I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated December 18, 1972, forwarded to me here at Bombay. I am very happy to hear from you that everything is going nicely in the San Francisco temple. Upon your recommendation I am very glad to accept the six new students as my duly initiated disciples. Their letter is enclosed herewith. As for chanting on their beads, I have delegated Kirtanananda Swami to chant on the new devotees' beads on my behalf in your country. In Europe, Revatinandana Swami will chant on the new devotees' beads on my behalf. Because it is such long distance, therefore it is very expensive to send beads airmail from here, and there are so many instances of the beads being lost in that way. And I am getting now requests up to 20 or 30 each week, so it is practically becoming impossible for me to chant the beads when I am so far distant. Therefore the new devotees may send their beads to Kirtanananda in New Vrindaban, and he will chant the beads and send back to them. Is this all right?
San Francisco (Letters 1973 - 1977)
Correspondence
1973 Correspondence
Regarding your proposal for having Ratha Yatra in New Orleans I request that you consult with the GBC in your zone, Satsvarupa das Goswami and ask him to discuss this matter with the other GBC men there in America. But one thing is very important. If you decide to do it, then you must do it very opulently, as they are doing in San Francisco. This is very important.
I am approving of the first initiation of Debra Hillard. However it is not our policy to give first and second initiations at once. It is better she wait some time. Her new name will be DEBRAJA DASI and also I am agreeing to the second initiation of Shanti dasi. Now you please arrange it so that the Deities are worshiped very very properly and always remain humble in their presence.
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 25 April, 1973 and I am very much pleased to have the report of activities in Vrndavana. Kindly send me such report at least twice in a month.
Both you and your wife desired to go to Vrndavana some four to five years ago while you were in San Francisco and because you were so much sincerely eager, Krsna has given you very good opportunity to stay there and construct a very nice temple for Krsna and Balarama. Take this opportunity seriously, and as you have stated that you are feeling advancement in Krsna Consciousness, I wish both you, husband and wife, will go on increasing such consciousness more and more and thus be benefited.
I am in receipt of your letter dated November 13, 1973. I was very happy to hear from you. I am always thinking of you and praying to Krsna for your advancement in Krishna Consciousness.
That you are engaged in street Sankirtana in San Francisco is fully approved by me. That you are feeling more and more enthusiasm by doing this is quite natural as Sankirtana is our life and soul. My Guru Maharaja used to say, "One who has got life, he can preach."
Yes, I remember the old days in San Francisco. Krsna has been so kind upon me to have sent so many sincere disciples to help me push on this Movement on behalf of my Guru Maharaja. You continue with your program there in San Francisco, always strictly keeping our principles and Krsna will bless you with greater and greater realization of the importance of this Movement. I am dependent upon you, my older disciples, to carry it on.
1974 Correspondence
Regarding Rathayatra, I think there is no need for you to have a separate festival since you are so near San Francisco. But you may hold other festivals in San Diego, as you describe in your letter. That will be very pleasing for everyone.
I shall be glad to see you and the devotees from San Diego at our grand meeting in Mayapur for Lord Caitanya's Appearance Day.
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter of March 31, from San Francisco and I have noted the contents.
I do not think that you have failed in your work there, but by your going and preaching it appears the temple life has much improved. That you could not convince Bhutatma to stay as president is not your fault. Now you stay at New Jagannatha Puri, your first spiritual home until you are sure the new president, Bhakta dasa is fully understanding of how to conduct things. I know he has done nicely in San Diego. One thing is they should never consider leaving or selling that building, but they should stay there as Radha and Krishna are staying, and it is a nice temple as evidence by the fact that over 250 people attended the Sunday feast by your report.
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter of March 27, and I have noted the contents. Now Madhudvisa Maharaja has written me that you have been posted as president of San Francisco, and that you are very enthusiastic to increase all programs there. I do not know who is now president of San Diego, but I will answer the points in your letter.
I never said I was displeased with the American temple presidents for not sending more money to India. You go on expanding there as you are doing so wonderfully.
I am very glad you are coming to the U.S.A. You are welcome in any of our temples there. As you may know, our most important temples are in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, New Vrindaban, West Virginia, Philadelphia. So you are welcome to stay in any one of these temples and you can stay there as long as you like. I especially invite you to our children's school, Gurukula, in Dallas Texas. If you so desire you can take part there to take the post of head sanskrit teacher. As soon as you are in the U.S. go to Dallas.
I heard you were still in Los Angeles. When will you be returning to Australia? Jaya tirtha has written inviting me to the Rathayatra in San Francisco on July 7. I will be in Europe until the end of June and I may go to the Ratha yatra in San Francisco on July 7. Jaya tirtha said the festival is so timed that I can also go to the Australia Rathayatra also. What is the date of your Rathayatra? I have written you several times on this point, whether you want me to attend Rathayatra in Australia. If you like I can leave San Francisco and fly to Australia via Hawaii. So let me hear from you on the above mentioned points.
Otherwise, such worship is redundant; there is already deity worship going on in the temple and they should attend the aratis, not install their own deities. The impression of Lord Caitanya's feet which you have there may be kept in a picture, not that it is worshiped as a deity. Keep it as a picture.
Regarding your invitation that I attend the Rathayatra festival in San Francisco, on July 7th, it is possible that I may attend depending on when I finish my European tour. I am due to arrive in Rome on May 23, then after a week Geneva, the Paris and possible Stockholm, Germany and England. If there is time I can fly directly from Europe to Los Angeles and go to the festival, then as you suggest, go to Australia Rathayatra via Hawaii. This is known as jet-age parivrajakacarya. For the present I will be staying in Bombay for about two weeks, then to Delhi and Vrindaban before leaving for Rome.
Therefore go on with your life time plans making secure in distributing of books. There is no cessation. This movement is eternal.
It is very wonderful news that you have permission to hold Rathayatra downtown on the main street on Saturday, July 6 and tens of thousands of people will view the cart. I have been invited to attend the Rathayatra in San Francisco which is July 8. So I am hoping also I will stop in Chicago on my way to San Francisco and observe the festival with you. I will inform you further regarding sending us plane tickets, when our European tour is more fixed up. We can discuss further your plans for securing a new building when I come there.
So I may not be in London when it is time to go to Australia. You have written that you are arranging tickets for London-Sydney-Delhi. It is a little difficult to make exact arrangements at this time. But I plan to leave for Australia from Europe. Then from Australia I plan to go to San Francisco via Honolulu, in order to attend the July 8 Rathayatra in San Francisco.
I am not sure of your Rathayatra date but I think it is at the end of June. However at this time I will be in Europe. I am to arrive in Rome on the 23rd, then on the 30th to Geneva, then June 6 to Paris. On June 15 I go to Koln where Hamsaduta has arranged a lecture tour continuing in Heidelberg and Amsterdam through July 6. So it will not be possible for me to attend Rathayatra if you have scheduled it for June. I am immediately going to the US after Europe to attend Rathayatra in Chicago on July 6 and then Rathayatra in San Francisco on July 8. From there I will come to Australia toward the middle or end of July. If it is possible for you to reschedule your Rathayatra for the end of July then I will attend. But I will come to Australia at that time anyway. I do not know if you will be able to reschedule your Rathayatra. So if you wish to communicate with me I will be in the European cities as dated above.
Then on June 6th we are scheduled to arrive in Paris, France and there are meetings there all week. Thereafter, on your invitation I will go to Amsterdam on the 15th of June and on the 22nd go to Koln, and then Heidelberg and Sweden. My plan is to attend the Rathayatra ceremony in Chicago in the U.S. on the 6th of July and then the Ratha Yatra in San Francisco on July 8th. So I will have to leave Europe by the 5th July or 6th July.
That means I will not visit London on this tour. After San Francisco, I will travel to visit Australia, stopping at Hawaii. And after Australia I will return to India in time for the Janmastami celebration which is on August 9th. After the celebrations in Vrindaban, I will be free to visit England and the U.S. So these are my elaborate travel plans, and we shall see what Krsna desires.
I am certainly making all plans to attend Rathayatra in San Francisco on July 7th and 8th. I will be going to Australia for their Rathayatra on June 29th and after that Jayatirtha is arranging my tickets for coming to U.S. I would like to attend the Rathayatra in Chicago on July 6th and, come to San Francisco on the evening of the sixth, so you may prepare to receive me then.
Regarding your looking for a more suitable building and location for the San Francisco temple, one thing is be very careful you don't again buy a place in a bad neighborhood or neighborhood that is about to become bad. And although you are at the same time looking for a farm community land outside the city, you must keep a temple in the city of San Francisco also. So we can discuss things further when we meet.
I am in due receipt of your letter dated May 30 from San Francisco.
It is pleasing to me to here you are happily engaged in devotional service and living as an ideal grhastha. Please go on as you are doing: keep your business separate and wherever you remain keep your family in Krsna Consciousness always chanting Hare Krsna and observing the regulative principles. Cultivate your business for Krsna, remain happy in Krsna Consciousness and always serve Krsna.
You have said rightly when you write that the devotees are working to please me by distributing my books. My mission on behalf of my guru maharaj and Lord Caitanya, to spread Krsna Consciousness would never have been so successful if it had not been taken up by enthusiastic boys and girls such as in San Francisco, especially through distribution of books.
I can, however, only stay a few days in San Francisco after the Festival. I am due back in Vrindaban, India by about the 25th of July, and I wanted to visit Los Angeles as well as other cities in the U.S., so that does not leave me much time for staying in one place. My plan presently is to leave S.F. for L.A. on the 11th July. So any engagements you can make in S.F. before that time will be fine.
I am relieved to know your whereabouts again after not hearing from you for some time. You want to see me and I also have some important things to discuss with you, so the best thing is if we meet at the end of July in Vrindaban, India. Today I am leaving for the United States to attend Rathayatra in Chicago and San Francisco but at the end of July I will reach Vrindaban. We are having a very big festival there on Janmastami when we will open our Krsna Balarama temple by installing the deities. So you must also attend to help in conducting the ceremonies. I will therefore see you in Vrindaban by the end of July. If you wish to correspond with me before then you can write to the Los Angeles address.
Please accept my blessings. After leaving your place I went to Chicago and then San Francisco and in both the places the Rathayatra ceremony was very successfully performed.
Now about the convent which you showed me, I think that place is suitable for us and is possible we can purchase it. So the reasonable price should be on the land value. So far the buildings are concerned they have already dismantled part of it and it will be our expenditure to rebuild. Consider this points and talk with the realty man at what price they can sell the property to us.
Fortunately these American boys and girls are so kind upon me that we are happily preaching this movement all over the world. This time my world touring covers many European cities like Rome, Geneva, Paris, Frankfurt,; then I went to Australia to Melbourne, then to Chicago via Fiji and Hawaii. From Chicago I came to San Francisco and at present I am staying at Los Angeles. From here I shall go to Dallas, Texas. From there I shall go to West Virginia to our center New Vrindaban. From there I shall go to London. In London our Ratha yatra festival has been held up, and I think behind this obstruction there is some communal feeling. The local religious sect is not always happy on account of our movement being so fast growing.
While I was in Melbourne Tusta Krsna along with other friends met me there and took part in the Ratha yatra festival. He was so kind to pay me $700 for Mayapur-Vrindaban scheme. Similarly Siddha Svarupa Maharaja met me in San Francisco. He took part in the Ratha yatra festival and paid me $501 for Mayapur-Vrindaban scheme. So let us cojointly work for the satisfaction of Krishna. So long I am living I wish you all be strictly under my guidance without any fratricidal disagreement. There is very good scope for preaching our cult all over the world, so let us do it cojointly.
Thank you for your letter dated July 15th 1974. Regarding the lecture that I gave at the Rathayatra festival, I think if you contact our San Francisco temple, they might be able to provide you with a transcript. If you speak with the president there Bhakta dasa, he may be able to suggest ways that you can use your public relations in the service of Krishna. First of all you should get our books and read them, especially our Bhagavad gita as it is and Srimad-Bhagavatam. As you begin to understand the philosophy then you will be able to present our movement so that many people may become attracted to this authorized process for developing our dormant love of God.
I have now advised my secretary to send you immediately one copy of my Caitanya Caritamrta. by registered post.
Since you left Bombay, I had been to many places in Europe such as Rome, Frankfurt, Paris, Sydney, Fiji, Honolulu, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Dallas, New Vrindaban, New York, London, and then here to India. I was thinking of you, but was missing your address.
I am sending the photos to Bhadraj, so he can take care to do it nicely. You also instruct him. I also want one new book of Caitanya Caritamrita be published for the Lord's Appearance Day. At least one volume must be ready for distribution of 400 pages, hardbound edition. You can also have photo exhibits of all the Ratha Yatras we hold in London, San Francisco, Melbourne, Toronto, and Philadelphia.
I am herewith returning the map of the fencing where I have indicated that the gate near the residence house is not necessary and should be removed.
1975 Correspondence
I am in due receipt of your letters dated March 1, 1975 and have noted the contents, along with the newspaper article. Thank you very much for sending this article. It is very good news. It appears that this scientist has become very intelligent. Yes, try to meet with them somehow and make arrangement for them to meet with me when I come for the San Francisco Rathayatra. That will be very nice. Such persons should be given the chance to study our books very carefully. In this way they will actually understand what is science.
After that, I shall arrive in Honolulu by May 17th. This time, I will stay there for some time, most probably until the beginning of July, when I will be going to the American mainland for our annual Rathayatra festival in San Francisco. If it is convenient for you, I would like to have you come and stay with me while I am there in Hawaii. I will arrange a nice room for you and any other facilities you may require. I am hoping that you will consider this carefully to my Bombay address.
Some years ago, in San Francisco, both you and your husband wanted to live in Vrndavana and I was training both of you to take up the charge of Vrndavana center very expertly. Unfortunately, both of you fell victim to sense enjoyment and now both of you are fallen from the service especially your husband. So what can I do? But if both of you again come to your consciousness, Krishna consciousness, Krishna can lift you again from the fallen condition. That much I can assure you.
I am in due receipt of your letter dated March 11th, 1975 and have noted the contents. Now, I am on world tour. At present, I am staying in Perth, Australia, then in one week, I shall go to Melbourne, then Fiji, then Honolulu where I will stay for at least one month. Then I shall go to Philadelphia and San Francisco, etc.
I am very glad that you are holding some spiritual conference, but my only request is to follow the standard method of spiritual consciousness. One must know first of all, what is the spiritual basis. Anyone who is accepting this body as the self, he is no better than the cats and dogs. One must know what the spirit soul is within this body.
Recently, we have purchased one building at Berkeley and the Deities, I have understood are being removed by the 1st of July. I understood also that the Gujarati Vaisnavas there are not happy on account of the temple being moved to Berkeley. The San Francisco temple, not being situated in a nice quarter, they are trying to remove to somewhere else. Now they have got a Berkeley temple. It is not my policy to close any temple, but if there is inconvenience, we change the place. If we can get another nice house in San Francisco in good quarters, we can immediately re-open another temple in San Francisco. Sriman Citsukhananda das Adhikari is also enthusiastic in this connection, therefore, if your good self along with other Hindu Vaisnavas help us in this connection, it will be my pleasure to get another temple in San Francisco as soon as possible.
I am not returning to India by Rathayatra festival because there are programs here in America and Europe—Rathayatra festival in five different places like, London, Philadelphia, Chicago, San Francisco, and Melbourne. So, I am introducing this Rathayatra festival in the Western countries and the idea is received everywhere very very enthusiastically.
I am enclosing herewith one Back to Godhead magazine specifically dedicated to describing the Rathayatra activities.
You will find on the 2nd page of the enclosed magazine, a list of our important centers all over the world. In big cities like London, Chicago, New York, Paris, Rome, Geneva, Tokyo, Toronto, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and in India, Vrndavana, Navadvipa, Bombay, Calcutta, Hyderabad, etc. I wish that you may retire from family life and live in one of our so many centers wherever you like, and preach the cult of Krishna Consciousness. That will make your life successful.
Yes, I am coming to your city on Friday morning July 11, 1975 from Chicago. I look forward to meeting the professors. July 15 is all right, as I may be going to San Francisco on Wednesday, July 16.
So after making all these arrangements I shall have to go to go to Philadelphia where I shall attend the Ratha Yatra ceremony, and then I shall go to San Francisco where as usual our Ratha Yatra will take place for the seventh year. The Mayor of the city of San Francisco has declared two days local holiday for this particular ceremony. This will take place on the 20th of July. If you could have found the time to come to Hawaii, I thought I would take you with me to all these places and surely you would appreciate my humble attempts. I thank you very much for your appreciation, "A wonderful job in this country."
Apart from this, I wish to start a Gurukula Institution in Vrindaban for educating small children attached to my temple. You have enough land still vacant. Therefore I request you to spare some land in the front of my Krsna Balarama temple. It will be a great mercy on me. I hope by this time you have gone back Vrindaban. You can reply this letter to my San Francisco address as follows: ISKCON BERKELEY, 2334 Stuart St., San Francisco 94705.
I am in due receipt of your letter dated July 6, 1975 and your invitation to come to your house. I thank you very much for it, and shall be please to come on July 19th. I shall be accompanied with up to six disciples.
I am starting for San Francisco tomorrow and shall be staying at our new temple located at 2334 Stuart St. Berkeley, Ca. You can come and see me.
Enclosed please find a copy of the cable transfer advice No. 177654 from Bank of America Branch No. 553, San Francisco to your bank in favor of INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS A/c. No. 16026 for the amount of Dollars 24,846.39 (twenty four thousand eight hundred forty six and thirty nine cents).
Please place the entire amount on a Fixed Deposit for six months in the name of Bhaktivedanta Book Trust. The Fixed Deposit receipt may be kept with you, and when I return to Bombay I shall collect it from you.
Please accept my dandabats at your lotus feet. I thank you very much for your kind letter dated July 15, 1975 and have noted the contents carefully. Your letter was addressed to our San Francisco temple, and it is forwarded to me here in Los Angeles. The day after tomorrow I am going to San Diego via Laguna Beach. Then I shall go to Dallas, New Orleans, Detroit, Toronto, Montreal, New York, and then New Vrindaban, West Virginia. From there I shall go to Europe to London and Paris, and then I shall return to Bombay perhaps via Africa by the month of October.
Our Philadelphia Ratha Yatra was very attractive and successful; similarly the San Francisco Rathayatra was also. Some of the Indian saints Shushil Muni Maharaja and Yogi Bhajan and many others attended the ceremony. They also appreciated our activities.
I have not received any report from Saurabha das about his meeting with you in Vrindaban. Nowadays the construction of a guest house is a very costly affair. We have spent about Rs. 50 lakhs for our temple and guest house in Vrindaban and with great difficulty.
I am in due receipt of your letter dated July 21, 1975 and have noted the contents. It is a very good sign that although you are not happy now you know it is only because you are not in the company of Krishna and the devotees. It is true that in the past there was some mismanagement in our Honolulu temple, but I was there recently, and it is nicely organized. But, since you have moved to San Francisco, I advise you to go there to our very nice temple in Berkeley. All the things you say you are yearning for are there. Radha Krishna are being worshiped, and there are many devotees there.
I am in due receipt of your letter dated 11-10-75, and I have noted the contents with care. Now that you have received the order from Indian Govt. that our men can get two year visa you should send this to our centres from where men will be coming to India, such as New York, San Francisco, London, Paris, Johannesburg, Nairobi, Etc. This way they can show a copy of the order at the port of entry and get the two years at the port of entry. The persons coming to India, however, must be experienced older devotees, not new men. Navayogendra sent telegram saying it was 3 year visa and you say two years, but never mind, it is a good opportunity all the same.
1976 Correspondence
Many times in the past it has proven difficult to get the support of the Indians in San Francisco. Because Citsukhananda said there were many men who were willing to help I was encouraging. Now abandon it. Citsukhananda should join Berkeley instead of wasting time. The Berkeley project is actually important. Your idea for establishing a center in San Jose is nice, so you may bring it up before the GBC at Mayapur. As you are finding a good preaching field at the colleges in Berkeley, you will find all places similarly receptive. Human psychology is the same—simply you have concentrated on Berkeley thus far. Now make this propaganda very vigorously every where.
Whatever is there is alright. Once Pradyumna comes to join me here from India, then there will be no need for Nitai das or Jagannatha das to edit the Srimad-Bhagavatam.
I would like to know who has done the advertising layout for the ad on page 98 and 99 of the brochure entitled, Association for Asian Studies, San Francisco, March 24-25, 1975. Please make enquiry and inform me who has done the layout and who placed the advertisement. If you do not know, then perhaps Ramesvara das Swami or Satsvarupa das Maharaja would know.
I understand from Hayagriva that now you are living in San Francisco along with your youngest son. I hope that you are doing well, but I shall be glad to see you in Los Angeles by the 2nd of June, 1976, when I shall be arriving there.
They are clearly rejecting all these bogus rascals like Sai Baba and in the same issue they are glorifying our Rathayatra festival. So this is good sign that they welcome Jagannatha and so you can arrange to have Jagannatha Deities and Rathayatra festival in Durban. Just like when I first began our Rathayatra in San Francisco, all we had was a flatbed truck for the Ratha-cart. So do it immediately. They are eager for it, and this will give life to the Hindus in South Africa.
1977 Correspondence
I have received a very favorable testimony of our Movement from the President of Indian Brain Research Association, Department of Biochemistry, University of Calcutta, Professor J.J. Ghosh. Dhira Krsna das, who obtained this letter writes that he has sent you the original. This will help us, and therefore I want it printed in prominent newspapers, even if we have to pay them to print it as and advertisement. Papers like the San Francisco Chronicle and Los Angeles Times should carry it. Please do the needful.
Sri Sri Gaura-Nitai in the first ratha, Sri Sri Radha-Krsna in the second ratha and Sri Jagannatha, Balarama and Subhadra in the third ratha. I have received a letter from Caru dasa from Berkeley. He is worried that due to your Rathayatra no devotees will attend the San Francisco Jagannatha festival. This must not happen. Due to competition one program should not be diminished for another. San Francisco Jagannatha festival is established for many years, and it must be maintained and increased in the same grand style. As far as possible all of the devotees should attend it, as has been done in the previous years. You may also hold Rathayatra as described above in Los Angeles. In this way both festivals can be performed very grandly.
I am feeling very intensely your separation. In 1967 you joined me in San Francisco. You were driving my car and chanting Hare Krsna. You were the first man to give me some contribution ($5000) for printing my Bhagavad-gita. After that, you have rendered very favorable service to Krsna in different ways. I so hope at the time of your death you were remembering Krsna and as such, you have been promoted to the eternal association of Krsna. If not, if you had any tinge of material desire, you have gone to the celestial kingdom to live with the demigods for many thousands of years and enjoy the most opulent life of material existence. From there you can promote yourself to the spiritual world.
I am in due receipt of your letter dated March 9. So far the ideas for San Francisco or India are concerned, they are dropped for the time being. Better the press idea be fulfilled in N.Y. I have got a greater attachment for N.Y. than any other city of your country. You better stick to N.U. for the time being and do your money making schemes. The India plan will be fructified when I return there.
| Page Title: | San Francisco (Letters 1973 - 1977) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 19 of Dec, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=0, Let=50 |
| No. of Quotes: | 50 |