Training of Rsi Kumar dasa (Letters, 1968 - 1975)

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" |"Kirtana" |"Language" |"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" |"Rshi Kumara" |"Rsi Kumar" |"Sankirtana" |"Temple" |"Temples" |"The society" |"Translate" |"Translated" |"Translating" |"Translation" |"Translations" |"Zonal" |"Zone"

1968 Correspondence

Letter to Brahmananda -- Los Angeles 31 December, 1968:

The new temple in Los Angeles is very nice and Sankirtana is going on there very nicely. I do not know how is your temple there, I have heard that it is very nice, but I think that the temple here is probably nicer. The rent is higher here though. Nara Narayana will give you details when he arrives. Enclosed is the duly signed documents for instating Rsi Kumar as the new secretary. He is very good boy.

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Nara-narayana -- Los Angeles 1 February, 1969:

So far as kirtana party is concerned, you have well suggested to conduct the party under the good guidance of Rsi Kumar. He is a very expert devotee, and the kirtana party can be well managed under his guidance, and under the cooperation of Brahmananda.

You should always read also, besides attending class, whenever you have time, the Bhagavad-gita As It Is. Then I can surely recommend to the draft board that you are a very serious student of Bhagavad-gita under my supervision.

Letter to Brahmananda -- New Vrindaban 26 May, 1969:

Regarding your request for a kirtana musician, we don't require anyone who is very musically talented. Here in New Vrindaban Hayagriva has organized very nice kirtana party, and they are singing and chanting thrice daily very, very nicely. So I think you are the best mrdanga player, and similarly you have Rsi Kumar, Madhusudana, Uddhava, as well as others, so if you think all of you are deficient, I can send you a tape recording teaching playing techniques, and you will learn from this. You have got another devotee, Mohini Mohan, Purusottama's friend, and Purusottama says he is a musical master, so utilize the talent you have got and surely your propaganda will be successful and more men will come. It is in the same way that I came here with only one pair of cymbals, and now there are hundreds of cymbals going on. So Krishna will send us men; gradually as we qualify ourselves everything will come.

Letter to Brahmananda -- Los Angeles 22 July, 1969:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated July 18, 1969, and I have noted the contents carefully. I am pleased to note that under your direction Bali Mardan, Jayadvaita, Rsi Kumar, Candanacarya, Nayana Bhirama and Joel Chalson are all working very nicely. It is a good combination, so make this combination stronger and improve it. You write to say that the Printing Department has $3,000. Does this mean $3,000 including the collection from selling TLC? In my idea the softcover edition should be printed by realizing money from the hardcover edition in which you have already invested $6,000. That should be our business policy. I wish to know how much you have collected thus far by selling TLC hardcover. That amount may be invested in printing softcover edition. Or if you think that the softcover edition will have immediate good sales, then we can invest the extra amount. I do not think that putting the advertisement on the cover as you have mentioned it will be very good. Everything should be exactly like it is, with the addition of the index. But the cover, the printing and the paper should be exactly as they are in the present edition. The price for the softcover copy should not be less than $2.95. Another thing is that if MacMillan Co. has decided to not print our Bhagavatam, then this also will have to be printed by ourselves immediately.

1970 Correspondence

Letter to Syamasundara -- Los Angeles 23 January, 1970:

Regarding George's money: Brahmananda talked with Gargamuni and informed him that one week ago the secretary of Mr. Klein's APTKO (?) record company called our temple and said that the check is ready for you, please come and pick it up. In response to this, Rsi Kumar went to that APTKO Co. and they wanted to give him a check for $1,900. (19 hundred). Rsi Kumar said that we were expecting a check for $19,000 (19 thousand). So the check was mistaken and he did not receive the check.

Then it is learned that two days ago the secretary of Mr. Klein phoned Brahmananda and submitted his regrets that the check was drawn wrongly as $1,900, and he would call him again for delivering the right check. But up to now there is no news from them.

I do not know what is happening, but you may keep George informed about this fact, and if possible reply this letter.

Letter to Damodara -- Los Angeles 4 May, 1970:

Letter to: Damodara

—

Los Angeles

4 May, 1970

70-05-04

Bahulasva Berkeley Rshi Kumara New York

Satsvarupa Boston Umapati Paris

Harer Nama Boulder Subaladas Philadelphia

Rupanuga Buffalo Sridama Providence

Jaya Gopala Columbus Vamanadeva St. Louis

Bhagavan dasa Detroit Madhudvisa San Francisco

Hamsaduta Hamburg Citsukhananda San Jose

Gaurasundara Hawaii Revatinandana Santa Barbara

Durlabh Laguna Beach Gajendra Seattle

Gurudasa London Bali Mardan Sydney

Sripati Montreal Sudama Tokyo

Hayagriva New Vrndavana Jagadisa Toronto

Cidananda Vancouver Damodara Washington

My Dear Damodara,

Please accept my blessings. I hope everything is going on well in your center.

As each and every ISKCON Center is my life and soul for preaching this movement, I hope you are doing your best to conduct the regular routine duties of the Temple—chanting regularly the beads, observing the restrictive regulations, taking Sankirtana Party to the streets, and selling our magazines and books.

Now at the present moment, I am concentrating my energy in this Los Angeles Center as ideal for all other centers in respect of Deity worship, Arati, Kirtana and other necessary paraphernalia. As I have curtailed my moving program, I wish that you may come here at your convenience and stay here for a few days and see personally how things are going on, and by meeting with me personally for necessary instruction, I hope simultaneously in all Centers that activities will be of the same standard.

Hope this will meet you in good health, and more when we meet.

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami