You want to take with you Upendra, and I have advised him to follow you. Both you and Sudama went to Japan, now Sudama has taken charge of Tokyo center, and if you take charge of Sydney center, it will give me the greatest pleasure. My ambition is to open centers as many as possible. At least, I want to see that centers are opened in very important places. Now you have seen how practically our students are opening centers here and there. All the new centers recently opened in California and central states are improving very much. I have received one letter from Bamanadev from St. Louis. It is very much encouraging. I now you are very sincere Krishna conscious preacher and Krishna will surely help you in your great adventure. So by this work not only you will be blessed by Krishna, which is a spiritual gift, but also your name will be recorded in the history of the Krishna Consciousness Movement, which I am sure is to grow to the largest volume of expansion. I shall always pray for your long life for preaching work in the service of the Lord.
Students (Letters 1970)
Correspondence
1970 Correspondence
Here in Los Angeles they are selling our literature very nicely and yesterday I received the blue print of "Isopanisad" and this also appears very nice. If Kirtanananda Maharaja moves amongst the school, college and university authorities and induces them to recommend this "Isopanisad" for additional reading by the students either privately or in the library it will be a great achievement. As you have read it, we have tried to discuss the nature of God's greatness and our relationship to Him as preliminary chapter of Krishna Consciousness. So this book is the cheapest of all our other books and they can easily be introduced for mass reading and they will be benefited undoubtedly.
I am glad to learn that there is one boy, Neal Delmonico, now staying with the devotees at the Temple. Now I am in Los Angeles, and many students will be initiated next Sunday, January 25th. So if you recommend, he may be initiated at that time. If he sticks to the principles of our devotional service, it will not be difficult to save him from the draft.
We have been recognized by the draft board as a religious society and if our student seriously understands the philosophy of Bhagavad-gita or Science of God, follows the regulative principles strictly with clear heart without any doubt, then naturally he is promoted to the ministerial status. So our Society is authorized to award the ministerial status but the students must be equally serious in understanding the philosophy.
We require hundreds of bona fide students in Krishna Consciousness. The world is in need of this function. People are going to hell for want of proper guidance. No other religious institution are so much serious about God consciousness as we are. So you must train your contemporaries in such spirit of alertness, then we shall be able to open hundreds of centers, and the people in general shall be saved from being misguided.
Regarding Seattle letter, I have replied the same and the copy, as desired by you, is enclosed herewith. I have seen the Selective Service letter which is very encouraging. Now if our students strictly follow the chalked out plan; namely chanting 16 rounds daily, following the restrictive regulations and reading at least one chapter from our books, then automatically they become ordained ministers. One might be examined by anyone, outsider, and he will never fail the test. So you try to see that things are exacted according to the above plan. Then they are saved materially and spiritually both.
So one has to understand from the practical point of view. A man is judged by his activities. We see that they are engaged in smoking habits, eating meat and indulging in free mixing of boys and girls; these are not the activities of religious persons. Lord Jesus said and the Bible also says, "Thou shalt not Kill." But they are eating meat. So we must see practically if someone is leading a pure life and not be blinded by some sentiment. Our students are strictly observing the four rules or restraints from impure habits and they are factually living according to the highest standard of religious life. So we are actually following the principles of pure living in Krishna Consciousness, but it appears that these followers of the Christian philosophy have fallen down from the transcendental platform.
I am so glad to learn that Mr. David Loomis has sponsored a center in the University of Maryland, and fifteen students are attending our Bhagavad-gita lectures. Please organize this center nicely and try to attract the student community.
You will be glad to know that Mr. George Harrison has contributed the entire cost of publishing Krishna, and we are going to publish it very soon in Japan with various pictures. It is now in progress and in due course we will receive the books.
I thank you very much for your kind letter dated 23 January, 1970. In the last paragraph of your letter you have mentioned that you are not irritated at the chanting of Hare Krishna Mantra (like some people) but rather you like it. It has given me much satisfaction, and I am sending herewith a copy of our magazine, "Back to Godhead" issue number 28, in which you will find how the students liked this chanting of Hare Krishna Mantra although all of them were neophytes to this cult of chanting. Actually it is very pleasing to the heart and the best means of infusing spiritual consciousness or Krishna Consciousness into the hearts of people in general.
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 27 January, 1970. When you write to say that things are going well, it gives me immense pleasure. I am opening so many branches depending on you all my sincere students. I am also glad to learn that you are moving to the Temple, dedicating all your time to Temple activities and translation work.
Unfortunately, in India, at the present moment, our blind leaders are completely neglecting development of our indigenous talent. Therefore, India is in a position of misadjustment. I have got practical experience that some of the Indian students in this country directly criticize this Krishna Consciousness Movement; so I am very glad that you are giving some serious attention to this Movement, and I wish may Krishna bless you for your further advancement.
At that time, I was sponsored by a friend's son, Gopala Agarwal, who is settled up in this country by marrying an American girl, Sally. I was their guest, and I feel very much obliged to Gopala and his wife Sally for their nice treatment and reception. I was with them for three weeks in Butler, near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and then I came to New York. I was getting some money by selling my Srimad-Bhagavatam, thus I was maintaining myself in New York. After some time, I rented one apartment at number 100 71st Street West, but after a few months, all my things—typewriter, tape recorder, books—were stolen. Then for some time one of my students gave me shelter at Bowery Street.
In this way, after six months at least, when he is found habituated to the Vaisnava principles, then he is initiated for the second time with the sacred thread. This sacred thread ceremony is recommended in the Hari Bhakti Vilas, or the Vaisnava Smriti, by Sanatana Goswami. Sanatana Goswami recommends that by the initiation process one is elevated to the position of a twice-born (Dvija). This is recommended under Pancaratrika Viddhi. Under Vedic Viddhi, a student is required to be a bona fide son of a Brahmin or twice-born, but according to Srimad-Bhagavatam, if there are no regular samskaras beginning from Garbhadhana one is considered as Sudra, but a Sudra can be elevated to a Brahmin's position by Pancaratrika Viddhi. This is instructed by Sage Narada to Yudhisthira in Seventh Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam as follows;
On this verse, Sridhara Swami has given His commentation that birth is not always the criterion of becoming a Brahmin, but the quality is most essential. In the Bhagavad-gita also the caste system is made by the Lord Himself according to qualities and engagements.
I am enclosing herewith some printed copies of the rules and regulations, ten kinds of offenses, etc. which are regularly observed by the students.
I am very glad to learn that you want to publicize our activities for the young men in India, but I find that here the young men are very much inquisitive. I do not know why in India the young men are not so much inquisitive—maybe they are very much embarrassed to solve economic problems. Recently one Indian boy, he is a PhD at St. Louis University, has joined our St. Louis center, and the copies of his inquiries and answers by me are sent herewith for your perusal. So far European and American young boys and girls are concerned, they also send me many inquiries by letter and I answer them in the same way, generally giving reference from the Bhagavad-gita As It Is. These students are very nicely combating elements opposing Bhakti school. There are hundreds of letters from them; and if you are serious to make some agitation among Indian young men, then on hearing from you, I can some of the letters for publication.
I want to start a center in India at the birth-site of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu specially for accommodating non-Indian students for taking lessons in this great transcendental art. When Indian young men will see that foreign students from England, America, Canada, Australia, etc. are taking interest in the spiritual science left by the Acaryas headed by Lord Krishna, then naturally they will also take part. It will be a great expensive job, but still if one half the expense is borne by the Indians I shall manage to send the other half from America and Europe. As your good self has voluntarily offered some service on account of this Krishna Consciousness Movement, I shall be very much pleased if you kindly consider this proposal.
For the time being Visnujana cannot be spared from Los Angeles. There are four experienced workers here, out of whom Visnujana is one, and three have already gone outside. Under the circumstances, he can't go to London immediately, but I have advised Hamsaduta to go there and if his service can be utilized in London, because in sankirtana he is as good as Visnujana, then it is alright. Otherwise he will go to Germany. I can follow that Visnujana's service is very much needed in London but he is as much needed in Los Angeles also. So how he can be spared for London at the cost of Los Angeles business? So far brahmacaris are concerned, majorities of advanced students are in London, so why they should be lacking in training to enthuse these new brahmacaris?
I may inform you that by the grace of Krsna this mission of spreading Krishna Consciousness is being enthusiastically pushed on for the benefit of the whole world by the assistance of all my disciples, good souls like your self and your good wife. I am so happy to see that you have introduced our Bhakti Yoga or Krishna Consciousness classes in two universities, St. Louis University and Washington University. This is the real course of study for human beings and we should use such good opportunities to give the young collegiate boys and girls this education of spiritual science. So please conduct these courses diligently to influence the hearts of the students and encourage them to participate in your temple's activities as well as weekly classes at the universities.
I am so very happy to learn of your increasing desire to spread this Sankirtana movement. My Guru Maharaja used to say that one who has actually got life cannot do but preach this Krsna Consciousness—real spiritual life means he must preach, and he is really a preacher. Now we must prepare all our disciples for serious preaching work, so I am requesting everyone of my initiated students to very seriously chant daily sixteen rounds without fail and to strictly follow the regulative practices. If these two things are done regularly there will be no chance of falling down because these principles are the essential basis of spiritual strength. In addition to this the classes and individual study of our scriptures must be done very scrutinizingly by you all so that you can be preachers fully convinced yourselves of this transcendental science and its necessity for the mankind in general.
It is good news that by joint agreement you are now established as a nice Krsna Consciousness family in Boston center where you are working on the press. Please do persevere and make advancement in this Krsna Consciousness movement. In this connection, I may inform you that now we are in need of devotees who are very well versed in the scriptures. The means of understanding the spirit of the scriptures is to chant regularly sixteen rounds daily without fail and follow the regulative principles rigidly. All our students must carry out these daily duties of regular chanting without offense of ten kinds, following the regulations, and studying our literatures, both in the weekly classes and individually, with close attention for thorough understanding of the transcendental subject.
Regarding my help for your coming here, there are three ways. You may apply for acceptance at a university here. If you are accepted by a university, they can arrange a job for you. Then you may come here by the university's arrangement as a foreign exchange student. Second: Another way is that if I can show a bank balance in your favor to the extent of $12,000 to $15,000 and because I am an immigrant and thus I sponsor you, you can come here as immigrant immediately as my relative. Now, for this bank balance, how you will arrange?
P.S. Our Isopanisad is now published. This excellent book of God-Consciousness should be introduced as study book for school and college students because it is so nicely explained about God-Consciousness. Any sincere gentleman serious about knowing God-Consciousness must read this book. A little education will make every one aware what is meant by God. It is a challenge to the atheists, agnostic, skeptics and gross materialists. Please get this book in quantities from Boston and try to introduce it.
I came to your country completely in helpless condition and Krsna is so kind that He has picked up some serious students like you; and my only hope is that even if I die these missionary activities will go on. And to keep yourself on the standard spiritual strength, please do not neglect the sixteen rounds chanting and following the regulative principles. Try your best, and Krsna will help you in all respects.
I am very pleased to note that you are nicely engaged in preparing Bhoga at the Boston temple and you are also going on Sankirtana. Please study very carefully all our books and learn our philosophy with the help of our many experienced students there in Boston, and remain happy in Krsna Consciousness under the care and guidance of Sriman Satsvarupa and Sriman Brahmananda as you are their younger sister.
I am very pleased to learn how things are going on very well in Washington center and that you are nicely celebrating the various Advent days of our great Acaryas. But I am especially glad to know of your very successful work amongst the students. This is very encouraging to me. I know that the young people of your country are all eager to take up this Krsna Consciousness movement, simply we must sincerely present our program to them in such a nice way by chanting Hare Krsna, dancing, speaking something about our philosophy, advertising and selling our literatures, and distributing Prasadam.
Another thing is that so long I have been receiving different questions from the students, now I think all these questions should be answered by the presidents locally. So you study all our books very nicely, and all the doubts and questions may be answered by you locally. In case of difficult questions, it may be referred to me. That will give all the presidents the chance of being skillful in solving the doubts and problems of the local students. I hope you will like this idea.
I have heard how the new devotees are all executing their devotional services very enthusiastically and with sincerity and humility. Yes, I have asked them to take instruction from you, one of their elder Godsisters. Whatever you have learned—you are one of the old students—whatever you have gathered by experience, you must hand them over to the new students. This is called parampara.
I am very glad to welcome you as my initiated student. I have duly chanted your beads and they are returned herewith. Please carefully observe the four restrictive principles; namely no taking of intoxicants, no eating of meat, fish, or eggs, no illicit sex-life, and no gambling. Chant regularly sixteen rounds of beads daily without fail avoiding the ten offences to the Holy Name of Krsna. This will make you intelligent to understand our philosophy, and you will automatically acquire all auspicious qualifications by always being engaged in devotional service of the Lord. So now chant Hare Krsna mantra and be happy. That is my desire.
I am glad to learn how the students are friendly toward the devotees although they are generally depressed and rebellious. So Krsna Consciousness is so nice that it can pacify even the most rebellious person because it appeals to the soul.
Regarding your questions; yes, Ramadevi is the sandhini attribute of cit-sakti because her function is for creation, and the jivas are members of the samvit attribute of cit-sakti. The demigods are included within the species of human life. Most of the Spiritual Masters are situated in Madhurya rasa, but not all of them.
Our students, either Brahmacari or Householder, are being trained up for constant engagement in Krsna Consciousness service without any personal interest. This is perfect order of Sannyas. So if everyone is trained up in this line of action, all of us are Sannyasis in all circumstances. This is explained in the Bhagavad-gita that anyone who is not after the result of any action, but simply he acts as a matter of duty for Krsna, he is a factual Sannyasi and Yogi.
Mayapur is the birth-site of Lord Caitanya. It is a small village You cannot find it on the map, but near Calcutta you may find the place "Navadvipa," and Mayapur is part of this Navadvipa district. So far your planning to go to India, not only you, but I think several others, including Kirtanananda Maharaja and other advanced students, will go to India for preaching Krsna Consciousness. That will be a lesson to our so-called "secular" government. I came here with this purpose, so you have to fulfill my desire. I think it is coming to be true by the will of Lord Caitanya.
Acyutananda is getting good opportunities to move amongst enlightened circle in Calcutta, so if some of our advanced students go to India for this purpose, that will be a great achievement. I am thinking of that plan always. In the meantime, let us publish as many books as possible within this year. I wish to go to India for this purpose in the beginning of next year.
I am also glad to note that you are making practice of keeping in mind various important verses from our scriptures. This is the approved process: mahajano yena gatah sa panthah (CC Madhya 17.186) to "follow in the footsteps of the great authorities in Krishna Consciousness like Narada Muni and our other Acaryas." Now we are requiring our students to be very well familiar with all our literatures so that we may present our philosophy before even the most educated persons. This is very important as our movement is now growing and attracting greater notice.
It is a great opportunity that Sriman Sudama Das Adhikari, one of my American students, has gone to your country to spread the gospel of Krishna Consciousness under superior order. The original order is from Lord Caitanya Who appeared 484 years ago at Navadvipa, a district in Bengal, India, as Lord Buddha appeared at Gaya, a district in Behar, India. We, the followers of Vedic culture, accept both Lord Buddha and Lord Caitanya as incarnations of God, as both of them are stated to be so in the authorized Vedic scriptures.
The original Personality of Godhead is Krishna. Perhaps most of you who are present in this meeting have heard the name of the famous book "Bhagavad-gita." The teachings of the Bhagavad-gita were given to Arjuna by his friend and philosopher Lord Krishna 5000 years ago, and since then the cult of Krishna Consciousness is historically current in India. Most of you know that the people of India worship Lord Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead in many millions of Vedic temples, some of them more than two thousand years old.
But factually this Krishna Consciousness is coming down through a chain of disciplic succession from a time some millions of years ago because the first student of this cult was Vivasvan, the present predominating deity in the Sun-globe planet. Later on Vivasvan taught this philosophy to his son Manu, who again taught this philosophy to his son, King Iksvaku, who ruled over this earthly planet. The original ksatriya kings were all descendants from King Iksvaku, the father of the dynasty in which Lord Ramacandra appeared. That is a long history comprising a period covering not less than 40 million years according to Vedic scriptures. Lord Krishna also appeared in the same family a little more than 5000 years ago; and because the cult of Krishna Consciousness became broken in course of time, Lord Krishna again re-established the same formula by teaching His dear friend Arjuna for benefit of the entire human society.
Please therefore try to understand this Krishna Consciousness movement. I have sent there three of my young students to preach this sublime cult in Japan. Please cooperate with them and you will be happy. We do not want any remuneration for this service because we have engaged ourselves in the service of the Lord and we love each and every living being as part and parcel of the Lord. Neither we are sentimentalists without any background of philosophy and knowledge. We have got immense treasure-house of knowledge and philosophy. We have got our books BG, TLC, Bhagavatam, Isopanisad, etc. being published also with monthly magazines. But at the same time, we educate the mass of people by a simple process namely chanting the holy Name of Krishna. It is not at all difficult; even a child can take part in this holy chanting and derive the sublime benefit.
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 10 March, 1970, along with the check for $50, and thank you very much for the same. I am pleased to see the newspaper clipping from San Jose State College newspaper, and learn that the students are already attending your Bhagavad-gita class at the Experimental College.
Our London Deities are certainly very, very nice; and everyone is captivated by seeing the smiling face of the Lord. It is very enchanting. Now everything is there and you are also experienced, therefore go on opening branches as many as possible and preach Sankirtana movement to your best capacity. Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura entrusted the responsibility to my Guru Maharaja, and He also in His turn empowered us to do the work. Similarly, I am requesting you, all my European and American students, to spread this movement city to city and village to village and make all people of the world happy. Actually they are missing the central point—Krsna, therefore they are unhappy. Let us inform them about this missing point, and certainly they will be happy.
Regarding the $1800, please immediately transfer the money to my checking account No. 3081-61625, Bank of America, Pico-La Cienega Branch (308), 8501 West Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, Cal. 90035. I will have to issue a check for $20,000 by the end of this month, so I want as much money as you can send. There is no question of straining yourself, but try to help us because purchasing that nice church property is a great responsibility—but the property is worth purchasing, as you have all seen it.
Regarding World Sankirtana Party: now the best of my students interested in Sankirtana; namely Mukunda, Tamala, and yourself, are now in Europe, so I hope in the near future you shall organize a very grand World Sankirtana Party and make a tour all the world over. And if you like, I can also go with you.
Anyway, somehow or other, we are now combined to execute the great will of Lord Caitanya that we should propagate this Krsna consciousness movement through out the whole world. By Krsna's grace you have gone to Australia with this mission, and I am pleased to learn about the arrangement which you have already made. Here also, in the States, Kirtananda Maharaj is getting good response from the student circle. In two important colleges our TLC has been taken as study course, and two other colleges have purchased lots of books for their students.
And that is practically experienced during the last three or four years. There are thousands of my disciples, European and American; their background is not Hindu culture, and still they are accepting this Krishna Consciousness philosophy. Some of my students are from the Mohammedan sect also; but all of them conjointly are chanting the Hare Krishna mantra, dancing in ecstasy, honoring Krishna Prasadam, and happily living on Vedic principles; namely as Brahmacari, Grhastha, Vanaprastha, or Sannyasa, not to mention their personal dealings in the matter of four kinds of prohibitive regulations; namely no illicit sex, no intoxication, no meat eating, and no gambling.
I am in due receipt of your nice letter dated 26th March, 1970, asking to become my initiated disciple in Krsna Consciousness and also your beads for chanting. I am very glad to know that your are strictly observing the rules and regulations of Krsna Consciousness faithfully and now I am very glad to accept you as my initiated student. I am returning your beads herewith duly chanted by me.
So far Sankirtana is concerned, I am so much pleased to learn that you are taking Sankirtana as your life and soul. There is no doubt about Krsna's being pleased very much upon those who are engaged in such Sankirtana Movement, that is admitted by Lord Krsna in the Bhagavad-gita and Caitanya Caritamrta. Some of the best students like you, Tamala, Mukunda, Syamasundara, and Jaya Govinda, are all now in Europe. Now you form a strong party for opening centers as well as organizing the World Sankirtana Party.
Radha Krsna topics are for both liberated and conditioned souls, but conditioned souls should not much discuss about the loving affairs between Radha and Krsna because sometimes they misunderstand Radha and Krsna as ordinary boy and girl. So this should be discussed with advanced students, not with ordinary men. Yes, you make the throne very plush and comfortable and gorgeous like a bedroom. You are welcome for these questions, since you are engaged in Their service, you must know everything thoroughly.
I am very glad to learn of you eagerness to help open new centers in Munich, Amsterdam, and Berlin. But unless some responsible devotee takes charge of the Deities, you should remain in Hamburg. Hamsaduta may alone go for preaching work with the others. I think there are enough brahmanas there, so if one cannot be engaged full time, they should divide the duties amongst themselves—one takes the morning, another one at noon, and another in the evening, or like that. So unless they are trained up, you should not go. Deity worship is for old and experienced students; it is not good for new students to be given sacred thread. This Deity worship is exclusively for advanced students.
Regarding taking Lord Jagannatha to your next center, that will not be very good because you already do not have enough devotees to engage in Arcana. Unless there is a Deity worshipper available, we may worship Panca-tattva and Guru. That can be done by all initiated students whether they are once or twice initiated. Before an altar with pictures of Lord Caitanya, Pancatattva and Acaryas, everyone can offer Aratrik and Bhoga.
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 31st March, 1970, and in the meantime I have received one small tape record. Your teaching of Sanskrit pronunciation has been very much successful. I was just thinking of teaching our students the pronunciation of the Sanskrit verses in the Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, etc. and by Krsna's will you have already begun this. It will be a great help for me if the students are taught to pronounce in Sanskrit vibration. It will be another effect of transcendental sound vibration.
So far grammar is concerned, one has to learn Sanskrit grammar for at least 12 years, then he becomes an expert grammarian. In India, those who are Sanskrit scholars studied in the beginning, from 5 to 15 years—that is for ten years continually—and they study grammar thoroughly. When one is expert in grammatical rulings and formation—that is to say: sabda, dhatu, sandhi, samasa, prakaran, vidhan, pratyaya, adhikarana—after this they study nyaya. In this way, when one is expert in 10 to 12 years, that is by the age of the 17th year, a student becomes very much expert and any departmental knowledge he can master in 1 to 2 years. But you need not become such a scholar. You require simply to understand Sastras Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, etc. and chant Hare Krsna Mantra as much as possible. The thing is if you give more stress on scholarly line, other devotees will try to imitate you. Already your wife has express such intention, and as soon as we try to be scholars, our devotional line will be slackened. These points are to be kept in view always.
As soon as a center is open and my disciples conduct it nicely, it gives me Vaikuntha bliss. Vamanadeva is doing very nicely in St. Louis, and I am sending herewith some pictures of his activities. So Bali Mardan and Upendra are doing in Sydney also. All these newses are to me life-giving ambrosia, so the more you open branches, the more I increase my duration of life. Therefore, if you all my students want me to live for some days more, go on opening nice branches as many as possible.
Yes, I always think of your little girl, she is so nice. Sometimes I think that I left my home leaving aside all children and grandchildren, and Krsna is giving another batch to whom I am becoming attached. But this attachment is nice because the center is Krsna. I always narrate the story of your daughter when she was dancing on the platform of the law college and she obliged all other law students to imitate her dancing. Anyway, just raise this girl in full Krishna Consciousness and she will be a great preacher when she is young.
My students who are so kindly cooperating with me, if they rigidly stick to the routine work chalked out by me, namely chanting the prescribed rounds, observing the regulative principles, attending temple lectures and going out with Sankirtana Party, then without any fail our movement will go ahead.
We should simply expend our time for development of Krishna Consciousness. To become a scholar of Sanskrit is not our business. You say that 15 to 40 students are attending. Are they outsiders? My point is anyone who will attend the Sanskrit class must be interested for chanting the mantras (in our books Isopanisad, Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam) and not for any other purpose. And before and after the class there must be Mahamantra chanting.
I am arranging how the Gayatri mantra should be given to the advanced students. You can simply let me know how many of our students are fit for this purpose. Unless one is strictly following the first initiation process and following the regulative principles, one should not be recommended for the Gayatri mantra.
Yes, if you live in India it will be better facility that you have some preliminary knowledge of the local language. This was recommended even for big British officers who used to go to India either for business or for political purposes. I was a student in the Scottish Churches College and 90% of our professors were Europeans. All of them learned Bengali just to understand the local language. Although all of them were speaking with us in English, still they could understand Bengali nicely. Acyutananda has already learned Bengali, so I think for preliminary knowledge in Bengali there will be no difficulty for you.
Regarding our books, yes, they are being printed in our press and they will come out very shortly. The books are being written specifically for my students and I am so glad to learn that you read them so carefully. The words are ambrosial because they are not my personal words, they are instructions of my predecessors and I am just trying to administer them to my best knowledge. That is the way of Parampara system. We have nothing to manufacture, but simply carry the message as a faithful peon. That will be effective. One should be very sincere to his Spiritual Master and Krsna simultaneously. Then everything comes out successful. That is the verdict of the Vedas and Lord Caitanya.
I am very glad to learn that you have begun to teach Sanskrit pronunciation to our students. Please see that they can pronounce very nicely the Sanskrit verses in Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, Isopanisad, and Brahma Samhita, and teach them to chant conjointly as they chant Hare Krishna Mahamantra. In your class, the chanting of Hare Krishna Mantra must be done in the beginning and at the end. That will keep the spirit of the temple.
Regarding Paramatma Das, I think he should simply push on with his school work as much as it may be necessary and the remainder of the time he may spend with the devotees in our Krsna Conscious activities. Certainly he is feeling some inconvenience due to the poor association at the karmi school but this is not a permanent situation. In the past many of our devotees like Lilasukha, Kancanbala, Indira, etc. in New York, Saradia in Boston, some others in Buffalo, and in other places also have finished up their required education in the public schools in spite of continuous feeling of disturbance by the nondevotee students and faculty. So if he finishes up his education in this way remaining under your care at the temple, then the unwanted association will not be harmful, just see that he is strictly executing his prescribed duties and that will keep him strong in spiritual life.
Similarly in London Yamuna is also doing nicely, and all the wives of our students should be especially trained up for Deity worship and cooking, and when possible they should go outside on Sankirtana Party with their husbands and others.
I am glad that you have advised Berkeley to send me $1,500 which I hope I will receive very soon. It will be a great help. Recently I have paid out of my book fund $11,500 for purchasing the church and $2,500 for printing Krishna Consciousness: the Topmost Yoga book, so $14,000 has been drained out and it must be filled up as soon as possible. The next big payment for KRSNA will be about $20,000. Now we have to make brihat mrdanga propaganda along with Sankirtana Party. Please organize to translate all our literatures into German language through our expert students. As you have got some rudimentary knowledge in German, try to make it more perfect so that you can see how things are going on.
So practically it is not a religious study and we are presenting Bhagavad-gita as it is. Anyway, you are getting chance to preach amongst the students and that will be very nice program. Kirtanananda Maharaja is now moving amongst the students in various schools, colleges, and universities, and getting good response. Many students are already attracted to New Vrindaban and at the weekend there are about 20 to 30 outsiders regularly. So even though the local law is prohibitive, for chanting on the street, you can take advantage of the educational institutions. We are not concerned with any particular place or situation, but we take the opportunity of chanting and speaking wherever it is possible.
I understand that one of our students, Tirthapada Brahmacari, is going to your place.
Regarding you preaching work in the schools, colleges, and universities, try to attract the students, they are our great future hope and they will take up this matter very quickly because the students are not very much contaminated.
In the beginning I was seriously corresponding with Indian friends to get some good mrdanga players, but when I found it too difficult to get a man from India some of my students were given the rudimentary lessons in playing and simply by practice they are putting on Sankirtana Party everywhere. My Guru Maharaja used to say that in a foreign land where you cannot speak the language with the natives very nicely, what do you do when there is a fire in your house just to get their help? In such emergency one has to express himself somehow or other to his foreign friends and get their help to extinguish the fire. But if he wants to learn the language first and then talk with the foreign friends to get help, then everything in the meantime would be finished. Similarly if we have to learn and then paint, it will be a long-term affair. But immediately we want so many pictures for all of our books, so all the artists may always be engaged in painting works and that painting itself will gradually teach them how to make things nice.
You may inform Devahuti and the others that I am always satisfied with their work. I am satisfied only to see that everyone of us is always engaged in his respective duties. As the teacher wants to see that the students are engaged in their handwriting work. Who is writing good hand, that is a secondary question. The teacher's duty is to see that everyone is engaged in handwriting work. So if all the artists are always engaged in painting, that will satisfy me, and that will gradually make them experienced for making good paintings.
All my best students are now in Europe, in pairs. Yourself, Mukunda, Jaya Govinda, Syamasundara, Gurudasa, Tamala, etc., you are all advanced and selected, now your program will be to recruit many sincere souls from European countries, and open branches. Your desire for opening a center in Copenhagen may be suspended for the time being unless we recruit some members from Europe because all the best students have already gone there, so it will be difficult to send men from America at the present moment. In America also we have to open so many branches, so I think you should not expect any more members from America for organizing European centers.
The other point is that all my best students are now in Europe. Yourself, Tamala, Mukunda, Hamsaduta, Syamasundara—all of you are in now double strength, so please do things very enthusiastically and organize the world Sankirtana Party because in India the people are already expecting us next year. Also open as many branches as possible.
The moving Sankirtana Party was programmed long, long ago, even when I was in India. When there was talk about preaching amongst our God-brothers, I used to say to my God-brothers that when I would begin preaching I shall take two trucks, one for Sankirtana Party and one for carrying requisites, and I would go from village to village throughout the whole world preaching Lord Caitanya's message. So the time has come as per my dream, by the grace of Krsna you are carrying on this program. Please therefore organize this moving Sankirtana Party as you are already doing from one school or college to another. If we can rightly impress the Krsna Consciousness idea in some intelligent student's heart, it will be of great service. Perhaps sometime after, I will request you and Kirtanananda to go to India and execute this program in the student community there.
o by the grace of Lord Caitanya, in this age our movement is giving directly the anandamoya stage, and anyone can visit our Temple and see how our students are in blissful life. Naturally they are in jolly mood by chanting, dancing, and taking Prasadam. Your regular chanting of Mahamantra and reading of books will keep you always fit for pushing on this movement. This formula should be rigidly followed by everyone of us.
In conclusion I may inform you that Acyutananda has given publicity in an important newspaper that next year I am going to India with forty students, so for the next year we have got sufficient margin of time—eight months—so what do you think? Shall we be able to have our World Sankirtana by that time? That will be very nice. All our selected students like yourself, Hamsaduta, Mukunda, Syamasundara, Umapati, etc. along with their wives, and some of the students from here may join, then we can go to India via Africa, and then after a few days in India, we can come back via Japan, So you have to consult over this matter also because it is already advertised in India.
So as you say the deep Southern part of this country is virtually untouched, but I think Kirtanananda Maharaja has gone to several places there, and he has been very successful. So try to attract the students, they are our great future hope, and they will take up this matter very quickly because the students are not very contaminated.
I think each couple of our students may try to open a branch in England. Our first branch of London Yatra was opened by Mukunda, Gurudasa, and Syamasundara and their wives. They tried very hard, and now our London Temple is nicely situated. Similarly many other Temples can be opened in places like Amsterdam, Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, etc. I have received report from Tamala that preaching in Paris is going nicely. In one day they recruited about 14 devotees simply by requesting who will join this Krsna Consciousness movement. So you all also recruit members, English boys and girls, in that way. Our Movement is a declaration of war against Maya, that you can understand very well, so we have to recruit many fighting soldiers—so do it vigorously.
So it is very encouraging that people are coming to the extent of 40 heads, and they are trying to understand the importance of this great movement, and any sane man will be able to understand that. But I do not know why our students who are supposed to be the leaders of this movement will fight amongst themselves for supremacy. Our whole process is of surrendering.
So the program which you have listed for the students and your daily schedule are very nice, and your schedule is fully approved. Just see that everything—Aratrik, Bhoga offering, etc. is done strictly on time. When every moment one is engaged it is called avyarta kalatvam which means not to spoil even a single moment of life without Krsna Consciousness.
So I am very glad to accept you as my initiated student, and your spiritual name is Tejas Das Brahmacari. Tejas means powerful. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam, Pariksit Mahara pointed out to Sukadeva Goswami that Lord Krsna is Tejas or the Incomparable Supreme Powerful, Personality of Godhead. I am returning your beads enclosed herewith, duly chanted upon by me.
On the whole, all you experienced and advanced students have to manage things very nicely, and if you occasionally come to me here for consultation and necessary instruction that will be easier for me and I can devote my time in finishing the books.
Your remark on the student demonstration is quite appropriate. Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura said that materialistic knowledge is another expansion of the influence of Maya. The result of material education is that the living entity forgets his own identification and takes to the business of a particular type of body which is given to him by the grace of Maya. The Vedic education means one has to understand his real identity as brahman or the spirit soul. Unfortunately the modern educational system is so defective that everyone is educated to accept this body as self. At the present moment they have no clear idea of identification, so much so that even a person who is partially advanced about the importance of the soul does also improperly identify himself with the Supreme Brahma.
So Krsna Consciousness Movement is meant for defying both classes of men; namely the karmis and the jnanis or yogis. That is our mission. Now among our students those who are advanced should take up this matter more seriously, and the Movement which you have started may not be stopped for want of adequate preachers—that is my request to you all. I am very glad to know that Kirtanananda Maharaja has now taken up this matter seriously and is preaching. Similarly I expect our advanced students like you, Rupanuga, Bhagavan das, Brahmananda, etc., may be seriously engaged now for preaching this cult.
If I go to Vrndavana, I will go during Janmastami festival there to see how Kirtanananda Maharaja has arranged. We have to make program that the Janmastami ceremony is held in New Vrndavana with great pomp—as much as the Rathayatra festival is to be performed in San Francisco. Similarly I propose to have great festival in Honolulu which is now New Navadvipa. This festival is to be observed during the Advent of Lord Caitanya's birthday. In this way the students should meet in these different important places at least 3 to 4 times in a year so that the work in different centers may go on uniformly.
Besides that, many of my students are eager to go to India, but I have no place of my own in India to accommodate them. If suitable place can be obtained, at least 40 American and European students may immediately go to India and preach this cult in colleges, schools and universities, and other public meeting places. I will be glad to know if you can help me in this matter.
I beg to thank you very much for the check of $200 which you have sent to Gargamuni. I am very much pleased to learn that $50 of this check was collected by the two new students as guru daksina, that is the proper execution of the initiation function so everything is complete to the Vedic standard.
I have also received the newspaper clipping enclosed by you, it is a nice picture. The newspapers are beginning to appreciate our Movement more and more and that is an index of popular feeling.
Yes, when Krsna and Balarama were students of Sandipuni Muni they may be shown with shaved heads and sikhas, kunthi, etc., just like our brahmacaris.
Recently I have received one "Kalyana" magazine in which our activities in the Western world have been very much appreciated. Especially they have appreciated my strong injunctions on the point of following the four prohibitive regulations. So after describing our activities, the editor has remarked in one place that things are going certainly very nicely at present, but it is God only Who knows how it will continue in the future. This means that the Indians, or the rigid followers of Vedic principles, are doubtful about my American and European students about their sticking to all these principles. So it is a God sent warning for us so that we may not deviate from the above mentioned two lines of action and thus become subject to criticism by the opposing elements.
I beg to thank you for your letter dated nil, and I see that it is approved by the President. So anyone of my students can inquire from me in the matter of serving Krsna directly, and especially you are advanced and approved students. Sometimes somebody sends some irrelevant inquiries which students should not have asked from the Spiritual Master, and for them the restrictive circular was issued. So you are at liberty to send your letters directly, and I will reply them duly.
The house which you have described sounds very good for our purpose. So continue to develop this building for our Baltimore temple. Please also continue to cooperatively join with Philadelphia temple and the other temples for spreading Krsna consciousness by Maha sankirtana, festivals like Janmastami festival to be celebrated at New Vrndavana. I want that all my students will cooperate fully for expanding our movement, and in this way every center will be benefited.
Anyway, letter or no letter, you are one of the advanced students, so you should know it perfectly well that wherever we may stay or whatever condition we may be put into, Krsna is our life and soul. We cannot stop your activities in Krsna consciousness. This motto should be followed very rigidly by chanting sixteen rounds and observing the regulative principles.
Similarly I am initiating just now one student from Armenia. Most probably I shall send him either to the Soviet countries or to Egypt. Our preaching in Japan is going on nicely. Similarly in Sydney it is going on nicely. So by the Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura we are expanding all over the world and we are getting good response. Now for India I am counting upon you. So far you have done it is very satisfactory to me, but we should always be careful about our responsibilities. It is said in the scriptures that spiritual life is just like handling a sharpened razor. If we handle it nicely we become cleanly shaved, but a little inattention causes bloodstain. So you will always remember these maxims and depend on Krsna and the Acaryas, and make your life progressive.
From the description of your letter it appears that you are a very fortunate boy. Because Krsna has given you the intelligence to take advantage of this Krsna Conscious life. Now because you have come to me it will be my prime duty to guide you and utilize your talents for Krsna's service. I am very glad to learn that you have got an opportunity to stay as a scholarship student in the Soviet Republic of Armenia. I think you should take this advantage and try to introduce the philosophy of Krsna Consciousness in the communist countries.
You have rightly observed that I am simply trying to execute the order of my Spiritual Master. Whatever is being done it is not on account of my intelligence or endeavor because I am simply an instrument in the hands of my Spiritual Master. I do not know how far I have got the capacity to carry His order, but I may say that I have a sincere desire to do it. This is Parampara system. If a student tries to satisfy his immediate Acarya or the Spiritual Master, that is the only qualification for advancing in Krsna consciousness. This is explained in the "Guruvastakam"—yasya prasadah bhagavata prasadao.
So I am very much pleased that you are doing your job very nicely. Everyone should try his best to do his part depending on Krsna and Spiritual Master, then all success is there. I have heard about you how nicely you are working in New Vrndavana. Your good wife, Satyabhama, is also doing nice in teaching work. Similarly all our students are doing their jobs very diligently, and that is my satisfaction.
I have informed Hamsaduta that the five students in Hamburg who are now ready to receive Gayatri may do so when they visit your London temple during Rathayatra celebration. So I think you know all the procedures by now and you may give them the Gayatri as I have already prescribed by using the tape record of the mantras and performing the fire sacrifice.
As you know the standard of living of Americans and Europeans is different from our standard, it is better if we can accommodate them little comfortably. In that sense commode will be convenient for them. Otherwise, my students are so nicely trained that they can even lie down on the street. But it is my duty to see to their comforts as far as possible. So please let me know if such house is available. It does not matter where it is situated.
You write to say that your preaching work has not been very successful at the Ohio State University, but your visits to several other nearby have been well received. This is good news that in several university campuses Krsna Consciousness movement is well liked and you are giving a credit course next winter. So do not be discouraged that some of the young students are too much involved with some other business to listen, but go on with the work undaunted. Actually the younger generation, especially the hippies are our best clients, so they are feeling very keenly the frustration of material life and it is our duty as Vaisnavas to be very sympathetic with them and give this Krsna consciousness to them some way or other.
I wish to go to India early next year with some of my students, twenty-five to forty, to demonstrate their spiritual advancement and behavior to our men in India. I will be glad to know if you will cooperate on this attempt. On hearing from you I shall be glad to supply you more information about this.
It is very good news that you have so quickly found a suitable house for our purpose that is very well situated. Now that you have earned the respect of the city authorities you must push this Sankirtana movement very vigorously and to the best of your capacity and Krsna will give you more and more intelligence how to do it nicely. Yes, everyone will be impressed with the sincerity of our students because they are actually advancing in spiritual life. Our program is not a bogus thing, it is the eternal reality of transcendental life of full bliss and knowledge in the service of the Lord. So it is not very wonderful that your sincerity is noted by the authorities, any sane man will have to admit that our program is the sublime.
3. The Society is registered in each and every country as a religious and cultural institution under specific statutes. I am trying to get this institution registered in India also. So far, up to date, actually I am the only superior controller, but as the boys are getting experienced I shall very soon transfer the administration to them, simply keeping myself as an overseer guide. Because I am old man, so I am trying to maintain this standard of management uniformly with the assistance of my grown up students. But actually what we need is to render sincere service to the Lord because ultimately Krsna is the supreme manager. eko bahunam vidhadati kaman, "The Supreme One supplies all the necessities of all the living entities." Actually this is our constitution.
7. Regarding Swamis and "Swaminies," you have been misinformed. Among my disciples there is only one Swami or Sannyasi, but there is no "Swaminie." Woman is never offered Sannyasa in the Vedic culture. Up to Vanaprastha stage the woman may remain with her husband as assistant or friend without any sex relation, and when a man takes Sannyasa the woman has no connection with him. I am very sorry to inform you that there are some Indian "Swamis" in this country who are living with so-called "Swaminies," but so far we are concerned we follow strictly the Vedic principles. All our students are following the regulative principles as mentioned in Section 3, paragraph 2.
Early next year some forty heads of my students will go to India to visit Vaisnava temples as well as performing kirtana there. As you know they are observing all the regulative principles and according to our sastra they are Vaisnava sadacara. People of India as well as the priestly order should receive them properly. When they go to India, I wish to accommodate them in Lord Krsna's birthsite at Mathura. I shall be glad to know if there is accommodation for such visitors.
I am very glad to know that you are reading our literatures and you are very thoughtful about them. I am always happy to answer your questions, but you should practice to get the answers from your husband and try to find them out by reading further in our books. All questions will be clarified if you simply read our books very thoroughly and follow the simple process of devotional service as we have given it to chant regularly and rigidly observe the rules and regulations. This is our principle that the spiritual science becomes revealed to the devotee from within the heart according to the degree of his surrender to Krsna. You are a very hopeful student and intelligent devotee, so you continue to pursue your devotional activities patiently and Krsna will open your path of Krsna consciousness so you will progress more and more.
Kindly keep me informed of your activities at least twice in a week, otherwise I become very much anxious and due to my blood pressure sometimes do not eat, do not sleep. I am just trying to organize a worldwide movement not for any personal ambition but to execute superior orders, and by the grace of Krsna we are getting good encouragement. So I request my students to cooperate fully.
As soon as I hear from you that we have got some place, immediately I shall go to India for a change, with two Sannyasis. Recently I have given Sannyas order of life to six Brahmacaris. They have been sent in different parts of the country for preaching work and two of them might to with me to join you.
At the present moment in our ISKCON campus politics and diplomacy has entered. Some of my beloved students on whom I counted very, very much have been involved in this matter influenced by Maya. As such there has been some activity which I consider as disrespectful. So I have decided to retire and divert attention to book writing and nothing more.
In order to set example to my other Sannyasi students I am personally going to Japan with a party of three other Sannyasi students. Although it is beyond my physical condition, still I am going out so that you may learn the responsibility of Sannyasa.
Krsna can expand Himself in various ways with His different wives. You are not only advanced student in painting, but also in Krsna consciousness, so always pray to Krsna how you shall draw the painting and I think it will come out nice. My another request to you is that because I am going to the Eastern hemisphere countries I wish to establish as many branches as possible on that side. As you know me very well from the very beginning, I shall require many pictures of Pancatattva either Sankirtana or standing Five together, also the pictures of Acaryas.
I know that you have been practicing your painting in a regular schedule and you are very much enthusiastic to be engaged in this. You are not only advanced student in painting, but also in Krsna consciousness, so always pray to Krsna how you shall draw the painting and I think it will come out nice. My another request to you is that because I am going to the Eastern hemisphere countries I wish to establish as many branches as possible on that side. As you know me very well, I shall require many pictures of Pancatattva, either Sankirtana or Five standing together, also the pictures of Acaryas.
I have duly initiated the new student Elaine Marberger and her spiritual name is Daivisakti devi Dasi. I have sent her beads back by separate air post and her letter is enclosed herewith. I beg to thank you also for the check of $50 contribution to my book fund, it is very welcome.
In this connection I may inform you that although there is no law by which the Temples can bar anyone's entry in India, still sometimes practically I have felt the difficulty in respect of my American and European disciples. Last time when I was in India one of my students, Harivilasa Brahmacari, felt the same difficulty when he was in the Temple of Jagannatha Puri. Similarly one disciple was refused entry in the Ranganatha Temple in Vrndavana.
So if you kindly issue a general letter, suggestively reading as follows:
"Certified disciple of Swami A.C. Bhaktivedanta, the missionary preacher of Vaisnava cult in the Western world, is strictly following the Vaisnava regulations. They are regularly initiated in Vaisnava culture. They have changed their names in the form of Krsna das or servant of God, and are following the regulative principles very strictly, worshiping the Lord in the Temple, and thus they are converted Vaisnavas in the strict sense of the term. No Temple authority of India should therefore restrict them in the matter of offering their respects to the Deities or chanting the Hare Krsna Mahamantra within the vicinity of the Temple."
Of course each and everyone of my students will carry an authorized certificate of initiation and if it is accompanied by a copy of letter as above mentioned, I think that will be a great satisfaction for me.
Perhaps you know that we are starting for Calcutta on the 29th August reaching there on the same evening. One Japanese student also is going with me and he is helping our cause by translating from English to Japanese. He will continue his work as translator and it will be easier for him to understand intricate subjects in my presence.
Before Vyasadeva, all the Vedic Scriptures were taught and received verbally by the disciplic succession. Both the students and the Spiritual Master of those ages were so sharp in their memory that once they heard the transcendental message from the Spiritual Master the message was immediately imprinted in their brain as vivid as a written language. For example, Sukadeva Gosvami was narrating Srimad-Bhagavatam extemporaneously. The whole Srimad-Bhagavatam, eighteen thousand verses, very difficult to pronounce even and what to speak of memorizing, were narrated very easily just like reading some printed book. He narrated the whole subject matter of Srimad-Bhagavatam continuously for seven days and Maharaja Pariksit also understood the subject matter very clearly. Both of them were so meritorious that they attained the highest goal of life, namely the Lotus Feet of Lord Sri Krsna simply by reciting and hearing respectively.
Regarding the poisonous effect in our Society, it is a fact and I know where from this poison tree has sprung up and how it affected practically the whole Society in a very dangerous form. But it does not matter. Prahlada Maharaja was administered poison, but it did not act. Similarly Lord Krsna and the Pandavas were administered poison and it did not act. I think in the same parampara system that the poison administered to our Society will not act if some of our students are as good as Prahlada Maharaja. I have therefore given the administrative power to the Governing Body Commission.
I am so glad to learn that you are having nice success in placing my books in the libraries and in schools and colleges. That is very much to my satisfaction, so please continue your program for placing these Krsna Consciousness literatures in all the libraries and schools and colleges. I am sure that this will revolutionize the thinking of the thoughtful men of your country as well as the students and professors and the ultimate end will be to save the world from the clutches of material illusory activities which is now causing havoc everywhere.
I am in due receipt of your letter dated 8/11/70, and I have noted its contents with great hope and enthusiasm. Under the expert leadership of such sincere students as yourself and Rupanuga and Karandhara in the U.S. the GBC is taking on the responsibility that I desired. Similarly in Europe Syamasundara is working hard. So by Krishna's Grace everything is taking shape. Here in India also the work is pushing forward, and daily we are getting reports of support among the influential members of the community. Half of our devotees have just opened up another center on the other side of Calcutta, and last night there were more than 200 persons singing and dancing at our place.
So I can see that there is very good potency at the present moment for spreading this movement as was desired by my Guru Maharaja, and I am simply trying my best to carry out His desire. And if some of my students adopt this attitude, without any other motivation, surely Krishna will fulfill our desire. So push on with book publication and distribution, and I am very glad that you are now distributing to schools and libraries. Yes, Sri Brahma Samhita may also be printed.
Your all engagements sound to be very suitable, so please execute your duties in Krsna Consciousness and be happy. I am especially pleased that you are taking charge in the Boston area of placing my books and literatures in the local school-college libraries and you have already had success with placing all our literatures in the two most important libraries of Harvard University and the Divinity School. When I spoke there sometimes back our Krsna Consciousness philosophy was very much appreciated, so I think this is an important place for our literatures to be available to the students and faculty. Please go on with this engagement enthusiastically and Krsna will give you all success in the venture. You are intelligent and hard working devotee of Krsna and Krsna will bless you for this very fine service which you are rendering unto Him.
1) As you state, Krishna is identical with His name. That means that His name has the same qualities as Himself, i.e. sat, chit, ananda. No mundane vibration is eternal, otherwise why does it grow tiresome and have to be changed every other week. Nor do mundane songs produce real knowledge or bliss unending. Also, this transcendental vibration purifies one. Anyone can see practically how our students are becoming purified, but the chanters of material songs are not.
You are a very intelligent and sincere devotee of Lord Krsna and you have a natural inclination for preaching His message. This is the proper spirit for our Movement, so go on with increased enthusiasm preaching in the different schools and colleges in the vicinity and Krsna will give you more intelligence for serving Him properly. I am pleased to learn that you have got a course at the Ohio State University; the students received me very nicely when I spoke there last year, so please continue their instruction in this most important subject of Krsna Consciousness bhakti cult.
So the idea is—you work sincerely on behalf of Krsna according to instructions of Lord Krsna in His great magnanimous form as Lord Caitanya. I know you are very intelligent and sincere servant of Krsna, so try to serve His Lordship to your best capacity and He shall give you proper intelligence. You know that Krsna is Spiritual Master from within and Spiritual Master is manifestation of Krsna without. That is the position; both ways a sincere student is instructed, which is called Guru-Krsna kripa. Simply you have to receive it properly and execute it orderly.
Please also try to introduce our books in the colleges and schools as well as local libraries. I have received word from other centers that our literatures are very well received and often they are being used as course textbooks in the schools and colleges. You are already preaching on the university campuses, so you add this book distribution to your program and make it complete with preaching, chanting of Hare Krsna Mahamantra, distribution of Prasadam and literatures. I know how well this program is received by the students because they are very intelligent. You are also very intelligent boy and devotee of Krsna and Krsna will give you even more intelligence in proportion to your endeavor to serve Him faithfully.
I have received your special delivery letter of 15 October, 1970, and have noted the contents with great pleasure. You are one of my most determined students and for this reason I think that Krsna is giving you all facilities for serving Him. It is most encouraging to me to see that you are spreading this movement so nicely and I thank you for this. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu has forecast that this Hare Krsna Mantra will be heard in every nook and cranny of the globe. He is God, so it will happen, that is a fact. So if we take advantage then we may take the credit, but if we do not someone else will.
I have received your letter of 23 September, 1970, along with the note from your good wife, and have read them with attention. The sentiments which you have expressed are very much encouraging to me, that I have got such disciples as yourself who are more anxious to serve me than my own children. You are one of my oldest and best-qualified students, so now you may, along with the other men of GBC, take over from me management of ISKCON affairs and work combinedly to open as many centers as possible all over the world. If you simply carry out the instructions which I have given you Krsna will reward you with all success.
Your essay "The Spiritual Master: Emissary of the Supreme Person" is so nice, so why not have ISKCON PRESS publish it and then all our students can study it.
I am glad to see that you are taking seriously to spreading this Krishna Consciousness Movement to all your fellow Americans. Try and increase Sankirtana Party more and more to new areas and ever-larger circulation of our literatures. I am glad to read in your letter you are going to the universities to preach. The universities are very important places because there there are men who can appreciate our philosophy. So when you speak in the classroom, just quote from any of my books and then try and explain the meaning in your own words and the students will appreciate it very much.
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your kind letter dated 30th Sept, 1970 and I am glad to see how nicely you are reading my books. Please continue to do this. We need so many preachers who are soundly versed in the scriptures to convince the world to take to Krishna Consciousness. I am glad that you and the others are each writing one hour daily essays. That is parampara. All of our previous acaryas on our line have written substantially on the science of God-consciousness, so I would also like all my students to do this and I am very encouraged by this nice program you have initiated.
Similarly we are trying in India to establish some centers and the response of the people here has been very favorable towards our movement which they have found to be a great stimulus to the revival of Krsna consciousness which they have been forsaking for the imitation of your Western material prosperity. You all my students must simply maintain your standard of pure conduct in Pure Krsna Consciousness and everyone will be satisfied that this is the best way to bring in the needed peace and prosperity to the world.
I am very pleased to learn that you have several new devotees with you and the Temple has been completely renovated. It is a very nice house, so simply make it a palace for Lord Krsna and Srimati Radharani and that will be the perfection of its utilization and you will become perfect and happy by this work. Please continue your work in the "Bhakti-Yoga Society" at the University, the students cannot be over-estimated as our best prospects. The new growth of Tulasi is testimony to your sincere devotion because she will only grow and flourish in an atmosphere of Krsna Consciousness. Please see that the regular rules and practices are strictly followed by all the inmates and keep improving the quality of your Deity worship—this will keep you firmly fixed in the Absolute Truth. Always try to increase the distribution of literatures and more sincere persons will be attracted by this. Please work in coordination with Sriman Bhagavan das and the other GBC members and make progress in your center.
Please maintain the program of Temple worship, distribution of Prasadam, Sankirtana Party, distribution of literatures, study and Krsna work all in order and make everything as nice as possible. The school college and university students are very receptive to this Movement, so we must present them with an excellent example. They are very intelligent and bad experience has taught them to be cautious, so if you keep all your programs to the standard as I have already instructed in so many ways, then they will easily become satisfied that this is the real way of life for any intelligent person—Krsna Consciousness.
I am very glad that you and all the others are finding that your Krishna Consciousness is increased by following our new schedule of regular activities in the Temple. I am getting such happy reports from all our centers and actually that is the way of advancing in spiritual life. Without being jolly, one cannot make any tangible progress in Krsna Consciousness and without strictly following the regulative principles and chanting the prescribed number of rounds on the beads, nobody can become free from the unhappiness of this material world. So it is imperative that all our students be exemplary in their execution of devotional service and naturally Krsna will bless you all more and more.
I am very much thankful to you for your kindly report from San Jose far away from me now. I am always anxious to know about the activities of my Temples so far established. I always pray to Krsna that you, all my students, may go ahead in this Krsna Consciousness Movement.
The routine work, as it is going on in your center, appears to be very satisfactory. Please keep this standard continually and Krsna will give you all facilities.
You have remarked how the students on campus receive our devotees and Krsna philosophy so well. It is a fact that they are eagerly looking for some real meaning in life and that reality is Krsna. So you must carry on work on the campuses very diligently and try to impress them with the importance of Krsna Consciousness. I am very pleased to know that Sriman Singh is helping by speaking to campus authorities and students Krsna consciously at UCI. That is a very large University and many highly intelligent boys, girls and faculty can be approached there fore joining our program.
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.
I am very glad that you are trying with all the other GBC members to maintain all the various functions of our very large organization up to the standard as I have set for you. This is most important. So please always work cooperatively for this end. I know that there has been a great disturbance amongst the devotees caused recently, but now things are being rectified. You are right to say that the example and kindly guidance of our elder members in the Society is the most profound force for motivating our students both new and old towards advanced Krsna Consciousness. Neglect of following the regulative activities and so-called advancement on the basis of self-motivation are both offensive. One should sincerely try to bring himself to the stage of devotional service motivated by pure love of Krsna, and our personal example must set a guide for them.
It is very good news that your Washington Temple is now expanded with devotees and you are increasing your program regularly. I am especially eager that all our books may be distributed to all the libraries and school-colleges of the world and so far the program of distribution has met with good success everywhere. So you also do it thoroughly with the help of your assistants. The university community is also a prime target for our propaganda work and I am most pleased to know that classes are being regularly taught at the universities and other classes are using our books as texts. You are one of our intelligent devotees, so please try your best to convince the students of the necessity for chanting Hare Krsna Mahamantra.
I have also received encouraging reports from Sydney and Fiji. So long our students remain fixed up to the regulative principles without deviation they will be enthusiastic for spreading this sublime movement. Please keep close contact with the centers in your zone and see that everything is going on nicely. If you can travel from center to center conveniently, that is very good.
Regarding the two students in Sydney, I shall arrange to initiate them as soon as possible. I am very glad that Janne will soon be joining Bhurijana and they will open our branch in Hong Kong. This is the greatest service that you are all rendering in the matter of spreading Krsna Consciousness and Krsna and Caitanya Mahaprabhu will certainly bless you all my sincere students more and more in Krsna Consciousness.
I am happy to hear that your campus engagements are very well received especially on the Catholic campus. That is a good sign that the students are still intelligent to find what is the best information about God and how to approach him. It is unfortunate that they are without proper guidance, but that is the condition of all persons in the world without exception. Krsna Consciousness is
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I hope you are trying to place our books in the libraries and school/colleges. The program is everywhere very successful, so you please do this very thoroughly in your area and it will be a great service.
| Page Title: | Students (Letters 1970) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, Mayapur |
| Created: | 23 of Mar, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=0, Let=117 |
| No. of Quotes: | 117 |