Since I met you last at Radha Damodara Temple Vrindaban sometimes in 1963-64, I left India for preaching the message of Lord Caitanya abroad in U.S.A., I could not meet you but always think of you how much you love to hear Sankirtana. At present I have established 70 centers all over the world and if by chance you go to Europe, America, Australia, Canada, Japan, Africa, etc. where I have got many thousands of disciples in all those continents, I invite you to visit my temples, a list of which is enclosed herewith. I have five branches in India also; and in Bombay at present I am staying at my above temple. You will be glad to know that I am introducing Rathayatra and other important Vaisnava festivals in Europe and America and probably it is known to you that in San Francisco, California and in London we are having the festivals in grand scale for the last five years continually. Every year the local people are taking more and more interest and I am enclosing herewith a pamphlet in this connection which I hope you will read with interest.
California (Letters 1972 - 1977)
Correspondence
1972 Correspondence
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter of December 31, 1971, and I am very much pleased to hear from you all the good news. Yes, I am especially in cheerful mood to hear that our books and literatures are being now widely increased, but I don't think you will be able to approach near to the large amount of books being distributed by our California centers, especially in San Francisco. But if you can, then I shall certainly come there in Detroit and live there and translate there. I want to go and stay wherever they are selling the most books! But I do not think that anyone will become better than San Francisco.
Asakawa-cho, Hachioji-shi 193, Tokyo, Japan, after the 18th to the first of May, 1972, and after that c/o my Los Angeles ISKCON World Headquarters, 3764 Watseka Avenue, Los Angeles, California, 90034, U.S.A.
ISKCON is creating men of character. Students are required to follow strictly the regulative principles of Vedic life: 1) No illicit sex-life (i.e. outside of marriage); 2) No intoxicants, including coffee, tea, cigarettes, drugs; 3) No gambling; 4) Vegetarian diet.
At present, members of the Society are teaching accredited courses at Ohio State University, University of Florida, University of California at Berkeley, University of Buffalo (NY), and University of Washington.
Your proposal to cooperate with this movement is very magnanimous, and I thank you for your suggestion. But before doing anything tangible, I wish to discuss with you in detail. I wanted to see you in Los Angeles, but I could not get up to San Francisco, neither you could come to L.A. Now I shall be away from California for about one month, but when I shall return we shall discuss further this matter. I welcome your suggestions for voluntary service. Thank you very much.
Since you have asked me, this is my advice to you. You and your family sit down and chant daily some japa and have some kirtana (or chanting Hare Krsna mantra in full __ with kartas and mrdanga.) Besides that you may order our books from the Los Angeles world headquarters, 3764 Watseka Avenue, Los Angeles, 90034, California, __ when you have got our books, then you may hold class all together daily at least one hour and read the Bhagavad-gita, Isopanisad, and other scriptures. You may address your inquiries about the literature in Los Angeles to Sriman Karandhara das Adhikari.
Regarding that building on 40th Street, try to get it as much as possible, but if business of getting this building appears too much difficult or complicated, then give it up. If you like, if this place is not possible, you may try for another similar place. I have received one telephone call this morning from Kesava, who is in California, so he will not be able to take over the affairs there in New York. So how will you be able to leave New York affairs? New York is our most important center in all the world and it requires your strong leadership there, or a suitable replacement. I do not think anyone is there who is able to become president and manage the Press affairs altogether.
From here I shall go to Ahmedabad for some few weeks, and from there to Bombay. I do not think we have got any programme planned for going to Punjab at present moment, but if you get opportunity to meet me at Ahmedabad or Bombay, that will be nice. Otherwise I shall be for some days in Delhi in March, but I think you are returning to California before that time. But if we get chance to meet again, I want to discuss frankly how we may co-operatively push on this Krishna Consciousness movement, especially in India. Let us see what Krishna desires.
1973 Correspondence
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter from California dated November 27, 1972, and I have noted the contents carefully, although due to extensively travelling and preaching tour in India, I have not yet got the opportunity to reply you at length until now. Your complaint is that you have met two of my young disciples in California and they appeared to you as having "a very negative outlook towards the people they meet." Of course, I do not know the case, what are the circumstances, but kindly forgive my beloved disciples any unkindness or indiscretions on their part. After all, to give up one's life completely for serving the Lord is not so easy thing. And Maya, or the illusory material energy, she tries especially hard to try to get back and entrap those who have left her service to become Devotees.
Regarding your request for cassette tapes, we have organized a whole department for distribution of my lectures on tapes and you may obtain them by writing to Golden Avatara. Productions, 3764 Watseka Avenue, Los Angeles, California.
Simply by hearing the philosophy of Krsna Consciousness and chanting Krsna's names all dirty things will be cleaned from the heart.
We have to give a fight to the wrong conception of the unauthorized scientist.
Your plan for going to the colleges in California and your titles for the lectures are very much to my liking. You may write to Ramananda to come as soon as possible. He told me he can come and see me in London. Anyway, his coming there is sure, so correspond with him; and make a strong party.
Your victory over the scientist who was saying that life comes from dust is very good. We should not take such nonsense from them. We should speak up against such false theorists and say, "Don't talk such nonsense please. Don't mislead the public. You are taking big salaries and leading the public wrongly.
1974 Correspondence
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated January 15, 1974.
I have considered your proposal to go to California and start a farm if you can acquire some land. I have been giving instruction to Sudama Maharaja for development of Hawaii center, of which you are presently a member, and our plans include acquiring land here and farming flowers and vegetables. I find hawaii a very suitable place for Krsna Consciousness, and want that a very strong center be established here. Therefore I think the best thing, if you are inclined to farming is to remain and cooperate with Sudama Maharaja and Bali Mardan and Balabhadra and develop Krsna Conscious farming and cow protection here.
I beg to inform you that my banker in Los Angeles, California, has transferred one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00) to you for credit for my savings account number 6112, in the name of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, and I hope you have received the money by this time. The purpose of sending this money is to construct our Krsna-Balarama temple at Raman Reti in Vrindaban. This money is a contribution of my ISKCON temples here in the U.S.A.
We are not preaching something fanaticism nor dry philosophy. Krsna consciousness is jnanam and vijnanam, practical knowledge. So I have given all the points in my books, and you should read them thoroughly.
I have shown your essay to Dr. Svarupa Damodara and he has read it. He is returning soon to California, and you can see him and discuss how to improve it. You should write more because it is very important subject matter.
1975 Correspondence
We are very practical. Whatever is necessary for the maintenance of the body and mind, we will accept. I have never said that my disciples should sever all relationships with friends, relatives and others, but sometimes an inexperienced devotee may do it out of fear of being too much attracted to the materialistic way of life by associating with such persons. An experienced devotee is strong enough not to be affected, rather he can help others to become purified by his association. For more information, I suggest you visit one of our centers there in California. Thank you again for your concern.
Our Krishna Consciousness movement is going on in the Western world very appreciatively. We have published about 50 books of 400 pages each and they are going well. Recently, we have received a report from our headquarters in Los Angeles, California, USA, how our books are being accepted by the authorities. I think if you want to glorify Vraja, as you like to say, "Vraja-Garimi," then we can co-operate very nicely. We can publish many books in Hindi translated from our English books, and distribute them to the Hindi knowing public, both in India and abroad. If you are interested, please correspond with me at the following address; where I will be going very soon: 51 Coelho Way, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.
I thank you very much for your letter dated 30-5-75. I am very sorry to say that I did not receive your letter addressed to me at Mayapur. I am still in Hawaii and I shall leave this place by the 20th of June for Los Angeles. Our temple there is situated at the following address: 3764 Watseka Ave., Los Angeles, California, USA 90034.
I am not returning to India by Rathayatra festival because there are programs here in America and Europe—Rathayatra festival in five different places like, London, Philadelphia, Chicago, San Francisco, and Melbourne. So, I am introducing this Rathayatra festival in the Western countries and the idea is received everywhere very very enthusiastically.
After leaving India, I went to Australia and there we have constructed a very nice temple of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Radha-Krishna, and Lord Jagannatha at Melbourne. This movement is being highly appreciated by the higher educated circle. One professor in Berkeley, California University has written one big book in favor of this movement, "Hare Krishna and the Counterculture".
Please accept my blessings. I wrote you one letter on May 31, 1975, but I have not received any reply from you. Did you see Nandaji in this connection?
Please reply this letter at the following address immediately: ISKCON, 2334 Stuart St., Berkeley, California 94075, U.S.A.
In the next issue of "Back to Godhead" you should put one note of thanks to Mr. Alexander Kulik of Laguna Beach California. This boy has kindly paid BBT Dollars 25,000.00 for publication of books.
The total scheme is for simple life and high thinking and exalted character of the human society. As a matter of fact all of our members refrain from eating meat, gambling, intoxication, and illicit sex. In this connection Prof. J. Stillson Judah of the University of California, Berkeley, has remarked, "Krishna consciousness has transformed lives from drug addicted hippies to loving servants of Krishna and humanity."
Yes, you can accept donations there for the project in Bombay and not promise them anything. On the whole it should be run on the hotel principle. They come and stay, and upon entering they sign one "Visitors Register." Such a book should be maintained. Every dharmasala they keep such a book. He writes wherefrom he is coming, how long he will stay, where he is going next.
1976 Correspondence
The proposed farm project in nothern California is approved by me. Such projects as well as constructing temples, protecting cows, gathering milk, then making ghee, then opening Hare Krishna Restaurants are all good programs for grhasthas.
I am building one Kaliya-Mardana temple in the Island of Fiji and I will go there via Australia, where we have 4 centres, then New Zealand, where we have a center in Auckland, then on to Fiji. Afterwards I will visit my centre in Hawaii, Los Angeles (California) and New York.
In spite of my preaching program overseas, the scheduled program in Udupi on the 11th 12th 13rd may may go on and my sannyasi disciples Yasodanandana Swami and Acyutananda Swami will carry on the program there. Please help them to make this program a success.
I shall be staying in Hawaii at least up until June 1, 1976, at the above address, and then I shall go to Los Angeles where I can be reached at the following address 3764 Watseka Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90034, U.S.A. Thank you once more for your kind letter. Conveniently, if you find time you can visit our Krishna Balarama Temple in Vrindaban at Raman Reti which has now become the best attraction in Vrindaban.
All our initiates must chant at least 16 rounds a day and follow very strictly the regulative principles. This will give one spiritual strength.
Regarding the $30,000.00 which you will receive, you may deposit it in the Bank of America, Main Office, Los Angeles California, in the ISKCON Mayapur Vrndavana Fund. If you forward the amount to Ramesvara Maharaja there he will be able to deposit it for you.
I am in due receipt of your telegram as follows: Christmas week book distribution in Los Angeles despite closed airport better than ever by your grace 112000 BTGS 8000 Gitas sold stop on invitation of governor Brown of California 50 devotees visited State mental institutions to help improve conditions and morale by giving religious message publicity very good Hare Krishna. Thank you very much. This is very good.
1977 Correspondence
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated March 7th, 1977.
Regarding keeping the cows, unless there is sufficient grazing land and cultivation, it is very difficult. But there has been some discussion about having a farm in California. You may write to Ramesvara Maharaja and Satsvarupa Maharaja in this regard. In any case the cows must be protected and cared for. If the farm is gotten then they can shifted there, otherwise continue to care for them as best you can.
| Page Title: | California (Letters 1972 - 1977) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 19 of Dec, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=0, Let=27 |
| No. of Quotes: | 27 |