Hawaii devotees

Expressions researched:
"Hawaii devotees" |"devotees in Hawaii" |"devotees of Hawaii"

1969 Correspondence

All Glories to Sudama das Brahmacari and the Hawaii devotees for their excellent work.

Letter to Sudama -- New Vrindaban 7 June, 1969:

All Glories to Sudama das Brahmacari and the Hawaii devotees for their excellent work. I have appreciated so much your letter of June 2, 1969 that I am making copies of this letter to send to different centers to show them how much potency is this Sankirtana Movement. So for the time being as you are working enthusiastically in Hawaii, try to establish a very good center there. There is nice potential there I know, and I think Krishna is already giving impetus for this purpose, because Gaurasundara and Balabhadra have gone to find a nice place on the Hawaii Island. So all of you work conscientiously and jointly, you are all good souls, and you will be successful if you can transform Hawaii into New Navadvipa. Lord Caitanya will shower His blessings and you will be happy, not only in this life, but you will be promoted to Krishna Loka. Concentrate your energies now in Hawaii center, and in the future we shall establish a center in Japan. I think the roar of your Sankirtana in Hawaii will soon be heard in the neighboring places, including Japan and Hong Kong. The ocean is the father-in-law of Visnu, because the Goddess of Fortune, Laksmi, was born by the churning of the ocean. So the Goddess of Fortune, Laksmi, being the daughter of the ocean, the ocean also will help in spreading the glories of the ocean's daughter and son-in-law. So please keep me informed of your activities, and this will engladden me.

You have a very nice opportunity to quickly advance in spiritual perfection because you have the good association of the devotees in Hawaii.

Letter to Govardhana -- Boston 25 December, 1969:

I have duly chanted upon these beads and thereby have accepted you as an initiated disciple. Your spiritual name is Govardhana das Brahmacari. Govardhana is the name of the hill which Krishna lifted up to protect the inhabitants of Vrindaban from the heavy rainfalls which were being sent down by Indra. This Govardhana Hill is still there in Vrindaban, and it is worshiped by the devotees of Krishna just as Krishna Himself is worshiped. You have a very nice opportunity to quickly advance in spiritual perfection because you have the good association of the devotees in Hawaii. This association with devotees of Krishna is recommended by Lord Caitanya Himself as the most important factor for developing Krishna Consciousness. This is because our dormant love for Krishna is covered up by the material contamination, but it is quickly aroused when the association of a pure devotee is there. The example is given that when an iron rod is put into a blazing fire, the rod soon takes on the qualities of the fire; namely light and heat. But if the same rod is put amidst some ice, then it will remain simply dark and cold. In the same way, a devotee should associate with fellow devotees, and in relationship to others the devotee should try to elevate them also onto the spiritual platform. So please follow this principle and surely you will mark great strides in the matter of your spiritual advancement. The four basic regulative restrictions we observe are 1) no illicit sex connections, 2) no intoxication, 3) no meat-eating, and 4) no gambling. You must try to chant at least 16 rounds on you beads daily, and avoid the ten offenses to chanting which Gaurasundara Prabhu will instruct you about. When you are having questions to ask, you inquire from Gaurasundara and I also will be happy to help you in any way possible.

1974 Correspondence

I beg to acknowledge receipt of letters from devotees of Hawaii ISKCON dated 4/23/74.

Letter to Sudama -- Rome 26 May, 1974:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of letters from devotees of Hawaii ISKCON dated 4/23/74. Based on their declarations of sincerely following all the prescribed Vaisnava regulations for one year, and on your recommendation, I have accepted Jagat Prabhu das, Praghosa das, Kanva das and Nitai Gauracandra das for second initiation and I have enclosed sacred thread and gayatri. You were present in Hawaii when I was there and was particularly stressing that the presidents must be very careful on recommending gayatri initiation. After all, we are criticizing false cast brahmanas, if we ourselves are bogus brahmanas then our position is very bad. Now that we are more and more trying to implement the varnasrama divisions of society, we should not think that everyone has to become a brahmana. For example you are developing a farm there; so those who work the farm do not necessarily have to be a brahmana if they are not inclined to the brahminical standards. In this way, be careful about awarding the second initiation.