Great personalities (Letters)

Correspondence

1968 Correspondence

Letter to Balai -- Montreal 4 July, 1968:

Yes, this is very nice sentiments. All parents should think like that. Maharaja Prahlada, Dhruva Maharaja, they are ideal child devotees and everyone's children should be trained in the ideal of such great personalities.

Letter to Jadurani -- Montreal 9 July, 1968:

Brahma came to Krishna because he has very exalted idea about Krishna, and he was doubtful how his Lord could come into the material world and become a cowherd boy. This incidence is known as Brahma Bemohan lila, or the pastime of bewildering Brahma. In the beginning of Srimad-Bhagavatam, it is stated that great personalities like Brahma become bewildered in the understanding of the Absolute Truth. So sometimes such pastimes are manifested by the Lord in order to teach the so-called mental speculators. Even Arjuna was bewildered, although he was His constant companion. Arjuna also was talking from the material view point of standing. All this bewilderment of great devotees are created by the Lord, for 2 purposes: one purpose, is that even great personalities like Brahma and Arjuna sometimes become bewildered, and therefore, unless they present themselves in such position of bewilderment, the common men do not have the chance to understand Krishna. If Brahma would not have posed himself as not knowing the whole truth, then some truths about the transcendental position of Krishna would not have been explained. Besides that, we cannot calculate even one day's duration of the life of Brahma. So, Krishna appears only once in a day of Brahma, and that takes a rotation of unlimited trillions of solar years.

Letter to Satsvarupa -- San Francisco 20 September, 1968:

It is not necessary that because one has got wife, therefore you must have sex life. The whole scheme is to avoid sex life as far as possible. And if one can avoid it completely then it is a great victory for him. Married life is a sort of license for sex life on condition of raising children. So you should try to understand these principles of married life and use your discretion. You should not imitate great personalities like Bhaktivinode Thakura, but you must follow His footprints. But it is not always possible to have the same success as great personalities like Bhaktivinode Thakura achieved. So in all circumstances you should try to follow the footprints of authorities but never to imitate them. Unless Jadurani develops a better health and strength, I do not advise her to become pregnant. I think you will understand the instruction as I have given and try to follow it as far as possible.

Letter to Sivananda -- Los Angeles 11 November, 1968:

That is also recommended by the Goswamis. That one should be occupied in activities in the modes of goodness and associate with spiritualistic persons, that will make one's advancement very quick.

Persons who want to take advantage of cheap reputation they imitate great personalities like Haridasa Thakura, who was alone chanting 300,000 of Holy Names daily. By such chanting, lonely chanting he got so much spiritual power that he could convert even a harlot to become a great devotee whereas an ordinary person falls easily a victim to such allurement. So one should not imitate such great personalities but one should try to see how much taste he has developed for chanting, so that one can remain alone simply being engaged in chanting. If one can remain alone simply being engaged in chanting, that is very good, but it is difficult also.

Letter to John Darsinos -- Los Angeles 23 November, 1968:

This is required. Of course, for anyone to hear the message of Srimad-Bhagavatam will produce a favorable result but formally one should receive this knowledge from the disciplic succession. For example, Arjuna and Krishna were friends but still Arjuna submitted himself formally as Krishna's disciple. This is essential. We should take example from these great Personalities. Arjuna was hearing Krishna speaking Bhagavad-gita but still he submitted as Krishna's disciple. "Now I submit unto You, please teach me." So this is the process. I hope this will clear up your question sufficiently.

Letter to Gurudasa -- Los Angeles 14 December, 1968:

The Mayavadi philosophers even they do not follow Sankaracarya because their philosophy itself is offensive. Sankaracarya has accepted Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but the Mayavadis take Krishna as a great personality only. That is their misfortune. On account of successive offensive attacks on the Supreme Person. So therefore the subsequent result of Mayavadi philosophy, on account of their rigidity to this misleading philosophy, they cannot make progress. Besides that, as it is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita, the Personal Feature of Krishna is very difficult to be understood by the nondevotee class of men. So the Mayavadi philosophers are, as a class, non-devotees. Naturally they are misled almost in all occasions. But some of them were extraordinary to come out and accept Krishna's personality. This is explained by Arjuna also in the Bhagavad-gita.

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Vilasavigraha -- Los Angeles 22 January, 1969:

You have asked me how one can know that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead? How do you know that the president is the supreme person in your state? You know this through the government organizations, the constitution papers, and by traditional knowledge. Similarly, to know Who is the Supreme Personality you have to take evidence from the Vedic authorities, great personalities, and the Spiritual Master. Otherwise, what is the use of accepting a Spiritual Master if you can not take His words? Your Spiritual Master says Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna says He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, all the Vedic literature says that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. All great authorities like Narada, Vyasadeva, Lord Caitanya, Siddhanta Sarasvati, Bhaktivinode Thakura, Arjuna, and what to speak of the countless others say that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

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

In our Krishna Consciousness Movement, anyone who has got full blessings and confidence of the Spiritual Master, and therefore Krishna, his success is sure. In the Caitanya Caritamrta it is said "guru krsna krpaya paya bhakti lata bija (CC Madhya 19.151)."

I am so glad to note that you are tackling very consistently a great personality like George Harrison, and he is becoming gradually inclined to our movement. I am very satisfied to learn that he has recently made one record along with you of Hare Krishna. If possible, send me one tape recording of it so I shall play it here.

Regarding Rathayatra, this must be done at any cost. I may go or not go; that is not important. But Rathayatra Festival, as you have already made program, somehow or other it must be done. A grand program is being made in San Francisco, organized by Tamala Krishna, and with the full cooperation of all Western Coast centers.

Letter to James Doody -- Los Angeles 10 July, 1969:

I thank you very much for your letter dated June 23, 1969, and I am pleased to note that you are anxious to see me as soon as possible. So far as human frailties are concerned, they can all be adjusted by dovetailing everything in Krishna Consciousness. Our Krishna is a great family Personality. Krishna is never a mendicant, and our ambition is to enter into Krishna's family and to associate with Him personally. In spiritual life also there are men and women. They are very beautiful and attractive, but they are all so much absorbed in thought of Krishna that in the spiritual world there is no sex life. That means that Krishna Consciousness is so sublime and happy that it surpasses the pleasure of sex life. In the material world, because there is no information of Krishna Consciousness, sex life is taken as the highest pleasurable situation. Anyway, in our philosophy we prohibit illicit sex life and not sex life itself. In Krishna Consciousness there are many illustrious householders. So to marry and to become an exemplary householder is the ideal life of Krishna Consciousness.

1971 Correspondence

Letter to Babhru -- 439 HENRY STREET, BROOKLYN, N.Y. 11231 - Tel. 596-9658 23rd July, 1971:

I am in due receipt of your very kind letter dated 19th July, and you will be glad to know that I have gladly accepted you as my duly initiated disciple. Your beads have been duly chanted on by me and they are enclosed herewith. Your spiritual name is Babhru Das Brahmachary. Babhru was a great personality in the Yadu dynasty.

Goursundar Prabhu informs me that you are head Tulasi gardner at New Nabadwipa. Now "Krishna Tulasi" is there also. You surely must be a great devotee. Tulasi devi is growing so profusely there and that is surely to your credit. So continue with this valuable service and become fixed up in Krishna consciousness. Chant all your 16 rounds faithfully, study all our literatures and go for street San Kirtan as much as possible. And by the grace of Srimati Tulasi Devi surely you will make rapid advancement in Krishna Consciousness.

1974 Correspondence

Letter to Yadunandana -- Melbourne 25 June, 1974:

Haridasa Thakura used to live only in a cave sometimes and would spend his whole time chanting the Hare Krishna Mantra. Similarly Gaura Keshore das Babaji the spiritual master of my guru maharaj would chant alone in a solitary place so as not to be bothered by anyone in his meditation on Krsna. But these great personalities are not to be imitated. If we artificially imitate, out of some negative feeling or out of desire for adoration as a saintly person, it will not be very beneficial. On the authority of Lord Caitanya and my spiritual master, I am requesting my disciples to always stay in the association of devotees and to propagate the sankirtana movement all over the world, so that others may get a chance also to become liberated from the material condition. Prahlada Maharaja prayed I am not satisfied to go back to the kingdom of God alone, but I must bring back with me all these poor fools who have no alternative ultimately than to surrender to You.

Letter to Sri Srinivasan -- Bombay 23 December, 1974:

As grhastha I was thinking it would be very difficult to leave my householder life and take up preaching full time. But actually it has become very easy by the grace of Sri Krsna. Now there are no difficulties. So I recommend that you also take up this life. Now that your household duties are more or less finished I think this is your best alternative. All great previous personalities such as Arjuna and the Pandava brothers, Maharaja Rsabhadeva, King Bharata, so many great kings and great saintly persons all finished the last part of their lives living as mendicants, sannyasis. Therefore following in the footsteps of the authorities we should understand the Supreme Lord Sri Krsna. If there are any difficulties concerning my request to you to leave your home then if you like you can write me for further advise and it will be my duty to serve you in this way.

1975 Correspondence

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

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.

Letter to Mahavisnu -- Bombay 31 December, 1975:

It is very unfortunate that Savitri devi dasi met with such a bad accident. The material world is full of danger at every step. Even a great devotee like Bhisma met his end by being pierced with hundreds of arrows, but he was so powerful that he waited in that condition to see Lord Krishna before he passed away. These are the examples of Bhagavatam, and we have to try to follow the instructions of such great personalities. Please offer my blessings to this nice girl and prayers for her well being.

Regarding your getting married, I have no objection. However as a brahmacari you are not obligated to marry, what is the advantage to your getting married? That should be considered. If one can remain brahmacari that is best. Finish this life and go back to Godhead, that is the basic idea of Krishna consciousness movement. So you decide.

1976 Correspondence

Letter to Dr. Suresh Candra -- Hyderabad 8 December, 1976:

I thank you very much for your Bengali letter dated Nov. 26, 1976. I have noted the contents carefully.

It appears that you are an unmarried brahmacari. So, if you continue this status of life for the matter of executing devotional service, that will be a great advantage. Many great personalities remain brahmacari throughout their whole lives and get freedom from material bondage very easily. Of course marriage is not prohibited in devotional service, but if one can remain brahmacari, in unmarried life, it is a great facility.

Page Title:	Great personalities (Letters)
Compiler:	Visnu Murti, RupaManjari
Created:	24 of Aug, 2012
Totals by Section:	BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=0, Let=15
No. of Quotes:	15