The sages of old age discovered it by spiritual culture that man's energy should be utilized only for spiritual realization. Not to speak of Lord Sri Krishna who spoke the philosophy of Bhagavad-gita near about 5000 years ago, we know that within 2000 years of human history no sages including Jesus Christ, prophet Mohammed, Lord Buddha, Acarya Sankara, Madhya, Ramanuja or even Lord Caitanya gave any importance to materialistic way of living. Material necessities were always subordinate to the spiritual realization. They saw it that the bread problem, clothing problem and shelter problem are never solved by material activities because in the law of nature the elephant is given the whole jungle to eat and the little ant is given a grain of sugar to solve their respective bread problems and yet the animals remain hungry. It is not the question of a jungle or a grain of sugar that can solve our bread problem but it is the question of real food that can quench the hunger of human being and revitalise him to proper life. Human being therefore should not be encouraged to satisfy his unsatiated hunger like the giant elephant or the little ant but he should be trained up otherwise which shall provide for his real food.
Hunger (Letters)
Correspondence
1947 to 1965 Correspondence
Material necessities were always subordinate to the spiritual realization. They saw it that the bread problem, clothing problem and shelter problem are never solved by material activities because in the law of nature the elephant is given the whole jungle to eat and the little ant is given a grain of sugar to solve their respective bread problems and yet the animals remain hungry. It is not the question of a jungle or a grain of sugar that can solve our bread problem but it is the question of real food that can quench the hunger of human being and revitalise him to proper life. Human being therefore should not be encouraged to satisfy his unsatiated hunger like the giant elephant or the little ant but he should be trained up otherwise which shall provide for his real food.
This service of spiritual value with your hard earned money on behalf of Godhead, will be recognized by the Lord and you will be blessed with spiritual enlightenment in your life without fail. Please experience it factually exactly like a man fed in hunger.
Sacrifice, charity and penances are three essential things for attaining spiritual light. The suggested way to you is the easiest one to cover all the above three important spiritual activities. Do not miss this opportunity. Kindly adopt it immediately and see the result how it acts.
May good counsel prevail upon you. Please read the current issue of the paper which is donated by an enlightened soul and follow the example for your as well as the world's good.
1968 Correspondence
The idea is that there is a story, "that, I have lost my caste and still my belly is not fulfilled." In India, it is the custom that the Hindus do not ever take meals in the house of a Mohammedan, Christian, or anyone other than the house of Hindu Brahmin. But a man was very hungry, and accidentally he took his food in the house of a Mohammedan. And when he wanted still more food, the man refused, as the man could not supply. So the Hindu man said, "Sir, I have lost my caste, and still I am hungry!" Similarly, if artistic pictures as they are approved by the people in general in this country can be sold quickly, I have not any objection to present our pictures in such a way. But I know that pictures in this country are sold not on the merit of the picture, but on the reputation of the artist. That system is also current in India. But to come to the point of a reputed artist will require long duration of time.
The main thing is that whenever prasadam is offered to the Lord, everything should be very respectfully and cleanly presented and prepared. In Jagannatha Puri, the Lord eats 56 times. So the Lord can eat as many times as you can offer. But only thing is whatever is offered must be with respect and devotion. (He is neither hungry nor poor, nor unable to eat, but He accepts everything, when such eatable is within the groups of vegetables, fruits, flours, milk, water, etc. is offered to Him with love and devotion, and faith. He wants our love only, and that makes Him hungry for eating as many times as you may offer. He is absolute, therefore, all contradictory points coincide in Him. He is hungry and satisfied simultaneously. So the purport is that everything should be offered very cleanly and pure things should be given.)
If a preparation is cooked all together, then offer all together.
The more you forget about nonsense material enjoyment, you must know you are advancing in Krishna Consciousness. You haven't got to ask anybody how you are making progress, you will realize yourself by this test. Just like a person taking lunch, he will feel satisfied of hunger and strength, himself. Similarly, the more you serve Krishna, you will forget material hankerings and get spiritual strength. This is the test.
I am glad to know you are feeling like that, and keeping chanting Hare Krishna and the answer is already received by you. Thank you very much.
Regarding your question, how Krishna can become a male: (your question,". . . I read from Srimad-Bhagavatam, chap. 11, text 7, 'Oh, Creator of the Universe, You are our mother, well wisher, Lord, father, the spiritual master and worshipable deity.'
1969 Correspondence
I am in due receipt of your letter dated February 7, 1969, and I have noted the contents. Regarding Jadurani's diet, let her take fruits, vegetables, milk, capatis, and also when she is hungry she may take a little rice and some thin mung dahl. Please keep me informed of her progress.
Regarding your idea of having an installation ceremony for the Deities, it is very good suggestion, and you may also have the sacrificial fire. The Deities should be bathed with milk, and while bathing, They must have covering of thin cotton cloth, and the whole Body and the clothing should be wet by pouring the milk. You can see the picture of this in the new Back To Godhead, and perhaps you saw the ceremony when it was held in New York.
As you are all sincere devotees, I am sure you are feeling the great assistance of Krishna through your activities, and the more you serve the more you will know how you are making progress in Krishna Consciousness. The same example has to be repeated how when a hungry man is given foodstuffs to eat, automatically he feels three kinds of symptoms: satisfaction of hunger, strength and pleasure. So this Krishna Consciousness Movement is based on sincere service to the Lord. We shall always remember this, and then success is assured. I am glad that you are expecting me there during Janmastami Day, and this is a very nice proposal. Even if I go to Germany in the meantime, it will not be difficult for me to come to London during Janmastami Festival, which takes place on the 4th of September.
I could not check my laughing when you have said so many things in bereavement for asking me to serve in the university. There is no question of bereavement. A child sometimes commits mistakes, and the father says "Don't do like this." So there is no question of being very seriously bereaved. There is a story that one man was very hungry, and he went to an unknown friend and asked him to give him some food. The man supplied him a little foodstuff, but he was not satisfied. His hunger was still there. So he asked the man for more food, and the man said there wasn't any. Then the hungry man inquired from the other man, "Which caste do you belong to?" The other man said, "I am Mohammedan." Then the hungry man said, "Oh, I have lost my caste, and still my belly is not satisfied." The idea is that if we have to accept some service, there must be proper remuneration. Otherwise, our free service is open in the temple.
Generally in the universities they pay the teachers from $800 to $2,000 per month, so at least they must pay via media not less than $1,000 per month. Anyway, don't bother about it. Go on with your business. But I thought that I required some money for my Book Fund, so I could gather some money in this way. But this will not satisfy my hunger, so forget this incident.
Now I am so pleased to learn that your Berkeley center is improving day by day under the good care of yourself and your good wife, Himavati. Please go on improving the condition of this important center until you have made it as good as Los Angeles center. Regarding the building, how much money do you have for a down payment? If you have at least $3,000, then I can ask some other centers to give you a loan for the balance so you can attempt to purchase the house. You say that it is a nice house, so if it is ours, we can decorate it very nicely for a good temple.
1971 Correspondence
Young boys and girls are sometimes agitated in mind but if we follow the regulative principles and chant Hare Krishna mantra regularly the onslaught of material nature can be checked. The whole process is, of this Krishna Consciousness movement, to meet the waves of material nature. The waves are called agitation by hunger and thirst, lamentation, confusion, illusion in so called love and affection, pangs of old age and disease and at last meeting with death. All these things can be changed simply by engaging ourselves in the service of the Lord which keeps us always in the transcendental position. Some way or other if we are able to keep in the transcendental position by devotional service we remain completely untouched by the contamination of matter. By the grace of Lord Caitanya things have been reduced to a very easy operation: by chanting Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.
As far as your questions, Krishna is not in need of anything, He is purnam, the Complete Whole. And yet He appreciates our love for Him, just like everyone appreciates if someone exhibits love for them. So He kindly allows us to show that love by considering that if I do not feed Him, Krishna will go hungry, if I do not give Him rest, He will be tired, like that. He reciprocates by pretending to be dependent on me, my slave, just to give us opportunity to find the real object of our loving propensity and to take pleasure by pleasing and serving Him. Everything we do should be for the reason that it gives pleasure to Krishna. Because Krishna's intimate associates give Him the most pleasure, and because they are His favorites, it pleases Him to see that these associates and close friends are also offered all respect by the devotees.
I want that all the hippies should come to me and I shall solve their problems. Actually all these hippies should join us. I am seeing that in this Delhi city many hippies from your country are coming, but they are simply hungry and dirty and being cheated. During our pandal program some of them came to me and became my disciples. So we must look out for them and take interest that they should be delivered from this miserable condition. They are our best customers. If we give them place to sleep comfortably and nice prasadam, and if they agree to follow the four rules and attend our aratis and classes, why not invite the hippies to live with us? Gradually they will become devotees. The American Ambassador to India, Mr. Kenneth Keating, is very much in favor of our Movement, especially on this point of giving you people the right advice and saving them from intoxication and being hippies. If your government would give us some help I can save all of them.
1972 Correspondence
The phenomenal growth of ISKCON reflects a basic worldwide need for the type of instruction and training the Society offers. Heads of state, government officials, clergymen, professors and scientists, as well as professional men and businessmen the world over have commended the Society for its substantial, practical work in combating drug addiction, mental disorders, racial conflicts and the general moral decline of today's youth, as well as hunger and disease wherever they are found.
ISKCON is creating men of character. Students are required to follow strictly the regulative principles of Vedic life: 1) No illicit sex-life (i.e. outside of marriage); 2) No intoxicants, including coffee, tea, cigarettes, drugs; 3) No gambling; 4) Vegetarian diet.
I am in due receipt of your letter dated April 15, 1972 and I have noted the contents. This food distribution program is to be done very, very nicely as I have already written in my last letter. Generally people make a plea that why are there so many hungry and naked. So we invite all hungry and naked people to come to us and we will give them food and clothing and Krishna consciousness as well. This will attract the general public and there will never be any shortage of food-stuffs, so continue regularly. In Bombay there are many generous persons who like food distribution programs, and actually, our temple should be the via media for feeding the poor with food and spiritual knowledge. Our Bombay program should be based on giving Krishna consciousness through the English medium and distribution of prasadam without any discrimination. This will enhance our prestige and will accelerate our spiritual life as well.
We, the above institution, have got our spiritual communism idea, and we want to see that not a single person, man or animal, remains hungry or in want of material necessities of life. According to our philosophy, a householder or substantial citizen of the state has to see not only after the well-being of his wife, children, relatives and dependents, that they shall be properly taken care of and will not starve, but also even if a lizard lives in his house, he should see that it is not hungry. Therefore, to give all facilities of living condition to all living entities is our Krishna Consciousness movement.
Besides this human welfare activity for communal sharing of the material necessities of life, there is an ancient Vedic program for simultaneously raising the whole society to the highest perfection of spiritual consciousness.
So I am very glad that you are taking your business very seriously and you may consult always with Satsvarupa in all matters of management and policy, and if he cannot answer to your satisfaction, you may also ask me something. For children it is a long time between 8:45 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., therefore they are naturally hungry long before the lunch time. If it is convenient you may add another period for light prasadam between those times. The children should e allowed to eat as much as they like, therefore if children are complaining from hunger we must feed them. On the second point, if someone is coming to our school for the first time, still, they must eat what we are eating, namely Krsna prasadam. Yes, everything should be prepared for the pleasure of the Lord, without any other consideration. Our policy is that the children should be so trained that they will enjoy performing austerities, it is not that we shall spoil them at young age by indulging them in sense gratification.
1974 Correspondence
Regarding grains, if rice and mung dahl is available from Formosa please try to secure as much as possible as donation or by purchase. India is now practically without food grains on account of, partially, nature's punishment, and partially, the hoarding plan of the rogues. We wish to distribute cooked food such as rice, dahl and capatis to as many hungry men as possible. I think both you and Bali Mardan along with the help of other friends can help our society in this connection. I am so pleased to learn our New York temple is going so nicely under your direction.
I have studied your activities while in Honolulu and it gives me great pleasure to find out such s devotee qualified as you are in our society. I wish you will execute responsibilities in the future in the matter of our societies multi activities. In this connection I especially request you to try to open a center in China.
This was Lord Caitanya's desire that the Holy name be heard in every town and village.
Now I am especially concerned to distribute grains, rice, wheat in the form of dahl and rice prasadam to hungry people all over India. The people here are very disturbed because, partly due to the punishment of Nature, and partly due to the mismanagement of the demon class of men, food is not available. If the people do not even have sufficient food they will not even be able to receive spiritual instructions. So I am hopeful that if we can widely distribute free foodstuffs to the people of India, by giving it out at our centers as well as by travelling parties to villages, we will win over the whole country and the whole world by this activity on Krsna's behalf.
1977 Correspondence
I beg to thank you for your letter dated March 25th, 1977.
Power hungry politicians are creating havoc everywhere. These rascals create so many difficult situations. The public is very nice but the politicians keep them in ignorance. I have studied the whole world. Human nature is the same everywhere. The mass of people are very good but these rogues create by their personal aggrandizement so many difficulties.
Your report of your visit to Pakistan is very very encouraging. Why not develop this center and take the help of these men? The temple is already there and the men are willing to help. Simply we have to explain our philosophy to the learned circles.
| Page Title: | Hunger (Letters) |
| Compiler: | Rishab, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 26 of May, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=0, Let=20 |
| No. of Quotes: | 20 |