Diplomacy (Letters)

Expressions researched:
"diplomacy" |"diplomat" |"diplomat's" |"diplomatic" |"diplomatically" |"diplomats"

1968 Correspondence

Letter to Mukunda -- San Francisco 9 April, 1968:

Acyutananda and Harivilasa have informed me that Hrsikesa has taken the step as a matter of diplomacy, but he will come back again when I come back to India. I am not astonished for his behavior, but I am sorry for my God-brother's behavior. He is a neophyte and so he may commit so many mistakes, but Bon Maharaja should not have committed such mistake. It is not approved by Vaisnava etiquettes.

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Gurudasa -- Los Angeles 5 February, 1969:

I am in due receipt of your letter of January 29, 1969, and I am so glad to learn that you have permission to have kirtana all the time on the streets and parks. You have written that you are missing me, and similarly, I am sitting here anxious to meet you as soon as possible. In previous letters of Syamasundara it was understood that the Beatles were going to help us positively, but the delay method appears to be diplomatic to avoid the pledge. I do not know what is the position, but I think that without depending on anyone, we may take the risk of renting a nice house for our temple immediately. If you think that my presence will accelerate matters, I am prepared to go immediately. In Yamuna's letter I understood that many people are interested in our temple work, and they are prepared to contribute items such as deities. All such things being favorable, why you are not taking a temple at your own risk? Besides that, you wrote to say that I will not go there for one year, but I have no such idea. I do not know who has spread such rumor. I have already postponed my journey to Hawaii in the month of April. In April I will go to Columbus, Ohio, so these two months of February and March I am completely free. If you so desire, I can start immediately and see the situation which is preventing the renting of a nice house. You write to say also that everyone is awaiting my arrival, and they ask "When is Swamiji coming?" So far as I am concerned, I can go immediately because I have no serious engagements here now.

1970 Correspondence

Letter to Satsvarupa, Uddhava -- Los Angeles 27 July, 1970:

At the present moment in our ISKCON campus politics and diplomacy has entered. Some of my beloved students on whom I counted very, very much have been involved in this matter influenced by Maya. As such there has been some activity which I consider as disrespectful. So I have decided to retire and divert attention to book writing and nothing more.

The ISKCON Press was specifically established exclusively for printing my books. Please therefore give me an idea how you can help me in getting all my manuscripts printed as soon a possible. Whenever Advaita is submitting an estimate for printing my books, I am supplying the money immediately. So far the finance is concerned, Krsna is supplying. Therefore if you simply print my books in the Press incessantly, that will give me great delight.

Please therefore let me know how far you can all help me in this connection and what are the manuscripts ready for printing. I think I shall now stop all other activities except publishing of my books. Kindly enlighten me per return mail.

1972 Correspondence

Letter to Gurudasa -- Los Angeles 26 May, 1972:

I have received one letter from Kenneth Keating, American ambassador to India, and it is a very important document. But I have still not heard from you anything about the food contribution by your government, so I shall be anxiously awaiting news of same. But the comments by Mr. Keating are very nice, he offers us his admiration and his blessings for our selfless work, and that is a very great compliment coming from such an important man. So you are the best diplomat, you know how to mix with such big men and they are always giving you their blessings, so I am very much pleased that you are the best man for this work. Kindly continue your good relations with Mr. Keating, and I shall be be very glad to see him again when I come there in the near future.

Letter to Bhagavan -- Los Angeles 16 June, 1972:

Regarding the cars I am very much anxious to hear what is your progress in this connection. We must have some cars or vans for sending to India, so if you cannot get free we shall pay at 50% reduction or some big concession. And we shall advertise on the cars "donated by such-and-such company." That will be good diplomacy for them in India.

Letter to Cyavana -- Los Angeles 15 September, 1972:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated September 9, 1972, and have noted the contents carefully. I am glad to note that you are by good diplomacy maintaining our good relationships with all the men who have helped us there in Nairobi. We don't want any disruption. Rsi Kumar is not there now so you do everything nicely and diplomatically. Brahmananda Swami is there, GBC man, so you consult with him and do everything diplomatically. On the whole, they should not be given any power unless they are my initiated disciples, but try to keep them as consultants. It is not that we should stop our relationship and not remain on speaking terms any more but try to keep everyone as our friend and engage them in Krsna Consciousness somehow or other. Enclosed please find the copy of Mr. Shah's letter, and I have accepted his resignation.

I have several items told you to pay the printer, Mr. D. L. Patel, whatever Harjibhai Patel approves. Why you do not settle this business and go forward? Whatever Mr. Harajibhai Patel considers should be fair price for the printing work, that much we will pay immediately and be finished with the business.

Letter to Balavanta -- Ahmedabad 13 December, 1972:

Like that, if you are sincere and cool-headed, they will appreciate after some time—and if only one of such big, big leaders understands the real fact, that is sufficient to stop all further cases of police attacks. But one thing is, we have not got anything to gain by "fighting the demons in the streets and courts." No, our process of solving the matter is simple, why should we unnecessarily take botheration for fighting? Only after exhausting every possibility of peaceful solution shall we fight anyone. Just like Krishna. He did not call for fighting until after every chance for settlement failed. So we shall try to overcome our opponents by, first, our words and our behavior, and all means of friendly approach we shall attempt by sober planning, and only later, all else failing, shall we actually fight. That is our philosophy. And if we stick to these lines of politics and diplomacy as set out for us by Krishna, we shall expect always victory, without any doubt:

1973 Correspondence

Letter to Tejiyas -- Bombay 17 October, 1973:

I am coming to Delhi for going to Vrindaban. So I may stay in Delhi for one or two days, and then come back from Vrindaban during the festival. In the meantime please inquire if from Delhi to Nairobi there is any flight 747.

Bali Mardan is trying to get me a Mercedes car. So he has asked me who will be in charge of it in my absence. So I have suggested your name. So I think in the new building there is garage also.

Another thing, I want a diplomatic passport. Please inquire in this because I am always travelling, and this kind of passport will facilitate my travelling. I am a preacher of Indian culture, why they should not give me this kind of passport.

1974 Correspondence

Letter to Karandhara -- Mayapur 8 October, 1974:

I am very pleased to receive your letter dated 9/11/74 and have noted the contents with great delight. The thing is where is the question of making any conspiracy. The materialistic man creates diplomacy and conspiracy for sense gratification. Everyone wants in the material world some reputation, profit, and some adoration. But so far we are concerned we are being trained up by following the footsteps of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu: na dhanam na janam na sundarim kavitam va jagadisa kamaye/ mama janmani janmanisvare bhavatad bhaktir ahaituki tvayi (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). "My Lord I do not want any monetary gain, neither any number of followers, or wife, but simply I want to be engaged in Your causeless devotional service, which means I do not even want salvation." So if actually we follow the footsteps of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, where is the question of conspiracy?

This whole institution was started singlehandedly without any capital. I went to your country with only Rs. 40/- and 200 sets of books. So if we take the capital of the whole business, it was the books and the Rs. 40/-. The Rs. 40/- was not even touched because Indian Rupees currency could not be spent in your country. In 1967 when I came back to India the Rs. 40/- was paid for the taxi cab. The 200 sets of books was sold, and I was maintaining myself with great difficulty. Now by the grace of Krishna books sales have increased tremendously, and whatever money we are spending it is from the books sales; or whatever money is also being squandered that is also from the book sales.

Letter to Karandhara -- Mayapur 8 October, 1974:

Now by the grace of Krishna we have got sufficient properties all over the world, so there cannot be any diplomacy or conspiracy by any sane man. All these properties and opulences, whatever we have got, this will not go with me when I go away from this world. It will remain here. I am training some of my experienced disciples how to manage after my departure. So if instead of taking the training, if in my lifetime you people say I am the Lord of all I survey, that is dangerous conspiracy.

As alleged by you I have received complaints against Bali Mardan and his wife, so seriously so much so that the girl has declared that Bali Mardan is an incarnation of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura on my name. In India some of the important members they have collected huge amounts in the name of the Society and spent it luxuriously. I wanted you all my experienced disciples should manage the whole institution very cleverly without any personal ambition like ordinary materialistic men. The Gaudiya Math institution has become smashed, at least stopped its program of preaching work on account of personal ambitions.

Letter to Subala -- Mayapur 15 October, 1974:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated September 20, 1974 and I was very glad to read the contents. I thank you for following the order of your spiritual master. This is the motto of our spiritual life: yasya prasadad bhagavata prasadao. My other godbrothers they are concerned with litigations, politics, and diplomacy, so what is the pracara? As far as I am concerned I have the blessings of my guru maharaj. I do not need anything else. That is how I went to your country, just to try to carry out his order. By his blessings it has come out successful.

So work diligently. It is a good place. Take more devotees from Australia, and organize it nicely. You have got a good field. You are an old, experienced worker, and I have full confidence in you. Krishna will bless you in this attempt. There I have seen the Indian people are very receptive.

Letter to Gangamayi -- Mayapur 18 October, 1974:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated September 21, 1974 and have noted the contents. There have been many letters coming from different quarters regarding the election; therefore I have called for a re-election in the presence of all members and two GBC men. You can have a written ballot, and whoever receives the majority vote, he shall be the president.

You are right that politics should be avoided. In my personal life I did not participate in the political diplomacy of my god-brothers. I was simply thinking how to fulfill the order of my guru maharaj. He gave me his blessings, and I was saved from any implication. Now I am trying to carry out his instructions strictly, and it has come out successful.

Letter to Hamsaduta -- Mayapur 19 October, 1974:

Always remember that varnasrama life is a good program for material life, and it helps one in spiritual life; but spiritual life is not dependent upon it. After all the system of varnasrama has to be realized before accepting spiritual life; and the renounced order of sannyasa is the last stage of varnasrama.

Regarding starting a travelling Sankirtana party with yourself at the head, yes it is approved. It is good.

Regarding the London affair, what can be done. This is the American and European habit of diplomacy. Unless there is spiritual advancement they will do by their nature like this. The whole thing should be corrected by diverting their attention to chanting and the regulative principles. We have to tackle these problems very carefully. In Bengali it is said wherever there is the goddess of fortune, there are varieties of responsibility. When I was alone there were not so many letters of so many problems.

Regarding your dancing in the middle of the kirtana, it is not wrong. It is completely right. If in your kirtana everyone dances in ecstasy it is perfectly all right. That is spiritual enthusiasm.