These temples, they are just like oasis in the desert for the conditioned souls to quench the thirst of their desire for real happiness

Expressions researched:
"These branches are like the oasis in a vast desert" |"These temples, they are just like oasis in the desert for the conditioned souls to quench the thirst of their desire for real happiness" |"You have written that your temple is like an oasis in a desert"

1970 Correspondence

You have written that your temple is like an oasis in a desert. Yes, it is a fact that our temples are providing shelter from the burning forest fires of material existence.

Letter to Jagadisa -- Los Angeles 9 July, 1970:

You have written that your temple is like an oasis in a desert. Yes, it is a fact that our temples are providing shelter from the burning forest fires of material existence. It does not matter poor quarter or richer quarter, our temples are nothing to do with any material situation. They are situated in the Spiritual sky and as such they are the only alternative offering relief from the miseries of all kinds of material conditions of life. So encourage people to come and spend time with us in the temple and become purified from all contaminations and anxieties. Everyone is suffering from thirst for spiritual life or Krsna consciousness and it is the temple which can offer them Krsna Consciousness to satisfy their thirsting.

These branches are like the oasis in a vast desert. In the desert there is no water, but occasionally if one is fortunate he may come in contact with an oasis and he is saved.

Letter to Bhagavan -- Surat 18 December, 1970:

The more we open branches, the more I feel encouraged. These branches are like the oasis in a vast desert. In the desert there is no water, but occasionally if one is fortunate he may come in contact with an oasis and he is saved. Similarly in this material world we are drying up due to lack of spiritual knowledge. Our ISKCON centers are meant to give relief to the dried up conditioned souls who are searching after the nectar of joyful life. So I request you and all other members of ISKCON to flood the world with Krishna Conscious centers and realize the prediction of Caitanya Mahaprabhu "as many towns and villages there are, my name will be known."

1973 Correspondence

These temples, they are just like oasis in the desert for the conditioned souls to quench the thirst of their desire for real happiness. So they must be organized as nicely as possible, and I know you have many talents which can be put to good use.

Letter to Ksirodakasayi -- Calcutta 29 January, 1973:

There is no difference between brahmacari, grhastha, vanaprastha, and sannyasi. Simply grhastha means that he lives outside the temple with wife, that is the only difference. Otherwise grhastha must follow the same regulative principles and remain fully engaged in the temple activities. There in London we have such big field for pushing on the preaching work, so I want that you should assist the other devotees there as much as possible and cooperate very closely for helping me in this way. These temples, they are just like oasis in the desert for the conditioned souls to quench the thirst of their desire for real happiness. So they must be organized as nicely as possible, and I know you have many talents which can be put to good use. So in cooperation with Dhananjaya and Syamasundara. Prabhu, let us work together. You may assist me in this way and I shall be very much pleased upon you. Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita that anyone who surrenders unto Me, whether a woman, sudra, vaisya, etc., they all attain the highest perfection of bhakti-yoga, not that now I am grhastha, I am doing karma-yoga, or now I am vanaprastha, I am doing sankhya-yoga, this is all nonsense. So if you read my books, this is explained in so many places that by taking to the path of pure bhakti all the other yogas are achieved automatically, because bhakti is the culmination of yoga and the highest perfection of life. Yet at the same time it is very simple and sublime. So I do not see what is the difficulty. So as I am your spiritual master, it is my obligation to answer any questions that you may have. So please send the tape and I shall reply.