Prabhupāda: The whole world is enjoying ignorance, and when we say about Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they do not very much appreciate. If I say, "Kṛṣṇa is the proprietor, you are not proprietor," he'll not be very much satisfied. (laughs) Just see, ignorance is bliss. So it is my foolishness to say the real truth. Therefore this is, it is folly to be wise where ignorance is bliss. So we are taking the risk to offend people because they'll think we are fools. If I say, "Birla, Mr. Birla, you are not proprietor, Kṛṣṇa is proprietor. So whatever money you have got spend for Kṛṣṇa," he'll be angry. Mūrkha upadeśo hi prakopāya na śāntaye. If you instruct a rascal, he'll be angry. Therefore we go as beggar. "My dear Mr. Birla, you are very rich man. I am sannyāsī beggar. So I want to construct a temple if you spare some money." So he'll be, "Oh, here is a beggar, give him some money."
Offend (Conv and Letters)
Conversations and Morning Walks
1972 Conversations and Morning Walks
1973 Conversations and Morning Walks
Śyāmasundara: ...not to offend these people the...
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Śyāmasundara: Spiritual leaders.
Prabhupāda: So, not offense (?). There is no question of making. We should behave ourself very nicely. Offending or pleasing that is (indistinct). You cannot offend everyone, neither you can please everyone. That is not possible. You keep to your standard. You keep to your standard. Then everything, everybody will see, "Oh, that is nice." Offending, you cannot please everybody. That is not possible. Even if you hear very nicely. Caitanya Mahāprabhu could not please everyone. He had to start civil disobedience. Even Gandhi was killed. That is not possible. You cannot please everybody. But you must stick to your own principle, and behave nicely.
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Bhava-bhūti: ...Balavanta's election campaign. After a fired-up speech by Balavanta, one lady called up and said "Why do you keep referring to the American people as animals?" So she was so offended.
Dr. Patel: She became violent. So all violent, they are animals. (break)
Prabhupāda: They are good.
Dr. Patel: They are good, and God is serving best. Last, last śloka he recites from Bhagavad-gītā. Ye... Su balo.
Guest (1):
- yatra yogeśvaraḥ kṛṣṇo
- yatra pārtho dhanur-dharaḥ
- tatra śrīr vijayo bhūtir
- dhruvā nītir matir mama
Dr. Patel: They have got śrī, bhūti...
Prabhupāda: So Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement has started from there. So they are very fortunate.
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Jayatīrtha: I went to that New York storefront first of all, and I was a Māyāvā... Well, I was a rascal. So they called me a rascal, so I became very offended. (laughs) Later on, I saw that they were right.
Prabhupāda: And you called them rascal? No.
Jayatīrtha: No. I knew that they were not rascals. They looked very pure. I just left. (break)
Prabhupāda: The sunshine has covered 93,000,000 miles all round, so the sunshine is big or the sun is big?
Kīrtanānanda: The potency is in the sun.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is big, not the Brahmān. And within the sun globe there is sun-god, Vivasvān. They do not know all these. They think the sunshine is the...
Guru-kṛpa: The sun is different than Vivasvān?
Prabhupāda: Not different. Just like the sunshine is not different from the sun globe. Sun globe means all the inhabitants there, they are glowing. Therefore the whole planet is glowing.
Tripurāri: Sometimes we defeat someone by our preaching, and we show them they should take the book, but still they don't take. But if we call them a fool and point out to them how they are foolish, they become offended. So rather that we just very humbly say...
Prabhupāda: Yes, yes. Our... We know that he is a fool, but we have to present in a different way. We shall say that "There is nobody as learned as you are." In this way just make him puffed up, and then you say humbly, "My only humble request is that whatever you have learned, please forget. Now you try to understand Caitanya Mahāprabhu. That's all." This is the different way of calling him, that "Whatever you have learned, this is all rubbish." We simply say, "Kindly forget them. Now you turn your attention to Caitanya Mahāprabhu." This is the way Prabodānanda Sarasvatī taught us. You flatter him, "Sir, I have got one request." Flatter him like anything, falling down on his leg and becoming humble and... "Sir, I have got one request." "What is that?" "You are very learned scholar. But kindly forget them, and you try to turn your attention to Caitanya Mahāprabhu." He will not be angry. Then, if he turns his attention to Caitanya Mahāprabhu, then naturally he will forget all rubbish things.
Devotee (3): Sometimes we feel like... I know myself personally, if I'm distributing, like, Second Volumes of Caitanya-caritāmṛtas I have this doubt, this feeling that it's sometimes hard for me to understand Caitanya-caritāmṛta, and I feel like the karmī, he will open the book, and he will look into it, and he will become offended because he won't be able to understand hardly a word of it.
Prabhupāda: No, Caitanya-caritāmṛta is not meant for ordinary person. Bhagavad-gītā, Īśopaniṣad and other thing...
Tripurāri: Kṛṣṇa book?
Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa. They will read as story book. The Kṛṣṇa trilogy is selling very nice?
Tripurāri: Yes. Nectar of Devotion also.
Prabhupāda: Nectar of Devotion is very nice.
Devotee (1): And Śrīmad-Bhāgavatams. They are very attracted to the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
Tripurāri: Many of the karmīs appreciate the Fourth Canto, part four, the story of King Purañjana. They understand that.
Devotee (2): There's many psychologists at the airport. I would attract them by giving them that particular volume and saying how this deals with the psychology of the conditioned self. And they were attracted in that way.
Prabhupāda: Yes, it is very nice, Purañjana. His city, his gates, various manifestation.
Śrutakīrti: It is like the Russians and the Americans. He doesn't want to offend the other scientists. (laughs)
Prabhupāda: If the other scientists condemn him, then he will not get service.
Śrutakīrti: That's right.
Devotee: All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda. (devotees offer obeisances)
Prabhupāda: You can write one essay, I'll give you some hints. Bring your notebook and Bhagavad-gītā also. The defect of human society is that..., present human society is that there is no high-class men. The Bhagavad-gītā says, aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase (BG 2.11).
Prabhupāda:They must know he has come purposely, purposefully. Of course, he will not be able to do anything. Simply ask him, "You, sir, what you have done for the last forty years? And who asked you to start this institute? And why you were called back by Guru Mahārāja?" You ask these things. "And you performed some ceremony for neutralizing your guru-aparādha." He did it. Some astrologer... He admitted that "I have offended my Guru Mahārāja. So I am not improving. So can you suggest anything?" He said that "You offer 108 bilva patra to Lord Śiva." And he did it for so many...
Brahmānanda: Prāyaścitta, is that called?
Prabhupāda: Prāyaścitta, yes.
Brahmānanda: You mention that in your Nectar of Devotion, that if some offense is committed, it's not necessary to perform any rituals but to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, and that one will become purified in that way.
Prabhupāda: So nobody knows where he is?
Satsvarūpa: And also he felt offended that the Brooklyn temple did not invite him. He said they knew he was there, but they didn't invite him.
Prabhupāda: (To Bon:) Why? You could see there. It is a Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava temple. Temple... I invited him from...
Brahmānanda: From Hawaii you wrote a letter. He spoke at several of our temples, Toronto and Ottawa.
Prabhupāda: So how did you go there? Did he...?
Satsvarūpa: He has some patrons among the professors. I know this one Professor O'Connell, he kept him at his home for some days and did some advertising for him for meetings. And then he has another professor friend in Montreal. So he knows different people. He has contacts. (break)
Prabhupāda: ...net result. Has he started anything?
Cyavana: Kṛṣṇa is the supreme controller. If He wanted to check us from going there, He could check us from going into the prison, from offending.
Prabhupāda: No. Kṛṣṇa has given you independence. So you are.... By mentality, you have to suffer. Suppose if a child wants to do something, play, if you check it, check it, then he will go mad. Just like mother Yasoda was showing stick to Kṛṣṇa, and when Kṛṣṇa became so much afraid, he (she) became immediately anxious: "Oh, Kṛṣṇa has too much anxiety. He may fall sick." So immediately throw away. So this is father-mother's affection.
Cyavana: So actually it is Kṛṣṇa's mercy that He allows us to come here, free ourselves from...
Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes. He has given you little freedom. He doesn't want to take your freedom.
Harikeśa: You gave two examples in Los Angeles about the master, big master, like president of DuPont walking his dog. The president of DuPont is walking his dog in Central Park. The dog makes him go this way and this way and this way. And you said we are just passing stool and urine in the material world, and Kṛṣṇa is just letting us run here and there.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Anumantā. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, anumantā, upadraṣṭā.
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In America it's not such a strong word. In America that word "rascal" is not so strong as in India. In India when you use that word, they become very offended.
Indian man (1): Yes. Very strong.
Dayānanda: In America they like to be rascal.
Hṛdayānanda: In America if the father chastises the child, he calls him "rascal."
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It has a nice connotation.
Prabhupāda: (break) māyāra adhikāra. Now the ruling of this, what is called, fog is finished.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Night also.
Prabhupāda: Eh?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Night also?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Everything darkness finished. The sky is clear.
Prabhupāda: That is sufficient insult. (laughter) That enraged him. You said Indian-givers. That offended him.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: No, that was after he said no. Then he changed his mind a little bit, but I don't know. He said come back Monday morning then. I was thinking maybe he wanted to be bribed or something. Maybe Mr. Battra knows.
Prabhupāda: Indian government is nasty, there is no doubt.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Unnecessarily. He said "I have to fill out four pages." Four pages of the passport, that takes four days?
Prabhupāda: Everyone in government service, at least it is to be supposed they are all nasty men. Here also, why not? The other day the custom officer, unnecessary. Unnecessarily. He is opening the snuff box, this box, that box. Unnecessarily. Not a gentleman. It is stated there, "snuff," and he is bringing knife to open.
Jagadīśa: Harassment.
Prabhupāda: Everywhere. Rājanyaiḥ, dasyu-dharma. Simply wanting some bribe. They are in power. And that will increase. It will be impossible to deal with. Now it is already. In India, any work you want to be done by government, unless you bribe.... In Africa also. The situation is becoming very dangerous.
Hari-śauri: Oh.
- anudvega-karaṁ vākyaṁ
- satyaṁ priya-hitaṁ ca yat
- svādhyāyābhyasanaṁ caiva
- vāṇ-mayaṁ tapa ucvyate
"Austerity of speech consists in speaking truthfully and beneficially and in avoiding speech that offends. One should also recite the Vedas regularly."
Prabhupāda: Tapasya.
Hari-śauri:
- manaḥ-prasādaḥ saumyatvaṁ
- maunam ātma-vinigrahaḥ
- bhāva saṁśuddhir ity etat
- tapo mānasam ucyate
"And serenity, simplicity, gravity, self-control and purity of thought are the austerities of the mind."
- śraddhayā parayā taptaṁ
- tapas tat tri-vidhaṁ naraiḥ
- aphalākāṅkṣibhir yuktaiḥ
- sāttvikaṁ paricakṣate
"This threefold austerity, practiced by men whose aim is not to benefit themselves materially, but to please the Supreme, is of the nature of goodness."
Prabhupāda: That's it. The aim is to please the Supreme through the spiritual master. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo **. This is the idea. Now, who is teaching this tapasya? Where is the school, college? Smoke: this is tapasya. And they are smoking before teacher. No offense. What you'll expect from such student? Animal civilization. This is not civilization. No tapasya, no brahmacārī. Tapo divyaṁ (SB 5.5.1). And tapasya begins from brahmacārī. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa śamena (SB 6.1.13), to control. Brahmacārī guru-gṛhe vasan dantaḥ. How to control senses, that is the beginning of life. Not ABCD learning and maybe your character may be less than an animal's, and you have got a degree of the university. You become a learned man. No. That is not accepted. Even from moral instruction, who is educated? That is described by Canakya Pandit.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Yes, that's described in the Bhagavad-gītā, the different austerities. The austerity of the tongue, the austerity of the mind, the austerity of the body. It is described in the Seventeenth Chapter and the, and the austerity of the tongue, of speech,
- anudvega-karaṁ vākyaṁ
- satyaṁ priya-hitaṁ ca yat
- svādhyāyābhyasanaṁ caiva
- vāṅ-mayam tapa ucyate
It's an austerity, tapa. Austerity of speech consists of speaking truthfully, and beneficially, and then avoiding speech that offends. One should also recite the Vedas regularly. So preaching is also control of the tongue. So our philosophy is that control doesn't mean that you stop. It's not possible. Can you stop eating? Can you stop sleeping? Can you stop different activities of going here and going there?
Prabhupāda: (indistinct) everyone. (indistinct)
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: But that everything should be done in relationship to Kṛṣṇa. Then everything will become purified. Hṛṣīkeśa hṛṣīkeṇa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate. When the senses are engaged for Kṛṣṇa's satisfaction, then they're no longer... The senses are compared to the sharp teeth of (indistinct). (indistinct) sharp teeth are naturally very dangerous. But when engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service, the shark teeth, they're broken. So they can't feel any trouble. Although we are using the senses which is the cause of bondage, these senses employed in Kṛṣṇa's service, they no longer become a source of bondage, but of liberation.
Prabhupāda: (Sanskrit) Serpent is dangerous, so long he has got the fangs. (indistinct) If the fang is taken away that means he's no more dangerous. So (indistinct). But if I am sure that his fangs are taken away (indistinct). Senses are dangerous, it is compared with the serpent. (Sanskrit) But if you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness that (Sanskrit) the fangs are no more existing therefore it is no more dangerous.
Prabhupāda: The king and the daughter went to a great muni's house, a saintly person. Cyavana Muni, Cyavana Muni. And the daughter, young daughter, out of ignorance, she committed some offense. Took one straw and pierced through one insect. The muni was sitting there as insect. So the result was—because she offended—all the men of the king, means the soldiers, the secretaries, they stopped passing urine and stool.
Hari-śauri: The muni was there in the form of an insect?
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Hari-śauri: And she pierced him. Oh.
Prabhupāda: So the result was all of them became without passing stool. So the king could understand there is some offense. So... Because formerly the kings were saintly persons. He asked all his men, "What you have done?" Then the girl said, "Father, I have done something." Then he made this plea that, "Kindly excuse this girl... Out of ignorance..." He was very angry, that Cyavana Muni. His attitude was always angry. Then all of them became very much aggrieved. Then he asked, "Whether your girl is married?" King could understand that "He wants to marry my daughter. Otherwise, why he's inquiring." And he was so old... I have got my skin still tight. All loose.
Harikeśa: If I ask that man who's already there to go to the brahmacārīs, he may become offended.
Prabhupāda: Yes, you do that. He can go to the brahmacārīs. That's all.
Devotee: You can give him one of those sannyāsī rooms in the brahmacārīs.
Harikeśa: All right.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Arrange everything. But don't turn this, and very easily give the other guest room. Then it will be awkward like anything. Very cautious. So this is the program I am giving, and if you can give some practical sense, it will be very nice profitable business.
Dhanañjaya: Yes. But it will require some capital in the beginning.
Prabhupāda: So capital required we can give. There is no scarcity of capital. But it must be consulted between three-Gopāla, Viśvambhara, and yourself. And then if capital is required, how capital you will repay. Make them assured. I shall give you. There is no difficulty. Capital you will have, provided you can make profit. Not that we give capital and never return. That will not be possible. Take any amount of capital, but we must be paid interest as bank gives loan. I can say bank will give you. If I order the bank, bank will give you.
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Rāmeśvara: And the government is so much afraid of offending one religion, so they have become secular. But there only is one religion. There is only one religion.
Prabhupāda: Yes. One religion, this is sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66), to become surrendered to God. That is religion. And they're useless. That is our religion. We are teaching surrender to God, but they have no idea that there is God. They have forgotten that "There is God, and He can talk with me. I can talk with Him." They cannot believe all these things. "Even if God is there, He cannot talk. He has no mouth, He has no leg. Nirākāra, impersonal." This is their position.
Rāmeśvara: In America there are surveys, public opinion surveys.
Prabhupāda: Just see. God has to be created by public survey. Just see how degraded.
Rāmeśvara: But anyway, these surveys show that religious sentiment in America is increasing.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That is proof. You are the proof. There is no doubt. They are intelligent. Intelligent and there is no poverty. In other countries, on account of poverty, they are thinking, "First of all we must be materially prosperous. Then we shall think all this nonsense God." This is then... This propaganda is going on, "What you'll, can do by God. First of all we must have sufficient to eat, sufficient to drink." And this is their philosophy.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Intelligence is developed by association, by hearing, by experiencing. Otherwise very big intelligence, he's also dull. Don't you see the big, big leaders, Gandhi and Radhakrishnan, they have no intelligence? They are misinterpreting the whole..., although they're passing as very big men, intelligent. And if you say to them that "You are not intelligent; you are wrongly interpreting Bhagavad-gītā," they will be offended. So intelligence is so dull even to such big, big men, what to speak of ordinary men? Big, big demigods, their intelligence also lacking. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, kona: "Somebody very fortunate, he can understand." Kona bhāgyavān. And another place, brahmāra durlabha prema: "Even Brahmā cannot understand what is Kṛṣṇa consciousness." Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu (BG 7.3). These things are... So this intelligence is not so easy. Na janma-koṭibhiḥ sukṛtair labhyate. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19). There are so many places that "To come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not so easy." It requires very, very great intelligence.
Satsvarūpa: When you say the creation is a mercy, the only mercy is...
Prabhupāda: Mercy means there is regular propaganda to give this intelligence.
Prabhupāda: Then you have to say that you have no idea what is God. Then they will be offended. Better not, that not to say. (laughs) We know it, that's all.
Pṛthu-putra: Just introduce it as it is. Just introduce as it is.
Prabhupāda: Let us with logic, philosophy, talk. There is no conception of God throughout the whole world. Vague idea.
Pṛthu-putra: Yes. Because in the description of Koran, what they think about spiritual world is like heavenly planets. It's all the opposite of what they experience now. Now they are living in a desert, so they think when we are going to get liberation we'll be full of water and beautiful women giving you honey. You don't have to work. This is their... This is described in Koran.
Prabhupāda: No, that is heaven.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Modern science. On Bhagavad-gītā... On the right column is from Bhagavad-gītā, the right-hand side, the alternative... We do not call Bhagavad-gītā directly, but we say "the alternative view," so that they do not immediately be offended. We call "alternative scientific view." (break)
Prabhupāda: Now some person...
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Oh, yes. It's very interesting that science says that those equations at the bottom are the... Those are the ultimate truth, the modern science, about these mathematical equations. So if we analyze this on the analytical basis, they are like this—those mathematical equations. So this is the concept of Absolute Truth in terms of science. And these are atoms and molecules or, we call it, fundamental particles. And so the spring between the two is some sort of electromagnetic force in the different..., among different particles. So this is the concept of Absolute Truth in terms of science. And we analyzed this in terms of our practical experience, from our day-to-day experience, and we gave some nice examples like this. This is a crocodile from... It's a male crocodile from South Africa in Scientific American a few months ago. There he's trying to break an egg just to come out, that little young one, the small baby crocodile. And what he does is...
Prabhupāda: They come out from egg?
Rāmeśvara: He says the people are offended by Americans in Latin America.
Prabhupāda: They have got that tendency.
Rāmeśvara: Jayatīrtha used the same argument in England. He said that the people do not like the idea that this is coming from America.
Prabhupāda: That you discuss. What I can say?
Brahmānanda: Should we have karmī photographs in our magazines?
Rāmeśvara: What do you mean?
Brahmānanda: Like in the English issue they have three photographs of torture.
Prabhupāda: That is not good.
Rāmeśvara: Torture? What do you mean?
Brahmānanda: They show a man being burned by fire, a man being pulled his body apart, a man hanging.
Prabhupāda: No, that is not...
Brahmānanda: Three photographs.
Rāmeśvara: But not all karmī photographs are bad. Sometimes we use karmī...
Brahmānanda: And now our magazine has no pictures of Kṛṣṇa. The last English edition had not one picture of Kṛṣṇa.
Prabhupāda: That's not good.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Everybody's attracted to go to the States nowadays. Even I was attracted. When I had a choice to go any place in the world 'cause I got a scholarship from Indian government, a Western scholarship. I could study in any part of the world, and I could choose any school I liked. And I told the interview board in Delhi... There was a man from England at that time. I told him that "I don't want to go to England." (Prabhupāda laughs) So he was little offended.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Nowadays all students, scholars, going outside means going to the States. That is the...
Prabhupāda: They give facility. No, I have got good respect for America.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes, I'm sure that the scientists, some of the leading scientists, will accept.
Prabhupāda: I therefore say America is my fatherland. India is my motherland.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes, in the normal dealing also...
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: ...the Americans are very friendly, very nice actually, in general. When I studied in California, I was a stranger, but everybody looked like a friend, very different from England. England is very conservative. They don't say hello, and different.
Prabhupāda: England, nonsense number one. Worst false prestige, England. In that respect, other countries are better. They had a British Empire. They are still puffed up. And they will stay there to continue British Empire. Now they are earning money for eating, showing British Parliament House. Now there is no business.
Correspondence
1947 to 1965 Correspondence
Please excuse me if I have offended you by calling you my dear Brother. Actually you are my dear brother and when you know me you shall be pleased that I have called you as such.
You are my brother in relation to our common and Eternal Father the Almighty Personality of Godhead Sri Krishna the revealing Author of the great book of Philosophy "Bhagavad-gita." And from this book of transcendental knowledge, I have known that you and all other living entities, in whatever form they may be, are all my brothers.
But I know some other less intelligent brothers, who are now in the animal kingdom, will not be able to recognize me even if I address them as my dear brothers, for the reason of their being grossly enwrapped in material consciousness. But as you are a human being and as you have developed the consciousness of a human being, I have ventured to approach you and address you directly "My dear brother." Please therefore do not mistake my endeavor.
1968 Correspondence
Regarding the action of Bon Maharaja: We shall discuss the matter when we meet. For the present, you may know that this gentleman is very much materially ambitious. He wants to utilize Krishna Consciousness for his material name and fame. Sometimes he greatly offended our Guru Maharaja, and it so happened that at the last stage, practically Guru Maharaja rejected him. And the result, we can find that instead of becoming a great preacher of Krishna Consciousness, this gentleman has become artificially a head of a mundane institution. To become a very important man in the mundane estimation is not success in Krishna Consciousness. He was first deputed by my Guru Maharaja, along with our late God Brother, Bhakti Pradip Tirtha Maharaja, to open a missionary center in London, and they stayed there for 3 years, but didn't make any appreciable advance. Except that spent enormous money of my Guru Maharaja, and later on they were called back to India. So that is a great history; it is not possible to say everything in this letter, but for the present, be satisfied with these words, and later we shall talk more and more. On the whole, you may know that he is not a liberated person, and therefore, he cannot initiate any person to Krishna Consciousness. It requires special spiritual benediction from higher authorities.
I am so much pleased to hear that you are not afraid to stand alone, and to maintain the temple there nicely; krishna is always there with you, and He will see to your success. Do not feel that you have offended me. You have served Krishna very nicely and are continuing to do so very nicely. There is no question of your falling from my grace: you have always my blessings upon you, and I am always thinking of you, and praying Krishna to help you and give you more and more advancement in Krishna Consciousness. So please do not be disturbed in that way. Just continue with what you are doing there, and Krishna will give you all facilities and all protection.
I have arrived here in New York on the 17th afternoon: the trip was very quickly passed, and we were very nicely received at the airport, by both the press and the devotees. Here there are so many new flower-like young boys and girls, and they are all so much interested in Krishna Consciousness very seriously. I am surprised at their great enthusiasm, and I am very happy amongst them. Just try to make your temple there as successful as this one in New York; just work sincerely, and it will come.
So actually they have not gained by sacrificing their original culture. Of course, this superficial loss of original culture is visible only to the so-called educated person at the present moment, and they have become befooled as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita: Mayaya Prihatajnana, their knowledge has been taken away. So if you try to criticize that will be of some value because you are outside purview of the Indian government, but do it very carefully, so that you may not offend anyone. But you must speak the right thing. I shall send you some matters also, that how many rascals and fools are employed in the government service who deride at Krishna, because they think that He was black, therefore low-born. In this way, how much they have become degraded. Jaya Govinda's article on Hrshikesa, is very nice. If he sends such articles from India, it will help you very much.
Regarding your constitution making: don't be very much hasty, immediately, as try to do it slowly. Because your first business is to organize Back To Godhead. And besides that, whatever you do, first of all send me a copy and then distribute.
1969 Correspondence
This Bon Maharaja, perhaps you do not know, has been rejected by Guru Maharaja. So I cannot recommend him as siksa guru. I think that he has no actual spiritual asset. For spiritual advancement of life, we must go to one who is actually practicing spiritual life; not to some head of a mundane institution, not to one who has offended his Spiritual Master in so many ways. I do not wish to go into all details here, but I must inform you that this Bon Maharaja may be considered as a black snake, and at the time of His Disappearance, my Guru Maharaja did not even wish to have him in His presence due to the character of this Bon Maharaja. So if you are actually serious to take instructions from a siksa guru, I can refer you to one who is most highly competent of all my god-brothers. This is B.R. Sridhara Maharaja, whom I consider to be even my siksa guru, so what to speak of the benefit that you can have from his association. He is living in Navadvipa, and if you like, I can give you letter of introduction as well as I will send him letter to allow you to stay there with him. So if you and Acyutananda are not lost to the poison of Bon Maharaja, and are still serious about advancement of your spiritual life, I will advise you to go to Sridhara Maharaja. Or else I do not know what will save you.
1972 Correspondence
The pandal program at Mayapur should go on, along with prasada distribution. We are already on the top of all our godbrothers, that should be maintained. Invite all Hindus, Muslims, Jains, etc., without any discrimination, as we do in foreign countries, and continue the evening program. One thing, I have received on complaint from Damodara Maharaja that there was some quarrel with Acyutananda Maharaja. I do not know what is the fact, but we should avoid any quarrel with our godbrothers, and always be very nice and kind to them, and cooperate with them. Because Damodara Maharaja is offended, so Acyutananda Maharaja should go to Damodara and beg his forgiveness, and bow and touch his feet. There is no harm in such behavior of begging forgiveness.
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated July 19, 1972. One thing is, I have just received on July 25, 1972, the following telegram from Mohanananda; "Obeisances I am not offended mismanaging book fund Madhudvisa Swami is responsible why must I receive blame against my wishes." I do not know what is the meaning of this telegram, therefore kindly send me the full explanation. It does not sound well that there is quarreling.
I am very glad to hear that there has been a very nice Rathayatra Festival in Melbourne, and that despite all obstacles many people joined and it was very successful. Similarly, in London we have already celebrated a very successful Rathayatra procession, and many thousands of persons joined in marching from Marble Arch to Trafalgar Square, and in Trafalgar Square I initiated nearly 30 new disciples and we had fire yajna and many, many thousands of persons observed it, mostly Englishmen.
Brahmananda is collecting many life-members in Zambia, and if there is financial crisis there in Nairobi, why not he should send you the money he is collecting? He is not going to open centres there, there are not enough men to manage, so I think he can send you that money. But try to persuade Shah and Damji to leave their money with us as gift. Why they are giving to Krishna then taking back? Both are rich men, out of sentiment they have been offended, so try to pacify them as best you can, then they will give.
I am glad to hear that the street sankirtana and distribution of our books and magazines is going on well, especially the programme of Hindus donating magazines for free distribution to the Africans. If SubalaVilasa wants to marry that African girl, I have no objection but whether she wants to marry him? Also, take the consent of her parents and elder brothers. Such marriage may be good propaganda for our movement in Africa, but if there is any disturbance caused by it, that will be disaster, just like we saw with the Sarna girls. So you must judge whether the match will be favorable on the point that it must not cause any disturbance either in the girl's family or in the local community.
1973 Correspondence
Enclosed please find one letter addressed to me from one of our Bengali devotees, which I am forwarding to you for necessary action. Try to pacify him if he is offended. Everyone comes to us to offer voluntary service, so amongst ourselves there must be good behavior. One may not feel sorry. So the leaders must take precautions as far as possible.
1976 Correspondence
Mr. Deoji Punja came to see me in Bombay. If any of the trustees are to be dropped, this has to be discussed between the trustees themselves. These are all important men and we should be careful lest they become offended. If I say something it will not look well. If some of the trustees are not abiding by the principles or not chanting 16 rounds, then they should be induced by the other trustees who are following, to step down. I think you can follow what I mean.
Now Upendra is waiting in Hawaii, so please direct him how he should proceed. I have also asked him to write Mr. Punja.
| Page Title: | Offend (Conv and Letters) |
| Compiler: | Labangalatika, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 20 of Oct, 2010 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=22, Let=10 |
| No. of Quotes: | 32 |