Hearing Bhagavad-gita (Letters)

Expressions researched:
"hear about Bhagavad-gita" |"hear bhagavad-gita" |"hear from Bhagavad-gita" |"hear the Bhagavad-gita" |"hear this Bhagavad-gita" |"heard bhagavad-gita" |"heard the Bhagavad-gita" |"heard the Gita" |"hearing Gita" |"hearing Srimad Bhagavad-gita" |"hearing about Bhagavad-gita" |"hearing bhagavad-gita" |"hearing from Bhagavad-gita" |"hearing of Bhagavad-gita" |"hearing our Bhagavad-gita" |"hearing the Bhagavad-gita" |"hearing this Bhagavad-gita" |"hearing thoroughly Bhagavad-gita" |"hears bhagavad-gita" |"hears the Gita"

1968 Correspondence

Letter to Satsvarupa -- Seattle 9 October, 1968:

Students' prayers 24 hours a day to listen to the political talks and desiring the war should stop is useless. God cannot be their order supplier. First of all they act sinfully, and when there is reaction of war, pestilence, famine, and so many other nature's disturbances, they pray to God for stopping them. This is not possible. Just like a criminal first of all commits theft, burglary and debauchery, and when he is captured, by the police force, if he prays to the government to stop, that is not possible. So they are engaged in all sinful activities, and by natures' law, there must be reaction. I am encouraging now cow killing or animal killing, and when by nature's law, the turn comes upon me to be killed, if I pray I want to stop it, how it can be stopped? So their process is not very genuine. They want to make God as order supplier. So God is not order supplier. He is order giver. He orders everyone to surrender unto Him, and the fools and rascals who do not surrender unto Him, they want to order God in the form of so-called prayer, that He should ask material nature to stop her legal activities. That is not possible. So the situation is not very favorable, but if somebody agrees to hear Bhagavad-gita and the Teachings of Lord Caitanya, continually for some time, even they do not pay me anything, I am prepared to go and lecture. But not to take part in some political agitation. So I was awaiting your letter if I was to go to Boston, now I shall prepare my next program. I think for going to Los Angeles. And my going to Europe is not yet fixed up.

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Robert Hendry -- Los Angeles 3 August, 1969:

I am also glad to learn that you are interested in Indian philosophy. So far as Indian philosophy is concerned, Vedanta Sutra is the topmost or ____, and Srimad-Bhagavatam is the natural commentary on Vedanta Sutra. Bhagavad-gita is the preliminary study of Srimad-Bhagavatam. In the Bhagavad-gita we understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna as He is explaining Himself. We cannot understand the position of Godhead by our mental speculation because God is beyond our mental, bodily and speaking capacity. But when we are sincere in service mood, just like Arjuna, who surrendered himself to Krishna, then we are able to understand who Krishna is. Arjuna understood Krishna after hearing the Bhagavad-gita submissively that Krishna is the Supreme Absolute Truth, the Source of everything, the Supreme Purity and the Supreme Person. He also confirmed that Krishna is accepted as such not only by him, but also by other great authorities; such as Vyasadeva and Narada, who propagated the philosophy of Vedanta and Srimad-Bhagavatam all over the universe.

Letter to Brahmananda -- Hamburg 9 September, 1969:

Regarding the outlaws, why police protection is not there? Does it mean that in the United States if somebody is threatened, he will have no state protection and must submit to the atrocities of the outlaws? Our point should be that we shall take all necessary steps for self-protection, depending the result on Krishna. We should not idly sit down simply depending on Krishna. Arjuna had to fight in the battlefield, but at the same time he heard Bhagavad-gita. Our motto shall be like that. Neither we shall fight alone, without Krishna Consciousness, nor we shall give up all possible facilities in Krishna Consciousness.

1970 Correspondence

Letter to Ben -- Bombay November 22, 1970:

I am very much pleased to know that you are trying to set a fine example to your young son, Joseph, and your good wife. It is the duty of our students who are married men to train both their wife and children in devotional service to the Supreme Lord. The easiest program is that you add to your daily schedule a Kirtana chanting of Hare Krsna Maha-mantra both in the evening and the morning with your family and after chanting you can read something from our Bhagavad Gita As It Is or Krsna Book or our other literatures. You are already offering service to Lord Jagannatha and offering Him some nicely prepared fruits, milk, sweet smelling flowers and incense. That is the way for householders. For householders it is prescribed that one should hear the Bhagavad-gita or other transcendental texts of which we now have ample supply from the lips of the devotee of the Lord, one should accept a Bona fide Spiritual Master and follow his instructions and one should install the Deity in his home and carry on worship there. These three items will make your life perfect. So you simply try to observe these things and if you need some advice how to do it you can ask the elder devotees of our New York Temple. Be very strict in your observance of the four principles of regulation, namely no illicit sex life, no intoxicants, no eating of any meat, fish or eggs, and no gambling. Always chant Hare Krsna at least sixteen rounds daily and be happy.