The Rathayatra festival is going to be held between 27th June to 7th July, and they are making broader arrangement than last year, and expecting people numbering from 1000 to 5000 will attend the procession, chanting Hare Krishna. They have been advised to turn San Francisco gradually into New Jagannatha Puri, and I have advised Kirtanananda and yourself to convert West Virginia into New Vrindaban. I understand the spot is very beautiful, and the hills may be renamed as New Govardhana. And if there are lakes, they can be renamed as Syamakunda and Radhakunda. Vrindaban does not require to be modernized because Krishna's Vrindaban is transcendental village. They completely depend on nature's beauty and nature's protection. The community in which Krishna preferred to belong was Vaisya community, because Nanda Maharaja happened to be a Vaisya king, or landholder, and his main business was cow protection. It is understood that he had 900,000 cows and Krishna and Balarama used to take charge of them, along with His many cowherd boy friends, and every day, in the morning He used to go out with His friends and cows into the pasturing grounds. So, if you seriously want to convert this new spot as New Vrindaban, I shall advise you not to make it very much modernized. But as you are American boys, you must make it just suitable to your minimum needs. Not to make it too much luxurious as generally Europeans and Americans are accustomed. Better to live there without modern amenities. But to live a natural healthy life for executing Krishna Consciousness. It may be an ideal village where the residents will have plain living and high thinking. For plain living we must have sufficient land for raising crops and pasturing grounds for the cows.
Cowherd boys (Letters)
Expressions researched:
"Cowherd boy"
|"Cowherd boyfriend"
|"Cowherd boyfriends"
|"Cowherd boys"
|"Cowherd friend"
|"Cowherd friends"
|"cowherds boy"
|"cowherds boyfriend"
|"cowherds boys"
|"cowherds friends"
Correspondence
1968 Correspondence
Your questions about Lord Brahma: "Brahma is a great devotee of Lord Krishna and Brahma Samhita, etc., reveal his knowledge of the Lord. So are these 2 stories (namely, 1. He doubted Krishna became a cowherds Boy and stole His cows, etc.; 2. Krishna showed him the 1/4 part of His creation after Brahma had to designate himself as 4-headed Brahma.), are these 2 stories just examples to we conditioned souls, who think we can put God under restrictions?" Brahma is not among the great devotees, but he is a devotee of Krishna. All the great devotees of Krishna are in the Krishna loka, constant companions of Krishna at Vrindaban. They are actually great devotees of Krishna. Brahma is great devotee in the sense that he wants to serve Krishna the best with some material power. That means that he has a tendency to enjoy some material opulence. So Krishna has made him the number 1 living creature within this universe. But a great devotee does not want even the position of a Brahma. He would prefer to become an insignificant living creature like an ant or spider in the house of a great devotee, then to become Brahma, who has got the inclination of becoming powerful in the material world. The great devotees are always liberated from all material desires, big or small. That is the sign of great devotees.
Brahma came to Krishna because he has very exalted idea about Krishna, and he was doubtful how his Lord could come into the material world and become a cowherd boy. This incidence is known as Brahma Bemohan lila, or the pastime of bewildering Brahma. In the beginning of Srimad-Bhagavatam, it is stated that great personalities like Brahma become bewildered in the understanding of the Absolute Truth. So sometimes such pastimes are manifested by the Lord in order to teach the so-called mental speculators. Even Arjuna was bewildered, although he was His constant companion. Arjuna also was talking from the material view point of standing. All this bewilderment of great devotees are created by the Lord, for 2 purposes: one purpose, is that even great personalities like Brahma and Arjuna sometimes become bewildered, and therefore, unless they present themselves in such position of bewilderment, the common men do not have the chance to understand Krishna. If Brahma would not have posed himself as not knowing the whole truth, then some truths about the transcendental position of Krishna would not have been explained. Besides that, we cannot calculate even one day's duration of the life of Brahma. So, Krishna appears only once in a day of Brahma, and that takes a rotation of unlimited trillions of solar years. So some incidences take place in one day, and other incidents take place in another day. Just like we do something today, something else in a week, and we forget today's action tomorrow, and tomorrow's action after a week. And that is the nature of conditioned life. Therefore, Brahma being a big conditioned soul, this forgetfulness of one's affairs in the next day are not uncommon. Just as we are forgetful, Brahma also is subject to forgetfulness. Our so much so-called knowledge is nothing in comparison to Krishna's full knowledge. That is admitted by Brahma there in that verse, that people may say they know You very well, but so far I am concerned, I admit I do not know even a farthing of You!
I hope you will understand this explanation, and if you have got further questions, then you can put. Hoping you are all well.
I have sent Satsvarupa instructions for the story of Maharaja Bali. And you can begin from that.
Your questions about Lord Brahma: "Brahma is a great devotee of Lord Krishna and Brahma Samhita, etc., reveal his knowledge of the Lord. So are these 2 stories (namely, 1. He doubted Krishna became a cowherds Boy and stole His cows, etc.; 2. Krishna showed him the 1/4 part of His creation after Brahma had to designate himself as 4-headed Brahma.), are these 2 stories just examples to we conditioned souls, who think we can put God under restrictions?" Brahma is not among the great devotees, but he is a devotee of Krishna. All the great devotees of Krishna are in the Krishna loka, constant companions of Krishna at Vrindaban. They are actually great devotees of Krishna. Brahma is great devotee in the sense that he wants to serve Krishna the best with some material power. That means that he has a tendency to enjoy some material opulence. So Krishna has made him the number 1 living creature within this universe. But a great devotee does not want even the position of a Brahma.
The great devotees are always liberated from all material desires, big or small. That is the sign of great devotees.
Brahma came to Krishna because he has very exalted idea about Krishna, and he was doubtful how his Lord could come into the material world and become a cowherd boy. This incidence is known as Brahma Bemohan lila, or the pastime of bewildering Brahma. In the beginning of Srimad-Bhagavatam, it is stated that great personalities like Brahma become bewildered in the understanding of the Absolute Truth. So sometimes such pastimes are manifested by the Lord in order to teach the so-called mental speculators. Even Arjuna was bewildered, although he was His constant companion. Arjuna also was talking from the material view point of standing. All this bewilderment of great devotees are created by the Lord, for 2 purposes: one purpose, is that even great personalities like Brahma and Arjuna sometimes become bewildered, and therefore, unless they present themselves in such position of bewilderment, the common men do not have the chance to understand Krishna. If Brahma would not have posed himself as not knowing the whole truth, then some truths about the transcendental position of Krishna would not have been explained.
1969 Correspondence
Nanda Maharaja (an old man of not less than 50 years) is observing celebration. Many cowherd boys are coming with milk and curd on a balancing stick on their backs (see enclosed picture). Nanda Maharaja, who is the chief amongst the cowherd men, is giving them presentations of cloth, ornaments, fruits, etc., and there is feasting going on. Some of them are enjoying by throwing butter upon their friend's bodies.
2. The demonic Putana Witch has come to Yasoda looking just like a very nice young woman, and congratulating Yasoda for her beautiful child. She said to Yasoda "You have such nice baby, kindly let me hold Him." Yasoda was very simple and allowed this, but when Krishna sucked the witch's breast the demon showed her true gigantic form which was actually miles long and she died. In the picture, Krishna is playing on the breast of this gigantic dead demon.
Similarly, if the house is very good for serving Krishna it is very good. But if our purpose is for our personal convenience, for that purpose we shall not pray. But for the convenience of Krishna and the Spiritual Master we should always pray.
The absence of the idea of God is not very important, but the sense of loving God is the most important. The cowherd boys and all of the residents of Vrindaban were so much absorbed in love for Krishna that naturally there was absence of the idea of God. Yasoda was so much absorbed in love of Krishna that she did not care to know that He is God. Our whole philosophy is to increase our love for Krishna. Love with awe and veneration and love that is spontaneous is different, but still one has to learn about the greatness of Krishna. To come to the stage of spontaneous love for Krishna is a very high stage, and it is not to be imitated. In our conditioned state of life, we should worship Krishna as God with respect and veneration. That is the system. The relationship of the Spiritual Master and the disciple is not the same as the relationship with Krishna in Vrindaban.
So for the time being go on with your work as usual and don't bother youself with this matter.
Regarding your question about why we dress the Deities in very opulent fashion and not as simple cowherds boy and girl, this is an intelligent question and the answer is that according to the regulative principles we cannot worship Radha-Krishna now. Radha-Krishna worship is meant for persons who have already developed spontaneous love of God. In the training period we are only worshiping Laksmi-Narayana. We worship Radha-Krishna because Laksmi-Narayana is there also, but actually we do not worship Radha-Krishna with our present Deity ceremonies; we are worshiping Laksmi-Narayana. Narayana is there when Krishna is there, but actually we do not worship Radha-Krishna in Their Original Form. This is why we should worship Radha-Krishna in Their Laksmi-Narayana feature with all respect and reverence.
I thank you very much for your letter of May 26, 1969, sent along with your beads. I have duly chanted upon these beads and have initiated you as my disciple. Your spiritual name is Raktaka das Brahmacari. Raktaka is a cowherd boyfriend of Krishna. I am very pleased that you have become very attracted to and serious about this Krishna Consciousness Movement. 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. From your letter I can understand that you are an intelligent boy, so now you may make the best use of your intelligence in perfecting your life in Krishna Consciousness.
The prayers offered by Visvanatha Cakravarti to his Spiritual Master have a special significance. His Spiritual Master was one of the assistant gopis, so the prayer was offered like that. On the whole, the Spiritual Master is an agent of Krishna. But either He is assistant to the gopis or assistant to the cowherds boys, He is on the level of Krishna. That is the verdict of all scriptures. Krishna is worshipable God and the Spiritual Master is worshipper God. The exact words are sebya (worshipable) and sebak (worshipper).
Your explanation of Annamoya is all right. Pranamoya means there are different types of airs, and the spirit soul is floating on the air, just like all the planets are floating in the air. This Pranamoya air is transferred by breathing exercises, but we have nothing to do with such exercises. Our prana, or life, is surrendered to Krishna. That is the first class yoga system approved by Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad-gita.
1970 Correspondence
Extend your activities to the University campus because the younger generation is our future hope. Bamboo while it is green can be bent and carved, but while it is yellow and ripe if there is any attempt to bend it, it cracks. Krishna is evergreen youthful Original Person and He gathers around Him all young boys and girls as cowherd boys and gopis in His eternal Vrndavana Lila. So try seriously to impress upon the young hearts and you will be successful. Try to get that fraternity house as soon as possible.
Your first question: are disciplic successions from Brahma and from Arjuna different? No. Brahma's disciplic succession accepts Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead and Arjuna also accepted Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So that is not a new disciplic succession. Krishna says in the fourth chapter that I am again reintroducing unto you—so anyone who accepts Lord Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead is to be understood as belonging to the same disciplic succession.
Just like when we speak of a king, it is to be understood that he is surrounded by ministers, secretaries, military commanders and many other people. Krishna is not impersonal, so in His Vrindaban Lila especially, He is always surrounded by the Gopis, cowherd boys, His father, His mother and all the inhabitants of Vrindaban.
Regarding your second question, Byabhaichary, you have got 31 only out of 33. I think some of the brackets are not counted. So if the parentheses are removed from "intoxication" and "impotency" and they are also counted, the total of symptoms will come to 33. Simply add commas after the preceeding symptoms namely "prestige" and "impudence" respectively.
Regarding the third point: all kinds of mellow includes servitude. Therefore a mixture of servitude and parenthood is not incompatible.
Thank you very much for your nice letter dated July 22, 1970 Thursday night. I did not reply right away because I am getting ready to to lead a Sankirtana Party to chant Hare Krsna in Japan and then to India, where Lord Sri Krsna had all His Pastimes with the cowherd boys and girls. Yes, you are certainly right when you say Radharani cooks prasadam for Lord Krsna. Whenever He returns in the evening from herding cows with His cowherd boy friends, Radharani has a nice preparation waiting for Lord Krsna. You have also mentioned about Krsna playing on His flute. In the Nectar of Devotion, it is said that Lord Krsna attracts living entities from all over the universes by simply playing on His flute.
Now please listen faithfully to your mother and father and they will teach you all about Lord Krsna. It is said that everyone has a mother and father but only a few are fortunate enough to have a Spiritual Master. So you are doubly fortunate, you have a Spiritual Master and also you have a nice Krsna consciousness father and mother, simply live by their example.
1971 Correspondence
I am in due receipt of your letter dated 18th January, 1971 and have noted the contents carefully. Yes, I have already received a copy of your book "Krsna, the Cowherd Boy" and also given suggestions for the same. So you can present it to Satsvarupa and the editors and if they approve, then I approve and the book may be printed by our Press.
So far as French translation work, I am very glad to note how nicely you are working, along with your wife Jyotirmayi and also Guy Prabhu. Continue in this way and Krishna will be pleased upon you and bless you with the intelligence to increase your service more and more. When you have printed the three new French BTGs, as well as Easy Journey and Sri Isopanisad, French editions, you may send copies of them here to me for propaganda purposes.
The two who are missing are Sri Kesava who is represented holding from the lower right hand lotus, conch, disk, club; and Sri Vamana holding conch, disk, club, and lotus flower. So altogether this makes twenty-four. The twenty-two as they are written in TLC are correct.
Muralidhara's version of Krishna and the cowherd boys with the Gopis watching them shown in the lotus is nice. Krishna and the cowherd boys used to return in the evening, and the Gopis while looking on used to enjoy Krishna's smiling face. This is stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam.
Regarding whether the Brahmajoti should be painted rainbow colored. It is our experience that in the material world when the sunshine is very bright there is not any color, just whiteness. Colors of sunshine only become manifest when there is a tinge of clouds. So in the Brahmajoti there is no possibility of material tinge. So how it can be rainbow colored? In the dazzling light there is no possibility of colors. Considering all these points, Muralidhara should paint maintaining the artistic sense as well.
1972 Correspondence
You are waking up your new deities too early! Best time is between 4:30 and 5 am, with Mangala Aratik at 5 am. Although Krishna is the Master of Sleep, still, we must allow Him sufficient rest for herding cows all day and playing with His cowherd friends.
Regarding your question, this surrender to Supersoul is in the advanced stage of Krishna Consciousness. So long one is not advanced, he has to take information and direction from the representative of Supersoul or the Spiritual Master. The spiritual master is external manifestation of the Supersoul. Thus the Lord helps the living entity, helps both from inside & outside.
I am very, very pleased with your program to infiltrate the schools and colleges, especially by introducing our books and classes in Krishna Yoga.
I have received your undated note, along with sketch for cover of Srimad-Bhagavatam, 4th Canto, Vol. I. It is nice, the eight items are placed correctly. I have already answered your question about Nara Narayana twins. So far Lord Brahma paint him just like you have painted already in the poster where he is flying on the swan for stealing Krishna's cowherds friends and cows.
Gopavrndapala das (protector of the cowherd boys)
David Hardin,
Kadambakanana das (He who plays in the groves where the kadamba flower grows)
I am so glad to learn that all of you have been such a great help to Karandhara there in our Los Angeles center. I can understand that all of you are very sincere boys, and are very eligible candidates for going back to home, back to Godhead. And the process is simple. Follow the regulative principles, chant at least 16 rounds of beads daily, read our literatures, go for street sankirtana and book distribution, etc.
I have seen your wife Nandarani dasi here in Los Angeles and she is doing very well. I want that she shall help me improve the conditions at our Dallas school by going there and teaching the children. If children are allowed to play just like Krishna was playing with his cowherd boyfriends, then little ABC, then see the deity and have arati, then take little prasadam; in this way if they are always diversified, they will be always jolly and become fixed-up devotees at young age. And small children, they learn better these things from their mother and women in general. So I thing that some mothers of our children should go to Dallas and take charge of teaching the children, especially how to play nicely the pastimes of young Krishna. If you ask one child to be a tree, he will immediately hold out his arms "Just see I am a tree." If you ask him to be a cow he will walk on his hands and knees immediately and you can hit him with a stick and say "hut, hut."
If they are allowed to worship the Deity by practicing performing aratrika very seriously, plus always be engaged in different various activities centered around Krsna, then their education will be completely successful. The children should always be instructed by taking advantage of their playful mood and teaching them to play Krsna games like become cowherd boys, cows, peacocks, demons and in this way if they always think of Krsna by playing just like they are actually present in association with Krsna then they will become Krsna Conscious very quickly. In addition, there should be a little ABC, then prasadam, then worshiping the Deity, then more playing Krsna games, some kirtana, a little more ABC, like that. In this way, always keep their minds and bodies engaged in different activities because children are restless by nature so they will want to change often.
I am feeling more and more the urge to retire behind the scenes and translate these Vedic literatures for the greatest benefit for mankind in general.
So far the children are concerned they should know simply four things: 1. Simply think of Krishna always, 2. become Krishna's devotee, 3. offer Krishna worship, 4. offer Krishna obeisances. These four things should be taught and everything else will follow nicely and they will be learned persons. Give them nice food, let them play. Some can be cowherd boys, some can be cows, like that. Play and take food and be Krishna Conscious. As soon as they begin playing they will be inspired, only one has to direct how to play, that's all. They should attend the regular aratis and dance before the Deities, just like the children are doing in Los Angeles, and there should not be separate special aratis for the children, although they may also learn how to do arati in the class before one picture. They must all go to bed by nine pm and arise at four am for mangala arati, and in day-time a little rest.
They should be taught just to do like the elders, that is, rise early, cleanse, attend mangal arati, read our literatures, chant, go for sankirtana, like that, and besides that, a little ABC, mathematics, geography, history, that's all. And teach the small children to play Krishna games: one child is a cow, another is cowherd boy, they go to the forest, there are demons there, Krishna kills the demons, like that; in this way, let the children play Krishna games, then attend arati, then learn some ABC, then play some more, have kirtana, little ABC, and by keeping them always diversified they shall not lose interest and will keep their attention always focused around Krishna.
1973 Correspondence
Rather our devotion is the important factor, so what does it matter what I am doing so long my work and energy are completely devoted to Krsna? Just like Krsna, He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He has no work, neither He has anything to do, still He comes here to teach us this lesson. He accepts not only His occupational duty as cowherd boy, royal prince, but also He accepts married life, He enters politics, He is philosopher, He is even chariot driver during a great battle, He does not give example of Himself avoiding His occupational duty. So if Krsna Himself is exhibiting by His own conduct what is the perfection of existence, then we should heed such example if we are intelligent. Even supposing there is wife at home, with children, that does not matter, that is no hindrance to our spiritual life. And once we have accepted these things, occupational duties, we should not lightly give them up. That is the point. Of course, our occupational duty is as preachers of Krsna consciousness. So we must stick to that business under all circumstances, that is the main thing.
Regarding your two questions addressed through Tamala Krsna, the reply to your question about Arjuna's relationship with Krsna, is that Arjuna is an eternal devotee, so on the higher platform the devotee is so intimately related that he forgets Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But, in the lower stage of devotional service Krsna is looked upon with awe and veneration. When Arjuna saw the virata murti of Krsna, actually he came down one step below his position. Therefore he asked for forgiveness from Krsna. So this is a teaching to the common man that we should not take Krsna immediately as intimately as the gopis, cowherds boys, and other advanced devotees treated Him. In the beginning we must treat the Lord with awe and veneration. Later one when we are perfectly on the spiritual platform, we treat Krsna more intimately, and therefore we forget the exalted position of Krsna. But, we never imitate the Brijbasis from the beginning as do the sahajiyas. In the beginning a devotee must follow strictly viddhi-marga or regulated principles.
This was the statement of Srila Sukdeva Goswami when he saw Krsna carrying the cowherds boys on His shoulders. To be in such a position could only be the result of the performance of many, many pious activities. They were putting their legs on the Supreme Personality of Godhead and were forgetting who He is, and Krsna is taking the feet of His devotee on Himself. Krsna is so nice. The mayavadis can never understand this exchange of devotional activities.
I have been hearing about your successful preaching. Stick to this work allotted to you by Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Always pray to Caitanya Mahaprabhu for strength and go on with your preaching.
| Page Title: | Cowherd boys (Letters) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, Ojaswirani, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 17 of Aug, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=0, Let=24 |
| No. of Quotes: | 24 |