Training of Tulsi dasa (Letters, 1970 - 1975)

Correspondence

1970 Correspondence

Letter to Acyutananda -- Los Angeles 14 June, 1970:

You will be glad to know that your Godbrothers here in America and Europe are doing very nicely. Recently we have opened a branch in Copenhagen, Denmark, and just after Rathayatra festival there will be another two or three branches in England like Birmingham, Liverpool, etc. In America also recently we have opened a branch on the West coast in San Diego. The boy in charge of the center, Sriman Tulsidas Brahmacari, is very, very nice boy, and he has been given three assistants, and by the grace of Krsna within a month he is already stabilized. I am just sending you a copy of his letter received yesterday. How this boy has very shortly understood the whole philosophy and has taken the risk of opening a branch.

Letter to Tulasi -- Los Angeles 15 June, 1970:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated by Post 12th June, 1970, and it is so much encouraging.

May Krsna bless you on and on in your progressive march for advancing Krsna Consciousness. Personally I cannot give you anything, but I can sincerely pray to Krsna for your improvement on and on.

I was so pleased to read your letter that I have taken some xerox copies and sent them to some centers putting before them an example.

So offer my blessings to the boys: Bhaskara das, Vanamali das, Rsabhadeva das and Ezekiel, and go on with your work thinking always of Krsna by chanting His Holy Name. And keep me informed about your future progress.

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

I hope everything is going on well in your center.

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 distributions 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 a 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 Tulsidas -- Tokyo 28 August, 1970:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated August 18th, 1970, and I am so glad to learn that your center's activities are having their transcendental effect on the local population. It is sure and certain that if you all continue to follow the rigid schedule of chanting sixteen rounds daily with vow, going on Sankirtana and studying our literatures will increase your spiritual power to attract more sincere persons to Krsna Consciousness. So please see that all the devotees in your center are performing their regular duties in Krsna Consciousness and everything will be all right by Krsna's Grace.

Please keep your lives absorbed in transcendental loving service to the Lord and be happy. Your increased Temple activities chanting two hours before the altar, three hours of studying scriptures, etc., is very nice. Please continue this program and spread Krsna Consciousness vigorously.

Please offer my blessings to all the boys and girls there, Rsabhadeva, Vanamali, Bhaktadasa, Ezekiel, etc.

Letter to Tulsi -- Bombay 9 November, 1970:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 28th Sept, 1970 and I have noted the contents.

I am glad to see that you are taking seriously to spreading this Krishna Consciousness Movement to all your fellow Americans. Try and increase Sankirtana Party more and more to new areas and ever-larger circulation of our literatures. I am glad to read in your letter you are going to the universities to preach. The universities are very important places because there there are men who can appreciate our philosophy. So when you speak in the classroom, just quote from any of my books and then try and explain the meaning in your own words and the students will appreciate it very much.

Please see that the schedule of offerings is done regularly without any break. To worship the Deity or to worship Panca-tattva means that there can be no upsetting of the schedule of offerings. You have seen our L.A. temple and how nicely the pujaris are doing everything. So, in the same way, try and make your worship equally nice. In that way you will have the full blessings of Srimati Radharani.

I humbly thank all of the boys and girls who are living in the temple for helping me to spread this Krishna Consciousness Movement throughout the world.

Letter to Tulsi -- Surat 28 December, 1970:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated 26th November, 1970 and have noted the contents carefully. I was not able to reply sooner, but have been travelling and so much of my mail has been neglected.

Presently I am touring many cities in India and the response to our Sankirtana Movement has been tremendous with thousands upon thousands actively participating. In India, actually, everyone is a devotee. They have simply been mislead by the politicians and so many things. By Lord Caitanya's mercy we are again reviving their dormant Krishna Consciousness, just as we are doing in our centers all over the world.

I am very pleased to hear how nicely the activities are gong on there in our San Diego center under your expert guidance. Also your program for "Maha Sankirtana" in conjunction with Laguna Beach temple is very nice. Such engagements should be held whenever possible as it is very enlivening to all those involved.

Simply by keeping a nicely regulated temple schedule with many integrated devotional activities and our preaching program is sure to be a success. Following the regulative principles strictly is our strength in spiritual life. If they are neglected, then all our efforts simply become spoiled. So go on in the way you have described and Krishna will surely bless you.

Please offer my blessings to the others. Hoping this will meet you in good health.

1971 Correspondence

Letter to Karandhara -- Allahabad 17 January, 1971:

I expect to return very soon via New York, Boston, etc.. Yes, you may perform the ceremony for second initiation for Tulsi das, Krsnakanti, Locana das, Nitai das, Jayatirtha, Karuna Sindhu, Sarola devi, and Maithili devi. The ceremony should be held as usual. Before the ceremony the chief Brahmana chants Gayatri silently. The tape should be played through a set of earphones so that only the initiate hears the mantra. They should hear once only repeating the mantras word by word with the tape record. Devananda says the instructions are there on xerox in a file labelled Prayers, Ceremonies, etc.

Letter to Tulsi -- Bombay 24 February, 1971:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated nil and I thank you very much for it. I am so glad to hear how your Sankirtana programs are expanding, so continue in this way. So far as book distribution is concerned, this program should also be given much energy. Also for distributing our books we have initiated the life membership program. This program has been very successful here in India. If you can develop it nicely there in San Diego, it will be a great asset to your preaching work. So cooperate with Karandhara Prabhu and develop it nicely.

Presently we are in Gorakhpur, one of the important cities in Northern India, and we are guests of the Gita Press authorities. Here we are negotiating for a plot of land on the University of Gorakhpur campus for establishing a center. If we are successful in our attempt, it will be unique in all the world and soon more and more college campuses will follow. We want to influence these misguided college students so that they might take to this Krishna Consciousness Movement very seriously. And if we can establish a seat of Krishna Consciousness these students may take their doctorate degree in Krishna Consciousness and go out and preach all over the world. From here I shall be going to Mayapur and then to Bombay, and should be returning to U.S.A. by the first week of April. Please offer my blessings to Sandy, Pat, Bill and Jeff Prabhus, and all the others there. Hoping this will meet you in good health.

Letter to Tulsi, Bhakta dasa, Pat, Sandy, Bill, Geoffrey, Terry -- Bombay 13 April, 1971:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your kind letters dated 1st March, 1971 requesting that I visit San Diego temple upon my return to U.S.A. Thank you for your invitation. When I go to L.A. next time, I will be sure to visit San Diego temple as well. But when that will be I can't say. My program is not yet fixed. Presently arrangements are being made for me to go to Australia, Malaysia and Russia also. So my return to U.S.A. may be somewhat delayed.

I don't know what kind of photos you used, but they are looking especially nice. All of you are such fine looking Vaisnavas. So be blessed and go forward in Krishna Consciousness. You are looking so nice. And your altar is looking very nice also. Thank you very much.

Letter to Mahamsa, Ksudhi, Rsi Kumara, Nandakumara, Tusta Krsna, Krsna Tulasi, Gurukrpa, Madhudvisa, others -- London 15 August, 1971:

I beg to thank you very much for your kind feelings of appreciation of my humble self and service unto you. You are all helping me in pushing forward this mission of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu coming down by disciplic succession to my Guru Maharaja. So whatever you have spoken, it is simply due to them. I am simply the via media to receive them on behalf of my Guru Maharaja His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Maharaja Prabhupada.

Letter to Sriballavah (Vin Fiocco), Pranaballavah (Bruce Webster), Kamalavati (Elicia Heller) -- Nairobi 13 October, 1971:

I have just recently received one letter from Sriman Tulsidas Prabhu and at his recommendation I have gladly consented to accept you all as my duly initiated disciples. Your beads are all chanted and they are enclosed herewith. I have given you the spiritual names as follows:

Sriballavah Das Brahmacari (Vin Fiocco). Sriballavah is another name for Narayana.

Pranaballavah Das Brahmacari (Bruce Webster). Pranaballavah means Krishna. Vallabha means beloved and prana means life.

Kamalavati Dasi (Elicia Heller). Kamalavati means the goddess of fortune.

I can understand that you are all very sincere and very much qualified devotees and now by Krishna's grace you are engaged whole-heartedly in His service. So take full advantage of this opportunity and perfect your lives; that is my request. Our process is simple. Follow the regulative principles strictly, chant at least 16 rounds of Hare Krishna mantra daily, read all our books, go for street Sankirtana and in this way be engaged in Krishna's business 24 hours. Then you will be always thinking of Krishna and in the end go back to Krishna, back to home, back to Godhead.

Letter to Tulsi -- Nairobi 13 October, 1971:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter from Denver dated 3d October, 1971 and have noted the contents. It is very much encouraging that your center is improving daily and doing so nicely. There is good field there. So combinedly work very hard to make our new Denver center a grand success. We have all taken on a great responsibility for spreading Krishna Consciousness all over the world. Actually people are suffering on account of being enamored by the external energy. Krishna wants to deliver them. He comes personally, he comes as a devotee, and he sends His authorized devotee. So some way or other we have been entrusted to serve Krishna in this connection. Do it nicely. Follow the regulative principles and teach others to do likewise and we shall remain strong and it will not be difficult for us to push on this movement. I am so much obliged to you for your helping the cause. Please stick to this principle and Krishna will bless you with all benediction.

At your recommendation I have accepted Vin, Bruce and Elicia as my duly initiated disciples. One letter and their beads are enclosed herewith.

Letter to Karandhara and others -- Delhi, India 3 December, 1971:

I am in due receipt of your kind letter on November 12, 1971, and I have appreciated the contents with great pleasure. Radha and Krishna have been so much merciful upon me to have given me so many nice spiritual sons and daughters as yourselves. I can see by the photos of your Los Angeles Temple that you are all very good servants of Radha and Krishna, and that They are very much pleased by your service. Thank you very much for assisting me in this way.

Now my one request to you all is that you become fully happy by conducting your lives in Krishna Consciousness, and you can know it for sure that in this way you will come with me back to Home, back to Godhead.

1972 Correspondence

Letter to Maitreya (Mike Stitch), Mahasakti (Mark Jahre), Arijit (Allen Bigil), Mitravinda (Marsha Arslansky), Nandita Gokula (Nancy Bailey) -- Los Angeles 28 May, 1972:

Upon the recommendation of Tulasi dasa I am very glad to consent to accept all of you as my duly initiated disciples. I am giving him your beads duly chanted by me. I have given you the spiritual names as follows:

Mike Stitch/Maitreya dasa Brahmacari.

Mark Jahre/Mahasakti dasa Brahmacari.

Allen Bigil/Arijit dasa Brahmacari.

Marsha Arslansky/Mitravinda devi dasi.

Nancy Bailey/Nandita Gokula devi dasi.

I am so glad to learn that you are such good assistants for Tulasi dasa there in our Denver center. And I can understand that you are all very eligible candidates for going back to Home, back to Godhead.

Letter to Tulasi -- London 1 August, 1972:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated July 18, 1972 and I have noted the contents. I have received reports from all over the world; from Calcutta, San Francisco, Tokyo, Melbourne, Pittsburgh, and here in London also, that Rathayatra festival was a very great success, and this has very much engladdened me. So you have many festivals like this, and engage the public in Krishna consciousness as much as possible.

Upon your recommendation, I have consented to accept Jan, Becky and Tina as my duly initiated disciples, and also to give gayatri mantra to Pranaballavah, Mahasakti and Nandita Gokula. Enclosed please find a letter for those who are taking first initiation, and two sacred threads for Pranabalavah and Mahasakti. The beads are being sent by separate post. Now you can hold a fire yajna for all of them, and gayatri mantra to Pranaballavah, Mahasakti, and Nandita Gokula. Show them how to count on the finger divisions, and have them listen one by one to the tape of me reciting gayatri mantra, repeating each vibration as I say it. You can get this tape from Karandhara in Los Angeles. Then hang the sacred thread over each boy's shoulder in the proper fashion. One thing is that the tape should be heard through earphones into the right ear, and the function should be held amongst the devotees only.

Letter to Anuradha (Jan), Bhaktilata (Becky), Rama Tulasi (Tina) -- London 2 August, 1972:

Upon the recommendation of Tulasi I have gladly consented to accept you as my duly initiated disciples. I have duly chanted your beads, and they have been dispatched by separate post. I have given you the spiritual names as follows:

Jan—Anuradha Devi Dasi

Becky—Bhaktilata Devi Dasi

Tina—Rama Tulasi Devi Dasi

Now you please continue to strictly follow the regulative principles and rigidly observe the four principle restrictions, namely: no eating of meat, fish or eggs; no illicit sex life; no gambling; and no intoxication. And always without fail chant at least 16 rounds on your beads daily, and be happy.

1973 Correspondence

Letter to Ram Prashad -- Calcutta January 29, 1973:

I am sorry to note that you have not yet received your life membership cards or receipt as yet. I have sent your letter to Bombay and directed the President, Sriman Tulasi dasa, to immediately send you the same.

1974 Correspondence

Letter to Tulsi -- Mayapur 7 October, 1974:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated September 29, 1974. I am glad to learn that all the programs are going on nicely. Especially the college programs. If they are helping with funds, then there is much scope.

I am glad that you are taking the recommendation of new initiates very seriously, that they are writing essays. Yes, it is a serious matter. Not that let me take a spiritual master as a pet and I can do whatever I want. No, one must be prepared to follow the order of the spiritual master with life and soul.

I accept the following for second initiation, and the sanctified threads are enclosed: 1. Hamsavatara. das Adhikari, 2. Sangita devi dasi, 3. Loka Saranga das Brahmacari, 4. Omkara dasi, 5. Manindra devi dasi, 6. Divya devi dasi. On your recommendation I accept the following for first initiation and their names are as follows:

1. Roger Villalaban—Ranapriya,

2. Chuck—Ksetrajna dasa,

3. Roger Barbour—Raksana dasa,

4. Bob—Bhava dasa,

5. Glenn—Guruttama dasa,

6. Louis—Lohitaksa dasa,

7. Diane—Diksavati devi dasi,

8. Michelle—Mahavegavati devi dasi,

9. Dawn—Devamata devi dasi,

10. Andrea—Rasajna devi dasi,

11. Francie—Phalini devi dasi.

I hope this meets you in good health.

1975 Correspondence

Letter to Tulsi -- Denver 28 June, 1975:

I have received your request for initiations and I accept the following as my disciples and their spiritual names are as follows: Robin West—Rathagrahi dasa; David Moore—Disa dasa; and Dorrie Winham—Dharmada devi dasa.

I also accept the following as twice born brahmanas and their threads are enclosed duly sanctified: Citraka dasa, Ameyatma dasa, Guruttama dasa, Urjasvat dasa, Padmahara dasi, Manya dasa, Parvata Muni dasa, Nikunjavasini dasi, Krsna Lauliya dasi, Caitanya Simha dasa, and Racitambara dasi.

Now hold a fire sacrifice and impress upon them that they are taking vows before Radha Krsna, the spiritual master and the assembled Vaisnavas. It is a serious business.

Letter to Tulsi -- Evanston, Illinois 7 July, 1975:

Upon your recommendation I am accepting the following as my initiated disciples and their names are:

Barbara Stark—Bhrama Karika devi; and Bhakta Ned—Nirguna dasa. I also accept for second initiation Mahaswara dasa. His sacred thread is duly enclosed sanctified by me.

Letter to Tulsi -- Dallas 29 July, 1975:

Upon your request I accept the following as my disciples and their names are: Mihallais Gitsis—Nandagopa dasa; Jamie Cray—Mahapurusa dasa; Terry Dann—Priyatmaja dasa; and James Mason—Kamalanatha dasa.

I also accept the following disciples as twice born brahmanas. Devamrta dasa brahmacari and Gopiparanadhana das brahmacari. Their threads duly sanctified by me are enclosed. Please have the beads chanted upon by a GBC sannyasi and hold a fire sacrifice. The brahmanas should hear the gayatri mantra with the right ear from my recorded tape.

I hope this meets you in good health.

Your ever well wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

N.B. Also initiated are: Dan Richardson—Gopagopisvara dasa and Beatrice Matusow—Bahubhavini devi dasi.

Letter to Tulsi -- Johannesburg 22 October, 1975:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated October 13, 1975 and I have noted the contents with care.

I have marked how you are making mrdangas. Make many mrdangas. It will solve a great problem.

Concerning your idea to go port to port by ship, why waste time and energy. Don't spoil money purchasing boat. Port to port we can go by airplane.

I hope that this meets you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

Nb. On your recommendation, I am accepting the following devotees for initiation:

1st. Initiation: Miriam Bicks (Dhrti devi dasi)

Karen Wilson (Krsnastuta devi dasi)

Connie (Pusti devi dasi)

Maddonna (Kulapriya devi dasi)

Bhakti Pete (Mahanidhi das)

Ann Matesow (Yuvati devi dasi)

Jim—(Ksamabhudi das)

2nd Initiation: Gajapati das, Pundarika Vidyanidhi, and Raksana.

Enclosed you will find 3 brahmana threads, and you may hold a fire-yajna emphasizing the importance of strictly following the 4 regulative principles, and chanting daily minimum of 16 rounds japa.

Letter to Ramesvara -- Bombay 7 November, 1975:

I have received your report on the telephone to Harikesa. This is very funny thinking in our society that you want to spend for this boat, and that Tulsi das wants to take sannyasa because he is feeling sex agitation. First of all there is no sanction to purchase this boat from the BBT. We are not interested.

Tulsi das is affected by sex, and he wants to take sannyasa? This is nonsense. Is sannyasa so cheap? He will be a victim. He is not fit for sannyasa. His mind is not fixed up. Everyone wants to fulfill their whimsical desires; this is going on. Let him stay with Tamala Krishna for sometime, and if he is recommended, then he can take sannyasa. He cannot make any separate program. He is not fit to stay separate. He must remain with another experienced sannyasa and be trained up.

Letter to Tulsi -- Bombay 18 December, 1975:

Thank you very much for your nice letter. I can understand from your letter that you are very intelligent. Generally India people are not taking up this movement, although it is their original culture, they are now in favor of economic development and technological advancement which can never do any good to the people in general, neither material nor spiritual. After all a living being lives by the grace of God. He cannot eat nuts and bolts, however nicely they may be manufactured. We live by food grains, vegetables and milk products as it is stated in the Bhagavad gita "All living bodies subsist on food grains which are due to rains come by proper proformance of sacrifice" Human life is meant for sacrifice to please Visnu. Bhoktaram yajna-tapasam, sarva-loka-mahesvaram (BG 5.29), "The sages knowing me to be the ultimate purpose of all sacrifices, the Supreme Lord of all planets, and the well wishing friend of all living entities, attain peace from the pangs of material miseries"

So if we want to be happy in this life and the next we have to worship Visnu. But Gandhi did to satisfy Visnu? He was trying to satisfy his country, and his country killed him. He manufactured so many things which were never found in Bhagavad-gita. Throughout the Bhagavad-gita Krishna is encouraging Arjuna to fight, and Gandhi manufactured non-violence from Bhagavad-gita. Everyone in India knows the Mahabharata, the great battle of Kuruksetra, 640,000,000 soldiers gave up their life in that battle, and Krishna was personally instructing Arjuna to fight, and Gandhi took Bhagavad-gita and preached non-violence. So what was his understanding. At the end of his life he frankly said, "I don't believe there was ever such a historical person as Krishna". So what did Gandhi know about Bhagavad-gita?

My only credit is that I have presented Bhagavad-gita as it is, without any speculation, or interpretation, therefore for the first time in the history of the world people are accepting it and living practically according to the principles of Bhagavad-gita.

I understand that you are translating Bhagavad-gita as it is into Malayalam language. Hamsaduta has spoken to me about you. Please send me a sample, and we will see about it's publication and distribution in India. Maybe in the future you will like to come to India and help preach this message to your countrymen.

Page Title:	Training of Tulsi dasa (Letters, 1970 - 1975)
Compiler:	MadhuGopaldas, Visnu Murti
Created:	03 of Jun, 2010
Totals by Section:	BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=0, Let=24
No. of Quotes:	24