Older devotees

Expressions researched:
"elder devotees" |"older devotee" |"older devotees"

1969 Correspondence

If any questions or difficulties arise, you may consult with the older devotees there, or if you like, I am always at your service to help you in any way that I can.

Letter to Sripati -- Moundsville 28 May, 1969:

I thank you very much for your letter dated May 18, 1969, sent along with your prayer beads, and I have duly chanted upon them and initiated you as my disciple. Your spiritual name, Sripati Das*, means the servant of Lord Narayana, or Krishna. If you will simply continue to develop your Krishna Consciousness as you have been doing, then surely you will be an expert servant of Lord Krishna. Our process is to faithfully follow the rules of no illicit sex life, no nonvegetarian diet, no intoxication, and no gambling activities. Also, we must chant at least 16 rounds each day, trying to avoid the ten kinds of offenses. You have very nice association with your nice godbrothers in Montreal temple, and you should help them to propagate Krishna Consciousness in that area. So please consult with Hamsaduta, and there will be ample engagement for you in this connection. If any questions or difficulties arise, you may consult with the older devotees there, or if you like, I am always at your service to help you in any way that I can. So now you have great opportunity to make perfection of your life, and please always be serious about this. Then Krishna will surely give you all facilities for nice advancement.

1970 Correspondence

Please learn our Krishna Consciousness way of life from the good guidance of the older devotees there.

Letter to Mandakini -- Los Angeles 8 February, 1970:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 28 January, 1970, along with your beads. Thank you very much. I am very glad to accept you as my disciple because you want to learn how to serve Krishna, and I am returning your beads duly chanted upon by me.

Please chant sixteen rounds of beads daily following the rules and four restrictions and avoiding the ten offenses in chanting the Holy Name of Krishna. Please learn our Krishna Consciousness way of life from the good guidance of the older devotees there.

I am so glad to learn that you are nicely appreciating the bliss of Krishna Consciousness and are endeavoring to become pure in this association. If you continue in this attitude you will progress more and more in your service. So chant Hare Krishna Mantra and be happy. That is my desire.

If you have any questions you can ask them of Jagadisa and other elder devotees who know the science.

Letter to Srilekha -- Los Angeles 17 July, 1970:

Please always keep the association of your good Godbrothers and sisters and work very cooperatively with them for pushing on this movement. If you are always engaged seriously in Krsna's service, Krsna will give you all opportunity for advancing in Krsna consciousness or blissful spiritual life. Study our literatures carefully and try to understand the philosophy nicely and if you have any questions you can ask them of Jagadisa and other elder devotees who know the science.

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.

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.

1972 Correspondence

We should concentrate on training these children up in Krishna Consciousness, not so much by formal, academic education—a little reading, writing, mathematics, that's all—but more by giving them facility to follow the examples of the older devotees in the regular KC program, namely, rising early, arati, chanting, reading, street Sankirtana, preaching, distributing literature—like that.

Letter to Satsvarupa -- Calcutta 16 February, 1972:

I am enclosing one letter to Chaya dasi in this respect, to clear up a few points, namely, that we should concentrate on training these children up in Krishna Consciousness, not so much by formal, academic education—a little reading, writing, mathematics, that's all—but more by giving them facility to follow the examples of the older devotees in the regular KC program, namely, rising early, arati, chanting, reading, street Sankirtana, preaching, distributing literature—like that. These children can be trained in that way, by participating in all of these activities throughout the day, and always the focus of attention will be on Krishna. So you kindly see that these programs are carried on nicely, that is, in the matter of our routine KC program, and let the children learn in that way. Not much time should be wasted giving so much academic knowledge, a little reading and writing, that's all. Let them be able to read our books very nicely, and that will be their higher education. Keep them always happy in Krishna Consciousness, and do not try to force or punish or they will get the wrong idea. By and by, if they are satisfied in this way, they will all grow up to be first-class preachers and devotees.

1974 Correspondence

You may introduce contests, but if the children and also the older devotees cannot pronounce Sanskrit correctly, it is all a useless waste of time.

Letter to Aksobhya -- Vrindaban 3 September, 1974:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter regarding the Krishna Bowl game, and it should be stopped immediately. This thing will be a taxation on the brain on the young children. Why are you inventing? Why you are not satisfied? You are all only inventing and spoiling money. You should teach the children perfectly Sanskrit and English instead of spoiling time and money. The children cannot pronounce correctly the Sanskrit. Let them read it correctly, that is wanted first. They must pronounce nicely English and Sanskrit. The English is no difficulty. If you can do this, then your education is all right.

You may introduce contests, but if the children and also the older devotees cannot pronounce Sanskrit correctly, it is all a useless waste of time.

1975 Correspondence

The persons coming to India, however, must be experienced older devotees, not new men.

Letter to Giriraja -- Johannesburg 22 October, 1975:

Now that you have received the order from Indian Govt. that our men can get two year visa you should send this to our centres from where men will be coming to India, such as New York, San Francisco, London, Paris, Johannesburg, Nairobi, Etc. This way they can show a copy of the order at the port of entry and get the two years at the port of entry. The persons coming to India, however, must be experienced older devotees, not new men. Navayogendra sent telegram saying it was 3 year visa and you say two years, but never mind, it is a good opportunity all the same.