Krishna consciousness means to increase the number of persons in Krishna consciousness. Therefore it is the duty of a Brahmacari to go door to door as beggar and enlighten people in Krishna consciousness. Whenever you go to some person he will hear something from the devotee about Krishna consciousness and that will be very much beneficial for both the devotee and the person who hears the devotee. In India the Brahmacaris are meant for begging from door to door for the Spiritual Master. But in your country this activity is not allowed, therefore some devices like selling the publications recruiting members, inviting them to our meetings and likewise activities must be taken by the Brahmacaris and that will be nice. Grhasthas or the householders have responsibility of family therefore whatever contribution they can offer for the Society is welcome.
Some people (Letters)
Correspondence
1967 Correspondence
1968 Correspondence
Our motto is simple living, high thinking; we should think of Krishna without being hampered by material disturbances, as far as possible. So too much risky thing is not for us. If something comes very easily for our manipulation we welcome it. You have got already a center in S.F. so it is better to make propaganda so that people may come there in throngs. Gargamuni can make this propaganda by sellng Back To Godheads. Personally, I shall advise you to try for our own temple, either in S.F. or in L.A. You wanted me to talk to some persons who are very rich and I am ready to go with you. In the meantime, as you want to do business and so also Gargamuni, now you can order any amount of Indian goods from Vrindaban De, my younger son. And he has agreed to execute all your orders on 10% commission. I think you should agree to allow him that commission, because unless he gets some profit for his labor, it does not become very encouraging. So if you agree to give him 10%, he will supply all your goods and you may pay on presentation of the documents. If you confirm this then I shall write to him again and both you and Gargamuni can send your order to him without any difficulty.
A person who has lost his intelligence, is not even counted amongst the higher section of society. So, the Ramakrishna is a bogus man according to the statement of Bhagavad-gita. Vivekananda was also not even intelligent man because he accepted Ramakrsna as incarnation of God. This Ramakrsna, who is actually Gadadhara Chatterjee, declared himself as the same Rama and Krsna. If he is accepted as such by some person, is he very intelligent man? Suppose a man comes before somebody and says he is Pres. Johnson. and the foolish man accepts the pretender as Pres. Johnson, is that man to be accepted as very intelligent man? Vivekananda was not even an intelligent man because he accepted Gadhadhara Chatterjee as incarnation of God without any credentials. We accept Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead on the evidence of Vedic literature. There is no evidence in the Vedic literatures that a common unintelligent person by worshiping a demigoddess Kali can become an incarnation of Godhead. The goddess Kali is divine mother for the conditioned souls, not for the liberated souls. There is no direction in the Vedic literatures that one can become liberated even by worshiping the goddess Kali. She is superintendent of the prison house known as material world.
Regarding the Christian's Trinity, I believe it is called God, the Holy Ghost, and the son. Person in Krishna Consciousness accepts this by the name Visnu, Paramatma, and Jiva. God is a Person, the holy spirit or the supersoul is a person, and the living entity is also a person. Also, Mary is the representation of the energy of God. Either as internal energy Radharani or as external energy Durga, the energy of Godhead can be considered the mother of the living entities. But there is no clash between the Bible and the Vedas, simply some people formulate their personal ideas and cause quarrelings. Nobody can say the Bible was meant for the same class of men as the Bhagavad-gita. And Bhagavad-gita is the ABC's of spiritual knowledge. Beyond that is Srimad-Bhagavatam. How great Srimad-Bhagavatam is nobody can imagine. And beyond that is Caitanya Caritamrta. But beginning from the Bible or Koran, on up the principle remains the same.
Yes, I am keeping well by the Grace of my Guru Maharaja, and I am working also on Srimad-Bhagavatam as well as for a nice edition of Caitanya Caritamrta. The Teachings of Lord Caitanya is being printed, 5000 copies in Japan; and the Bhagavad-gita As It Is, is being published by MacMillan Co. very shortly. The arrangement is complete and things are going on. Now you have to find out some person who can distribute our literature and other things. Sometimes you told me you can find out some man who can take charge of our distribution of literature, now please do it very seriously. Because if we have no outlet for selling the books it will be a problem to get the new stock of books. If there is nice distribution arrangement, then at least 2 to 4 books we can publish every year.
All living entities beginning from Brahma down to an ant, everyone is trying to increase such materialistic way of happy life without knowing that any amount of material comforts of life cannot make the spiritual living entities happy. Therefore, when a living entity becomes very serious to become really happy and gets into touch with Krishna Consciousness by the Grace of Krishna and the Spiritual Master, that is the beginning of his fortunate life. And the more one becomes advanced in that fortunate way of life, the more he becomes happier and happier. This is the difference between fortunate and unfortunate. The beginning of contact with Krishna Consciousness is the beginning of good fortune. That some people may come and others may not, this is also due to association. Suppose a man accidentally comes in contact with our society and gives some service willingly or unwillingly, that is the beginning of his fortunate life. We go from door to door canvassing people to join Krishna Consciousness movement means that we are trying to make them fortunate. Anyone who gives some service to this Krishna Consciousness movement is fortunate proportionately. At least the seed of his fortunate life is sown there. Whether he gives service of some sort, willingly or even unwillingly, the seed is sown, and the fortune will come proportionately.
1969 Correspondence
Your humble sentiments are very nicely expressed and I thank you for them. I have already written to Jivananda and Harsarani, and they are inclined to go to New Vrindaban but I have advised them to go to Hawaii after spending a short period in San Francisco training up the devotees there in Deity worship and Sankirtana Party. So you may correspond with them to make more definite arrangements. From Sudama's letter I can understand that some people are coming to your kirtanas, so try your best to develop your center and Krishna will surely help you. We have not brought your Srimad-Bhagavatam here, but when I get opportunity, I will send you one volume one.
If we simply become sincere to our Spiritual Master and Krishna, then everything will automatically come to help us to proceed further and further in our Krishna Consciousness. I think that when Mandali Bhadra comes there, there will be no more difficulty in the translation work. As far as possible though, you all should try to learn a little German. One should learn the local native language if one desires to live there. For the present, even though some people may think that our translation work is terrible, there is nothing to lament. After all, German language is a foreign language for us, and our main business is to present our thoughts to the German people. If in a foreign country a man is met with some catastrophe such as fire, he has to take help from the neighbors even though he has no language to express himself. Some way or other he has to inform his neighbors there is a fire in his house so that they can help him. So if the foreigner cannot express himself in very good language, he is not at fault. So there is a blazing fire of maya, and we have to inform the people, even if we must use broken language. That is no fault. But by Krishna's Grace this problem will soon be solved. Don't worry.
Regarding the tour of North Dakota, this is a nice proposal. So if it is practical, it will be very nice for you and your wife. Only thing you have to do is rent a station wagon, so you can travel, sleep and cook there. Keep with you four or five pairs of cymbals, one harmonium, one mrdanga. One of you play the harmonium, one of you plays the mrdanga, and some persons in the audience can play the karatalas. In this way you can perform nice kirtana. Subala met me here in New Vrindaban and described this plan, but I do not think it is mature yet. But when some arrangement is done, you can accept it. You have suggested that Nandakisora and his wife join you, but how will you manage with two pairs of husbands wives with the $350 per week? The program is very nice, and if you can make it practical, I have full support for it. This is a good opportunity for spreading our philosophy and Sankirtana. I understand that you and Himavati have gone already to Vancouver, and I am expecting a letter from you as to your report in this connection.
I beg to thank you for your letter (F-235) dated June 26, 1969, and I have noted the contents. That some people in India wish to donate Murtis and musical instruments but the Indian government has no provisions for such donation is most surprising. Hindustan has become independent, but while she was under foreign government she had the liberty to preach her culture and religion in foreign countries. During my Guru Maharaja's days, thousands of Rupees were being dispatched from Calcutta to London, but the new Indian government being independent, they are prohibiting to send some Murtis and mrdangas. So it is all our bad luck that these things are happening. Anyway, for the future I have arranged like this: Sriman Acyutananda Brahmacari is collecting some mrdangas and karatalas in exchange for our magazine, Back To Godhead. The price of one year subscription to Back To Godhead is $5.00, and in exchange of such one year subscription he is accepting a mrdanga and a few pair of karatalas. He has already collected a few mrdangas, and very soon he will have to dispatch them to our various centers. So please let me know whether or not you shall be able to get sanction from the Reserve Bank of India for this exchange policy of accepting goods of the value of one year's subscription. I hope the above is clear and you will do the needful.
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated December 3rd, 1969, and I am very glad to learn that you are feeling very strongly for Jesus Christ. You have already mentioned the exemplary character of Lord Jesus Christ that he sacrificed everything for God. This example should be taken. The process should be to follow the example, not to imitate the exact activities. For example, Lord Jesus Christ wanted to preach amongst some persons who were practically against the principle of accepting God as the Supreme, and the result was that these people crucified him. At the present moment, the world situation is more dangerous than before. People have become actually Godless. So if you follow the footsteps of Lord Jesus Christ to preach God-consciousness against Godlessness and dedicate your life in that way, that will be the real purpose of following Jesus Christ. Lord Jesus Christ revealed that he was the son of God, and Krishna revealed that He is God Himself, the Supreme Father of all living entities. So if you dedicate your life to the service of Krishna, the Supreme Father, don't you think that Lord Jesus Christ will be pleased with this? At the present moment we have to preach in an enlightened society. So Krishna Consciousness has got inexhaustible treasurehouse of philosophy, logic and science to convince people about God-consciousness. So if you are actually serious about following the footsteps of Lord Jesus Christ, you should take advantage of the great philosophical background of this Krishna Consciousness Movement and make people God-conscious, dedicating your life. One should try to make progress.
1970 Correspondence
I thank you very much for your kind letter dated 23 January, 1970. In the last paragraph of your letter you have mentioned that you are not irritated at the chanting of Hare Krishna Mantra (like some people) but rather you like it. It has given me much satisfaction, and I am sending herewith a copy of our magazine, "Back to Godhead" issue number 28, in which you will find how the students liked this chanting of Hare Krishna Mantra although all of them were neophytes to this cult of chanting. Actually it is very pleasing to the heart and the best means of infusing spiritual consciousness or Krishna Consciousness into the hearts of people in general.
Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated October 29th, 1970, and noted the contents. Regarding taking introduction from some persons to their friends for making life members, don't depend on others' introduction—do your own work.
1972 Correspondence
So far your interview in Times of India, he has caught you on one or two points unable to answer. We should always be patient to answer such newsmen's questions, they are very easy to answer, and so many people will see. For example, for the question about poverty, you should have said that some persons are destined to suffer poverty by their karma. It is said that good parents are no guarantee for good children, medicine is no guarantee for health, a ship is no guarantee for a drowning man—all of these counter-remedies are useless if a man is not protected by Krishna. Therefore, in you country, even they have very rich parents, the children are turning out to be poverty-stricken hippies, so here or there, it doesn't matter, poverty must exist by the laws of nature because people have forgotten Krishna, therefore they must suffer alternate poverty and so-called opulence just like being pushed under the water for some time and then relieved by coming up, then again pushed down, and they are thinking this is life.
1973 Correspondence
We shall not waste time if there is no interest or if the people are unfriendly, there are so many places to go. But I understand from your letter that practically everyone is taking some interest. That means you are presenting the thing in a very nice manner, they can detect that here are some persons who are actually sincere and nice, let me hear them, let me purchase one book. So I can understand that it is not an easy matter to travel extensively over long periods of time without proper food, rest, and sometimes it must be very cold there also, and still, because you are getting so much enjoyment, spiritual enjoyment, from it, it seems like play to you. That is advanced stage of spiritual life, never attained by even the greatest yogis and so-called jyanis. But let any man see our devotees working so hard for Krishna, then let anyone say that they are not better than any millions of so-called yogis and transcendentalists, that is my challenge! Because you are rightly understanding through your personal realization this philosophy of Krishna Consciousness, therefore in such a short time you have surpassed all the stages of yoga processes to come to the highest point of surrendering to Krishna. That I can very much appreciate, thank you very much for helping me in this way.
1974 Correspondence
We have to keep Krsna always in the center, and then although there are disturbances and sometimes fall downs we will be able to work together and keep our society intact. Some people recommend that in the face of so many nasty thoughts which occur in material thinking, we should try to become "thoughtless", but this is never possible. Our Krishna Consciousness principle is not to become thoughtless but to purify the thinking to always thinking of Krishna. So try to spread and encourage this philosophy of thinking of Krsna, after thoroughly assimilating it yourself.
1976 Correspondence
In the meantime, I have received one letter from Jayapataka Maharaja in which it informs that Madhava Maharaja and also possibly Damodara Maharaja are making propaganda against our attempt to construct a township in Mayapur, with the centre of attraction being the "Vedic Planetarium." In this connection we have applied to the government for 350 acres of land and the matter is in the process. However, Damodara Maharaja and Madhava Maharaja are trying to frustrate our attempt. I shall quote the portion from Jayapataka's letter to me:
"After the report (request for land) was submitted, the District Magistrate sent some land officers to come here to our site to inspect the lands and their position, nature, etc. During this time the local people some how or other came to know about the acquisition. This was mainly transmitted through Damodara Maharaja initially, some persons say. Some local farmers raised a petition against the land acquisition, with about 90 signatures. Petitions for having the development plans go through are also being raised by the local people, the majority of whom support the ISKCON plan. About 2,000 should be raised in total in favor of this project. One supporter, while coming to show me his petition, with 500 signatures on it, was kidnapped and the petition was snatched away. He was taken to Madhava Maharaja's Math doorstep and some of the local cultivators and Prabhu's of the Math threatened him and demanded why he was supporting ISKCON.
| Page Title: | Some people (Letters) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, Serene |
| Created: | 23 of Mar, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=0, Let=17 |
| No. of Quotes: | 17 |