Training of Rsi Kumar dasa (Letters, 1968 - 1975)

Correspondence

1968 Correspondence

Letter to Brahmananda -- Los Angeles 31 December, 1968:

The new temple in Los Angeles is very nice and Sankirtana is going on there very nicely. I do not know how is your temple there, I have heard that it is very nice, but I think that the temple here is probably nicer. The rent is higher here though. Nara Narayana will give you details when he arrives. Enclosed is the duly signed documents for instating Rsi Kumar as the new secretary. He is very good boy.

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Nara-narayana -- Los Angeles 1 February, 1969:

So far as kirtana party is concerned, you have well suggested to conduct the party under the good guidance of Rsi Kumar. He is a very expert devotee, and the kirtana party can be well managed under his guidance, and under the cooperation of Brahmananda.

You should always read also, besides attending class, whenever you have time, the Bhagavad-gita As It Is. Then I can surely recommend to the draft board that you are a very serious student of Bhagavad-gita under my supervision.

Letter to Brahmananda -- New Vrindaban 26 May, 1969:

Regarding your request for a kirtana musician, we don't require anyone who is very musically talented. Here in New Vrindaban Hayagriva has organized very nice kirtana party, and they are singing and chanting thrice daily very, very nicely. So I think you are the best mrdanga player, and similarly you have Rsi Kumar, Madhusudana, Uddhava, as well as others, so if you think all of you are deficient, I can send you a tape recording teaching playing techniques, and you will learn from this. You have got another devotee, Mohini Mohan, Purusottama's friend, and Purusottama says he is a musical master, so utilize the talent you have got and surely your propaganda will be successful and more men will come. It is in the same way that I came here with only one pair of cymbals, and now there are hundreds of cymbals going on. So Krishna will send us men; gradually as we qualify ourselves everything will come.

Letter to Brahmananda -- Los Angeles 22 July, 1969:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated July 18, 1969, and I have noted the contents carefully. I am pleased to note that under your direction Bali Mardan, Jayadvaita, Rsi Kumar, Candanacarya, Nayana Bhirama and Joel Chalson are all working very nicely. It is a good combination, so make this combination stronger and improve it. You write to say that the Printing Department has $3,000. Does this mean $3,000 including the collection from selling TLC? In my idea the softcover edition should be printed by realizing money from the hardcover edition in which you have already invested $6,000. That should be our business policy. I wish to know how much you have collected thus far by selling TLC hardcover. That amount may be invested in printing softcover edition. Or if you think that the softcover edition will have immediate good sales, then we can invest the extra amount. I do not think that putting the advertisement on the cover as you have mentioned it will be very good. Everything should be exactly like it is, with the addition of the index. But the cover, the printing and the paper should be exactly as they are in the present edition. The price for the softcover copy should not be less than $2.95. Another thing is that if MacMillan Co. has decided to not print our Bhagavatam, then this also will have to be printed by ourselves immediately.

1970 Correspondence

Letter to Syamasundara -- Los Angeles 23 January, 1970:

Regarding George's money: Brahmananda talked with Gargamuni and informed him that one week ago the secretary of Mr. Klein's APTKO (?) record company called our temple and said that the check is ready for you, please come and pick it up. In response to this, Rsi Kumar went to that APTKO Co. and they wanted to give him a check for $1,900. (19 hundred). Rsi Kumar said that we were expecting a check for $19,000 (19 thousand). So the check was mistaken and he did not receive the check.

Then it is learned that two days ago the secretary of Mr. Klein phoned Brahmananda and submitted his regrets that the check was drawn wrongly as $1,900, and he would call him again for delivering the right check. But up to now there is no news from them.

I do not know what is happening, but you may keep George informed about this fact, and if possible reply this letter.

Letter to Damodara -- Los Angeles 4 May, 1970:

Letter to: Damodara

—

Los Angeles

4 May, 1970

70-05-04

Bahulasva Berkeley Rshi Kumara New York

Satsvarupa Boston Umapati Paris

Harer Nama Boulder Subaladas Philadelphia

Rupanuga Buffalo Sridama Providence

Jaya Gopala Columbus Vamanadeva St. Louis

Bhagavan dasa Detroit Madhudvisa San Francisco

Hamsaduta Hamburg Citsukhananda San Jose

Gaurasundara Hawaii Revatinandana Santa Barbara

Durlabh Laguna Beach Gajendra Seattle

Gurudasa London Bali Mardan Sydney

Sripati Montreal Sudama Tokyo

Hayagriva New Vrndavana Jagadisa Toronto

Cidananda Vancouver Damodara Washington

My Dear Damodara,

Please accept my blessings. I hope everything is going on well in your center.

As each and every ISKCON Center is my life and soul for preaching this movement, I hope you are doing your best to conduct the regular routine duties of the Temple—chanting regularly the beads, observing the restrictive regulations, taking Sankirtana Party to the streets, and selling our magazines and books.

Now at the present moment, I am concentrating my energy in this Los Angeles Center as ideal for all other centers in respect of Deity worship, Arati, Kirtana and other necessary paraphernalia. As I have curtailed my moving program, I wish that you may come here at your convenience and stay here for a few days and see personally how things are going on, and by meeting with me personally for necessary instruction, I hope simultaneously in all Centers that activities will be of the same standard.

Hope this will meet you in good health, and more when we meet.

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

1971 Correspondence

Letter to Tamala Krsna -- Bombay 17 June, 1971:

Rsi Kumar has sent the information requested by you on the 11th instant.

Letter to Tamala Krsna -- Brooklyn 28 July, 1971:

And another thing is, I do not know how you are going to audit the accounts without making the accounts perfect. The auditing of accounts is done when the business account is made perfect by drawing trial balance and balance sheet. Have you done these things? They must be made by an experienced accountant. I do not know how Jayapataka or Rsi Kumar can draw up this trial balance and balance sheet. Anyway somehow or other you have to prepare them, then talk of auditing. Send me a copy of what you have made. According to law our Society is registered within (less than) one year, so I don't think a one year trial balance sheet is necessary, therefore there is no question of auditing the account.

Letter to Mahamsa, Ksudhi, Rsi Kumara, Nandakumara, Tusta Krsna, Krsna Tulasi, Gurukrpa, Madhudvisa, others -- London 15 August, 1971:

I beg to thank you very much for your kind feelings of appreciation of my humble self and service unto you. You are all helping me in pushing forward this mission of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu coming down by disciplic succession to my Guru Maharaja. So whatever you have spoken, it is simply due to them. I am simply the via media to receive them on behalf of my Guru Maharaja His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Maharaja Prabhupada.

Letter to Rsi Kumara -- Bombay 21 November, 1971:

I beg to acknowledge receipt or your letter dated 17-11-71. Your desire not to come to Delhi at the present moment is very much appreciated by me. So far our service is concerned it is not limited to any particular place, but when it is required to be fixed up in a place for a certain reason, it is better to stick without any change of mind. I think your presence in Bombay is needed.

So far the house as suggested by you if I have not seen it, then you can negotiate and when I return to Bombay and see it personally then we can finalize the negotiations.

When your Bombay program is fixed up, please let me know. I have not received any information as yet for the Madras program. If the Madras program is not yet fixed up, please let me know when we can accept other programs because we have many invitations from different parts of India.

Letter to Giriraja -- Bombay 28 December, 1971:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letters dated December 8, December 16, and December 22, plus your telegram stating "Ratnamiyer invites you exclusively Feb. 3rd to 13rd Stop Congress Grounds impractical Cable reply." I am very pleased that you are such determined and enthusiastic devotee that almost single-handedly you are organizing Madras program and making many life-members also. I think by now you must have been joined by other men which Tamala Krishna has dispatched from Delhi. If not, they shall be there shortly. I have instructed Rsi Kumar to send you the Bombay account numbers immediately. I am very encouraged by your thoughtful plan to organize very nicely all our men in India. I can understand that you are very eligible to be among the biggest leaders, so I have all confidence in your Madras programs. There appears to be some feeling of dissatisfaction with the way things are being managed in India, so I have simply said that if you all get me at least two life-members daily in India, then I shall do the rest. So I am pleased to hear from you that you are making many life-members there: that is the proof of our preaching strength. Wherever there is preaching strength there is also success, no matter it may be pandal-show, or making members, travelling Sankirtana party, whatever it may be—just maintain our strong position of purity of routine work and preach and distribute literature, that's all.

1972 Correspondence

Letter to Bali-mardana -- Bombay 2 January, 1972:

I have been receiving very good and encouraging reports from Upananda Prabhu and Mohanananda Prabhu, so I will certainly visit Australia on my return to U.S. I expect to be leaving for Hong Kong by the beginning of March. In the second half of February all of us in India will go to Mayapur for Lord Caitanya's Appearance Day and we will lay down the Cornerstone. Then I will leave for Hong Kong, Australia, Tokyo, Hawaii, and then Los Angeles. Now we are sending two devotees, Sudama Vipra Maharaja and his assistant, to Red China and they are leaving within a few days. Also Rsi Kumar will be joining Brahmananda Maharaja and will most likely be deputed to preach in South Africa. So everywhere there is a great chance to give this Krishna consciousness movement a great push, and if we do everything very carefully there is no reason why we cannot save the world. Now do everything within your ability to develop ISKCON press into a very strong tool for spreading our preaching.

Letter to Jagadisa -- Bombay 5 January, 1972:

Krishna Consciousness has got scope to be preached everywhere. Just now two boys are leaving to go to Red China and three other students are leaving for New Zealand to open a center there. Brahmananda is doing very well in Africa and most likely Rsi Kumar will join him and be deputed to open a center in South Africa. So we have got a great mission, we should be very vigilant that the strong foundation remain solid. Encourage all the boys and girls to adhere to the regulative principles and chant daily at least sixteen rounds. And as much as possible all of my students should become very well versed in all the philosophy presented in our books.

Letter to Brahmananda -- Tokyo 24 April, 1972:

I am very glad to receive your letters of April 6th and 15th, 1972, and I have noted the contents. You have got great responsibility in Africa, greater than in India. As you are concentrating your activities in Africa with Mr. Shah and Damji Devji, there is no need to return to India at the present moment. I have received one report from Bombay that things are going on nicely, so unless there is urgent necessity I shall not want you to go back to India. Rsi Kumar was anxious to go to S. Africa. I have already advised him to go to South Africa and if he's still willing I wish that he may be helped in that respect. My desire is that you be in charge of East Africa and he may be in charge of South Africa, and this way you both organize the African program very nicely.

Letter to Cyavana -- Los Angeles 15 September, 1972:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated September 9, 1972, and have noted the contents carefully. I am glad to note that you are by good diplomacy maintaining our good relationships with all the men who have helped us there in Nairobi. We don't want any disruption. Rsi Kumar is not there now so you do everything nicely and diplomatically. Brahmananda Swami is there, GBC man, so you consult with him and do everything diplomatically. On the whole, they should not be given any power unless they are my initiated disciples, but try to keep them as consultants. It is not that we should stop our relationship and not remain on speaking terms any more but try to keep everyone as our friend and engage them in Krsna Consciousness somehow or other. Enclosed please find the copy of Mr. Shah's letter, and I have accepted his resignation.

Letter to Gargamuni -- Los Angeles 15 September, 1972:

N.B. It may be that on my way to India, I may drop at South Africa where Rsi Kumar Goswami is working. If I go there, I may call you in South Africa which is reported to be very very prospective.

Letter to Cyavana -- Los Angeles 22 September, 1972:

Thank you very much for your letter dated 18th September 1972, and with great satisfaction I have noted the contents therein. I am pleased to understand that things are once again back to normal in Nairobi and that you are all very enthusiastic to spread our preaching work amongst the Africans and American and European boys and girls there. I have heard from Rsi Kumar also that South Africa is first class field in Africa for preaching. Now you say the basic expenditures are finished and we have got very nice place there, now concentrate on making men into devotees and recruiting especially the African boys for helping us preach all over the continent of Africa. That is very good news that you have sent more than $1,200 to Karandhara, now you may order as many more books as you require from him and take similar sanction from the government for repaying him.

1973 Correspondence

Letter to Cyavana -- Bombay 9 January, 1973:

N.B. Your letter dated January 4, 1973, is just now received by me. Yes, we shall be happy to come that side while leaving India sometimes I think in April, and when we come there we shall install the Deities, after consulting with Brahmananda whether you will be able to maintain them properly. You may request Brahmananda to send me his opinion in the matter also. But I think we can install if you both agree. So I am sending Rsi Kumar, Yasodanandana Swami and Gurukrpa Swami from Bombay to Nairobi very soon, they shall reach there by ship, and they will remain with you for the month of February to help you prepare everything and enhance the preaching work amongst the Africans population. By March they may be freed for going to South Africa to arrange things there for my coming there also, after I leave Nairobi. You all big leaders make these arrangements however you think best, by your mutual consultation. But one thing is, you should send the three plane fare-tickets from India, I think we shall be at Delhi at that time, to Nairobi, and then from Nairobi to Johannesburg and other places, for three men including myself. Rsi Kumar has told me they would pay for some portion of the tickets in South Africa.

Letter to Karandhara -- Bombay 9 January, 1973:

A few days back Rsi Kumar has come to see me from South Africa and he has handed over to me the sum of $700 in cash. This amount was reserved to pay you for the book sales for December month for South Africa, and it was to be deposited in the BBF there with you. Instead I requested him to give to me here and I am depositing in my BBF here in India. So kindly credit this amount to Rsi Kumar and debit his bill for the amount of $700.

Enclosed find also the copy of one letter which I recently sent to Rsi Kumar, wherein I have approved his request to get 15% discount on books sent to South Africa. Because it is a new field and there is more than 15% of import duty and shipping cost, it will be difficult if he has to pay the full amount. Therefore you may credit his account the $700 plus 15% of the total amount which is due to you to date. Very soon Rsi Kumar and Yasodanandana and Gurukrpa will return to South Africa to arrange the program for me to come there after leaving India some time in April. Meanwhile by 1st February I have received the tickets to go to Australia and other places from Madhudvisa. But I shall be returning by March 1st to Mayapur.

Letter to Karandhara -- Bombay 19 October, 1973:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your two letters both dated October 9, 1973 and have noted the contents very carefully. These things are happening in many corners of our organization. Today I received the same complaint from Kirtanananda, and the reply is enclosed. This is applicable everywhere. Unless we become very strong in Krsna consciousness, it is very risky to handle material things and business. We are naturally business minded, and so as we get some opportunity, that mentality becomes strong. We have already got our book-selling program. It is better not to divert to other lines of business. This boy Rsi Kumar appears to be lost coming in contact with business. I heard he was coming to India and staying in the hotel without coming to the temple. Similarly Hayagriva is also lost almost. So, the situation is not very favorable.

Page Title:	Training of Rsi Kumar dasa (Letters, 1968 - 1975)
Compiler:	MadhuGopaldas
Created:	05 of Jun, 2010
Totals by Section:	BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=0, Let=20
No. of Quotes:	20