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Devotion (Letters)

Expressions researched:
"devotion" |"devotion's" |"devotionism"

Notes from the compiler: VedaBase query: devotion or devotionism or devotion's not "nectar of devotion" not "love and devotion" not " devotion to krsna" not "pure devotion" not "unalloyed devotion"

Correspondence

1947 to 1965 Correspondence

Letter to Sardar Patel -- Calcutta 28 February, 1949:

May your honour accept my humble namaskara. Your honour is well known as the iron man of India but I know that you the most practical man who can take things as they are. With this idea in view I venture to approach your honour for submitting the following few lines for your consideration and necessary action.

Funds are being collected to commemorate Mahatma Gandhiji in a fitting manner and I beg to suggest that the same may be done in the Gandhian way and not otherwise. Gandhiji's whole life was dedicated to the service of humanity at large with special interest for raising the moral standard. His later activities showed that he was equal to every one and all the people of the world knew him more as the spiritual leader than a mere politician. Devotion to Godhead was his ultimate aim and when I say that his sacred memory should be perpetuated not in the ordinary way but in the Gandhian way, I mean that fitting respect to his memory will be done in the following manner.

1. In the midst of his multifarious duties, Gandhiji never missed to attend to his ramdhun kirtana meeting. This is one of the soundest method for the culture of devotion to God. In the opinion of Srimad-Bhagavatam, one who is imbibed with the devotion of Godhead is also endowed with all the good qualities of the gods. But one who is not a devotee of Godhead, has not any value for his good qualities because he utilizes his so called good qualities for ulterior purposes. As such the easy way to raise the moral standard of people in general, is to make this sankirtana movement more popular all over the world by philosophical discourses based on reasoning and moral and ethical codes. The Vaisnava acaryas especially Lord Caitanya and his six Gosvami disciples give us ample opportunity and scope for this work. Lord Caitanya first inaugurated the sankirtana or randhun movement and the later Gosvamis supported it by scholarly philosophical synthesis. The six sandarbhas by Srila Jiva Goswami are marvelous in this respect.

Letter to Juggannath Babu -- Calcutta 14 March, 1949:

Sri Krishna Caitanya preached as one of the Vaisnava acaryas like Ramanujacarya and others and His mission was to establish the same theory of deliverance as was propounded by Sri Krishna Himself in the Bhagavad-gita. In the Bhagavad-gita the Lord personally described as to the method of approaching Him, His real features, His different Potencies known as the mahamaya and the yogamaya, His virat appearance His method of creation maintenance and destruction of the material world, information of the transcendental world which does not annihilate even after the annihilation of the material world. The living entities souls, the process of migration of the souls the description of the mahatmas, their duties and lastly the duty of everybody after elaborate elucidation of the three modes of nature, satya raja tama and the different human races, work, knowledge, devotion, worship activities under the influence of such modes of nature. In the Bhagavad-gita a clear distinction has been made between the asura prakrti and daiva prakrti and He has vehemently deprecated the demonic or asuric prakrti and eulogized the daiva prakrti.

Letter to Juggannath Babu -- Calcutta 14 March, 1949:

When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu visited Varanasi He was invited to a philosophical discourse by the Prakashananda Sarasvati a great giant scholar and sannyasi of the Mayavadi or Sankara sampradaya and discussion was made on the Vedanta philosophy. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was victorious in that discussion and converted the great sannyasi with his 60,000 followers to His cult of devotion and established His easy method of sankirtana movement the most suitable method for the deliverance of the people in general.

So on the occasion of the Lord's 463rd advent day, I beg to suggest that in the guru-mandala some such preaching method as was adopted by Lord Caitanya, may also be adopted for the benefit of the general people. The upasana of yoga system as recommended by Sastriji may not be suitable for the people in general because hardly they will be able to adhere to the principles of yoga and it may be as suggested by the Rajguru Sastriji that in the default of such yogic method the performer may fall ill and thus become doomed for his life.

Letter to Brothers -- Allahabad 1 January, 1955:

Initiated members shall adhere his body with the marks of Vaisnavism;

(23) He shall chant the holy name of God systematically & regularly according to the rules of the Goswamis.

(24) He shall try to worship in the temple after learning the art from another co-worker. The initiated member is converted & accepted as bona fide Brahmin & thus he can enter the temple.

(25) He may enhance his spiritual education taking lessons from Geeta, Bhagavata, Science of Devotion, Lord Caitanya etc. and prepare for the examination of Bhakti-Sastra, Bhaktisiddhanta, Bhaktivedanta etc.

(26) If he desires to be a preacher, he will be trained up in that way & will be given the titles of ___ ___ ______ according to preaching capacity.

Letter to Brother -- Unknown Place September 1955:

These questions & answers you will have to preach to others, so that both yourself & your audience will be benefited by that process.

(5) If you cannot go to others outside your hearth & home, you can do the preaching work amongst your family members only and in this meeting your other friends, neighbors & relatives also can join.

(6) Hold this meeting regularly for one hour in your home or any other suitable place near about your home, and chant the hymns or slokas of "Bhagavad-gita" with reverence & devotion. If possible the reading of Bhagavad-gita may be preceded & followed by a congregation chanting of the holy name of God as mentioned below—Hare Krishna . . . Hare Hare.

(7) Now relevant questions that may be arising out in the meeting may either be answered relevantly & just according to the authority of "Bhagavad-gita". But if it is found difficult the question may at once be referred to us and it will be very nicely & clearly answered by us for clear understanding of all concerned.

(8) Some of the audience also may be interested in becoming a preaching worker of this League & we shall be glad to substain him in the same way as we shall be dealing with you. We are interested more in preaching members than in the sleeping members.

Letter to Seth Mangumal Amarsingh -- Bombay 24 July, 1958:

I beg to inform you that Sri Sanjib Banerji manager of the United Bank of India, has advised me to see you between 1 to 2 p.m. and he has told me that he had telephonic conversation with you about me. I have come from Vrindaban on a missionary purpose and the necessary papers in this connection are enclosed herewith. Please find. Sri Banerji has spoken very high about your good-self that you are highly interested in the matter of propagating the cult of devotion and the message of Vrindaban.

The present Vrindaban city is the excavation of the six Gosvamis headed by Srila Rupa and Sanatana Gosvamis who were deputed by Lord Caitanya to re-establish the Bhakti cult and inexecution of the order of Lord Caitanya the six Gosvamis lived there made a vast research in the Sastras and left behind them a vast literatures of pure Bhakti cult to be broadcast all over the world by later Acaryas. As such my Spiritual Master Sri Bhaktisiddhanta Goswami Maharaja made a great effort to execute the order of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and we were fortunate enough to meet Him for service. Apart from his various uncommon activities in the line, He was kind enough to order me to propage the same cult in English language to preach the cult in the foreign countries and in obedience to His order I am trying to do my bit. What I have done so far will be spoken by the enclosed papers. But I am practically struggling very hard for this job without any tangible success till Sri Sanjib Banerji has told me that you are the right person to co-operate with me in this noble task for propagating the Bhakti cult and combined in the message of Sri Caitanya Caritamrta.

Letter to Sumati Morarjee -- New York 27 October, 1965:

They are after material gains. The Bhagavata Cult is not there at all although it is the only remedy for raising the people in the world in the path of self realization and spiritual salvation.

I do not know what is in the mind of Lord Bala Krishna but I think that your attention to give an impetus to the Bhagavata cult and my humble attempt can serve great purpose. By the grace of the Lord you have a great position in the world and it is learnt that you are one of the richest woman in the world. But above all you are a pious lady with great devotion for Lord Bala Krishna and you can do a lot in this connection.

By the Grace of Lord Bala Krishna you are also free from all family encumbrances and as I have see you in your Palm Ban house, you live like a sage and a Tapaswini. I wish that you may take up this idea of Bhagavatam preaching work a little more seriously. What I want that immediately a society for this purpose may be formed and that will be recognized by the Government for cultural activity. So many cultural missions come here from India at the expense of Government and they simply waste the money. But if there is a real cultural mission for preaching the Bhagavatam cult a great philanthropic work will be done for the human society at large. I am just giving you the idea and if you kindly think over the matter seriously and consult your beloved Lord Bala Krishna surely you will be further enlightened in the matter. There is scope and there is necessity also and it is the duty of every Indian specially the devotees of Lord Krishna to take up the matter.

Letter to Sally -- New York 6 November, 1965:

Please offer my good wishes to your friends who still remember me. I shall meet them again when I go to Butler. I like Butler more than New York and specially the quarters in which your home is situated. Had I had the means to rent a house independently I would have gone back again to Butler and hold my Bhagavatam discourses daily with good friends.

So far I have studied the American minds they are eager and apt to receive Bhakti Cult of Srimad-Bhagavatam because the Christian religion is based on the same principle. My mission is not turn any one from the affiliation of a particular religion but I want to let them know more knowledge about God and devotion.

Dr. Rammurti Mishra is also very kind gentleman and I am living very comfortably at his care. He is keen after looking my all kinds of comforts. I am negotiating with some booksellers and publishers and I hope I shall be able to settle something before I leave for the next station. I shall be New York still for a few days more and I shall let you know when I leave the station. I am so grateful to your kindness and surely I shall ask you if I need anything. I have left my hearth and home in India but here by the Grace of the Lord I have got good sons and daughter like you. So I do not feel any foreign complexion.

1966 Correspondence

Letter to Reserve Bank of India -- New York 30 April, 1966:

Since I have come to America in the last year (September 1965) I have traveled many parts of the country. Some of the local papers has published articles about me and they have designated me as the "AMBASSADOR OF BHAKTIYOGA".

At present I am staying in New York city at the above address and holding my classes on the culture of musical kirtana as well as discourses on the cult of devotion (Bhakti) on every Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays which are participated by the American Youths, Ladies and Gentlemen. They appreciate the musical mellow very much although they are not conversant with the language. And without understanding the language they give a aural reception to the kirtana in a devout manner. So there is ample prospect for propagating this Indian culture in this country.

I want therefore to establish this cultural centre and for this I wish to get some exchange from India. The Government has also its cultural department and as such the Government of India spend a substantial amount in the foreign countries. Similarly I wish to preach this Bhagavati approve culture not only in America but also in other countries outside India. I have already made experiment in this matter and I think there is good prospect for propagating the particular culture of how to love God, all over the world specially in these days of forgetfulness.

Letter to Mr. I. N. Wankawala -- New York 11 June, 1966:

Since I have left India I did not hear from you and I hope everything is well with you. My preaching work is going on nicely. The Americans are taking interest in the matter of Bhakti cult of Sankirtana movement. I am holding classes of Sankirtana and discourses on the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam and I very glad to inform you that they are chanting the holy name of God "Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare" with great devotion. There is some attempt for opening one Radha Krishna Temple in New York and Sir Padampat Sighania of Kanpur has promised to build up the temple. I am trying for the Indian Exchange sanction and if it is sanctioned, I hope one temple of Sri Sri Radhakrishna will be first built in New York. I am also trying for the temple otherwise if the Exchange is not sanctioned.

I have received one letter from Srimati Sumatiji Baisaheba dated the 11th April 1966 in which she writes amongst other things as follows: ". . . Regarding free passage to be provided to your men from India to New York on our ships, kindly note that these gentlemen will have to obtain permission from the Reserve Bank of India and therefore I suggest that you please request them to complete the P form formalities and thereafter please ask them to contact Sri I.N. Wankawala of our Calcutta Office whom I am advising suitably."

1967 Correspondence

Letter to Janaki and others -- New York 10 April, 1967:

My Dear Janaki Devi, Haridasa, Mukunda Das, Syamasundara Malati Devi, Hayagriva Das, Harsarani Devi, Devakinandana, Lilavati, Ravindra Svarupa, Haladhara Dasi, Upendra, Subala Das, Krishna Devi, Dayananda, Nandarani, Jayananda, Ballabhi Dasi, Syamadasi, Ramanuja Yamuna Devi, Gurudasa, Yogamaya, Mr. Mathews, and all other devotees and friends,

Please accept my hearty greetings and blessings. I am so much obliged to you for your devotion and affection for me. I thought of you all throughout my journey from Francisco to New York and I was praying to Lord Krishna for your more and more advancement in Krishna Consciousness. On my arrival here I was received by hundreds of devotees and friends although Mr. Ginsberg was out of the town. One young professor from India first greeted me and told me that Swamiji you are doing here real work whereas others who have come from India, have simply formed some groups of old lady students without any real information of Indian original culture. Any way the reception in New York was very good organized by our students here and there was distribution of varieties of Prasadam to about 100 men in the temple. I was not least tired and after landing from the air ship although there was some blockade in my ear still I continued meeting for three hours. I am now very well although I am feeling your great separation. Please continue Kirtana as usual with devotion and you will make more and more advancement in Krishna consciousness. Hope you are all well and I beg to remain.

Letter to Dayananda, Nandarani, Uddhava -- Delhi 20 September, 1967:

I understand from your letter that the situation in Los Angeles is different from San Francisco or New York, in the matter of communications. But the flavor of Krishna consciousness is so far-reaching that it will go far and wide if we chant with devotion. After all Krishna is the master of all situations. In the beginning you may feel some difficulty but rest assured that Krishna is always with you and he will help you in all respects.

I understand also that you are very much anxious for my return to your country and I am also equally anxious to return and see you again. So far my health is concerned I am definitely improving in my health but if I work a little hard or walk a little more I feel tired. Unfortunately there is no good typewriter here and this letter I am typing my self. Acyutananda is not fast typewriter and Kirtanananda is going back to London tomorrow. I have advised him to start a centre in London positively and after a month Rayarama will join him from Boston. Kirtanananda has experience to start a new centre and therefore I have entrusted him with this great task. I hope he will be successful there as I have given him one important letter of introduction for London. Please pray to the Lord that he may be successful. I have heard from friends that the climate of Los Angeles is warmer. For my health I require warmer climate. Whatever improvement is made here in the matter of my health it is all due to warm climate. As such I shall be pleased to know about Los Angeles with special reference to its climatic conditions.

Letter to Devananda -- Delhi 27 September, 1967:

Your nice letter with deep regard for Guru is quite appropriate. Guru and Krishna are two parallel lines on which the spiritual express runs very smoothly. In the Caitanya Caritamrta it is said "Guru Krsna prasade paya bhakti lata bija (CC Madhya 19.151)." By the Grace of Guru one gets Krishna and by the Grace of Krishna one gets a bona fide Guru. Therefore Krishna consciousness means staunch faith both in Guru and Krishna. One minus the other is no good for the devotee. So your faith in the principles of devotion to Guru will certainly help you more and more Krishna. Do not ever try to approach Krishna directly. Anyone who talks of Krishna without service to Guru will not be successful. So your faith in Guru and Krishna simultaneously will help you to become crowned with success in the progressive march in Krishna consciousness. Do not be worried, be situated in the present aptitude and everything will be clear.

Letter to Subala -- Delhi 29 September, 1967:

Our senses are all blunt in the matter of receiving transcendental subject matter, but they are purified in due course of time by constant engagement in the service of the Lord. So yours and Krishna Devi's sincere effort to open a branch in Santa Fe is crowned with success by the Grace of the Lord.

The article in the paper New Mexican is very nicely written and I offer my sincere thanks to Mr. Peter Nabokov, who begins the article with chanting of the Mahamantra. Please offer my thanks to all who joined you in this endeavor. I'm glad to know that Haridasa is there also. Each and every picture published in the paper looks very nice and the devotional postures of you all has very much pleased me. The secret of success in the matter of Krishna Consciousness is devotion to the Lord and the Spiritual Master. In the Vedas, the secret of success is described as follows:

Letter to Nandarani -- Delhi 8 October, 1967:

India is foreign country for me. The reason is that my spiritual family is there & my material relationships are in India; therefore factually where my spiritual family exists, there is my home.

Regarding your personal question in the matter of relationship with your husband. Your relationship with your husband is all right. You must be faithful & devoted to your husband, Dayananda. Vedic system advises women to become very chaste & accept the husband as master. Your husband is especially good because he is progressing in Krishna Consciousness. I am very glad that you two are very good combination & your devotion for your husband & your husband's love for you are considered great achievements so I have also advised Krishna Devi for her husband, Subala. I feel very happy when I see my spiritual boys and girls especially those who have been married by my personal presence are very happy in their conjugal relationship. Even if there is some misunderstanding between husband & wife that should be completely neglected & you should always remain rigid in service of Krishna as you have written to say, it is pleasing to be in the service of Krishna. Discharge of Krishna Consciousness is our primary objective & all other relationships should be faithful to this principle. Follow this principle.

Letter to Madhusudana -- San Francisco 30 December, 1967:

My advice to you is to continue your good attitude that you are keeping now and this alone will help you in advancing your cause of Krishna Consciousness. I am pleased that you are very diligently assisting Rayarama. Rayarama is a sincere worker and by assisting him you will be benefited. You are doing your best and I shall advise you to continue this attitude.

Regarding smearing on the Body of Lord Jagannatha: You should always know that the Body of Lord Jagannatha is spiritual. We are given the chance of serving the Spiritual Body and according to Revealed Scriptures, we should serve the Transcendental Body of the Deity just as we try to serve our worshipable personalities. To continue a sense of devotion, it is better to wash the Body of Lord Jagannatha with hot water so that we may have the feeling that Lord Jagannatha is more comfortable. We should offer foodstuffs to the Deity and allow enough time to eat them. These are all transcendental sentiments. At Vrindaban, the Deities are offered foodstuffs and time is allowed as in the case of others. Yes, before offering anything to the Deity you must be satisfied that it is a first class offering and there is no objection if you taste it by smelling. But you should not smell for other purposes. The whole idea is that devotional service should always be immune from sense gratification.

1968 Correspondence

Letter to Janardana -- Los Angeles 21 January, 1968:

Nirguna means untouched by material contamination. In Bhagavad-gita it is said that the Supreme Enjoyer is uncontaminated by the material qualities of goodness, passion, and ignorance, but His qualities are transcendental without any touch or tinge of material qualities. For example: sex life, the most prominent feature of this material world. This sex life is explained in Srimad-Bhagavatam, 3rd Canto, in the explanation of Vaikuntha world, when it is said that in the Vaikuntha planets, the women or the fair sex is many many more times beautiful, well-constructed, their face and smiling more attractive, their breasts and hips are very high, and they clearly and freely mix with male devotees,, But their strong sense of devotion towards the Lord and being absorbed in Krishna Consciousness, all the features of womanly beauty cannot stimulate their sex passion. In the material world the same reflection of beauty and bodily features at once stimulate sex passion. Therefore, the enjoyment of opposite sex in the Vaikuntha world has no action of sex life whereas in the material world the perverted reflection of beauty has resultant action of sex life which is the cause of dragging material existence. So the description of the Vaikuntha life is nirguna, and the description of worldly life is sahaguna. Our devotional activities are executed by transferring epithet; our senses are there, they are acting pervertedly and putting us into difficulty.

Letter to Madhusudana -- Los Angeles 1 February, 1968:

Yes, when Jagannatha goes to sleep and when He rises up, to ring the bell is the custom. Ringing of bell is required even for offering prasadam. That is the system in all the Temples in Vrindaban. Your question; Does the Lord go to sleep so early and before everyone, and wake up so late, after everybody? The Lord is independent and complete. He has nothing to do with everyone. He is Lord. After He wakes up He is washed, not before.

Sri means opulence, auspicity. And therefore before remembering any friend or superior, the Sri word is prefixed in so many forms. The real word is Sri; the others are all different forms of Sri. Yes, Lord Jagannatha is in the Spiritual Sky; every form of Krishna is in the Spiritual Sky. Ekadasi is observed for increasing the strength of devotion.

Yes, the analogy concerning the spiritual body of the Sat-Guru is acceptable, but not in the material sense. In the material world, the gold box and the gold plated box may be different in price, but in spiritual world there is no such distinction. There the gold box and the gold plated box are the same. In material world there is difference between a sweeper and a cooker; in the spiritual world a person who sweeps the Temple and a person who worships in the Temple are all the same. That is absolute knowledge.

Letter to Madhusudana -- Los Angeles 1 February, 1968:

Yes, the verse concerning Arca Vigraha is like this: "arcasiladhir gurusu naramati vaisnave jati budhi." The meaning is that one should not think of the Deity as made of stone, wood, etc. Another verse is, "Archaiam Evam Paria Ja Pujan Sadraya Hatay." The meaning is that one who worships the Deity with great devotion but doesn't show any devotion to the devotees of the Lord, or doesn't preach Krishna Consciousness for the benefit of the general public, he is in the lower stage of devotional service.

Yes, Sanskrit is spoken not only on Krishna Loka but also in higher planets, of the demigods. It is called the language of God and the demigods. It was spoken also on this planet, when people were all godly, they used to speak in Sanskrit. Sanskrit is the origin of all languages of the civilized peoples. It is most perfect, not only descriptive; the word "Sanskrit" means "the most perfect". Because not a single word you can pronounce without having a bona fide principle. It is not like the English language, "but, put" with irrational difference in pronunciation, no principles. Sanskrit isn't like that. Therefore it is perfect. It isn't whimsical. English poetry has one line one inch long, next line 600 inches long. Sanskrit is not like that. There are strict principles, and it is so beautiful. Therefore in Sanskrit language not an ordinary man can become a poet. No other language of the world can be compared with it. No other language of the world is so perfect as Sanskrit. Any language near to Sanskrit language (like Bengali) is nearer to perfection. Sanskrit is pronounced same way here or there, it is standard.

Letter to Madhusudana -- Los Angeles 1 February, 1968:

No other language of the world is so perfect as Sanskrit. Any language near to Sanskrit language (like Bengali) is nearer to perfection. Sanskrit is pronounced same way here or there, it is standard.

Yes you can sing prayers in Sanskrit, but prayers in English can be also pronounced because the Lord accepts the motive not the pronunciation of the language. He wants to see spiritual motive. Even if some effectiveness is lost in translation, if the motive is there, it will make no difference.

Regarding your question about Gopala; yes, Krishna can do anything, that is the principle.

Foodstuffs can be offered at any place but with devotion and formalities.

I thank you very much for your inquisitiveness, and Krishna will help you to understand the Truth from within and without. I am very pleased for your endeavor.

Letter to Uddhava -- Los Angeles 16 February, 1968:

After killing the demon Hiranyakasipu, the Lord Nrsimhadeva was pacified by Prahlada Maharaja, who offered prayers in hymns which are very instructive. I shall be preparing these for you in my Srimad-Bhagavatam. I will simply cite one nice verse: "Oh Benevolent Lord! Friend of the fallen! Oh the Tender-Hearted! Bound by my own Karma I have been thrown into the midst of these demons who are destroying every thing of Your devotees! I am therefore extremely averse to the unbearable and terrible miseries of this cycle of birth and death in this world devoid of service and devotion to You. Oh Lord! When will You be pleased with me and call me to the shelter of Your Lotus Feet which are soothing like the smiling beams of ten million autumnal moons?"

Letter to Hamsaduta -- Los Angeles 17 February, 1968:

I am in due receipt of your letter of Feb. 8, 1968, and have noted the contents. I thank you very much for your sincere appreciation, and for your feelings of imperfectness. The more you think as imperfect, the more you make actual progress in Krishna Consciousness. This hankering after perfection is seen in even the most perfect devotees. So we should never think of being perfect at any stage. Actually, Krishna Consciousness is unlimited, because Krishna is unlimited, so we do not know at which point the perfection is there. Even Krishna Himself thinks that he is imperfect to understand Radharani's feelings of devotion; and to understand the devotional feelings of Radharani, He became Lord Caitanya, to worship Krishna in the feelings of Radharani. So transcendental activities are so nice that it is all perfection, and still there is no perfect satisfaction. That is the duty of spiritual life. Please stick to your principles as you are now doing and serve Krishna to your best capacity, and Krishna will give you all protection undoubtedly.

I am very happy to hear you are making nice arrangements for the Kirtana Party; I am anxious to see the idea take shape. Yes, the more you develop the attitude for service sincerely, the more opportunities Krishna will give you to serve Him, in so many varieties of ways. And I am so happy to hear that you are finding strength to be determined to spread Krishna Consciousness all over the world; my Guru Maharaja wanted like that, especially the Western world, and my only request is that you all sincere boys and girls, to spread this Krishna Consciousness to every home, to every village and town, and to take this mission very seriously.

Letter to Pradyumna -- Los Angeles 17 February, 1968:

Regarding the book list: "Lord Gauranga" by S.K. Ghose and Veder Panchaya by Bon Maharaja are useless and you may not get them. The other books and the Gaudiya paper are acceptable. If you have free use of Xerox machine you may make copies, of some of the smaller works. Regarding Bhakti Puri, Tirtha Maharaja, they are my God-brothers and should be shown respect. But you should not have any intimate connection with them as they have gone against the orders of my Guru Maharaja.

I am glad to know that you are working hard to expand the Krishna Consciousness propaganda in Boston. I may say that this practical devotion is the secret to understanding the Sastras. My Guru Maharaja used to say that for one who is not engaged in devotional service, reading all the books is simply like licking the outside of the honey jar. One who thinks the books is the thing is content in this way. But we should learn the secret to open the jar and taste the honey. In this way, if we can simply understand one book, or one sloka, the perfection is there. Lord Caitanya warned about reading too many books, although I see in America this is very popular to get volumes and volumes of books and not understand one. Anyway by sincerely working by carefully executing the instructions of the Spiritual Master, you will be all successful by Krishna's Grace. I am always praying to Krishna for your advancement in Krishna Consciousness, all of you, sincere souls.

Letter to Terry and associates -- San Francisco 22 March, 1968:

Similarly, we are diseased, and only if we take to this chanting process may we be cured. Maya may put so many doubts and worthless arguments into our minds, but if we continue the chanting, the curing process will go on, never mind the doubts, and gradually we will get a taste of that sweet nectar of Krishna Nama Sankirtana. That is the process; and you may explain it to all your friends, so they may understand the nature of their doubts and skepticism, and be benefited.

Yes, your devotion will grow at "doubled rates" as you give more and more service to the Supreme Lord. Krishna states in the Bhagavad-gita that the one who is spreading KC is the one most dear to Him. So, you are doing the most valuable service to the Lord by introducing your class-fellows and friends to this Sankirtana movement, and therefore, you will feel more and more increase in your devotion to the Lord. Please continue to do like this, and Krishna will be pleased, and you will be always happy in this life, and what to speak of the next.

Letter to Satsvarupa -- San Francisco 9 April, 1968:

So, you can understand that these talks are not for the public, as they have not got the ability to understand. Basically we have not got hatred for anyone, but when one is demoniac or atheistic, we should try to avoid their company. A preacher's business is to love God, to make friendship with devotees, to enlighten the innocent, and to avoid the demons. This principle we shall follow. But in higher devotional life, there is no such distinction. The topmost devotee sees everything in Krishna, and Krishna in everything. Generally, as preachers, we are middle class devotees. So we should not remain as neophyte devotee. Neophyte devotee does not know how to preach. He simply goes to the temple, and offers everything with devotion to the Deity, and he doesn't know anything else. So our devotees of the society should not remain in the neophyte position; neither should they try to imitate the topmost devotee. Best thing is to remain in the via media of middle class position, namely to love God, to make friendship with devotees, and to enlighten the innocent, and to avoid the demons. These differences of body according to Karma are there, but a devotee divides them into the above groups, and so we have to divide them into these different groups and behave differently with each of the groups. It is true that we should not be attached to the differences of material bodies, but practically, in practical field, the behavior should be as stated above.

Letter to Janardana -- New York 26 April, 1968:

The statements of Thakura Bhaktivinode are as good as scriptures because he is liberated person. Generally the spiritual master comes from the group of such eternal associates of the Lord; but anyone who follows the principles of such ever liberated persons is as good as one in the above mentioned group. The gurus from nature's study are accepted as such on the principle that an elevated person in Krishna Consciousness does not accept anyone as disciple, but he accepts everyone as expansion of his guru. That is very high position, called Maha-bhagavata. Just like Radharani, sometimes thinks a subordinate of hers as her teacher, to understand devotion of Krishna. A person who is liberated acharya and guru cannot commit any mistake, but there are persons who are less qualified or not liberated, but still can act as guru and acharya by strictly following the disciplic succession. It is the injunction of the sastras that anyone who sees the Deity in the Temple as made of wood or stone, or considers the acaryas and gurus as ordinary common men, and discriminates Vaisnavas or devotees as belonging to a certain group or caste, are called hellish. Your question about Bon Maharaja in relation with his disciple is very intelligent and intricate, and we shall discuss at long when we meet.

Letter to Kirtanananda -- Montreal 30 June, 1968:

They may be of different forms—some of them are aquatics, some of them are vegetables, plants, some of them are worms, some of them are birds, some of them are beasts, some of them are human beings. Krishna claims that all of them are His begotten sons. Neither Krishna claims Himself that He is an Indian or a Ksatriya, or a Brahmin, or white or black; He claims that He is the Enjoyer of everything that be, He is the Proprietor of all the planets and the creation, and He is the intimate friend of all living entities. He never claims that one should offer Him very valuable things to satisfy Him; or very delicious foodstuffs should be offered to Him—but He says that even a little bit of leaf, a little bit of fruit, and water, you offer to Him with devotion and love, and He accepts and eats such things. So it is a fact that Krishna is universal. Krishna is non-sectarian, and therefore if Mr. Rose actually wants to have some institution, he must know how that non-sectarian institution is possible. So factually, Krishna Consciousness is non-sectarian movement. There is no sectarian question. But if somebody without understanding this non-sectarian philosophy thinks otherwise, he himself becomes immediately sectarian. I therefore think that you should try to convince Mr. Rose about our philosophy of Krishna Consciousness, and let him become actually non-sectarian. Without understanding Krishna everyone is sectarian, and combination of such non-Krishna Consciousness persons will never create any institution of non-sectarian nature.

Letter to Anapurna, Ananda -- Montreal 4 September, 1968:

And by your labor you try to open a branch in Vancouver, and that will be very nice thing. And when I go to Vancouver, from Seattle, I shall offer my blessings in observing the rituals of our marriage system.

I shall give you one engagement and if you secure one dictaphone then I shall send you regular tapes for transcribing it into English version, and you will make two copies. One copy shall be sent to me, another copy shall be sent to Hayagriva Brahmacari. As Govinda dasi and her husband, is trying to help me in compiling essays and texts of Caitanya Caritamrta, similarly, I shall give you a task for the Science of Devotion. So that will be nice duty for you, because both of you are well versed in typewriting, so you can do that. At the same time, if you organize a center in Vancouver, simply by chanting. It is not very difficult to open a center for our activities. You can remain in any apartment as husband and wife, and invite persons there to hear your chanting and topics, that is our center, and let it be gradually improved. I think this program will be very much suitable for you at the present moment.

Letter to Lilasukha -- Los Angeles 17 December, 1968:

With great pleasure I have read your letter of December 9, 1968. I thank you for your kind sentiments expressed and your nice attitude of humbleness and devotion.

It is very good that you and the other girls are preaching in school to your class mates. This will bring the greatest benefit not only to them but also it will help you to progress more and more in your devotional service. Krishna Consciousness is so nice that when one makes some gain it does not detract from another's gain, but, rather, it means that there is gain for the whole world. When one is chanting or speaking of Krishna or working for Krishna then so many living entities hear him or help him in some way and thus find benefit also. This is why the devotee is dear to all creatures and to Krishna. So always be engaged as you are doing and with your all good qualities Krishna will surely bestow his full mercy, rest assured. So all of the girls you have mentioned, such as Ekayani, Kancanbala and Indira are similarly very good souls and I am always praying that Krishna will help you all more and more.

I was pleased to note that you are happy with your plans for marriage to Uddhava. He is a very good boy and please always serve him nicely as a good wife. You are fortunate to obtain such a nice husband and he is also fortunate to obtain a nice wife. So all in all it is very nice arrangement and certainly it is Krishna's special mercy upon you both.

Letter to Rukmini -- Los Angeles 19 December, 1968:

I am happy to learn that you are painting a portrait of my Guru Maharaja and that it is coming along nicely. As our movement continues to spread around the world we will be requiring so many of such paintings so that so many devotees and friends may engage their eyes in seeing Krishna and His devotees. So please try to improve your artistic abilities as far as possible. I am sure that Jadurani will always be a help to you in this matter.

So far as offering to Krishna apple cider, this can be done only if it is prepared by devotees. These food manufacturers do not take proper precautions in cleanliness nor do they have devotion to Krishna in their labors so it is not very acceptable offering. If you can make this preparation yourself then it will be alright.

So please continue to engage yourself in Krishna's service very sincerely and I am sure that Krishna will help you in all ways to advance more and more. I am always praying that Krishna will give you strength to continue to go on nicely. Please convey my blessings to all of your good god-brothers and god-sisters in Boston.

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Unknown -- Unknown Place 18 January, 1969:

An Indian gentleman, one B. P. Parikh B.A. D. education has written to me to say that being inspired by your "devotion to Krishna and being fascinated by your character, discipline, and devotional surrender to the Lord, he has been drawn to your activities." For this I am very much proud of you. Please maintain this status and certainly you will be welcomed everywhere. Get this enclosed article edited by Mukunda or Syamasundara and then send it for publication in the Times of London or any other respectable paper in London, giving the heading as indicated.

Letter to Janaki -- Los Angeles 18 January, 1969:

An Indian gentleman, one B. P. Parikh B.A. D. Education has written to me to say that being inspired by your "devotion to Krishna, and being fascinated by your character, discipline, and devotional surrender to the Lord, he has been drawn to your activities." For this I am very much proud of you. Please maintain this status and certainly you will be welcome everywhere. Get this enclosed article edited by Mukunda or Syamasundara and then send it for publication in the Times of London or any other respectable paper in London, giving the heading as indicated.

Letter to Gurudasa, Yamuna -- Los Angeles 21 January, 1969:

I have received report from Mr. Parikh and others that they are enamored by your behavior, your character, and your devotion. In the newspaper cuttings also they gave such hints. In other words, everyone is appreciating your presentation. Please keep up this standard of behavior. Do not make any artificial discrepancies amongst yourselves because you are acting on a very responsible business. Perhaps you know that there are many political parties in a country, but when the country's total responsibility has to be executed, they become combined. To have some little disagreements amongst yourselves is not very unnatural because we are all individual beings. But as we are all working on behalf of Krishna we should always forget our personal interests and see to the prime cause.

Letter to Govinda -- Los Angeles 26 January, 1969:

I was very pleased to read your letter of January 19, 1969. I know that you will always be thinking of me as you described in your letter because you are so affectionate to this poor old man. And by your sincere affection you have also made me think of you how you are doing there in Hawaii. I understand from your letter and from Gaurasundara's letter also that you are now engaged as a nice housewife. It is a great pleasure for me to know this. In London, the six couples who are working very hard there have been very much appreciated by the people of London, and their character, behavior, and devotion are attracting sincere people to our movement. I want similar thousands of couples for my disciples to propagate our movement throughout the world. You can always help me in this matter because you are an intelligent girl and you have many talents. So you can utilize your god-gifted qualities for utilizing in Krishna Consciousness.

So far as my taking botheration in coming to your country, I must take this so-called botheration for Krishna. But what botheration I have taken? You know that the Goswamis were ministers in the government's service and they left their posts for going to Vrindaban and living there just like paupers. They produced such great literature like Sandarbhas, by Jiva Goswami, and Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu, by Rupa Goswami. Apparently they took so much botheration but they preferred to accept it because they were compassionate for the suffering humanity. Similarly, Lord Caitanya is Narayana Himself, and His wife, Visnupriya, is the Goddess of Fortune. Lord Caitanya was a very learned scholar, a very beautiful young brahmana, and He had a very affectionate mother, but Lord Caitanya Himself accepted the botheration voluntarily for the good of the human society and all living entities. We should always follow these footprints—not try to imitate, but to follow the same spirit of compassion for the conditioned soul and try to help them advance to Krishna Consciousness. Actually in the service of Krishna there is no botheration. Rather we feel more transcendental pleasure. I hope you will more and more appreciate this status as you work combinedly with your very good husband, Gaurasundara.

Letter to Dr. Chaudhuri -- Los Angeles 6 February, 1969:

For the last five months, our kirtana movement is going on in London. Our office is situated there at 22 Betterton Street, WC 2 London, England. The people are appreciating our movement very much there. You will be surprised to know that I have sent there for preaching work 6 boys and girls, married couples, and they are neither elderly nor very much conversant with Vedic philosophy. But still, by their character, behavior, and devotion, they are attracting many people in London, including the High Commissioner of India and others. One gentleman, Mr. Parikh, is a Doctor in Education and was formerly the principal of a college in Kenya. He is actively working with our students there, and very soon they should have a Radha-Krishna temple there in gorgeous style.

Some time before in your letters you expressed a desire that we should jointly present Indian cultural ideas in this country. I think you will remember this proposal, and I replied that if we want to present the real Indian cultural traditions, then we must present the Vaisnava philosophy as it is. Poet Tagore became very popular in the western countries by presenting his Gita Anjali which is full of Vaisnava sentiments. We have immense literatures, especially in the Gaudiya Sampradaya of the Vaisnava sect which is enriched by the contribution of the Gosvamis. These should all be presented to the western world. Similarly, Vedanta commentary by the Vaisnava acaryas like Ramanuja, Madhva, Baladeva., Sridhara Swami, etc. can all be presented successfully. You are a learned philosopher, and your Cultural Integration Fellowship Institute advocates universal religion and cultural harmony. I think if you will turn your attention to the Vaisnava literature you will find all of these ideas in complete fulfillment.

Letter to Yamuna -- New York 16 April, 1969:

I am replying to your nice letter dated April 10th, 1969. The description of your dream is very fascinating. It appears that you are constantly thinking of me and Lord Nrsimha has given you the chance to see Him because of your constant devotion. It is very encouraging. I understand that all of you are not living together. Just today I received one letter from Syamasundara and his return address is again a new address on Balham Park Road. In his letter he says that he is leaving for Leicester (80 miles from London) for preparing an altar for Mataji's new temple. So if you are living at Mataji's, then does it mean that you are 80 miles off from London? I do not think so, but please clarify the situation. I am receiving letters from different sources, and I do not know where to reply home.

Regarding your questions about Deity worship, please refer these to Himavati in Montreal or else Harsarani in Los Angeles. Yes, on the certificates you may correct it as Srimatee. I hope this will meet you in very nice health and cheerful mood.

Letter to Gurudasa -- Columbus, Ohio 15 May, 1969:

Now as promised by your group, you have to pay $750.00 for 5,000 copies of Back To Godhead which will reach you sometime in the month of June. Please arrange for it and send the money to New York, to Brahmananda, for clearing the bill. Regarding Mataji, she must have some trouble because she has done something which is nescience. How could she marry a young girl to Krishna? Is Krishna so play thing that He can be handled in such a way? This means she has no knowledge of Krishna. She is simply a sentimental devotee. When a sentimental devotee takes the part of becoming representative of Krishna, there is simply havoc. Srila Rupa Goswami therefore said in his Bhakti-Rasamrita-Sindhu that devotion to Krishna without reference to authoritative scriptures is simply a disturbance. How Krishna could be married with a young girl?

I very much appreciate your securing the letters from the Hindu centers in London in support of our activities. I am also pleased to note that the BTG's are selling nicely. Try to sell them more and more, along with sales of our other books, TLC and BG.

Letter to Mandali Bhadra -- New Vrindaban 25 May, 1969:

I have already informed them that when you are there you will be the chief editor, and your name should be mentioned as editor of the paper. The boys there are very submissive, and I am sure when you go there everything will be done in nice cooperation.

I am writing to Ananda also, and you may kindly hand over to him the letter enclosed herewith. Ananda has good experience, and you also have seen how we worship the Deities in the temple and offer prasadam, so you may kindly follow in the same way. But in everything we do devotion and sincerity are the real things. There is a word in Sanskrit; bhava grahi janardana: This means the Lord accepts service in devotional emotion. If we are sincere in offering something to the Lord in devotional love, He will accept it. The procedure may not be very right, but the desire being sincere, He accepts our offering. This is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita that He accepts foodstuffs from devotees because they are offered to Him in complete love and affection. That is required.

Letter to Syamasundara -- New Vrindaban 3 June, 1969:

If you cannot train them, how can you take it for granted that someone from here can? Training is not imposition. It is voluntary accept by the trainee. Anyway, when you secure a larger place to accommodate everyone, you will have as many brahmacaris as you want, and I shall arrange for that. I can send even Purusottama, who is personally assisting me, provided it helps your propaganda there. Similarly I can ask Subala or someone else, so that is not a problem.

Regarding Mataji, I have noted your remarks, and actually we do not want to create a group of prakrta sahajiya, or devotees who do not know the science of Krishna and do not know the science of devotion, but simply worship the Deity with no depth of knowledge. That is called materialistic devotee, but it is also not rejected. It is a beginning, but a preacher must be above this. Anyway, keep friendship with her. She is trying to love Krishna and that is good. Why not ask her to help you perform the Rathayatra? If she can give financial help, all other help will come. Please thank Malati for her nice letter of May 30th. If you can please take quotation from some Holland printer how much they will charge to print a book exactly like TLC we can utilize this information. I hope you are well and await your reply.

Letter to Mukunda -- New Vrindaban 10 June, 1969:

I thank you very much for your letter of June 3, 1969, and I have noted the contents carefully. Regarding Mataji Syamadevi's temple in Leicester, your version is all right, and I am not very interested to establish a Hindu temple. Perhaps you know from the very beginning I never described my movement as Hindu religion. Religion means the bona fide process by which we understand God and the first class religion is that which teaches people to develop love for God. To know or accept the authority of God is one thing, but to love God is another. Generally, people are interested in material comforts and they make God as the supplying agent. This kind of devotion is not purified. It is contaminated by material desires, but when one is elevated to the position of giving everything to God out of love and affection, that is the first class position. We are teaching this philosophy in the name of Krishna Consciousness, and it is applicable to all sober persons. The Bhagavat principle is that because we can be happy simply by developing our dormant love of God, this is our first business.

Letter to Upendra -- Los Angeles 24 June, 1969:

The house is very nice, calm and quiet. Yes, for the present my program is to stay here for one month, but if I do not go to London, then I shall stay longer. Surely I shall go to San Francisco to take part in the Rathayatra Festival if I do not go to London. But I also want to see you, if possible, before the Rathayatra Festival. So far as your duty is concerned, you are doing your best. That is your spiritual qualification. The best qualification for a Vaisnava is to act sincerely, and to his best capacity, for the service of Krishna. Otherwise, Krishna is so great, and we are so small, there is no question of our giving any service to Krishna. But Krishna is so great, and He is so greatly merciful, that any small service we offer to Him in devotion and sincerity He will accept. Krishna does not require anyone's help or service, but if we serve Him, even in a very small capacity, He will accept it. So that is our only hope. One who can show the whole cosmic manifestation within the hole of His mouth, what service can we render unto Him? So the best thing is to employ all of our talents and energies in His service. That will help us to progress. So now Seattle is in your charge for introducing Krishna Consciousness, and you are doing your best. Krishna will surely bless you.

Letter to Tamala Krsna -- Tittenhurst 30 October, 1969:

The same thing is going on here, and they have been invited to such places as Amsterdam and Germany. So if you can also do this, it is nice. But do not change our principles. Practicing is already done by kirtana. It is not required for us to become artists. Our main point is service to Krishna, not to please an audience. We shall not divert our attention too much to adjustment of musical sounds. People should not misunderstood that we are a band of musical artists. They must know that we are devotees of Krishna. Our devotional practice and purity shall be so strong that wherever we chant there will be immediately an impression in the audience for devotion to Krishna.

Regarding management of the society, I have already described this to you in letters to Brahmananda and yourself. So far as the maintenance fund is concerned, that may be sent to me directly. Please offer my blessings to the others.

1970 Correspondence

Letter to Ksirodakasayi -- Los Angeles 10 January, 1970:

Krishna is the Supreme Father, and He claims all living entities, in all forms and species of life, as His sons. So why not take this philosophy and practically see how the followers are feeling happy on the basis of Krishna Consciousness. You have got to convince all sections of human society and induce them to come to Krishna Consciousness. London is a great city, perhaps the most important metropolis in the world, many people visit every year. So, combined together, Englishman and Indian should erect such a nice institution there that people from all parts of the world may take advantage of this. Now this is the program before you, and you can further develop it with sincere service and great devotion.

Regarding your Tuesday class at your place, you can continue it as a sub-branch of ISKCON Radha Krishna Temple. The procedure should be exclusively for chanting Hare Krishna mantra or singing other songs just like Govinda jaya jaya, Gopala jaya jaya . . ., and nothing more. Demigod worship in your house or thinking a demigod as equal with Narayana or Krishna should be stopped altogether, actually that is not the fact. Special stress should be given on chanting Hare Krishna mantra, reading from Bhagavad-gita As It Is or Srimad-Bhagavatam. In the Bhagavad-gita editions, you will find a peculiarity that, in place of Krishna, they have mentioned Paramatma or Paramisvara, or like that. These expressions are more or less indications of impersonalism. Therefore, when Bhagavad-gita should be recited, always read "Krishna." This transcendental word should be mentioned. So, in that way, you may continue your Tuesday class. Both you and your wife should decorate your foreheads with urdhapundra tilaka.

Letter to Yamuna -- Los Angeles 10 February, 1970:

I am in due receipt of your letter undated and I was so glad to learn that you have defeated four of the whips of the Ramakrishna Mission by giving quotation from the Bhagavad-gita. It is a fact that all other institutions, never mind whether it is Ramakrishna Mission or philosophical speculators, nobody can stand our arguments and reason if we can support them by quoting Scriptures. So if we thoroughly study the books which we have so far published, as well as serve Krsna in great devotion by following the regulative principles, we shall be able to defeat anyone who is not in Krsna Consciousness. So do it nicely, and everyone of you become great preachers.

Letter to Giriraja -- Los Angeles 7 April, 1970:

I am very pleased to note that you are feeling everything is going on nicely in Boston due to the nice devotees. You are also a very nice devotee, so together work to make Boston center even nicer for the satisfaction of the Lord.

I have received your beads also, and I am returning them to you duly chanted. Now please increase your enthusiasm for pushing on this Krsna Consciousness movement and Krsna will inspire you with all intelligence for serving Him as much as you engage yourself with sincerity and devotion. Therefore to keep advancing in your spiritual power always be sure to chant at least the prescribed sixteen rounds of beads daily. This is the fundamental program for advancing more and more in Krsna Consciousness.

Letter to Govinda -- Los Angeles 7 April, 1970:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 2nd April, 1970, and I am very much pleased for the nice sentiments you have expressed therein. But you should always remember that whatever we are doing, it is in the parampara system beginning from Lord Krsna, down to us. Therefore, our loving spirit should be more upon the message than the physical representation. When we love the message and serve Him, automatically our devotional love for the physique is done.

I am so very glad to learn that Srimati Tulasi Devi has favored you so much. If you can actually grow this Tulasi plant, and I am sure you will do it, then you must know it for certain that your devotion for Krsna is testified. I was very much anxious to introduce this worship of Tulasi plant amongst our Society members, but it has not become successful til now, therefore, when I hear that you have got this opportunity, my pleasure does not have any bounds.

Letter to Satsvarupa -- Los Angeles 28 April, 1970:

You are the Lord of the whole creation, so if You like You can make my power of speaking as suitable as they can understand. 17

By Your causeless mercy only my words may become transcendentally pure, and I am sure when such transcendental message is penetrated in their hearts certainly they will feel engladdened, and thus become liberated from all unhappy conditions of life. 18

I am just like a puppet in Your hands, and You have brought me here, now You can make me dance as You like. 19

I have no devotion, nor I have any knowledge, but still I have been designated as Bhaktivedanta, now if You like You can just fulfill the real purport of Bhaktivedanta. 20

The most unfortunate, insignificant beggar, Bhaktivedanta Swami, on board the ship "Jaladuta," Commonwealth Pier, Boston, Massachusetts (U.S.A.), dated 18th September, 1965.

Letter to Connie -- Los Angeles 3 June, 1970:

These karmis can smile very nicely when they take to Krsna consciousness—so our mission is to see everyone bright-faced. Lord Caitanya wanted to distribute this Holy Name in every city and town of the world; and in pursuance of His lotus feet we are trying to advance this Krsna consciousness chanting movement. Try to help us by your life, money, words, and intelligence. These four things are possessed by everyone, the degrees may be various, but Krsna is not concerned with the degrees, He wants to see the quality.

If you love Krsna and offer something in devotion, never mind it is a little water, a small fruit, a small flower, Krsna accepts that. If anything is accepted by Krsna that goes to our credit making our path of liberation open. So please try to help our movement to your best capacity, and it will be very good for you and the persons who hear you.

Letter to Sridama -- Los Angeles 14 July, 1970:

I have also read the newspaper cuttings in which I understand that people accept our Society as genuine and religious. So it is Krsna's grace that they are giving you permission to chant on the streets. I am sure if we work very sincerely all facilities will come from Krsna. It is stated in Bhagavad-gita that Krsna personally carries the necessities of His devotee and gives protection to his status quo.

So let us all believe in the words of Krsna and serve Him to our best capacity and thus we will come out victorious in every field of action. By the grace of Krsna you are a beautiful young man with nice intelligence, devotion and spirit, so employ all of them in the service of the Lord along with your good wife and be successful in Krsna consciousness.

Letter to Upendra -- Amritsar 26 October, 1970:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter from Fiji Islands dated October 4th, 1970, and noted the contents. I am very glad that you are preaching steadily our Krishna Conscious philosophy and this should be done in defiance of all the atheistic propagandas which are so much current.

Regarding the impersonalist swamis, don't try to mix with any Swami who has no knowledge of Krsna Consciousness. So their speaking is simply maya, therefore they are called Mayavadis. Lord Caitanya has warned us that anyone who listens to or tries to understand the impersonalist philosophy is doomed, his devotion will become dried up.

Regarding worship of demigods, the whole Hindu society is absorbed in this business, so unless our preaching work is very vigorous it is very difficult to stop them.

As soon as I return to Bombay I shall send you the tape as you desire. I shall be returning to Bombay by the 31st October. So far the literatures in Hindi, Gugrati and Tamil are concerned, it shall take some time because we have no ready made such literatures. But we are getting Hindi "Back to Godhead" very soon as Tamala has informed me.

Letter to Govinda -- Bombay 5 November, 1970:

From Calcutta I have come to Bombay, then from Bombay to Amritsar, then again down from Amritsar to Bombay, for the last two months. I am trying to establish a center in Bombay along with some influential friends.

Your description of past incidents may be forgotten. We are not concerned with past misunderstandings; we are concerned only with progressive service to Krsna. I know that both you and Gaurasundara are sincere devotees and you have done your best in Hawaii in accordance with my desire and the luxurious growing Tulasi devi is giving evidence of your sincere devotion. Kindly take care of Guru-Gauranga, Radha Krsna and Tulasi devi and be happy. Try to make others also happy by spreading this Krsna Consciousness.

I like the place Honolulu very much. Last time where I stayed in the skyscraper hotel was extremely pleasing to me, therefore I was induced to stay there for some time. I think that was my sense gratification, therefore Krsna liked me to come here and do some work. We shall always be satisfied with the routine work entrusted to us by Krsna. I hope things are going on well there. In the meantime I am enclosing one circular letter to whom it may concern and I authorize you to print them profusely and distribute to the public so that the misunderstanding created by Sai may be dissipated. Please keep me informed of your activities and I shall be glad to receive my maintenance charges regularly.

Letter to Vamanadeva -- Bombay 12 November, 1970:

Please accept my blessings and offer the same to your excellent wife Srimati Indira Dasi. I am so glad to hear from you after some time. I have been recently travelling all over the land of India and just recently I have come back to Bombay where I have received your letter redirected from Calcutta. I am so much pleased that you are carrying on our Krsna Consciousness program with such nice enthusiasm and devotion in St. Louis. I think St. Louis is an important city in your country, so you must do the large work of making the whole place Krsna conscious.

Similarly we are trying in India to establish some centers and the response of the people here has been very favorable towards our movement which they have found to be a great stimulus to the revival of Krsna consciousness which they have been forsaking for the imitation of your Western material prosperity. You all my students must simply maintain your standard of pure conduct in Pure Krsna Consciousness and everyone will be satisfied that this is the best way to bring in the needed peace and prosperity to the world.

Letter to Vamanadeva -- Bombay 12 November, 1970:

I am very pleased to learn that you have several new devotees with you and the Temple has been completely renovated. It is a very nice house, so simply make it a palace for Lord Krsna and Srimati Radharani and that will be the perfection of its utilization and you will become perfect and happy by this work. Please continue your work in the "Bhakti-Yoga Society" at the University, the students cannot be over-estimated as our best prospects. The new growth of Tulasi is testimony to your sincere devotion because she will only grow and flourish in an atmosphere of Krsna Consciousness. Please see that the regular rules and practices are strictly followed by all the inmates and keep improving the quality of your Deity worship—this will keep you firmly fixed in the Absolute Truth. Always try to increase the distribution of literatures and more sincere persons will be attracted by this. Please work in coordination with Sriman Bhagavan das and the other GBC members and make progress in your center.

I beg to thank you for your kind invitation and certainly I shall be very happy to stay for a while in St. Louis when returning to the U.S. conveniently.

Letter to Bhagavan -- Bombay 24 November, 1970:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated 16th November, 1970 and I thank you very much for your encouraging report.

Yes, we are fighting impersonalism and voidism with pure devotional service. Impersonalism and voidism kills the natural aptitude of devotion which is lying dormant in everyone's heart. Therefore we are printing books like our KRSNA book so that people may know it that the supreme absolute truth is a person. The perfection of every living creature is to render transcendental loving service to that Supreme Person and thereby go back home, back to Godhead. Krishna has said in Bhagavad-gita that "whoever explains my transcendental glories to others is most dear to me in this world and never will there be one more dear to me than he". So go on with your organization for distribution of my books through press and other modern media and Krishna will certainly be pleased upon you. We can use everything—television, radio, movies, or whatever there may be—to tell about Krishna and outside of devotional service all these modern paraphernalia are just so much rubbish. It is very nice that you are opening another center in Cleveland, Ohio. Please do it very thoughtfully.

Yes, any intelligent man can immediately appreciate the qualities of a Vaisnava devotee. The devotee is always truthful and therefore everyone feels confident about what he may say or do under any condition. So the judge has appreciated the transcendental qualities of our devotee Narottamadasa Das.

1971 Correspondence

Letter to Krsnakanti -- Bombay 11 April, 1971:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your two letters dated 7th and 21st February, 1971 respectively and have noted the contents carefully. You ask that you become strong enough to fearlessly preach Krishna Consciousness. Yes, I know that you have got Krishna's blessings. Therefore you are strong enough to go on preaching and as you do so your strength will increase more and more. I am very pleased with your service from the very beginning. Please go on in this way and push on the cause of our mission.

Yes, Krishna is providing everything. Krishna is so kind. As you require something for His service, he provides it. And Tulasi Devi is growing so nicely there. Tend Tulasi very nicely and your devotion towards Krishna will increase. In the evening a lamp should be offered to the Tulasi plant and in the morning each devotee should offer a little water and offer obeisances.

Push on your program at schools and colleges, vigorously, as you have been doing, and try to teach classes there also. That affords the ideal opportunity for introducing our books. Try and get KRSNA book and Bhagavad-gita AS IT IS recommended by the professors. Door to door Sankirtana is very nice program also, and a very nice means for distributing the books, so increase it more and more. And incense business is also picking up. These are all different opportunities to render service to the Lord. From now on all BTG and book fund collections should be remitted to Karandhara in L.A.

Letter to Makhanlal -- Los Angeles 14 July, 1971:

I am so glad to hear that, because the sales manager of Darigold dairy is sympathetic to our Krishna Consciousness movement, you are being supplied 20 gallons of fresh milk weekly and free of charge. He is a good friend so keep him posted of our activities and encourage him sufficiently. Perhaps he will become our life member also. I have received one letter from Gaura Hari about his travelling sankirtana party across Canada and have given my blessings for such venture. And also I have noted how nicely Tulsi Devi is growing there in Seattle. Already she is three feet tall. That is a true credit to your devotion. Thank you very much.

Letter to Nayanabhirama -- Brooklyn 25 July, 1971:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated 22nd July, 1971 and have noted the contents. Also I have received your clippings. So far your American Express Money Order, sent to Bombay, I have not received it as of yet. Perhaps you should trace it, because it should have been forwarded to me by now.

I was very glad to see both you and your good wife Daivisakti here in N.Y. for the initiation ceremonies. You are both doing so nicely in Krishna Consciousness. Thank you very much. And please offer my blessings to all the other boys and girls there in Philadelphia. Their presentations were so very nice, and they showed so much devotion also. You are all so very nice to me and I am so grateful.

On Thursday next, 29th July, I am going to Gainesville, Florida, to lecture in the university there and then I will be going to London. So it will not be possible for me to visit New Vrindaban at this time. Perhaps in the future, when I return to U.S.A.

Letter to Satsvarupa -- Brooklyn 27 July, 1971:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated 25th July, 1971 and have noted the contents carefully. The arrangement you have made in Boston for me was very nice. There is no need of nice apartment. A sannyasi shouldn't live in a very nice place but because your country is so much opulent, even a poor man is offered a nice place. So whatever is offered in devotion and love is all right. It is our duty to offer the very best to Krishna and the Spiritual Master. That is reciprocal love.

Enclosed herewith, some poems and articles for publication in BTG upon your approval. So far my writing is concerned, yes I want to settle down somewhere and write my books. That is my aim. So most probably it will be done by Krishna's grace.

The subject matter of BTG should be very grave. It should not be made a joking, comical literature. The subject matter is that everyone should know who is Krishna. So present it in philosophical way but with simple language. The next subject matter is our relationship with Krishna. Then how we fulfill our life's ambition in Krishna Consciousness. So all these subject matters should be made understandable by the people in general, but we should be very grave in our presentation.

Letter to Indira -- London 9 August, 1971:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated 22nd June, 1971 and just now received by me here in London. I have noted the contents with great interest and especially the very encouraging photographs of your Tulasi Devi garden.

You are doing one of the best of services by cultivating Srimati Tulasi Devi so nicely. And she is growing so profusely. That is a sign that you are a great devotee because Tulasi Devi thrives on devotion. Thank you very much.

From Hawaii we cannot bring in Tulasi Devi but from St. Louis, she can be sent everywhere. That is very nice. So when you make a big profit what you will do with the money?

So you should induce other centers to cultivate Tulasi. One circular should be sent to every center that they should import Tulasi Devi from either St. Louis or Hawaii and at every offering of bhoga to the Deities there must be one Tulasi leaf on the plate. The leaves may be ordered from St. Louis or Hawaii and as soon as possible each center should arrange to care for Tulasi Devi nicely according to the instructions of you or Govinda Dasi who have both become expert.

Letter to Bhagavan -- Delhi 10 December, 1971:

These are all very nice boys and girls, and I have very much appreciated their attitudes of devotion and surrender as displayed in their letters to me. I have replied them under separate cover. Their beads, duly chanted by me, as well as three copies of Gayatri mantra and three sacred threads, also duly chanted on, are sent under separate post. Hold a fire yajna and give Gayatri mantra to Kaliya Krishna das, Batua Gopala das, and Ichhamati dasi. I think you have got a tape of me reciting Gayatri mantra, so use this tape. One thing is that the tape should be heard through earphones into the right ear. So the fire yajna can be held for all six devotees. Also, I have sent beads of Sukasagari dasi, duly chanted. In cases when beads are lost, it is not necessary to give new ones to the spiritual master for again chanting. Once the disciple received the Hare Krishna Mantra from the spiritual master, that is an eternal blessing, whether these beads or those beads. If you recommend, then I also approve of the marriage between Kaliya Krishna das and ___ You may please thank them for the sum of $371.00 which they have offered me as daksina, and which has been duly deposited in my Book Fund account in Los Angeles.

If you can get some cars or vans from Chrysler Co. we shall be very glad to employ them fully in Krishna's service in India. But there is great propaganda now against America in India, due to your country's stand against India and the war with Pakistan so you may explain them that by presenting these cars for our welfare work that they will be improving America's reputation among the Indians, because we can publicly give them credit for helping us in this way.

1972 Correspondence

Letter to Govinda -- Madras 12 February, 1972:

Doctors give medicine and they speak surety, but there is no surety, and when there is no surety why should we break our four basic principles? I don't think there is guarantee of surety by taking this medicine with animal products. But if there is surety, you can take. But it is very doubtful. When I shall come there I shall see what is wrong.

Regarding that man Cinmayananda, he's a sinful man, I know him, at least sinful according to our four principles. He as been lecturing for 20 years, still his asrama stands vacant. Unless one's life is made up, what this lecturing will do?

So far your other letter, devotion does not depend on the body, and in spite of all difficulties we can chant, so long we have got the tongue—and even we have got no tongue we can chant in our mind. So where is the question of not serving with devotion? On the contrary, I consider that you and your good husband, Gaurasundara, are two of my topmost disciples and the work you are doing greatly encourages and pleases me, therefore do not think that because you are sometimes sick or weak that you are not making any advancement and that you are disappointing me, no. I am always thinking upon you both, that Krishna will give you His all blessings. Simply if you are able always to chant Hare Krishna, that is the same as following all other regulative principles.

Letter to Upendra -- Calcutta 19 February, 1972:

"Panjika" is a calendar. (2) As for your question about Santa Rasa and the opinions of Rupa Goswami and Sridhara Swami, I don't remember. You can send me the appropriate passages. There is no reason why Acaryas cannot differ on certain points. (3) Dhoop arati may be performed in the morning if there is unusually great complaining, but it is better to hold full arati, but quietly, as in Bombay they play a tape-recording of myself singing arati softly and hold full arati. We should not try to diminish our standard of deity worship once it has reached a certain program, and it is especially nice to wake up Radha and Krishna with full arati with everyone dancing, but quietly. (4) You may wait until I arrive there before installing deities. (5) So far foodstuffs offered do the needful. Whatever is available and also very nice, that is offerable, as long as no meat, fish, eggs, garlic, onions, or other very objectionable foodstuffs are there. Salads are all right, and there is no condition on which type of rice, the best available under the circumstances, that's all. What matters is that everything is very nicely prepared and offered with great loving devotion, that is wanted.

Letter to Niranjana -- Sydney 12 April, 1972:

I am glad to hear that you reached your destination safely and are determinedly chanting Hare Krishna without any fail. If one simply follows the four regulative principles and regularly chants Hare Krishna, there will be no question of falling down from devotional service.

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. You are an intelligent boy, and I want to train you very nicely so that you will be able to preach this great Krishna Conscious philosophy with conviction, and help to deliver all the spiritually-starving souls in this age. Therefore, you should take this chastisement as an opportunity to advance in Krishna Consciousness and not in any other way.

Letter to Batu Gopala -- Los Angeles 22 August, 1972:

I am very much pleased to hear how nicely you are presenting Krishna consciousness through your radio program, and I think if you just carry on as you are it will be very successful.

By remaining steady in your chanting, always completing at least 16 rounds on your beads, and studying our books carefully, along with chanting of the Sanskrit mantras in Srimad-Bhagavatam and Bhagavad-gita, automatically you will become freed from the modes of passion and ignorance, and gravity and steadiness will come. You can use your lust for the service of Krishna, and then you will be transcendentally situated.

You get the seed of devotion, and the Hare Krishna mantra through the mercy of the spiritual master and Krishna. Similarly, upon your surrender, the spiritual master and Krishna take responsibility for your sins. So if you commit sin again, the spiritual master becomes responsible for your sinful reaction. Therefore, it is the disciple's duty not to commit sin again. Not only Gayatri mantra, but all mantras cleanse one from sinful reactions, but we should not chant these mantras and then commit sin again.

1973 Correspondence

Letter to Madhukara -- Bombay 4 January, 1973:

Rather he must conduct the functions of his station of life only as a devotional service performed for Krsna. That means that devotional service is what is important, not my occupational duty. But it does not mean that because occupation duty is not the real consideration, that I should give it up and do something else, thinking that devotional service may be carried on under whatever circumstances which I may whimsically decide. Krsna recommended Arjuna to remain as he was, not to disrupt the order of society and go against his own nature just for convenience sake. Our occupational duty is not arbitrary, that means once we have taken up some field of action, if we are advanced in our understanding, then we shall not change it for another. Rather our devotion is the important factor, so what does it matter what I am doing so long my work and energy are completely devoted to Krsna? Just like Krsna, He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He has no work, neither He has anything to do, still He comes here to teach us this lesson. He accepts not only His occupational duty as cowherd boy, royal prince, but also He accepts married life, He enters politics, He is philosopher, He is even chariot driver during a great battle, He does not give example of Himself avoiding His occupational duty. So if Krsna Himself is exhibiting by His own conduct what is the perfection of existence, then we should heed such example if we are intelligent. Even supposing there is wife at home, with children, that does not matter, that is no hindrance to our spiritual life. And once we have accepted these things, occupational duties, we should not lightly give them up. That is the point. Of course, our occupational duty is as preachers of Krsna consciousness.

Letter to George -- Bombay 4 January, 1973:

Now you may enquire, what is that surrendering? Surrendering to Krishna means to try to please Him only, by our serving mood. Just like if I want to please you, or someone else, they will appreciate me by my serving their desires, that will give them pleasure. So if we want to please Krishna, He is kind enough to give us the formula how to please Him in Bhagavad-Gita, so if we are intelligent we shall follow the instructions and orders of Krishna as He gives them, that is pleasing Krishna, that is surrender. If I say, Yes, I like rasagulas, I like this type of incense, I like this and that—so if you bring me rasagulas, that incense, like that, that will be pleasing to me, will it not? But Krishna is not so rascal as me, He wants only little flower, some water, that's all, but main thing He wants is our devotion, nothing more:

manmana bhava mad-bhakto
mad-yaji mam namaskuru
mam evaisyasi satyam te
pratijane priyo'si me.
(BG 18.65)

"Always think of Me and become My devotee. Worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend." So to become the friend and the devotee of Krishna, that is required. Just become the pet dog, that is surrender.

Letter to Govinda -- Sydney 17 February, 1973:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated January 31st. and I have noted the contents carefully. I thank you very much for sending me the nice monogrammed shirts and I am wearing them daily. I am thinking of you and your husband and of the nice devotional service you are performing and I pray that Krishna will give you more and more intelligence to continue in this way.

You are the pioneer of pushing forward Tulasi worship in the Western world and I can understand that proportionally as your Tulasi plants are growing, your devotion and love is also growing. Please continue in this way.

I am glad to hear that you are opening another workshop in Kauai for the manufacturing of the Gaura-Nitai Deities and this is a very great service to our society and devotees. But one thing. You should always inform me before sending the Deities to the Temples. We cannot send them indiscriminately to anyone who has the whim of worshiping the Deities. We must be very very careful as to not commit offenses in worshiping the Deities, so therefore there must be sufficient facilities and Brahmins to worship the Deity.

Here in Australia, everything is going on very nicely and we will be travelling to New Zealand on the 19th of February where Tusta Krishna and Siddha Svarupa das Goswami are preparing a one week lecture tour and then I will be returning to India and again back to America by April, and at this time I will be pleased to see you again.

Letter to Gurudasa -- Calcutta 4 July, 1973:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated June 27 and have carefully studied the contents.

Your letter is very welcome news, that all obstacles are cleared in the way of our building our temple at Vrindaban. Similarly in Bombay we have just been victorious over the party who had torn down our temple and the temple has been completely reconstructed in addition to our gaining overwhelming new popular support there.

So by your diligent work and devotion, all permission is secured and all materials are on hand. Let us pray to Krsna for speedy progress on the construction of our Krsna Balarama temple. Now many of our American and European devotees are coming to our temple in Mayapur and on completion of the Vrindaban temple we shall be able to give facilities to our ISKCON devotees all over the world to visit these two most holy places in the world.

Re. Madan Mohan Goswami, yes, we want to avoid litigation; as you have said the legal system is completely corrupt. But if he goes to the courts we shall be forced to go also.

Letter to Susan Beckman -- Herts, England August 29, 1973:

"He never laments nor desires to have anything; he is equally disposed to every living entity. In that state he attains pure devotional service unto me." Bhagavad Gita 18/54

The next verse continues, "And when one is in full consciousness of the Supreme Lord by such devotion, he can enter into the kingdom of God." It is further stated in the Gita that when one is so situated even in the midst of greatest danger he is not disturbed. In other words when one has achieved perfection in chanting the Holy name of God he is always joyful, even death does not disturb him, what to speak of other things.

The conclusion is that one should learn the art of chanting the Holy name of Krishna 24 hours a day and that alone is the remedy for all problems of material existence. How is it possible to chant 24 hours a day? Lord Chaitanya gave the hint, "One can chant the holy name of God in a humble state of mind, thinking himself lower than the straw in the street, more tolerant than a tree, devoid of all kinds of sense of false prestige, and always ready to offer all respects to others. In such a humble state of mind one can chant the Holy name of God constantly." So I cannot give you any better advice for your problem, simply chant Hare Krishna and everything will be all right.

Letter to Hamsaduta -- Los Angeles 23 December, 1973:

I am in receipt of your letter dated December 15, 1973. Previously I have seen copy of German Easy Journey to Other Planets. It is very nice. The printing is very good and I am quite pleased. Thank you very much for helping me spread this transcendental knowledge to the Germanic peoples. It is a great credit for you and all the German devotees and Lord Caitanya will bless you with devotion to His lotus feet. I am very anxious to see our Bhagavad-gita in German so as soon as it is completed, kindly send me a copy. Regarding the Volkswagen bus, if it is not possible to bring in March to India then it can be brought at a later date. Yes, you should go to London and give me a report on the progress there. Mukunda and Madhavananda are sincere workers and are trying to organize things there. So you may go and help them, not interrupt but help.

I gladly accept the devotees you have recommended for initiations and enclosed find their names, threads and gayatri mantra sheets. You may chant on the beads of the first initiates and hold a fire sacrifice amongst our members. After that the second initiates may listen to the gayatri tape I have made through the right ear once only. Hare Krsna.

1974 Correspondence

Letter to Frederico Lourenco -- Mayapur 14 October, 1974:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated nil with enclosed drawings, and I thank you very much. Regarding prasadam, Krishna does not accept any foodstuff offered by a person who is not a devotee. In the Bhagavad-gita it is stated: patram puspam phalam toyam/yo me bhaktya prayacchati (BG 9.26). So the importance is stressed on the bhakti, the devotion. Krishna does not accept anything unless one is a pure devotee of Krishna. How to become a pure devotee of Krishna, you have to chant Hare Krishna and follow the four regulative principles of no meat eating, intoxication, illicit sex, or gambling, and you have to follow a guru who is expert in the science of devotional service. If you are serious about understanding Krishna consciousness, you can live with us for some time in one of our centers with your father's permission and learn the science and do the needful.

Your drawing attempt is very nice. Thank you. Where did you get the om? Om is not required. Krishna is sufficient, but there is no harm.

You should read Bhagavad-gita As It Is carefully verse to verse and word to word, and you will be benefited, and if you have any difficulty to understand anything I shall be very glad to have your inquiry.

Letter to Sarada -- Bombay 25 November, 1974:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated October 17, 1974 and have noted the contents. I am very glad to hear that you are engaged in the service of tulsi devi. Tulsi leaves are very important for satisfying Lord Krishna. But tulsi devi is not pleased by the nice tune of singing but by the nice devotion. So you continue to your best, and you will automatically advance more and more in Krishna consciousness.

Letter to Durgesh -- Bombay 27 December, 1974:

I am in due receipt of your letter 10-12-74 and have noted the contents carefully.

It has been recommended to me by the leaders in London that you should move into our temple as a permanent brahmacari and that your father will allow it if I also recommend. After studying your letter carefully and seeing the devotion and sincerity that you possess I am also very much in favor of your staying at our temple as a brahmacari. In my previous letter I had said that you could go to school during the week and live in the temple on the weekends. But I did not know how serious and determined you were to become Krsna Conscious. Someone as determined as you should be given facilities to spend cent percent of his time in Krsna Consciousness. Therefore I would be very happy to see you living in the temple, following all of our principles of pure life and becoming an expert scholar in Vedic knowledge, through studying my books diligently. This is real education. The so-called education that they are teaching in the schools and universities today is simply useless knowledge which is all based on atheistic and speculative theories. The teachers themselves are following no real authorities in wisdom neither do they set any good examples for their students. By going to school today there is always the danger through bad association of becoming entangled in so many unwanted things such as illicit sex, intoxication etc. Therefore definitely the best thing for you is to live in our temple in London. Please request your father on my behalf to let you do this. If there is any hesitation on his part please request him to write me and I will try to clarify things. If you go to live at our temple, because of your age, you should have a written statement from your father showing that he has given permission. Then authorities will not think that you are a run away.

1975 Correspondence

Letter to Ramesvara -- Bombay 1 January, 1975:

We don't need to take cheating method. I never had to use any cheating method when I first began. I simply presented the real thing.

Basically and practically speaking everything that is done sincerely for Krishna's satisfaction is perfect. But we have to be very very careful in our dealings with others so that they will not take the wrong view. Just like the gopis. They left their homes in the dead of night to go and meet this young boy Krishna for kissing and embracing. To the ordinary person, this is sinful, but to the devotee, it is worshipable and it is considered the highest form of devotion even by Lord Caitanya who was himself a very strict sannyasi. Therefore we are very careful not to discuss this rasa-lila in the presence of ordinary men because they will only misunderstand and commit offense. While dealing with the ordinary men, we must spread this movement in such a way that they will not misunderstand us and take offense. Try to sell as many of my books as possible to your best ability.

Letter to Satsvarupa -- Bombay 19 January, 1975:

And Bali Maharaja surrendered everything to Krishna—atma-nivedanam. So, any devotee executing any one of the nine is transcendentally glorious. One devotee may be proud that his process of service is the best. That is not inglorious. This is called transcendental competition. Everyone should feel proud of his particular type of devotional service, but that does not mean that other types of service are inferior. Everyone should feel proud of becoming sincere servant of Krishna, but the pure devotee never minimizes the importance of other devotees. Krishna is the enjoyer of varieties of service. It is not stuck up with any particular type of service. Krishna takes pleasure with devotees even by fighting service. When Grandfather Bhisma was trying to injure the body of Krishna by sharpened arrows, in full devotion in the mellow of chivalry, Krishna was feeling the piercing of the arrows as good as worshiping him with soft rose flowers. The conclusion is that everyone should be very very sincere. There is no more the question of inferior or superior.

Letter to Professor Stillson Judah -- Honolulu 11 June, 1975:

Your kind letter dated June 6, 1975 in hand, I thank you very much for this. The chapter 5 of Caitanya-caritamrta is already dispatched yesterday by post. It is my great delight that you have realized how Krishna Consciousness has transformed lives from drug addicted hippies to loving servants of Krishna and humanity. Loving service of Krishna is so exalted, that it automatically turns loving service to humanity. Krishna is just like the root of the tree and if you pour water on the root, it automatically reaches other parts of the tree. It is said in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, yasyasti bhaktir bhagavaty akincana sarvair gunais tatra samasate surah harav abhaktasya kuto mahad-guna manorathenasati dhavato bahih (SB 5.18.12). If a person has unflinching devotion at the lotus feet of Hari (God), then all the good qualities of great personalities like the demigods, automatically becomes manifest in the person of a devotee. Whereas a nondevotee, even he is decorated with material qualities, he is forced to act on the material plane and he stays in temporary field of activities. The idea is that spirit-soul is eternal and the material body is temporary, or for the sake of sense gratification. The mental plane is also material. People being forced to stay on the material platform, they are planning for temporary happiness, and being frustrated, they are jumping from one platform to another which are all temporary. But, fortunately, if one becomes situated on the platform of Krishna Consciousness, then his jumping over material platforms becomes ceased. It is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita as follows: yam labdhva caparam labham manyate nadhikam tatah—Upon gaining this, he thinks that there is no greater gain. So, at the present moment, there is great necessity to give to the human society Krishna, or God. Everyone speaks of God, but nobody has clear idea what is God, or where is God. We Hare Krishna people are trying to do our best to say, "here is God, Krishna". So, please try to co-operate with this movement and I am sure the world will be happy. I am coming to Los Angeles on the 20th of June, and more when we meet.

Letter to Swami Sahajananda -- Durban 12 October, 1975:

I beg to thank you very much for your kind letter dated 10th October, 1975 and it is very encouraging as you write to say: "As many spiritual leaders are often deriding the Godhood of Lord Krishna, it is gratifying that your great movement is disseminating His greatness and thus keeping alive our devotion to Lord Krishna." It means that Your Holiness is a great devotee of Lord Krishna. So, out of your natural humbleness you have presented yourself as my "humble child." Certainly, in consideration of age, you are my child but I see in devotion you are greater than me. So as you are a devotee of Lord Krishna you are my guru. Thank you very much.

It has become a fashion nowadays amongst the politicians, scholars, and so-called swamis to deride Krishna. This is very dangerous position. Any blasphemous activities to Krishna will not affect His body. He has no material body, therefore prayers or accusations do not affect Him. He is always kind and equal to everyone.

Letter to Swami Sahajananda -- Durban 12 October, 1975:

"I envy no one, nor am I partial to anyone. I am equal to all. But whoever renders service unto Me in devotion is a friend, is in Me, and I am also a friend to him." But, those who are deriding the Godhood of Krishna are considered as demons and raksasas. There was only one raksasa at the time of Lord Ramacandra who did not care for the Lord and attempted to kidnap his wife so he took away maya-laksmiji from Narayana. The result was that he became ruined with his whole family and kingdom. In this age of kali there are a number of Ravanas deriding the Godhood of Lord Krishna and Lord Ramacandra, and they will meet with the same result as it was done in the case of Ravana. So it is a dangerous position of the whole world that they have become all godless or atheists in different degree or manner. It is the duty of saintly persons to save these rascals from ruination. So, I wish that a devotee of Lord Krishna like you may conjointly work in propagating Krishna Consciousness to save the fallen souls from going down to the darkest region of hell. I am quoting one verse from the Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto 7, chapter 5, verse 31:

Letter to Jayatirtha -- Bombay 20 November, 1975:

When I hear of your advancement of devotional service by book distribution, it invigorates me although I am an old man. Although I am traveling all over the world, my mind is always in Los Angeles. So do everything very nicely so that very soon I may go there and see the improvement. The mrdanga-making is very important. The new bhaktas, they can be engaged in the mrdanga-making and also help Bharadraja with the doll-making. The nursery school program is very good. That is good that the mothers are being freed to increase their devotional service. It is not that women should only produce children, but they are meant for advancing in devotion. The sign Hare Krishna Colony is very good idea. You can add, the words Come and Join. Why are the French books not being composed on our own equipment? We have got so many nice machines there. I think it will be better if we do it on our own machines and save money.

Regarding Berkeley temple, I note that permission for living in the building is not yet finalized. Please keep me informed. Portland is a very nice city. I am glad that we have our temple there. That is very good that Seattle does not have any debts. This is proper management. This is very much wanted. It is also very good that Jayadvaita is in Laguna Beach and is preaching there. This is our process of preaching, that one shows by his personal example, not that we preach something and then do something else. That is called cheating and that is going on in the religion, especially. We are not that kind of cheaters. And we are not that kind of so-called religionists. Yes, so you keep an eye on things there in Laguna Beach, and see that whoever takes over as temple president is trained up.

Letter to Sri Krishna C. Batra -- Vrindaban 8 December, 1975:

So this bhakti yoga is practiced by varieties of rendering service to the Lord, They are divided into nine prescribed methods as it is called sravanam, kirtanam visnoh, smaranam pada sevanam, arcanam vandanam dasyam, sakhyam atma nivedanam (SB 7.5.23). The actual path to understand God is bhakti yoga as it is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita, bhaktya mam abhijanati, yevan yas casmi tattvatah, tato mam tattvato jnatve, visate tad anantaram. (BG 18.55) "One can understand the Supreme Personality as he is only by devotional service. And when one is in full consciousness of the Supreme Lord by such devotion, he can enter into the kingdom of God." This bhakti yoga is identical with Krishna consciousness this is also confirmed in Bhagavad-gita, Yoginam api sarvesam, mad gatenanteratmana, sraddhavan bhajate yo mama, sa me yuktatamo matah. (BG 6.47) And of all yogis, he who always abides in me with great faith, worshiping me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with me in yoga and is the highest of all.

So we teach our students how to think of Krishna 24 hours and thus become devotees of Krishna. When one becomes a devotee he worships Krishna by the above nine varieties of bhakti processes and remain always an obedient servant of Krishna, and the vivid example is Arjuna, how he engaged himself on the battlefield of Kuruksetra although he was not willing to kill the enemies on the other side, although they happen to be very near and dear kinsmen of Arjuna.

The conclusion is, when one gives up his concocted ideas of perfection and takes to Krishna consciousness just to render service to the Lord by following his direct order this perfection is actually attained by a pure devotee, so much so that a pure devotee constantly engaged in the service of the Lord can get direct orders from the Lord, and then follow perfectly the instructions of the Lord.

1976 Correspondence

Letter to Dr. Chittaranjan Mohapatra -- Mayapur 21 March, 1976:

He is described as the Supreme Being. I do not know on what authority you can say that Krishna is an ordinary human being like you or me?

Sacrifice does not mean murdering. The real work is yajna. Yajna means Visnu. In the Bhagavad-gita, yajna is prescribed. Yajnarthat karmano 'nyatra loko 'yam Karma-bandhanah . . . (BG 3.9). "Work done as a sacrifice for Visnu has to be performed, otherwise work binds one to this world." Yajna is prescribed in Vedic literature. Yajna means satisfying Lord Visnu. Lord Visnu's another name is Yajna-purusa. One must satisfy Him anyway that He likes. "Patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati . . . (BG 9.26). If one offers Me in devotion a leaf, flower, fruit or water, I will accept it." Not that whimsically offer.

You also mentioned that how can I give up attraction for woman; when you learn to love Krishna, then you can forget your lusty desires for women. Krishna's another name is Madan-Mohan. When Krishna is within the heart, then the Madan or lusty desires become defeated. If we learn to love Krishna, our lusty desires will be finished, otherwise not.

Letter to Balavanta -- Honolulu 29 May, 1976:

"Always chanting My glories, endeavouring with great determination, bowing down before Me, these great souls perpetually worship Me with devotion."

Our religion is not a part time transcendental recreation. We live in God. Of course, "Hare Krishna" is there on all these newspaper reports, that I want, that somehow or other hundreds and thousands of men will chant Hare Krishna. They have made all plans to avoid God, and our plan is that they accept God. The struggle will become acute, because formerly they thought we were simply hippies, but now they see our books, that we are here to stay. The professors are writing books, like Hare Krishna and Counter Culture, beginning to realize that Hare Krishna is here to stay. So, now the people are becoming envious that in such a short time we are so well known. Do not be discouraged by these fools and rascals, and simply push on sincerely and Krishna will save you.

Letter to unknown 2 -- 28 September, 1976:

In these temples the minimum number of devotees attached is 50 and maximum 250 and they are engaged to distribute Krishna hymns leading an austentious life. Everywhere the Deity of Radha and Krishna is being worshiped. From India a large number of renowned persons frequently visit these temples throughout the world and they have made remarks to the effect that in each and every temple arrangements for daily worship and functions relating thereto are remarkably done smoothly and methodically. The artistic way of make up in all respects are exceptionally good and for all these a lot of expenses made towards everything are unparallel. The devotees attached to these temples out of natural devotion frequently visit to have a glance of the holy birthplace of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu at Mayapur, Navadvipa, and that of Shri Krishna at Mathura and His lila-ksetra at Vrndavana, and that they do so in thousands.

Bharatavarsa land is a sacred place. Bhagavan Buddha was born here. Buddhists from different places in the world come to have a darshan of Gaya and Varanasi. What harms them if the devotees of Shri Krishna come here to have a darshan of the birthplaces of Shri Krishna and Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu? They are after being initiated with Vaisnavism by having their head shaved and keeping sikha and yajna-sutra and adorning with twelve tilakas, being engaged in Hari sankirtana are not all these things a pride for us Indians? But it is a matter of great regret that recently in my birthplace, West Bengal, there are some who are making agitations and various uncalled for remarks without knowing the real facts.

Page Title:Devotion (Letters)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, RupaManjari
Created:04 of Apr, 2013
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=0, Let=83
No. of Quotes:83