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Training of Janardana dasa (Letters, 1967 - 1976)

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" |"ISKCON" |"Initiate" |"Initiated" |"Initiates" |"Initiating" |"Initiation" |"Initiations" |"Iskcon" |"Janardana" |"Janardana's" |"Kirtana" |"Language" |"Languages" |"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" |"Zones"

Correspondence

1967 Correspondence

Letter to Janardana -- San Francisco 22 January, 1967:

I thank you for your letter of January 17, 1967, redirected from New York. I have come here on the 16th instant by United Airline Jet plane, and I am glad to inform you that my students here—especially Mike and Harvey—made very nice arrangements for receiving me. The center is open now and exactly like New York we are executing the service regularly. Some of the devotees will be initiated today.

Now it is your turn to open a similar branch at Montreal. To open a branch and to conduct it nicely according to our line of action is the path of Krishna Consciousness. In my absence in New York the students are nicely managing affairs. They, although feeling my absence, are not discouraged. Rather they are executing the service very nicely and exactly. I think they will manage to purchase the house under negotiation. 80% of the transaction is finished. They are taking a great burden in paying $200,000.00. They are very enthusiastic, and I hope you will also manage to open a nice branch at Montreal like that. In the spiritual world also there is competition for the best satisfaction of Krishna.

I hope you will take me to your place by the month of April, 1967—or earlier as you think best. Before returning to India, if I am able to run at least three centers like the one in New York, another in San Francisco and the other in Montreal, then I shall feel successful in my mission. I hope you will help me in this direction and oblige.

Ranchor has come with me from New York. Yes, he has your goods in his apartment. Herewith you may find his note in this connection.

I am also enclosing a press cutting which will speak for itself. Hope you are well, and with best wishes for Mrs. Dumbergs. The girl is very intelligent, and you should peacefully teach her about our great mission in the world.

Letter to Kirtanananda -- San Francisco 11 February, 1967:

The address of Janardana Das Adhikari (Janis Dumbergs) is as follows:

311 St. Louis Square

Apartment # 2

Montreal Quebec, Canada.

Letter to Janardana -- San Francisco 15 March, 1967:

I am glad to learn that your good wife is now days taking interest in Krishna Consciousness. Please offer her my blessings. I think a good and sincere husband's influence is working in her. Be happy in family life and both of you become blessed by Krishna consciousness. What about my books.

Letter to Kirtanananda -- San Francisco 7 April, 1967:

By Krishna's planning Brahmananda's presence at Montreal was so much helpful. I very much appreciate your selection of Janardana as the President and Paul and Helena as treasurer and secretary respectively. May Krishna bless them and let me congratulate them for execution of Krishna's service so nicely.

Letter to Kirtanananda -- San Francisco 7 April, 1967:

Convey my blessing to Sriman Janardana, Paul, Hansa and Helena.

Letter to Mr. Dambergs (senior) -- New York 12 April, 1967:

I am unknown to you but I have heard about you from your very good grandson Sriman Janardana (Janis).

Letter to Janardana -- New York 12 April, 1967:

I am in due receipt of your very long letter of April 10,1967. On the same day I received also your wife's letter requesting me to pay $300.00 which she gave in loan to the Society. I have at once replied to her letter through Rayarama that the money, $300, which she has given in loan to the Society must be returned to her, and I am glad that you are going to repay next week. If you, however, find any difficulty to repay her, then write to me and I shall manage to send her the $300. Of course it will be difficult for the managers to send $300 while they have lost $6,000. Still, I do not wish to put your wife into trouble for the money which she faithfully loaned to the Society. So kindly let me know that you are going to repay her loan. Otherwise I shall send her the money.

I can understand that there is some difficulty in meeting the regular expenditure of your Society—namely $350, as you have stated in detail. I apprehended this difficulty in San Francisco when you first informed me of opening a branch in Montreal, and I discouraged the enterprise. But you were, both you and Kirtanananda, all enthusiastic.

Now when you have opened it is not good to close it; that will be a discredit for the Society. Try to continue the branch by cooperation. I can understand that you are a family man. You cannot expend the whole amount you earn, but as your wife has proposed that she can allow you to spare 50%. So either 50% or any per cent you can easily spare for the Society, we shall welcome. Don't be overburdened. We don't want anyone to be overburdened. Rather I shall ask Kirtanananda who is not a family man to take the whole responsibility. So don't be agitated. Prosecute Krishna consciousness in peacefulness. One thing I shall request you and your wife: to translate into French all our books. The Society will be obliged to you by your intellectual service more than by money; because you are a family man and you require money. I hope this will satisfy you.

Letter to Kirtanananda -- New York 13 April, 1967:

Your mutual understanding with Sriman Janardana making Krishna as the center of attraction is very much enlightening to me.

Letter to Kirtanananda -- New York 14 April, 1967:

I received all letters from Janardana and I have duly replied to them including one meant for his grandmother who is ailing for some time past. You are all good souls and therefore Krishna has sent you all for giving me chance to serve Krishna.

Letter to Kirtanananda -- New York 14 April, 1967:

Now we have both records and books and I have ordered for more books from India and I have now money to print the Gitopanisad. Janardana's friend Mr. McGill certainly can help me in this connection.

Letter to Kirtanananda -- New York 14 April, 1967:

Under the circumstances if it is possible for me to get Canadian permanent Visa through the good office of Mr. McGill then I can immediately start for Montreal. Please let me know how far it is possible and if Janardana has made any progress in this connection.

Letter to Janardana -- New York 14 April, 1967:

I hope you have duly received the note sent for your grandmother. Although we have spent $500.00 till now for my permanent Visa, our Lawyer is not yet successful. He does not advise me to cross the borders of U.S.A. otherwise the Visa which is now extended to February 1969, will be cancelled. And I cannot return to U.S.A. It is very difficult to deal with these lawyers. Now if it is possible for me to have Canadian Visa as Kirtanananda has suggested in his letter under reply and which you have also confirmed that it can be done, then please do it immediately and I can start for Montreal never mind it is cancelled here. You will find herewith two certificates of my bona fides in the matter of my becoming the teacher of Caitanya Cult. I have got my books also. So if I am appointed as teacher I think the whole problem is solved.

I hope you will try for this and let me know what is the opinion of Mr. McGill who is your friend.

Jadurani also has drawn one design for the Montreal Prospectus enclosed herewith please find.

Your ever well wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

Enclosure: 3 & 1 Letter from N.Y.U.

Letter to Janardana -- New York 1 May, 1967:

I thank you for your letter of April 27,1967 and have noted the contents carefully. My first instruction to you is that you must pass your M.A. Examination before any other consideration. Your degree will be a great asset for the society in the near future. So this is your first consideration. Regarding returning the money you do not bother much. Your good wife gave in loan to the society $300.00 and she must have the money returned. So do not bother about it. The society will return the money to N.Y. conveniently. There is no immediate necessity.

Regarding my Canadian Visa, I shall go to Montreal when you are confident of getting it there. Otherwise I shall lose the U.S.A. Visa also. So conveniently you try to get information from the right source and the best thing will be to get me as a teacher as you suggested in your previous letter. So far I am personally concerned either I remain here or there my business is to chant the glories of Lord Krishna. Wherever I get chance to chant is good for me. I have no idea for sight seeing in any country because I know that all land belong to Krishna and anywhere I remain I remain at His Lotus Feet. But if you think my presence in Montreal will be good for the Branch there I am prepared to go there any moment you ask me to go at all risk even if I am bereft of the U.S. visa. I do not mind it.

Letter to Mukunda -- New York 5 May, 1967:

Mr. Ypslantin the lawyer is going in his own way, so he does not take this material formerly I offered, so let the matter be done in his own; there is no other way than to depend on the lawyer. Similarly in Montreal also, Janis our student, Janardana is trying for a Canadian visa. Let me see what is done.

Letter to Kirtanananda -- New York 5 May, 1967:

I have already written to Janardana about his studies and I have requested him to have his M.A. degree by all means.

Letter to Janardana, Hamsaduta, Himavati, Pradyumna -- New York 28 June, 1967:

While on my sick bed I was so much encouraged by your successful carrying on the Montreal Branch even in spite of the absence of Kirtanananda. There is a verse in the Bhagavad gita tenth chapter that anyone who serves the Lord sincerely with love and affection is certainly instructed by the Lord from within. The Lord helps us in two ways: internally as paramatman, and externally as Spiritual Master. So I think your sincere activities are being appreciated by the Lord from within and He is dictating you all for advancement of Krishna Consciousness. I hope that I may be able to go to San Francisco on July 5th, and from there if I get my permanent visa I shall go to Vancouver where there is every possibility of opening a new branch. There is a friend who is prepared to cooperate, and I understand that there are many Indians also. From Vancouver I may come to Montreal, perform the opening ceremony of installation of Radha-Krishna Vigraha. Then I may go back to India for six months, as there is a program for construction of an American house for training preachers at Vrindaban. Vrindaban is the only solitary transcendental abode within this universe where Krishna Consciousness automatically reveals. Therefore I have a great hope to train some of my disciples for preaching work, even in my absence. I am now old man, and attacked with serious disease; I may be overcome by death at any moment. Therefore I wish to leave some trained preachers so that they can do the work of Krishna Consciousness in the western world. That is my ambition. I hope you all pray to Krishna so I may be able to execute my duty properly.

Letter to Janardana -- New York 22 July, 1967:

I have read with great interest the copy of your letter, and I am so glad to learn that you are feeling more and more Krishna Conscious. So far the stories are concerned, the Vedic literatures are full of instructive stories for the spiritual advancement of the human society. Because the less intelligent class of men, like women, mercantile people, and laborers, want to hear stories, for them the Vedic idea or concept was explained in 18 Puranas and the Mahabharata. If I get good assistance I can overflood your country with stories so nice and instructive.

I wish that after finishing your M.A. exams that you be fixed up and come for some time to Vrindaban in my personal touch. In the meantime, just go on organizing your Montreal center, and the Indian gentleman, Professor Dwivedi may be induced to take a more substantial interest in the temple. When I come back, I shall install Radha-Krishna Murti in the temple, and I hope it will be a great center for the society and for both Canada and the Indian community.

I am leaving this evening with Kirtanananda, and shall write you on arrival.

Letter to Janardana, Pradyumna, Sivananda -- Vrindaban 9 August, 1967:

I am very glad to inform you that we have safely reached India on the 25th July at midnight due to a sixteen hour delay in London. But I am glad to inform you that there was no bodily discomfort while traveling. Kirtanananda and I stayed for a few days in Delhi and then came to Vrindaban on the first. I am undergoing the treatment of an ayurvedic physician celebrated to be the best there is in the area, and I think I am feeling a little better. Anyway, as soon as I am a little fit, I shall return to you by the Grace of Krishna.

Janardana: I had some talks with my god-brother, Swami Bon, head of the Institute for Oriental Philosophy here, and there is possibility of good cooperation between ourselves. If you want to learn sanskrit, there is ample opportunity in this institute. We had some preliminary talks, and it is hopeful that Swami Bon can give us some land for our own building; but even so, arrangements can be made with existing facilities so there would be no difficulty for the students who come here to study sanskrit and the goswami literature. I shall be glad to know about the activities in Montreal, and herewith you may find a note from Kirtanananda.

Letter to Janardana -- Delhi 30 September, 1967:

I am in due receipt of your interesting letter & also the copy of the letter you have sent to the newspaperman. Yes, you must now be careful so that people may not misunderstand us to be a second edition of the hippy movement. What is done in the past to advertise us is already done. Now we should work solidly to attention of important men, and try to make them understand that this movement is the most authorized scientific agitation to invoke man's dormant Krishna Consciousness. I completely support your idea about the preaching method. We are not lacking in philosophy—by the grace of Krishna we have got ample stock to answer anybody's intricate philosophical questions. There is no necessity of stopping questioners by dogmatic statements as it was done in the beginning. I have every hope in you because you are educated and have understood the philosophy completely. You should try to get another newspaper article out explaining the real scientific position of our movement.

I am very anxious to go to Montreal. Therefore you must try your best to get my immigration visa on the basis of my being an authorized Vaisnava minister, based on Srimad Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam. I hop you have got the copies of my certificates in this connection. If not you can get the same immediately from N.Y. of S.F. centers. I wish that either from Canada or U.S. I should get my visa for free movement.

Regarding the incidence that took place on Janmastami day immediately send the following gentleman a copy of your grievance.* (see next page)

Pandit Ram Natha Kalia, Secretary Vishwa Hindu Dharam Sammelan,

1936 Chandni Chowk, Delhi 6,

Tel. 262025.

It is understood that this man has got some connections with members of parliament & he can help us in raising this question in the Indian Parliament House. You should tell him that you are forwarding same under my instructions. Do not enter into correspondence with this man without my consent. The man is a politician and according to Canakya, a politician & a woman are never to be trusted.

Regarding Easy Journey. I may inform you that whatever is written there is authoritative. The information contained in EJ is contained in various Vedic literatures. In Bhagavad-gita as well as in Srimad-Bhagavatam it is clearly indicated that beyond this visible space there is another spiritual space which is eternally existant. Modern astronomers & scientists have no information of the extent of this visible space. And what can they speak of what is beyond this visible space? Therefore our movement is novel. God is living, He has got a particular place & anyone who is God conscious can approach it in this very life. One of our students, Brahmananda, appreciated very much this discovery. He wrote to me a letter that my delivery of this information has given them life—that God is not only alive, but that we can go & live with Him. So what is applicable to Brahmananda is applicable to all sincere souls & we have to present this to the whole world very nicely.

I am very glad that your wife Mona is gradually understanding Krishna Consciousness. Women are generally less intelligent. Give her time & scope & she will turn out a very good assistant for your life. Convey my blessings for her.

Your ever well-wisher

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

*Send him this:

1. Copy of your speech and letter to me of 28 Aug. 1967.

2. Clippings of newspaper or hand bills announcing Miss Uma Sharmas' dance in the Temple.

3. Full name & designation of Mr. Dayala of EXPO.

4. List of people present. Addresses.

5. Copy of letter of regret by Miss Sharma.

6. Limited information on I.S.K.C.O.N.

7. Addresses & names of officers and temple members in Montreal.

Reply to this letter may be addressed to me in Calcutta.

ACB

N.B. I am going to Calcutta on 9/10/67 with Acyutananda & Ramanuja. My address is overleaf. Swami Kirtanananda has given me a great shock. I advised him to go to London with introduction letter and money but he flew away to N. Y. without my knowledge. His first action after taking sannyasa is a great shock to me which please note.

Letter to Nandarani, Krsna Devi, Subala, Uddhava -- Delhi 3 October, 1967:

Please therefore consult Mukunda (S.F.), Brahmananda (N.Y.) Janardana (Montreal), Rayarama (Boston) & send me either immigration papers or permanent visa on the strength of becoming minister of the society.

Letter to Rayarama -- Delhi 4 October, 1967:

Janardana is well acquainted with French, Hayagriva & you with English & Mr. Phil is well acquainted with German. So combinedly you can perform great blitz for bombarding the Western World with Krishna philosophy.

Letter to Brahmananda -- Calcutta 11 November, 1967:

Therefore, I wish that you will remain in charge of New York, let Satsvarupa be in charge of Boston, Let Mukunda be in charge of San Francisco, let Janardana be in charge of Montreal. Let Nandarani and Dayananda be in charge of Los Angeles. And let Subala das be in charge of Santa Fe.

Letter to Subala -- Calcutta 12 November, 1967:

Therefore I wish that you will remain in charge of Boston. Let Mukunda be in charge of San Francisco. Let Janardana be in charge of Montreal, Nandarani and Dayananda be in charge of Los Angeles. And let Subala das be in charge of Santa Fe. In this way, you will follow my example as I did in the beginning at 26 2nd Ave.

1968 Correspondence

Letter to Janardana -- Los Angeles 21 January, 1968:

I become very much proud of nonsense rascal disciples like you. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu represented Himself as a nonsense rascal to understand Vedanta philosophy. Actually, at the present day the people in general cannot understand Vedanta philosophy. The other day I met here Swami Pravhavananda, and I talked with him. To speak plainly how I found him—a great rascal. I know that this station is one of Rama-Krishna mission, beginning from Vivekananda, down to this age, all are living in fool's paradise. Pravhavananda said that Rama-Krishna in his previous life was Lord Caitanya. Similarly it is said that he was formerly Rama and Krishna. If actually he was Rama and Krishna and Lord Caitanya, why there are so many contradictions between Rama, Krishna, and Lord Caitanya one side, and the Rama-hamsa (Rama-Krishna Paramahamsa) on the other side. Do you think that the Ramahansa was Lord Caitanya and just after 400 years he changed the whole philosophy? Lord Caitanya propagated worship of Krishna; Krishna propagated that one should worship Him, Krishna; how is it that this Rama-Krishna worships the material goddess Kali? Ask the question. So, such rascaldom is going on all over the world. So we have to be very careful in understanding Krishna Consciousness and therefore if we remain continuously rascals and try to understand Krishna Consciousness, to understand Krishna as He has spoken in the Bhagavad-gita or in other Vedic literatures through the right sources of disciplic succession, that is our real knowledge. The idea is everyone should try to place himself as if he doesn't know anything. That is his position is secure. But as soon as he says that I know everything, and I was previously such and such, actually rascal. So I know that you are trying to know things from the real source, and you are not puffed up like other fools who think that they know everything. Your humbleness is very much appreciated by me.

Regarding your questions about Easy Journey: purusa is Krishna, and Visnu Tattva, Visnu expansions. In Gita, in 10th Chapter, it is accepted by Arjuna that Krishna is the Original purusa or predominating factor or the Supreme Enjoyer. Stree is the enjoyed, or the energy, or the potency. God has got 3 energies in the spiritual world. One energy is existential, one is cognition, one is enjoyment. The same energy when reflected in the material world is exhibited in 3 mode—goodness, passion, and ignorance. Goodness is manifested in proper maintenance of the creation in the gradual development of spiritual realization, passion is exhibition in the matter of production, and ignorance is exhibited in the absence of real happiness. All these internal energies are acting in favor of the Supreme purusa; in the spiritual world they are acting harmoniously and in the material world they are acting in forgetfulness. Prakrti or stree is in forgetfulness is zero; and the living entities is also prakrti or stree, but he is in forgetfulness in the material existence. The living entities, the same living entities in cognition, are liberated souls, residents of the spiritual world. Daivi means pertaining to the Supreme purusa or Brahma. In everything there is Daivi influence; the Daivi influence is beyond the control of the living entities. Therefore the Daivi energy is spiritual energy or internal potency. I think you can develop this idea and if you have still any doubt you can put questions.

Nirguna means untouched by material contamination. In Bhagavad-gita it is said that the Supreme Enjoyer is uncontaminated by the material qualities of goodness, passion, and ignorance, but His qualities are transcendental without any touch or tinge of material qualities. For example: sex life, the most prominent feature of this material world. This sex life is explained in Srimad-Bhagavatam, 3rd Canto, in the explanation of Vaikuntha world, when it is said that in the Vaikuntha planets, the women or the fair sex is many many more times beautiful, well-constructed, their face and smiling more attractive, their breasts and hips are very high, and they clearly and freely mix with male devotees,, But their strong sense of devotion towards the Lord and being absorbed in Krishna Consciousness, all the features of womanly beauty cannot stimulate their sex passion. In the material world the same reflection of beauty and bodily features at once stimulate sex passion. Therefore, the enjoyment of opposite sex in the Vaikuntha world has no action of sex life whereas in the material world the perverted reflection of beauty has resultant action of sex life which is the cause of dragging material existence. So the description of the Vaikuntha life is nirguna, and the description of worldly life is sahaguna. Our devotional activities are executed by transferring epithet; our senses are there, they are acting pervertedly and putting us into difficulty. The Impersonalist philosopher wants to stop this difficult reactions of the senses but they don't know how to place the senses in healthy life. For example: one may try to get out of diseased condition. This attempt does not mean that one should be killed so that one may get out of miserable condition of diseased life. The real method is to remove diseased condition and be placed in healthy life. Krishna Consciousness means to get out of the material qualities and be reinstated in the spiritual nirguna activities. When one can understand nirguna he can understand nirakara, also. This akar or form of material existence is temporary. When we get out of this temporary changes of different forms as we are transmigrating from one form to another and be placed in our real spiritual form, or purified our existence, that is called nirakara. Or in other words nirakara means absence of material form. Praiidrabya is mentioned by Dr. Naik as the counteracting agent of matter. I do not know whether this word is in Bhagavad-gita, but praii means transcendental and drabya means matter, that which exists. This praiidrabya is explained in Gita as paraprakrti or internal energy which is exhibited in the transcendental world. What interpretation I have replied Dr. Naik later. We have one difference of opinion of the scientific statement of antimatter. I have interpreted antimatter as spiritual where there is opposite matter or eternal. Matter is temporary manifestation and I interpreted antimatter as eternal manifestation or paraprakrti.

Your attempt to present a nice article on Krishna Consciousness on the basis of scholastic understanding is very much encouraging to my mission, and I shall be thinking successful in my mission when you present your Krishna Conscious article before the misguided philosophers and religionists of the world. Vedanta means ultimate knowledge. Knowledge is never perfect unless one comes to the point of understanding Krishna. To remain in Krishna Consciousness is actual understanding of Vedanta. Anything which is not Krishna Consciousness is polluted profane consciousness. Generally the philosophers are acting on the mental plane. The Bhagavatam clearly confirms it, unless one is not situated in Krishna Consciousness he is sure to fall down to material consciousness because he has no other platform. Just like one man flying in the sky, if he doesn't get any supporting planet, he has to come back again on the planet from which he started. Similarly those who are hovering on the mental plane, they must come back to the material manifestation without being in knowledge of spiritual life.

The marginal position of voidness between Brahmajyoti and the material world manifestation is the destination of the Buddhist philosophers. Therefore the voidness philosophy is worse than Impersonalist philosophy. This voidness philosophy is simply nirvana, or absence of material manifestation, but actually it is a material stand whereas Impersonalist monism is transcendental to material manifestation and voidness. Therefore the conception of Brahmajyoti is advanced realization than conception of nirvana. Nobody can be satisfied in void or Impersonalist philosophy; they are against the nature of the spirit soul. We understand from Vedanta philosophy that the spirit soul is by nature joyful. There is no joy in voidness or Impersonalism and because such imperfect philosophers do not know of the association of Krishna which is full of bliss and knowledge, they will fall down repeatedly into voidness and Impersonalism with the result that they cannot stay there and they fall down to the material atmosphere. In Bhagavad-gita it is said by the Lord that these people, void and Impersonalist philosophers, are in great trouble. If they are fortunate enough to meet a pure devotee of Krishna and if they are sincere in their search for the absolute truth, they will find Krishna Consciousness as the last resort of their philosophical researches. Try to help these bewildered philosophers by presentation of your nice Krishna Consciousness thesis which you have prepared, and I am sure Krishna will help you in all respects. Simply your sincerity of service is required and He will dictate from within you how to make your thesis. It will be a great service to the humanity, especially to the Western world.

Regarding Ba'hai philosophy: I have read the pamphlet you sent me, and I find in it that this Ba'hai movement is more or less a humanitarian movement which has no spiritual information. Generally people are attracted by humanitarian movements and Swami Vivekananda was a popular figure of this platform but this humanitarian movement of the material platform is always unsuccessful because one has to counteract the 3 modes of material platform. I do not find any hint in Ba'hai literature where one can surmount the reactions of material qualities. The idea of Ba'hai movement is more graciously presented in our Krishna Consciousness movement. The Ba'hai movement doesn't take any consideration of living entities beyond the human society. But our Krishna Consciousness movement includes everything in the creation of God. As a scholar, you can read such books but I am sure it will not help very much in the matter of advancing our Krishna Consciousness movement. Humanitarian movements is certainly very attractive for the people in general, just like if you start a movement to stop war, it will be very attractive to the people in general. But as a matter of fact, war cannot be stopped. We aren't after stopping the war, but we are after utilizing war actions for satisfying of Krishna, as Arjuna practically performed. War cannot be stopped from the material world, but it can be purified. Therefore, so called humanitarians are our target of Krishna Consciousness. Their statement about Krishna that He is an Individual chosen by God as His representative means that they have no knowledge of God. They require to learn what is God, then they will understand Krishna. Generally speaking everyone has got the conception of God, but actually they do not know what is God. That is explained in Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam, therefore our knowledge of God is far better than any other one in the world. That means if the Ba'hais do not accept Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they have never read Bhagavad-gita as it is. Their claims of reading of Gita is false. You should try to convince them of the Supremacy of Godhead Krishna. Whenever we are able to meet such opposing elements about Krishna, we should know that our Krishna Consciousness is perfected. The Ba'hai people if they are really sincere, they should try to understand Bhagavad-gita sincerely. As soon as they say they have understood Bhagavad-gita and at the same time accept Krishna as a chosen individual person, their sincerity fails. There is less rational thinking in Ba'hai philosophy as I can understand from the pamphlet. There is already contradiction that they accept Krishna as chosen person and not as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, that is contradiction of Bhagavad-gita.

I have received letter from Prabhansu Chosal and I understand that they appreciate your service very nicely. I understand that your God-brothers are as your younger dependent brothers; kindly treat them as your younger dependent brothers and try to advance them in Krishna Consciousness as good as you can.

The new boy who is from England, Chris, may be kindly treated so that when I go to Montreal in the month of May, I may be able to accompany the boy to England and try to start a center there with his help. I have another disciple here, Annapurna, she also comes from England, and I think we may be able to do something in England with the help of these boys and girls. Please treat Srimans Chris, Eric, and Ronald with good kindness.

Yes, anything of which we have no conception, the unknown particle, that is the representation of Paramatma. Yes, your interpretation is quite feasible, because from the Vedic literature that spiritual particle is measured as 1/10,000 part of the upper portion of the hair. So if the physicist's conclusion about the measurement of the soul, that is 100 times finer than what they are already discovered. But however fine and smallest it may be, there is measurement of spirit soul, maybe beyond the experimental knowledge of human scientists. The confusion must continue because this measurement of spirit soul is beyond the range of experimental mind, and understanding. Therefore, confusion. Therefore you have to accept the experience of spirit soul from Vedic literature. If one tries to understand otherwise they will remain in confusion. Subject which is beyond their understanding by experimental knowledge, and if they try to understand it by the same experimental knowledge, that means confusion. This has to be understood by descending process of disciplic succession, or by deductive process, meaning for instance, my mother says this man is my father, I accept, there is no experience. God's name is therefore Adhoksaja which means beyond experimental knowledge. You can inform them that here is statement in Vedic literature (Padma Purāṇa) that the measurement of soul is 1/10,000 of the upper portion of the hair. You are meant for doing this and I shall assist you as far as possible. I thank you for your promise to send me one letter a week.

We are trying to get U.S.A. Immigration, permanent visa, and I am waiting for the result.

Lord Caitanya's Birthdate is on the Phalguna Purnima between 15 of Feb. and 15th of March. The full moon day is Lord Caitanya's Birthday. I think you can send for Rayarama's calendar which he has published. The exact day is 14th March, Thursday, 1968. The procedure is that you should fast from morning to evening (about 7:00) after that there should be offering to Lord Caitanya and prasadam should be accepted just like on Ekadasi day, and next day, Friday, full love feasting may be provided to as many devotees as you can.

Letter to Sivananda -- Los Angeles 21 January, 1968:

Be under the guidance of your elder brothers Janardana and you will progress nicely.

Letter to Janardana -- Los Angeles 7 February, 1968:

I thank you for your letter dated Feb. 5, 1968. Rayarama has already left for N.Y. on Monday night, so you can contact him there. Regarding your proposal for opening a center in London: I am prepared to go there at any moment. Even I do not mind the severe cold there. I have asked Hamsaduta to organize a Kirtana party of 12 heads, so I wish to go there with a strong party for Kirtana and lecture. As you will be free by April 8, you may come to N.Y. just after discharging your reponsibilities, and by that time I shall also reach there. So we shall consult together with Brahmananda, Rayarama, yourself, and myself, how to move all over the world with a Kirtana party. I am very much hopeful of being successful if only selected persons of my followers will form a Kirtana party and have an extensive tour all over the world. In the meantime we are trying to get membership (non-government organization) in the U.N., and if we are fortunate enough to get this membership, then we shall be able to attract the heads of all nations in this important movement. Our program for Krishna Consciousness is solid, and backed by most authoritative literature—Bhagavad-gita, and Srimad-Bhagavatam; there is no question of our not being popular to the world. Simply we have to present ourselves in true perspective. We can challenge any rascals of the world but the difficulty is that it is folly to be wise where ignorance is bliss. Maharishi Mahesa has gained so much popularity over Europe or America, means the people of this part of the world are not very much advanced in spiritual science. What is there philosophy in the teachings of Maharishi Mahesa? He is very clever man to collect fund. He is proposing individual mantra which is complete nonsense, and he is charging for mantra and allowing his disciples to enjoy life as they like. So these are all nonsense propaganda proposals, but people are blind in accepting his advice. One thing is, however, clear, that the Western people are searching after some spiritual enlightenment in the real sense of the term. Bhagavad-gita with the right presentation and the program of Krishna Consciousness is the right prescription, simply we have to administer them with cool head and solid program. I think by the Grace of Krishna my working has produced some sincere souls like yourself, Brahmananda, Hamsaduta, and others. Now we have to chalk out a solid program by consulting together. In the Western countries, there is no dearth of men and money, as well as intelligence, simply to get them together and our program will be successful. My present program is that I am waiting for a little warmer climate otherwise I would have gone to N.Y. without waiting further. Therefore my present program is that I shall remain in the Western Coast, Cal., during Feb. and March. Then I shall go to New York in April. When I will come there and we'll meet together. Then I will go to Boston in May, then by the month of June I will go to Montreal. I think that is the best time. I shall remain in Montreal for June and July, then we shall go to England and possibly from England, we may go to Amsterdam, Paris, Berlin, etc. Now, man proposes, God disposes. I do not know what is Krishna's desire, but I have chalked out my program like this. Pray to Krishna that He may give me strength to render some service to you and to the humanity at large.

I have not yet received Ron Blackwell's letter which you mentioned. Hope you are all well.

Letter to Sivananda -- Los Angeles 12 February, 1968:

If you can manage to construct such pavilion, I have no objection. But consult with Janardana and others in this connection.

Letter to Mario Windisch -- Los Angeles 25 February, 1968:

Our Montreal Temple is situated at the following address: 3720 Park Avenue, Montreal 18, Quebec, Canada. The boy in charge of the Temple is Janardana das Adhikari, and he can be reached at the number 849-4334 (his home telephone). He is a very learned scholar and is highly advanced in Krishna Consciousness. I have good hope and faith in him, and when you meet him you will be very much pleased to talk with him. He is M.A., and preparing for his Ph.D., and is a good scholar in the French language also.

Letter to Brahmananda -- Los Angeles 1 March, 1968:

About going to India, via Europe, visiting several countries, like England, Amsterdam, Germany, etc., we shall confer together when I return back to N.Y. in April; I think Janardana will also come to join in the conference. So we have to make our program for future activity jointly.

Letter to Janardana -- Los Angeles 6 March, 1968:

I thank you very much for your letter dated March 2, 1968. So far the temple is concerned, do what is easier, without too much implicating yourself. The Indians there do not sound to be very reliable; that is my opinion also. So concentrate more on the Canadians and Europeans. Generally, the Indians who come to this country are for material gain only; they have not got very much serious interest in anything spiritual. So when I come there, I shall try to turn the Indians there to become sympathetic to our temple, but most of them being non-Vaisnavas, they may not take to our strict Vaisnava principles. Therefore, they are hopeless to the 80%. If you can sublet the present house, it is better, because that way we can occupy later on if need be. I would like to maintain a Krishna Consciousness boarding house there someday if it is at all possible. But as it is not very easy to maintain the big house at the present time, and you think it best to move to the cheaper one, then I have no objection. It is better not to be too much bothered with rent, and getting into debt that is not very good; so you take care of the matter in the way that there will be less difficulty.

Yes, if Mahapurusa is more needed in New York for his fine cooking service, then he may go there when necessary. Please convey my blessings for both Mahapurusa and Sivananda; they are very sincere souls working very hard to please Krishna and their Spiritual Master. You are all very good servitors of the Lord there, and I am very much anxious for your writings to begin, as they will be a great aid in our spreading of this Krishna Consciousness. Hope you are all well.

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

P.S. I am leaving S.F. on the 8th March, 1968. Most probably I shall get my permanent residence Visa in U.S.A.

Letter to Mahapurusa -- Los Angeles 7 March, 1968:

Fasting should be continued up to evening, then you may have food like on Ekadasi, fruits, milk, etc. On the next day you may observe festival. Janardana consulted me and said he thinks Sunday feasting would be best, so you may do that if you like.

Letter to Mahapurusa -- San Francisco 28 March, 1968:

So far preaching work is concerned, I am expecting both you and Janardana to be very powerful preachers in the near future. Both of you are sincere souls, sincere servitors of Lord Krishna, and He will be very kind to bestow His Blessings upon you. As you go on preaching you will become expert.

Letter to Mahapurusa -- San Francisco 28 March, 1968:

All three of you are very sincere servitors, and you all should become very good preachers, Janardana, yourself, and Sivananda, so that this Krishna Consciousness movement will be spread all over the world.

Letter to Mahapurusa -- San Francisco 28 March, 1968:

Janardana wanted to see me in New York, and I shall be glad to see you both there before I go to Montreal.

Letter to Janardana -- New York 26 April, 1968:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated April 12, and postdated on April 24, 1968, with enclosure of letter from Kirtanananda Swami dated April 7, 1968. I am so glad to learn that your examination in M.A. is successful, and I hope very soon you will have your Ph.D. degrees, both titles engaged in the service of the Lord. There are four things desirable in this material world, namely, good parentage, sumptuous wealth, sufficient education, and good beauty. These things are sometimes impediments in the service of the Lord because such persons with great parentage, wealth, etc., becomes materially puffed up, and thus deviates from Krishna Consciousness, but when they are employed in the service of the Lord, their value becomes many more times greater. Just like zero has no value, but when zero is placed on right side of one, the value of zero enhances to 10 times; similarly, our life, wealth, intelligence, and words become 100 times 100 greater and greater if they are employed in the service of the Lord. I shall always pray to Krishna that you may come out a successful and eminent scholar so that your writings and thoughts may be seriously taken by the mundane wranglers. Our only business is to present Krishna Consciousness to the ignorant mass of people, and if such people agree to hear in consideration of our important position in the material world, it is a great opportunity to place our submission, and thereby our mission is fulfilled. Acaryas in the disciplic succession of Lord Caitanya teach us that we shall try to place the message of Lord Caitanya very humbly to the people in general and that will make us successful in our service to the Lord. I sincerely bless you that your future hopes to present Krishna Consciousness in terms of French custom may be crowned with success.

Regarding the action of Bon Maharaja: We shall discuss the matter when we meet. For the present, you may know that this gentleman is very much materially ambitious. He wants to utilize Krishna Consciousness for his material name and fame. Sometimes he greatly offended our Guru Maharaja, and it so happened that at the last stage, practically Guru Maharaja rejected him. And the result, we can find that instead of becoming a great preacher of Krishna Consciousness, this gentleman has become artificially a head of a mundane institution. To become a very important man in the mundane estimation is not success in Krishna Consciousness. He was first deputed by my Guru Maharaja, along with our late God Brother, Bhakti Pradip Tirtha Maharaja, to open a missionary center in London, and they stayed there for 3 years, but didn't make any appreciable advance. Except that spent enormous money of my Guru Maharaja, and later on they were called back to India. So that is a great history; it is not possible to say everything in this letter, but for the present, be satisfied with these words, and later we shall talk more and more. On the whole, you may know that he is not a liberated person, and therefore, he cannot initiate any person to Krishna Consciousness. It requires special spiritual benediction from higher authorities.

The statements of Thakura Bhaktivinode are as good as scriptures because he is liberated person. Generally the spiritual master comes from the group of such eternal associates of the Lord; but anyone who follows the principles of such ever liberated persons is as good as one in the above mentioned group. The gurus from nature's study are accepted as such on the principle that an elevated person in Krishna Consciousness does not accept anyone as disciple, but he accepts everyone as expansion of his guru. That is very high position, called Maha-bhagavata. Just like Radharani, sometimes thinks a subordinate of hers as her teacher, to understand devotion of Krishna. A person who is liberated acharya and guru cannot commit any mistake, but there are persons who are less qualified or not liberated, but still can act as guru and acharya by strictly following the disciplic succession. It is the injunction of the sastras that anyone who sees the Deity in the Temple as made of wood or stone, or considers the acaryas and gurus as ordinary common men, and discriminates Vaisnavas or devotees as belonging to a certain group or caste, are called hellish. Your question about Bon Maharaja in relation with his disciple is very intelligent and intricate, and we shall discuss at long when we meet.

Regarding Kirtanananda's letter, I may inform you that I always think of him and pray to Krishna for his good sense. That is my duty. Anyone who comes to me for my help or wants advance in Krishna Consciousness, and whom I initiate and accept as my disciple, I must pray for him and his welfare always. So Kirtanananda personally served me, especially during my illness, which I always remember. But because somehow or other he has misunderstood our activities that does not mean that I am no longer his well wisher. I write at the end of my letters to my disciples, "Your ever well-wisher", and as such, I cannot become otherwise than being ever well-wisher of my disciples, even though he may leave me. So I was praying to Krishna that He may save Kirtanananda from his misunderstanding and if ever he chanted Hare Krishna at least once in sincere heart, I am sure Krishna would not allow him to go out of his influence. Therefore, I believe that he can never forget the Form of Krishna, neither he can deny His Personality. It is good news that he is trying to establish a new Vrindaban, which I suggested through Hayagriva Brahmacari, and if he is successful, in his attempt, certainly it will be considered a great benediction upon him by Lord Krishna. When I offered him Sannyas, I expected such great achievements through him and if Krishna desires, he will come out successful in his great attempt. Yes, I expressed my desire to go there through Hayagriva Brahmacari, and if I am invited, to go there, by Kirtanananda Swami, it will be my great pleasure to see the place and enjoy his company.

On the first of May I am proceeding to Boston. Last night we had a very nice meeting at Temple University at Philadelphia, and there were nice kirtanas and speeches, and questions and answers from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. They paid us $150.00 for transportation charges and my lecture fees, and on the 30th of April we are going to hold similar meeting in Long Island, at the State University of New York, at Stoney Brook. They also have promised to pay us $200.00. Similar meetings were held in different parts of San Francisco and Los Angeles, when I was there. So there is great possibility of spreading our Krishna Conscious movement, and if we work conjointly, with serious sincerity, we are sure to come out successful in this great adventure.

I expected to meet you here in New York by this time, but I do not see any indication in your letter under reply. Anyway on receipt of your letter I am very much satisfied and I shall be glad to hear from you I think at Boston.

Letter to Kirtanananda -- Allston, Mass 23 May, 1968:

You wrote one letter to Janardana, and I have replied that letter, and from the letter you can understand my feelings for you.

Letter to Kirtanananda -- Allston, Mass 23 May, 1968:

I understand that the land is very big area; I heard that it is 320 acres of land, and in the letter addressed to Janardana, you expressed your desire to convert this beautiful piece of land into New Vrindaban in U.S.A.

Letter to Brahmananda -- Allston, Mass 27 May, 1968:

Till now I have received no reply from the Canadian Immigration Department, and I have just now received one letter from Janardana stating therein that even if I go to Montreal pending my immigration application, there will be no difficulty.

Letter to Brahmananda -- Allston, Mass 27 May, 1968:

Now, so far American Immigration is concerned; you will try for it after my departure for Montreal. And if you come there sometimes after the first week of June or by the 9th of June, then Janardana, yourself and myself may consult and then take steps what to do in new chapter.

Letter to Brahmananda -- Montreal 5 June, 1968:

I am in due receipt of your five-pages letter dated May 31, 1968, and I have been informed of your telephone conversation with Janardana about my visa appeal.

Letter to Purusottama -- Montreal 14 June, 1968:

I am very glad to receive the copy of the letter from United Nations information department and it is very hopeful for our future activities. I have handed over the letter to Janardana for making some copies.

Letter to Satsvarupa -- Montreal 16 June, 1968:

Unfortunately, I had to eat there, but I accepted a little fruits only, while they were eating all sorts of nonsense, but at least they did not drink. We are the two persons only, Janardana and myself, we avoided all kinds of nonsense.

Letter to Rupanuga -- Montreal 3 July, 1968:

Last night we had meetings and sankirtana very nicely, and Brahmananda, Rayarama and Janardana, they spoke each 15 to 20 minutes and they spoke very nicely.

Letter to Aniruddha -- Montreal 7 July, 1968:

Yesterday Janardana took me to a nice church here called Notre Dame, a very nice wooden structural workmanship with colorful figures and windows, decorated with nicely painted pictures about the Crucifixion of Lord Jesus Christ.

Letter to Subala -- Montreal 13 July, 1968:

Another boy, Christopher Fynn, may be going there very soon. And this letter covered is addressed to him. He is, so far I learned from Janardana, he is educated boy, and try to live together very peacefully in Krishna Consciousness.

Letter to Kirtanananda, Hayagriva -- Montreal 23 August, 1968:

I have asked also Janardana to join the editorial department of publication, and he will do translation work in French, of all our literatures, and similarly Syamasundara. may help in translating all the literatures in Germany, and I am arranging to take the mimeograph machine from New York, into Montreal, so that Janardana and other boy, Dayala Nitai, who is French Canadian, they can immediately issue, a French edition of Back To Godhead.

Letter to Brahmananda -- Montreal 26 August, 1968:

P.S. Please send some sets of Srimad-Bhagavatam (2nd & 3rd) to Montreal with bill. The former books sent to Janardana is paid to me here.

Letter to Brahmananda -- San Francisco 9 September, 1968:

I hope you have already talked with Montreal, to Hamsaduta, or Janardana, about the money dispatched from the Canadian National Bank to London.

Letter to Janardana -- San Francisco 9 September, 1968:

Please accept my blessings, and I hope you are all doing well in Montreal. And I may inform you that immediately you begin translation work of our Srimad-Bhagavatam in French, as well as Bhagavad-gita as it is, in French, and begin our Back To Godhead in French language printed in the mimeograph machine. So you have got enough engagement; you may not take trouble of attempting Srimad-Bhagavatam. I think this will be done by Hayagriva. You take up the responsibility of translating them into French, and as soon as our press is started, that means Advaita and Uddhava are expert in printing matters, we start our press, and we shall print the French books, the English books, and as many publications as are possible, we shall do. But I hope in the meantime you have talked with Brahmananda that one remittance, $1,655.00, was advised to be dispatched to London. But I have received letter from Syamasundara. that he has not received the money. Kindly go to my bank and my account number, V269 A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, and you see the manager, why he has not remitted the money. Because the people are in a foreign country, and without money they will be in much difficulty. Kindly do the needful.

You will be pleased to know that I had no difficulty entering USA, with the Canadian immigration card. First of all, they wanted from me to see my visa, I told that I am Canadian immigrant. Then he said, oh yes, that's all right. So what for you are going; to visit there. How many months you want to remain there? I said about 4 or 5 months. So they did not make any etch in my passport. So I think even if I am not able to get the American visa, there will be no difficulty for my coming and going. Anyway, let us depend on Krishna. So Hamsaduta is there, the Kirtana party is there; please try to organize your center nicely. And I am also enclosing herewith one letter for Hamsaduta.

Letter to Hamsaduta -- San Francisco 19 September, 1968:

Will you kindly personally go and inquire why are they so much callous, in foreign countries, they are without money and they are silent. It is very much surprising. So consult with Janardana what steps we can take.

Letter to Hamsaduta -- San Francisco 19 September, 1968:

If they have not sent the money, and if simply they say they have sent, then what steps shall we take against them? It is very serious matter. So kindly do the needful in consultation with Janardana, and let me know.

Letter to Brahmananda -- Seattle 6 October, 1968:

Regarding Kirtanananda's payment of $100, that is known to you and me also, but why they forget that they have taken also $500? This is known to Janardana and everyone.

Letter to Jayapataka -- Seattle 6 October, 1968:

Another thing, you ask Janardana why he does not write me since I have come back to New York from Montreal.

Letter to Jayapataka -- Seattle 6 October, 1968:

Please offer by blessings to all the devotees and I am expecting letters especially from Hamsaduta and Janardana.

Letter to Janardana -- Seattle 10 October, 1968:

I am surprised that since I have come back from Montreal I have not heard anything from you. Why you are silent? Please reply this letter immediately because I am very much anxious to hear from you. Are you doing French translation work of our books? What about the program of French publication of Back To Godhead? I wrote you from San Francisco, but I have not heard any reply from you. Please take care of this business with the American Consulate, as you will find described in Hamsaduta's letter, as soon as possible.

Letter to Hamsaduta -- Seattle 10 October, 1968:

I want to develop the Montreal temple under your supervision. Why Janardana is not writing me letters? Does he come to the temple regularly or not? What about the French edition of Back To Godhead printed in the mimeograph machine which is already there. I am very anxious to know all these items. Please reply me as soon as possible, on all these points. I am enclosing herein one letter to Janardana also, which please hand over to him, and ask him to give me reply as early as possible. I am very much anxious to hear from him.

Letter to Hamsaduta -- Seattle 10 October, 1968:

So in that connection I am enclosing herewith a letter addressed to the Consulate General there. This letter may be personally borne by Janardana, or if he is busy, yourself.

Letter to Hamsaduta -- Los Angeles 28 November, 1968:

So far Janardana is concerned, I am anxiously awaiting to hear something from him. I consider him as one of the pillars of our society, so please request him to write to me and to inform me of the active interest he is taking in our society. He is very sincere thoughtful member and plus he is good speaker, so with these qualifications he can render most valuable service to Krishna Consciousness. So please ask him to be kind upon me and help in the venture of translating our various books and magazines. When Janardana goes to France, if he is willing to take charge of printing Back To Godhead French edition in France, rather then Canada, it will be very nice. Also in France he may open one center and many of my students may come to help him.

Letter to Hamsaduta -- Los Angeles 12 December, 1968:

This is a great joy to me to see such publication being printed so nicely and my heartfelt thanks are due to Janardana, Dayala Nitai, Vaikunthanatha, yourself and your wife, along with all the others who have helped to make this publication come so expertly.

Letter to Hamsaduta -- Los Angeles 12 December, 1968:

Please convey my thanks to Janardana for the fine work he has done on the magazine and also request him to write to me about his future plans of going to France. He is a most sincere, important member of our society and I think that in France he may be able to do much to popularize our movement and to circulate our new French magazine.

Letter to Janardana -- Los Angeles 19 December, 1968:

I beg to thank you for your letter of December 11, 1968. I have already acknowledged receipt of the French Back To Godhead and I have sent my hearty thanks for you all. May Krishna bless you to advance this attempt far and wide.

It is encouraging to me that you are going to France and will acquaint yourself with theistic philosopher's on a Personal God. Actually when one comes to realize the Personality of Godhead, only then is his theistic knowledge complete. We have discussed this point very elaborately in the Bhagavad-gita As It Is and your high intelligence will help you to present this idea before the learned scholars of France who are already inclined toward a Personality of Godhead. Please impress them logically and scientifically and it will be a great achievement for our mission. France is considered to have the most cultured people in Europe and if we can have some footing in France in the matter of Krishna Consciousness certainly this will be a great success. I am very glad that this subject matter is entrusted with you and I hope you will do it to your best capacity.

Although I could not read any of your article, I have learned from Purusottama that they are written very nicely. He is not fully conversant with the language but he could read most of it. So far as reviews I think that there is no need to review nonsense books and give them publicity at our cost. The sincere theists and philosophers will surely appreciate our presentation of Bhagavad-gita As It Is so you can write some articles on the basis of our discussions in this book or in Srimad-Bhagavatam.

Regarding the six Goswamis of Vrindaban, actually they are our guidance in Krishna Consciousness. Sanatana das Thakura has said that anyone who follows the footprints of the six Goswamis he will wish to be his servant. So we should always try to follow the footprints of the Six Goswamis and it will be easy to understand the Krishna Conscious philosophy.

Dayala Nitai is a very nice boy, a sincere soul so please try to train him as your assistant. I am very glad to learn that he is automatically improving in Krishna Consciousness on account of his sincere service spirit to Krishna and the Spiritual Master. That is the secret of success in Krishna Consciousness.

I you want, I can send you the theistic vedanta interpretation which you can edit and translate into the French language for publication in Back To Godhead. There are four chapters of Vedanta Sutra and the first one called Janmadyasya. I have explained in my Srimad-Bhagavatam at the very beginning. You can see it and if you think it is nice then I'll try to explain the other sutras in the same way. I am enclosing herewith the sanskrit transliterations and meanings as requested by you.

Please try for your Ph.D. very seriously and I am sure that Krishna will certainly help you in this matter.

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Rayarama -- Los Angeles 16 January, 1969:

I have been requested by Janardana in Montreal temple to immediately send him the original manuscript of Bhagavad-gita As It Is, and I think that you are keeping this manuscript in New York so kindly send it to Montreal as soon as possible. Janardana will require this manuscript to translate into the French language for publication, so it is important business, and please do the needful in this connection.

Letter to Hamsaduta -- Los Angeles 16 January, 1969:

NB: Enclosed is a speech which was delivered by me by means of tape recorder in a meeting held in London center with many important guests. Please hand it over to Janardana for translation into French and printing in the French edition of Back To Godhead.

Letter to Hamsaduta -- Los Angeles 21 January, 1969:

Anyway, before there is a final settlement of this house affair, please hold a meeting amongst yourselves to discuss this matter further. The meeting should include Janardana, Dayala Nitai, Jayapataka, etc.

Letter to Rayarama -- Los Angeles 20 February, 1969:

I hope that by now you have sent to Janardana the Bhagavad-gita manuscript.

Letter to Hamsaduta -- Los Angeles 21 February, 1969:

P.S. What about French BTG? I have asked Janardana to translate into French my B.G. Has he received the copy from Rayarama? Please ask him to write to me.

Letter to Janardana -- Los Angeles 2 March, 1969:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter, undated. It is a very long letter and, as you have written it in two months, perhaps I'll also require similar time to reply to this letter. On Monday I am going to Hawaii at least for a month, and there I shall try to read your letter very peacefully, and maybe I'll be able to reply in great detail.

In the meantime, I may inform you that your newspaper cutting, "Non-Christian Unity Ruled Out," is not very surprising. Religious bigotry is one of the strong material symptoms, therefore, in the beginning of Srimad-Bhagavatam it is said dharma projhita. This means that the idea of religiosity, economic development, sense-gratification, and endeavors for merging into the impersonal absolute are the different activities for the materialist person. Leaving aside the too grossly materialistic persons, who are without any moral principles or social conventions, if we take the right type of civilized man, then we find that he is engaged in some type of religious principle. It doesn't matter if he is Christian, Moslem or Jew, the symptom of a civilized man is that he must have the recognition of religious principles; that is required for civilized man. But generally men take to religious principles for economic development. Just like in the Christian religiosity the prayers for solving the economic problem or bread problem. Similarly, in the Vedic rituals also different methods of sacrifices are recommended for pleasing the demigods so that they will supply quantity of rain and there will be enough grain for eating. In this way, religious principles are generally practiced by men for some economic development.

In this modern age, people being scientifically advanced, they seek economic development without any reference to worship of God or following any religious principle. So such people are gradually forgetting their eternal relationship with God because they think that without God they can inquire sufficient progress in economic development which is required for sense gratification. Some of them, when they are frustrated, try thinking of voidness or merging into the impersonal absolute truth. So voidness or impersonal idea of the absolute truth is just an opposite of material variegatedness. So this idea can also be accepted as the material concept of transcendence. So things are going on like this, not only now, but it is the nature of the material world.

Therefore, the Srimad-Bhagavatam has used the suitable word, dharma projhita. That means to kick out the so-called religious principles, economic development, sense gratification, and liberation. According to Bhagavata, these are all cheating processes, because by following such processes, the living entity can never be happy. Such principles in different forms according to different circumstances of candidate, place, and time, they are simply cheating formulas. So our Krishna Consciousness movement does not belong to any such cheating process. They are cheating processes in the sense that the basic principle is for economic development, and if it is simply for solving the problem of bread, it is not true religion as described by Srimad-Bhagavatam. Even if the living entity is born with a silver spoon in his mouth he will not be happy so such plans for economic development are simply cheating processes. Therefore, the great rishis in the forest Naimisaranya inquired of the great sage, Suta Goswami, "How can the living entities actually be happy?" Srimad-Bhagavatam answers this question that the top-most super-excellent religious principle is that which following, the protagonist becomes a devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, without any motive and without being checked by any material impediments. That will make a person completely satisfied, and that is our process. We are educated people how they can develop their dormant love of the Supreme Lord without being impaired by any material condition.

We should train our disciples as well as ourselves in such a spirit that even if the whole world is against us, which is impossible to happen, the Sankirtana Movement must be pushed on without any reference to archeological evidence or any such scientific advancement of knowledge. Besides that, the argument that archeological evidence will lead many people to accept the philosophy of Lord Caitanya has no evidence. For example, the Christian religion principle is now established in archeological evidence, but still it is not that the whole people of the world are attracted by Christian religion. Even a great scientist, Professor Albert Einstein, was Jewish by religion, but because the Christian religion gives evidential proof of archeological discovery, still he did not become a Christian. No religion or no principle is accepted by the whole world; that is a fact. I can give you a statement of Albert Einstein in which he says "The most beautiful and most profound emotion we can experience is in the sensation of the mystical. It is a shower of all true science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, he who can no longer stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead. That deeply emotional conviction of the presence of a superior reasoning power which is revealed in the comprehensible universe forms my idea of God."

I think that our Hare Krishna Movement is just following the same concept of God by awakening the dormant transcendental emotion of the human being without any consideration of religious faith. In our camp all of my disciples are coming from different faiths, mostly Christians or Jews, and why are they accepting this Sankirtana Movement, unless there is the awakening of mystical emotion described by a great scientist like Albert Einstein.

If somebody does not accept Caitanya Mahaprabhu for want of archeological evidence, it will not hamper our movement. There is sufficient archeological evidence in this connection, and it can be supplied from various sources which are in India. There is even archeological evidence of Vyasadeva which was recently propounded by one Dr. Cakravarti. I personally saw this in a monthly magazine of Calcutta of the name Mother in which I was giving my articles. If you like, you can inquire from them or such institutes as Caitanya Research Institute, started by my godbrother, Tirtha Maharaja. That is not a very difficult task.

Actually we have nothing to do with compromising with Christians or Buddhists. Our principles should be to preach Krishna Consciousness as it is spoken in the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam. As we are now collecting some fortunate students in our movement, similarly, it will be possible to collect more students in the future. But it is a fact that the unfortunate persons who stick to the four material misbehaviors, just like illicit sex life, etc. cannot accept these principles of Krishna Consciousness. But still there is chance for them simply by giving aural reception to this transcendental sound of Hare Krishna Mantra. If we turn our attention to fit with the Christian people, or any other religious sect, I think it will not be very much fruitful because nobody will change his faith even though he is given scientific or archeological evidences. And that will also not help anybody. We have already discussed this point in many articles and change in religious faith does not make one advanced in spiritual understanding. The spiritual understanding as taught by Lord Caitanya is that all living entities are eternally servants of God. We have to propagate this philosophy, and for this we have to make propaganda. Every religion believes in God, and we want that everyone should actively come to this understanding of accepting one's eternal servitorship to God.

There are many things to criticize in the matter of any faith, and if we divert our attention to such activities we shall simply create more opposite elements and waste our time. Better if we try to push on this Krishna Consciousness Movement and use our energy, education, scientific knowledge, etc. to simply convince the present generation that everyone is servant of God. Then our mission will be successful. Actually at the present moment, never mind if one is Christian, Jew, or Moslem, most people are Godless and don't care for God. They simply take an official stand, but actually, from the depth of their heart they have no idea what is God. So we have to invoke the dormant understanding of God-consciousness; that is the principle of Krishna Consciousness Movement.

If a Christian believes in God let him love God prominently rather than loving matter. If we wish to criticize Christian faith we can do so, and we can prove that hardly there are any sincere Christians. In the ten commandments we see Lord Jesus Christ advised "Thou shalt not kill," but this killing process is still prominent among Christians as well as any other religious group. So much so that it is simply horrible. Recently, the head of the Christian people, the Pope, declined to sanction the killing process in the embryo, namely contraceptive methods. We can see that so many Christians revolted. Apart from this killing process within the embryo, there is also killing process in the slaughterhouse and in so many ways. I do not know how a Christian can violate this important commandment of the Bible, "Thou shalt not kill." So in this way, if we want to criticize we can, but it will simply increase our enemies. Better let us try to invoke the dormant transcendental emotion by chanting and dancing.

You try to understand this philosophy more seriously, and as you are able try to write articles on this subject matter without being inclined to compromise with any other religious faith. I shall write you again from Hawaii. In the meantime you can let me know if you have got the manuscript from Rayarama, and reply to this letter to the Hawaii address: ISKCON, 4 Leilani Building, 1649 Kapialani Boulevard, Honolulu, Hawaii. Enclosed is a page of poems by Bhaktivinode Thakura to be translated into French and printed in your magazine.

Letter to Rayarama -- Hawaii 6 March, 1969:

Regarding Bhagavad-gita manuscript: If you have got two copies then you can send one to Janardana. Otherwise you have to send him a copy only, and keeping one copy with you.

Letter to Rayarama -- Hawaii 6 March, 1969:

So you know that the majority of the verses in the back portion of the book were not given purports. Therefore in our next publication we shall give purport for all the verses.* So you should keep one copy with you before you send the manuscript to Janardana.

Letter to Hamsaduta -- Hawaii 11 March, 1969:

I am in due receipt of your letter of Feb. 28, 1969, and I am very much surprised that other nonsense magazines are being published by Dayala Nitai, and Janardana says it is in my knowledge! I am very much surprised to hear this. Enclosed I am forwarding one letter to Dayala Nitai, and how it is that without your knowledge these things are being done? Certainly it must be disturbing to you—it is disturbing to me also!

Letter to Jayapataka -- Hawaii 11 March, 1969:

Please ask Janardana what is the difficulty in editing BTG in French language. Of course, I received his letters that he was so much busy in so many ways, but still, this is also one of his responsibilities. In the absence of BTG printing, the machine is being used for some other purposes. Of course, when I was in Montreal, I think I gave permission to print some outside work, to get some money, but that does not mean that we should stop our own work, and print something in our press which is against our principles. Please try to convey this news to both Janardana and Dayala Nitai and they may please give attention.

Letter to Dayala Nitai -- Hawaii 23 March, 1969:

So now my only request to you, and especially both to you and Janardana, that you kindly regularly publish one issue every month of this French BTG. That will make you very much happy and will make me always very much happy. And Krishna will bestow all blessings to you in this endeavor.

Letter to Dayala Nitai -- Hawaii 23 March, 1969:

It is better undoubtedly to have a full magazine as our English edition BTG, but if you have no time, or you are doing this or that, then do not neglect it completely—it is better to publish and distribute a one page BTG issue than no issue at all each month. Now this work is specially entrusted to you and Janardana; so please execute it.

Letter to Hamsaduta -- Hawaii 23 March, 1969:

P.S. If possible Janardana may also see me at N.Y.

Letter to Isana -- New Vrindaban 23 May, 1969:

NB: Please ask Janardana to immediately send me the constitution notes which I had given him to read in Boston.

Letter to Sivananda -- New Vrindaban 15 June, 1969:

Regarding your proposal to go to Paris, you will be pleased to learn that Janardana has already gone there two weeks ago, and he is thinking seriously how to spread Krishna Consciousness there. For the time being your services are required in Germany, so you must stay there for the present. Let us see how Janardana is arranging things in Paris, and when the time is right, if you are required to go there, then I shall instruct you in this regards.

Letter to Isana -- New Vrindaban 20 June, 1969:

I have already received the constitution notes from Janardana, and I am very encouraged by his descriptions of the opportunities of spreading Sankirtana in Paris.

Letter to Krsna dasa -- New Vrindaban 21 June, 1969:

You will be glad to know that Janardana is going to Paris at almost the same time, and Sivananda is also eager to open a branch in Paris. I understand from Janardana's letter that there is very good possibilities of spreading our Krishna Consciousness Movement there.

Letter to Sivananda -- Los Angeles 11 July, 1969:

So as Janardana is planning to begin the Paris center, you may make investigation for a center in Copenhagen.

Letter to Gopala Krsna -- Tittenhurst 1 October, 1969:

Janardana has not come here to see me at London. I do not know if he has already gone to Paris, because I have not received any letter from him either.

Letter to Govinda -- Tittenhurst 27 October, 1969:

Regarding the French girl, she is so kind to join with us. I have advised Janardana, who is here in London for a few days, to write you how this girl can help us. Janardana liked her translation and good spelling, so she will be very much useful for transcribing or typing our French literatures.

Letter to Gopala Krsna -- London 8 November, 1969:

Janardana's address is 6, rue Michelet, 94 Fontenay-Sous-Bois, France.

Letter to Gopala Krsna -- London 16 November, 1969:

Janardana came to see me about one fortnight ago, and he is also eager to do something in Paris, so be in correspondence with him.

Letter to Umapati -- London 18 November, 1969:

I understand the whole situation that you have not yet been able to find out a suitable place for living together, although Janardana is there.

Letter to Umapati -- London 18 November, 1969:

Anyway, you will be pleased to learn that Tamala from Los Angeles has come here, and our Sankirtana Party has got some engagement in Hamburg from the 20th through the 24th of this month, so they will stay in the Hamburg temple for 4 or 5 days. Janardana wrote me in some letter a few days back asking if I can go there, but due to the climatic condition I do not wish to move further from here.

Letter to Govinda -- London 9 December, 1969:

The best thing is that she may go on translating and send her articles to Montreal in care of Gopala Krishna Brahmacari. She may similarly contact Janardana at Damberg, 6 Rue Michelet, 94 Fontenay-s-Bois, FRANCE.

1970 Correspondence

Letter to Janardana -- Los Angeles 16 January, 1970:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your two letters post dated 2 and 4 January, 1970 respectively, the former redirected here from Boston.

I am pleased to note that although you have not yet secured a Temple building you are moving our program forward on other fronts. The arrangement for the composing and printing of BTG in French and German languages is already settled, and if you all continue to translate my books and articles and write articles yourselves; that will make the work successful. The people in general can be reached very well by the distribution of our literatures and by the propagation of Sankirtana in the streets. These are our two mrdangas for reawakening the sleeping conditioned souls.

I am especially enthusiastic for our Krishna Consciousness philosophy or the teachings of Lord Caitanya to be advanced for the benefit of the learned circle and in this connection your well received expose at the university is encouraging. Please continue your efforts to convince them of the great universal necessity of this scientific philosophy to solve all the knotty difficulties of life by practical application of the Vedic knowledge according to the Parampara prescription of the bona fide Acaryas.

The verse which you have requested is as follows:

kirata hunandhra pulinda pulkasa
abhira sumbha yavanah khasadayah
ye'nye c papa yadupasrayasrayah
sudhyanti tasmai prabhavisnave namah.
(SB 2.4.18)

These are different names of non-Aryans or candalas, less than the sudras. They are called pancamas or fifth grade men. Brahmanas are first grade men; Ksatriyas, second grade, Vaisyas, third grade; Sudras, fourth grade. There are many of these different fifth grade men and it is difficult to find who are these fifth grade persons in present society. But the point is that they are all less than Sudra.

So these persons are all less than Sudras but Srimad-Bhagavatam says even they, under the guidance of a pure devotee, can also be raised up the the highest standard more than the Brahmanas. If somebody questions how it is possible, how the most degraded of the human society be more than a Brahmana that is also confirmed in Vedic language that it does not matter if one is born of low grade family or candalas, if he is a devotee of the Lord, he is first class man. There are other statements that a man after becoming a devotee becomes immediately qualified to execute sacrificial ceremonies. In this connection, Jiva Goswami has given his commentation that a person born even in a Brahmana family is dependent on the purificatory processes as accepting initiation and sacred thread, but a devotee without waiting for such recognition becomes fit to act as a Brahmana, and this is the statement of Narada Muni in this verse. This means as stated in the Bhagavad-gita there are different symptoms of different classes of men—just like a Brahmana is truthful, clean, self-controlled, equipoised, tolerant, simple, full of knowledge, theist, and so on. Similarly a Ksatriya has symptoms—a tendency for ruling over others, martial spirited, charitable, does not flee away from the battlefield and so on. Similarly, the symptoms of a Vaisya is his tendency to agriculture, trade, cow protection and banking. And the Sudra's tendency is to some way or other work anywhere and get some wages.

So Narada Muni says that these symptoms are not stereotyped or stagnant; they are flexible. A man may be born in the family of a Brahmana but he might have the tendency of a Ksatriya or Vaisya or Sudra. Similarly a man may be born in the family of a Sudra or Candala but he may have the tendencies for a Brahmana. Just like Ekalavya was born in a Candala family but he had the tendency of a Ksatriya. Similarly Visvamitra Muni was born in a family of Ksatriyas but his tendency was of becoming a Brahmana.

So Narada Muni says that men should be judged by his tendencies, not by his birth, and this is also confirmed in Bhagavad-gita by Lord Krishna that the four divisions of human society should be judged by the qualities in actual work. Therefore with reference to all Vedic Scriptures our members are all Brahmanas and therefore we offer them the sacred thread although they are born, according to Vedic culture, in the families of other than Brahmanas or even than the Sudras. But that does not mean they cannot be purified. Actually they are being trained in such a way, their hearts are being purified by chanting the Mahamantra. And after some days when the Spiritual Master sees that one has followed the regulative principles faithfully and has abstained himself from the restricted items like illicit sex life, etc. and has chanted regularly 16 rounds then say after a year or six months when he appears to be purified in the judgment of the Spiritual Master he is offered the sacred thread, and he is given the chance of Deity worship in the Temple. These Smarta Brahmanas contest that unless one is born in a Brahmana family one cannot be given these facilities. But Narada Muni says no; a man should be judged by the symptoms of his character. And Srimad-Bhagavatam says that the Kiratas, etc. can be purified by a pure devotee because the influence of Lord Visnu is so strong. Prabha Vishnave means the powerful Lord Visnu; prabha means that the light or heat of Visnu is so strong that it is possible to melt them. Only the devotees of Lord Visnu or Krishna can be purified, not the devotees of any demigod. They will have to wait for their next birth according to their own karma.

So under this formula the whole European and American people who are so intelligent and materially advanced can be converted into pure Vedic Brahmanas, and thus their mission of human life becomes successful, and the whole world becomes a garden of blooming flowers.

Take all these words very seriously and try to propagate Krishna Consciousness with all serenity. It will be a great gift to the human society. You are a learned and intelligent and young man; think over the formula and try to execute to the best of your capacity. That is my request.

Letter to Tamala Krsna -- Los Angeles 4 March, 1970:

Organization of the European centers and the World Sankirtana Party later on—for these two reasons I called you in London. Now Mukunda, Hamsaduta, yourself, Krsna das, Umapati, Janardana, Suridas, etc., all of you are tested devotees, now do everything nicely in full cooperation. Always remain engaged in Krsna's service, then there will be no misunderstanding.

Letter to Umapati -- Los Angeles 30 March, 1970:

I think Janardana is very busy in preparation for his Ph.D. because I have also not heard from him for a long time. So let him continue his studies. There is no need of disturbing him at present.

1975 Correspondence

Letter to Abhirama -- New Delhi 21 August, 1975:

I also accept the following as twice born initiated brahmanas: Langa Ganesa dasa, Janardana das, Nandana Acarya das, and Raghunatha Puri das. Hold a fire sacrifice and let them hear my recorded tape through the right ear.

1976 Correspondence

Letter to Abhirama -- Bombay 9 January, 1976:

They newly initiated brahmanas are Nandanacarya das, Raghunath Puri das, Langaganesh das, Janardana das, Trimalla Bhatta das, and Nartaka Gopala dasi. They should participate in the fire ceremony and afterward should hear the Gayatri mantra from the tape through the right ear.

Page Title:Training of Janardana dasa (Letters, 1967 - 1976)
Compiler:Alakananda
Created:01 of Jun, 2010
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=0, Let=91
No. of Quotes:91