Firm faith (Conv. and Letters)

Expressions researched:
"firm and fixed up faith" |"firm faith" |"firm in their faith" |"firm, not tottering faith" |"firm, unflinching faith"

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

Interview with Reporters -- November 10, 1971, New Delhi:

Reporter: ...I cannot prove it. Nobody can prove it that he is my father.

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes. Therefore that is the beginning of knowledge. That is the beginning, adau śraddhā. That is stated in the śāstra: adau śraddhā, faith. Then if you have got śraddhā, then ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15). Suppose if you are, if you are very much anxious, you have got faith to understand Kṛṣṇa, then next step is to associate with persons who know Kṛṣṇa. Just like you are doing some business, so you have to enter into some association, businessmen, to understand the business from them. Similarly, if you have faith in Kṛṣṇa, then you have to understand Him through the association of devotees. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgau (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15). Atha bhajana-kriyā. Then as soon as you have... Just as these boys, they came to me. After association they wanted to be initiated: "Swami, please initiate." That is called bhajana-kriyā. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ atha bhajana kriyā. And if you are performing bhajana kriyā nicely, then anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt, then all misgivings will go away.

Reporter: Anartha visya.

Prabhupāda: Anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. Then nobody will question. All questions will be anartha-nivṛttiḥ, all doubts gone. Then niṣṭhā, firm faith. Then firm faith, niṣṭhā. Then taste. Whenever there is Kṛṣṇa topics, immediately you go. Tato niṣṭhā...

Reporter: Taste?

Prabhupāda: Taste, ruciḥ.

Reporter: Accha. Taste, ruciḥ.

Prabhupāda: Tato niṣṭhā tataḥ ruciḥ athāsakti , then attachment.

Reporter: Tathā?

Prabhupāda: Āsakti.

Interview with Reporters -- November 10, 1971, New Delhi:

Prabhupāda: Yes, not last. Last but one. The last stage is you can not live without Kṛṣṇa.

Reporter: What do you call in Sanskrit, sir?

Prabhupāda: That is called, first of all bhāvaḥ, then prema, prema, kṛṣṇa prema. That is our high perfection. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu is speaking that "I am seeing everything vacant without Kṛṣṇa." Śūnyāyitaṁ jagat sarvaṁ govinda-viraheṇa me. That is the last stage of perfection. You become mad about, after Kṛṣṇa. So that will take time. This is the process. But faith is the beginning. Yes. And that faith is also explained by the author of Caitanya-caritāmṛta: śraddhā-śabde viśvāsa sudṛḍha niścaya. Faith means such faith that firm faith, sudṛḍha, niścaya, certain. Kṛṣṇa bhakti kaile sarva-karma kṛta haya. This is faith. Therefore Kṛṣṇa said that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). So faith means to believe in the word of Kṛṣṇa, that "Surrendering to Kṛṣṇa I will get everything. Now, I am free. This is my perfection." That is called faith. Kṛṣṇa said that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). Now, if I say unto you that "You give up everything, come with me," unless you have got firm faith, how can you do it? That is faith. That faith has to be increased, and then it will reach to the stage of love.

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- April 18, 1972, Hong Kong:

Prabhupāda: In order to learn the value of life, spiritual value of life, one must go to a guru. Tad vijñānārtham. In order to understand the spiritual value of life one must go to a guru. Gurum evābhigacchet. What is that guru? Śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham: "He is well learned in Vedic literature," and brahma-niṣṭham, "and firm faith in the Supreme Personality of Godhead." These are the two qualifications of guru. He must know all the Vedic conclusions, śrotriyam, not that he has to read, but he must hear from the authoritative sources. Just like Arjuna is hearing from Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the most authoritative personality. So similarly, everyone has to hear either from Kṛṣṇa or from His bona fide representative. That is śrotriyam. And the result will be that after becoming student of such bona fide guru, one will be firmly fixed up in God consciousness. That is the result, firmly fixed up. Now, these boys from foreign countries, according to our geographical arrangement, they are foreigners. But we don't see anything foreign. We see every land belongs to Kṛṣṇa and everyone is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. So we have no such distinction. But still, from materialistic point of view, these boys and girls, they, three or four years ago they did not know what is this word Kṛṣṇa.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- December 19, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prajāpati: They say one hour before dawn in the eastern horizon. (break) ...talking a lot about in trusting in God. What is the Sanskrit for trust? What word would be used in the śāstras.

Prabhupāda: Śraddhā, faith.

Prajāpati: And there are particular scriptural verses that speak about this?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Caitanya-caritāmṛta. That is the beginning of spiritual consciousness, faith.

śraddhā-śabde—viśvāsa kahe sudṛḍha niścaya

kṛṣṇe bhakti kaile sarva-karma kṛta haya

(Cc. Madhya 22.62)

This is the version of Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Śraddhā means firm faith. Śraddhā-śabde viśvāsa kahe sudṛḍha niścaya. Firm faith. And firm faith is trust. "I trust you," means I have got firm faith in you. Is it not? So trust means firm faith. Firm faith means... Now that "So long God is my order supplier, I trust in Him, and as soon as He refuses to supply my order, I don't trust Him," that is not firm faith. "God is putting me in distress; still, I trust Him. Or God is putting me in happiness; still, I trust Him." That is called firm faith. In any circumstances, the faith is not withdrawn. That is firm faith.

Prajāpati: Unconditionally then.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Unconditionally means, sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66), giving up all other conditions of faith.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk 'Varnasrama College' -- March 14, 1974, Vrndavana:

Hṛdayānanda: Prabhupāda, can you say something about the training for a brāhmaṇa.

Prabhupāda: Yes. They are satyaṁ śamaḥ damaḥ. He must be truthful, he must control the senses, control the mind... śamo damaḥ,... He must be tolerant. He should not be agitated in trifle matters. Satyaṁ śamo damaḥ śaucam. He must be always clean. Three times he must take bath at least. All the clothing, all, everything is clean. This is brahminical training. And then he must know all what is what, knowledge, and practical application, and firm faith in Kṛṣṇa. This is brāhmaṇa.

Hṛdayānanda: So what kind of practical work could we engage them in?

Prabhupāda: They'll be teaching. They'll be all teachers.

Morning Walk -- March 23, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Everything is there in our Vedic literature. One has to study cool-headed, and he'll get the things. (break) ...ment of Kṛṣṇa consciousness or spiritual consciousness is based on śraddhā. Just like Kṛṣṇa says, mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja. If one actually has śraddhā, "Yes, Kṛṣṇa says like this, then I'll accept Kṛṣṇa." That is śraddhā. "Kṛṣṇa says... Oh, Kṛṣṇa says like this. Why shall I surrender to Him?" That is not śraddhā. Kṛṣṇa says, mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja. If one accepts this principle, then there is śraddhā. That is explained by Caitanya-caritāmṛta (indistinct):

śraddhā-śabde—viśvāsa kahe sudṛḍha niścaya

kṛṣṇe bhakti kaile sarva-karma kṛta haya

(Cc. Madhya 22.62)

This is śraddhā. Śraddhā-śabde viśvāsa. Firm faith. "Yes, Kṛṣṇa has said that mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja, I will accept it. I will accept it. Even I do not understand, I will accept it." That is called viśvāsa sudṛḍha niścaya. And faith means kṛṣṇe bhakti, "If I surrender to Kṛṣṇa, then my all perfection is there." This is called śraddhā.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- July 21, 1975, San Francisco:

Yadubara: So most of these people, they are so ignorant that we should try to engage them in works of devotion rather than explain...

Prabhupāda: This is devotion: "Please come here, chant with me, and dance with me, and when you are tired, take prasādam." That's all.

Jayādvaita: They had five thousand dollars worth of faith yesterday in the prasādam.

Prabhupāda: (chuckles) Yes. So whatever is said in the śāstra... Now, they say, "Faith begins from the tongue." "No," it is surprising. How is that? But it is a fact.

Baradrāj: So to encourage their faith, therefore the sādhu must set example of purity.

Prabhupāda: Sādhu śāstra guru vākya, tinete koriyā aikya. Guru-mukha-padma-vākya, cittete koriyā aikya, ār nā koriho mane āśā **. Don't go anywhere else. Take this faithfully, the orders of guru. You are singing daily. Ār nā koriho mane āśā. This is faith, strong faith. And that is described in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, śraddhā-śabde—viśvāsa śudṛdha niścaya. Viśvāsa, firm faith. That is śraddhā. Faith means to believe strongly. That is faith.

Paramahaṁsa: So actually, in regards to my father or atheists or scientists in general...

Prabhupāda: They are faithless.

Paramahaṁsa: They will never believe.

Prabhupāda: They are faithless; therefore they will never make any progress. Their first principle is sacrifice. And in the śāstra it, ādau śraddhā: "First of all faith." And these rascals, they have no faith. Therefore they do not make any progress.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- March 11, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Gopāla was saying that "You are asking Me to go to give witness. Do you think a statue can go?" So he is devotee. He said, "Yes, if statue can speak, he can go also." So he had firm faith. So Kṛṣṇa had pledged him, "Yes, I'll go."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I think you also have that firm faith, Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: No, without firm faith there is no beginning of God worship.

Devotee: Niṣṭhā.

Prabhupāda:

śraddhā śabde viśvāsa sudṛḍha niścaya

kṛṣṇa bhakti kaile sarva-karma kṛta haya

Do you not read this?

Jayatīrtha: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Śraddhā, this faith, means so strong faith that one will know it perfectly well that simply by worshiping Kṛṣṇa, everything is there. That is the beginning of faith. Otherwise there is no faith. And without faith there is no beginning. Ādau śraddhā. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15). If you have got that firm faith, then next stage is to live with, to deal with devotees. Then the faith will increase because by seeing their behavior your faith will be increased. Then bhajana kriya.

Morning Walk -- March 14, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: Kavirāja Gosvāmī has explained very nicely. This is viśvāsa. Śraddhā śabde viśvāsa sudṛḍha niścaya. Explain, Acyutānanda, this. Explain this.

śraddhā śabde viśvāsa sudṛḍha niścaya

kṛṣṇe bhakti kaile sarva-karma kṛta haya

Acyutānanda: If you have firm faith in Kṛṣṇa and surrender unto Him, then all other activities and responsibilities are fulfilled by serving Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: That's it.

Acyutānanda: Dāya mama gelā; tuwā...

Prabhupāda: Tuwā o pada baraṇe(?) This is required.

Acyutānanda: Serving the root.

Prabhupāda: "My only responsibility is to surrender to Kṛṣṇa"—then this very conception will save you.

Rāmeśvara: I spoke with one man who argued that "Kṛṣṇa is very cruel because He knows everything past, present and future, so He knew that we would all fall down from the spiritual sky, but still, He gave us the independence to fall down."

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Rāmeśvara: "Even though He knew we would fall, because He knows everything..."

Acyutānanda: That's a common question.

Prabhupāda: That is another foolish question. Unless you have got independence, what is your life? Then you are dead stone. You want to become a dead stone? That is not Kṛṣṇa's concern. Kṛṣṇa does not give such perfection, that you become a dead stone.

Radio Interview -- July 27, 1976, London:

Mike Robinson: Can you tell me from your own experience some of these different stages you've been through.

Prabhupāda: Yes, first stage is that you are inquisitively trying to understand. This is the first stage. This is called śraddha, that you have got some faith, "What is this movement? Let me study." This is the beginning. Then, if you are serious, then those who are cultivating this knowledge, you mix with them, try to understand how they are feeling. Then you'll feel, "Why not become one of them?" Then when you become one of them, then all your misgivings go away. And then you become more faithful and you, then you get a taste. Why these boys are not going to see the cinema? They can go-other boys are going. They never ask me. Neither they would like to see even. They hate. Their taste is different. Why they do not eat meat, go to the restaurant? Their taste has changed. In this way you make progress. Firm faith, taste is changed, then God-realization, then love of Godhead, the perfection. That is wanted, love of Godhead. That is first-class religion. Not that ritualistic ceremony, "I believe," "This belief." That is not religion; that is cheating. Really when you develop your love for God, that is perfection of religion.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Darsana and Room Conversation Ramkrishna Bajaj and friends -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Guest (10): How to run away from the senses? I, being a servant of the senses, how to run away from the senses?

Prabhupāda: Yes. You are servant. That is gosvāmī. That is svāmī, gosvāmī. Svāmī means when he's no longer servant of the senses, a master of the senses. That is svāmī.

Guest (10): How to come to that position?

Prabhupāda: That requires education, training. You have become a lawyer not in one day. You have been trained up. Then you are lawyer. Similarly, everyone has to be trained up how to become perfect servant, but he must agree in the beginning that "Now I shall become servant of Kṛṣṇa." Then everything is there. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgo 'tha bhajana-kriyā tato 'nartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt tato niṣṭhā tato ruciḥ tataḥ athāsaktiḥ tato bhavaḥ (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15). These are the different stages. Ādau śraddhā: "Yes. Now Kṛṣṇa says, 'You surrender.' I'll surrender. I believe in this, firmly believe." Śraddhā-śabde viśvāsa sudṛḍha niścaya. This śraddhā means when you firmly believe that "Kṛṣṇa will give me all protection if I surrender." And that is the beginning of śraddhā.

Guest (10): Faith. Firm faith.

Prabhupāda: Faith. Yes. Faith means firm faith. Faith does not mean... Anyway, ādau śraddhā. This śraddhā, if we increase this śraddhā, you have to associate with sādhu.. And who is sādhu? Bhajate mām ananya-bhāk sādhur eva samantavyaḥ. He is sādhu, who is simply engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. He is sādhu. Api cet sudurācāraḥ: "Even though you find there is some discrepancies in his character, because he is fully engaged in My service, he is sādhu." Sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ samyag vyavasito hi saḥ (BG 9.30). If he has got other engagement, he is not sādhu. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam: (Brs. 1.1.11) "Other engagement zero." That is sādhu. The sādhu-saṅga (CC Madhya 22.83). You have to associate with such sādhus who are cent percent engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. Ādau śraddhā tato sādhu-saṅgaḥ tato bhajana-kriyā. If you mix with the sādhu, then you'll learn the activities. Sādhu-mārgānugamanam. The sādhus are rising early in the morning; they are attending maṅgala ārati, they are reading Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, then dressing the Deity and having ārati and so on, so on, so on. This is called bhajana-kriyā. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgo 'tha bhajana (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15). Then anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt: then all these material activities will stop.

Conversation on Train to Allahabad -- January 11, 1977, India:

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa has already given you. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekāṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). That is simple truth. Believe in Kṛṣṇa. That means Supreme Personality of Godhead. Whatever He says is truth. That's all. This is intelligence: "Whatever Kṛṣṇa says, that is truth."

Hari-śauri: Even if one is not so clever, still, if he simply repeats and presents Kṛṣṇa, then that's enough.

Prabhupāda: Firm faith. Firm faith: "Whatever Kṛṣṇa says is all right."

Hari-śauri: Because ultimately Kṛṣṇa is the doer of everything.

Prabhupāda: Śraddhā-śabde viśvāsa sudṛḍha niścaya. This is basic platform, that "What Kṛṣṇa says, that is truth." Kṛṣṇa bhakti kaile sarva-karma kṛta haya: "If I follow Kṛṣṇa, then my business is complete." This is intelligence. Now... We have come to the open field. How it is nice. And so long we were passing through that congested areas-hellish, simply hellish. And now here is open space. How it is nice.

Room Conversation -- January 27, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Pradyumna: Then bhogādi-tyāgaḥ kṛṣṇasya hetave.

Prabhupāda: Ah. For Kṛṣṇa you have to give up sense gratification. No illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication, no gambling—you have to adopt so many things, tyāga. Anartha-nivṛtti. These are anartha, unnecessary things. Do you think if you do not smoke, you die? Unnecessary. What is absolutely necessary, you accept. So bhogādi-tyāgaḥ kṛṣṇārthe. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya: (BG 18.66) "You have created so many unnecessary things. Give up." So that is not possible immediately, but it is possible. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15). The sādhu-saṅga means associate with sādhu, guru. If we have śraddhā that "I shall now become Kṛṣṇa conscious"—this is śraddhā, "It is very nice"—then sādhu-saṅga: (CC Madhya 22.83) those who are actually Kṛṣṇa conscious, you associate with him. Then bhajana-kriyā. Then bhajana-kriyā... The bhajana, that rise early in the morning, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, take your bath, and so many things, bhajana-kriyā... Then anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. Then all these unwanted things will be finished automatically. And if you do not do these first three, the fourth will not come, fourth stage, anartha... And after anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt, then niṣṭhā, firm faith. Then anartha, tato ruciḥ. Then taste. Then you get taste. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ..., anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt, tato niṣṭhā tato ruciḥ (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15). Taste. Just like you have got a taste for a food. You cannot give it up. "I want this." Ruci. Athāsaktiḥ. Then you become attached. Tato bhāvaḥ. Sādhakānām ayaṁ premṇaḥ prādurbhāve bhavet kramaḥ. This is the subject there.(?)

Pradyumna: Ādau śraddhā?

Prabhupāda: This is the next, I think. Śraddhā is the beginning-faith. That faith means firm faith. Just like Kavirāja Gosvāmī says, śraddhā-śabde viśvāsa kahe sudṛḍha niścaya (Cc. Madhya 22.62). That is faith, fixed-up, firm faith. Kṛṣṇe bhakti kaile sarva-karma kṛta haya. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). When you have got firm faith in this—"Yes! If I surrender to Kṛṣṇa, all other dharmas will be performed automatically"—then that is called faith. In the beginning, if you have no faith, where is the beginning?

Evening Darsana -- February 26, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: So this... Very pleasant. Very pleasant. (break) And the other thing is the owner of the body. So which is important, the body or the owner of the body? You or I...(?) Which is important?

Guest (1) (Indian man): Actually, I have thought, without glorifying, because I did not want any material gain, but was my firm faith that what attracted me was the worth not of my personal ability but abilities of many other people.

Prabhupāda: No, no. We have to understand the subject matter for which we are working. Personal benefit and extended personal benefit, there is no difference by quality. Generally they take it that "I am working for my family. If I work for my community, or if I work for my society..." Extended. So the quality does not change.

Meeting with Mr. Dwivedi -- April 23, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: We test like that. Anyone who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, he is a mūḍha, duṣkṛtina, narādhama. That is our general definition. How we do it? Kṛṣṇa says. That's all. Mūḍhas. So therefore it is required that people should be Kṛṣṇa conscious. Then everything is all right. Kasmin tu bhagavo vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati. Everyone, time will believe. So we can take up, we can immediately begin, but if local people cooperate, then we can do the rest. That is...

Mr. Dwivedi: There is no question of cooperation. We fully believe what you say. Cooperation means...

Prabhupāda: Cooperation means what we say they must do.

Mr. Dwivedi: We have firm faith in what you say.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Then we can take any...

Mr. Dwivedi: Cooperation can come even from a person who may not understand a whit.

Prabhupāda: No, cooperation means that.

Mr. Dwivedi: In our own small way we try to live to what Your Grace has been telling me. We live actually in life.

Prabhupāda: Don't try to... That is cooperation. Don't try to amend the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā. That is cooperation. The rascals, they amend. And what can I do? I can use this strong word. This is used in the Bhagavad-gītā, mūḍhāḥ, narādhamāḥ, duṣkṛtinaḥ. So it is not my manufacture. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). Why we should amend Kṛṣṇa's word? Surrender and do. That is cooperation.

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Hamsaduta -- Tittenhurst 28 September, 1969:

Regarding your question about faith in devotees, faith must be there. But we should always take instruction from devotees who are considered to be elevated. A preacher's position is like this: He should have firm faith and love for Krishna. He should make friendship with devotees. He should be very much charitable and kind to the neophytes and he should avoid the company of nondevotees. This program suggests, of course, that a devotee who is not in the neophyte stage can discriminate what is Krishna, what is devotee, what is neophyte and what is nondevotee. Unless one is able to discriminate, he is to be considered to be in the neophyte stage. In the neophyte stage the position is that the neophyte devotee worships the Deity in the temple with great awe and reverence, but he cannot discriminate who is devotee, who is nondevotee and who is neophyte. I think you must be in the second stage and should try to discriminate as above. Any devotee wanting to see you should be welcomed, but your treatment should be according to his position.

1970 Correspondence

Letter to Ekayani -- Los Angeles 3 May, 1970:

I am so glad to learn that there are two very nice women devotees now coming to the Temple regularly, and please offer them by blessings for advancing in Krsna Consciousness. Take care of them nicely so that they may learn our program of Krsna Conscious life very nicely. Let them chant regularly and follow the four basic principles and they will become firm in their faith in Krsna. If you recommend, I shall initiate them, so you can send sets of new beads with their letters and some donation for the book fund. The standard form is that the initiate collects some alms by begging and offers it to the Spiritual Master as daksina or presentation.

1971 Correspondence

Letter to Stephen -- Bombay 4 January, 1971:

Your quotations from our Vaisnava sastras are very nice and I request you thoroughly to study all of our literatures very thoughtfully and try to understand the sublime import of this Krishna consciousness philosophy. The basic principle of advancement in our Krishna consciousness is stressed by Caitanya Mahaprabhu that if one simply chants the Hare Krsna Mahamantra without offense and has firm faith in Krsna and Spiritual Master then he will advance and he only can understand the deep import of Krsna consciousness.

Letter to Rupanuga -- Allahabad 11 January, 1971:

I was glad to know from you that in your tour of the East coast temples everything is going on nicely. Please encourage our devotees to continue in their good efforts to spread this sublime Movement. The standard of purity must be kept intact along with firm faith in Spiritual Master and Krsna, then everything will go on smoothly. I have just received a letter from Bhavananda from New York and it appears that there are many persons regularly attending our classes and following the regulative principles as well as chanting Hare Krsna Mantra. That is the success of our preaching work when there is this result of more persons joining, so I am confident that things are going on.

Letter to Niranjana -- Bombay 28 December, 1971:

In Delhi our program was very successful and at least 25,000 people attended each evening. The Governor, the Mayor, the Canadian High Commissioner and many other important persons were amongst our chief guests. And at the end of the program the Government has agreed to give us free land in Delhi on the Yamuna Rive bank for constructing a Temple. Then after the Delhi program our whole party went to Vrindaban for seeing all the important places. We were greeted very warmly by the citizens and they very much appreciated the purity and high standards which all our devotees maintain. I have always stressed this point; that if we simply follow the regulative principles, avoiding the four sinful activities, chant regularly daily 16 rounds, and maintain firm faith equally in Krishna and Spiritual Master, that your life will become sublime. So please come to Bombay and then we will talk further.

1973 Correspondence

Letter to Sankara Pyne -- Bombay 20 October, 1973:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 15/8/73 and I thank you very much for it and your Vyasa Puja appreciation. It is stated in the Vedas that to anyone who has firm faith in the spiritual master and Krsna, to him all the imports of the Vedas are easily revealed. I am very glad to learn that you are helping in the preaching work by distributing our books to the libraries in Calcutta. This is very important work. The more our books are distributed, the more people will become convinced about this movement of Krsna consciousness, and they will be benefited from it. So you are a nice boy, and I wish that you continue on in this way.

1975 Correspondence

Letter to Mrdapriya -- Philadelphia 12 July, 1975:

You should not feel that it is impossible for you to surrender to Krsna or that you are not a devotee. You are already a devotee, that is clear from your statements. Of course an advanced devotee feels sometimes hopelessness, just like Caitanya Mahaprabhu prayed: "O my Lord out of kindness You enable us to easily approach You by Your Holy Names, but I am so unfortunate that I have no attraction for them."

However in the neophyte stage it is best to develop firm faith, that just by chanting the Hare Krishna Mahamantra everything else will come, and try to avoid the ten offenses. So please continue to chant 16 rounds daily and follow carefully the four rules and regulations, and Krsna will help you more and more.

1976 Correspondence

Letter to Srutadeva -- Vrindaban 30 October, 1976:

If you want to stay in Krsna Consciousness you will have to develop firm faith in Guru and Sastra. Therefore, you must study my books very scrutinizingly, follow the four regulative principles very strictly and chant 16 rounds daily avoiding the ten offenses. Don't take this movement as something cheap.

1977 Correspondence

Letter to Visvadharini -- Allahabad 12 January, 1977:

Our strength is in following the regulative principles and chanting 16 rounds japa. Then Krsna will give you protection. We don't believe in material protection, like so-called family, friends, etc. Dehapatya-kalatradisu, atmasainyassv asatsv api, tesam pramatto nidhanam, pasyann api na pasyati. "Persons devoid of atma-tattva do not inquire into the problems of life, being too attached to the fallible soldiers like the body, children, wife, etc. Although sufficiently experienced, still they do not see their inevitable destruction" (SB 2.1.4). We do strongly believe in Krsna's protection. Real, spiritual protection is firm faith in Krishna. So go on with your real life as Krsna's devotee.