Coffee (Letters)

Expressions researched:
"coffee" |"coffee's" |"coffees"

1968 Correspondence

Letter to Sacisuta -- Allston, Mass 30 May, 1968:

I am very glad to receive your letter dated May 26, 1968, along with beads, and I am so pleased that you are seeking for being initiated. So, after due chanting I am sending both your beads by separate first class post parcel. Receive it and chant without any offense. The 10 kinds of offenses are like this:

Blaspheming the Lord's devotee

Considering the Lord and the demigods on the same level—or assuming there are many gods

Neglecting the orders of the spiritual master

Minimizing the authority of the Scriptures

Interpreting the Holy Name of God

Committing sin on the strength of chanting

Instructing the glories of the Lord's Name to the unfaithful

Comparing the Holy Name with material piety

Inattention while chanting the Holy Name

Attachment to material things while engaged in the practice of chanting

So you follow those principles as well as the four restrictive rules, namely;

No addiction to indulgence in any form of intoxication, including coffee, tea and cigarettes

No illicit sexual relationships

Must be strictly vegetarian

No gambling

Letter to whom it may concern -- Montreal 12 June, 1968:

In each center we have got hundreds of disciples and followers, and our initiated disciples are strictly following the restrictions as principle, as follows: (1) no illicit sex life, (2) no intoxication, including coffee, tea, and cigarettes, (3) no gambling, (4) no meat eating. We have got both Brahmacaris and Householders as disciples, and all of them are following the above mentioned principles. The students and disciples are initiated according to authorized Pancaratriki regulations.

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Official (for Madhudvisa) -- Los Angeles 15 March, 1969:

He is presently studying the Bhagavad-gita and the Srimad-Bhagavatam and other Vedic scriptures under strict discipline and regulation. As such, he is forbidden to indulge in the following activities:

1. Illicit sexual connection (unmarried sex indulgence).

2. Non vegetarian diet (the eating of meat, fish eggs, and all animal foods strictly forbidden).

3. Intoxication of all sorts (including smoking, drinking of alcoholic beverages, drinking tea, coffee, drugs, etc.) are strictly forbidden.

Letter to Selective Service System (for Tosana Krsna) -- Hawaii 20 March, 1969:

MY INITIATED STUDENTS ARE STRICTLY FORBIDDEN TO INDULGE in the following principles of degradation: (1) All forms of intoxication, including coffee, tea, cigarettes, drugs, alcohol, etc. (2) The eating of animal foods, such as meat, fish, and eggs. Rather, their diet consists of Prasadam, especially offered foodstuffs (vegetarian), (3) Unmarried sex indulgence, (4) Gambling, or idle sports of any sort. Their lives are dedicated to serving God, and as such, they have no time to squander on unbeneficial activities or non-Godly activities.

Letter to Sir -- New Vrindaban 27 May, 1969:

Brahmanahood is not so easy job that one can be turned into a brahmana all of a sudden. We initiate our students into brahmanahood only after seeing their behavior for at least one year, especially with reference to the following principles: 1) one must not indulge in illicit sex, 2) one must not eat anything nonvegetarian, 3) one must not take any intoxicants, including coffee, tea or cigarettes, and 4) one must not take part in gambling.

Letter to Raktaka -- Moundsville 31 May, 1969:

As you continue to follow the regulative principles and thereby as you continue to advance in your understanding of Krishna Consciousness, you will find that your attraction for Krishna and spiritual life will increase more and more. The main regulative principles for brahmacari life are four in number, and they are 1) no illicit sexual connections, 2) no intoxication, including coffee, tea and cigarettes, 3) no nonvegetarian diet, and 4) no gambling. So if you will follow these principles, chant 16 rounds each day upon your beads, avoid the ten offenses which Hamsaduta will give to you, and help propagate this chanting of Hare Krishna as far as possible, then you will see your life becoming more and more sublime.

Letter to Turya -- New Vrindaban 5 June, 1969:

Now you have your beads, so please chant at least 16 rounds daily, and read from Bhagavad-gita As It Is at least one chapter daily. Gaurasundara will instruct you as to the 10 offenses that must be avoided. The four principal regulative restrictions that you must follow are 1) no intoxication, including coffee or tea, 2) no illicit sex-life, 3) no nonvegetarian diet, 4) no gambling. I understand from Gaurasundara that already you are helping the Hawaii temple and that you are a very nice, sincere boy. So with these nice qualifications of sincerity and service surely you will make nice progress in perfecting your life in Krishna consciousness.

Letter to Mr. Kair -- Los Angeles 8 July, 1969:

The formalities are as follows: You should take a vow not to have any illicit sex life. That means sex life should be accepted only by married couples. You should not take anything beyond the group of grains, fruits, vegetables, flowers, milk and milk products, and that also only after offering to Lord Krishna. You should not accept any kind of intoxication, including drinking coffee, tea, or smoking cigarettes, chewing pan, etc. Finally, you should not take part in any gambling, including so-called sports, cinema, theater, or any such entertainment.

Letter to Mr. Mottissey -- Montreal 16 July, 1969:

For example, all our students, they are completely refrained from 4 principles of prohibition in which they were addicted in their previous life. But since they are initiated, they are not taking any meat, they are not taking any intoxicants, including tea, coffee, and cigarettes, and so many other things but very nicely they are keeping the balance. So this is practical example that at least he is saved so much botheration, and unnecessary expenditures in the matter of eating and drinking.

Letter to Kulasekhara (Colin Jury), Digvijaya (Dick Withey), Tirthapada (Tim Austin) -- Los Angeles 31 July, 1969:

So this initiation means the preliminary chance for preparing oneself to achieve this highest perfection. I am very glad that you are already interested in the Krishna Consciousness Movement, and you will please chant at least 16 rounds daily, observing the rules and regulations. The four principle rules is that you will refrain from 1) meat-eating or partaking of fish or eggs, 2) illicit sexual connections, 3) intoxication (including cigarettes, coffee and tea) and 4) gambling.

1970 Correspondence

Letter to Hanuman Prasad Poddar -- Los Angeles 5 February, 1970:

After some time of appreciating our program and trying to understand our philosophy, when someone is very interested and recommended by the Temple Commander, for becoming initiated, I accept him and give him first initiation in the form of Harinama in a regular ceremony with fire sacrifice. I chant Hare Krishna Mantra on the 108 beads and then the beads are offered to the disciple with a change of name as Krishna das. He is advised to strictly follow the regulative principles of 1. no eating of meat, fish, or eggs; 2. no taking of intoxicants including coffee, tea, and tobacco; 3. no illicit sex-life; and 4. no gambling or mental speculation.

Letter to Turya Shramy Maharaja -- Los Angeles 8 April, 1970:

In our various centers (26) everywhere there are at least 30 to 40 devotees. Some of them are householders and some of them are Brahmacaris. I don't encourage very strictly increasing the number of Brahmacaris and Sannyasis because in this country men and women are very freely intermingling. Therefore I am encouraging householder's life strictly restraining them from sinful activities principally based on the following four points: 1) no eating of meat, fish, or eggs 2) no illicit sex-life 3) no taking of any kind of intoxicants including coffee, tea, and tobacco 4) no gambling. So this scheme appears to be successful, and in most cases the Grhasthas are preaching very satisfactorily.

Letter to Kasturika -- Los Angeles:

I am very glad to know that you have been recommended for initiation by Sriman Rishi Kumar, and now please continue to follow strictly the four regulative principles of no eating of meat, fish or eggs, no taking of intoxicants including coffee, tea and tobacco, no illicit sex-life, and no gambling. Be sure to always chant daily your sixteen rounds on your beads, and be happy in Krishna Consciousness.

Letter to Radharamana Sharanji -- Los Angeles 25 June, 1970:

As you already have seen in the "Kalyana" magazine, April 1970, they are taking twice daily bath, having kuntis, chanting Hare Krsna on the beads, decorating the body with twelve tilaka marks and following the four regulative principles 1) no eating of meat, fish or eggs, 2) no illicit sex, 3) to taking of any kind of intoxicants, including coffee, tea, and cigarettes, and 4) no gambling, strictly. It is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam that anyone, even in the impious source of birth, if one takes to the Krsna conscious principles he is admitted in Vaikuntha Goloka Vrndavana.

Letter to Nevatiaji -- Los Angeles 16 July, 1970:

All the devotees strictly follow our regulative principle of 1) no eating of meat, fish or eggs, 2) no illicit sex-life, 3) no taking of intoxicants including coffee, tea, tobacco and alcohol, and 4) no gambling. In each center we have a president, secretary and treasurer who manage the local affairs.

1972 Correspondence

Letter to Haripuja -- Los Angeles 25 June, 1972:

Now please continue to strictly follow the regulative principles and rigidly observing the four principal restrictions, namely: no eating of meat, fish or eggs, no taking of any kinds of intoxicants including coffee, tea and tobacco, no illicit sex life, and no gambling, and always without fail chant 16 rounds of the Holy Names daily, and be happy.

Letter toTilakainath ( Tom), Dhumrakesa (Doug), Gokulacandra (George), Pavamana (Paul) -- London 13 July, 1972:

Now please continue to strictly follow the regulative principles, namely: no eating of meat, fish, or eggs; no intoxicants, including tea, coffee, cigarettes; no illicit sex-life; and no gambling.

Letter to Suresh Candra -- London 11 August, 1972:

A disciple means one who is always following the orders of the spiritual master. So I instruct my disciples to refrain from four prohibitions, namely no eating of meat, fish or eggs, no illicit sex life, no taking of intoxication, including tea, coffee, cigarettes, etc., and no gambling. Besides that my students must chant sixteen rounds of japa-mala of Hare Krsna mantra daily. So if you are able to follow these principles without fail, then you are as good as my disciple.

1973 Correspondence

Letter to Marie Priterel -- Calcutta 27 January, 1973:

It does not matter that you do not live within our temple, since you say your health does not permit. But you can make your home a temple for Krsna. First thing is that you should try to follow strictly our regulative principles—no meat, fish or eggs; no intoxicants, including coffee, tea and cigarettes; no illicit sex; and no gambling. Try also to chant as many times as possible the Hare Krsna mantra on japa beads. You may keep a picture of Lord Krsna in your house and after cooking you may learn to offer the foodstuffs to the picture of Krsna.

1974 Correspondence

Letter to Frederico -- Mayapur 24 October, 1974:

Yes, as you have understood, prasadam is offered only from the category of fruits, vegetables, grains, milk products, and sugar. This is according to the Bhagavad-gita wherein Krishna states what He accepts. We have four rules that all my students follow. They do not take any meat, fish, or eggs; no gambling, no intoxicants, including coffee, tea, or cigarettes; and no illicit sex life. Try to follow these four rules, and Krishna will bless you with quick advancement in spiritual life.

1975 Correspondence

Letter to Urvasi -- Los Angeles 25 July, 1975:

I have given permission for Shaktimati and Navayogendra to combine together for establishing a temple there in Mombassa especially for the Asian community so you also assist in this endeavor. Be sure to follow the regulative principles of chanting 16 rounds without fail each day. Also, we do not take any coffee, tea, or cigarettes, meat, fish, or eggs, illicit sex, or any gambling. Be sure and read my books very carefully, Bhagavad-gita, then Srimad-Bhagavatam, and then Caitanya Caritamrta.

1976 Correspondence

Letter to Elaine -- Mayapur 1 February, 1976:

First, no eating of meat, fish, or eggs. Second, no gambling. Third, no taking of any kinds of intoxicants such as drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, coffee or tea. And fourth, no illicit sex life, which means sex life only within marriage and then only for the purpose of procreating Krishna Conscious children. If you can follow these principles and chant Hare Krishna, you will make great spiritual advancement. The best thing is for you to associate with the devotees at the Dallas Temple, then it will be much easier.

Letter to David B. Richeter Hughes -- Vrndavana 8 September, 1976:

Thank you very much for your kind offer to have me as your Permanent Acarya and Honorary Chairman. I will accept this if your organization and members are agreed to follow the four regulative principles which discriminate animal life from human life, i.e. no eating of meat fish or eggs; no illicit sex life outside of marriage and then only for the begetting of God conscious children; no intoxicants, including coffee, tea, or cigarettes; no gambling, not even bingo. Unless one follows these principles, spiritual life is not possible.

Letter to Visvakarma -- Vrindaban 19 November, 1976:

Hold a fire sacrifice. Instruct Karatieya to always follow very strictly the four regulative principles and chant a minimum of 16 rounds daily avoiding the ten offenses. The second initiates should hear the tape of me chanting Gayatri in their right ear. Instruct them how to chant on their finger divisions. Kirtanananda may chant on the beads of the new initiate.

No, you may not serve decaffinated coffee in the restaurant.