The mission with which you have started your service inspired me to help you as far as possible and I thought it fit to inform you that your mission can be well guided by the practical philosophy of the Bhagavad-gita. If you do not wish to have it that is a different question. If you put up a programme acceptable to one and all there is no necessity of patronizing a particular ism. A common formula can be of practical use both for India or others. As such you can have practical solutions of all problems such as social, religious, cultural, political, economic as well as agricultural and industrial—from the Bhagavad-gita. It is possible only simply by assimilating it by direct perception. It is meant for all living being. Indirect perception will mislead far away from the truth and I am afraid many such indirect misinterpretations in a speculative mood by various commentators, have done more harm than good to the humanity in general.
Industrial (Letters)
Expressions researched:
"industrial"
|"industrialism"
|"industrialist"
|"industrialist's"
|"industrialists"
|"industrialization"
|"industrialize"
|"industrialized"
|"industrially"
|"industrials"
Correspondence
1947 to 1965 Correspondence
In the old days life was not so much conditional and encumbered. The simple problems were then the problems of bread, clothing and shelter which were solved by the simplest process. By agriculture they used to solve the bread, clothing and shelter problems and industrialization was unknown to them. Thus they had no idea of living in big palatial buildings at the cost of sacrificing the boon of humanity. They were satisfied to live in the cottages and yet they were perfectly intelligent. Even the famous Canakya Pandit who was the Prime Minister of India during the reign of Candragupta, used to live in a cottage and draw no salary from the State. Such simple habits did not deteriorate his high intelligence and dignity and as such he had compiled many useful literatures which are still read by millions for social and political guidance. Thus the simplicity of Brahmanical culture was an ideal to the subordinate others of the society and in the Deductive way the subordinate orders, namely the the Ksatriyas, the Vaisyas and the Sudras would follow the instruction of the cultured Brahmin. Such ways of approaching the Truth is always simple, plain and perhaps the most perfect.
This Vedanta Sutra was compiled by Srila Vyasadeva and by the advice of His Spiritual master Srila Narada—Vyasadeva wrote a commentation of the Vedanta Sutra by compiling Srimad-Bhagavatam. So Srimad-Bhagavatam is the last gift of Srila Vyasadeva to represent an authorized commentation of the Vedanta Sutra and Lord Caitanya's mission is to preach this cult in every corner of the world in order to make the people really happy. This Vedanta Sutra is now mishandled in India by unauthorized persons of different camps and as such the people are being misguided. Newly sprung up national enthusiasm of the Indian leaders, Industrialists and plan makers, has no time neither desire to understand the message of Vedanta Sutra or even the Bhagavad-gita. You cannot do acts of humanity without proper guidance. The Vedanta Sutra is the proper guidance because the sastra "Athata Brahmajijnasa" is the beginning of an inquiry in the essence of our different engagements.
1966 Correspondence
Due to my absence from India the printing works are suspended and now I wish to begin it again on hearing from you. The thing is that I am trying here to establish one Temple of Sri Sri Radha Krishna and one big industrialist of India has promised to pay for the cost. But there is difficulty of Indian exchange. So I am trying to get the exchange sanctioned through some friends in India and if I get the sanction then I shall remain here for many more days. So in my absence I wish that you may take charge of selling the books in India. Please let me know if there is any possibility of your taking such charge.
1968 Correspondence
Regarding India, I have received letter from Acyutananda yesterday which is not very encouraging. The man who was negotiating for a nice house appears to be a con man. So, I have advised him not to open a center at Kanpur at present. So, you may not be hasty immediately for starting to India. In the meantime, I am negotiating also with Hitsaranji. He is a little busy now a days on account of two marriage ceremonies. His boss is a big industrialist and he is going to get his son and grandson married very recently. He is writing a letter that he is going to write me details after he is free from the responsibility of the marriage.
If we have got a press in our control with full equipment it will be a great boon. If such manipulation is not possible, then I wish to start a nice press in our Indian branch and get all our books and printing work done there. For a nice arrangement of our Indian branch I am already in negotiation with Indian friends and I have proposed a big industrialist to become the president of the Indian branch. In India labor is very cheap in comparison with your country, and especially if we have our Indian branch in Vrindaban we can have labor there as our inmates of our institution.
Vrindaban conception is a transcendental village, without any botheration of the modern industrial atmosphere. My idea of developing New Vrindaban is to create an atmosphere of spiritual life where people in bona fide order of social division, namely, Brahmacaris, Grhasthas, Vanaprastha, Sannyasis, or specifically Brahmacaris and Sannyasis, and Vanaprasthas, will live there independently, completely depending on agricultural produce and milk from the cows. The life should be simplified without being hampered by laboring day and night for economic development, without any spiritual understanding. The New Vrindaban idea is that persons who live there will accept the bare necessities of life to maintain the body and soul together and the major part of time should be engaged in development of Krishna Consciousness. The whole Vedic principle is to develop Krishna Consciousness, without creating much botheration for the program of sense gratification. Industrial development (or mining industry) in the neighboring places will mar the whole idea. Now you have to consider, yourself, looking forward to the future, of the land, and then decide, what to do. I do not like to have New Vrindaban with industrial or mining areas.
1969 Correspondence
Here, I am seeing practically that Gaurasundara, such a nice intelligent and qualified boy, he has to work hard 12 hours simply for his subsistence. I think there are many instances like that, so this is not material advancement. You can call it capitalist advancement, and the reaction for such advancement is communism. Such movement is simply suppressed in your country, but actually the reaction is this. So the Western type of civilization, industrialism and capitalism, is no material advancement. It is material exploitation. When one gets the bare necessities of life, namely peaceful home, sumptuous eating, necessary sex life, and feeling of security, then it is called material advancement. In the absence of such four preliminary necessities of life, it is not at all material advancement—just try to understand. According to Vedic civilization, a man is supposed to be rich when he has got sufficient grains and cows. Here we have neither sufficient grains or cows, but you have got sufficient quantity of papers only—falsely thinking that it is money. When there is some catastrophe, this bunch of papers will neither supply milk or grain. They will be seen only and the man will starve.
Regarding Back To Godhead, when we get copies from Japan, I have program to distribute several thousand copies freely. In the meantime, get the concessional rate from the Post Office. They have got such rates in Los Angeles and New York, it is about 2 and a half or 3 cents per copy. so you may select some nice, important names; government men, leading industrialists, businessmen, and when you get the concessional rates you should distribute at least 100 copies from your center freely. The postage and copies will be supplied to you.
Please accept my blessings. I beg to thank you very much for your letter dated July 26, 1969, and I have noted the contents carefully. Regarding your future settlement in India, You can work in any big city like Bombay or Delhi, because without living in a big city you cannot have a good job. You can also try Calcutta. Calcutta is also a very big industrial city, and if you are posted there, it will be easier for you to look after the Mayapur-contemplated temple. But it does not matter whether you are situated in Bombay, Calcutta or Delhi; wherever is suitable you can accept.
Regarding the land, we are already negotiating for some land on the bank of the Ganges in Navadvipa. The price is cheaper there. I think Serampore being an industrial center, the price is very high. So anyway, I beg to thank you for your kind information. If our negotiations in Navadvipa are not fruitful, then I shall again write to you about this.
So at present moment we have got temples in six important countries: USA, England, France, Germany, Japan and Canada. All together there are 22 branches. Recently in our Detroit branch the son and daughter-in-law of Sriman J. Dalmia, one of the big industrialists of India, visited, and the daughter-in-law presented many saris to the devotees there. So the American and European boys and girls are taking to this cultural life more and more.
Chatianya Mahaprabhu's mission is to awaken the sleeping humanity under the spell of Maya. He says, "My dear human beings, please get up from this slumber and make the best use of the opportunity of your human life." We have come in this material world in this human form of life not to enjoy deep sleep in the form of false activities of political, social, industrial and similar business which will be finished like a dream at night. All these things are actually the mire of daydream. So Chaitanya Mahaprabhu says that He has brought this Hare Krishna Maha Mantra for dispelling the spell of Maya. Everyone should take up this opportunity and be benedicted.
1970 Correspondence
That house I have seen and most probably you might have seen also. It is quite suitable for our purpose, but at the present moment we have no money. That Mr. Banarsi, who is an Indian industrialist in London and lives near that Ajibai's house, promised some help. Now, he is out of his station in India and he is expected to come back by the month of March. He assured me that, when he came back, he would collect at least 200,000 pounds to help me in this connection. I do not know his India address, but somehow or other, if you can send me, I can keep myself in contact with him so that, when he comes back, all of you together take his help in raising this fund and purchase that house.
I am so glad to learn that you have contacted a very good devotee, Mr. Jashapara. By Krishna's Grace you have met such a nice friend, and if he is prepared to spare his apartment in Bombay immediately we can start a Bombay center and send Jayananda along with his wife and begin work in Bombay. Acyutananda may be called to cooperate with him. In Bombay there are many Vaisnava devotees and they are great industrialists and business magnates, so if we can draw their sympathy there will be no difficulty in expanding our activities. So you can talk with him seriously and if you get this opportunity, then if need be, I can also go there for some time to collect the money.
Here I am working in Bombay to establish one Krishna Consciousness Headquarters for India. There are many big influential industrialists in Bombay and the climate is very nice. So it Krishna desires, we will have a temple here. If I get such a nice temple, I may call all the men who are in India to come here, and at that time you may come also. Presently Hamsaduta, Acyutananda Swami, Jayapataka Swami, Madhudvisa Swami, and some others are in Calcutta. Kirtanananda Swami is with Ramananda in Gorakhpur and Gurudasa and Yamuna with some other devotees are in Delhi. So everyone here is trying to establish a temple and we will see where Krishna wants us to have it.
One wealthy Indian industrialist has promised a large sum to construct a magnificent temple in or adjacent to Regents Park in London. So I am asking you to help me try for this by finding out some land in Regents Park. I have heard that one mosque has been built there on land given by the government. Please find out and report to me. As soon as you have secured something very nice send me details of the property and I shall come to London to finalize negotiations for it. I think if such a nice place is there, London may become the world headquarters of our Krishna Consciousness movement.
Regarding the business of getting outside business contacts for some industrialists, etc. it appears to be a nice proposal, but you cannot deal with them now. When I come there, I shall see the situation and determine what is to be done in this connection.
1972 Correspondence
We can have a great many such communities all over the world so that people everywhere can see how by leading a pure and simple life of Krishna consciousness, all one's needs in life can be satisfied. Actually, the so-called civilization of the Kali yuga with its over industrialization, has not been able to give to man the happiness he is seeking. So as you say that your land is very suitable for cow protection and for Tulsi to grow, then Krishna is giving you the opportunity to develop this program. Protect some cows, grow crops, and if possible provide fresh milk and butter for the Temples near by. And the rest of the time chant Hare Krishna and read my books. In this way you can live very peacefully without any disturbances from anyone.
You are going to Kanpur, that is a good place, you can raise lakhs, many lakhs, for your Vrindaban scheme. Sighania himself can build. When I was in New York, Padampat Singhania promised me a temple in New York, but the government did not allow exchange. So he is a nice man, if you can convince him, simply he may require little attention, then he alone can build Vrindaban. Next to Calcutta and Bombay, Kanpur is the most important industrial center, so there are many rich men there, they require only some careful handling.
Ahmedabad is a great industrial city. It has got more than 100 big, big mills and if all of the mill-owners and officers become our members, from Ahmedabad and other cities in Gujarat, such as Baroda, Surat, Dvaraka, Rajkot, like that, you can collect millions of Rs. Also, I remember in Bombay at Akash Ganga there was some invitation from some important persons living near Dakot in Gujarat sometimes before. Whether they have been contacted? If we can open a Center in Dvaraka or Dakor, that will be very nice. In Gujarat State we can open a Center in every city because the people are so much dedicated to Krishna. In Gujarat we can very soon make our movement very popular, because by nature they are devotees of Krishna.
1973 Correspondence
Actually it is not a question of over population but of equal distribution of food. Just like America, they are producing enough food, and there is potency of producing more. But the Government prohibits the farmer to produce more. It is not a problem that the population has increase, but the distribution is mismanaged. Or by industrialization we have reduced the energy for producing food in favor of producing thing other than food. So on the whole it is not a question of overpopulation but of equal distribution of food, or producing food. For want of God consciousness this mistake is there.
Pollution of environment is a problem which people in a America are viewing with great concern. This problem is also due to Godlessness. People instead of producing food they are producing in huge quantities some artificial necessities of life, for which so much industry is working at top speed. Industrialization means to bring the people more and more away from God consciousness. The laborer, the worker in the factory, all of them are sudras, and the capitalist of the industry they are vaisyas, so the whole population is now composed of vaisyas and Sudras, which means the quality of passion and ignorance is now prominent. A passionate person or ignorant person cannot understand the Powerful, only those who are in Goodness or mixed Goodness and passion they can understand the powerful. so there is a necessity of changing the ignorant persons into persons with real knowledge. Therefore these people should be turned to become God conscious, that is our programme. Anyone from any group, either sudra, vaisya, or any group lower than the sudra, we are taking them and making them intelligent and giving them a chance to understand the supreme power.
1976 Correspondence
I am very glad to hear that Sri Mungturam Jaipuria wishes to stay at our Guesthouse when he visits Vrindaban. He is a very big man, one of the big industrialists like Birla and Dalmia. Please deal very nicely with him, for if he is pleased with us he can be very helpful.
Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 22 December, 1975, and have noted the contents. I am very glad to learn that you have got your M.S. degree in Industrial Engineering, so do finish your Ph D course. Krsna will bless you with a good situation for the service of the Lord.
| Page Title: | Industrial (Letters) |
| Compiler: | Mayapur, Rajnish |
| Created: | 28 of Oct, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=0, Let=25 |
| No. of Quotes: | 25 |