In the hands of... (Letters)

Expressions researched:
"in the hand of" |"in the hands of"

1967 Correspondence

Letter to Mrinaline -- Vrindaban 27 August, 1967:

Certainly in your past life you must have had been a devotee of the Lord, otherwise you wouldn't have felt like becoming a nun at such a young age. Anyone who has a natural tendency for rejecting sense-gratification is considered to be advanced or liberated in spiritual life. Your appreciation of Maya as false and Krishna as the only reality is a great asset. Nobody has ever gained anything by becoming a tool in the hands of Maya, but everyone has become eternally happy by serving Krishna.

The feeling which you had by becoming compassionate to the fallen bum is very good, but the best way to deliver a bum is to revive his dormant Krishna Consciousness. If you can do that then give the bums good food and shelter. If you cannot do that, then simple supplying food and shelter, is serving the Maya. But there is no benefit to serving Maya, as you know, as it is all false, temporary or illusion. We are concerned with Reality, not Maya, and that should be the object of life.

Letter to Janaki -- Delhi 7 October, 1967:

He is willing now to marry and you may arrange for that. Please do remain in Krishna consciousness fully and you will always be happy. I am now almost cured & I wish to return back as soon as I am in receipt of a permanent Visa or immigration Visa which is in the hands of your good husband. I am starting for Calcutta on Monday morning and I shall be glad to hear from you at my Calcutta address. Please convey my blessing to all the boys and girls and I hope to meet them very soon.

1968 Correspondence

Letter to Hayagriva -- Los Angeles 15 January, 1968:

Anyway, I am very much hopeful that you are eager to go to India and accept voluntarily the task under my guidance. I am searching out a very good place in Vrindaban for the accommodation of my American students. Kirtanananda has seen the house known as Jaipur House. This house is in the hands of the Rajastan government and negotiation is still going on, and from the correspondence, it appears to be favorable. Now I am awaiting the final decision; as soon as I hear the decision I shall again return back to India with some other students. And I shall be so glad if you also come to India as originally envisaged. In Krishna Consciousness, if you stick to the principles of Bhagavad-gita, there is no question of disharmony; disharmony is created by some rascals of the Impersonalist class who try to comment upon the Gita differently. Doctor Radhakrishnan and company are of the same class.

Letter to Brahmananda -- Los Angeles 8 February, 1968:

"Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trayate mahato bhayat." Bhayat means fearfulness. Even a slight injection of this transcendental vibration can save one from the greatest danger. In future, of course, we shall not be very cheap plaything in the hands of the so-called publicity leaders in the kingdom of Maya. We simply give them a little chance to serve Krishna, but we cannot accept their leadership. In future, therefore, we shall agree to such publicity if they publish about ourselves exclusively. I think the Television proposal as written by you may be utilized in that way. Yes, I saw the late Ambassador Mr. B. K. Nehru at San Francisco Hotel and he and his wife received me well. He introduced me also with the Consul General, Mr. Bazpai. So the meeting was nice and I understand that he has recommended my case as a permanent immigrant to the Immigration Department.

Letter to Sudarsana -- Los Angeles 15 February, 1968:

In reply to your letter, Jan. 31 1968, which I received just day before yesterday, I have accepted you as initiated student and your spiritual name is Srimati Sudarsana devi. (One who looks forward on the Sudarsan wheel in the hand of Krishna)

Please follow the regulations and chant 16 rounds daily at least without any offense. The list of offenses, 10 kinds, are in my apartment in N.Y., and you ask your God-brother, Brahmananda, and he will supply you. Similarly, there is another list of the qualifications, as well as prayer for Spiritual Master, are also there. Try to secure them, and follow the regulations, and Krishna will help you in being elevated to higher and higher platforms of Krishna Consciousness.

Letter to Karunamayi -- Los Angeles 25 February, 1968:

Your enthusiasm is very encouraging to me; there is great need for the spreading of Krishna Consciousness, and we need so many enthusiastic boys and girls for carrying on this great mission of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. My Guru Maharaja wanted that this Krishna Consciousness be spread all over the Western countries especially, and now in my old age, I am leaving this great responsibility in the hands of all you my students.

Regarding your questions: Once prasadam (water, or foodstuffs) is offered to the Lord, His Plate should remain on the altar for about 15-20 minutes (while the portion in the pots may be taken by the devotees). Water need only remain there for a few minutes. Once the prasadam is removed from the altar, and touched by us, it should not again be placed on the altar. Whatever we offer should be as fresh and pure as is possible.

Letter to Balai -- San Francisco 22 March, 1968:

Krishna has promised to always give all protection to His devotees, so you may rest assured that Krishna will take very good care of him. Please confer my blessings to Advaita, and tell him to keep his faith in Krishna, and not to fear the people imprisoning him. Fear personified cannot remain in the presence of Krishna. And the authorities there are simply like wooden dolls, or puppets, in the Hands of the Dance-Master, Krishna. So there is nothing to fear, simply it is to be considered a botheration, nothing more. Encourage him to chant continuously, and not to notice the activities of the prison-wardens. ACB

Letter to Jaya Govinda -- San Francisco 15 September, 1968:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated Sept. 9. Previous to this I received one letter dated in Sept. The problem is that Rs. 2000/- lie in the hand of Hitsaranji, and I don't think I'll receive back this money very soon. Therefore, your staying in Delhi has no use for me. So far your studying Bengali and Hindi, it is not at all important for the society. If you want to satisfy your whims, that is a different thing. Even if you study Hindi and Bengali so late in your life, I don't think you can become a very good scholar in those languages. So for studying Bengali and Hindi you needn't stay in Delhi. You can do some work in India on behalf me definitely by selling our magazines and our published books in India, and in no other way.

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Rayarama -- Los Angeles 29 June, 1969:

There are two important articles lying with Hayagriva: one interview talks with Ginsberg, and my old homage address to my Guru Maharaja. I think you already have this last one. These are to be published, along with pictures, as many as possible, of our Sankirtana activities and descriptions. From your statement, it appears that you do not expect to do anything with BTG after #29, because it is in the hands of he (Brahmananda). I cannot follow what you mean by this. Everything is Krishna's business. It is not my business, nor Brahmananda's, nor Hayagriva's. It is the business of Krishna, and we want to serve Him in the best way. I wanted to save the monthly expenditure of $600 for some other business, but that does not mean that you shall cease to work as one of the editors of BTG. You say that much of your time will be engaged in earning money, but that does not mean you have to cease your service to Krishna. You are praying for Krishna's blessings in order to serve me better, but when Krishna speaks through me, you hesitate to accept the words.

Letter to Brahmananda -- Hamburg 5 September, 1969:

Business is in one sense very dangerous allurement of Maya. If they are doing it nicely on the West Coast and supply the necessities of the East Coast, there may not be another competitive organization. Then this example will be followed, and some other center may like to open another branch. I am just trying to hand over the whole management in the hands of my devotees, but if there is some disagreement in the management, then the whole thing may not go well. I think therefore, unless you all agree to open another branch in the East Coast, it should not be done. You have got enough business in the East Coast, especially in the books and the press matter. I do not think you should divert your attention in any other matter. Yesterday we held Vyasa Puja Ceremony, and it was very nice. I shall take the opportunity now to thank you for the nice booklet you have had printed and for the part in this booklet written by you. After all of the reading was finished, I explained how service and prayers are accepted by Krishna through the medium of the disciplic succession.

1970 Correspondence

Letter to Govinda -- Los Angeles 7 April, 1970:

Tulasi leaves cannot be placed even on the lotus feet of Radharani or on the lotus feet of the Spiritual Master. It is entirely reserved for being placed on the lotus feet of Krsna. We can place, however, Tulasi leaves in the hands of Radharani for being placed on the lotus feet of Krsna, as you have seen on the Govinda Album.

Letter to Brahmananda -- Los Angeles 13 May, 1970:

So far I understand from Gargamuni that you misunderstood me that I want to take the management of BTG I never meant like that, neither I have got any time to tax my brain in that way. So you shall continue the management of BTG, and ISKCON Press is meant for that purpose.

Formerly when it was in the hand of Rayarama he was managing separately, then it came to your hand and the management is going on, but you never asked me for any payment in the matter of BTG. So I have asked Gargamuni to send you back the check which I understand you sent to him on this account for $5000. So I am simply interested in the book distribution, and whatever collection is made in this department may be paid to me either by you or by Gargamuni; and when there is question of printing books certainly I shall pay as I have been doing—that will simplify the matter.

Letter to Paramananda -- Los Angeles 17 June, 1970:

You have rightly observed that I am simply trying to execute the order of my Spiritual Master. Whatever is being done it is not on account of my intelligence or endeavor because I am simply an instrument in the hands of my Spiritual Master. I do not know how far I have got the capacity to carry His order, but I may say that I have a sincere desire to do it. This is Parampara system. If a student tries to satisfy his immediate Acarya or the Spiritual Master, that is the only qualification for advancing in Krsna consciousness. This is explained in the "Guruvastakam"—yasya prasadah bhagavata prasadao.

1971 Correspondence

Letter to Danavir -- Delhi 20 November, 1971:

I am very pleased that you are making arrangements for the 1st ANNUAL PUSPABHISHEKA YATRA PARADE AND FESTIVAL, 1971, and if he is free to come, Visnujana Swami may come to lead the kirtana and preaching. That is a good proposal. Krishna was just a toy in the hands of the Gopis, so one day the Gopis decided that we shall decorate Him. Pusyabhisheka means a ceremony to decorate the deity profusely with flowers, ornaments, cloths. After there should be lavish feasting and a procession through the streets, so that all the citizens should see how beautiful Krishna appears.

Letter to Karandhara -- Delhi 3 December, 1971:

I am very glad to accept them as my initiated students, and I have given their spiritual names as Ganga Narayana das and Jaga Mohini dasi respectively. Now you must guide them very nicely in Krishna Consciousness, because you are a veteran devotee and practically speaking the future of our Krishna Conscious Society rests in the hands of my older disciples. Give them all facility to perfect their lives by protecting them and instructing them nicely, that is now the duty of my senior disciples.

Enclosed please find two copies of Gayatri Mantra and two sacred threads, duly chanted on. Two beads duly chanted by me have been sent under separate post. Hold a fire yajna and give gayatri mantra to Yasoda-jiva and Siddhesvara. You have a tape of me reciting Gayatri Mantra. One thing is that the tape should be heard through earphones into the right ear. So the fire yajna can be held for all four devotees.

1972 Correspondence

Letter to Makhanlal -- Bombay 10 January, 1972:

One thing is that the tape should be heard through earphones into the right ear. So the fire yajna can be held for all nine devotees.

These are all very nice boys and girls, that I can understand, so now you take charge of giving them all good guidance and help on the path back to Home, back to Godhead. Practically the leadership of this Krishna Consciousness Society is now in the hands of you my older disciples and I am very pleased that you are taking such huge responsibility very seriously. In this way remain very sober and cool-headed and always think of Krishna somehow or other, and there is no doubt this Movement will one day conquer all over the world. One thing is, that I want that the highest standards of devotional service be maintained.

Letter to Ksirodakasayi -- Calcutta 18 February, 1972:

Regarding the law suit I am making against the three defendants, if you can give Gargamuni Maharaja some assistance in this matter, and see to it that it rests in the hands of a competent lawyer before Gargamuni must go to Bombay, that will give me great relief. I am always counting on your senior experience and good advice in these matters, and I am especially pleased upon you that you have secured that Saraf land for Krishna. Now let us cooperate to build up a wonderful center there in Vrindaban.

Letter to Bali-mardana -- Calcutta 5 March, 1972:

I am glad to hear from you that because there was some misinformation that we had got the wrong impression, and actually that everything is progressing in a spirit of mutual cooperation in all respects. This is Krishna Consciousness. Working together to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Practically now it is in the hands of you big guns to manage everything so that there may never be internal difficulties amongst us, and so that we may always go on increasing more and more the influence of Lord Caitanya's philosophy of Sankirtana process upon all the world. That will be your great achievement, and if you go on helping me in this way, you may know it for certain that very soon you will see Krishna face-to-face. In short words, I am very much fond of these booklets, now go on increasing.

Letter to Jagadisa -- Sydney 27 March, 1972:

If we simply repeat this philosophy exactly as it is, without any misrepresentation or adulteration, then this movement will never be checked, and we will conquer the world. So please train up all these boys and girls in the philosophy and brahminical culture and they will become useful tools in the hands of Lord Krishna for saving all the fallen souls in this age.

So far putting the deities to sleep, there are some mantras, but whether in Sanskrit or English, the purport is the same. So, just like you are dealing with your beloved master, you can meditate—"Dear Sir, it is time for you to come and take you rest now. Please come." Then you should chant Gayatri mantra. They may be awakened in the afternoon with the same method that is used in the morning.

Letter to Aksayananda -- London August 2, 1972:

I have just now got one letter from Gargamuni Maharaja, and he has had a very, very good success in Gujarat State by driving one van which he has borrowed for one month only. In that letter he has requested very urgently that one van be provided immediately from the European centers. So I wish that combinedly you may all pool your resources and purchase one nice van. Furthermore, a few men will be required to take that van by driving it to India. So I am placing this matter in the hands of Hamsaduta and he will do the needful. Now you all please cooperate with him as much as possible for procuring this dream of mine.

Letter to Tamala Krsna -- San Francisco 6 October, 1972:

So both you and Bhavananda arrange for this money from Mr. Jayan, and send advice to Karandhara by joint signature. But you must be careful to pay the money in the court (registrar's office) and not in the hand of Mr. Nair or his solicitor.

I enquired through a local lawyer why Diwanji is delaying the matter. He replied that he (Diwanji) is no longer our solicitor. So things appear to be very hazy, but we must not become the victim to the tactics of Mr. Nair and Mr. Diwanji. If things can be settled mutually even by paying 5 lacs more on the account of purchase agreement, do it and settle up the things properly, otherwise let us go to the court for specific action, either civil or criminal against the tactics of Mr. Nair.

1973 Correspondence

Letter to Amarendra -- Los Angeles 19 April, 1973:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 4.17.73. You are asking me to advise what should be your program, but now I wanting to leave these matters in the hands of my disciples. I have created GBC specifically for this purpose. If you the elder disciples cannot manage things, then what is the future of the society? My business now is to sit down and write my books, and I am requesting you all to please cooperate with me in this endeavor. So I think you can take advice from Rupanuga Maharaja, as he is my authorized agent. So I am sending him your letter and a copy of this letter in this regard.

1975 Correspondence

Letter to Jagadisa -- Honolulu 2 February, 1975:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated Jan. 22, 1975 and have noted the contents. All of your proposals have been approved by me. Try to increase the book distribution as much as possible. This is our business—to put our books in the hands of intelligent men of America. If they read even one page, the influence will be so great.

I have accepted Doug, Judith and Paul for 1st initiation and their names are respectively; Dayala Nitai, dasa, Jaganmayi devi dasi, and Paripurna dasa. Their beads can be chanted on by Kirtanananda Svami. Train them nicely to follow all of our rules and regulations strictly without fail and to engage 24 hours in Krishna's service. Help them to understand the importance of this Krishna Consciousness Movement.

Letter to Deoji Punja -- Vrindaban 4 September, 1975:

Also on the Ground Floor on the first plan there were living quarters, but on the second plan there is only one big Library. Where will our men live? Living should be on the Ground Floor.

Regarding the adjacent piece of land, if you can donate, then the adjacent land owner can also donate. The management of affairs should be in the hands of my devotees. Your program for making Life Members is approved by me. You should work under the supervision of the GBC.

Letter to Ed Gilbert -- Vrindaban 9 September, 1975:

We are preaching therefore this Krishna consciousness movement so that we may not have material discrimination. The soul has nothing to do with the body. The body is of different varieties calculated to be 8,400,000 forms. The soul is the same passing through different bodies by the process of transmigration. It is exactly like gold passing through business transaction, but when it is in the hands of somebody he thinks that it is "my gold," and when it is passed through another's hands, he thinks it is "my gold." Similarly the soul being as gold when he is situated in a particular body, it identifies with the bodily position, and each and every body is different from the other. So long the soul is in ignorance and identifies with the body, how can there be equality? So unless one is raised to spiritual understanding, there is no question of equality on the bodily platform. This is a scientific calculation.

Letter to Bhagavan -- Bombay 14 November, 1975:

I have received the weekly cash reports. It is very good that you have the same treasury system and reporting system in all your temples. This is wanted. Please keep the accounts very correctly so that we may remain always above suspicion. I am glad that you now have 20 devotees in Geneva. This is very encouraging. Try to train them up and gradually leave the matters to be managed by them, in the hands of the Swiss devotees. When I started this movement, I wanted to bring some men from India. The problem was that in India the men who joined the Gaudiya Math mission were not very educated. So I declined to bring them in the Western countries and by the grace of Krsna I was able to train the local men. And thus gradually, things became successful. The Western people, they are Aryans and ksatriyas in their origin, but due to bad association with the aborigines, they have taken all bad habits and become degenerated. Now we have to revive this Aryan civilization and rectify things. If we do it nicely, then all the Western people will be happy and they will glorify Lord Caitanya.

1976 Correspondence

Letter to Punjabi Premanand -- Bombay 16 April, 1976:

Reading the book is the same thing . . . tattva-darsana—hearing from one who has seen the truth. Reading or hearing from the realized person there is no difference, but hearing the sound vibration from the realized soul is still more effective, better.

Concerning your offering of doing padayatra, travelling village to village; what is the use of getting the land in the hands of politicians who cannot properly utilize the land according to the instructions of Krishna. That's a fact, but if Indian young men join me I am immediately ready for this travelling touring from village to village, town to town. However, my foreign disciples have the language defect, they can't speak the village language, otherwise I would have started this program long ago. If some young men like you would join me then along with some foreign disciples I can immediately take up this program.

1977 Correspondence

Letter to Srila Prabhupada -- Unknown Place 13 March, 1977:

In recognition of this the Supreme Lord has agreed to live amongst the mlecchas and accept their poor hearted offerings. Without your devotion He could never have agreed to do this. Once in 1971, after you had installed Their Lordships Sri Sri Radha Krsna in Sydney in a 'temple' that was actually a converted garage, you prayed to Krsna that "Now I am living you in the hands of these rascals, so You kindly look after Yourself and see they serve You nicely." The following year you told us that story and commented that now you could see that He has done this and you encouraged us to go on increasing our service to the Lord more and more.

Just recently also, you told us how, when the Bombay land dispute was going on and the demons tried to throw us off the land, you prayed to Krsna, "Sir, You kindly sit down tight and do not move from this place and I shall manage everything."