Training of Radha-sarana dasa (Letters, 1976 - 1977)

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1976 Correspondence

Letter to Radha Sarana -- Washington D.C. 5 July, 1976:

Santa Domingo

Dear Radha Sarana dasa,

Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated June 16, 1976, and I have noted the contents with care.

On your recommendation I am accepting the following for first and second initiation:

First Initiation:

Bhakta Carlos—Karunamaya dasa

Bhakta Lalo—Lalitagovinda dasa

Bhakta Jonathan—Jyotsna dasa

Bhakta Willo—Visvadeva dasa

Second Initiation:

Minaksi dasa Brahmacari

Hold a fire sacrifice and the initiates should refrain from the four pillars of sinful life: no illicit sex, no intoxication, no gambling, and no meat-eating. This is very easy when one chants daily their prescribed rounds seriously, at least 16 rounds daily. Enclosed you will also find one brahmana thread and gayatri mantra. After the sacrifice the tape of gayatri should be played in the right ear of the brahmana initiate. To become brahmana one must be clean outside and inside. Outside by regularly bathing and inside by always chanting Hare Krishna. The beads for first initiates can be chanted upon by Hrdayananda Maharaja and they should be given these beads and names at the time of initiation.

Letter to Radha-sarana -- Vrindaban 24 October, 1976:

I am in due receipt of your letter to my secretary dated October 2, 1976.

According to your recommendation I am accepting for second initiation Amala-harinama das Brahmacari and Viraja dasi. Now hold a fire ceremony for attendance of devotees only. You must be sure that these devotees are very strictly following the regulative principles and chanting a minimum of sixteen rounds daily. They must be fully engaged in devotional service, 24 hours per day. Please find enclosed two gayatri mantra sheets and one sacred thread. After the fire sacrifice, play the tape of me reciting the gayatri mantra into the right ear of these initiates and show them how to count on their fingers.

1977 Correspondence

Letter to Radha-sarana -- Juhu, Bombay 17 April, 1977:

I beg to thank you for your letter dated April 4, 1977.

Just because there are no men is not a good reason to make someone a brahmana. This policy is not good. First have devotees. Then we should consider to open a center. Not that we open centers and have no devotees to manage them and therefore we create brahmanas. However, because this is a special case, I accept the two devotees, Sriman Jyotsna dasa brahmacari and Sriman Lalita-Govinda dasa brahmacari for second initiation. Their sacred threads duly chanted on are enclosed along with the Gayatri Mantra sheet. After performing the fire ceremony they may be allowed to hear the gayatri mantra from the tape in the right ear. You must teach them the principles of brahminical living, especially cleanliness is very important. Internally one should keep clean by chanting Hare Krsna and externally by bathing regularly. Teach them by your own personal example.

I also accept as my disciples Bhakta Dhimas and Bhakta Ramon. Their initiated names are:

Bhakta Dhimas—Devaprastha Dasa

Bhakta Ramon—Raya Bhavananda Dasa

During the fire ceremony they should vow to faithfully follow the four regulative principles and to chant minimum 16 rounds daily.