Training of Guru-gauranga dasa (Letters, 1971 - 1974)

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" |"Distribute" |"Distributed" |"Distributing" |"Distribution" |"Duty" |"Festival" |"Finances" |"Financial" |"Funds" |"GBC members" |"GBC" |"Governing Board Commission" |"Governing Board Commissioners" |"Governing Body Commission" |"Governing Body Commissioners" |"Guru-gauranga" |"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"

1971 Correspondence

Letter to Guru-gauranga -- Delhi, India 10 December, 1971:

My Dear Son,

Please accept my blessings. Upon the recommendation of Locanananda I have gladly consented to accept you as my duly initiated disciple. your beads have been duly chanted by me and they are sent under separate post. I have given you the spiritual name: GURUGAURANGA DAS.

I am so glad to learn that you have been such a great help to Locanananda there in our Geneva Center. I can understand that you are a very sincere boy and are very eligible for going back to Home, back to Godhead. And the process is simple. Follow the regulative principles, chant at least 16 rounds of beads daily, read our literatures, go for street Sankirtana, etc. In this way keep yourself engaged in Krishna's business 24 hours and you will be really happy in this life and in the end reach the Supreme destination.

1973 Correspondence

Letter to Guru-gauranga -- Melbourne 11 February, 1973:

I am in due receipt of you letter dated January 24th, and have noted the contents carefully. I am very much encouraged to hear of your increased Sankirtana movement and your return to Geneva to open up still another chapter in Lord Caitanya's conquest of the world. You may consult closely with Bhagavan das on all matters and he will give you good advice in this regard. As far as police problems are concerned, this is going on all over the world, especially here in Melbourne, they are being persecuted by the police. Even they are going to jail daily, but still they will not stop their chanting and distributing. When they go to jail, they refuse to eat the food, and in this way so much public sympathy is there. So eventually the police will accept us and our Sankirtana activities will go on unchecked. Simply we must have the determination to continue our preaching work under all circumstances.

The initiation of Bhakta Olaf das is duly approved by me and his new name is Asok Kumar. You may also have him send his beads along with a cover letter from you to Rebatinandan Swami, who is in London and has been authorized by me to chant on the beads. I hope this finds you in good health.

Letter to Guru-gauranga, Paris Devotees -- London 24 August, 1973:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your nice letters dated August 18 and 19th 1973. I was very much pleased to come there and visit. Paris is developing nicely step by step. When I was at the Hotel de Ville I thought that this is better than London. So Paris is a most important city of the world. Work with great enthusiasm and make Krishna more prominent than Napoleon and Eiffel tower.

I hope this letter meets you all in good health and jolly mood.

1974 Correspondence

Letter to Guru-gauranga:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated Sept, 1 1974 and have noted the contents. Regarding the marriage of Ramiya devi dasi; you can find out a suitable boy there, I think that Bhagavan das can arrange this. It is not necessary for Bilvamangala to marry this particular girl, another can be found out. Regarding the remarks of Prof. Jean Herbert, in Bhagavad-gita we find no instruction except devotional service or bhakti yoga. We have to prove this from the statements of the Bhagavad gita. We cannot accept the interpretation of an outsider. Regarding karma yoga the Lord says:

yat karosi yad asnasi yaj juhosi dadasi yat

yat tapasyasi kaunteya tat kurusva mad-arpanam

(BG 9.27)

This mad-arpanam is bhakti yoga. Similarly the Lord says:

bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate

vasudevah sarvam iti sa mahatma sudurlabhah

(BG 7.19)

This means that jnana alone is not good unless the jnani surrenders to Krishna. Unless one does so his knowledge is not perfect. Similarly at the end of the Bhagavad gita the Lord says:

sarva dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja

aham tvam sarva papebhyo moksayisyami ma sucah

(BG 18.66)

This is the ultimate goal to surrender to the Supreme Lord. This is the end of yoga.

He also says at the end of the 6th chapter:

yoginam api sarvesam mad gatenantaratmana

sraddhavan bhajate yo mam sa me yuktatamo matah

(BG 6.47)

Of all yogas, karma yoga, hatha yogi, etc., one who always thinks of Krishna is the 1st class yogi. We are teaching people to become 1st class yogis in Krishna consciousness.

I hope this meets you in good health.