March 18, 1969
My Dear Hayagriva,
Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your nice long letter of March 12, 1969, and have noted the contents carefully. I hope by Krishna's Grace all will work out nicely with your job arrangements. I am glad to learn that your yoga society is going on nicely. Regarding Pradyumna: I shall write to him in this connection, and when I come there in May, I shall see the situation and make the suitable arrangements as necessary.
Regarding Srimad-Bhagavatam: No it is not possible to delete so much of the books. We will print it ourselves. We do not find any special facility being published by MacMillan, so we shall publish on our own press. That is the best idea. And Brahmananda is organizing a special department for book selling.
So far I understand, Nara Narayana will arrive and I shall send also Vamanadeva. Most probably Vamanadeva and Murari will go there so you will have ample hands to construct buildings. In the meantime, when I go there we shall do things according to plan and with the help of these boys who are our carpenters. My ambition is that we shall have all editorial staff, all artisans, and conduct our press there to print at least four books yearly and 50,000 copies of BTG.
So far Syama dasi is concerned, she is very good girl, and I am very much pleased to hear that she is typing so nicely the Srimad-Bhagavatam. You are good couple, work combinedly in this way. I am disturbed to hear she is feeling some chest pain and fainting, but I do not know what is the matter . . . it is all right if she wants to rest, and can go to her grandfather's house not far away.
So far the living arrangement is concerned, the grhasthas should be given chance to live together as husband and wife. If not, then all the girls can stay in a place and all the boys can stay in a place, if there is not sufficient space.
So far the Brahmacaris, you cannot check the association with householders. But their living should be separate. Kirtanananda Maharaja may be the supreme authority for the New Vrindaban center, but the management should be entrusted to the Brahmacaris and next the Grhasthas. He should not directly interfere with the management—he can simply give direction and the Brahmacaris and Grhasthas can carry out the management.
During Kirtana time, all members should assemble together. Only at night they should live separately. And Kirtanananda Maharaja should live and associate with Brahmacaris. Best thing is that he should be completely aloof from everyone, and assisted by one Brahmacari. But he should be the man in charge to give direction. So far as the two of you working in conjunction, you and Kirtanananda Maharaja, whatever is practical can be adopted in this connection.
I shall most probably reach there by the 10th of May, and if not called by London, then I may live there all summer to construct New Vrindaban, and the press affairs.
I hope you are all well, and please convey my blessings to Syama dasi, and all the students there, and I shall be happy to see you in May.
Your ever well-wisher,
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami