Training of Dinesh dasa (Letters, 1968 - 1971)

Expressions researched:
"Account" |"Activities" |"BBF" |"BBFD" |"BBT" |"BKF" |"BTG" |"Back to Godhead" |"Bhaktivedanta Book Trust" |"Book Fund" |"Book Trust" |"Book Trust," |"Book" |"Books" |"Branch" |"Branches" |"Business" |"Center" |"Centers" |"Check" |"Checks" |"Consult" |"Consulting" |"Cooperate" |"Cooperated" |"Cooperation" |"Cooperatively" |"Dai Nippon" |"Debt" |"Debts" |"Deities" |"Deity" |"Deposit" |"Dinesh" |"Dinesh's" |"Distribute" |"Distributed" |"Distributing" |"Distribution" |"Duty" |"Festival" |"Finances" |"Financial" |"Funds" |"GBC members" |"GBC" |"Governing Board Commission" |"Governing Board Commissioners" |"Governing Body Commission" |"Governing Body Commissioners" |"ISKCON" |"Initiate" |"Initiated" |"Initiates" |"Initiating" |"Initiation" |"Initiations" |"Iskcon" |"Kirtana" |"Language" |"Leader" |"Leaders" |"Leadership" |"Leading" |"Literature" |"Literatures" |"M-V trust" |"M-V" |"M.V trust" |"Macmillan" |"Magazine" |"Magazines" |"Manage" |"Managed" |"Management" |"Managers" |"Managing" |"Manuscript" |"Manuscripts" |"Mayapur-Vrndavana Trust" |"Mayapura-Vrndavana Trust" |"Meeting" |"Mission" |"Missionary" |"Money" |"Movement" |"Organize" |"Our society" |"Preach" |"Preacher" |"Preaching" |"Press" |"Print" |"Printing" |"Program" |"Programs" |"Publication" |"Publications" |"Publish" |"Publishing" |"Rathayatra" |"Report" |"Reports" |"Sankirtana" |"Temple" |"Temples" |"The society" |"Translate" |"Translated" |"Translating" |"Translation" |"Translations" |"Zonal" |"Zone"

1968 Correspondence

Letter to Krsna Devi, Dinesh -- Montreal 13 June, 1968:

I thank you very much for your letter of May 31, 1968, which is duly in hand. I had not heard anything from you in long time, so I was very glad to hear that you are doing well. I am pleased to hear that you have so nicely installed the Jagannatha Deities at your home, and that you are worshiping Them regularly with nice offerings of prasadam, incense and flowers, and also saying prayers before Them. That is very good. Please continue chanting and reading Srimad-Bhagavatam before the Deity, and you will progress nicely.

Yes, the coloring book idea is nice, but for now there is greater need of your service to Krishna in helping out the Santa Fe Temple. You have requested me in your letter to please advise you about your devotional service, and I shall tell you frankly that the best thing for you to do now is to help the Santa Fe Temple financially. You were originally entrusted with the responsibility of that branch, as you helped start it, and so it is your duty now to help maintain it, even you are not present there. If it is closed down, it will be great shameful to you. So, at the present moment your former husband, Subala, is struggling alone there, and there is urgent need of financial aid to him. Therefore, I request you to do this service; you and your husband should earn money nicely, and send to Santa Fe at least $100.00 a month. That will be good for you both, and good for me, and good for Subala, and the best service for Krishna. Krishna wants that you should do Him this service, to help maintain His Temple there, so I request that you shall do this immediately. And Krishna will be pleased upon you, and will give you all aid in serving Him in this way. That is my desire.

And, if after first giving service in this way, then, if you have got extra time and money, you can execute the coloring book idea, and I shall help you in the future on it. But the first duty is to help maintain the Lord's Temple as I have instructed. Hoping you are both well.

Letter to Subala -- Montreal 21 August, 1968:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated August 6, 1968. And I am very glad to know that you are pulling on. But one thing is that you must be self-independent, because for the time being, the students from other centers are sending you money and Krishna devi also has written me letter that she is sending through Dinesh a $100.00 a month. But how much you are spending and how much money you have received, please let me know. Because my next attempt will be to start a press. And I think in that press, your assistance will also be required. The press starting is very urgently needed, and in that case I shall be requiring at least $5000.00. So your center must independent, self-independent, I might ask the students to pay me something out of their income for my press starting. So I shall be glad to hear from you what is the position and how you shall be maintaining your center. The idea is that local devotees must manage the local temple. In case of emergency, the other temples may help, but that should not be continued, for all the time. I think you will understand me right.

Letter to Jaya Govinda -- San Francisco 15 September, 1968:

You will be pleased to learn that Sivananda from Montreal has gone to Berlin for opening center there. Mukunda has gone along with Gurudasa and Syamasundara. and their wives to London, to open a center there. Gaurasundara is going to Hawaii for opening a center there. Gargamuni has already opened a grand center in Seattle. Similarly, Annapurna and Ananda are going to open a center in Vancouver, and you know also that Hayagriva and Kirtanananda, with the help of several other devotees are developing New Vrindaban in 138 acres of land in West Va. Also, Dinesh and Krishna devi are going to Florida. In Florida we have 10 acres of land arranged by Dayananda and Nandarani. So all my disciples here are doing marvelously in spreading Krishna Consciousness. In San Francisco, Jayananda arranged a grand meeting yesterday amongst the Gujarati community here and most probably we shall very soon have our own gorgeous temple in San Francisco. So everyone is doing very nicely and I hope that you two also do something wonderful in India. And Bombay is the right place. As you don't like to reside in Vrindaban, but you prefer a city like Delhi, then the best city in India is Bombay. There, you don't require to speak Hindi or Bengali, all gentlemen and residents there speak in English. So you will have better facility to work there and probably to establish a center there. I do not know why you are hesitating.

Letter to Yamuna -- Seattle 23 September, 1968:

You will be glad to know our disciple Sriman Dinesh is preparing another record, Cintamani Prakara Sadmasu, and other songs and speeches, 20 min. each side. And it will come out very soon. Regarding our former records, if you want we can send you for selling there. Hope this will find you all in good health. And awaiting your further letters about preaching work.

Letter to Krsna Devi, Dinesh Candra -- Seattle 26 September, 1968:

I am in due receipt of your letter of Sept. 24, 1968, and have noted the contents carefully. Yes, you can accept this proposal without any hesitation and get the loan from him. For service of Krishna sometimes we may agree to act in a way which may not be very agreeable to us. But in all cases, please do not agree to accept meat. Avoid such undesirable action very tactfully.

Letter to Aniruddha -- Seattle 27 September, 1968:

Dinesh is a good technician in the matter of film making, and gramophone record making, and it is understood that in Hollywood is a good place for such kind of activities. So somehow or other, you organize your center nicely, and I shall be glad to visit if necessary by the middle of October.

Letter to Krsna Devi, Dinesh Candra -- Seattle 29 September, 1968:

In continuation of my last letter, I have taken quotation from New York about record manufacturing and Brahmananda has sent me the following quotation as per leaflet enclosed herewith. Brahmananda says it will be still not cheaper so far printing of albums is concerned, so if we get 5000 albums, I have estimated, it will be more or less around 2000 dollars, or about 45 cents per record. So if Dinesh and you think that the record playing has come out very successful, then we must print 5000 copies. If you get $2000. from your father, that will be sufficient for 5000 copies, and if need be, we can arrange to invest one hundred or two hundred more, if so required. So you ask Dinesh to open correspondence immediately with Brahmananda, and it will be nice to print 5000 albums immediately.

The Sankirtana party is selling Back To Godhead nicely and if they display the record on a record player in the street, I think we can sell this album very nicely.* If you get a cheaper price than this rate, let me know, otherwise we may get it manufactured in New York. So far album art work is concerned, I shall ask Muralidhara to do it very nicely. So please let me know what you are going to do in this connection and I hope you are in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

*I understand stereo records are in greater demand than mono records. So you will have to do stereo records.

Letter to Dinesh -- Seattle 6 October, 1968:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated Oct. 3, 1968, and have noted the contents. I am preparing for going away from this place for somewhere else by the end of the next week. So you can come and see me at once on receipt of this letter and we shall talk in detail. Bring the following things also along with your film tapes, namely:

1. My passport and two certificates which are lying with Cidananda. These are very important documents and bring them within your inside pocket carefully.

2. Some files and large brown envelopes that are lying in San Francisco.

Krishna devi may not come with you because she is in mature condition. If you think your absence at this stage will not be advisable for Krishna devi's mature stage, then don't come.

Letter to Krsna Devi -- Seattle 18 October, 1968:

I am going to Montreal on the 23rd October, 1968, and from there I shall go to Santa Fe, and from there I shall go to Los Angeles. I understood that Dinesh was to see me this Sunday, but if it is not possible to see me on Sunday, then the next chance will be to see me at Los Angeles. I think the Sankirtana party can sell the records very nicely, and you can directly correspond with Tamala Krishna. They are also going to Los Angeles just after my departure.

Letter to Dinesh, Krsna Devi -- Los Angeles 19 November, 1968:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated Nov. 17 and 14, respectively, and I have noted the contents carefully. I understand that Dinesh's present job is very tedious and hampering, but because you are now a family man, you must have some steady income. So unless you find out a better job, how can you give up the present one? We step forward when we understand that the forward step is on a sound basis, then we get on the rear step. Your record and film business is not yet started so there is no certain income. The scheme which you have submitted is very nice and appears to be very practical and sound, and you are also very intelligent. Your idea is also very glorious. You want to serve Krishna with all your energies and intelligence, so I have got all support and approval of this scheme, but until you have got some income, how can I advise you to give up your present job, especially when you are a family man. Of course, if you find it too much tedious, then there is no other alternative but to give up the job and depend on Krishna, and He will do the needful.

Regarding Kallman: The contract is in New York, there in a file, but this Mr. Kallman has failed to abide by the contract. He printed 10,000 copies of the record, but he did not pay a single cent. Although the contract was that he would pay me 15 cents per record. You can consult your father what is the position. I think Mr. Kallman has broken the terms of the contract, but Brahmananda told me that he has taken a letter from Brahmananda adjusting this account. Of course, Brahmananda had no power to adjust this account without my sanction. So you can inquire from Brahmananda what is the position. Otherwise, the contract is already broken. So by joint consultation with your father and Brahmananda you can do the needful. I understand you are coming here by the 23rd instant, and when we meet we shall discuss on this point broadly. But Mr. Kallman is very intriguing. But when he comes before me, he presents himself as a great devotee. So this is the position. But he has not paid me a single cent, that is a fact.

Hope you are all well, and I shall be expecting to see you very soon,

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Satsvarupa -- Los Angeles 31 January, 1969:

Regarding your letter dated January 25, 1969, I have already sent to you tapes #2 and #3. As an experiment, I sent tape #3 by ordinary mail at the concession rate for tapes. Please let me know when this tape #3 has reached you. If it does not arrive too late then we can continue to exchange in the mail at this postage rate of five cents. You do not require to send finished tapes to Dinesh. Please send them directly to me.

Letter to Hrsikesa -- Los Angeles 8 February, 1969:

Regarding your idea of a Krishna Conscious book of many of our prayers, this is a nice idea, and very soon Dinesh will have many prayers which he has been tape recording written out in English transliterations. I am advising him to send these to you when it is available.

Letter to Pradyumna -- Los Angeles 26 February, 1969:

Regarding your need for records, Mr. Kallman has cheated us in so many ways, so I am therefore thinking of making a new record of Hare Krishna vibration. But if you now have a tape recording machine then you can have the kirtana record in tapes. The cost of such tapes can be found out from Dinesh in Los Angeles.

Letter to Brahmananda -- Los Angeles 27 February, 1969:

Regarding our record, it was manufactured by Mr. Kallman, and he has not paid me a single farthing as royalties. He has cheated me in so many ways, so if there is no legal impediment we must immediately reprint the record through Dinesh. I have already advised him in this connection.

Letter to Dinesh -- Hawaii 22 March, 1969:

I am sorry that I could not acknowledge receipt of your albums which I duly received, although I could not play them for want of machine. But I have received Mukunda's opinion about it. He says that it is super excellent to say the least. They are going to have it played by the BBC in London. Similarly, Govinda dasi is going to play it here in such important station. We are going there this morning for about an hour of music and discussion on the station here. So I hope you will be successful in your adventure.

Regarding Syama's kirtana; it is also nice. But it does not behoove that I shall sing with her. Let us see how much she is advanced in Krishna Consciousness. And then we shall think of full cooperation.

Hope you are well, and convey my blessings to Krishna devi and your daughter.

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

P.S. I have also received on letter from Krishna devi and your picture of Birbhadra. It is very nicely posed. __ great-grandchild of Srimad ___ Das Balaji. Thanks.

When Purusottama will go to S.F., you will send me the tape-recorder with him.

Letter to Dinesh -- Buffalo 22 April, 1969:

I thank you very much for your letter dated April 20, 1969, and the tape of our Sankirtana recording and prayer. Everyone who has heard it here is very satisfied with the result, and I thank you very much for your efforts in this connection. I am enclosing herewith one letter from Brahmananda, and you can understand from this how much this recording is being appreciated.

Letter to Dinesh -- Allston, Mass 25 April, 1969:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated April 22, 1969, and I have carefully noted the contents. I have already acknowledged receipt of your nicely taped kirtana recording. I think that the mrdanga sound should be a little more increase, and the tampura sound should be decreased. When the chorus is chanting in response to the leader, the mrdanga is not very distinctly heard. Therefore, it should be increased. As for when this record will be pressed, I think this should be done as soon as possible, because everyone is already wanting this record. If you cannot get it pressed immediately, then I have asked Brahmananda to arrange for the pressing. I have heard that Dai Nippon Company can give such pressing at a competitive price. The jacket design you have described sounds nice, so you may develop it in this way.

Letter to Dinesh -- Columbus, Ohio 15 May, 1969:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated May 11, 1969, and I have carefully noted the contents. Regarding your idea of pressing a 10" record, if you can sell these in ordinary stores, that's all right, but don't depend simply on temple sales. Depending on temple sales is not businesslike. You must plan your work in a businessman's way, so you cannot depend upon our centers for all sales. In the temple there are devotees, there are not businessmen, so you cannot depend on them for doing business; neither can you expect advice about business dealings from me. I have given you a department to manage nicely, and if there is some profit, you may give some for my book fund, but I cannot be consulted for advice in how you should manage the particulars of your business.

Please convey my blessings to your good wife, Krishna Devi, and to your daughter, Visnuarati. I hope this will meet you all in good health.

Letter to Dinesh -- New Vrindaban 10 June, 1969:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated June, 6, 1969 and the copy of the agreement which you sent. The first thing is that I have already given you my word, so there is no need of an agreement with me. My word is final agreement, but if you want it for business reasons, I have no objections to sign it. But the wordings are not always clear. Another thing is although I have brought this Sankirtana Movement to the Western World we cannot make it copyrighted. The Sankirtana Movement is not my invention. So how can it be copyrighted? Besides that, as you will find in the album of my previous recording, the chanting of Hare Krishna is going on since time immemorial. So Hare Krishna cannot be copyrighted, although the tune in which I sing with my disciples, that may be made copyrighted. I have no objection to sign this agreement, but don't be misled that the chanting of Hare Krishna or Lord Caitanya's Movement can be made copyrighted.

There are some points in the contract which are not very clear, so you may explain them to me further by post. The points are as follows: "ISKCON shall have the sole and exclusive right and authority to collect preserve and distribute all tangible expressions of said sound vibrations." "Said sound vibrations shall be fixed in a tangible form solely by ISKCON" "ISKCON shall have the exclusive right to any existing sound recordings contained in any medium of fixation that have been previously recorded by the SWAMI" "ISKCON shall have the sole and exclusive right to use the name and likeness of the SWAMI for all purposes and activities encompassed by this agreement."

So upon hearing from you on these points I shall send you back the agreement duly signed by me. I am very much encouraged by the statement of your letter, but I must let you know the pros and cons of this agreement.

Please convey my blessings to Krishna Devi. I hope this will meet you in good health.

Letter to Dinesh -- New Vrindaban 13 June, 1969:

I thank you very much for sending me the broadcasting tape containing varieties of our Sankirtana Movement and it has come very, very nice. I have received one letter from Mukunda that you are already in negotiation with him for complete cooperation with the Beatles in future, and this is very nice program. Most probably I shall be going to London by the end of July, and from different sources I can understand that the Beatles are becoming interested in the Sankirtana Movement. In the meantime you may have received my letter to you dated June 10th in which I have asked you to explain some lines mentioned in the agreement between you and me. So I am expecting your reply, and upon receipt of it, I shall immediately send you the signed agreement as you have sent it to me.

Please offer my blessings to Krishna Devi and Visnuaratrik. I hope this will meet all of you in good health. Thanking you once more for the tape.

Letter to Krsna Devi -- New Vrindaban 15 June, 1969:

I am pleased to learn that you are thinking of putting together a cookbook of our Krishna prasadam recipes. I understand that in London, Yamuna Dasi has already done some work on this same project, so you may correspond with her in this connection. I know that at our feasts especially many persons become interested in preparing foodstuffs in this way, so this cookbook is a nice thing to instruct such persons in preparing and offering nice prasadam for the Lord. So when there is some tangible book ready for publication, please inform me, and we shall try to arrange for its publication. I am pleased to note your description of the increasing interest in vegetarian diet in this country. Actually, the practice of meat-eating is very detrimental to spiritual life, because in spiritual life the goal is to become free from all sinful reactions, and meat-eating means simply to force oneself to suffer the sinful reactions of killing our fellow living entities. So as many people will be taking to practicing spiritual life through the influence of our Sankirtana Movement, such cookbook will be very important, and you should work for this as you are able. Please convey my blessings to your husband, Dinesh, and to your child, Visnu Arati. I hope this will find you all well.

Letter to Dinesh -- New Vrindaban 17 June, 1969:

I have just received your letter dated June 13, 1969, and I have carefully noted the contents. I quite follow you that you are planning to work conjointly with our London party. So I am sending you back the agreement duly signed by me, and I hope you will do the business side of these records with the Grace of Lord Caitanya. If you wish to go to London, I have no objection. The Sankirtana picture which you sent, I do not follow if you want to print this picture in the next album cover, or what is your idea of sending it. Anyway, it is very nice, and I thank you for enclosing it. Please immediately send to me one copy of the contract so I may keep it here in my files.

Convey my blessings to your wife and child. I hope this will meet you all in good health.

Letter to Mukunda -- Los Angeles 28 June, 1969:

I don't wish that Dinesh will interfere with the recording of "Hare Krishna" by the Beatles. I don't know what correspondence is going on with you between Dinesh & you. Everything should be carefully done so that our friendship with the Beatles may not be disturbed. They are gradually coming to cooperate and we shall not do anything which may disturb this cooperation.

Letter to Mukunda -- Los Angeles 1 July, 1969:

I have seen your letter to Dinesh, dated 26th June, 1969, and I am little bit disturbed in my mind. This recording business is not our line, so you should not divert your attention for the time being for such things. After a great struggle, you have got now a nice place for the London temple, and if you leave now, your other co-workers, Godbrothers and Godsisters, will be discouraged. So I request you not to leave London at the present moment at any cost. I have already sent you a note for the Archibishop of Canterbury as per your letter of June 19th, and you have so many things to do now. So I request you not to divert your attention to this musical side. I know you are a musician, and naturally you have got a tendency for musical entertainment, but at the present moment our main business is to push the Sankirtana Movement. So, as you are doing, take the Sankirtana Party to various places, and this will be the most appreciated. If you adulterate our Sankirtana Movement with some business motive, then it will be spoiled immediately. Be careful in that way.

Dinesh wanted to print some records, so we have given him two, three recordings. Let him do business in his own way. Why he should drag our men for doing his own business? So I repeatedly request you not to divert your attention to this matter at the present moment.

I hope this will meet you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

P.S. I don't think Dinesh is doing nice so far Govinda record; practically he has not paid me any money out of this enterprise although he has made a legal document signed by me with very great hope. I don't mind for this let him have something out of it.

Letter to Mukunda -- Los Angeles 2 July, 1969:

Regarding Dinesh, I have already written to you yesterday about this. It is simply high-sounding words. There is no substance or practical program. So forget about Dinesh's hallucinations. He has no money, and he wants to take from others, and others wish to only sign papers. So it is a will-o'-the-wisp. Regarding the Beatles, if they chant the Hare Krishna Mantra, give them all facilities. Because if they make some Hare Krishna record, that will be widespread, and we want simply that the Hare Krishna Mantra may be very popular all over the world. We do not care for any profit out of it. We should not try to make a profit out of the Hare Krishna Mantra; then our spiritual enlightenment will be hampered. Our principle should be to beg contributions from others, and as far as possible not to try for any big bargains.

Letter to Balai -- Los Angeles 21 July, 1969:

Regarding your question about the ceremony of offering Srimad-Bhagavatam and some coins to your child, yes, this may be done. Several months ago this same ceremony was performed with Visnu Arti, the daughter of Krishna Devi and Dinesh Candra, and Visnu Arti chose the Bhagavatam.

Letter to Damodara -- Los Angeles 16 August, 1969:

I very much appreciate the nice sentiments you have expressed, and Krishna is available only through service. We cannot demand from Krishna to know about Him. When you actually learn to serve Him, He reveals Himself. That is the process. And the success of life is simply by pleasing Him. That is the version of all Vedic literature. Knowledge means to know Him, and success means to please Him. And how He is pleased, that can be known through the transparent medium of His confidential servant. This is the process of understanding Krishna Consciousness. I was very much anxious to hear from you, and this letter is encouraging. Similarly, Hamsaduta and Himavati are trying in Berkeley, and although they have not found as yet any temple, their work is going on nicely. Please offer my blessings to Madhusudana, Dinesh and Krishna Devi. I hope this will meet you all in good health.

Letter to Damodara -- Ascott, England 23 October, 1969:

Madhusudana and yourself both are a good combination, and I am sure our Washington center will become very soon one of the first grade branches. From the plane we saw Washington city, and if possible, when I go to Boston I may visit your place also. I have received from Dinesh two records of Bunde Hum, but I could not play them as yet for want of a record player. Anyway, please convey my thanks to him. If he is earning something, let him send some money for my book fund.

Letter to Dinesh -- Tittenhurst 31 October, 1969:

I beg to thank you for your letter dated October 21, 1969 along with a contribution of $25. I have already acknowledged receipt of your new record. Regarding the disciplic succession coming from Arjuna, disciplic succession does not always mean that one has to be initiated officially. Disciplic succession means to accept the disciplic conclusion. Arjuna was a disciple of Krishna and Brahma was also a disciple of Krishna. Thus there is no disagreement between the conclusions of Brahma and Arjuna. Vyasadeva is in the disciplic succession of Brahma. The teachings to Arjuna was recorded by Vyasadeva verbatim. So according to the axiomatic truth, things equal to one another are equal to each other. We are not exactly directly from Vyasadeva, but our Gurudeva is a representative of Vyasadeva. Because Vyasadeva and Arjuna are of equal status, being students of Krishna, therefore we are in the disciplic succession of Arjuna. Things equal to the same thing are equal to one another.

Regarding your second question about Sanjaya, he was a student of Vyasadeva, and by the mercy of Vyasadeva he was able to receive the message of the conversation of Krishna-Arjuna. Thus Sanjaya was able to speak to Dhrtarastra about the conversation on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra. Regarding your final question, the marginal potency means internal potency. But because the marginal potency sometimes comes within the external position, therefore, in spite of its being internal potency it is turned to marginal potency. This is stated in Visnu Purana: Any potency of Krishna is spiritual energy, but due to varieties of actions a section is called marginal potency or external potency.

Please offer my blessings to your good wife, Krishna Devi, and daughter, Visnu Arati. I hope this will meet you all in good health.

1970 Correspondence

Letter to Dinesh -- Los Angeles 22 January, 1970:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated "nil" and I have also received the package of tapes by separate post. Thank you very much for them.

I am very pleased to learn that both you and your wife have been lecturing on Krishna Consciousness at the George Washington University and there was good response to your program. You simply read our books and if you simply reproduce the purport of Srimad-Bhagavatam or Bhagavad-gita, people will take it very seriously. So, of course, you must understand the purport and reproduce it in your own language. That will be very good, but someway or other if in some way you present the purport of Srimad-Bhagavatam or Bhagavad-gita that will be also very good. The idea is that we should not make any addition or subtraction of mental speculation, but we should endeavor, even if we do not fully understand from our present platform, to present simply the philosophy as we have received it directly and realized it by practical experience.

Regarding the Uher tape recorder, it will be very welcome. Our "Dicto-trans" dictaphone is not working and is always giving some difficulty; if the Uher is in good condition, it will be most useful. Also I would like to record permanent tapes at the same time that I am making dictaphone tapes. Can you arrange some device so that one control microphone will stop and start recording on both machines simultaneously?

Salt should be added to the vegetables after they are in masala, it should not be cooked directly in the ghee. Regarding recipes for a cookbook, I think Yamuna devi has made one collection of Prasadam recipies so you may contact her in this connection.

Please offer my blessings to your good wife Krishna devi and child. It is very encouraging to me that Visnu Arati is being raised from her very birth in Krishna Consciousness and is spontaneously chanting Hare Krishna. No other yoga system can be so practiced even by a little child.

If Krishna devi is continuing to feel weakness she may reduce any strenuous activity and increase the number of rounds chanting. I hope her health has improved by now.

Letter to Krsna Devi -- Los Angeles 17 February, 1970:

I have received the Uher tape recorder, and Devananda will try to use the machine according to Dinesh's instructions.

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

Please offer my blessings to Madhusudana, Kancanbala, Dinesh, Visnu Arati, Denise, and all the boys and girls there.

Letter to Pradyumna -- Los Angeles 5 April, 1970:

If possible, you can make another complete tape for use in other centers. You should make several copies and perhaps Dinesh can help you in this connection. Then distribute these specimen tapes to all centers and they may be asked for the charges.

Letter to Dinesh -- Los Angeles 19 May, 1970:

I understand from Devananda that you are in immediate need of the Sony machine, therefore I am sending it through Satsvarupa. You can take it from him, and when you have finished your business or you have got a similar or better machine, you can return it to me.

I wanted to keep this machine only for the reason that the mechanical arrangement is easier. The other machine which you have supplied is undoubtedly of superior quality as I see that a few tapes recorded on this machine have come out very nice, but there are several practical defects also. Sometimes the tapes become twisted. Anyway, it is working and Devananda is handling it. If it goes on like this I may not require the Sony machine.

So Satsvarupa is returning to Boston today (Tuesday), and you can get the machine from him as soon as you go there. I understand that you are also expected there within a few days.

Letter to Satsvarupa -- Los Angeles 28 May, 1970:

P.S. Has Dinesh taken delivery of the song tape recorder?

Letter to Satsvarupa -- Los Angeles 4 June, 1970:

The tape recorder which you have taken for Dinesh—whether he has taken delivery? He wanted it very urgently, so if he has not taken it yet, you can inform him by telephone.

Letter to Satsvarupa -- Los Angeles 5 June, 1970:

Try to deliver the tape recorder to Dinesh who is now in Washington again. So try to make some arrangement for this.

Letter to Dinesh -- Los Angeles 26 June, 1970:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 12th June, 1970, and noted the contents. I have also received the copy of the letter which you have submitted to the Embassy of India.

Regarding this permission from the Indian Consulate, it must be taken somehow or other. It is very important.

I am very glad to know that you are maintaining a nice program of Sankirtana in the Washington area. Yes, this Sankirtana is our prime means for attracting sincere souls back to Krsna consciousness, so continue to improve your Sankirtana as far as possible. It is very encouraging that you have received written permission from the police to chant and take collections. This permission is very important. Please send a copy of the letter to me for reference.

So it is very good that your sales of literature are very good and improving more. But Gargamuni informs me that the payments for BTGs and book sales are not being sent. So the best thing will be to keep daily count of your stock and how many magazines and books sold, then regularly on Sunday the sales may be totalled for issuing a check to the amount owed to the book fund and to BTG account. Then on each Monday the check may be sent to Los Angeles. So you do this regularly.

Regarding your schedule of temple activities, it is approved by me. So please continue this program of classes, Sankirtana, Deity worship, offering and distribution of Prasadam, and working in Krsna's service. This simple full twenty-four hour schedule will make your life perfect.

So your plan to visit the heads of each of the embassies in Washington to give them some Prasadam and explain our philosophy of Krsna Consciousness Movement is very nice. So do it with great seriousness and Krsna will give you all further intelligence. Regarding the proposal of a new center in Trinidad, that is a nice idea. I know that there is a large Indian community there. For the time being just try to train up this nice older woman who is staying with you. Give her all facilities and instruction for understanding our Krsna consciousness way of life.

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Letter to Damodara -- Los Angeles 1 July, 1970:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 25th June, 1970, and noted the contents. What has happened to Dinesh's letter to the Embassy? Please see that this permission is granted. It is very important business.

Letter to Dinesh -- Los Angeles 1 August, 1970:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 27th July, 1970, and noted the contents. Yes, I have received the Tandberg Speakers and they are very nice sounding. We are playing the tapes which I have recorded on this machine in stereo and they are very nice.

Nowadays, I am not making tapes because of a little blood-pressure trouble. As soon as I am a little peaceful I shall make tapes and send to you as desired by you.

The prospect of your opening a new branch is very good. If you can, do it. This opening of centers is required. However, Krsna Consciousness does not depend on the place, on the contrary, it depends on the person who is free from duality. So why another part of the world for opening a new branch. There are many places in this country where it is important to have our branches.

I am very glad to note your eagerness for expanding your service. This attitude is very nice and it is required of the devotee at every stage. So do it very enthusiastically with great faith and patience strictly following the regulative principles. Your good wife and yourself should set the example as model Krsna consciousness householders by your careful observance of all our Krsna conscious principles and thus make your lives successful.

Letter to P. Gangulee -- Tokyo 16 August, 1970:

I hope you will kindly send me this letter and in the meantime I am advising Sriman Dinesh Candra Dasa Adhikari to see the Consular Division of your Embassy in the matter of getting the necessary visa.

Letter to Dinesh -- Calcutta 25 September, 1970:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated September 17th, 1970. Regarding the letter from Mr. Gangulee, it is very nice that he has agreed to write it and the copies should be attached to each and every visa of the devotees as you have mentioned—that is very good proposal. But regarding taking the visas, they are already coming, Hamsaduta and Himavati are already here and I have received telegram that the others are leaving London and expect to be here on the 3rd of October. Anyway, you are managing the affair nicely so far, so please see whatever remains to be done is finished up properly. This is an important matter and up to now it is going on well. So whatever you do in this connection, I am sure of its being alright.

I am very glad to learn that both you and your good wife, Krsna devi, and your daughter, Visnu Arati, are together in Boston. Your all engagements sound to be very suitable, so please execute your duties in Krsna Consciousness and be happy. I am especially pleased that you are taking charge in the Boston area of placing my books and literatures in the local school-college libraries and you have already had success with placing all our literatures in the two most important libraries of Harvard University and the Divinity School. When I spoke there sometimes back our Krsna Consciousness philosophy was very much appreciated, so I think this is an important place for our literatures to be available to the students and faculty. Please go on with this engagement enthusiastically and Krsna will give you all success in the venture. You are intelligent and hard working devotee of Krsna and Krsna will bless you for this very fine service which you are rendering unto Him.

Devananda Maharaja has sent you a separate letter which will be self explanatory. We are having some troubles with the electrical machinery here.

Letter to Rupanuga -- Calcutta 25 September, 1970:

Regarding Indian consulate permission for visas, etc., I have already received telegram that they are coming here on the 3rd October, so I do not think there is any need of further effort. I have instructed Dinesh to finish up the necessary details and I am sure he will do so as he as nicely done it so far.

1971 Correspondence

Letter to Dinesh Candra -- Gorakhpur 16 February, 1971:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated 23d January, 1971 and enclosed with one letter from your good wife Krsna Devi. It is so much encouraging that you are distributing our books so nicely in the Boston area and especially that several bookstore chains have taken so many copies of KRSNA book and TLC So see to it that this program continues there in Boston with increasing volume. That will be a great success for our missionary activities.

Yes, you can see to making more records, certainly. The more our movement is increased, the more the demand for these records will be there. People here in India are also wanting these records. So you can send one copy of every record as samples here immediately to the above given Bombay address. Records are exempt from our life membership program. Also the new recording described by you meets my approval, so do it nicely. You can send the booklet here as soon as it is ready.

So far as your establishing one center in Israel, I have already written Krsna Devi about this. I have all blessings for you both in this regards, so you may go there immediately.

Letter to Dinesh Candra, Krsna Devi -- Bombay 13 April, 1971:

Last time I heard from you, you wanted to go to Jerusalem to start one center there and I agreed. Almost everything was settled up. What happened next? I thought that you had already gone. Presently I am making plans for going to Australia, Malaysia, and Russia also and I was planning to go to Jerusalem as well on my way to Russia. So let me know immediately in this connection what your plans are.

Just today I received another letter from Yacov Shames in Jerusalem (c/o Dr. Ritchie: 79 Rehov Bait Vegan; Bait Vegan; Jerusalem, Israel) and he is very much anxious to have me visit there, so I have consented that on my way to Russia I will go there for some time. I asked that you correspond with this boy in my previous letter but he makes no mention of it. What happened? Please let me know as soon as possible.

Letter to Dinesh Candra -- Calcutta 18 May, 1971:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated 24th April, 1971 and have noted the contents carefully. Also I have received one letter from Yacov Shames and he acknowledges that he has been corresponding with you in regards to opening one branch there in Jerusalem.

It is very much encouraging to note that you have made final arrangements for going to Jerusalem on 2nd June, 1971, accompanied by one brahmacari. You all have my full blessings and may Krishna help you all in this noble venture. Just as soon as you arrive there, you can let me know. Most probably I will be starting for U.S.A. via Bombay, by the beginning of June. First I shall go to London and then on to USA.

Presently in Calcutta we are holding a huge "Hare Krishna Festival" in which 35,000 to 40,000 people are attending daily for hearing discourses on Srimad-Bhagavatam and Bhagavad-gita. We are distributing prasadam also. It is so much enlivening to see how the people are being so receptive to this message. It is all Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mercy.

Please offer my blessings to your good wife Krsna Devi. Hoping this will meet you in good health.

Letter to Dinesh Candra -- Los Angeles 13 July, 1971:

Please accept my blessings and offer the same to your wife Krishna Devi, daughter Visnu Arati and Kulasekhara Prabhu. I am in due receipt of your very encouraging letter dated 30th June, 1971 and have noted the contents carefully. Your endeavor is very much appreciated. Thank you very much. You have my all good wishes. Success or no success, it doesn't matter; you have come to Israel with your family and that is my pleasure. All blessings upon you.

So for the time being, you can stay in your apartment, have discourses and hold kirtana and whoever voluntarily may join, no one can object. Whoever comes, give him nice prasadam. For the time being this can be done. There is no need of outside engagements if they are not possible to get. If you can, that's all right. But inside activities should go on. So live peacefully and whatever service you can render is all right.

You should preach on the position of God. You can describe how God Consciousness can be developed. We are not presenting another God. We shall talk on God, his nature, His exalted position, his omnipresence and how we can realize him. For example in Bhagavad-gita we can realize, as it is stated there, that God is in everything extraordinary. We can realize God in the taste of water. When we are thirsty and drink water, the nice taste which quenches the thirst, that is God. So gradually you can introduce and disclose that according to the Vedic faith God is called Krishna, just as he is called Jehova or Allah. Indirectly you can say that God has no name but because we are accustomed to understanding everything by giving some nomenclature, so God has names which are ascertained by His activities. For example God is creating, so if I call God "the master of the world" (Jagadisa) then what is the wrong there? And who can deny that God created the world?

We are not concerned with the common man because they will think that we are criticizing. So speak on general features of how we understand God. God is called great in every religion. Our appreciations of greatness are six in number. These are stated in the Krishna Book Introduction. So you have to introduce the matter of God scientifically, and that will be appreciated by any reasonable man. If we say that your God is like this and our God is like that, then there will be great disturbance. Simply speak on general topics, that God is like this. Then let them read our literature and ask questions. In this way try to push on our missionary activities.

Hoping this will meet you in good health.

Letter to Kirtanananda -- London 22 August, 1971:

You have asked for some song translations and one is enclosed below. Others may be gotten from Dinesh who is presently in Israel.

Letter to Krsna Devi -- Delhi 20 November, 1971:

Sankirtana means preaching. So if you are regularly holding classes, street Sankirtana may be postponed until the proper time. Meanwhile it is very encouraging that Dinesh Prabhu may be starting to teach classes in Vedic literature at Tel Aviv University. Just try to give this Krishna philosophy to the intelligent class of men, and distribute our books as many as possible, and your all efforts will come out successful. Know it for certain that by this your sincere working for Krishna, very soon you will go back to Home, back to Godhead.

I have notified the GBC that they should supply you with more men as they are required by you, so when that time comes you may apply to Syamasundara., who is travelling with me, or to Karandhara or Rupanuga in the US and they will do the needful.

I hope this meets you, your good husband, Dinesh, and your daughter Visnu Arati dasi in good health and cheerful mood,

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami