May 26, 1969
My Dear Gopal Krishna,
Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated May 21, 1969. I am very glad to send you the beads for your initiation, but I think you wanted permission from your father, and I have received the following telegram from him: "Gopala Khanna at Montreal our only son pray his initiation to brahmanahood will doom and driven future of this small humble family. Pray abandon programme and earn our gratitude, cable. Accepting our prayers Lord bless every one and give us our joy back.—Mr. and Mrs. A. S. Khanna Aban Villa Santacruz East."
I do not know why you had wanted permission from your father. In the material world everyone is interested in pound-shilling-pence. Your parents must be thinking that upon your being initiated you shall become a mendicant and the pound-shilling-pence you are sending will be stopped, and they will suffer materially. But you can assure them they will be better off materially after you are initiated. Anyway, now I do not know what to do with you. Shall I wait till you get sanction from your parents, or shall I initiate immediately? In my opinion, because you wanted permission of your parents, you should wait at least for such time when your parents will permit you. But if you are strongly desirous, then you can disregard your father's desire and make advancement in Krishna Consciousness. On hearing from you I will do the needful.
Your ever well-wisher,
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami