Training of Jayapataka dasa (Letters, 1968 - 1971)

Expressions researched:
"Account" |"Activities" |"BBF" |"BBFD" |"BBT" |"BKF" |"BTG" |"Back to Godhead" |"Bhaktivedanta Book Trust" |"Book Fund" |"Book Trust" |"Book Trust," |"Book" |"Books" |"Branch" |"Branches" |"Business" |"Center" |"Centers" |"Check" |"Checks" |"Consult" |"Consulting" |"Cooperate" |"Cooperated" |"Cooperation" |"Cooperatively" |"Dai Nippon" |"Debt" |"Debts" |"Deities" |"Deity" |"Deposit" |"Distribute" |"Distributed" |"Distributing" |"Distribution" |"Duty" |"Festival" |"Finances" |"Financial" |"Funds" |"GBC members" |"GBC" |"Governing Board Commission" |"Governing Board Commissioners" |"Governing Body Commission" |"Governing Body Commissioners" |"ISKCON" |"Initiate" |"Initiated" |"Initiates" |"Initiating" |"Initiation" |"Initiations" |"Iskcon" |"Jayapataka" |"Jayapataka's" |"Kirtana" |"Language" |"Languages" |"Leader" |"Leaders" |"Leadership" |"Leading" |"Literature" |"Literatures" |"M-V trust" |"M-V" |"M.V trust" |"Macmillan" |"Magazine" |"Magazines" |"Manage" |"Managed" |"Management" |"Managers" |"Managing" |"Manuscript" |"Manuscripts" |"Mayapur-Vrndavana Trust" |"Mayapura-Vrndavana Trust" |"Meeting" |"Mission" |"Missionary" |"Money" |"Movement" |"Organize" |"Our society" |"Preach" |"Preacher" |"Preaching" |"Press" |"Print" |"Printing" |"Program" |"Programs" |"Publication" |"Publications" |"Publish" |"Publishing" |"Rathayatra" |"Report" |"Reports" |"Sankirtana" |"Temple" |"Temples" |"The society" |"Translate" |"Translated" |"Translating" |"Translation" |"Translations" |"Zonal" |"Zone" |"Zones"

1968 Correspondence

Letter to Jayapataka -- Seattle 6 October, 1968:

I am in due receipt of your letter Sept. 25, 1968, and I have noted the contents carefully. I am very much concerned about yourself that you have been injured, by working; I do not know what sort of ugra-karma you were doing, but whatever you do, you must be careful. Your body is dedicated to Krishna, therefore you should not be neglectful about your body. You should always think that your body is no more your body, but it is Krishna's body. Therefore you should take care of it. So far studying Bengali, of course if you can do with spare time, I have no objection. But I don't think there is any importance in studying Bengali. It is too late now to study Bengali and become a scholar, neither Bengali is very useful in your country and this part of the world, but there are many literatures in Bengali. If you can study conveniently, then spare your time; otherwise, do not waste your time. If you have got some time, the best thing would be to chant Hare Krishna more and more. Because our life is very short, and we have to finish our Krishna Consciousness this life very quickly. We do not know when we shall meet our next death, our next exit from this platform. But before going out of this platform, we may try to finish Krishna Consciousness. That is our main business.

I have not heard anything about publication of our Back To Godhead in French language. What about the printing in mimeograph machine? I am very much anxious to hear about it. Please issue the mimeograph copies of Back To Godhead as soon as possible. And Hamsaduta we wrote me about starting some press, but I have not heard anything about the press starting. I am interested in starting the press, so if you can manage it will be very nice. Another thing, you ask Janardana why he does not write me since I have come back to New York from Montreal. I have not heard anything from him. So I am also interested to know whether he is doing translation work or not. Please ask him to write me. And also, I have written one letter to Hamsaduta that please ask him to reply me as soon as possible.

Here in Seattle, things are going nicely, and it may be from here I may go to Florida. There is some friend in Florida who wants to help us to open a center there. All of you please chant Hare Krishna, and hear the sound vibration, and serve Krishna and Spiritual Master to your best capacity and everything will be all right. Please offer by blessings to all the devotees and I am expecting letters especially from Hamsaduta and Janardana.

Letter to Jayapataka -- Los Angeles 1 December, 1968:

With much satisfaction I have read your letter of November 24, 1968 and I thank you very much for this. From it I can understand clearly that you are making nice progress in your devotional service attitude. Your sincere and humble outlook is very nice. I am always praying to Lord Krishna to bestow His Causeless Mercy upon you.

So far the phenomenon which you have questioned me about, I think that it is all Krishna's Grace because you are sincerely working for spreading His Cause. You needn't disclose this phenomenon to everyone, you have disclosed to me and that is sufficient. But you may know that it is a good sign. Continue to work sincerely and you shall be blessed in this life, there is no doubt.

Regarding the money which you shall soon attain, I think that the book fund may use it very well as we have so many new expenditures due to our new books, Bhagavad-gita As It Is (already published) and Teachings of Lord Caitanya (to be published next month). So if you can send this money to me it will be very nice. Also, when these books arrive to your Montreal temple, it will be great service if you can help your god-brothers in arranging for widespread sales of these books. We are writing so many literatures and this is very good, but also we must make arrangement for distribution to the public at large. So jointly you may prepare for doing the needful in this matter.

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Hamsaduta -- Los Angeles 21 January, 1969:

Anyway, before there is a final settlement of this house affair, please hold a meeting amongst yourselves to discuss this matter further. The meeting should include Janardana, Dayala Nitai, Jayapataka, etc. Already you have a very nice temple on Park Avenue so before you make any plans to change this you must make sure that this move is very carefully thought out.

Letter to Hamsaduta -- Los Angeles 21 January, 1969:

Also, I am very encouraged to learn that Jayapataka has taken the initiative to look for kirtana engagements for your temple. He is a very good boy and you should encourage him to do this important assignment very nicely.

Letter to Jayapataka -- Los Angeles 30 January, 1969:

I am in due receipt of your letters of January 23, 1969, and I have carefully read the contents. For the present I think you cannot leave Montreal for doing work on your draft status. Your service is much too valuable there. Even if this means that in the future you cannot leave for the United States, what is the harm in this? Everywhere you are it is the same because Krishna is there, and you can perform devotional service anywhere you are. There is no need to be attached to any particular land on account of some mayic relationship. All places belong to Krishna, and wherever we get the chance for serving Him, that land is our God-gifted land. Anyway, you may write to your draft board and explain to them that you are studying to be a minister of Krishna Consciousness but you are at present unable to leave Montreal. When your duties are not so much needed in Montreal you will come to the United States to resume your attempts. Write to them in this way, and let us see what is their response.

Regarding your question about the Brahma Samhita, there is no contradiction with the Bhagavad-gita. If "direction" is not specifically mentioned in Bhagavad-gita it does not mean that Brahma Samhita is not authorized. Regarding the singing meter used by Narada Muni, anyone can utter it. You have asked about the specialness of the month of Karatieya, and the answer is that is is a special inducement for persons who are not in Krishna Consciousness to perform some devotional service. For persons who are doing nothing in Krishna Consciousness, it is an indirect inducement to take to devotional service in earnest seriousness, every moment is Karatieya. In this connection, there is a good example that sometimes a store gives special concession to attract new customers. But for those who are already customers there is no need of a special sale. They will purchase at any cost if they know the import and value of the goods. Similarly, those who are pure devotees do not aspire for any concession, and out of spontaneous love try to engage themselves in devotional service 24 hours each day, 365 days every year, without any stoppage.

So far as reading scriptures out loud, this depends upon the circumstances. If you can understanding by reading silently, there is no need to read out loud, because this may make others feel disturbed. The mantra you have asked about which is mentioned in Brahma Samhita means the pastimes, Form and Qualities of the Lord with His Associates. Our mantras are never impersonal. When we meditate upon Hare Krishna we remember the Pastimes, Form, Qualities, etc., of Lord Krishna.

Regarding the teaching at Sir George Williams University, if you like you may take charge, I have no objections. But if there is somm one who may speak better at present, you should give him a chance. In either case, you should please try to introduce into every college and university our Bhagavad-gita As It Is. That will surely be a great service. The Bhagavad-gita is well read everywhere, and you need only to convince them that this is the best edition.

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Letter to Jayapataka -- Los Angeles 14 February, 1969:

I am in due receipt of your letter of February 7, 1969, and I have carefully noted the contents. I have also seen the leaflets done by this boy, Mark, and they are very nicely done. Regarding your question about the 10 senses, such questions should be taken up at your Istagosthi meetings. I have already answered most of the questions you have asked in this connection in a previous letter, so you may refer to it.

About the shell which you are presently keeping in the temple, because it is not a conchshell, it should be considered as impure, and therefore it may not be placed upon the altar. Regarding the meter sung by Narada Muni, it is not necessary for us to practice this. For your final question, you are correct in your idea that leaflets which are destined to be thrown upon the ground should not contain pictures of Krishna, Jagannatha, etc. Such leaflets may only be hung up for people to see.

I thank you very much for your offer to print any pages I may need upon your press there, but I think that the first business should be to immediately print another issue of Back To Godhead, French edition. The first issue was very nice, but I hope this will be printed regularly so that it may be a great help to us in spreading this Krishna Consciousness movement to the French speaking peoples of the world. Please inform me immediately as to what is the problem of printing this second issue of Back To Godhead, French edition.

Letter to Jayapataka -- Hawaii 11 March, 1969:

I am very glad to receive your letter dated February 28, and noted the contents with great pleasure. The transcendental experience which you had during kirtana performance at the Loyala University is very nice. Relishing the transcendental sweetness of Krishna Kirtana is only possible when one is actually advanced, towards perfection. Srila Rupa Goswami used to say, wishing if he had possessed millions of ears, and billions of tongues then he could chant the Hare Krishna mantra a little bit relishably. In the conditioned stage, we chant Hare Krishna mantra officially without any attachment and try to finish the rounds as soon as possible. Sometimes we also forget to chant the prescribed number of rounds. But Haridasa Thakura even at the last stage of his life, he was chanting 300,000 beads although Lord Caitanya personally asked him to not labor so hard. But Haridasa Thakura said that he would continue the practice till the end of his life. So that is the position of transcendental taste. Please therefore chant very sincerely with your present aptitude of mind and Krishna will bless you more and more in understanding this secret of transcendental vibration. Of course, sometimes the public may misunderstand such tears of bliss, so we may better have to check it from the vision of ordinary persons.

So far the strange colors, etc., better when you see all these things that you chant and hear; that will help you to understand what they are. (Also, it may be some effects of your past drugs habit.)

So far as painting on the body the Names of the Lord, this is all right. But there is no need of doing that in this country. Simply hearing is sufficient.

Please ask Janardana what is the difficulty in editing BTG in French language. Of course, I received his letters that he was so much busy in so many ways, but still, this is also one of his responsibilities. In the absence of BTG printing, the machine is being used for some other purposes. Of course, when I was in Montreal, I think I gave permission to print some outside work, to get some money, but that does not mean that we should stop our own work, and print something in our press which is against our principles. Please try to convey this news to both Janardana and Dayala Nitai and they may please give attention.

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Letter to Gopala Krsna -- Hawaii 30 March, 1969:

P.S Please contact Bal Samant by correspondence. His address is with Jayapataka Brahmacari. Also let me his address in India.

Letter to Jayapataka -- New Vrindaban 21 June, 1969:

I am so glad to receive your letter dated 18 June, 1969, and I have carefully noted the contents. The Rathayatra Festival you will perform from the 20th of July to the 27th of July. The main item is the car, so how will you observe the Festival with out the required car, or ratha. If you want to take the Deities on the shoulders of the devotees, that is also nice. But if you would convey the Deities on a car, that will be very nice. The Festival is the Deities are taken to some river side, if not the seaside, and Montreal has got a very nice river, the St. Lawrence River. The system is that for 8 days the Deities remain on the seaside, and kirtana goes on, prasada is distributed, and people offer flowers, fruits, etc. to the Deities. Then on the 8th day, the Lord returns to His own place. This is the system, and the care is taken in great procession, complete with chanting, flowers, etc. This year Boston is also trying to celebrate the Rathayatra Festival, and if you like, you may open correspondence with Satsvarupa in this connection, and he will help you with further ideas.

I am so glad to learn that Kirtana is going on, and by Krishna's Grace you are getting some collections. This is very good news. If during Rathayatra, you cannot keep on the seaside, then you take the car in procession to the riverside, and come back the same day. For the eight days, as far as possible distribute prasadam, especially kitcherie. Then on the 8th day you also hold the ceremony in the same way. Please arrange to take nice photographs of your Festival activities as well as of your other kirtana activities. We wish to print many such photographs in our Back To Godhead, so take many pictures, and send them to Brahmananda in New York.

Letter to Jayapataka -- Los Angeles 11 July, 1969:

I thank you very much for your letter dated July 1, 1969, and I have noted the contents carefully. I am pleased to note that you are diligently going out on Sankirtana everyday, and you are managing the temple affairs nicely. You have requested that some brahmacaris may come out to help you in Montreal, but one problem is that the American boys cannot work in Montreal. This is one hindrance. I shall consult with Tamala Krishna to see if there are any boys available from the Los Angeles temple who may go there, but I do not think that these American boys will be able to hold jobs in Montreal. I am anxious to know what is the position of the French Back To Godhead. I received issue #3 several months ago, but since then there has been no further word about this very important publication. So please inform me what is the situation regarding French BTG. In Germany they are now printing a very beautiful German edition of BTG, and this is very, very pleasing to my Guru Maharaja because He wanted that peoples of all languages may understand this philosophy of Krishna Consciousness. Regarding further tapes of Vedanta Sutra, this has been suspended for the time being, but when I begin again I shall send the tapes to you. Recently we have finished our book, Nectar of Devotion, and now the book, Krishna, is in the process of being written. So when the project of Vedanta Sutra is again taken up I shall inform you.

You have asked if it is true that the Spiritual Master remains in the material universe until all of His disciples are transferred to the Spiritual Sky. The answer is yes, this is the rule. Therefore, every student should be very much careful not to commit any offense which will be detrimental to this promotion to the Spiritual Kingdom, and thereby the Spiritual Master has to incarnate again to deliver him. This sort of mentality will be a kind of offense to the Spiritual Master. Out of the ten kinds of offenses, the number one offense is to disobey the orders of the Spiritual Master. The instructions given to the disciple by the Spiritual Master at the time of initiation should be strictly followed. That will make one advance to the spiritual path. But if one deliberately defies such instructions, then his advancement is hampered from the very beginning. This defying means to disconnect the relationship with the Spiritual Master. And anyone who defies and therefore disconnects the relationship with the Spiritual Master can hardly expect the assistance of the Spiritual Master life after life. I hope this will clear up this question sufficiently for you.

Letter to Gopala Krsna -- Los Angeles 11 July, 1969:

In the Montreal temple Jayapataka is in charge, and I hope you are also cooperating with him. It appears that things are going on nicely there. I am enclosing a letter for him, so you may kindly hand it over to him.

Letter to Yoland -- Los Angeles 30 July, 1969:

You have asked me, "Could you accept me as your student until eternity?" My reply is that you may discuss this matter with Jayapataka, who is in charge there, and if he agrees, then you may submit your beads to me through the mail.

Letter to Jayapataka -- Los Angeles 1 August, 1969:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated July 29, 1969, and I have noted the contents carefully. I am pleased to note that the French edition of BTG will be ready by the end of the week. Please send a copy to me immediately when it is ready. You ask if you should improve the magazine to look like the English BTG, and of course this is very welcome, but first you must organize things so that the French edition can come out regularly every month. There are plans that soon there will be a center in Paris, France, so this French edition of BTG will help a great deal in the success of this center. Also, there are so many French speaking people in Canada, so please try to have this magazine come out on a regular monthly schedule. That would be very nice. Regarding the arrangements you described for having devotees come from here to work in Montreal, please send this information to Tamala Krishna, along with further details, and he will do the needful. I am pleased to note that you are selling about 25 copies of BTG daily and you are going out on Sankirtana twice daily. I have learned from Brahmananda that he is increasing the number of BTGs to be printed from 20,000 to 25,000 copies per month. So there is much potential for selling these issues to the many people who are gradually taking more and more interest in our movement, and please organize your sales there to increase at a steady rate. Sankirtana is the tried and proven method of propagating all aspects of our Krishna Consciousness Movement, so continue to go out chanting in the streets as much as possible.

Regarding Jhulanayatra Ceremony, during these five days the Deities' clothings should be changed everyday, and there should be nice Prasadam distribution and Sankirtana as far as possible. If you are able to do it, a nice throne may be constructed on which the Deities can be placed. This throne may be swung gently during Kirtana. That will be very good, and surely the Deities will enjoy the function. You have mentioned that you have been invited to attend some "World Brotherhood Conference," and if it is convenient, you may go there with your Sankirtana Party, chant Hare Krishna, give some talk on Bhagavad-gita As It Is, and distribute Prasadam. That is our only business, and we can do these activities anywhere; it doesn't matter on the street or in some "World Brotherhood Conference." Everyone in this material world is conditioned by the laws of Maya, so wherever we go, surely there is much work we have to do in help

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Letter to Jayapataka -- Los Angeles 12 August, 1969:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated August 7, 1969, and I have noted the contents. Regarding Narottama das, our policy should be to keep members as much as possible. We should not flatly say "You must leave." That is not our policy. If he comes to Los Angeles to see me, I shall speak with him to find out what is his difficulty. So far as that meeting you are invited to, it is not very important. Our stress should always be on Sankirtana Party. These "yoga" societies are useless. If you do go, you should not eat their food. We cannot eat anything not offered to Krishna, and we cannot offer anything to Krishna which is not cooked by a devotee. I hope this will clear up the matter for you. Regarding Dayala Nitai, I am instructing Umapati to send him from Los Angeles translated essays and articles for printing in French BTG, so Dayala Nitai will now have more time for going on Sankirtana Party. You have asked about a quote from Bhagavad-gita As It Is, and the statement is that the material energy is Brahman, not Brahma. Brahman means spirit. Brahma is the first living entity in the universe, and their is no "n" at the end of his name.

Letter to Jayapataka -- London 26 September, 1969:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated September 11th, and I have noted the contents. Enclosed please find one photograph of the Radha-Krishna throne, so you may begin constructing it as soon as possible. When the Radha-Krishna Deities are installed, you may turn your main attention to Them, rather than to the Lord Jagannatha Deities. You continue to keep Jagannatha nicely though, and sometimes change His dress. So far as your having already ordered instruments from India, that is all right. Regarding your question about the verse in the prayers to the Spiritual Master, the Spiritual Master is one of the associates of Krishna. The prayers offered by Visvanatha Cakravarti to his Spiritual Master have a special significance. His Spiritual Master was one of the assistant gopis, so the prayer was offered like that. On the whole, the Spiritual Master is an agent of Krishna. But either He is assistant to the gopis or assistant to the cowherds boys, He is on the level of Krishna. That is the verdict of all scriptures. Krishna is worshipable God and the Spiritual Master is worshipper God. The exact words are sebya (worshipable) and sebak (worshipper).

Your explanation of Annamoya is all right. Pranamoya means there are different types of airs, and the spirit soul is floating on the air, just like all the planets are floating in the air. This Pranamoya air is transferred by breathing exercises, but we have nothing to do with such exercises. Our prana, or life, is surrendered to Krishna. That is the first class yoga system approved by Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad-gita. This Pranamoya, Annamoya, etc. are different stages for persons who are too much engrossed in the bodily concept of life. Our philosophy begins from the point where we immediately accept that I am not this body; I am pure spirit soul, servant of God, Krishna. Therefore, these studies are meant for neophyte transcendentalists. But this devotional service is far above such platform. Regarding your last question, generally those who are attracted very much to Lord Caitanya and Goswamis are understood to develop to the conjugal love stage with Lord Krishna. So I am very much pleased, and I congratulate you.

Letter to Jayapataka -- Tittenhurst Park, Tittenhurst House Ascot, Berkshire, England October 13, 1969:

I beg to thank you for your letter dated October 3, 1969. and I have noted the contents carefully. Regarding the questions you have asked about the Radha-Krishna throne, I am enclosing herewith a diagram by Shyamsunder which should help you. If you have further questions about constructing the throne, you may consult with the Los Angeles temple. They will be able to give you the information. Try to make the set-up in your temple like the photograph I have sent you of the Los Angeles temple. If there is difficulty keeping the Vyas Asana as it is in the picture, then keep it where it is, and use the entire back wall for Lord Jagannath and Radha-Krishna , as per design in the picture. Regarding my meeting with Allen Ginsberg, don’t bother with this now. I wont be there while he is there, so there is no need of arranging for such engagement. Regarding Dyal Nitai, he was not fixed up from the very beginning, so let him try his luck elsewhere if he wishes. But if he has little bit of Krishna Consciousness he cannot cope with any one else. That is a fact. But if he is not pure from the very beginning, then he may slip away. But from the very beginning he had tendencies like that, so even if he came back don’t rely on him, neither give him any responsible work. The tests you have sent to me are nice, and the Hare Krishna Mantra leaflet is also nice. The only thing is that on the leaflet the type is very small, so people may have trouble to read it. I thing you may send one copy to Woomapati, because he may like to have some for his Paris center. I have received one letter from Janardan a few days ago, and he is coming to see me here.

Letter to Jayapataka -- Tittenhurst 16 October, 1969:

I beg to inform you that I have received a letter from the Gaudiya Mission, Calcutta, in which they write to say as follows:

"We have been greatly obliged on receipt of a letter dated August 18, 1969 from Sri Krishna Das of Radha Krishna Temple, Montreal (Canada) offering us a shipment of medical stores and again a letter dated September 1, 1969 from one Administrative Asst. of world Naval Service, Montreal, offering us 20,000 bags of flour for the needy in India. We value such offers as coming at your instance. We contacted W. Bengal Govt. They are not much interested in taking charge and distributing the same. We are, however, consulting other suitable parties who can handle and deal with the matter as per object of the donor. We are personally unfit for such importing and shipping matters, as you may well understand. We shall write to the parties after we get response from a dependable local party here."

I am surprised that such bogus letters have come from parties claiming to belong to our centers. Our disciple Krishna das is in Germany, not in Montreal. Anyway, such irresponsible letters dispatched from our temples must be stopped immediately. I shall be glad to hear from you about this by return of post. If somebody is unauthorizedly using our stationeries and writing letters to responsible quarters, with no sanction from us, then such persons must be avoided.