March 27, 1972
My dear Koumadaki,
Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter, undated, and I have noted the contents. Thank you very much for the nice poems you have written. They are very well done, and you can submit them to Iskcon Press for publication in Back to Godhead. I am glad to hear that you and your husband are happy in your work for Iskcon Press. The distribution of our literatures is such an important task, for as more people read these books, more and more the whole world will become auspicious and the degrading influence of this age of Kali will become minimized.
Because we are not pure, these thoughts of sense gratification are bound to come into our mind, but if we do not act on them and keep ourselves always engaged in Krishna conscious activities, they will have no effect. Maya is always placing the memories of our past sinful activities before us, and encouraging us to come once again into her clutches, but by always chanting Hare Krishna and keeping our mind fixed on Krishna, he will give us the strength to resist her demands, and gradually they will diminish. Krishna is like the sun, and Maya is like darkness. Where there is sun what is the question of darkness?
Raising children is a great responsibility, and a prospective parent should be convinced that he can deliver his child from the clutches of birth, death, disease and old age. If that conviction is there, then there is no objection to having hundreds of children and raising them to be pure devotees of Krishna.
Because this body belongs to Krishna, and we are using it in His service, it should be kept in good working order. A little dal, a little rice, some vegetable and a few chapatties is a substantial diet, along with a little fruit and milk. Two cups of milk a day is sufficient. The Ayurvedic system of eating is to decide how much you can comfortably eat, then take half of that amount, filling the remaining half one quarter with water and leaving one quarter for air. This simple, regulated diet along with strict cleanliness will keep one healthy, strong and free from disease.
Hoping this will meet you in good health.
Your ever well-wisher,
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
ACBS/nkd