Prabhupada and Ekayani devi dasi

Expressions researched:
"Ekayani" |"Ekayani's"

Notes from the compiler: Quote not yet compiled for: Letter to: ISKCON N.Y., Bhavananda and others -- 15 August, 1971

1967 Correspondence

Letter to Indira (Iris Mendoza), Ekayani (Esther Mendoza) -- San Francisco 17 December, 1967:

I am in due receipt of your letters and I am very glad to note the contents. I can understand that you have considerably advanced in Krishna Consciousness because your heart is simple. Girls and women are generally very soft hearted and they take things very easily, but then there is also chance of being misled. So you chant the Holy Name of Krishna and Krishna will keep you from being misled.

Last night there was initiation ceremony in which your beads were sanctified. You'll take on string of small beads for sticking on your neck and the bigger ones you can chant according to the rules.

There are 10 kinds of offenses in chanting Hare Krishna and everyone should avoid such offenses. They are listed on the paper and you can have it from Brahmananda. Krishna Consciousness is very nice, simple, and sublime. If you stick to this principle, undoubtedly you'll be happy both in this life and next life.

For the present you should continue going to school because education is important. Without education nobody has any social position and all our students in Krishna Consciousness are expected to be preachers. So preachers must have sufficient education because they have to meet with so many opposing elements. Education should be continued at the same time chanting should be continued. There will be no difficulty.

I am very glad to learn you are chanting 48 rounds. Actually it is all right that one should chant 64 rounds, even 16 rounds, so if one is able to chant more than 16 rounds up to 64, it is very good.

You fix up your rounds. Try to increase it but never decrease it.

Letter to Balai -- San Francisco 29 December, 1967:

To answer you question regarding your names: Balai is the name of Baladeva., Krishna's elder brother. His wife is called Balai dasi, or His girlfriend is called Balai dasi. Baladeva. is not different from Krishna. He is first expansion from Krishna. All the incarnations and expansions begin from Baladeva. Lilasukha is name of Bilvamangala Thakura; this Bilvamangala Thakura was a great devotee of Krishna and he wrote a famous book Krishna Karnamrta, recognized by Lord Caitanya. Kancanbala was one of the gopis in the association of Krishna. Indira was also one of the gopis in the association of Krishna. Ekayani was the wife of a great sage who was in the Satya Yuga when all persons were paramahamsas or liberated persons. Ekayani's husband was a liberated person.

1968 Correspondence

Letter to Jadurani -- San Francisco 8 April, 1968:

If the two girls, Ekayani and Sudarsana, want to be engaged in drawing for helping BTG, let them do so. The simple thing is they must be engaged in this artistic work. It is very nice that they want to occupy in every spare moment with their artwork, it is very laudable, and it means they are anxious to serve. So I am also awaiting to see them very eagerly, and see how nice they are.

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

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 anothers' 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.

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Ekayani -- Los Angeles 1 February, 1969:

I am in due receipt of your letter (undated), and I thank you very much for it. I am pleased to note that you and your nice sister, Indira Dasi, are making and tending to Lord Jagannatha deities. You should place these deities on sale in Gargamuni's store for selling. In this way, you will make some money for doing your painting work. You should practice developing your good painting skills very thoroughly, and if you are ready, I can send to you many Bhagavatam pictures to do. Jadurani is now sick for some time, and I have asked her to cease all of her activities. There are some paintings lying in Boston, perhaps unfinished, and, if time permits, you can go there with your sister to see them. If Jadurani likes, you can finish up these pictures for the Krishna book. Picture painting is one of our important departments, so please try to become very expert. You should be at least as expert as Jadurani, and that will be a great pleasure for me. Rukmini is also becoming very much expert in her artistic works.

Regarding your question about the Goswamis, all of them are eternal associates of Lord Caitanya. I do not know where you have read differently. Sri Rupamanjari is one of the eight Gopis, but which one you will learn later on. Study the Bhagavad-gita more carefully. There will be an examination and everyone will have to appear to take this examination next January, 1969.

Letter to Indira -- Columbus, Ohio 14 May, 1969:

The sincere sentiments you have expressed are very nice, and surely Krishna will be pleased to bless you because of your nice attitude for serving Him. I think that because you are unable to tend the Deities in the temple, that you and your sister, Ekayani, may serve the small Radha-Krishna Deities which you will be receiving soon. Try to follow all the rules and regulations of Deity worship as are followed in the temple.

1970 Correspondence

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

I am so glad to learn that you are taking very much interest in the Deity worship, and such activities must be accompanied with chanting of the Holy Name regularly. Actually chanting of the Holy Name regularly is our life and soul, and on the basis of such activities all other devotional services will sustain.

I am still more glad to learn that your mother is also taking interest.

Lord Jagannatha can be dressed in yellow, Balarama in bluish color, and Subhadra in red color. That is usual, but any other color is not prohibited.

If your mother knows Spanish language she can be engaged in translating our literatures, and very soon we are going to publish our BTG in that language. So she can be a great help in that activity.

I have heard about Vamanadeva in his last news bulletin, and both of them are doing nicely there on account of being sincere to the Spiritual Master and Krishna. From the beginning I encouraged young boys and girls to be married and united together to preach Krishna Consciousness, and this process has proved practical. So when you are also married with a good devotee, you can do the same work and open a center in some place convenient to you. That will spread our Krishna Consciousness movement.

I always advise married couples that the male should be engaged in some work; but if somebody is busily engaged in our activities and therefore he cannot work outside, that is also nice. We do not press people to contribute, and even though we do so, it is for the good of the contributor because everything is employed for advancing this Krishna Consciousness movement. The initiated householders are supposed to be Brahmins, and according to scriptural injunction a Brahmin can accept charity for employing the income in the service of the Lord. The boys and girls who chant in the street are also giving in charity the highest benefit to the people in general. So far such Brahmins or Brahmacaris or Sannyasis asking contributions is not against the law, actually that is the way of livelihood for persons who are not karmis.

Sometimes such persons in India go door to door for collecting alms. The whole idea is that one should not be a professional beggar for livelihood, but for Krishna's service this asking

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Avataras. Lord Caitanya's Abode is described in the Brahma-samhita and it is called Svetadvipa. It is an extension of Goloka Vrindaban. Gokula means "flocks of cows." Go means cow and kula means flocks. Vraja is not different from Vrndavana. Vraja means the pasturing grounds and Vrndavana is the woods where there are many Tulsi leaves.

We do not find who is the mother of Subhadra, but she was one of Vasudeva's wives. So far putting kohl on the eyes of the Deities, that is not required. The Madhu demon was killed a very long time ago, in the beginning of the creation. The story may be found in one of the Puranas.

I am glad to learn that you are painting and have just finished one picture of Yasoda Krishna. This is a great talent of yours. Regarding taking a job after leaving school this summer, there is no need—rather you should stay at the Temple. You can take Prasadam etc. at the Temple and in that way Krishna will support you; you should not work outside, but you may live at home just as after working one returns home at night. There are many qualified devotees, so you may choose a husband from among them. I am very happy to learn how you are eager to start a new center and have nice Deity worship, so you may follow the fine example of your sister in this way. That is very nice. Just develop your sincere attitude of serving Krishna and He will kindly provide all the necessities for further advancement in Krishna Consciousness.

Letter to Ekayani -- Los Angeles 15 March, 1970:

I beg to thank you very much also for your nice letter dated 24 February, 1970, and thank you very much for your kind appreciation of Guru, that is very nice.

I am very much pleased to know that you are chanting at least the prescribed number of rounds daily and studying our literatures so carefully. Especially for girls this is absolutely necessary, and that will uplift you position in Krishna Consciousness. So stick to rigidly following the regulative principles and Krishna will keep you more and more engaged in His service, then your life will be always happy.

All this is good news that you are very studious and always busy. I am so much encouraged to hear how you are preaching in the school. That is very nice, and that is your first-class engagement. Prahlada Maharaja, in his childhood, was doing this. As soon as he got some opportunity, he would preach among his class fellows. His class fellows would be astonished to hear him, and they would ask Prahlada, "My dear Prahlada, where have you learned these things. We have got the same teachers, so where have you been taught this?" They were inquisitive, so Prahlada informed them that his Spiritual Master was Narada Muni and he was taught while he was in the womb of his mother.

So just imagine how much powerful is spiritual instruction that it was effective even while the child was in the womb. Similarly, if you chant and read, you will also be powerful to preach, and whoever will hear will be converted. That is the way of spiritual life.

You are not poor. Of course one should be humble, but a devotee is not poor. Your attitude, however, is that you are poor and humble is nice. But one who is in Krishna Consciousness is the richest person. What value have these material riches got? But when it is engaged in Krishna's service, it is spiritualized.

Regarding your question where is the Gayatri mantra in the first verse of Srimad-Bhagavatam, I have explained in my purport to the first verse that the Gayatri mantra "Dhimahi" is purposely invoked by Srila Vyasadeva. This explanation is given on page 53, and in the verse, the mantra concludes the sloka param satyam dhimahi.

Regarding the statement in Bhagavad-gita (17.6) that those who are demons parch the Supersoul within the body, Krishna cannot be parched, but one who observes fasting irregularly gives unnecessary trouble to the soul; and the soul and the Supersoul sitting together or the soul being part and parcel of the Supersoul, indirectly it is parching the Supersoul. The idea is that one should not unnecessarily give trouble to the soul or Supersoul. That is the business of the demon.

Regarding Ballaba Sampradaya, that is a different Ballaba than the younger brother of Srila Rupa Goswami.

I am very glad to know that you are so eager to start a center when you get married. That is very nice. We want to open hundreds and thousands of centers in every town, village, neighborhood, and everywhere. And we want to show ideal householder life also. If one pair of nice Krishna Conscious householders are there, so many people derive benefit out of their behavior. So when you decide to marry we shall find out a suitable devotee husband for you.

Yes, you can make nice children's books, and in this connection, you can correspond with Satyabhama who is already working on a condensed version of KRSNA book. And you should continue your painting, then with love and devotional practice your pictures will become all attractive because of the bona fide transcendental subject matter. However, in the meantime, you write to say that you have painted Mother Yasoda light blue color. Please let me know where you have received this information. Yasoda and Nanda Maharaja should be colored as Indians are generally of a light brown, tan like wheat.

Regarding Svetadvipa, the information is given in the Brahma Samhita, Svetadvipa, the Abode of Lord Caitanya, is a special portion of the same spiritual planet, Goloka Vrindaban.

I am so pleased to know that you are carefully caring for your Deities and that you chant before Them always when at home. So the Lord is very kind upon His sincere devotees, and He will provide more and more opportunities for such a sincere devotee as you to advance in serving and remembering Him at all times.

Letter to Ekayani -- Los Angeles 3 May, 1970:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your encouraging letter, dated 8th April, 1970, and I am so happy to note your steady enthusiasm to work harder in Krsna's service. So this enthusiasm is very good sign, and if you continue to become more and more enthusiastic to be always strictly engaged in devotional service while observing carefully the rules and regulations, Krsna will surely bestow upon you full success in Krsna Consciousness and thus your life will be happy and successful.

Regarding the color of Balaramaji, He is colored like milk white with little bluish tint and rosy luster. Our idea of whiteness is of the milk foam. Regarding whether ivory is offerable to Krsna, yes, ivory is pure. Although it is a bone of an animal, still it is as pure as the conchshell which is also the bone of an animal.

The six armed form which Lord Caitanya disclosed to Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya had two hands of Lord Ramacandra, two hands of Krsna and two hands of Lord Caitanya. Perhaps you have seen the picture in our New York temple which was brought from India by Kirtanananda Swami.

Your question why Lord Siva was ordered to appear as Sankaracarya and teach the Mayavada philosophy to turn the people to atheism and thus increase the population, that nobody can understand. If Krsna desired Lord Siva to do like that, so he had some plan which we need not understand. He is the Supreme Lord, and He is maintaining the huge universal affairs, so how does He do things and for what purpose He does them, it is very difficult to understand. Just like He planned the battle of Kuruksetra and He induced His friend, a great devotee, Arjuna, to kill. So why does He plan to make others atheist, it is known to him.

Our business is to glorify Him always, either He plans to dance with the Gopis, or He makes a plan to kill others on the battlefield of Kuruksetra, or He plans to do something which is not very good from materialistic point of view. Our only business is to remain steadfast devotee to Krsna in all conditions. That is the instruction given in Siksastaka, wherein it is said, "My Lord, whatever You like You can do, but unconditionally You are my only object of worship." That is pure devotion.

I am so glad to learn that there are two very nice women devotees now coming to the Temple regularly, and please offer them by blessings for advancing in Krsna Consciousness. Take care of them nicely so that they may learn our program of Krsna Conscious life very nicely. Let them chant regularly and follow the four basic principles and they will become firm in their faith in Krsna. If you recommend, I shall initiate them, so you can send sets of new beads with their letters and some donation for the book fund. The standard form is that the initiate collects some alms by begging and offers it to the Spiritual Master as daksina or presentation.

That is nice if you get that land in Miami and open a center there. You are intelligent and eager devotee, ready to spread Lord Krsna's teachings, so do it. That will be very good, it is an excellent proposal.

So as you say the deep Southern part of this country is virtually untouched, but I think Kirtanananda Maharaja has gone to several places there, and he has been very successful. So try to attract the students, they are our great future hope, and they will take up this matter very quickly because the students are not very contaminated.

The first two lines of the song "Haraye Namah Krsna" were sung by Lord Caitanya and His followers, but the other lines of song were composed later on by Srila Narottama Das Thakura.

Yes, fix up your mind on Krsna and everything will come out nice—be sure of this fact. Study scripture, always chant, love Krsna—and that is the success of life.

Letter to Ekayani -- Los Angeles 25 July, 1970:

I am in due receipt of your encouraging letter dated 19th July, 1970, and noted the contents.

I am so glad that you are now happily combined with Sriman Gopala Krsna, and I think this match is just suitable for you both. You were wanting a very nice responsible devotee husband and now Krsna has so blessed you, please utilize this opportunity nicely and advance mutually in Krsna's transcendental loving service and be happy.

Yes, it is very good work that you are doing by making children's books on Krsna conscious subject matter. We have got so many children now in New Vrndavana and it is also learned that in England and Holland the young grammar school boys and girls are eagerly taking to this process of chanting Hare Krsna. So what is learned in the early years of life will not depart for the whole life, therefore do this work very carefully to explain simply and directly Who is Krsna, who we are, what is the material world, what is the relationship of Krsna with the living entities, how we should act in that relationship, etc. And if you can illustrate these books with pictures they will certainly become very, very popular in the schools. Sriman Yogesvara is also doing this work in London. So in consultation with your husband make some nice Krsna conscious children's books and we shall then see to printing them. You are also a skilled painter so I think this venture will be successful.

Yes, I am so glad to know that the St. Louis temple is doing so well. I know that Sriman Vamanadeva and your sister, Indira are a very exemplary couple in Krsna consciousness householder life, so you kindly follow their example.

Regarding your questions, the first answer is that it is correct that the body transcendental of Krsna and Krsna Himself are nondifferent. So what is the difficulty to understand that the soul of Aghasura merged into the body of Krsna? In other words Krsna benedicts the demons Whom He kills personally with the impersonal liberation of merging with Him.

There is a difference between the activities of Krsna which are exhibited to the perception of the conditioned souls in this world and His activities in Goloka Vrndavana. Because Krsna was playing as an ordinary human being, His activities here appear just like ordinary human activities, but in the Spiritual Sky there is no such requirement. There in the spiritual sky Krsna has His activities also but they cannot be understood by the conditioned living entities how they are going on without any resemblance of the mechanical workings of things in this material world.

In the Spiritual sky and in the material sky also there is no question of separation from Krsna. Krsna is all pervading, so where can one be out of His presence? Whatever has to do with Krsna is on the spiritual platform and on that spiritual platform there is no difference between being together and being apart from Krsna. So even in the feeling of being separated from Krsna, Krsna is there.

So far the Avataras are concerned there are two types. One is called nitya and the other is called naimittic. Nitya means eternal and namittic Avataras appear for some specific function in the material worlds. Nitya Avataras have their eternal abodes in the spiritual sky from which they may sometimes descend to the material worlds, but naimittic Avataras are expansions of Nitya Avataras for some timely purpose. So the non-human forms of Avataras do not have their planets in the spiritual sky.

Yes, Mahesa Dama is in the spiritual sky. That is described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam and Brahma Samhita. At the time of dissolution of the material worlds, Lord Siva remains in His spiritual abode while the cosmic manifestation merges into the body of Mahavisnu.

Regarding the activities of such great sages and devotees like Parvat Muni and Parasara Muni begetting children, such activities of these elevated souls are not to be questioned by us. They have a higher purpose which we cannot determine; therefore it is said in the Srimad-Bhagavatam that one should not try to imitate the actions of the Isvaras or those who are very powerful, but one should follow their instructions.

I am very glad to know that you are reading our literatures and you are very thoughtful about them. I am always happy to answer your questions, but you should practice to get the answers from your husband and try to find them out by reading further in our books. All questions will be clarified if you simply read our books very thoroughly and follow the simple process of devotional service as we have given it to chant regularly and rigidly observe the rules and regulations. This is our principle that the spiritual science becomes revealed to the devotee from within the heart according to the degree of his surrender to Krsna. You are a very hopeful student and intelligent devotee, so you continue to pursue your devotional activities patiently and Krsna will open your path of Krsna consciousness so you will progress more and more.

1971 Correspondence

Letter to Ekayani -- London 31 August, 1971:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated 20th August, 1971 and have noted the contents. In spite of all your faults you will go to Vaikuntha because you are a great devotee. Don't create some abnormal condition. Please go back to your husband and live peacefully and execute Krishna Consciousness together. He will also not take sannyasa order out of frustration. You are an intelligent girl and an advanced student. You should know that our main business is Krishna Consciousness. So fighting between husband and wife is not to be taken very seriously. So if you have any respect for me, I request you not to quarrel with your husband. Live peacefully, chant Hare Krishna and try to serve the cause as best as possible. I am very glad that your mother is also taking interest in Krishna Consciousness. That is very good. As you have to leave Boston very soon it is better that you go immediately to N.Y. and live peacefully with your husband. That is my order. I hope you will not disobey me.

So far your questions: Any tune can be used. When it is in relationship with Krishna, that makes it bona fide; Some precautionary measure should be taken to keep bugs from the altar and Deity. You cannot allow them to disturb the Deity. Best is that you try and catch them and throw them out rather than kill them but if killing them is the only alternative, what can be done?; Tulasi plants are liberated souls who want to serve Krishna in that way. Anyone who even desires to serve Krishna is liberated, what to speak of one who is actually engaged in devotional service; expansion means remains in Goloka Vrindaban and at the same time expands all over the universe. Krishna can expand, so his devotee can also expand; Vallabhacaryas teachings are bona fide. This difference of opinion is there always. Just like you differ with your husband, but that doesn't mean that you and your husband are not devotees; In the spiritual sky there is no birth, so where is the question of baby? Krishna is there eternally as Kisora, a 16 year old youth. His childhood pastimes exhibited in the material universes. Best thing is if you chant Hare Krishna and go to Krishna Loka and find out the answers to all these questions yourself.

Letter to A. S. Khanna -- Calcutta 4 November, 1971:

I am so glad to learn that Gopala and Ekayani are coming to Bombay to see you. So I am pleased also that Gopala's mother will be able to see her beloved son and daughter-in-law.

1972 Correspondence

Letter to Ekayani -- Bombay 3 December, 1972:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated November 1, 1972, and I have noted the contents with great concern. I do not know why these things inventions are going on. That is our only business, to invent something new programme? We have already got our Vaisnava standard. That is sufficient for Madhvacarya, Ramanujacarya, it was sufficient for Lord Caitanya, six Gosvamis, for Bhaktivinode Thakura, for my Guru Maharaja Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, for me, for all big big saints and acaryas in our line—why it shall be inadequate for my disciples so they must manufacture something? That is not possible. Who has introduced these things, that women cannot have chanting japa in the temple, they cannot perform the arati and so many things? If they become agitated, then let the brahmacaris go to the forest, I have never introduced these things. The brahmacaris cannot remain in the presence of women in the temple, then they may go to the forest, not remaining in New York City, because in New York there are so many women, so how they can avoid seeing? Best thing is to go to the forest for not seeing any women, if they become so easily agitated, but then no one will either see them and how our preaching work will go on?

They should not simply, husband and wife, live in the room together in the temple, otherwise there is no restriction. How it can be? It is not possible.