October 23, 1973
My Dear Purusottama das,
Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated October 17, 1973 and have noted the contents. You should know it that without surrender bhakti does not begin. Surrender to Krsna or to His representative is absolutely necessary. I do not know why your understanding of Krsna consciousness is different from that of Madhudvisa Swami's.
[text missing] ...s, it is required that 16 rounds be chanted as an [text missing] ...te necessity. Because we have got many duties, [text missing] ...ve minimized the amount to 16 rounds, otherwise [text missing] ...minimum is 64 rounds, but Western people cannot [text missing] ...this. So 16 rounds must be executed.
Regarding your recommendations, I accept the following as my initiated disciples:
Sutapa Das - Luke Anakadundubhi Das - David Trivarga Das - Jerry
I have chanted on the beads you have sent me, and they are mailed under separate post. But, in future I request you to send the beads for being chanted upon by Madhudvisa Maharaja. This is to avoid the postal charges back and forth. Please see that the new disciples are always engaged in devotional service.
I hope this meets you in good health.
Your ever well-wisher,
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami