Proper understanding (Letters)

Expressions researched:
"proper understanding" |"properly understand" |"properly understood" |"understand Krsna properly" |"understand Me properly" |"understand anything properly" |"understand everything properly" |"understand it properly" |"understand properly" |"understand them properly" |"understand them properly" |"understand this properly" |"understanding anything properly" |"understanding them properly" |"understands everything properly" |"understands properly" |"understood Krishna properly" |"understood Krsna properly" |"understood Narada properly" |"understood properly"

Notes from the compiler: Vedabase query: "properly understand"or "properly understood" or "understand properly" or "understands properly" or "understood properly" or "proper understanding" or "understand* * Properly"

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Bhagavan -- London 22 September, 1969:

Regarding your question, we must utilize our intelligence fully for serving Krishna. Serving Krishna does not mean that we sit idly and say that Krishna will take care of all our business. That is not depending on the Lord; rather it is laziness. Depending on Krishna means to act always in Krishna Consciousness, realizing that Krishna is the Ultimate Controller of all results. I hope you understand this properly.

1970 Correspondence

Letter to Kancanbala -- Los Angeles 20 April, 1970:

It is so much pleasing to me that you are so carefully reading Srimad-Bhagavatam. We have discussed many things in that book—social, political, religious, cultural—and if you young boys and girls understand them properly, I am sure your preaching work will bring in a great change in the entire human society.

I am very glad also to know that you are engaged as Pujari there. Try to learn this art of Arcana very nicely. You can consult in this connection Himavati, Yamuna and also Silavati. I wish that all our girl devotees be expert in the matter of Arcana and cooking. The temple and altar should always be very clean and decorated with flowers and incense. We shall touch the Deity altar and Deity in very clean condition, after taking bath and washing mouth nicely. Practice washing hands after eating and wash with soap and water after toilet.

1972 Correspondence

Letter to Sankarasana -- Bombay 31 December, 1972:

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. But we should never steal anything like money, food, water, gasoline, just to enhance our service to Krsna. That is too much dangerous, and if we are caught then all of our work is finished. Just like in India recently, this Balyogi Guru Maharajaji was detected by the customs authorities attempting to smuggle some small items into India.

1973 Correspondence

Letter to Sir Alistair Hardy -- Bhaktivedanta Manor 28 July, 1973:

I beg to thank you for your coming here yesterday evening, we had very nice talks on religious experience, and I have studied your replies to my questions very carefully.

My first question was "what is the problem of the human life?" So I have already explained, the problem is that at the present moment there is no proper understanding of God. Human life is especially meant for this purpose, to understand God. That is quite natural, cats and dogs or lower animals or man almost like animal cannot understand God, neither they think such things are necessary, that one should understand God, and his relationship with him.

1974 Correspondence

Letter to Mukunda -- Los Angeles 12 January, 1974:

Our activities are arati, kirtana, classes, just as we do here in Los Angeles. Everything is done in conformity to a regular standard. For example, all the temple members, without exception must rise by 4:AM and attend mangala arati. Everyone living in the temple must agree to the standard by proper understanding of the philosophy of tapasya. We cannot expect our guests to follow all our principles, but whoever lives in the temple must follow. That means all must sit down together and hear the Bhagavatam class just as I held it day after day when I was at the Manor. There should be a regular daily schedule of events and it should be followed closely. After the class and breakfast everyone should go to their respective duties, deity worship, sankirtana, clean-up and so throughout the day this atmosphere of constant engagement will produce the truly happy result of transcendental life. So you should set the example and also see that the others are following.

Letter to Dr. Santosh Kumar -- Bombay 20 December, 1974:

The definition of Bhagavan is given in the sastras as one who possesses six kinds of opulences. Nobody is greater than Bhagavan, Krsna. Therefore if we take Krsna's message we will actually be benefited, otherwise not. It will be partial and insufficient. In reply to the last part of your letter I request you to understand properly the message of Bhagavad-gita and other Vedic literatures. You are an educated Indian. According to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhus order every Indian should learn properly the Vedic conclusion and preach all over the world. That is the best welfare activities. You can be very much help to our present activities, so you can be better than others invited from India. I request you to read our books and whenever you find difficulties you can ask me for clearance and it will be my duty to serve you. I thank you once again for your very kind appreciation of our Hare Krsna Movement.

1976 Correspondence

Letter to Vasudeva:

I am in due receipt of the undated joint letter from you and Upendra dasa and have noted the contents with care. Regarding the situation in Fiji, it is necessary that we come to a proper understanding as to the status of the land and the organization of ISKCON Fiji itself. The first point is that the governing board of ISKCON may have yourself and your brother as members, but must also have the GBC for the zone, Gurukrpa Swami, the GBC Chairman, Tamala Krsna Goswami , and Upendra das as members. The second point is that after ISKCON has been organized in the above way the land which the temple is being constructed on must be leased to ISKCON Fiji with a 99 year unconditional lease with option to renew which I shall approve.

1977 Correspondence

Letter to German Disciples -- Bombay May 6, 1977:

The patients are running around madly and when the doctor tries to give them treatment, they insist that they are not crazy. Sometimes the patient even strikes the doctor. So our task is like that. We cannot stand to see people suffering due to ignorance. What is that ignorance? They do not know that they are not their body. This Krsna consciousness movement is meant to deliver people to the proper understanding that they are not their body, that they are pure spirit soul. We may or may not be appreciated, that is not our concern.