Praise (Letters)

Expressions researched:
"praise" |"praised" |"praiser" |"praisers" |"praises" |"praiseworthiness" |"praiseworthy" |"praising"

1968 Correspondence

Letter to Jayagovinda -- Los Angeles 8 February, 1968:

Please accept my blessings. I beg to thank you very much for your letter dated Feb. 5. Your attitude of humbleness is praiseworthy. A devotee should always remain humble and meek especially to the authorities and devotees. Lord Caitanya's philosophy is not to become God, but to become servant, servant, servant of God. The more one becomes the lower grade servant of the Lord, the more he is devoted nearer to the Lord. This is our philosophy. I have all my hearty blessings upon you, please do your duties nicely, and Krishna will be pleased to shower His Blessings upon you. He is very kind to sincere souls, and He gives intelligence from within to sincere devotees. We require only to become sincere in the service of the Lord, then everything is there ready for our convenience.

Letter to Mahapurusa -- San Francisco 28 March, 1968:

As you go on preaching you will become expert. In every sphere of activity the more a man becomes active, he becomes more and more expert. Your humble attitude is very praiseworthy. You keep yourself in that very humble mentality and Krishna will be very pleased upon you. All three of you are very sincere servitors, and you all should become very good preachers, Janardana, yourself, and Sivananda, so that this Krishna Consciousness movement will be spread all over the world.

It is very good news for me that you are regularly chanting your 16 rounds; try to increase the rounds, but don't decrease. Yes, if you can inject this Krishna Consciousness to the young children, it will be a great service to the humanity and to the Lord.

Letter to Brahmananda -- San Francisco 6 April, 1968:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated 29th of March, and I have noted the contents carefully. Your kind sentiments are very much appreciated by me, and I thank you very much for them.

Allen Ginsberg and Denise Levertov's appreciation, they are all nonsense, but in both the appreciations there is little substance—that Allen Ginsberg has praised my activities and has chanted Hare Krishna. But the other one is still more rascaldom, but she has appreciated my students' behavior. That means indirectly she has appreciated our movement. If you think their names will actually increase the sale of the book, and MacMillan also thinks so, then never mind, you can add their appreciation. So far their study of Bhagavad-gita is concerned, that is completely nil. Best thing is we shall do it personally when I go to N.Y.

Letter to Joy Fulcher -- Los Angeles 21 November, 1968:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your nice letter with some poems, as well as a nice picture of Radha and Krishna, by separate mail. Unfortunately, in transit the glass is broken into pieces, but still I have kept your picture in my working room, and everyone praises your artistic sense. It is very nice. I am very glad to learn also that you are attempting to paint similar pictures in larger size, that is very good idea. You have got some poetic sense also, and all these talents, the artistic sense and poetic sense, can be engaged in the service of Krishna. All devotees are more or less poets. Out of 26 qualifications of a perfect devotee, one is poetic sense. So we can write so many poetries in praise of the Lord, or about His pastimes. Similarly we can draw so many nice pictures about His different activities, and such engagements will give us chance to elevate ourself to the perfectional platform of spiritual understanding.

Letter to Mahapurusa -- Los Angeles 3 December, 1968:

I had just been thinking of and wondering why you do not write to me. Although I am overcrowded by so many letters from my beloved spiritual sons and daughters, still if I don't receive a letter from one, I become anxious for it. So you and Murari should more often write to me. That will very much engladden me to my heart.

I know that you are a sincere Vaisnava, and every one of your god-brothers praises you nice Vaisnava qualities. Chant Hare Krishna and always live peacefully.

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Arundhati -- Los Angeles 21 February, 1969:

I thank you so much for your letter dated February 13, 1969, and I have noted the contents with much pleasure. Your tears at kirtana are a good sign, and it shows that Krishna is pleased upon you. So remain in this status and chant nicely. You will see you will be more and more graced by His Lordship.

Your desire to serve me is very praiseworthy. But because I am the humble servant of Krishna I cannot accept any service on my account. So what I say you follow so you may advance in Krishna Consciousness. That is your service and I accept it on behalf of Krishna. This is a very good attitude, and your wish to serve me actually means to serve Krishna.

Now there is ample activities for you as the Radha-Krishna Murtis are installed in Boston temple. So under the direction of Satsvarupa try to help out in these activities as far as possible.

Letter to Krsna dasa -- Los Angeles 28 July, 1969:

Just this afternoon I returned from San Francisco where they have held a gigantic Rathayatra Ceremony just on the order of the ones held at Jagannatha Puri. There were at least 10,000 young and old people, all chanting and dancing in bliss and ecstasy for the entire day, starting from 12 noon and going on till after evening. So it was a most magnificent occasion, and I am very much encouraged that the people of the Western world will come to understand the glories of this movement, and as Lord Caitanya has predicted, His Name will be chanted and praised in every village and town throughout the world.

So please inform me immediately when you will be able to have me come there to Germany, and Purusottama's accompanying me is also necessary. For me to travel alone is not very advisable. Please offer my blessings to the others.

Letter to Trivikrama -- Los Angeles 12 August, 1969:

I thank you very much for your letter of August 3rd, 1969, and I have noted the contents carefully. I am pleased to learn of the nice service you are rendering in London, and all of your godbrothers and sisters who have written to me from there have praised your nice endeavors. I have already told Yamuna to put the Deities away for the time being, so this will solve your question. When I arrive in London we shall consult together how to best spread Sankirtana Movement throughout England.

Letter to Krsna Devi -- Tittenhurst 2 November, 1969:

This is called the limitless ocean of the nectar of devotion. This ocean is unending, and therefore the pleasure of relishing the nectar of this ocean is also increasing unendingly. Regarding your questions, yes, a woman can certainly reach the perfectional stage of devotion to Krishna. And the gopis of Vrndavana are the best example of this. They are simple cowherds girls, and Lord Caitanya has praised their worship of Lord Krishna as the highest form of worship. Krishna Consciousness is transcendental to all such mundane considerations as if one's body is male or female. This is the meaning of spiritual: Krishna Consciousness is beyond the limited bodily idea.

Regarding your other questions, the Yadu dynasty completely destroyed itself because Krishna wanted this. So far as initiating disciples is concerned, anyone who is qualified can do this. For example, Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura was householder and Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati was staunch brahmacari, yet they both were qualified for initiating disciples.

Letter to Brahmananda -- London 15 November, 1969:

Be fixed up in your determination and go on serving the Supreme Lord, Krishna, with determination as you are already doing.

It is very nice to learn that both you and Satsvarupa have highly praised Tamala Krishna. Similarly, Tamala Krishna has also highly praised you and Satsvarupa. This attitude should be maintained amongst your Godbrothers. That will elevate us more and more to the top of devotional service. This is called Vaikuntha attitude. In the Vaikuntha factually there is no fault in anyone, but there is another type of competition. The competition is that one devotee thinks of other devotees how nicely they are serving the Lord. In the material world the attitude is that everyone likes to think that I am doing better than others. This is material conception. In the Spiritual Sky it is just the opposite: Everyone thinks that my contemporary devotees are doing better than me.

1970 Correspondence

Letter to Vamanadeva -- Los Angeles 2 April, 1970:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 29th March, 1970. The newspaper portion is very encouraging. They have devoted so much space for describing ourselves. Although there are a few misquotations, never mind, it is a good publicity.

I am so much pleased with your wife and yourself and I can simply praise you how wonderful you are. Both you and your wife are setting good examples how Krsna Conscious Grhasthas or householders should live for Krsna. You are practically experiencing that there is no difficulty in household life if people are in Krsna Consciousness. So please stick to your principles very nicely and the program which you are following is already very nice—lecturing in the university, having classes in your apartment, distributing Prasadam—all of them are very, very nice. Please offer my blessings to Indira, and go on with your program, and Krsna will give you all opportunities.

Letter to Satsvarupa -- Los Angeles 4 June, 1970:

With further reference to question five, in both the Bible and the Koran it is always recommended to be engaged always in kirtana or glorifying the Supreme Lord. Kirtana means to glorify the Lord by your vibration. In the churches there is always singing of praise and glories of the Lord and there is preaching naturally also. Mohammedans actually have singing kirtana publicly. This I have seen in India that they were holding kirtana with drum accompaniment.

Letter to Yamuna -- Los Angeles 26 July, 1970:

That is the difficulty for family men, their first worshipable object becomes the children. What can be done? You are fortunate that you have got Krsna as your son.

The slides which you have sent of recent temple innovations is very, very excellent. One Bengali gentleman from London has sent me a letter praising your decoration of the Deities. The exact words he has used are that one cannot turn his face once turning towards the Deities. I have also seen the slides and my opinion is also the same. Please, therefore, go on getting credit for your service to the Lord. I am very much happy to learn it. Does your husband sometimes help you in this connection or not? I think he should be also trained up so that one day in a week he may also take charge of the Deities although he has got many other duties.

Yes, I have received the article from the Swedish newspaper. I could not read it, but it appears to be very nice. I have also received the two articles on the Rathayatra festival. Thank you very much.

Letter to Stan -- Bombay 17 November, 1970:

Your attitude of determination to progress in your transcendental knowledge of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krsna and perfect your devotional service to Him, is very praiseworthy. Ramananda Roy has explained that there is nothing so glorious or worth of fame in this world for a person who knows the true value of life other than to be famed as a devotee of Krsna.

We are all originally situated on the platform of Krsna consciousness in our eternal personal relationship of love of Krsna. But due to forgetfulness we become familiar with the material world or Maya. As soon as one chants the Hare Krsna Mantra with sincerity and without offense (you know there are ten kinds of offenses to the Holy Name which we are to avoid very, very carefully) his original Krsna consciousness is immediately revived.

1971 Correspondence

Letter to Acyutananda -- London 14 August, 1971:

That is not good. Stay at Mayapur as the leader there and in my opinion you should not leave Mayapur until the construction work is finished. Very soon I am returning to India and I shall live with you in that cottage for some time. That is my idea. Anyway, I don't wish that you should go to Delhi.

With great delight and interest I have gone through your "Eight Verses in Praise of My Spiritual Master." The style is very nice and thoughtful. May Krishna bless you to improve more and more in writing the glories of our previous acaryas and the Lord. Be engaged in glorifying the parampara system and your life will be glorified automatically thousands of times. Thank you very much.

Letter to Patita Uddharana -- Delhi 15 November, 1971:

Please continue in your writing of songs and poems for Krishna, because singing Krishna's praises is the highest type of spiritual activity and will give Him great enjoyment. I would be pleased if you can send me a tape of some of your compositions.

I plan to remain here in Delhi until 26th November, then we are all going to Vrindaban for a few days.

1972 Correspondence

Letter to Mr. B. D. Joshi -- Los Angeles 23 May, 1972:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated May 18, 1972 and I thank you very much for your cordially welcoming me back to Los Angeles. Your letter is very nice and you have praised me very highly so again I thank you you very much. Your son came to see me the other day so if you have time you may also come to see me by making an appointment* with my secretary and I shall be very glad to welcome you here along with your family members. I have decided not to give Jayananda das the sannyasa order of life at this time, let him wait. I shall be going to Mexico city around June 1st for a few days so if you come here you may come either before that time or after I shall return.

Letter to Giriraja -- Los Angeles 24 May, 1972:

I have received your letter dated May 9, 1972 and I have noted the contents carefully. Actually it is the duty of the spiritual master to find fault with his students so that they may make progress, not that he should always be praising them. So if you find some criticism, kindly accept it in that spirit. I am only interested in that you along with all my other students should become Krishna Conscious.

Now we shall only want good devotees to live with us on that land. Not that we shall form a cooperative housing society and whoever pays us money, we shall accept them to live with us. If they live with us and do not follow our principles we can not take them to court. So we must be very careful from the beginning to select only qualified devotees of Krishna or Vaisnava families to live with us, just like Indira devi and her family.

Letter to Jayadharma -- Ahmedabad 13 December, 1972:

Real acting art is to know how to speak. The greatest dramas, even in your western culture, they can be played without any extra equipment. Just like your Shakespeare—sometime I saw they were playing one drama, I think Hamlet or something like that, and only two men were there on the bare stage and everyone was praising. So the art is catching their ears. Now in that spirit go on with your work and try to do something wonderful.

So far your question, how far should the orders of my duly appointed officers like GBC, etc., be obeyed and followed, the answer is that they must always be followed exactly as he says. Have you not heard me on this point? Why these questions are repeated again and again? This individual begging must be stopped. So many questions, it's not good at all. This question-begging is going on, even some of the important men are doing like that, that I know. So how I can say your question from here? I do not know what you are trying to do by such question.

1973 Correspondence

Letter to Jahnava -- Bhaktivedanta Manor 1 August, 1973:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated August 20, 1973.

You have written so many nice things in praise of me but I think that my Guru Maharaja is great, I am not great he is great. So sometimes by association of the great one appears great. Just like the sun is great heat and light and by reflecting the greatness of the sun's light the moon in dead of night also appears great, but actually the moon is by nature dark and cold, but in association with sun it has become accepted as great, this is the real position. So I thank you very much that you are appreciating my Guru Maharaja who wanted to preach Krishna Consciousness all over the world, he is so great.

Letter to Govinda -- Los Angeles 18 December, 1973:

At any rate, go on with preaching work—that is our main business.

When we meet in Hawaii we shall discuss everything in detail. In the meantime, kindly induce Balabhadra and Gaurasundara to send the balance money. I still have very high regard for Gaurasundara. I have praised him always for being a kind and gentle boy. All of a sudden he has gone crazy even to the extent of abandoning you. It will all be forgotten history if you again begin preaching work sincerely.

1974 Correspondence

Letter to Kausalya -- Los Angeles 12 January, 1974:

I am in due receipt of your letter of January 5, 1974, and the wonderful photograph of Radha Gokulananda, which arrived here safely.

The sentiments you express are very praiseworthy in devotional service. Especially it is pleasing to me that you are so happy in your service to the deities. Krsna Consciousness means blissful life, and also that blissful life is eternal and full of knowledge. You say rightly that you are very very fortunate to be serving the Lord. So please work with the other ladies and with your Godbrothers at Bhaktivedanta Manor and make it such a blissful, peaceful atmosphere that many persons will be attracted to come and live with us.