Haphazardly

Expressions researched:
"haphazard" |"haphazardly" |"haphazardously"

SB Preface and Introduction

The only qualification one needs to study this great book of transcendental knowledge is to proceed step by step cautiously and not jump forward haphazardly like with an ordinary book.

SB Preface:

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam begins with the definition of the ultimate source. It is a bona fide commentary on the Vedānta-sūtra by the same author, Śrīla Vyāsadeva, and gradually it develops into nine cantos up to the highest state of God realization. The only qualification one needs to study this great book of transcendental knowledge is to proceed step by step cautiously and not jump forward haphazardly like with an ordinary book. It should be gone through chapter by chapter, one after another. The reading matter is so arranged with its original Sanskrit text, its English transliteration, synonyms, translation and purports so that one is sure to become a God-realized soul at the end of finishing the first nine cantos.

Teachings of Lord Caitanya

Material scientists haphazardly take it for granted that the ultimate source of this planetary system is the sun, but they are unable to explain the source of the sun.

Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 23:

In the śruti-mantra it is stated that the absolute whole, or Brahman, is the ultimate source of everything. Everything emanates from Him, everything is maintained by Him, and at the end everything enters into Him again. That is the law of nature. This is also confirmed in the smṛti-mantra. There it is said that at the beginning of Brahma s millennium, the source from which everything emanates is the Absolute Truth, or Brahman, and at the end of that millennium the reservoir into which everything enters is that same Absolute Truth. Material scientists haphazardly take it for granted that the ultimate source of this planetary system is the sun, but they are unable to explain the source of the sun. In Vedic literatures the ultimate source is explained; Brahmā is the creator of this universe, but because he had to meditate in order to receive the inspiration for such a creation, he is not the ultimate creator. As stated in the first verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Brahmā was taught Vedic knowledge by the Personality of Godhead. In the first verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said that the Supreme Lord inspired a secondary creator, Brahmā, and enabled him to carry out his creative functions. In this way the Supreme Lord is the supervising engineer; the real mind behind all creative agents is the Absolute Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. In Bhagavad-gītā Śrī Kṛṣṇa personally admits that it is He only who superintends the creative energy (prakṛti), the sum total of matter.

Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead

Their faces were decorated hurriedly and were haphazardly finished; some even put the lower part of their clothes on the upper part of their bodies and the upper part on the lower part.

Krsna Book 29:

All the gopīs were by nature very much attracted to Kṛṣṇa's beauty, and when they heard the vibration of His flute, they became apparently lustful to satisfy the senses of Kṛṣṇa. Immediately upon hearing the vibration of the flute, they all left their respective engagements and proceeded to the spot where Kṛṣṇa was standing. While they ran very swiftly, their earrings swung back and forth. They all rushed toward the place known as Vaṁśīvaṭa. Some of them were engaged in milking cows, but they left their milking business half finished and immediately went to Kṛṣṇa. One of them had just collected milk and put it in a milk pan on the stove to boil, but she did not care whether the milk overboiled and spilled—she immediately left to go see Kṛṣṇa. Some of them were breast-feeding their small babies, and some were engaged in distributing food to the members of their families, but they left all such engagements and immediately rushed toward the spot where Kṛṣṇa was playing His flute. Some were engaged in serving their husbands, and some were themselves engaged in eating, but caring neither to serve their husbands nor eat, they immediately left. Some of them wanted to decorate their faces with cosmetic ointments and to dress themselves very nicely before going to Kṛṣṇa, but unfortunately they could not finish their cosmetic decorations or put on their clothes in the right way because of their anxiety to meet Kṛṣṇa immediately. Their faces were decorated hurriedly and were haphazardly finished; some even put the lower part of their clothes on the upper part of their bodies and the upper part on the lower part.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. This will clarify your heart. Then you can understand who is guru, where to surrender, where to take lesson. In this way we can make... Haphazardly, if we accept, then there will be failure.

Lecture on SB 1.16.25 -- Hawaii, January 21, 1974:

So tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet. So there, how to learn from guru, that is also stated. Tad viddhi: try to learn from him... Tad viddhi praṇipātena. First of all surrender yourself. You cannot go to any person for learning anything where there is no sense of surrender. I accept a guru, but in my mind I remain independent, "Oh, why shall I abide by the orders of guru?" That means there is no surrender. There is no surrender. It is false. It is just to satisfy some motive, but that will not help. If you have got any duplicity in your mind, then you'll never be successful in any field of activities. So the process is... Tad viddhi praṇipātena (BG 4.34). Must be surrendered. Praṇipāta means prakṛṣṭa-rūpeṇa nipāta. And therefore, unless you find somebody where you can fully surrender, don't accept guru. That is cheating. Unless you are fully confident that "I am surrendering to this person. He is... Actually he is superior to me. He can give proper knowledge..."

So therefore the process is before accepting a guru, one must hear him at least for one year. And when he's convinced that "Here is actually a guru who can teach me," then you accept him, guru. Don't accept whimsically. This system now should stop that somebody's coming for three days—"Prabhupāda, initiate him." Why? First of all see whether he's fit for becoming a disciple; then recommend. Otherwise, don't recommend. Because the chief recommendation is creating havoc. One is not fit for becoming a student, disciple, and he's accepting discipleship, and after three days he's going away. This should not be allowed. Therefore, in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta..., er, Hari-bhakti-vilāsa by Sanātana Gosvāmī it is directed that the spiritual master and the disciple must meet together at least for one year so that the disciple may also understand that "Here is a person whom I can accept as my guru," and the guru also can see that "Here is a person who is fit for becoming my disciple." Then the business is nice. Because the business is tad viddhi praṇipātena (BG 4.34), one must be prepared to surrender. So unless that character is there, surrendering, how he can become a disciple? It is not possible.

So these are very difficult things, but because it is the age of Kali, kālena balīyasā, as we studied yesterday, that kālena vā te balināṁ balīyasā: time is very hard time. Therefore Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said that it is very difficult time, kalau. It is not Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's version; it is the Vedic version. Kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva. Simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. This will clarify your heart. Then you can understand who is guru, where to surrender, where to take lesson. In this way we can make... Haphazardly, if we accept, then there will be failure.

So a person who is thinking of Kṛṣṇa haphazardly, namely that "By executing Kṛṣṇa consciousness, I'll be materially happy," He can be materially happy because, as Śukadeva Gosvāmī says, akāmaḥ sarva-kāmo vā mokṣa-kāma udāra-dhīḥ. His desire will be fulfilled.

Lecture on SB 2.4.2 -- Los Angeles, June 25, 1972:

So one should be uncovered, to covered by this jñāna, by karma or by any material desires. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam, ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam (CC Madhya 19.167). Simply favorably serving Kṛṣṇa. Favorably, not unfavorably. Consciousness favorably. Just like Kaṁsa. Kaṁsa was also Kṛṣṇa conscious, but he was simply planning how to kill Kṛṣṇa. That kind of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not good. Of course, Kṛṣṇa is so kind, so any way one becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, he gets the benefit, at least, of liberation. Just like Kaṁsa was liberated. Although he was unfavorably Kṛṣṇa conscious, but he was thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Hiraṇyakaśipu, he was also thinking of Kṛṣṇa. But unfavorably. So that is not bhakti. We must think of Kṛṣṇa favorably. And that is bhakti. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam. Culture of Kṛṣṇa consciousness favorably.

Bhaktir uttamā, that is pure bhakti. So a person who is thinking of Kṛṣṇa haphazardly, namely that "By executing Kṛṣṇa consciousness, I'll be materially happy," He can be materially happy because... As Śukadeva Gosvāmī says, akāmaḥ sarva-kāmo vā mokṣa-kāma udāra-dhīḥ (SB 2.3.10). His desire will be fulfilled. Just like Dhruva Mahārāja. He went to worship Kṛṣṇa in the forest with material desires, that "I may get the kingdom of my father or better kingdom." That was his determination. So he got it. But when he got it... By executing Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he was intelligent. He was very sorry that "What I have asked? This material happiness I have asked..." So when he actually saw Kṛṣṇa, Viṣṇu, he was offered, "Now you take benediction as you desire." He was very sorry. He said, "My Lord, I have no other desire now. I have finished all my desires." Svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yāce (CC Madhya 22.42). "I don't want any this, any kind of benediction. I have got You. I have no more necessity of any benediction."

They listened to the words of Yamadūta very carefully, upadhārya, not that haphazardously they heard, no.

Lecture on SB 6.2.1 -- Vrndavana, September 5, 1975:

Evaṁ te bhagavad-dūtā yamadūtābhibhāṣitam, upadhārya. They listened to the words of Yamadūta very carefully, upadhārya, not that haphazardously they heard, no. Their reason, their everything, that "This man was like this, and he must be carried to Yamarāja for punishment..." Why punishment? No, to make him purified, it is said. Punishment required. This is nature's law. Just like if you have infected some disease, the punishment is you must suffer for it. The punishment is good. If you have infected some disease, and when you suffer, that means you become purified from the disease. Suffering is not bad, to become purified. Therefore when a devotee suffers, he does not take it illy. He thinks that "I am being purified. I am being purified."

In our childhood we used to study by seeing the shadow. "Now it is this time"—and exactly the same time. So kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan, not that haphazardly—now this shadow is one o'clock here, and next day, one o'clock there, no. The same place, you'll find.

Lecture on SB 7.9.5 -- Mayapur, February 25, 1977:

In the śāstra it is said, advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam (Bs. 5.33). Kṛṣṇa has ananta-rūpam. Therefore every rupa is expansion of Kṛṣṇa's original rūpa. The original rūpa is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). Then there are so many rūpas: Rāma, Nṛsiṁha, Varāha, Balarāma, Paraśurāma, Mīna, Tortoise, Nṛsiṁhadeva. Rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan (Bs. 5.39). He's always existing with different forms, not that he is existing only in Kṛṣṇa form. Every form... Rāmādi-mūrtiṣu. The same example, as we have given many times: just like the sun, time of sun, twenty-four hours, so out of the twenty-four hours or twenty-four incarnations, any time is present. It is not that now it is, say, eight o'clock. Then seven o'clock is finished. No. There is seven o'clock in any other part of the world. Or nine o'clock. Nine o'clock is also present. Twelve o'clock is also present. We have got one watch given by Gurukṛpa Mahārāja. (laughter) He has brought from Japan. It is very nice. Immediately you can see what is the time now in different places, immediately. So all of them are existing. Therefore Kṛṣṇa's līlā is called nitya-līlā, not that one līlā is going on, other līlā is finished, no. Everything is existing simultaneous. Therefore this word is used, rāmādi-mūrtiṣu. Rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣ... Niyamena. Exactly in due time... Just like the sun, exactly. Formerly there was no watch, but by the shadow one could study. You can study now also. Even now. In our childhood we used to study by seeing the shadow. "Now it is this time"—and exactly the same time. So kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan, not that haphazardly—now this shadow is one o'clock here, and next day, one o'clock there, no. The same place, you'll find. Kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan.

Similarly, Kṛṣṇa's līlā, niyamena tiṣṭhan—exactly. There are innumerable universes. Here Kṛṣṇa is born. Now Kṛṣṇa is taken by Vasudeva to Vṛndāvana. Same thing—immediately here born, Kṛṣṇa has gone to Vṛndāvana—in another universe Kṛṣṇa is born. Kṛṣṇa is born again. In this way His līlā is going on. There is no cessation, neither there is any discrepancy of time. Exactly. Just like Kṛṣṇa comes upon this earth once in Brahmā's day. So so many millions of years, Kṛṣṇa will appear again, if not personally, by His expansion, aṁśena. Caitanya Mahāprabhu will appear exactly in due course of time. Lord Rāmacandra will appear. So rāmādi mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan (Bs. 5.39). So this līlā, Nṛsiṁhadeva, that is also exactly in time.

Philosophy Discussions

Why (indistinct) that he is perfect man?

Philosophy Discussion on B. F. Skinner:

Devotee: Skinner also believes that we have to control activities, but he himself is not willing to undergo these austerities.

Prabhupāda: Therefore he is useless. Example is better than precept. By example he cannot prove. Therefore his precept has no value.

Atreya Ṛṣi: Another thing he says that if you tell the society to get comforts, material comforts, have peace, in relationship with man to man, benefits one's own self on a very false ego level.

Śyāmasundara: Humanitarian.

Prabhupāda: What is that humanitarian? I kick you, you kick me.

Śyāmasundara: He says that now the conditions that control us are haphazard. Some are designed by selfish men to exploit others.

Prabhupāda: Why (indistinct) that he is perfect man?

1968 Conversations and Morning Walks

Any work you do, do it very nicely. That is expert. Don't do it haphazardly.

Room Conversation -- July 16, 1968, Montreal:

Prabhupāda: Expert means whatever he is doing, he must do it very nicely That's all. Suppose you are sweeping this room. You can do it very nicely, to your best knowledge. That is expert. The people will say, "Oh, you have very nicely done." Any work you do, do it very nicely. That is expert. Don't do it haphazardly. To your best talent, to your best capacity, try to finish it very nicely, whatever it may be. You are entrusted with some work. Do it nicely. That is expert. If you think that you are unable to do that work, then whatever work you can do, you take. But do it nicely. That is expert. Don't imitate. "Oh, I have no capacity to work in that way, but I want to imitate. Oh, he is doing that. I shall do that." Don't do that. That is not expert. You take up what you can do very nicely and do it nicely. We have so many works. Kṛṣṇa is not that He is static. He is dynamic force.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

You should try to understand it fully. Why should you understand it haphazardly? You must try to understand fully.

Room Conversation -- March 16, 1974, Vrndavana:

Harikeśa: I know I am making mistakes.

Prabhupāda: Why do you preach?

Harikeśa: That's my question.

Prabhupāda: Stop preaching.

Harikeśa: Ah.

Prabhupāda: If you know your mistakes and you're preaching, why this nonsense preaching?

Harikeśa: Preaching must be perfect.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Perfect means as you have heard from your spiritual master. (indistinct) We are not perfect, none of us, but if you perfectly follow the orders of the perfect, then you are perfect. You should not think that "I have become perfect." Caitanya Mahāprabhu also said, guru more mūrkha dekhi (CC Adi 7.71). He presented Himself as fool number one. So we should always keep ourself as fool number one, that "I am not perfect. I am fool number one." But whatever I am doing I am carrying the orders of the perfect. That is my credit. I am not perfect. Suppose I give you, (indistinct), five thousand dollars. That is not my money. I am not rich man. But the money is paid by somebody else and I deliver, that's all. That is my perfection. If I don't touch it, I do not take from five hundred dollars a paise even, and I deliver it, that is my perfection. I may not be rich man, but if I deliver this amount to you, in perfect order, that is my perfection.

Harikeśa: Sometimes, due to my conditioning, I cannot exactly understand what you are saying.

Prabhupāda: Yes. If you cannot understand what I am saying, then you should ask repeat. Try to understand (indistinct), that "I cannot understand this, and explain." Put it to the immediate president or any Godbrother. If he still, if he cannot explain, if he feels unable, he can inquire to me. In this way.

Harikeśa: What if I don't know, I haven't understood? What if I think I have understood but I have actually not?

Prabhupāda: There are many things like that. So you should try to understand it fully. Why should you understand it haphazardly? You must try to understand fully.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

The difficulty is that we do not want to become a regular student. Haphazardly, here and there, here and there, but I remain the same thing. It is a science.

Conversation with Indian Guests -- April 12, 1975, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: That is foolish proposition, "In the Bhāgavata there is no Rādhārāṇī." There is. But at least in the Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa has never said about His Vṛndāvana-līlā. No. That is very confidential. That is not for common man. The common man, first of all let him understand what is Kṛṣṇa. That is Bhagavad-gītā. That they do not understand. Even big, big leaders, politicians, scholars, they do not understand. Because they do not take to Kṛṣṇa's instruction, therefore they fail to understand. And what they'll understand about Rādhārāṇī? You... If you are my confidential friend, then I can take to my family. And if you are outsider, why should you expect to come into my family life? This is common sense. You do not understand Kṛṣṇa, and you want to understand Kṛṣṇa's dealings with Rādhārāṇī. That is very confidential. Rādhā-kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtir hlādinī-śaktir asmāt. You have to understand Kṛṣṇa, then His pleasure potency, hlādinī-śakti. The difficulty is that we do not want to become a regular student. Haphazardly, here and there, here and there, but I remain the same thing. It is a science. Jñānaṁ me paramaṁ guhyaṁ yad vijñāna-samanvitam. Tad vijñāna samanvitam. Jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānaṁ pravakṣyāmi anasūyave, yaj jñātvā na anyaj jñātavyam avaśiṣyate... (BG 7.2). But the Vedas do not say like that. Vedas say, tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). If you are serious to learn about that, tad vijñāna. Tad vijñānaṁ, gurum evābhigacchet. You must go to a bona fide guru who can teach you. Nobody is serious. That is the difficulty. Everyone is thinking, "I am free," although he is pulled by the ear by nature.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

That is another foolish notion. Just like the seed, banyan tree seed, every plan is there: how the tree will grow, how the fruits will flower, flowers will come. Everything is there. That is intelligence.

Morning Walk -- May 29, 1976, Honolulu:

Devotee (2): There's another theory that God created the universe, and then things are just happening haphazardly. There's no actual design or ultimate plan of creation. Simply He created, and things were set in motion.

Prabhupāda: That is another foolish notion. Just like the seed, banyan tree seed, every plan is there: how the tree will grow, how the fruits will flower, flowers will come. Everything is there. That is intelligence. Within a small seed everything is there potency. Aśakti vividaiva. Sarvavidya. It comes certainly.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

First of all we are chanting just to make him little attracted.

Room Conversation With Artists and About BTG -- February 25, 1977, Mayapura:

Brahmānanda: We wanted to make a distinction that a nondevotee chanting is different from when a pure devotee chants.

Rāmeśvara: So that distinction should be there.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Rāmeśvara: We were thinking that somehow this magazine...

Prabhupāda: No, another thing, it is aparādha... Nāmno balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ. Unless he is in the process he'll think, "I am chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, so whatever sinful activities I am..., it will be controlled."

Brahmānanda: That's the worst offense.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is very bad offense.

Hari-śauri: So we're actually advertising the process of devotional service, not just simply haphazard chanting.

Prabhupāda: First of all we are chanting just to make him little attracted. Ādau śraddhā.

Rāmeśvara: Just to popularize it.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that's it. Then, if the heart is little cleansed, then they will understand. It will be effective, but when it is done properly it will give real effect. Outsider, those who are chanting, we don't discourage him.

Rāmeśvara: We want then to chant more.

Prabhupāda: Yes. But we must... They must know the science also.

1968 Correspondence

The preliminary processes of yoga system is to control the senses, and practice some bodily position by which the mind can be made fixed up on the point of Visnu Murti. But none of them do practice like that, but generally they are attracted by the bodily exercises only, haphazardly.

Letter to Christopher -- Montreal 13 July, 1968:

I am glad to learn that still you have got some glimpses of understanding Krishna Consciousness, and I hope this faint idea may one day develop into reality, and your life become successful. So far the hodge-podge men; they are gradually being defeated, and perhaps you may know that Maharishi Mahesa has left your land with great disappointment—but his mission to cheat your people was successful. He wanted to collect some money and he cheated so many people because they wanted to be cheated, and now he is in India, and so many western boys are still going there and paying some money for interview and hotel charges, and still following the so-called yoga system. I can challenge all this so-called yoga societies in the western countries that they are not standard in terms of Vedic yoga system. The preliminary processes of yoga system is to control the senses, and practice some bodily position by which the mind can be made fixed up on the point of Visnu Murti. But none of them do practice like that, but generally they are attracted by the bodily exercises only, haphazardly. And they take it as yoga practice. And others, they are addicted to sex indulgence and intoxication habit. Our system is completely different from theirs. In the beginning, we simply invite men to come and join us in the transcendental vibration by chanting Hare Krishna. We do not say that you pay me something and I give you this chanting. But this chanting is open without any secret, and we do not ask anyone to pay for it. But the chanting is transcendental, and therefore, simply by vibration, one gradually becomes spiritually advanced, and thus he offers himself to become my disciple. In that discipleship also, I do not charge anything. Neither do I offer anything new. I offer the same Hare Krishna beads, but it becomes spiritually powerful on account of being delivered in disciplic succession. And practically we see that the students who are initiated in this way, they are advancing slowly and surely, and any one of my students can challenge any student of so-called yogis, and that is practical evidence.

1969 Correspondence

If you are financially pressed, there is no need to arrange things haphazardly.

Letter to Krsna dasa -- Los Angeles 5 August, 1969:

Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your two letters dated August 2nd, 1969, and I have noted the contents carefully. From these letters it appears that things are not yet settled up, and under the circumstances, there is no use of rushing the matter. Settle things up nicely, and when you get the money from Mukunda and the apartment, then arrange for the tickets, and we shall start. So far as I am concerned, I am free to start at any moment on your arrangement. But if you are financially pressed, there is no need to arrange things haphazardly. From your two letters it appears you may be a little bit confused. Do everything coolheadedly. When you send the tickets I shall go.

1971 Correspondence

Nothing should be done hastily or haphazardly.

Letter to Nayanabhirama -- London 22 August, 1971:

Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 16th August, 1971 and have noted the contents carefully. Also I have received your check for $25.00 and I thank you very much for the same. Yes, if it is approved by the GBC then I have no objection if you and your wife go to Israel to help out there. Philadelphia temple has improved nicely under your supervision. So for the time being continue to develop it nicely. Nothing should be done hastily or haphazardly. Then when the temple is very firmly situated I have no objection for your going. So do the needful and ask Krishna to help you.

If the accounts are not kept properly but haphazardly there will never be a correct trial balance.

Letter to Jayapataka -- London 24 August, 1971:

Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letters dated 17th August, 1971 and have noted the contents carefully. There will be many discrepancies in the trial balance if books are not kept properly. Trial balance means to test how the accounts are kept scientifically. So if the accounts are not kept properly but haphazardly there will never be a correct trial balance. To present a correct trial balance means to correct the whole past accounting system. One letter has just come from Giriraja in which it is said "As for accounts, at least the trial balance sheet has shown great discrepancies. For example I have collected Rs 70,000/- from the Maidan advertisers, but only Rs. 55,000/- has been recorded, and after being informed I was able to account for a possible Rs 5600/- of the difference, but still Rs 9,400/- is unaccounted for. Also a profit of Rs. 15,000/- was supposed to have been made due to the maidan program, and that profit was to have paid off a previous Calcutta debt to the building fund, but now that Rs 15,000/- has been spent for maintenance, and an additional Rs 8000/- of membership money collected since the program has also been spent, so the Calcutta debit is now Rs. 23,000/- and is increasing".

Now who will be responsible to account for this Rs 23,000/-? Please let me know.

Things should not be done haphazardly.

Letter to Hamsaduta -- Nairobi 8 October, 1971:

As far as possible do things by correspondence. In Paris they are doing nicely but when you find it convenient you can go and see how they are doing. They will be encouraged by your presence. So far opening a restaurant in Amsterdam is concerned, unless you have got four men to look after it, it will not be successful. I think our attention should be more concentrated in the matter of making life members and distributing our literature. That is solid work. My idea of opening a restaurant requires sufficient money to decorate it. Things should not be done haphazardly.

1972 Correspondence

As for the difference between mental speculation and philosophical speculation, we take it that everything is known by the psychological action of the mind, so that philosophical speculation is the same as mental speculation if it is merely the random or haphazard activity of the brain to understand everything and making theories, "if's" and "maybe's."

Letter to Chaturbhus -- Bombay 21 January, 1972:

As for the difference between mental speculation and philosophical speculation, we take it that everything is known by the psychological action of the mind, so that philosophical speculation is the same as mental speculation if it is merely the random or haphazard activity of the brain to understand everything and making theories, "if's" and "maybe's." But if philosophical speculation is directed by Sastra and Guru, and if the goal of such philosophical attempts is to achieve Visnu, then that philosophical speculation is not mental speculation. It is just like this: Krishna syas in Bhagavad-gita that "I am the taste of water." Philosophical speculation in the accepted sense then means to try to understand, under the direction of Sastra and Guru, just how Krishna is the taste of water. The points of Bhagavad-gita, though they are simple and complete, can be understood from unlimited angles of vision. So our philosophy is not dry, like mental speculation. The proper function of the brain or psychological activity is to understand everything through Krishna's perspective or point-of-view, and so there is no limit to that understanding because Krishna is unlimited, and even though it can be said that the devotee who knows Krishna, he knows everything (15th Chapter), still, the philosophical process never stops and the devotee continues to increase his knowledge even though he knows everything. Try to understand this point, it is a very good question.

1974 Correspondence

The subject matter you have inquired from me is very grave and cannot be replied haphazardly.

Letter to Mr. Majumdar -- Vrindaban 18 September, 1974:

I am in due receipt of your in Bengali dated 5/9/74 and beg to inform you that at present I am very sick. The subject matter you have inquired from me is very grave and cannot be replied haphazardly. It appears you have no deep study in the matter, and if you are serious about it you have to live with us for some time to understand.

As a summary study I may inform you that human life must lead to God realization. Without God realization there is no difference between human life and animal life. All the Vedic literature is aimed at making human life a success by God realization. In this age that God realization is made very easy by chanting the holy names, Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare/Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has very kindly introduced this method 500 years ago, and it has proved a very potent and active process. God being absolute, His holy names, form, pastimes, etc., are not different from Him. So this requires deep study and understanding, otherwise it is very difficult to understand.

I have got my program to go to Calcutta by the end of the month. At that time you can try to meet me. But unless you intimately associate yourself with the devotees in this connection, it will be very difficult for you to understand the whole procedure.

1976 Correspondence

Don't discuss anything new haphazardly.

Letter to Gopala Krsna -- New York 11 July, 1976:

The Rs. 11-membership is imagination. What is that membership card? And how will you regularly collect such a small sum from the members? It will engage so much money just to collect this. In any case, this is to be discussed with the GBC. Don't discuss anything new haphazardly. I have no experience of the idea. So far I know, retail business is not good in comparison to wholesale business. The Hyderabad Deity is already installed. Simply they are moving Them to their new temple. The installation ceremony (bathing ceremony) can be at noon. Then again there can be the regular Janmastami function at midnight. Concerning my going to Madras, Delhi, etc. there is first priority engagement contemplated with Mr. Bajaj's group in Poona. Giriraja can consult with Mr. Bajaj and get date fixed up then you can make the program. I have no objection however to the pandal in Madras.