I also thank you very much for your appreciation of my books and letters and for my speaking in the meetings. They are not my words, as I have repeatedly informed you that I am simply the bearer of the message from Lord Caitanya through the disciplic succession and I do not make any addition or subtraction. Similarly, if you all carry these words successively, then the transcendental parampara system will be exactly maintained and people in general will be benefited. I am very much obliged to my disciples because they are realizing the importance of Krishna Consciousness Movement and it is very much encouraging to me. Please, therefore, continue the standard of understanding. Read regularly our books and try to expand and preach the philosophy as far as possible.
Obligation (Letters, 1970 - 1977)
Expressions researched:
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Correspondence
1970 Correspondence
When I was staying in London I received one letter from Hitsaranji that the Dalmia-Jayan Trust as well as the Birla Trust have agreed to give us five pairs of Radha-Krishna Murtis for being installed in different Temples and I gave immediately instructions where to send them. But until now I have no information about the dispatch of the Deities. All the centers are reminding me. So if you will kindly ask Hitsaranji to do it without delay that will be very kind of you. Things are going on here nicely. In every center Sankirtana parties are going around the town. Sometimes the authorities are checking us from doing so but we have not yet stopped, neither we have in our mind anything to stop this Sankirtana Movement. On the whole things are improving daily and I hope it will continue to be so on and on.
Please let me know by return mail what is the position of dispatching the Deities and I will be very much obliged.
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your two letters dated January 5 and 8 1970 respectively, and I am so much moved from your kind sentiments that you have expressed for my humble activities. Actually I am not worthy of any one of the words spoken by you but all of them are due to my Spiritual Master Who was so kind to me. In fact I am a worthless person because my Spiritual Master ordered me to take up this work in 1922 but I did not carry his order until 1958, when I was obliged to carry out His order by His arrangement only. This means although I was not very enthusiastic to carry out His order He forced me circumstantially to accept it. So this is His special mercy upon me and I always think about this with gratitude to this exalted personality coming directly from Vaikuntha World and we had the great fortune to meet Him. I think that is the only credit on our part that we happened to meet Him by some "ajnata sukriti" or unknown auspicious activities. He is so kind upon me that when I came to your country, where I was completely unknown, He sent to me some good souls like you unsolicited. So I accept you all as assistants or representatives of my Guru Maharaja Who is still helping me because I am so feeble and unworthy. Anyway, the business which we have taken to work together is neither your business nor my business as far we are personally concerned, but it is the business of Lord Caitanya and His bona fide servants like my Guru Maharaja. Therefore it is the duty of all of us to execute it as nicely as far as possible within our capacity. In other words, we shall just try to discharge our responsible duties faithfully and seriously, then all facilities will come for our help.
I am very much pleased to know that sometimes you enjoy the writing in my magazine, "Back to Godhead," and I am sure you are getting these regularly every month. Both your Calcutta and Vrndavana addresses are on the complimentary list. I understand also that Mr. and Mrs. B. K. Dirle, who came to your Calcutta Math to meet you, took interest in our magazines, and if you send me their address we shall be pleased to send them complimentary copies.
I am so much obliged to you that all of our Godbrothers are happy to learn about my activities in the West. Actually, whatever is happening it is due to His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada because personally I am completely incapable.
I am so much obliged to you for your ventilating our activities in your esteemed paper, "Sri Caitanya Vani" in India. When I was in London, your disciple Sriman Sacisuta das Adhikari saw me several times, and he was regularly attending my weekly discourses in the London Conway Hall. I understand that he is also working on some press there, and I was so much pleased to see him.
I am so obliged to you for giving shelter to Sriman Acyutananda Brahmacari when he was in Calcutta. Sriman Jaya Govinda das Brahmacari who saw you in Vrndavana is now staying in our center in Hamburg, Germany where he is in charge of "Back to Godhead" in German language. We are now publishing English "BTG" 50,000 copies per month, German "BTG" 5,000 copes per month and French "BTG" 5,000 copies per month. And very soon we may be able to publish a Spanish "BTG" from Mexico where two devotees, husband and wife are going to open a center.
Regarding the confidential letter, I may inform you that a Sannyasi has no connection with his family. That is legal. So at the present status, I have no legal obligation to my family. Before taking to Sannyas, what ever little money I had I have given to them. So I shall think over this matter once again and let you know.
I beg to thank you for your letter dated January 21, 1970, and I am so glad to read your thesis on "Krsna Consciousness is the Absolute Necessity for Mankind in this Age." I am very much obliged to you for so nicely presenting our philosophy, and I am also glad to learn that your professor is so pleased upon it that he has kindly given it the grade "A" and also allowed you to work for another paper.
At that time, I was sponsored by a friend's son, Gopala Agarwal, who is settled up in this country by marrying an American girl, Sally. I was their guest, and I feel very much obliged to Gopala and his wife Sally for their nice treatment and reception. I was with them for three weeks in Butler, near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and then I came to New York. I was getting some money by selling my Srimad-Bhagavatam, thus I was maintaining myself in New York. After some time, I rented one apartment at number 100 71st Street West, but after a few months, all my things—typewriter, tape recorder, books—were stolen. Then for some time one of my students gave me shelter at Bowery Street.
I am so much obliged for your loving presentation of sweets, balusai, handkerchief, painting, flower, simply wonderful, sacred thread, dhupa, and gopicandana, and I have immediately tasted all the preparations so nice and distributed them to the devotees of the Temple. I have offered the handkerchief and dhupa to Radha Krishna, and placed the picture on the wall. Please organize this Sankirtana Movement under the leadership of Tamala, Mukunda, Syamasundara, and Gurudasa and be happy.
I am so much obliged to you for your valued cooperation in spreading my movement of Krsna Consciousness throughout the whole world. I beg to acknowledge receipt herewith of your contribution of $19,000 (nineteen thousand dollars) for publication of my book, Krsna, now going to the press within the week.
With reference to your letter No. FEX.22/-277, I beg to inform you that your Calcutta office denies to have received any amount from your transfer of Rs. 6,000 as per your debit note dated 22.1.70. Their letter Number is SB/34/1109, dated 18 February, 1970.
Kindly enlighten me immediately why they have denied to have received the money from you. Please treat this as urgent, and oblige.
Kindly transfer my all balance in the above account to the Bank of America, Pico-La Cienega Branch (308) at 8501 West Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, California 90035, for credit of my checking account No. 3081-61625.
The pass-book is sent herewith. Please expedite the matter and oblige.
I thank you very much for your nice letter of appreciation. The kindly words that you have used in this connection are very much pleasing, but all the credit goes to my Guru Maharaja. He asked me to take up this job as soon as I met Him in 1922; unfortunately I was so worthless that I delayed the matter until 1965, but He is so kind that by force He engaged me in His service; and because I am very much worthless, therefore He has sent me so many of His nice representatives—the beautiful American boys and girls like you. I am so much obliged to you that you are all helping me in the discharge of my duties towards my Spiritual Master, although I was so much reluctant to execute it. After all, we are the eternal servants of Krsna, and by the Divine Will of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura we are now combined together, although originally we are born in different parts of the world, unknown to one another.
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 7 March, 1970. I am so much obliged to you for the fine sentiment you have expressed in connection with my humble service; but this is not very extraordinary—every human being, for his own interest, should accept a Spiritual Master and abide by His order. This is the Vedic system, and whatever we are trying to do, it is in pursuance of the old order.
Regarding Birlaji and Jaipuraji, I think if you also write to them, because you are personally known to them, it will be very nice, and induce them to supply these Murtis because that will be a great cooperation with our movement. Anyone who will cooperate with this movement will be transcendentally benefited. Please try to convince them of this point, and oblige.
It is understood that the transfer of Rs. 5000 to the savings account No. 8/16578 with the United Bank of India Ltd., 157/B Dharmatalla Street, Calcutta-13, in favor of M. M. De, is under process of being sanctioned by the Reserve Bank.
Please transfer at least Rs. 1000 to the above account without delay, pending the Reserve Bank's sanction. And after being sanctioned, you can transfer the balance of Rs. 4000.
Thanking you in anticipation, and oblige.
Replying your letter No. SB/34/, dated 14th March, 1970, I beg to reply as follows with reference to the last paragraph of your letter under reply:
1) Duration of my stay in U.S.A. is as present from 29th December, 1969. Before that, I was touring in Europe. (The duration of my stay outside India in my Passport is up to 9th June, 1971.)
2) My last departure from India was on 13rd December, 1967.
3) The "P" Form No. and Reserve Bank of India Permit No. is as follows: EC. CA Pass 4599/2-67, dated 18th November, 1967, approved.
4) My Passport No. I-276896
5) Purpose of visit is missionary preaching of Bhakti cult.
You have received my letter dated 3rd March, 1970, but you have not mentioned anything about my letter dated 28th February, 1970.
In the meantime, I have also sent another letter dated 18th March, 1970.
Kindly reply these letters at your earliest convenience and oblige.
We require at least one pair of Murtis exactly like that of London, for which you have got the picture, for our Paris center. Kindly therefore enlighten me on the above subject by return post, and oblige.
Yes, I always think of your little girl, she is so nice. Sometimes I think that I left my home leaving aside all children and grandchildren, and Krsna is giving another batch to whom I am becoming attached. But this attachment is nice because the center is Krsna. I always narrate the story of your daughter when she was dancing on the platform of the law college and she obliged all other law students to imitate her dancing. Anyway, just raise this girl in full Krishna Consciousness and she will be a great preacher when she is young.
Unfortunately, the demons do not even acknowledge the gifts from Krishna, and they talk nonsense that there is no God, God is dead, I am God, and similar things. So as you are acknowledging your obligation to Krishna, as well as chanting the Hare Krishna Mantra, so I hope Krishna will give you more facilities so that you can become perfect in this very life. It is very easy to achieve such success simply by chanting the Hare Krishna Mantra, and let us not miss this great opportunity.
Formerly I thought I shall go along with Brahmananda, but later on I am sorry I was obliged to disappoint you on account of feeling not very enthusiastic to travel. Another point is that I am engaged in finishing the KRSNA book, and if I go even for 15 days, the progress will be halted. Another point is that in this new Temple Presidents from other centers are coming almost daily, and up to the end of May there are already engagements. So all these combined together hold me for the time being not to leave station; but don't be disappointed, as soon as I get opportunity I will come to you.
Anyway, do not be worried, Krsna has saved you, and very soon you will regain strength. Your son, Sriman Ekendra, is living with us comfortably. He has now by this time overcome the shock and now he is pleasantly chanting and dancing. I hope your wife is also improving by this time. According to Bhagavad-gita we have simply to tolerate all these temporary appearances and disappearance, our main function being to make steady progress in Krsna consciousness.
Please keep me informed about your progress, and oblige.
Under the circumstances I shall request you to send as much as possible every week to this Bhaktivedanta Book Fund Deposit so that I may not feel any difficulty to meet my obligation.
I thank you for your Vyasa Pujah Homage Telegram reading as follows received yesterday morning!
"(Vyasa puja Poetry) to save the world
And serve the Lord He left His home
And His children too
Two children lost some thousands gained,
Krishna's mercy received in
Party splint a stumbling block
With world God-Consciousness
The aim His Divine Grace bridges
The gap to bless the world with Gauraprema,
Jayapataka's life is not his own
It's Prabhupada's to do with as His own"
I feel very much obliged to you for your nice understanding about my mission. Your offer of service to the cause of our Lord is also welcomed. I hope in future you shall be of great help in my mission and I can count upon. More when we meet. We are seven starting on Saturday including one Japanese nice boy.
Re: My Savings Fund Account No. 2925 with you
Kindly receive the following draft of the State Bank of India in your favor and credit the same to my account above mentioned.
Draft Number 1 377160 dated 4/9/70 for Rs. 5,000
Draft Number 1 377161 dated 4/9/70 for Rs. 3,500
Total: Rs. 8,500
Please acknowledge receipt in enclosed duplicate form and oblige.
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your very encouraging letter dated August 27th 1970, redirected from Japan. I was anxiously awaiting for this letter because since you have opened the new Temple I received one telegram at Los Angeles inviting me there at New York for which I was very much obliged, but I decided to come to India. I am receiving also many other letters which are not very encouraging in the matter of the activities of the four Sannyasis, so in Calcutta we have come and last Saturday, the 29th August, there was very nice reception at the airport. So at the present moment I am in mixed up condition both encouraging and discouraging.
So far as getting yourself married is concerned, I have no objection. Be sure that you can meet the obligations of Grihasta order of life and then when you find a nice girl you may marry with my blessings.
On October 28th, 1970 I had to advise you to transfer by mail Rs. 1,728 to your Gwalia Tank Branch in Bombay and the copy of the advice is sent herewith.
The money was immediately deposited with your cashier and I possess the receipt slip, but here in Bombay your Gwalia Tank Branch says that they have not received the money.
Kindly immediately inform me what is the fate of the money.
An early reply will much oblige me.
So far the place in Mathura is concerned, yes, without its being permanent we are not going to accept. I am very much obliged to your feeling as my humble servant and that will help your advancement in Krsna Consciousness. If Dhandharia is speaking as you describe, better to be silent and stop these dealings rather than create some further enmity.
In your letter dated November 10, 1970, you have written to say that I should inaugurate the installation ceremony. So I am very much obliged to you for your kind invitation, and my program will be as follows:
Tomorrow I am going to Indore; from Indore I shall come to Surat. From there I shall go to Gorakpur. From Gorakpur I shall go to Allahabad, and most probably from Allahabad I may go to Vrndavana.
1971 Correspondence
I am so much obliged to you for your nice sentiments. Krishna will bless you. Both husband and wife and Karandhara husband and wife, improve temple management more and more. Most probably very soon I shall return to the U.S.A. Offer my blessings to all. Hoping this will meet you in good health.
I beg to inform you that the two pairs of Radha Krishna Deities have arrived in Bombay from Jaipur. So out of the four Deities, two of Krishna and two of Radharani, one Deity of Radharani is broken by the hand. So kindly do the needful for replacing this Deity and oblige.
From the passbook from your Ballyganj Branch, Calcutta, it appears that they have credited Rs. 14,249.04 to my account, but in my passbook for my account 14538 with you you have credited the amount transferred as Rs. 14,239.31 only. There is a difference of Rs. 9.73. Please credit this amount to my account and explain why the amount credited was less. I am not prepared to pay for your interbranch transfers. That is not the system as it is already agreed by you in your letter dated 2nd March, 1971, No. 20/84.
Thanking you to please do the needful and oblige, I am,
Yours faithfully,
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your three letters dated 30th May, 8th and 9th June, 1971 respectively and have noted the contents. It appears from your writings that you are a true devotee of the Lord and you have respect for other devotees. That is a very good sign of a devotee. I am very much obliged to you for your appreciation. I want your blessings also for the task taken up by me to spread this Krishna Consciousness movement all over the world.
P.S. Also the brass pair of Radha Krishna Murtis meant for L.A. has no trace as yet. Whether Jayapataka has shipped them or not. Inform this matter by wire & oblige. L.A. temple is going on very nice. ACB Important
I am very anxious to know about Mayapur. Since I have come here I have not heard from you. I have sent one telegram to Tamala but there is no reply. So will you kindly send me a detailed report of your activities regarding Mayapur affairs? Please send me a report every week & oblige. I have requested Acyutananda Swami also to send me weekly reports. But I have not heard from him also. Please treat this letter as urgent and reply immediately.
So you are a grhastha. You should set an example. I do not know why you left Europe without consulting me. Who made you obliged to leave Europe? You were engaged in translating work and all of a sudden you left and now you are complaining about others. I was so much surprised when you left Europe. Anyone who is somehow or other engaged in the society's work, their position is higher.
I hope that Sriman Madhudvisa Maharaja saw you in connection with dispatching some of my disciples to India. By the three Hare Krishna festivals perfomed in Allahabad, Calcutta and Bombay, it has been examined that people of India have not lost their Krishna Consciousness. During the festivals, especially in Calcutta and Bombay, daily 30,000 people were gathering and standing for three hours to appreciate our sankirtana movement. I have therefore decided to send more men from America to India to preach this cult all over the country. We require about 100 men minimum, out of whom there are about 40 men in Calcutta and Bombay and other places. I am therefore requesting you to carry these 60 men by your ships from N.Y. to Bombay or Calcutta.
You are always cooperating with my movement and thereby getting blessings from Krishna more and more. Kindly arrange for this dispatch of 60 men to India. I think you can dispatch every month at least 10 men either as passenger or crew, whichever you like. So kindly do the needful and oblige.
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 30th August, 1971, and have noted the contents. Yes, Krishna has saved you from such a serious position. So now you should feel very much obliged to Krishna and chant Hare Krishna Mantra more enthusiastically. It is a fact that Krishna has saved you. Yamaraja couldn't touch you because you are Krishna conscious. So now it is your duty to raise your children in Krishna consciousness also. The names you have fixed up for them are all right. There is no need of changing. So be very serious to raise these two girls to be Krishna Conscious and Krishna will surely bless you more and more.
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter from Denver dated 3d October, 1971 and have noted the contents. It is very much encouraging that your center is improving daily and doing so nicely. There is good field there. So combinedly work very hard to make our new Denver center a grand success. We have all taken on a great responsibility for spreading Krishna Consciousness all over the world. Actually people are suffering on account of being enamored by the external energy. Krishna wants to deliver them. He comes personally, he comes as a devotee, and he sends His authorized devotee. So some way or other we have been entrusted to serve Krishna in this connection. Do it nicely. Follow the regulative principles and teach others to do likewise and we shall remain strong and it will not be difficult for us to push on this movement. I am so much obliged to you for your helping the cause. Please stick to this principle and Krishna will bless you with all benediction.
POINTS OF APPLICATION
1) We are establishing various centres all over the world to propagate Krishna Consciousness, which means recognizing that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead;
2) Krishna's instructions in the Bhagavad-gita is the scriptural evidence of this fact;
3) The chanting of the Holy Name (the Hare Krishna Mahamantra) is the Vedic hymn;
4) Activities in the loving service of the Lord is the occupational duty of every man;
5) In other words we are preaching all over the world the principle of one God, one community, one scripture, and one occupation. This principle has been accepted practically all over the world.
We have got an international body of students trying to preach this cult of Krishna Consciousness, and we are so pleased the people of Vrindaban (Brijbasis), as well as the Fathers of Vrindaban Town—all of them have appreciated our attempt. I am so much obliged to the devotee-residents of Vrindaban for their giving me the civic reception.
We want to open a centre of magnificent proportions in Vrindaban City, as was discussed with Your Honor by my secretary, Sriman Ksirodakasayi das Adhikari. I therefore request you to give us the one-acre piece of land near the Dak Bungalow for this purpose.
But this time when I came from abroad, I saw that you have forcibly taken possession of the entrance of my verandah and converted it into a room, thus obstructing my entrance door. So I was just going to the courts for your unauthorized usurping of the entrance of the verandah to my room.
So it is very good news that you are going to the courts in this connection, as everything will be discussed there including how you could take unlawful possession of the entrance to the verandah. If you do not go to the court, then I shall be obliged to go to court in this connection, at your expense.
1972 Correspondence
In the material dealings there is always there is always something undesirable, but even so you cannot give up your occupation. Just like fire is very pure, still there is some smoke. You cannot avoid it. All these things can be rectified when the result is offered to Krishna. Otherwise even though you may do very honest business it has no utility whatsoever. Your question if a devotee has no appreciation for God but he has little appreciation for pure devotee, than what kind of devotee is this? If he has appreciation for pure devotee, then he must have appreciation for God. It is just like "Love me, love my dog." If he simply loves the dog and not the master, then what kind of love is that? I have remarked that in your country when friends met, one friend has one dog beside him, the other friend always bends down to pat the dog first, then he is very much appreciated by the dog's master and the friendly discussions can begin. It is something like that. Your next question was regarding the neophyte devotee who is unable to comprehend even the existence of God, how he shall ever become lover of God? Therefore he has to be engaged in deity worship, and gradually you will have that sense. It is obligatory for the neophyte devotees to be engaged in deity worship. Even if he has no love of God, by following the regulative principles and worshiping the deity he will awaken that dormant love, and if you have got some faith in your spiritual master, by engaging in serving your spiritual master you will also come to the point of love of God:
Will you kindly ask the local District Magistrate to give me protection in this connection? When you visited two or three times Radha Damodara Temple as Governor of U.P. at my request, at that time Mr. Tewary was the District Magistrate but I don't know if he is still there. Anyway kindly help me in this connection and oblige. Copy of the recent letter received from Madan Mohan Goswami is enclosed herewith.
I beg to acknowledge your letter and I am pleased about all the news. It sounds that you are doing well, and I'm so pleased to learn that Damji Devji, as well as Mr. Shah, they are helping you so much. So I am very much obliged to them. Please offer my sincere thanks to them. It will be a great pleasure for me to meet them again when I return to Nairobi.
Regarding your question whether grhastha couples can live together in the temple, no, they may not, that is a strict regulation. They can live in the temple, that's all right, but they must live separately men and women. So I am encouraging the grhastha devotees who want to live together to start householder asrama outside the temple in a nearby house, just like in Los Angeles there is one such householder asrama. There, the grhasthas, men and women, work sometimes in the incense factory and get paid $1 per hour, and in this way they pay the rent and meet other expenditures. So if you can arrange a similar house in Philadelphia center, that will be nice. The householders may sell my books and incense and make some small salary to pay rent, take prasada at the temple, and live very happily. So far the GBC is concerned, they are my chosen experts and they are supposed to know everything, so there is rule of separate living, that should be followed. If GBC man requests in this way, you should try to oblige, what is the difficulty?
I have got my account in your Hamburg Branch, and the number is 114/332 647. As of 10-9-69 there were 5 DM. only.
I am herewith authorizing one of my students, Mr. Stefan Delhaes to deposit any amount in the above account. He will be coming to your bank shortly for making a deposit and you may compare his signature with that which I am enclosing herewith.
Kindly do the needful and oblige.
So in conclusion, it is my request even you do not agree on some points, Giriraja is in charge so please follow his direction and that will please me. I am very much anxious to see the progress at Bombay center, and I want it shall become the first-class preaching center in the world. Please help me in this ambition. If we can manage successfully, we will be attractive for the whole of India. Our task is very heavy, do not neglect by paltry disagreement. I hope Krishna will bless you to understand my heart and oblige.
I have just now written to Gargamuni, Mahamsa, Nara Narayana, Giriraja as follows: "It is my request even you do not agree on some points, Giriraja is in charge so please follow his direction and that will please me. I am very much anxious to see the progress at Bombay Center, and I want it shall become the first class preaching center in the world. Please help me in this ambition. If we can manage successfully, we will be attractive for the whole of India. Our task is very heavy, do not neglect by paltry disagreement. I hope Krishna will bless you to understand my heart and oblige."
Regarding your questions, Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura never took formal sannyasa. He was babaji, living in seclusion away from wife and family as Paramahamsa. One can have as many children as Bhaktivinode Thakura as long a one is as good as Bhaktivinode Thakura. Visnupriya, wife of Lord Caitanya, was young woman of 16 years old when her husband took sannyasa, leaving her without any children, but she always remembered Him, so in that way she was always serving Him and she was never separated from Him. Regarding your husband taking sannyasa, you should not worry as we shall see to the matter later, not now, and I promise you he will certainly fulfill his family obligations in Krishna Consciousness.
Kindly return the copy of the Trust Agreement at your earliest convenience, and oblige. If there are any more points to be discussed I shall be in Bombay in about a week's time.
My Guru Maharaja was also inclined toward his bolder preachers. Therefore I am requesting that both of you, with your party, join me very soon at the Hare Krishna Festival in Bombay Cross Maidan, at least you should come by January 1st. This is our big opportunity to emphasize our preaching strength to the big men of India and population in general. There is arrangement of "Questions and Answers" tents for the general public, just by the main street of the city, wherein we shall conduct throughout day and night preacing by my disciples by answering any and all questions put forward by the public. I think that you will enjoy preaching in that way, and I want to place my best preachers there for that purpose of defeating all challengers. Kindly oblige and do the needful.
1973 Correspondence
Now you appear little restless, I know that is your nature, you like to do big things and you are very capable and intelligent young man for executing tremendous tasks on behalf of Krsna. But I think that you have got a huge field of endeavor in the German speaking countries and other countries of Scandinavia, Communist countries and other places like that. Now work very vigorously to develop these places, that is your great task at hand. You needn't look further to find some big challenge. The challenge is very near at hand. That means developing and expanding along the lines as you have begun. Of course we are not ever very much anxious to repeat the same activity many times, that is the nature of the living entity, that he seeks to enjoy varieties of flavors. But mature understanding of activity means to take it as our occupational duty. That is to say, suppose I am established as good carpenter, then it will be foolish if after some time I am thinking, "Oh, I have done this cutting of woods so many times, now it is becoming boring and uninteresting, therefore let me become a doctor," no. That is not recommended by Krsna, neither is it common sense. Occupational duty means to stick with one type of occupation which is just suitable for me, considering that it is my duty, therefore I am throughout my life obligated to perform it to the best of my ability. This is mature understanding of occupation. That means I must not leave it even for so-called good cause, just like Arjuna wanted to stop his fighting activity just to avoid killing so many of his kinsmen, cousin brothers, and other friends. So we are preachers on behalf of Lord Krsna, that is our occupational duty, we haven't got to search any further some new challenge or change our engagement.
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated December 22, 1972, and I have noted the contents with care. For these questions arising between married husband and wife, you are requesting me to leave your wife and take the vanaprastha order of life, for these questions you must consult with and take permission from presidents and GBC. Yes, I know your wife Lilasakti, and I know that she is very serious and advanced disciple. But now you are married to her, there is some obligation according to our Krsna consciousness or Vedic system. These things cannot be taken so lightly, otherwise the whole thing will become a farce. Simply get married without considering what is the serious nature of married life, then if there is little disturbance, or if I do not like my wife or my husband, let me go away, everyone else is doing like that. So in this way the whole thing is becoming a farce. You say that your "association together was hindering your advancement." But Krsna consciousness marriage system should not be taken in that way, that if there is any botheration that means something is hindering my spiritual progress, no. Once it is adopted, the grhastha life, even it may be troublesome at times, it must be fulfilled as my occupational duty. Of course, it is better to remain unmarried, celibate. But so many women are coming, we cannot reject them. If someone comes to Krsna it is our duty to give them protection. Krsna has informed us in Bhagavad-gita that even women and sudras and others inferior class of men can take refuge in Him. So the problem is there, the women must have a husband to give protection. Of course, if the women can remain unmarried, and if there is suitable arrangement for the temple to protect them, just like in the Christian Church there is nunnery for systematic program of engaging the ladies and protecting them, that is also nice.
In this material world there is always some difficulty, no matter in this situation or that situation. Therefore simply by changing my status of occupation or my status of life, that will not help anything. Because the real fact is that if there is any difficulty with others, that is my lack of Krsna consciousness, not theirs. Is this clear? Krsna says that His dearest devotee is one who does not put others into difficulty, in fact, who puts no one other into difficulty. So try to judge the matter on these points, whether or not you are putting either your wife or yourself into some difficulty. The right understanding of Bhagavad-gita is Arjuna's understanding. In other words, Arjuna came to the conclusion that he must perform his occupational duty, not as a material obligation, for reasons of wife, family, friends, reputation, professional integrity, like that—no. Rather he must conduct the functions of his station of life only as a devotional service performed for Krsna. That means that devotional service is what is important, not my occupational duty. But it does not mean that because occupation duty is not the real consideration, that I should give it up and do something else, thinking that devotional service may be carried on under whatever circumstances which I may whimsically decide. Krsna recommended Arjuna to remain as he was, not to disrupt the order of society and go against his own nature just for convenience sake.
There is no difference between brahmacari, grhastha, vanaprastha, and sannyasi. Simply grhastha means that he lives outside the temple with wife, that is the only difference. Otherwise grhastha must follow the same regulative principles and remain fully engaged in the temple activities. There in London we have such big field for pushing on the preaching work, so I want that you should assist the other devotees there as much as possible and cooperate very closely for helping me in this way. These temples, they are just like oasis in the desert for the conditioned souls to quench the thirst of their desire for real happiness. So they must be organized as nicely as possible, and I know you have many talents which can be put to good use. So in cooperation with Dhananjaya and Syamasundara Prabhu, let us work together. You may assist me in this way and I shall be very much pleased upon you. Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita that anyone who surrenders unto Me, whether a woman, sudra, vaisya, etc., they all attain the highest perfection of bhakti-yoga, not that now I am grhastha, I am doing karma-yoga, or now I am vanaprastha, I am doing sankhya-yoga, this is all nonsense. So if you read my books, this is explained in so many places that by taking to the path of pure bhakti all the other yogas are achieved automatically, because bhakti is the culmination of yoga and the highest perfection of life. Yet at the same time it is very simple and sublime. So I do not see what is the difficulty. So as I am your spiritual master, it is my obligation to answer any questions that you may have. So please send the tape and I shall reply.
I hope you are able to understand all these points. As you know, I am translating so many books into English from the Sanskrit, therefore, I am very busy. Now, I have representatives, the GBC and the temple presidents who are qualifies to answer your questions. Of course if you ask me I am obligated to reply because I am your spiritual master. So please direct your question to my representatives.
Regarding your taking sannyasa, I think you are already a sannyasi although not in saffron colored cloth. In the Bhagavad-gita it is said,
- anasritah karma-phalam
- karyam karma karoti yah
- sa sannyasi ca yogi ca
- na niragnir na cakriyah
- (BG 6.1)
"The Blessed Lord said: One who is unattached to the fruits of his work and who works as he is obligated is in the renounced order of life, and he is the true mystic: not he who lights no fire and performs no work."
So, I know you'll take sannyasi sooner or later but wait for the time when Krsna will decide for this action.
You have written nothing about the $25,000 check which I left with you. Whether it is cashed and the business done? I advised Syamasundara to send you a check for $10,000. Whether you have received it? If not you can advise me. I am anxious to know whether that M-V Trust business (house purchase) is complete.
Regarding account #16066 as well as #767 in the same of Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, kindly let me know the present balance of the above two accounts, or if possible, kindly send me a statement of accounts. I am obliged.
N.B. I have received one complaint from Indian devotee at Mayapur Prabharupa Das Brahmacari that he is mal treated by our American devotees. Kindly inquire into this matter and do the needful. Either Indian or foreign whoever joins us they are not under any obligation, our only tie is Love of Godhead. It should be our definite policy that nobody is ill treated that he may go away. We recruit a person to join us after spending gallons of blood. Everyone comes for reformation, you cannot expect everyone to be perfect, rather it is our duty to make everyone perfect as far as possible. So we shall be very much cautious and careful in this connection.
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated September 26, 1973 and have noted the contents carefully. In my opinion all Gurukula students should be educated free of charge, but outside students may be charged. Our own parents should without obligation contribute liberally, but we should not be hard with them if they cannot pay. Sometimes the parents get money from the Welfare Dept., so whatever money they get for their children must be paid to Gurukula.
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated October 12, 1973 and have noted the contents. I am glad to say that the Bombay business is almost completely finished. The land is purchased, and there were many opposing elements, but they are being satisfied, with the last one being satisfied today. Once this is carried out we are free from all obligation.
1974 Correspondence
It is good news for me that our Seattle, Washington temple is growing under your able guidance, and I am much obliged to you. It would not be possible for me to preach all over the world except for your cooperation, you and your Godbrothers and sisters who are maintaining centers all over the world.
From your letter I can understand that you are always working hard and trying to improve things there. I am very much obliged to you for this and please go on in this spirit more and more improving the temple atmosphere.
I wish that in the fag end of life if you and I together can preach Krsna Consciousness all over the world, people will be benefited and all problems of the world will be solved. That is my conviction. I take the opportunity of sending this letter with your cousin-brother Mr. Zazumdar. He is a nice gentleman, almost of our age. I talked with him and felt great pleasure. Sometimes I think of going to Allahabad. So whenever I shall get the opportunity I may go, as I like the place. I am obliged to you for your remembering me even after so many years passed when we were together in Prayag Pharmacy.
I have accepted for first initiation the devotees recommended by you, and their spiritual names are as follows:
Rick Richert—Revati-prana-natha dasa
Kevin Douglas—Kesisatru dasa
Be sure to instruct them on the ten offenses and their obligation to chant at least 16 rounds daily, without fail. You may send their beads to Rupanuga Maharaja for chanting, and you may hold a fire yajna in the temple.
N.B. I am also enclosing sacred thread and gayatri initiation for the following second initiate recommendations. Girijadhava das Brahmacari, Kasi ram das Brahmacari, Taraknath das Brahmacari, and Sukra das Brahmacari. Have them hear the tape of the mantra in the right ear. I think you are aware that this second initiation should be taken very gravely and not childishly, so please impress upon them their new obligations.
Kindly send the receipt which is lying in your custody immediately to your Vrindaban branch by Registered post, and oblige. I am forwarding this letter to my secretary, Sriman Tejyas das Adhikari in New Delhi. Kindly do the needful.
As you say you have on hand a check for $41,880.83, I request you deposit that in the Mayapur Vrindaban Trust Fund. The last time I was in Hawaii I established an account in this name in one Honolulu Bank. You will find a Savings Deposit slip enclosed. You can just fill in the exact amount and deposit it with the main branch of the Liberty Bank in Honolulu account 35785, in the name of Mayapur Vrindaban Trust Fund. As for the $150 you will be receiving each month for the next five years, I think that will be sufficient tuition for your two children at Gurukula, and that will oblige your debt to Gurukula. As for Sudama Maharaja, it is better that he write to me separately; I will send him money from here for his projects.
This is to introduce Mr. Brent Selden, who is the president of the Honolulu branch of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. I am authorizing him to make a withdrawal from account no. 35785 in the amount of $5000.00. I have mailed him a withdrawal slip for this purpose.
Kindly oblige. Thanking you in anticipation.
Recently there has been some provocation in our Society regarding Bali Mardan and his wife. Jayatirtha has received a bunch of complaints. Similarly Brahmananda Maharaja has also received, so far so that his wife is eating chicken in the temple. This has hampered me very much, so I wish to form an investigation committee of three members, namely Tamala Krishna Goswami, Rupanuga Prabhu, and yourself. I am informing them also in this connection with a copy of this letter. So you combine together and investigate about the charges against Bali Mardan and his wife made by the following devotees: 1. Tosana Krishna, 2. Cindy Liston, 3. Kirtiraja, 4. Omkara Dasi, 5. Navadvipa 6. Ramesvara das, 7. Sudama Swami, 8. Jaya Ram das, 9. Sunita devi, 10. Gopala Krishna, 11. Atreya Rsi, 12. Anonymous. Kindly try your best to stop this provocation in our Society and I shall be much obliged to you all. Please submit your combined report as soon as possible.
I have not received the new books. I have learned about them from Puranjana, but I have not received them. Maybe they are held up due to a postal delay in Calcutta, but anyway I am so pleased that you have published. Even I have not seen them, I am pleased and obliged to you. Continue this work. Whenever there is any publication in any language, it enlivens me 100 times.
I have seen your letter dated October 28, 1974 addressed to Brahmananda Swami and also the enclosed letter from Gurudasa. I have also received the report from Gopala Krishna, especially how nice is the prasadam program there. Thank you very much. You have improved the situation there so much. and I am very much obliged to you. I want that our Vrindaban temple to be the first class temple of India. Already people are saying that it surpasses all temples of the district in beauty, and I think it surpasses all temples in India. So now it must be managed very nicely. You have followed my instructions for making the kirtana program there the center, so I know that everything will go on nicely there.
So you kindly give immediately a note to the Finance Minister Mr. Choudhury so that Giriraja will go tomorrow morning early to see the Minister. So kindly give your note immediately to Giriraja because the time is very short. We have to get it done before this Tuesday next. So give a strongly recommended note and oblige.
So, I wanted to go to Hawaii immediately, but the Bombay business has obliged me to stay here a few days more. After this, I have a program to go to Mexico, so I was thinking of going via Hawaii and to meet you all to study personally what can be done for all the misunderstandings that have taken place. The money you wanted to return, kindly send directly to either of these banks in Bombay: Bank of America, a/c no. 16026, INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS "MAYAPUR VRINDAVAN FUND." or First National City Bank, Bombay a/c no. 17168, "ISKCON MAYAPUR VRINDAVAN FUND."
1975 Correspondence
By the by, I beg to inform you that I have arranged for the opening of the temple in Vrndavana on Sri Ram Navami day by the 20th of April, 1975. Perhaps you know it that the ceremony was to take place on last Janmastami, but as the temple was not finished at that time, it could not be. Therefore, it was postponed. I wish to know whether your Holiness will kindly participate in this ceremony during that time to install the deity properly according to the Hari-bhakti-Vilasa regulations.
His Excellency, the Governor of Uttar Pradesh has kindly consented to join us during the ceremony.
So, I shall be very glad to hear from you in this respect by return post.
I am obliging.
I hope this meets you in good health, and thanking you in anticipation for an early reply.
I beg to inform you that I have arranged for the opening of the temple in Vrndavana on Sri Ram Navami day by the 20th of April 1975. Perhaps you know it that the ceremony was to take place on last Janmastami, but as the temple was not finished at that time, it could not be. Therefore, it was postponed. I wish to know whether your Holiness will kindly participate in this ceremony during that time to install the deity properly according to the Hari-bhakti-Vilasa regulations.
His Excellency, the Governor of Uttar Pradesh has kindly consented to join us during the ceremony.
So, I shall be very glad to hear from you in this respect by return post.
I am obliging.
I hope this meets you in good health and thanking you in anticipation for an early reply.
Under the circumstances, I have asked Hamsaduta to come to me at Hawaii. There I shall try to rectify the mistakes and as previously arranged, the GBC's should act as my secretary at least one month in a year. So, he may come and remain with me and in the meantime, you work conjointly with Brahmananda Svami. Try to manage Germany, London, and Paris. The main business in Germany is to reply the charges and rescue the frozen money. In England, we have to revive the Rathayatra festival which is now stopped by the police intrigue. In Paris, you require a larger place to accommodate devotees, so find out a suitable place.
I am going to Honolulu by Wednesday (29th) and if Brahmananda Svami is absolutely required, I'll call him to South America. Otherwise, both of you co-operatively, execute the most important business in Europe.
Kindly send in regular reports and oblige.
I am in due receipt of your letter dated nil and have noted the contents. I think it is very obvious, even you have admitted, that the problem is that you are not following the basic principles of our society. The fact that you have not chanted your rounds for a long time is enough to make you without any spiritual strength. The best thing for you is to seriously try to follow all of the rules and regulations very strictly under the guidance of the temple authorities. Then your mind will become very clear, not so agitated. You have taken initiation from me, so actually you are obliged to do this. You have promised, therefore there is no choice,—you must follow strictly. Otherwise, you are carving your pathway to hell.
In the days past, when Prthu Maharaja was the emperor, his government was inspecting to see whether a brahmana is acting actually as a brahmana, whether a ksatriya is acting as a ksatriya, and all the different castes were engaged in all their respective duties. At the present moment, even though one is qualified brahmana, he does not get sufficient opportunity to act as brahmana, and therefore he is obliged to accept the occupational duty of someone who is outside the brahminical post. But if we accept the principle of varna and asrama as they are recommended in the sastra, and if we push on the Krishna Consciousness movement, surely everyone will be engaged in his occupation and the question of unemployment will be finished. Therefore, I think if we propagate this movement on the principles of Bhagavad-gita, all the problems of the human society will be solved. I can do all this business if some leading man of India co-operate with me. When I was in Delhi, Nandaji met me and I spoke to him exactly as I am writing now, but he said that immediately, these things cannot be introduced. But, I think it can be introduced immediately without any loss of time, provided you are serious about it.
Since I have come to Honolulu from Melbourne, I got the opportunity to read your nice book "Hare Krishna and the Counterculture" with profound interest. I am also very much obliged to you as you have shown to me so much mercy, even by illustrating my photograph instead of your goodness. The presentation has been done just fit for ready by all scholars and educationists. If you so permit I can ask my assistants to publish some important extracts from your work in our magazine BTG for benefit of all our readers. Besides that we can sell your book also along with our other books by arrangement. I don't know what is exactly your address and therefore I am dispatching this letter through my disciple Sriman Jayananda Adhikari. I shall be very glad to meet you again when I go to the mainland. You have taken so much pain for writing this book and I thank you very much again & again. May Lord Krishna bless you more & more.
By these activities I am must trying to satisfy my spiritual master and you are all trying to help me, so I am very much obliged to you. This is real co-operation on the platform of love.
I am very much obliged to you and your government that both the people and the government of America do not put any hindrances in distributing our books. This kindness of your nation will cause the blessings of Lord Caitanya to be showered upon them and the higher section of American people will all of them become Krsna conscious. So many books they are reading, so will there not be any effect?
Regarding your questions, the first question, when a soul reincarnates, does he associate with the souls he associated with in his lives, that is not necessarily so. Even if he associates, how can he recognize them because everyone changes his body. Regarding your question about karmic debt, yes, it is generally that the debtor is obliged to take birth and also the creditor. Sometimes the creditor takes birth as the son of the debtor and after being a very affectionate son for a few days, he dies and thus the debtor becomes aggrieved very much. This is the punishment. In this way in every transaction the participants are becoming involved in their resultant action of karma. This is karma-bandhana, in Bhagavad-gita, or the bondage of different fruitive activity. It is advised that one should act only for Krsna, otherwise he will be involved in karma-bandhana.
Regarding your getting married, I have no objection. However as a brahmacari you are not obligated to marry, what is the advantage to your getting married? That should be considered. If one can remain brahmacari that is best. Finish this life and go back to Godhead, that is the basic idea of Krishna consciousness movement. So you decide.
1976 Correspondence
When I returned to INDIA in 1970, she gave me a good reception in her office building. Many nice gentlemen also met me at that time. I feel obliged to this benevolent lady in so many ways for her helping this Krishna Consciousness Movement. I wish that Lord Krishna may give her a long life fully engaged in the service of the Lord."
At the age of 70 I had the energy to go outside India and apart from other various duties, engage myself in writing books even at night without sleep. All these have been done in accordance with the direction of my Prabhupada Gurudeva. My foreign devotees, with the help of various machines, do the needful for printing all these books written by me. These books are sold throughout the world for which an all round very hard labor is required. If sale proceeds of my books sold outside India are brought for aforesaid expenses in India, what harms and what is to be envied of. They have been spent for the benefit of the general public, materially as well as spiritually. We get help from foreign government is an absolute false report. What an unjudicious thinking. How can anyone think of that a foreign government will subscribe money for the promotion of Krishna Consciousness? So my request is not to do injustice to us in any way by unnecessary anti propaganda, but to cooperate with us by joining our Krishna Consciousness movement so that it may spread more and more satisfactorily, and for this we shall be highly obliged. Our cooperation on this account is much coveted for. Hare Krishna.
I am in due receipt of your letter dated 2/11/76 for which I thank you very much. The Bengali letter delivered with my letter has been delivered to Kamal Narayana. My thanks are also to Santo Maharaja.
I'm very much obliged to you that you write to say, "It is clear to me that you are great powerful Acarya in the Vaisnava world at present." Sometimes Sridhara Maharaja also says like that. So, actually if you are feeling like that let us work conjointly. There is great prospect for preaching Caitanya Mahaprabhu's message all over the world and in India also. At least in India we can preach very vigorously if we combine together. It is already tested in many cases. Whenever we held some festival in big, big cities like Calcutta, Bombay, Hyderabad, Madras, Delhi, etc. thousands of men gather and they request regularly to continue the program. Recently we held a similar program in Candigargh and the devotees of Sri Caitanya Gaudiya Math also participated. They invited me in the local center of Sri Caitanya Gaudiya Math and many thousands of people came to hear me. So there is great prospect if we work conjointly at least in India. So you can consult Sridhara Maharaja also. He's also of that opinion s you have opined and if in this old age we can do something combinedly it will be a great triumph. I thank you very much once more.
1977 Correspondence
I am very much obliged to you for giving such a full report. May Krsna bless you and give you more and more intelligence how to manage everything very nicely in Australia and New Zealand.
As you have recommended them I accept Michael Pepper and Jackie as my duly initiated disciples. Their new spiritual names are;
Michael Pepper—Sikhipiccha-dhari Dasa
Jackie—Venu-dhara Dasi
Now hold a fire sacrifice and the new initiates should vow to always chant minimum 16 rounds daily and faithfully follow the four regulative principles. I also accept for second initiation Jayasila Dasa, Vashrestha Das, Atitaguna Dasi, and Bhadra Dasi. The sacred threads duly chanted on for Jayasila Das and Vasusrestha Das are enclosed herewith, as are the Gayatri mantra sheets for all of them. After the fire sacrifice they may be allowed to hear the Gayatri mantra from the tape in the right ear. Teach them to be good brahmanas, always remaining internally pure by chanting Hare Krsna, and externally by regular bathing.
| Page Title: | Obligation (Letters, 1970 - 1977) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti |
| Created: | 20 of Dec, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=0, Let=90 |
| No. of Quotes: | 90 |