Excellence (Letters)

Expressions researched:
"excel" |" excelled" |" excellence" |" excelling" |" excels"

1968 Correspondence

Letter to Jadurani -- Los Angeles 15 February, 1968: The demons could assume any gigantic shape they liked. They can play jugglery; they are not ordinary human beings. You must know that a person with whom God had to fight is not an ordinary person. He could play almost equally with the Lord, but nobody can excel the Lord. Therefore, he was killed. To expand and to reduce the body is sometimes performed by a successful yogi.

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Satsvarupa -- Los Angeles 20 February, 1969: I'm also glad to learn about Jadurani's health and by Krishna's grace she's improving. I do not give my permission just immediately for regular work but she can come to the temple in the morning and chant her beads silently. So far envy is concerned it can be used only upon the non-devotees. In the transcendental world a devotee is never envious of another devotee on account of his excellence but on the contrary if a devotee finds some excellence in other devotees he eulogizes the devotee admitting his own subordinate position. Although in the spiritual world there is no such concept of subordination still devotees on account of being very humble and meek think that way.

1972 Correspondence

Letter to Giriraja -- Los Angeles 8 June, 1972: The deity program must be improved very gorgeously. Flower garlands should be expanded, and all expenditures for the deities must be expanded without any miserly contemplation. Our temple should be so gorgeously decorated that we shall excel all Bombay temples. This is my idea. Try to fulfill it. When they hear that we decorate our deities so gorgeously, people will throng, and on festival days especially, like Janmastami, Jhulana Yatra, etc. So four or five devotees should be always engaged in deity worship.

Letter to Jayapataka -- Amsterdam 30 July, 1972: If you make it a first-class temple, there will be no lack of visitors for preaching, you will never even have to leave that place for preaching. And if you serve nice prasadam, the whole of India will come. So stick to our principles very rigidly, and everyone will come to see these American Vaisnavas. I want that we shall excel the Caitanya Math. They have been struggling for the last 50 years, and we shall surpass them in two years. We are working two shifts of labor: that is American style of doing things. I am very pleased if you can continue in this manner of American style. But if you do not, then I shall remain on the same level, then it is a great discredit to the Americans. But if I defeat my godbrothers, then I am worthy to be called the guru of the Americans. Even there is competition in spiritual life.

1974 Correspondence

Letter to Nrsimha Caitanya -- Geneva 5 June, 1974: Your reports of the devotional progress of San Diego are very convincing, this combination of book distribution and public festivals is very good for bringing the people to an attraction for Krsna Consciousness. Go on holding as many festivals as possible. I am especially attracted to the pictures you have sent of Radha Giridhari, the deities of San Diego ISKCON. I have placed one picture on my desk and I am always admiring the beautiful decoration and the transcendental beauty of these deities. So although your temple may not be one of the largest you are excelling in deity worship; if you can maintain and increase this standard, everything will come successfully.

1975 Correspondence

Letter to Ramesvara -- Bombay 14 November, 1975: This book distribution, that was my Guru Maharaja's purpose. He said that I have got so many temples and now in Calcutta I have got a marble temple, but I would have wished that if by selling the marbles I could publish and distribute books. Now by the mercy of His Divine Grace Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja Prabhupada I am doing both by the co-operation of my American disciples. I am constructing so many marble temples and I am distributing so many books on Krsna consciousness. This does not mean that I am excelling my Guru Maharaja, but it is the mercy of my Guru Maharaja that he is giving me the facility for doing both.

1976 Correspondence

Letter to Mr. Prem J. Batra -- Vrindaban 2 April, 1976: Reasoning is there if you simply explain that Krishna is full in 6 opulences: strength, knowledge, wealth, beauty, fame, and renunciation. No one can excel Krishna in opulence. Nobody is equal to or greater than Krishna, therefore He is God. The word for philosophy is tattva darsana—the Bhagavad-gita recommends that one approach a spiritual master who is tattva darsana, one who has seen the truth. This is philosophy.