October 14, 1976 My Dear Yasomatinandana Prabhu,
Please accept my blessings. I am in receipt of your letter dated 8/10/76 and have noted the contents carefully. You say the farm is only five miles from the city, so we will build our temple on that land. The farmers should be trained up to become devotees of Krishna. The same Idea I have already given for Hyderabad farm. Invite the local farmers to participate in Kirtana and prasadam distribution, engage them to work the land. They may keep whatever they require for their maintenance and the excess production may be traded or sold. But we are not going to develop a competitive farming enterprise for making money. The basic principle is to become independent of artificial city life, working in factories producing nut and bolts. Gandhi had this Idea, the one defect was that there was no Krishna in the center. So the same idea of village organization, but keeping Krishna in the center should be introduced on our farm projects.
Do not install Gaura Nitai deities until sufficient men are there to take proper care of them.
Regarding men; everywhere there is shortage, we cannot continue to import men continually.
I hope this letter finds you well.
Your ever well-wisher,
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
ACBS/hdg