Expressions researched:
"BTG"
|"BTG's"
|"BTGS"
|"Back to Godhead"
Sriman Karalapati (Carl Yeargans) has sent me one check for ten dollars which I am enclosing herewith for credit of his account and he has said that some of his relatives would pay $50.00. If not received please let Sri Karalapati be informed of his dues till now and he would remit. His address in Greece is as follows:
K. Yeargans, Poste Restante, Lindos
Rhodos, Greece
Also please send him all the copies of Back to Godhead and other literatures so far published.
The service proposal is very nice and I approve of your acceptance this job. Not only your income will be a great help to the society but also it will be a great opportunity for learning how to organize our magazine Back to Godhead. This Back to Godhead will always remain the backbone of the society because more the magazine is popular the more society becomes popular. So your ambition should always be how to improve the quality of the paper so that it may be read by all respectable persons. In future we may have one French edition of this paper. If our Back to Godhead goes on nicely then we can have our all publications without waiting for any other publishers.
I do not know why Back to Godhead is not printed timely. If it is printed send here the necessary copies. I do not know who said that Back to Godhead is to be printed here. Unless there is written order by me Back to Godhead should regularly be printed from New York. There is no question of its being printed here. So go on printing it right time. You can send the copies here with bill and I shall see that it is duly paid.
Kirtanananda is trying to start a third center of the Society at Montreal. It is all Krishna's Grace. I have received the copy of Back to Godhead.
I am in due receipt of the copy of Back to Godhead dated 15th February 1967 and I am glad that it is nicely done. The only defect is that picture which is wrongly put there without asking me. There was no need of interpretations and why you have interpreted the picture as one has to be naked before the Lord to become perfect? We have no interpretation in any one of the verses in the Gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam
One must understand first Krishna from the Bhagavatam by reading the first nine chapters. Otherwise Krishna would be taken as ordinary man and His pastimes will be wrongly understood. Besides that a Brahmacari should not see any kind of naked picture. That is violation of Brahmacari law.
I am asking you therefore not to put the picture in the issue of Back to Godhead. I have asked here not to put this picture and so also I am asking you. I think all the pictures are not yet stapled and therefore it must not be put in there.
2. The next day you can celebrate feasting on account of Lord Caitanya's appearance and read about His life as given shortly in my Srimad-Bhagavatam and you can read also from the teachings of Lord Caitanya part of which is going to be published in the present issue of Back to Godhead.
I am glad to learn that Donald has purchased Prof. Sanyal's book Krishna Caitanya. Late Prof. N. K. Sanyal was my Godbrother and his book Krishna Caitanya is approved and authoritative. Keep it very carefully and we may publish in Back to Godhead some articles from the book. It will help us a great deal because my Spiritual Master has given His approval to this book.* Please keep it carefully and when I return I shall see to it.
We must publish our books as much as possible because that will create our position. Back to Godhead should be the life and soul for the Society. Please let me know your program.
Howard wants one of the Mimeograph machine here so that copies of Back to Godhead required here may be printed here. What is the weight of the machine and what will be cost of transport charges. I think you can spare one machine for San Francisco and charge cost of it.
I have already written to Janardana about his studies and I have requested him to have his M.A. degree by all means. You will be pleased to know that appreciation of our Back To Godhead and records has come from London and our disciple Dvarakadhisa, Donald Dougherty is arranging to send 100 records, 3 sets of books and Back To Godhead to London. This time they have made a very nice cover of Back To Godhead and the articles and poetry are very nice. I think they will dispatch to you, and you will enjoy them. Think over how to popularize our sankirtana. If we can popularize our publication then it will be very nice propaganda.
Rayarama has arranged for a press. We can now work our own press. So Back To Godhead and our books now can be printed in this press by our own men. I think you should now come back and see the printing work done nicely. You will hear more from Rayarama.
Back To Godhead is becoming gradually very popular in this country, and we are improving the quality of the printing etc. by the next issue, which you will shortly receive. The present circulation is ea. 1,500 and I expect it to increase to 5,000 by the next 2-5 months. People in this country are thinking seriously about this Krishna Consciousness idea and I hope very soon Back to Godhead will be a very popular magazine. If you give me some advertisement it will be a great asset to the publication, and we will be glad to print it free of charge.
I am in due receipt of your letter of July 12, 1967. I have advised my disciples to Publish your advertisement in the Back to Godhead free of charges.
I am a little disturbed to learn about your financial position as serious. I think you don't have to pay anything to Boston, as every center should be independent, especially when Satsvarupa and Rayarama are there. If printing BTG is too expensive, then revert to mimeograph. Unless positive gain, we should not take risk about BTG. You will be glad to know that for the last two days I am taking part in the cooking; so this is positive proof of improvement in my health.
Please give your primary attention for improving BTG, the backbone of our movement.
I also very much appreciate the work you are doing in trying to promote my books and record, and I am very glad to know that the new BTG is selling well. These publication are the backbone of our movement, and if we can distribute them successfully. then everything will be all right.
In your letter I understand that you have taken the matter of Back To Godhead in your heart. I've received news from other centers that BTG is now in demand and your idea for publishing 5000 copies is very encouraging. The news which we are publishing in Back to Godhead has certainly a novel presentation to the people in the western world who are hankering after spiritual enlightenment.
Since I've come to India, I've not received a single copy of BTG. There is no stationery nor prospectus either. I asked for these as well. But I've received nothing. I am starting for Calcutta on Oct. 9, You may send some stationary, BTG, and Prospectus to my Calcutta address by Air Mail.
I thank you very much as much as Mr. Kallman for improving our BTG. Krishna has entrusted you with a nice responsibility for improving the quality & quantity of BTG. I am very happy that since it is entrusted to you the things are improving. This means that Krishna is giving you more & more facilities.
I was under the impression that you were in Boston so I have sent you some letters there. Anyway please send to my Calcutta address by air mail some Prospectus, BTG & stationery. I am going to Calcutta on the 9th. The address is on the envelope.
Yes you try to make successful BTG as you have recently planned and then you may proceed to London. And because you are so engaged I asked Kirtanananda to go to London on his way back but he did not like the idea and has gone back to New York directly without any reason. Please send me some stationery and copies of Back to Godhead to my Calcutta address by Air mail immediately.
When Rayarama returns tell him that I have seen a copy of BTG. and that I am very pleased with it. Tell him to increase the quality and quantity of BTG. Also ask him to send me as many copies of BTG (at least 3) to this address.
I thank you very much for sending me 2 copies of BTG stationery & envelopes.
I am in due receipt of your letter (Oct. 12). I've received copy of #14 BTG & it is very nice. I do not wish to disturb you in your responsibilities with BTG & you can go to London at your convenience. I am glad that you have started correspondence with Mrs. D.C. Bowtell, & that will settle matters more directly.
I have seen the latest issue of BTG & have very much appreciated the presentation with your combined efforts—you artists & poets should try to increase the beauty of BTG as well as to promote the sales in larger & larger numbers. Your appreciation of Rayarama's effort is also shared by me in improving the condition of BTG. You can keep & stack your paintings & when I return I shall see where they will be most required.
My blessings are for you for the latest nice edition of BTG's. I am so pleased for your sincere endeavour for improving the quality & quantity of BTG. Krishna is helping you in this endeavour & he will help you more & more for your sincerity. Our circulation manager, Sriman Gargamuni, is surely taking great interest in seeling the copies. Regarding Kirtanananda's article, I do not know what he has written but I can guess that it must be polluted with impersonal poison, so for the time being you can keep this article aside.
In the meantime go on improving the condition of BTG which you are doing very nicely with the cooperation of your very respectable God-brothers. Regarding Kirtanananda, I cannot allow him to become Keith again. He is my spiritual son and I shall never allow him to fall down. When I return I shall drag him forcibly and make all right again.
I have decided to return back with visitors visa as advised by you. Therefore I am returning to Calcutta tomorrow and my next address will be as it is in the return address. You can send by surface mail our latest BTG copies to (copies #14, 15 & onward)
This attitude of service will help you progress in Krishna Consciousness and perfect Krishna Consciousness will help us to go back to home, back to Godhead. I have already sent you my congratulations for improving the get-up of BTG and I am sending news to Gaurasundara for his wonderful service to the cause.
We were very smoothly going on but this disruption created by Kirtanananda has plagued and disturbed the situation. The best thing is to do our duty nicely with faith in Krishna and everything will be adjusted. You are nicely doing BTG.
Let us stick to the publication of BTG more and more nicely and publish some Vedic literatures like Srimad-Bhagavatam, Caitanya Caritamrta, etc.
Regarding BTG, it is understood that Rayarama is in some difficulty financially. The recent editions of BTG is very much encouraging to me. The standard should be maintained and improved so that one day it may come on the level of such magazines as Life, Time etc. If he is in difficulty financially I think you can give him loan of $500.00 to be paid in monthly installments of $100.00.
I am so glad to learn that Rayarama, Satsvarupa, yourself, Gaurasundara, Govindarani and others are doing so much for improving BTG. I quite appreciate your endeavours and you must continue the Mahajana series, and whenever necessary you can ask me for necessary informations.
If you can, send one offset copy of the horses and chariot of Arjuna. Govinda dasi may draw a small picture of the same chariot for printing on the front page of Back to Godhead.
I think Rayarama is doing work in that spirit and his recent publication of several booklets and Back to Godhead and a calendar are all first class proof of his sincerity of service. Anyway, when I started Back to Godhead, it was my intention that your academic career and Rayarama's sincere service would be a good combination; unfortunately, I do not know why, you do not agree with one another.
I have no objection to the sweatshirts and posters bearing Madhava Visnu. And I am glad to hear that Back to Godhead will soon be ready for selling.
I am negotiating with one place in India for publishing Back to Godhead, at least 10,000 copies per month, at a concessional rate. Please consult with Rayarama and let me know your opinion about this.
n the meantime, I am also writing one letter to Mr. Goel; the copy of my recent speech on Krishna Consciousness I will send to him. Also, I am sending you one copy of said speech, and it may be published in Back to Godhead. I have also sent this speech to West Germany.
I thank you very much for sending me the latest copy of Back to Godhead, which is so nicely decorated and painted. My special thanks are due to Jaya Govinda who—who has so nicely sketched the story of the Grand Procession. I think in each and every issue a similar story-sketch may be printed, and it will be very interesting for the American reading public. It is interesting and thought provoking. Therefore, the more we print such sketch-stories, it will be greater in appreciation.
| Page Title: | BTG (Letters, 1967 - 1969) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, Labangalatika |
| Created: | 17 of May, 2010 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=0, Let=367 |
| No. of Quotes: | 367 |