Jail (Letters)

Expressions researched:
"jail" |"jailed" |"jailer" |"jailhouse" |"jailkeeper" |"jails"

1968 Correspondence

Letter to Upendra -- Los Angeles 5 February, 1968:

Namacarya Haridasa Thakura was taken to the jail and he told the prisoners there, oh, you are so fortunate to have this opportunity to sit and chant the Holy Names without the Maya distractions of the outer world! So you should think like that, and use your time in the prison house to the greatest advantage for spiritual advancement.

Letter to Gaurasundara -- Los Angeles 28 December, 1968:

I am so encouraged that your activities in Hawaii are going nicely and I will be looking forward to seeing you again when I am able to go there. You had been having problems with Madhavi Lata, and Krishna has solved the problem because she is now in the Halawa Jail and preaching very nicely. I received one letter from her yesterday and she describes that some of her acquaintances there are already considering initiation, so Krishna has arranged to release you of any burden you were feeling and also she is having the opportunity to do service.

Letter to Madhavi Lata -- Los Angeles 28 December, 1968:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter of December 24, 1968 which was sent from the Halawa Jail. It is nice that you are doing preaching work there, but you should know that such practices like stealing are against the principles of Krishna Consciousness. I always want that my students should be very ideal in character and not discredit our society. Actually, one who is in Krishna Consciousness automatically develops all of the good qualities which are possessed by the demigods. So we should always try to develop in this way by becoming fully surrendered to Lord Krishna. For Krishna we can execute any activity, but this is not free license to act whimsically. Arjuna was able to fight on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra because this was Krishna's desire, not because it was simply his whims. So please try to remember this and Krishna will help you surely as you are sincere soul.

I am pleased to know that even in such circumstances as the Halawa Jail you are taking opportunity to remember Krishna and to preach His Divine message to your acquaintances there. Already you have sparked some interest in some of the women there, and my request to these ladies is that they chant Hare Krishna loudly or softly, as they are able, and if they like they may order our Bhagavad-gita As It Is which can be ordered from here in Los Angeles.

Please keep me informed as to your situation with the jail. I hope you are well.

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Upendra -- Los Angeles 5 July, 1969:

Regarding your questions, "Is Subhadra, Lord Krishna's Sister, the same Durga or Maya?", the answer is that originally Krishna's energy is one: that is spiritual energy. But according to different functions, the Maya is represented differently. In the material world the energy is called Bhadra, and in the spiritual world the same Maya is called Subhadra. The only distinction is su and without su. Su means auspicious. So in the spiritual world, the same Maya works auspiciously, and in the material world the same Maya works inauspiciously. This auspiciousness and inauspiciousness is our own choice. The same example that jail life is inauspicious, and free life is auspicious, but it depends on the choice whether we prefer free life or jail life. The energy of the government works in the same way both in the jail department and the freedom department. It is the choice of the person who is relatively concerned with either jail or freedom.

Letter to Arundhati -- Tittenhurst 2 November, 1969:

Regarding crying, when someone cries during kirtana, this crying is crying of the soul. But if anyone tries to imitate such crying to get some adoration, that is a bodily function. Regarding you final question, Krishna is the Cause of all causes. That is a fact. But we being subordinate to Krishna, sometimes we create our cause under Krishna's sanction only. Just like a child may persist in trying to do something, but unless the mother allows he cannot do it. Another example is that a criminal is put into jail by the trying judge; this is caused by the judgement of the court, but it is actually caused also by the criminal person.

1970 Correspondence

Letter to Bali-mardana -- Los Angeles 19 April, 1970:

Please accept my blessings and offer the same to Sriman Upendra. Your informative letter dated "nil" is encouraging. For the service of Krsna you are already in the jail for a few hours, so if possible try to put this movement as cultural instead of religion.

Letter to Dr. R. N. Vyasa -- Los Angeles 7 June, 1970:

In the Srimad-Bhagavatam there is a question asked by Pariksit Maharaja to Sukdeva Goswami on the sinful activities of the human society. As a learned professor you will understand it very easily why a man is addicted to sinful activities. A person knows in two ways the after effects of sinful activities. Just like a criminal has heard from lawyers that a thief is punished for his criminal activities and he has seen also that a thief is arrested by the police and put into jail. Generally our experience is gathered by hearing and by seeing personally.

Letter to Upendra -- Los Angeles 15 July, 1970:

Regarding harassment of our devotees, Yes, this is not a new thing in the history of the world that preachers are sometimes persecuted. But at the present status of civilization I do not think anybody will be crucified like Lord Jesus Christ. Hiranyakasipu persecuted his own son and only five years old. So the demons and atheists are always prepared to give trouble to the devotees. Sometimes the demons like Kamsa are prepared to kill God even. During Lord Caitanya's time Thakura Haridasa was also persecuted and put into jail. Not only that, he was whipped in twenty-two market places, but still the demons could not come out successful in the snubbing down of the Hare Krsna Movement. So do not be worried about this. Go on about your business. Krsna will give you all help, rest assured. Simply stick to you work seriously and sincerely.

1971 Correspondence

Letter to Nayanabhirama -- Bombay 4 April, 1971:

For the time being you can go to the jail and lecture about Krishna Consciousness and the values of life. You can give this lecture simply by repeating different chapters from our books. And the same can be done in the mental hospital as well. Distribute prasadam there also. Preaching at these and other big institutions is solid work, so try to increase this activity.

Letter to Danavir -- Delhi 20 November, 1971:

Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter of November 12, 1971, and have noted the contents with encouragement. But one thing, what do you mean Gaura Hari was held in jail? Please convey my blessings to Mrs. Dossa. Her husband was a very great devotee who was taken away by Krishna for promotion, and she may rest assured that he has progressed on the path of going back to Home, back to Godhead. She should follow in her good husbands footsteps and become fully Krishna Conscious and in this way she will find herself fully happy. You must give her good guidance and all facility in this respect.

1972 Correspondence

Letter to Caru -- Dallas 10 September, 1972:

Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated August 31, 1972, and I have noted the contents carefully. Now regarding this business of Sankirtana, the solution is simply to go on with Sankirtana activities as you have been doing, and let them arrest us if they like, we will not stop. Just like in London, they became arrested so many times and there was so much public display of arresting that gradually the police stopped arresting and now they have Sankirtana anywhere they like without any botheration. If we take this case into court and spend so much money for big big lawyers, and still if we do not win, then they have got legal right to stop us. So better to forget this business of lawyers and judges and simply go on with Sankirtana. That is Civil disobedience movement. Let them fill their jails with us again and again, but we shall not stop our Sankirtana movement. Also it may help if you get some public sympathy through publicizing our constant persecution in the newspaper journals. Gradually the city officials and constabulary will become embarrassed to arrest us further and gradually we will be allowed to carry on our Sankirtana unhampered. But I do not think this business of expensive lawyers and going to court will solve anything, better to simply become determined to hold our Sankirtana in our own manner as we like, and simply depend upon Krsna and His protection at all times.

Letter to Caru -- Dallas 10 September, 1972:

P.S. There is no difference between our chanting on the street or in temple or in jail. A Krishna Conscious person is not afraid of any place, but he wants to chant constantly in all circumstances.

Letter to Madhudvisa -- Los Angeles 21 September, 1972:

I am very much pleased to hear that you are distributing so much of our literature and books and I think if you go on like this that very soon you will become the number one book distributers in the whole world. At least I want that. I have already advised Caru in the matter of the legal business in Sydney, and I do not think there is any need for going to court and spending so much money. We are prepared to hold sankirtana on the street or in the jail, it does not matter, wherever we are, we are able to vibrate Krsna's name and be happy. So gradually they will grow tired of persecuting us and just like in London and other places we shall become established with our sankirtana party.

1973 Correspondence

Letter to Guru-gauranga -- Melbourne 11 February, 1973:

Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of you letter dated January 24th, and have noted the contents carefully. I am very much encouraged to hear of your increased Sankirtana movement and your return to Geneva to open up still another chapter in Lord Caitanya's conquest of the world. You may consult closely with Bhagavan das on all matters and he will give you good advice in this regard. As far as police problems are concerned, this is going on all over the world, especially here in Melbourne, they are being persecuted by the police. Even they are going to jail daily, but still they will not stop their chanting and distributing. When they go to jail, they refuse to eat the food, and in this way so much public sympathy is there. So eventually the police will accept us and our Sankirtana activities will go on unchecked. Simply we must have the determination to continue our preaching work under all circumstances.

1974 Correspondence

Letter to Brahmananda -- Bombay 23 December, 1974:

Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of telegrams dated the 18th, 20th, and 21st of December reading as follows respectively: JAYATIRTHA REPORTS HONOLULU SUDAMA SUBAL BROKEN AWAY WITH SIX MEN TAKEN OVER RESTAURANT STOP TEMPLE PROPERTY IN NAME OF ONE OF THEIR MAN NOT IN SOCIETY NAME AM GOING THERE IMMEDIATELY GROUNDWORK GOING ON HERE STOP TROUBLE IN FRANKFURT SIXTY ARMED POLICEMEN RAIDED TEMPLE TEMPLE JAILED LEADERS IMPOUNDED VEHICLES AND BANK ACCOUNTS///HONGKONG SHOULD NOT BE CLOSED ONE INITIATED CHINESE GIVES MONEY AND TRANSLATED THREE CHAPTERS GITA STOP TEMPLE CAN BE MAINTAINED BY INDIANS TRIVIKRAMA ALONE MORE MEN REQUIRED URGENTLY TOKYO TODAY///GURUKRPA WILL TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR JAPAN HONOLULU TEMPLE CONSTRUCTION HAS GIVEN ANOTHER 63,000 HONOLULU TODAY-Brahmananda Svami.

1975 Correspondence

Letter to Pusta Krsna -- Honolulu 15 June, 1975:

N.B. One travel agent in New Delhi has told us that two of her clients (American) were going to Johannesburg with visa, sufficient funds onward ticket, passport, etc., and due to some change all of the sudden in the Government, they were thrown into jail, and the next day, they were sent, at their own expense out of the country. The travel agent said that it could be even more severe for an Indian citizen, so, if there is any risk, it is not a very good idea. So, you should find out if there any risk at all and then let me know at my Los Angeles address. ACBS