Training of Sridama dasa (Letters, 1969 - 1972)

Correspondence

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Kirtanananda -- Los Angeles 24 June, 1969:

I beg to thank you very much for your kind attention for me continually for one month, and I was so happy to remain in New Vrindaban. Yesterday afternoon, we safely reached Los Angeles, and Tamala Krishna has rented a very, very nice entire house for me, with compound and garage, at $350 per month. So I am very comfortably situated here. Two brahmacaris, Purusottama and Sridama, are always taking care of me, but at the same time, I am always thinking of your New Vrindaban.

Letter to Subala -- Hamburg 9 September, 1969:

I beg to thank you very much for your letter of September 2nd, 1969, sent along with a contribution of 100 dollars for my book fund. I am pleased to learn that Sridama and Rohini Devi are there with you in Philadelphia. Sridama is nicely trained for Sankirtana activities so he will be a great boon to your center. He is a very good boy, and I am always grateful to him for the nice personal service he rendered to me while I was in Los Angeles. On Vyasa Puja Day, the Vyasa Puja booklet was read aloud in the ceremony at the temple, and your article was very much appreciated by all. This Thursday I am going to London, so future correspondence may be addressed to me there.

Please offer my blessings to the others. I hope this will meet you all in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

P.S. I shall be glad to hear from Sridama also.

Letter to Sridama -- London 22 September, 1969:

I beg to thank you for your letter (undated), and I have noted the contents carefully. I am pleased that you are doing nicely in Philadelphia temple, and Subala has written to me that you are a great help to him there. Regarding Rohini Devi, don't worry about her. Perhaps Krishna wishes you to remain brahmacari. You were not willing to marry, but she insisted. Now she has been taken away by her father; so you may take it as Krishna's Desire. If you decide to remain as brahmacari, then I may call you back for my personal assistance when I return to the States. I was very much pleased with your service. May Krishna bless you more and more.

On the reverse side you will find an article which was published in The Sun, a popular English newspaper. Please convey my thanks to Subala for his letter to me dated September 15th, 1969. I am very much encouraged to see how he is gaining skill in managing a temple nicely. Please offer my blessings to the others. I hope this will meet you in good health.

Letter to Sridama -- London 5 November, 1969:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated October 29, 1969 from Philadelphia along with your check for $642, and I thank you very much for your kind contribution. I am surprised to know that the actual collection was $1,750 and the doctors and lawyers, etc. have taken more than $1,000. Anyway, something is better than nothing. Whatever we have got will be used for Krishna's service. Yes, I always remember you for your kind personal attention upon me, and most probably, if you are not engaged otherwise, I shall call you when I return back to the States.

I hope this will find you in good health. Please keep yourself always chanting regularly. That is our only strength within this whirlpool of the ocean of nescience.

Letter to Sridama -- London 4 December, 1969:

I was very much shocked to learn that you have again met with some motor accident on the way, and perhaps this is the second time you have broken your leg. So I do not know why such things are happening. Anyway, whatever calamities happen we should take it as Krishna's blessings, as a token punishment for our past misdeeds. That is the observation of a devotee. Whenever he is put into a dangerous position, he takes it as a blessings of Krishna, and the opportunity is used for remembering Him very strongly. So you are now in the hospital, and you have good opportunity for chanting. Do it nicely. I understand you are eating Prasadam from the temple. That is all right. By Krishna's Grace everything will be all right. Don't be worried. Chant Hare Krishna, and when you come out from the hospital let me know. I hope this will meet you, by Krishna's Grace, in improved condition.

1970 Correspondence

Letter to Sridama -- Los Angeles 17 February, 1970:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 12 February, 1970, and I am very glad to know that you are doing well in Boston Temple.

I did not know where you were staying and I was very much anxious about your health, so I wrote to Subala and he has conveyed my message to you. Now I am relieved to learn that your are engaged in cooking and your injury is healing nicely. I am also feeling very well here in Los Angeles. Gargamuni has rented a nice house with a sunny compound for me, and I am being attended by two good boys, Nanda Kumar and Devananda.

Hope this letter will meet you again in good health, and thank you for your sincere service.

Letter to Sridama -- Los Angeles 10 April, 1970:

I am so pleased to receive your letter dated 4th April, 1970, and I am very glad to read the contents.

I am very glad that you are going to marry Manmohini Dasi and I have got my full sanction and blessings for this unity. Nanda Kisora and his wife and yourself and your wife, four together, organize the center in Providence which is already wonderful and by your propaganda of Krsna Consciousness it will be heavenly.

As soon as a center is open and my disciples conduct it nicely, it gives me Vaikuntha bliss. Vamanadeva is doing very nicely in St. Louis, and I am sending herewith some pictures of his activities. So Bali Mardan and Upendra are doing in Sydney also. All these newses are to me life-giving ambrosia, so the more you open branches, the more I increase my duration of life. Therefore, if you all my students want me to live for some days more, go on opening nice branches as many as possible.

Be happy in Krsna Consciousness and keep me informed about your activities. Thanking you once more. Hope this will meet you in good health.

Letter to Satsvarupa -- Los Angeles 11 April, 1970:

Regarding the proposed marriage of Manmohini and Sridama, Yes, I have already sent Sridama sanctioning this marriage and offering my blessings. Subala has already got practical experience, he has performed two marriage ceremonies and he has sent me a xeroxed copy of the procedure which I have approved. I am enclosing herewith one copy and you can perform the wedding in your temple. Everyone, at least all the presidents, should be experienced in performing marriage ceremonies.

Letter to Satsvarupa -- Los Angeles 16 April, 1970:

Regarding permission to marry Manmohini and Sridama, I have sent you one letter dated 11th April which I hope you have received by now. So in that letter I have already informed you that I have written to Sridama sanctioning his marriage and offering my blessings. I also enclosed one copy of procedure for the marriage ceremony to be performed by yourself in your temple. If you have still not received the letter and copy, ask Subala to send you one by air post. His instructions for performing the ceremony are personally approved by me.

Letter to Damodara -- Los Angeles 4 May, 1970:

(List of Centers and Presidents)

Bahulasva Berkeley

Rshi Kumara New York

Satsvarupa Boston

Umapati Paris

Harer Nama Boulder

Subaladas Philadelphia

Rupanuga Buffalo

Sridama Providence

Jaya Gopala Columbus

Vamanadeva St. Louis

Bhagavan dasa Detroit

Madhudvisa San Francisco

Hamsaduta Hamburg

Citsukhananda San Jose

Gaurasundara Hawaii

Revatinandana Santa Barbara

Durlabh Laguna Beach

Gajendra Seattle

Gurudasa London

Bali Mardan Sydney

Sripati Montreal

Sudama Tokyo

Hayagriva New Vrndavana

Jagadisa Toronto

Cidananda Vancouver

Damodara Washington

Letter to Sridama -- Los Angeles 29 June, 1970:

I am very glad to know that your sales of our literature and books are very good and improving more. It is natural that such distribution of literatures should increase as the people hear more about Krsna Consciousness Movement, so distribution of our books and literatures is our major propaganda program.

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

Please see that the prescribed routine of temple activities is followed according to schedule and all the members are chanting rounds daily sixteen. Please offer my blessings to all the Prabhus there.

Letter to Sridama -- Los Angeles 8 July, 1970:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 10th June, 1970, and have noted the contents with great interest.

I am so happy to learn that you have been so well received in Provincetown by the young boys and girls. It is a fact that the hippies are our best clients. I had very good response in San Francisco during Rathayatra festival. I saw that they were taking up the chanting of Hare Krsna maha mantra very feelingly even without the presence of any devotee to lead them. They appreciated my lecture and I appreciated their attitude. They joined in Rathayatra very enthusiastically. So try your best to convince them by very nice preaching and in particular very nice Sankirtana party and distribution of our literatures.

It is very good news also that you have received permission in Providence for chanting and distributing literature and incense as well as collecting. Now you should concentrate to develop your spiritual power to attract the fallen souls to Krsna consciousness. The daily regulative duties must be performed by everyone very strictly, the beads chanted sixteen rounds, and our literatures read and discussed. In this way everything should be done very nicely. Sankirtana should be done by you in the streets and at gatherings and in this manner display what is this Krsna consciousness movement and how it is for everyone's eternal welfare and happiness.

So you do all these with great enthusiasm and very carefully. Our all activities must be open so that no one may criticize our mission, so all dealing must be to the standard of Vaisnavism. We cannot misrepresent ourselves for the purpose of taking monies from the public, but as everything is undertaken forthrightly in Krsna consciousness way, then Lord Krsna will be pleased to provide all facilities for aiding our such sincere service.

Regarding your closing the temple in Providence during the very cold winter months and going to Florida at that time, yes, you may do it, but in that case you may not install any Deities in the temple. Worship of Deities means special care must be there for regular uninterrupted service and the Deities cannot be moved from place to place. So you must have picture of Pancatattva for worshiping and making offerings. This picture along with Acarya pictures may be carried from one place to another. Lord Caitanya is very kind and He accepts the simplest worship or simply sincere chanting of the Holy Names of Krsna.

Please offer my blessings to your good wife and to Sriman Nanda Kisora and his wife. Hope this will meet all of you in good health.

I am very glad to know that you are selling our Bhagavad-gita AS IT IS; so keep the accounts for book and BTG sales daily, and issue a check for payment weekly according to the amount of literatures sold.

Letter to Sridama -- Los Angeles 14 July, 1970:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 9th July, 1970, and I thank you very much for your check for $2,000. It is a great help to me because in this month I have paid about $20,000 for printing my books and your contribution is welcome.

I have also read the newspaper cuttings in which I understand that people accept our Society as genuine and religious. So it is Krsna's grace that they are giving you permission to chant on the streets. I am sure if we work very sincerely all facilities will come from Krsna. It is stated in Bhagavad-gita that Krsna personally carries the necessities of His devotee and gives protection to his status quo.

So let us all believe in the words of Krsna and serve Him to our best capacity and thus we will come out victorious in every field of action. By the grace of Krsna you are a beautiful young man with nice intelligence, devotion and spirit, so employ all of them in the service of the Lord along with your good wife and be successful in Krsna consciousness.

Letter to Sridama -- Surat 19 December, 1970:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 6th December, 1970 and I have noted the contents carefully.

Now you and your good wife Manmohini are in Miami after having left Providence and that is very nice. Miami is a very good place to establish a firm center and if you can organize this center nicely, it will be a great credit to you. Just continue with your sincere efforts and Krishna will give you all assistance.

Yes, when I return to U.S.A. I must go to Florida, and I'm anxious to see you also because I've not seen you in a long time. I always remember your valuable personal service given to me. So go on and Krishna will bless you. Stick to the regulative principles, chant Hare Krishna and be happy.

1971 Correspondence

Letter to Devi -- Gorakhpur 15 February, 1971:

I have received one letter from Sriman Sridama Das Adhikari in which he recommends you for initiation into our Krsna consciousness Movement. I have also received your beads, but I have not received any letter from you. Thank you very much for the contribution check for fifty dollars to my book fund. This kind of offering of some gift to the Spiritual Master at the time of initiation is the proper duty of the disciple. This makes the function complete and is required.

Letter to Sridama -- Gorakhpur 15 February, 1971:

Please accept my blessings and offer the same to your good wife and all the other Prabhus there. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 13rd January, 1971, along with one set of beads for chanting and recommendation for the initiation of Debbie. I have duly chanted her beads and given her the spiritual name Devi Dasi. I have sent her a letter along with her beads separately. I think you will receive them soon. I beg to thank you for the initiation gift of a fifty dollar check for my book fund. It is very welcome. Some kind of gift to the Spiritual Master from the new disciple on the occasion of initiation is required that the function be complete.

I am expecting to return to the States by the end of March, so I will be very happy to see you all at that time. I think that from now on initiations may be held until I return to the States. That will be nice. Then there will be better opportunity to execute this business.

Regarding your disease, if you have been given medicine by the Doctor, you may take it. The best news is that the college students are so much receptive to our message of Krsna consciousness. Try your best to present the matter to them in such a nice way as we have already established and they are sure to recover their rightful position as devotees of the Lord.

Letter to Sridama -- Delhi 17 November, 1971:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated 4th November, 1971, and I am very much encouraged to hear that things are improving nicely in Miami center, under your expert supervision. I think it is a good plan that you have bought that house, with negotiations going to buy the church behind. You state that you will be the largest distributer of BTG in the world. This statement is very pleasing to me, because more than anything I want that my students should distribute my books and literatures profusely all over the world, and this should be our formost concern, how to do it properly. But one thing, now you must try very hard to live up to your promise of becoming largest distributer!

Regarding Prayag Devi Dasi, yes, a woman requires protection. But normally we regard that any unmarried woman with children should take security of the temple—that is more secure than the protection of Krishna—and be satisfied with her children. Marriage is simply a license for having sex, so we are not very fond of sanctioning unnecessary sense gratification. However in this case, if you think the match is favorable for their advancing nicely in Krishna Consciousness, then I shall agree with your judgement. One thing is, there should be a formal contract signed by both parties at each marriage, voting that there will be no separation and that man and wife will work cooperatively in Krishna Consciousness.

Unless ________ you will find two copies of Gayatri mantra and two threads duly chanted on for your wife Manmohini dasi and Satyahit das Brahmacari. Hold a fire yagna and give them Gayatri mantra. Rupanuga has a tape of me chanting Gayatri mantra, so you can get a copy of this from him. The tape must be heard through the right ear only by the initiates.

Your court battles are great victories for Krishna; whenever there is Krishna there is certain victory. Everywhere we are winning in this fight to hold our Sankirtana meeting on the street.

Letter to Srutasrava -- Delhi 18 November, 1971:

I have instructed Sridama, that if he is willing then the match may take place. However I must caution that we must be careful to avoid so far as possible affection for family based on sense gratification. Be happy in your family life by working cooperatively to please Krishna, and she should be your assistant. We must always feel the grave responsibility of serving Krishna.

Letter to Sridama -- Bombay 22 December, 1971:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated December 10, 1971, and I have noted the contents with great pleasure. I am especially very very pleased that you are getting that large church for our Miami center. All over the world we are getting more respectable and we are getting big big houses for our Radha Krishna Temples, but if yours is the biggest, then I must certainly come there and see it. If the weather is good, then why I should come there and spend some time for my translating work? I think this will be my last tour—now let me go on translating, that is my real work. I am so much encouraged by reports everywhere that our Movement is getting good results, especially that MacMillan Co. has agreed to print our Bhagavad-gita As It Is, so I think my work is now finished, let me write. I have built the skyscraper skeleton, now you all intelligent American and European boys and girls fill in the spaces nicely in good taste. Do not deviate from our high standard. That will mean great dishonor to me. Push on in your preaching work as I have shown you, remain pure, enthusiastic, and optimistic, and Krishna will favor you with all good results and benedictions.

I am very much encouraged by your considerable efforts in Miami center, especially that you have even converted the lawyer who is helping you! This is a good sign. If everything goes nicely, then I can come there by late Spring to see your wonderful new place.

1972 Correspondence

Letter to Sridama -- Honolulu 5 May, 1972:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated April 26, 1972 and I have noted the contents. Always there will be obstacles placed in our path by the demons and atheists, but if we can remain pure, nothing will be able to stop this great transcendental movement from spreading God consciousness all over the world. So as president, you must make sure that all the students are regularly chanting 16 rounds, taking bath, attending mangal aratrik, reading our books, and following the regulative principles. If everyone keeps strictly these principles then success is assured.

So far South Africa, I think it is not possible for go there now. Better you concentrate your efforts to organize Miami center nicely.

I am enclosing three copies of Gayatri mantra and two sacred threads, and you can hold a fire yajna for Dharma, Rohini, and Ragavendu. Satsvarupa has a tape of me reciting Gayatri mantra so you can get this from him. One thing is that the tape should be heard through earphones into the right ear.

Letter to Sridama -- Honolulu 5 May, 1972:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated April 26, 1972 and I have noted the contents. Always there will be obstacles placed in our path by the demons and atheists, but if we can remain pure, nothing will be able to stop this great transcendental movement from spreading God consciousness all over the world. So as president, you must make sure that all the students are regularly chanting 16 rounds, taking bath, attending mangal aratrik, reading our books, and following the regulative principles. If everyone keeps strictly these principles then success is assured.

So far South Africa, I think it is not possible for go there now. Better you concentrate your efforts to organize Miami center nicely.

I am enclosing three copies of Gayatri mantra and two sacred threads, and you can hold a fire yajna for Dharma, Rohini, and Ragavendu. Satsvarupa has a tape of me reciting Gayatri mantra so you can get this from him. One thing is that the tape should be heard through earphones into the right ear.

Page Title:	Training of Sridama dasa (Letters, 1969 - 1972)
Compiler:	Labangalatika
Created:	31 of May, 2010
Totals by Section:	BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=0, Let=21
No. of Quotes:	21