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Citizens (Letters)

Correspondence

1947 to 1965 Correspondence

Letter to Dr. Rajendra Prasad, President of Indian Union -- Delhi 21 November, 1956:

It is the custom of India from a time immemorial that a citizen of the state would approach the king, to express his grievances for redemption and the king would very kindly consider his case as duty bound and give him necessary relief by the royal judgement:

At the present moment, your excellency is seated in the position of the king by the will and Grace of the Lord and as a true Vaisnava I must accept your excellency as the representative of the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna, as He has expressed Himself in the pages of Bhagavad-gita. As such I beg to lay before your most exalted honour, the following few lines for favorable consideration and do the needful in pure consciousness.

1967 Correspondence

Letter to Krsna Devi -- Delhi 8 October, 1967:

I am rather proud to say that the movement of Krishna Consciousness which I have started in your country will fulfill the desires of many sincere citizens of your country who are actually anxious to have a bona-fide spiritual guidance from India. There are man other swamis & yogis in your country & I am very sorry that they can simply exploit the sentiment but they can not deliver the real thing on account of their ignorance of presenting things in the modern situation.

Letter to Brahmananda -- Calcutta 12 December, 1967:

Knowledge of self is not complete until one is actually engaged in devotional service. There are many citizens who have complete sense of national knowledge but out of many of them, one who is engaged in national service like Washington or Gandhi, he becomes the most prominent with national consciousness. Similarly, when one is mature in knowledge of self, he must knows what is the duty of the self.

1968 Correspondence

Letter to Harivilasa -- Montreal 25 July, 1968:

A Krishna Conscious person is supposed to be without any designation. So why should you think yourself as a citizen of USA? You should always think yourself as servant of Krishna. And as servants of Krishna, you combine together and develop a nicer International Society in India.

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Sumati Morarjee -- Unknown Place 1969:

From Bhagavad-gita we understand that the Vaisya community is specially responsible for giving protection to the cows as much as the ksatriya kings are responsible for giving protection to the citizens of the state. As such, if you can organize-and I believe you can do so, because by Grace of Krishna, you are in good position amongst the mercantile community—big dairy farms with large pasturing grounds, then the problem of milk supply and cow protection will automatically be done.

Letter to Unknown -- Tittenhurst 1 October, 1969:

The state laws are specifically meant for making citizens men of good character, and good character means avoiding the following sinful activities: intoxication, illicit sex life, gambling and meat-eating. We are checking people from practicing these sinful activities.

Letter to Pradyumna -- Tittenhurst 13 October, 1969:

This obstacle by the Kazi is not new to our Krishna Consciousness Movement. It was there even during the time of Lord Caitanya, but we must steadily go on with our activities without caring for these so-called custodians of law. We are the most lawful citizens in the world, but if some demon Kazi gives stumbling to our execution of duties, we cannot abide by such order.

Letter to Hamsaduta -- Tittenhurst 2 November, 1969:

These scriptures of the Buddhists and the Christians may be the words of God, but still they are not always applicable to us. It is just like a king may give some rules and regulations for some criminals in prison; but for the good citizens out of the prison these rules are not necessarily applicable. So these Christian and Buddhist scriptures were delivered for a different class of men, and we needn't spend our time in studying their doctrines.

Letter to Brahmananda -- London 25 November, 1969:

In the Bhagavad-gita we understand from the 16th Chapter that when a living entity becomes envious of Krishna, he is put into the darkest region of material existence, exactly in the same way as when a citizen is disobedient, lawbreaker, he is put into the prison cells. So this is nature's way beginning from Krishna, and one has to undergo such stringent regulative principles of material nature in such disobedient position.

1970 Correspondence

Letter to Madhudvisa -- Los Angeles 14 February, 1970:

Krsna does not force a devotee because the devotee acts spontaneously according to the desire of the Lord; in this kind of loving service there is no question of force. Force is applied only when there is denial of Krsna. Just as the citizens of a state have freedom to follow the laws of the state, that is subordinate freedom, and the freedom of the living entities is also subordinate to Krsna.

Letter to Syamasundara -- Los Angeles 15 April, 1970:

So the atheist is hypocrite himself when he says that he does not believe in God. He has to believe in God in the form of Death. A criminal hypocritically says that he does not believe in the Government, but a civil citizen abides by the law of the Government. The Government is present therefore both for the criminal and for the law abiding citizen. To the criminal the Government is present as force of law and order, putting the criminal in the prison house and giving the civil citizen all facilities for peaceful life.

1971 Correspondence

Letter to Yamuna, Gurudasa -- Nairobi 17 October, 1971:

The whole world is so made that the living entity must serve Krishna; otherwise he has to serve maya. It is the same example that the citizen of the state has to render service to the government in order to become a good citizen. If one does not abide by the government laws then he is put into prison walls and forced to serve the government more tediously. So if we do not perform sacrifice, yajna, which means method of activities for pleasing the lord; as you know it is stated in Bhagavad-gita that any work not done for the satisfaction of the Lord must entangle the doer in the complication of the stringent laws of material nature.

Letter to Lalita Kumar -- Delhi 15 November, 1971:

I am very encouraged by the progress you are making to lead the citizens of your community, Wilmington, on the transcendental path back to Home, back to Godhead. Because you are very sincere and enthusiastic boy, and very intelligent also, Krishna has give you this position of leadership in His army, to win the war with Maya and establish Krishna Consciousness as the perfect way of life for every living entity.

Letter to Bhakta dasa -- Delhi 20 November, 1971:

It is very nice that you are holding festivals in San Diego center. We are finding these festivals very successful for attracting the citizens to our activities. More and more these festivals may be held, at least very large festival in a year, simply for glorifying Krishna in public places. It is not that a specific holiday or theme has to be chosen. We are simply calling our Indian programs "A Hare Krishna Festival."

Letter to Danavir -- Delhi 20 November, 1971:

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 Sri Galim -- Delhi 20 November, 1971:

These public festivals have proven very effective in spreading knowledge about Krishna Consciousness to all the citizens. In fact, I have directed the GBC to organize such festivals and travelling sankirtana throughout their zones.

Letter to Satsvarupa -- Delhi 21 November, 1971:

The old system of gurukula should be revived as the perfect example of a system designed to produce great men, sober and responsible leaders, who know what is the real welfare of the citizens.

Letter to Satsvarupa -- Delhi 25 November, 1971:

Just see how nicely your brahmacaris are working. They will go out in early morning and beg all day on the order of the guru. At night they will come home with a little rice and sleep without cover on the floor. And they think this work is very pleasant. If they are not spoiled by an artificial standard of sense gratification at an early age, children will turn out very nicely as sober citizens, because they have learned the real meaning of life. If they are trained to accept that austerity is very enjoyable then they will not be spoiled.

Letter to Damodara -- Delhi 3 December, 1971:

Generally I don't have much faith in these politicians. They are no more interested for the welfare of the citizens. Simply they want some votes to exploit others. But let us see what can be done.

Letter to Mohanananda -- Delhi 6 December, 1971:

It is a good idea that you propose to hold a very nice Bhagavata Festival to inaugurate New Naimisaranya. Do it very nicely, and invite all of the citizens from Dallas city and the surrounding area, especially the younger class, and read and lecture very palatably from Srimad-Bhagavatam, and in every way demonstrate to them the ideal Krishna Conscious community. A little land, some cows, enough. Balance of time chant Hare Krishna and be happy.

Letter to Satsvarupa -- Bombay 17 December, 1971:

So you can try on this point to convince rich businessmen, educators, politicians, etc. to help us push forward this gurukula system for guiding their young children on the right path to becoming sober, upright citizens. You can inform them that if they give me proper facilities that I can save all the young people of your country from the worst danger.

Letter to Satsvarupa -- Bombay 17 December, 1971:

Now their children are all becoming hippies, and they do not want so much technology and knowledge which gives them no real satisfaction, so they are losing all interest in education and only they want to enjoy life, that's all. But if such children are given practical guidance on the transcendental platform, above the bodily and mental conception of life, then they will develop into perfect citizens—moral, honest, hard-working, law-abiding, clean, faithful to home and country, like that. That is the unmatched success of our Krishna Consciousness schooling system, so you introduce it nicely, so that your country's leaders will see something very nice and come to our assistance.

Letter to Amogha -- Bombay 25 December, 1971:

Never mind we have to wait some time for a house. We are Vaisnavas means we can live under a tree. Main thing is preaching, so if preaching is going on, that is enough. But because people want a comfortable place to sit down and chant, therefore we have got our centers around the world. So just to accommodate such public you can get a house whenever it is possible, and decorate it very nicely for attracting the citizens.

1972 Correspondence

Letter to Balavanta -- Calcutta 18 February, 1972:

I am very pleased that you are running for Mayor of such important city as Atlanta. Now you present to the populace the perfect example of Krishna Conscious person, and always be very clean and neat. You may present the simple program to the citizens for becoming purified and regaining their lost happiness by meeting together frequently to chant Hare Krishna, that's all. We have no complicated political platform. Politicians today are simply pick-pockets, tricking the voters to pick their pockets. They make promises to gratify the public's senses, but then they only gratify their own senses and the public throws them out, repeatedly. So we can promise perfect peace and happiness, and we can fulfill our promise very easily.

Letter to Amarendra -- Calcutta 4 March, 1972:

But one thing, our platform must be very simple, that there is no other sacrifice necessary for the well-being of the citizens save and except this Sankirtana yajna. Regularly the town citizens can everyone congregate and chant Hare Krishna and hold festivals of celebration continually, with widespread distribution of tasty foodstuffs—who will not be attracted by such program?

Letter to Amarendra -- Calcutta 4 March, 1972:

Actual government means to give the citizens the highest welfare, that is, spiritual fulfillment and access they should provide to obtain without any difficulty the perfection of this human form of life. Otherwise, government means democracy, so now instead of one king who could rule piously, there are thousands of kings, each one interested in taking only some taxes for his spending, not for welfare.

Letter to Dasarha -- Bombay 4 March, 1972:

Simply show them by example that we are finding great spiritual joy in serving Krishna, sell them some literature, give them prasadam, and invite to the temple, and if they cannot understand from the point of view of philosophy, at least they will be able to appreciate our wonderful and enlivening activities and that we have proved ourselves the most upright, moral persons and the best examples of enlightened souls for the general improvement of all the citizens.

Letter to Bali-mardana -- Bombay March 22, 1972:

Another thing, because our business is to engage many men in the devotional service of Krsna, then if we give the job to others for distributing all our books, then where is the opportunity for our students to canvass all the citizens to purchase our books to give them good training how to preach? I think Macmillan wants "exclusive" rights to distribute, but we must be allowed to sell our own books, otherwise where is the preaching?

Letter to Niranjana -- Sydney 12 April, 1972:

So far my chastising you at Mayapur for your questions it is simply out of love that I chastise any of my students. It is a father's duty to raise his son to be a strong, useful citizen, and sometimes he must reprimand him for some mistake in order to teach him. But this harshness is only for his son's benefit. Similarly, you are all my spiritual children, and my only concern is to see that you all become strong in your devotion to Lord Krishna, so sometimes scolding may be there, but you should always remember that it is done with love and it is only for your benefit.

Letter to Karandhara -- Tokyo 2 May, 1972:

The newspaper article is especially nice, it means that the citizens are beginning to look behind our dress to find out our nice philosophy. This is a very good sign.

Letter to Balavanta -- Los Angeles 28 May, 1972:

So it is very much our duty to come to their aide and point out exactly how this sinful living, namely, slaughtering animals, intoxication, illicit sex life, and gambling, how these sinful activities are so much degrading to the human kind and how they are only producing hippies, wars, and endless suffering as a result. So we want to give the citizens the positive value of Krishna consciousness way of life, so for that activity we must always be preaching very strongly in the public.

Letter to Secretary to Minister of Education and Culture -- Los Angeles 7 June, 1972:

We agree wholeheartedly that without philosophy, religion is reduced to sentiment or "the opium of the masses." We are likewise in full agreement with your national leaders that the state and the citizens in general must be organized upon philosophical principles.

Letter to Secretary to Minister of Education and Culture -- Los Angeles 7 June, 1972:

According to our philosophy, a householder or substantial citizen of the state has to see not only after the well-being of his wife, children, relatives and dependents, that they shall be properly taken care of and will not starve, but also even if a lizard lives in his house, he should see that it is not hungry. Therefore, to give all facilities of living condition to all living entities is our Krishna Consciousness movement.

Letter to Secretary to Minister of Education and Culture -- Los Angeles 7 June, 1972:

But if we examine the course of history, we must conclude, with Mr. Karl Marx, that this so-called standard of truth constantly changes, and that what one group of people accept at standard of perfection at one time, the same people may again reject that standard and take another philosophy as the all-in-all, and so on. So if we are intelligent leaders of state, it is to our advantage to benefit all the citizens by satisfying their material requirements, but even more is it our duty to satisfy their need for being secure and confident that they are working under the principles of a truth or reality which does not change and is therefore absolute. That is spiritual satisfaction.

Letter to Secretary to Minister of Education and Culture -- Los Angeles 7 June, 1972:

Our only desire is that when the good people of your country are so anxious to continue the natural God-consciousness, why not give them opportunity to read a book which is full of philosophy and science in the matter of developing their firm understanding of the truth or God-consciousness, and thus very easily unify and satisfy all the citizens.

Letter to Amarendra -- Los Angeles 12 June, 1972:

Actually, it is the fault of the rascal leaders that the conditions in the world today are so topsy-turvy. In your country many fools elect the biggest fool to be their leader, it is like one blind man leading so many other blind men. But for the most part, the ordinary citizens of the society are innocent enough, they simply require good leaders and everything can be rectified. So it is our great responsibility to become very serious in the matter of executing Krishna Consciousness, and if we are sincere and go on expanding this movement all over the world, gradually we shall induce the leaders to accept our philosophy more and more.

Letter to Rupanuga -- Los Angeles 1 July, 1970:

Your government has got inclination to assist the unfortunate people of the world, and that is very nice idea, now they should understand also that we are very much anxious and capable to assist them in their great and noble endeavor by rendering our services amongst the unfortunate citizens. If they give us financial help in this matter of human welfare activities, we are prepared to save or rescue their entire population from the clutches of ruin and degradation of all sorts.

Letter to Satsvarupa -- Los Angeles 1 July, 1972:

But if they will agree to try to understand our Krishna Consciousness education or way of life and allow their children to be educated by us, they will see them come out as the topmost citizens with all good qualities such as honesty, cleanliness, truthfulness, loyalty, etc.

Letter to Bhavananda -- London 1 August, 1972:

I am so much pleased that your Rathayatra procession was so nicely received by the citizens of Calcutta. This news has engladdened me beyond words. Now take advantage for raising funds for Mayapur. Therefore I wanted this Rathayatra festival. I am enclosing some photos of our Rathayatra procession in other places and you can distribute these photos to the newspapers in Calcutta. In one day we have captured the citizens of Calcutta, and I am so much pleased.

Letter to Amogha -- London 9 August, 1972:

When the soldiers risk their lives on the battlefield, the government is very much inclined to give them all facilities in their work, even the citizens may be deprived of their comforts. So Krsna takes special appreciation for His devotees who are engaged in risking for His preaching work, and He will give you special care and guidance at all times because you are sincerely trying to serve Him in this way. Thank you very much for your sincere endeavors.

Letter to Hrdayananda -- Vrindaban 5 November, 1972:

It is just like one man is holding government post by getting votes, so today or tomorrow or next day, but he will have to go out, then another man comes, then another, another—in this way, democratic system, no one becomes responsible for the welfare of the citizens, only they want to take for themselves as much as they can before they have to get out, so they do not take real interest in their duty.

Letter to Satsvarupa -- Vrindaban 5 November, 1972:

That is just like democratic system in your government: every four, five years changing all the leaders. In this way, each man is thinking he shall not try to do very much. No one is interested in the real welfare of the citizens, simply because the post is temporary. That is not our process. Real meaning of duty is just like Arjuna: he did not like to be responsible, he wanted to leave the scene, but Krishna convinced him this is your duty, to fight, so he did it for Krishna, and he fought until the last man was killed from the opposing side. That is leadership. He is determined to stick to his position because he has understood Krishna.

Letter to Mohanananda -- Ahmedabad 11 December, 1972:

Let the small children from all good families in your country come to our Gurukula school and take education from us. They may be certain their children will get the real knowledge which will create the best citizens of brahminical type, clean, honest, law-abiding, healthy, industrious, all good qualities they will have.

1973 Correspondence

Letter to Damodara -- Bombay, India 9 January, 1973:

But in the case of new temples, it is better if they must have to struggle a little while to establish themselves in their cities, become familiar with the local city officials and leading citizens, elicit support from all quarters of the city, like that, otherwise these things will be neglected and there will be false dependency upon the outside supplies. This will deteriorate everything. Our purpose of Krsna consciousness movement is to create first class servants of Krsna, that means they know how to do everything.

Letter to Damodara -- Bombay, India 9 January, 1973:

Spending so much time with upper class citizens to get funds must be judged on this idea, whether their appreciating our movement will have any practical effect in terms of widespread spreading of Krsna Consciousness and preaching to the mass of men?

Letter to Rupanuga -- Bombay 13 October, 1973:

Regarding your question about the spiritual world and the material world, there may be maya, but one who is Krsna conscious has nothing to do with it, exactly like there is the police department but the law abiding citizen has nothing to do with it.

Page Title:Citizens (Letters)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, ChandrasekharaAcarya
Created:08 of Dec, 2010
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=0, Let=46
No. of Quotes:46