Laughter (Letters)

Expressions researched:
"laugh" |"laughable" |"laughed" |"laugher" |"laughing" |"laughingly" |"laughingstock" |"laughs" |"laughter"

1968 Correspondence

Letter to Dayananda -- Montreal 7 July, 1968:

So far I am concerned, I wish to live the major portion of my remaining days of my life in the Western world to propagate this movement, but I could not obtain my permanent visa on some technical ground. Some lawyers advised me to appeal but I did not like the idea. Here in Canada, I may get a permanent visa but the difficulty is that during the winter the severe cold here may be unbearable for me or for my attendants. The male attendant, Gaurasundara, may agree, but the female attendant, Mrs. Gaurasundara, is not agreeable. Anyway—apart from this point of view, it is sure that I personally cannot tolerate the severe cold here. Under the circumstances, if some arrangement is made in Florida, then during the winter season, we can work there, and as you have said that many tourists and well-to-do men assemble there, it will be a good opportunity for preaching Krishna Consciousness at that time. Another point is that I would have preferred to have permanent residence visa in USA rather than in Canada, and I have heard that if somebody adopts me as a child or something else, I can get the permanent visa. But if you adopt me as your old child, probably the visa department will laugh, that what you will do with an old child who is going to die very soon. But, if there is possibility to adopt me as old father, then you can try for it. If there is any law that you can adopt any old man as your father, and take care of him, then you can inquire from the Los Angeles immigration department and try for it.

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Hamsaduta -- London 7 December, 1969:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated November 28, 1969. I could not check my laughing when you have said so many things in bereavement for asking me to serve in the university. There is no question of bereavement. A child sometimes commits mistakes, and the father says "Don't do like this." So there is no question of being very seriously bereaved. There is a story that one man was very hungry, and he went to an unknown friend and asked him to give him some food. The man supplied him a little foodstuff, but he was not satisfied. His hunger was still there. So he asked the man for more food, and the man said there wasn't any. Then the hungry man inquired from the other man, "Which caste do you belong to?"

1970 Correspondence

Letter to Anil Grover -- Los Angeles 5 February, 1970:

The real consciousness is that I am eternal servant of Krishna. Or, it is just like a madman who thinks to himself that he is king, he is free to do whatever he likes, and talks nonsense; but a sane man laughs at him.

Our encagement in the matter is just like a madman's activities. When one is treated by the treatment of Krishna Consciousness, he becomes relieved from all these designative engagements. When I feel as American or when I feel as Indian, and act accordingly, that is the cause of all sorts of anxieties and frustrations. Krishna Consciousness means to come to the pure understanding that one is neither American nor Indian, but he is eternal servant of Krishna, and thus engages himself in rendering loving service to the Lord. This is his pure spiritual life.

1971 Correspondence

Letter to Vrndavana Candra -- Brooklyn 23 July, 1971:

So that should be avoided. Lord Caitanya never said stop mixing with nondevotees. He was preaching himself. How a preacher can stop? The whole world is nondevotees.

So far these plays are concerned, they are not meant for ordinary people and if they laugh, then that is a great offense. Just like in your play "Putana Killed" there was so much laughing. So these plays are not meant for the public showing unless they are very nicely done. The audience must give grave attention. If they laugh, that is the greatest offense. Lord Caitanya never played before ordinary men. Only before devotees. But for you to put on such plays for devotees only is not so practical. So plays of Krishna Lila should be avoided, unless it is very gravely performed.*

Letter to Madhusudana -- London 18 August, 1971:

I am a layman and do not know the techniques. But the picture you have enclosed appeals to me, so it may be used. I have no objection.

The point is that these drawings should be realistic. Not that you make Krishna a cartoon character and therefore laughing stock. And hippy ideas shouldn't be used either. Whatever technique is there, make it realistic. That will be nice.

Letter to Kirtanananda , Vrindaban Candra, Silavati -- Calcutta 6 November, 1971:

Already, at your request, I have written him one letter to the San Antonio address, that he has my full-hearted blessings for joining the party.

Plays will be very successful and Vrindaban Candra is very expert in this connection. One thing, though, is that nice plays should be written for showing in the villages. The plays should be done seriously so that they will not laugh.

And Krishna has made himself available in the form of very nice brass Murtis from Washington D.C. It is not necessary also that Lord Jagannatha come along. Sometimes He is misunderstood also. The Deities can be installed in a temple and then taken for travelling. That will be best. So far Silavati's other questions: The large brass Deities can be bathed the same as the small ones if they can be handled easily; Cooking can go on after the Deities' plate is made.

1972 Correspondence

Letter to Balavanta -- Ahmedabad 13 December, 1972:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated November 13, 1972, and I have noted the contents with great care. I have had a good laugh and enjoyed your tricking the opponent candidates in election race, especially in front of the college students. That is a very good sign. Now I want that we shall recruit more and more our men amongst the intelligent class of men. They, because they are little educated or they have got some wealth or fame or ability, so they will be sometimes little puffed-up, but that is all right, they deserve it. Now we shall have to learn the art how to approach such higher-class of men and attract them to apply themselves to this Krishna Consciousness process of self-realization.

Letter to Sankarasana -- Bombay 31 December, 1972:

Some of my godbrothers, I can remember, when we used to go out for begging some contribution from some big man, they used to say that my Guru Maharaja had lived for 12 years in the forest in solitary place, living only on the tulasi leaves. I could scarcely stop from laughing when I heard such story, but it was effective to get the money and give to our Guru Maharaja, and he was pleased by our gift. So the idea is not what you are saying, so much as how you say it. If you understand this properly, then you may be able to say the truth at all times in the most palatable way, according to the situation and the type of hearer. To perfect this art, that takes practice, so practice preaching from this understanding and gradually you will develop it more and more.

1973 Correspondence

Letter to Madhukara -- Bombay 4 January, 1973:

The wife is left without husband, and sometimes there is child to be raised, in so many ways the proposition that you, and some others also, are making becomes distasteful. We cannot expect that our temples will become places of shelter for so many widows and rejected wives, that will be a great burden and we shall become the laughingstock in the society. There will be unwanted progeny also. And there will be illicit sex life, that we are seeing already. And being the weaker sex, women require to have a husband who is strong in Krsna consciousness so that they may take advantage and make progress by sticking tightly to his feet. If their husband goes away from them, what will they do? So many instances are already there in our Society, so many frustrated girls and boys.