Distress (Letters)

Expressions researched:
"distraught" |"distresed" |"distress" |"distressed" |"distresses" |"distressful" |"distressing"

1947 to 1965 Correspondence

Letter to Jawaharlal Nehru -- Allahabad 20 January, 1952:

1. People in the present age are generally shortliving. The average duration of life being 30 years or so.

2. They are generally not very simple. Almost everyman is designing and crooked.

3. They have no scope for high thinking because they are perplexed with different relative truths.

4. Unfortunate as they are in this age their problems remain unsolved for the whole life even though they are tackled by their leaders. They make the best effort to solve a problem but unfortunately the same becomes more acute and stringent.

5. And above all, people in this age are always distressed by famine, scarcity, grieves and diseases in an increasing ratio.

1967 Correspondence

Letter to Mr. Taber -- New York 9 June, 1967:

So far as your distress is concerned, it is not new: it is the general condition of living entities who are distressed for want of sense gratification. Unless one is related with Sri Krishna, The Reservoir of All Pleasures, it is very difficult to have complete pleasures perception in this material world. You have read Bhagavad-gita and it is stated that ultimate happiness can be realized by transcendental senses only. Our movement for Krishna Consciousness is to turn the present polluted senses into its original pure form, just like when a man cannot see properly due to cataracts in the eyeball, similarly we cannot have real sense pleasure without being purified in Krishna Consciousness. This purification can be done only by engaging the senses for Krishna. Krishna is called Hrsikesa, or the Master of the Senses. His senses are omnipotent; therefore, when our senses will be engaged to satisfy the senses of Krishna, at that time we will have perfect sense gratification, and be free of all distressed condition.

Letter to Mr. Taber -- New York 9 June, 1967:

A spirit soul is not impersonal, and because he is a person he has the latent desire for sense gratification; but in the material condition he does not know how to enjoy; therefore one should purify the senses being free of all material designation. In conditioned stage we are designated souls like "American," "Indian," "dog," "demigod," etc., but in pure consciousness or Krishna Consciousness, we are part and parcel of the Supreme Brahman. By Brahman realization, as you may have read in Bhagavad-gita: brahma-bhutah prasannatma na socati na kanksati (BG 18.54). So in our pure stage when we understand that we are eternal servants of Krishna there is no more distress. Therefore the devotee prays: "My Lord, when shall I be freed from all material desires and be completely engaged in your transcendental loving service. At the present moment I am forlorn and nobody is my master. When shall I have You as my Supreme Master; then shall I joyfully wander over the whole universe knowing that You are my master." Please therefore try to be in Krishna Consciousness and there will be no distress. Gradually as you realize this, you will experience it also; but the process is the same, both at the beginning and at the end.

1968 Correspondence

Letter to Gurudasa -- Los Angeles 13 February, 1968:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated Feb. 8, and have noted the contents. I have received also one letter from Upendra today, and I am so glad he is released within 10 days. That was my expectation when he came to see me, that he couldn't be incarcerated for more than a week. This instance of suffering by a devotee should be carefully noted. As Upendra was in the beginning incarcerated for 3 months, it was reduced to one week; similarly, when a devotee is seen in trouble, it should be accepted as God's Mercy. Just like Upendra's suffering for 3 months was destined by the law, but by the Mercy of God the suffering is reduced to one week only. So a devotee always accepts his distress as minimized by God's Mercy, although he would have to suffer many more times the suffering. Any one who accepts this philosophy of God's Mercy in suffering conditions, and still makes progress in Krishna Consciousness, it is said that he is sure to go back to Home, Back to Godhead.

Letter to Sivananda -- Los Angeles 17 December, 1968:

You have written that you will soon be leaving Hamburg and this news has caused me some distress. I have always been glad that you were in Germany to take care of the temple and you have written that Krishna Das is also disturbed at this sudden turn. From your letter it is unclear as to where you are going, to Montreal, to New Vrindaban, to work for your mother, it is all unclear as to your plan. I think that you must stay in our Hamburg center until you write to me why you are leaving Germany, and where you are expecting to stay. It could be that you are experiencing some difficulty in Germany, in which case please inform me of the same so we may solve the problem. You mentioned that leaving is the best thing for your devotional service, but you should know that without the instructions of the Spiritual Master that there is no question of devotional service.

1970 Correspondence

Letter to Hayagriva -- Calcutta 26 September, 1970:

1) As you state, Krishna is identical with His name. That means that His name has the same qualities as Himself, i.e. sat, chit, ananda. No mundane vibration is eternal, otherwise why does it grow tiresome and have to be changed every other week. Nor do mundane songs produce real knowledge or bliss unending. Also, this transcendental vibration purifies one. Anyone can see practically how our students are becoming purified, but the chanters of material songs are not.

2) Ginsberg says these words are physical in a frankly physical universe. But this is not true, for actually everything is spiritual. It is only under certain conditions, viz. forgetfulness of Krishna that this internal or spiritual energy of Krishna becomes material. Therefore when we hear the name Krishna, which is identical with Krishna, we must remember, and in that way everything is purified.

3) Tennyson may have felt something when he chanted Tennyson, but does anyone else? Does Mr. Ginsberg want to chant Tennyson, Tennyson? But everyone enjoys chanting Krishna. That means there is something different about His name. He is the center of everyone and everything.

4) Krishna explains in the 7th Chapter of B.G. that there are four classes of men who approach Him. There are millions of men in distress, or searching for money, or curious, or searching for knowledge, but only a few come to Krishna, and all of them are mahatma—simply because they have come to the right place, Krishna.

Letter to Kenneth -- Bombay 17 November, 1970:

I am very glad that you have decided to rejoin our spiritual community of Krsna Consciousness at New Vrndavana. We have established New Vrndavana to be developed as a model of Krsna Consciousness or pure, unadulterated spiritual community practical for all persons. Actually the atmosphere there is very transcendental and I am very pleased that you have got the good sense to take advantage of this shelter from the distress and frustration of the material world.

1971 Correspondence

Letter to Gargamuni -- Allahabad 18 January, 1971:

I have just written one letter to Brahmananda Maharaja informing him of our very good reception here in India and how our devotees and Sankirtana are being appreciated by all communities here because of the high standard of their pure devotional service. Many persons are simply surprised that this Sankirtana Movement of Lord Caitanya has been so nicely accepted all over the world with such good results. It is actually revolutionary. I am very eager to see that Caitanya Mahaprabhu's desire is fulfilled as far as possible to make this Movement international even to the towns and villages. People sometimes inquire if we have gone to Pakistan. And I am thinking—why not? Both India and Pakistan are in great distress because of this false partition and I am sure the whole matter can be put to rights by proper application of our principles of Krsna Consciousness.

Letter to Gargamuni -- Allahabad 18 January, 1971:

I have just written one letter to Brahmananda Maharaja informing him of our very good reception here in India and how our devotees and Sankirtana are being appreciated by all communities here because of the high standard of their pure devotional service. Many persons are simply surprised that this Sankirtana Movement of Lord Caitanya has been so nicely accepted all over the world with such good results. It is actually revolutionary. I am very eager to see that Caitanya Mahaprabhu's desire is fulfilled as far as possible to make this Movement international even to the towns and villages. People sometimes inquire if we have gone to Pakistan. And I am thinking—why not? Both India and Pakistan are in great distress because of this false partition and I am sure the whole matter can be put to rights by proper application of our principles of Krsna Consciousness.

1974 Correspondence

Letter to Bhavatarini -- Bombay 3 April, 1974:

I can understand that due to material circumstances you are feeling distressed, and this large sum of money which you are about to receive is also causing you distress because you don't know what is the best thing to do with it. I very much appreciate that although you are filled with doubts and suspiscions and although you have many of your own plans for what to do and how to live, you have, nevertheless put the matter before your spiritual master and asked him to direct you. This is a great qualification, and this attitude made Arjuna eligible in the Bhagavad-gita, to receive the full mercy of Krsna's instruction.

Letter to Durgesh -- Bombay 16 December, 1974:

This is the process. So follow it strictly and at the same time learn some practical knowledge from your school studies. And then later it may be more appropriate for you to join our temple as a full time brahmacari. But in all circumstances always chant Hare Krsna. That is a must. In the Bhagavad-gita it says; tesam satata-yuktanam, bhajatam priti-purvakam, dadami buddhi-yogam tam, yena mam upayanti te, (BG 10.10). To those who are constantly devoted and worship Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me. So do not be in distress. Simply try to engaged yourself constantly in devotional service and develop your love for Krsna. And in this way Krsna will give you all facilities for coming to Him.