Indirect (Letters)

Expressions researched:
"Indirect"

1947 to 1965 Correspondence

Letter to Mr. Bailey -- Allahabad 14 September, 1951:

The great Philosophy of Bhagavad-gita is the authoritative book to guide us in this respect. We have nothing to drag in it by forcing empiric interpretations. Let it be understood as it is because it is just like the Sun. The Sun does not require to be helped by other light. So there is no need of interpreting Bhagavad-gita by any indirect meaning. Let us understand that Kuruksetra is Kuruksetra and it is still a sacred place of Hindu pilgrimage. The Pandavas are the sons of Pandu as it is stated in the history of Mahabharata. The Pandavas and the Kurus met at the battlefield of Kuruksetra and the philosophy of the Bhagavad-gita was told by the Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Krishna.

Letter to Mr. Bailey -- Allahabad 2 October, 1951:

Philosophical ways are practical and it is no use simply by indulging in speculation without any practical result just like to keep a cow without any milk. We must always seek a practical value from philosophy for the benefit of all. The mission with which you have started your service inspired me to help you as far as possible and I thought it fit to inform you that your mission can be well guided by the practical philosophy of the Bhagavad-gita. If you do not wish to have it that is a different question. If you put up a programme acceptable to one and all there is no necessity of patronizing a particular ism. A common formula can be of practical use both for India or others. As such you can have practical solutions of all problems such as social, religious, cultural, political, economic as well as agricultural and industrial—from the Bhagavad-gita. It is possible only simply by assimilating it by direct perception. It is meant for all living being. Indirect perception will mislead far away from the truth and I am afraid many such indirect misinterpretations in a speculative mood by various commentators, have done more harm than good to the humanity in general

Letter to Mr. Bailey -- Allahabad 2 October, 1951:

Bhagavad-gita is mostly read by almost all classes of people of the world but unfortunately they are accepted in an independant choice of indirect interpretation. That is a deviation and for that reason only they cannot derive the direct benefit.

Letter to Mr. Bailey -- Allahabad 7 July, 1953:

The present smokey material or sensual civilization has to be kindled into the fire of reality or spiritual civilization. It is neither difficult nor impossible. It is just a simple process of fanning the fire in order to get rid of the disturbing smoke. The fanning process is eternally the same & one and the empiric speculators have nothing to invent new in it. It must be actually a fanning in spiritualised process & nothing else. The great philosophy of Bhagavad-gita is the authoritative book to guide us in this respect. We have nothing to drag in it by foreign empiric interpretation. Let it be understood as it is because it is just like the Sun. The Sun does not require to be helped by the light. So there is no need of understanding Bhagavad-gita by indirect interpretation. Kuruksetra is Kuruksetra. Dharmaksetra is Dharmaksetra. The Pandavas are Pandavas or the sons of Pandu and nobody else. The Pandavas & Kauravas not actually at the battlefield of Kuruksetra and the philosophy of Bhagavad-gita was told by the Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Krishna.

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Jayapataka -- Los Angeles 30 January, 1969:

Regarding your question about the Brahma Samhita, there is no contradiction with the Bhagavad-gita. If "direction" is not specifically mentioned in Bhagavad-gita it does not mean that Brahma Samhita is not authorized. Regarding the singing meter used by Narada Muni, anyone can utter it. You have asked about the specialness of the month of Karatieya, and the answer is that is is a special inducement for persons who are not in Krishna Consciousness to perform some devotional service. For persons who are doing nothing in Krishna Consciousness, it is an indirect inducement to take to devotional service in earnest seriousness, every moment is Karatieya. In this connection, there is a good example that sometimes a store gives special concession to attract new customers. But for those who are already customers there is no need of a special sale. They will purchase at any cost if they know the import and value of the goods. Similarly, those who are pure devotees do not aspire for any concession, and out of spontaneous love try to engage themselves in devotional service 24 hours each day, 365 days every year, without any stoppage.

1971 Correspondence

Letter to Jayadvaita -- Bombay 17 March, 1971:

Regarding your questions:

12:12: The ultimate point is to come to the stage of loving Krsna and all other indirect processes are subsidiary. We are concerned here with approaching Krsna by the direct process of devotional service. Independent of Krsna consciousness, the cultivation of knowledge, work, meditation and renunciation are of no value or the proud achievements of the atheist or less intelligent class of men. In this connection, the term "knowledge" is mental speculative theorizing up to the stage of brahmajnana or impersonal conception of the Absolute Truth. Especially such knowledge as it is concerned with various views of the causal and effective material phenomena is of no importance in the matter of spiritual realization or God-consciousness which is transcendental to the realm of sensual, mental and intellectual activities. So the order of supercession of these various indirect processes for approaching the Absolute Truth is not as much important as fixed understanding of the exalted position of devotional service rendered directly to Krsna.

1972 Correspondence

Letter to Dharma -- Tokyo 22 April, 1972:

It is not so much important the quantity of books that we distribute, but that we serve Krishna as best we can, and depend on Him for the results. Transcendental competition is nice, but it should not come to the point of making us lose our Krishna consciousness. When you have these feelings, do not mistake it for enviousness, but take it to be an indirect appreciation of the service done by your other Godbrothers. This is spiritual. In the material world, when someone surpasses us in some way we become angry and plan how to stop him, but in the spiritual world when someone does some better service we think "Oh, he has done so nicely. Let me help him to execute his service." So we should always endeavor to keep this attitude, and serve Lord Krishna to the best of our ability. That will make one advance in spiritual life.

1975 Correspondence

Letter to Vahna -- Honolulu 26 May, 1975:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated May 12, 1975 and have read the Cintamani poetry book. It is indirect, impersonal and useless. Who will read these things? Krishna's name is only mentioned in two poems in the whole book. What is this? There are so many poems written by great acaryas. Why do you try to concoct something like this? It is not in our line. How is that our Kirtanananda Swami is there and he has approved printing this? It is a waste of time, paper, money, ink, and labor. There is so much work to do for spreading this Krishna Consciousness. Who will become attracted by such things as this. You should all spend more time reading my books very carefully and stop all this unnecessary manufacturing.

Letter to Dhananjaya -- Indre, France 11 August, 1975:

Regarding the adjacent land for sale, yes, it is not to be done in this indirect way. Let them take money from us openly and give us the land. We are prepared to pay for 5,000 sq. yards Rs. 20/- per sq. yard. If Bon Maharaja gives us land, still we can purchase this land for future expansion.

1976 Correspondence

Letter to Ramesvara -- NEWSLETTER 26 November, 1976:

GKd: Just your records and parampara records should be played I think. There are so many tapes of your records.

HSd: Yes, but this style they are doing now they explain that they wanted it because then that way they will be able to get them played on the radio; otherwise, they won't play bhajans or anything on the radio. But there's a distinction between that kind of music and pure Krishna Consciousness music. Even though the words indicate Krishna Consciousness, most of the songs are written in such a way that it's like, indirect. It's not directly Krsna. It's indirect.

S.P.: Yes, indirect.

HSd: Like they give this thing: "A caterpillar changed his mind," like that. It provokes some speculation.

S.P.: No. Indirect (it's) for gross outsiders. not for us. Therefore it should not be played in the temple. Gross outsiders only.

Kindly send a copy to each of our centers as soon as is conveniently possible. His Divine Grace specially requests that the system of shaving on the fourth day (the head) after Ekadasi, on Purnima, be introduced immediately in all centers.