimha Vallabha Goswami for help in this matter. This should be his first consideration now.

Page Title:Not more than... (Letters)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, RupaManjari
Created:20 of Nov, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=0, Let=22
No. of Quotes:22