Purification (Letters)

Expressions researched:
"purification"

1967 Correspondence

Letter to Mr. Taber -- New York 9 June, 1967:

So far as your distress is concerned, it is not new: it is the general condition of living entities who are distressed for want of sense gratification. Unless one is related with Sri Krishna, The Reservoir of All Pleasures, it is very difficult to have complete pleasures perception in this material world. You have read Bhagavad-gita and it is stated that ultimate happiness can be realized by transcendental senses only. Our movement for Krishna Consciousness is to turn the present polluted senses into its original pure form, just like when a man cannot see properly due to cataracts in the eyeball, similarly we cannot have real sense pleasure without being purified in Krishna Consciousness. This purification can be done only by engaging the senses for Krishna. Krishna is called Hrsikesa, or the Master of the Senses. His senses are omnipotent; therefore, when our senses will be engaged to satisfy the senses of Krishna, at that time we will have perfect sense gratification, and be free of all distressed condition.

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Prabhavati -- Hawaii 24 March, 1969:

Your letter is very nice and I am very much encouraged to hear of more young American boys and girls who are searching after God. This is natural of course, and one who sticks to Krishna Consciousness purification process, will gradually understand what is God, and our relationship with the Supreme Personality. This is the perfection of human life. Unfortunately, the people of the so-called modern advanced civilization do not know this; they are groping in the darkness of material life, and simply leading others into this darkness. Therefore there are so many frustrated young boys and girls who are searching out God in some way or other, and if they are very fortunate, then they will come to this platform of Krishna Consciousness.

Letter to Bhagavan -- London 9 November, 1969:

Regarding your final question, it is a fact that when one is contact with Krishna, His Name, His Qualities, His Form, His Pastimes, immediately he becomes purified. But because we are conscious living entities, the proportion depends on our conscious acceptance. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gita that Lord Krishna responds proportionately to the service of the devotee. Another example is that the sunlight is open for everyone and for every place, but to enjoy the sunlight or to take advantage of the sunlight depends on the proportionate arrangement by the receiver. Prosecution of devotional service means gradual purification and proportionate revelation of Krishna Consciousness.

Letter to Cidananda -- London 15 December, 1969:

Sankirtana and distributing BTG and our other literatures is the fieldwork of this movement. Temple worship is secondary. People are invited to come to the temple to see the behavior of the devotees specifically in the matter of purification. There are two kinds of purification methods, external and internal. In our Krishna Consciousness Movement, Deity worship helps to keep us externally purified and Sankirtana helps to keep us internally purified. So as far as possible we shall execute both of these processes simultaneously. And by your exemplary character, the general mass of people will be benefited. Our hearts in material condition are filled with all dirty things, and this Krishna Consciousness Movement is the cleansing process.

Letter to Jananivasa -- Boston December 25, 1969:

One of the qualifications of a Vaisnava is that he is poetic. This means that the Vaisnavas are very much enthusiastic to describe on paper the glories of Lord Krsna and Krsna Consciousness. In our Back To Godhead I am very pleased to see that many of our disciples are becoming eager to record their thoughtful ideas about Krsna Consciousness. This eagerness is one of the symptoms that a devotee is making progress in the matter of spiritual purification. So when your article is completed, please send a copy to me, and I shall read it carefully and then submit it to Back To Godhead for consideration of publishing.

1970 Correspondence

Letter to Pradyumna -- Los Angeles 21 June, 1970:

According to Bhagavat school the Lord's Rasa Dancing is the smiling face of the Lord. As it is recommended here in this verse that one should gradually rise beginning from the lotus feet up to the smiling face, so we shall not at once jump to understand the Lord's pastime in Rasa Dance. Better we should practice to concentrate our attention by offering flowers and tulasi on the lotus feet of the Lord. In this way as we become purified by arcana process gradually we dress Him, bathe Him, and all these transcendental activities help us in purifying our existence. So when we are on the higher standard of purification, at that time if we see the smiling face of the Lord or relish the Rasa Dance pastimes of the Lord, then we can relish His activities. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam, therefore, Rasa Dance pastime is delineated in the 10th canto.

Letter to Pradyumna -- Los Angeles 21 June, 1970:

The more we concentrate on the transcendental form of the Lord, either on the lotus feet or on the calf or on the thighs or on the chest, the more we become purified. In this verse it is clearly stated "as and as the intelligence becomes purified," which means as and as we become detached from sense gratification. Our intelligence at the present moment in the conditioned state of life is impure on account of being engaged in sense gratification. So the result of all meditation on the transcendental form of the Lord shall be manifested by our detachment from sense gratification. Therefore the ultimate purpose of meditation is purification of our intelligence.

1973 Correspondence

Letter to Susan Beckman -- Herts, England August 29, 1973:

Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the incarnation of Godhead in this age has delivered the medicine for all problems of the world by his introducing the Sankirtan movement. Sankirtan means to chant that Holy names of the Lord and to give up all other engagements. The chanting is a process of purification. Just like we use soap to cleanse the body, this is material, but the chanting is spiritual cleansing. The three stages of cleansing are first to clean the mirror of the mind. In the Bhagavad Gita it is said, "The mind is the best friend and the worst enemy, for one who has learned to control the mind it is the best of friends but for one who has failed to do so it is the worst enemy." Due to long term association, the mind absorbed in material things has become contaminated, or dirty, the chanting process purifies the mind.

Letter to Patita Uddharana -- Bombay 14 October, 1973:

Regarding writing, I may quote from the Caitanya-caritamrta Ādi lila, ninth chapter, the blue print of which I have just received from New York.

esaba prasadae likhi caitanya-lila-guna

jani va na jani, kari apana-sodhana

(Cc. Ādi-lila 9:5)

"It is by the mercy of all these Vaisnavas and gurus that I attempt to write about the pastimes and qualities of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Whether I know or know not, it is for self purification that I write this book."

1975 Correspondence

Letter to Bhanutanya -- Tehran 14 March, 1975:

You should understand that Krishna Consciousness is a purificatory process. One may not be purified immediately, but since he is on the right path for purification, one should not criticize him for some faults that he may still have. Just because some body has made some mistakes does that mean that you should give up your whole career in Krishna Consciousness? What will that accomplish? Simply more rebirth and death. The fact that you have left our movement just on account of some minor disagreements shows that you are not actually serious about going back to home, back to Godhead. I suggest that you become serious about spiritual life and try to overlook the minor offenses of others. You should keep yourself in the association of devotees, chant at least 16 rounds, read my books and follow all of the rules and regulations very strictly.

Letter to John Panama -- Vrindaban 19 April, 1975:

P.S. In the meantime, please chant Hare Krishna as often as possible for purification of the heart.

1976 Correspondence

Letter to All Governing Board Commissioners -- Honolulu 19 May, 1976:

Over the past ten years I have given the framework and now we have become more than the British Empire. Even the British Empire was not as expansive as we. They had only a portion of the world, and we have not completed expanding. We must expand more and more unlimitedly. But I must now remind you that I have to complete the translation of the Srimad-Bhagavatam. This is the greatest contribution; our books have given us a respectable position. People have no faith in this church or temple worship. Those days are gone. Of course, we have to maintain the temples as it is necessary to keep our spirits high. Simply intellectualism will not do, there must be practical purification.

1977 Correspondence

Letter to Nandarani, Unknown -- Unknown Place Unknown Date:

It is explained clearly in the twenty-first chapter of the Teachings of Lord Caitanya that the sound representation of Omkara is non-different than Krsna. Omkara is one of Krsna's innumerable incarnations and as such Omkara is completely transcendental. The impersonalist, however, has a tendency to place more emphasis on Omkara and less on the Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna. Lord Caitanya appeared specifically to teach personal love of God through the chanting of the supreme Name of Krsna. For purification we need concern ourselves with no other teachings than those of Lord Caitanya; and what He taught was that in this age of Kali there is no other way to achieve God-realization than by chanting the Holy Names Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. Omkara is there, and one may chant Omkara and achieve impersonal realization. But we are Vaisnavas and we are seeking the supreme perfection. Therefore we are chanting the supreme Name—Krsna.