I am glad to know that you are continuing on work on the children's version of Isopanisad. We will require such books for use in our Dallas, Texas school. Please do this work very thoughtfully; Krishna will give you good direction in how to do it. I have seen today the slides of the paintings from our Bhagavad-gita. Many of them are super-excellent. If we introduce these books in all the bookstores, schools, colleges, libraries and everyone's home our religion will be the only religion in the world very soon. This prediction has been made publicly here in one newspaper, by a Japanese philosopher, that within ten years Krishna Consciousness will be the world religion. If you all keep preaching in such a pure way this will undoubtedly prove true. So as the wife of a GBC member you have got the responsibility to help your husband to maintain the highest standard of Krishna Consciousness both in yourselves and in all the other devotees in the Temple.
Standards (Letters 1972 - 1973)
Expressions researched:
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Correspondence
1972 Correspondence
So these are the first four sins which I ask all of my students to strictly avoid committing. Practically the entire population of the world is entrapped by these four sinful activities. In our Krishna Consciousness Society we are training our students up to the standard of brahminical culture. So the great respect we are getting here in India and throughout the rest of the world is due to these restrictions. Actually our students have surpassed the category of brahmana because they are Vaisnavas which means they are transcendental to any material position, and brahmana is a material order of life, part of the Varna Ashrama system. Many times I have been told by other so-called holy men that I should not expect that foreigners will be able to avoid these sinful activities. But I have never compromised in any way and as a result of our sticking strictly to our principles our position is unique.
One thing: You must be attentive that our routine work—such as rising early, cleansing, chanting, temple worship, reading, sankirtana, etc.—should always maintained at the highest level of Krishna Conscious standard, as the smallest neglect or inattention to these matters of routine practices will cause all our other programs to fail. These things are the backbone of spiritual life. So it is natural that in these things like chanting regularly 16 rounds and holding daily arati and kirtana are observed faithfully, then people will be attracted and our preaching will have effect and the management of temple affairs will become very easy matter.
These are all very nice boys and girls, that I can understand, so now you take charge of giving them all good guidance and help on the path back to Home, back to Godhead. Practically the leadership of this Krishna Consciousness Society is now in the hands of you my older disciples and I am very pleased that you are taking such huge responsibility very seriously. In this way remain very sober and cool-headed and always think of Krishna somehow or other, and there is no doubt this Movement will one day conquer all over the world. One thing is, that I want that the highest standards of devotional service be maintained. Our routine work—rising early, cleansing, chanting, temple worship, sankirtana, study—these things must go on very nicely, and if they become improved more and more, and are not neglected or in any way decreased, then now become very convinced of our Krishna philosophy and very enthusiastically and soberly maintain temple routine standards, increase book distribution, satisfy the devotees, and in every way become the perfect KC example of angel.
I am especially pleased by your proposal of producing many small leaflets and pamphlets to distribute widely to the public. Karandhara has initiated this program, and his small pamphlets are very very nice and to the standard, so you may also do like that.
I was just writing to our European centers that for so many years they have been there and nothing has been printed in European languages. This is not a very good sign. How can there be preaching without books? So I am glad that you are taking steps to organize printing of our foreign books. Please take this matter very seriously and print such books immediately.
I can appreciate very much that you are a sincere and intelligent boy, so I am certain that you are having no difficulty in managing nicely Krishna's affairs and making advancement yourself in Krishna Consciousness. Now I am trusting you all elderly leaders to do everything very responsibly and to the standards we have set, so that I may very soon begin translating fulltime. Thank you very much.
Since you are now leader, therefore Krishna is forcing you to become very responsible and advanced devotee. This is Krishna's special favor upon you. So now you must see that all boys and girls who come to the temple are given all facility to perfect their lives in KC, and you must give them good advice and instruction. You must be the perfect example of KC devotee. How is that? Follow the regulative principles very diligently, maintain the highest level of standard in routine work such as rising early, cleansing, chanting, temple worship, street sankirtana, etc., always keep the devotees satisfied, like that. If your preaching work is strong, automatically management will be easy. And preaching work is strong if our routine work is strong. Never neglect our regular program and that will be your success.
So I count you and your godbrothers among those few men who are treading seriously on the path back to Home, back to Godhead, and now we must maintain such exalted position and not fall back by neglecting our highest standards of devotional practices. In this way, what I have introduced into your Western countries, the pure love for Godhead process of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, will go on increasing more and more to have effect by saving others; otherwise, it will gradually become mechanical and fade away like every other so-called religious movement. So you can understand that I am very much depending on you to become very much convinced yourself of our Krishna philosophy and to take full responsibility for teaching others purely.
So far your proposals, I agree that by utilizing our knowledge of selling by selling for Krishna, that is approved by my Guru Maharaja, so it may be done very nicely. But we must always be careful to render firstly our routine devotional practices, and maintain always the highest standards of chanting, preaching, temple worship, rising early, cleansing, street sankirtana, etc.; business is secondary to our basic routine work. If the routine Krishna Consciousness program is neglected for other things, then everything else will fail. I am very much encouraged that you are anxious to engage in making money for Krishna with oil business and to print my books profusely. If this can all be managed and still the regular temple practices go on nicely, that is best. In every case, as with the question regarding whether prospectus or magazine is better, do the best needful.
The Los Angeles temple is our ISKCON standard, so as far as possible you may build in that way. I have had many requests from many students for a list of holidays and festival days. Now we have got Panjika ___, so I shall be compiling such list very soon and I shall send you a copy.
The other tapes of the 4th canto should be with Syamasundara das so you please write to him in Bombay.
The shortcomings you mentioned in regard to management I feel have been rectified and so I feel the proper standard will be fully maintained.
The initiation of David and Susan Shomaker, Bruce Jacobs and Daryl Nauyokas are approved by me and their beads are following in a separate cover.
I am very pleased that you have been appointed as President for Phoenix, Arizona, center. Now you are being forced by Krishna to advance in Krishna Consciousness, because you must set the perfect example for all others to follow and be always very responsible and sober. I think you will have no difficulty, as long as our routine work is attended to nicely and the highest standards are maintained. Routine work means rising early, cleansing, chanting minimum 16 rounds, having kirtana, reading scriptures, deity worship, like that. Simply always keep yourselves engaged in these matters of regular activity as sincerely as possible, and do not neglect them for a moment, then your all other activities will come out successful, and you can be very certain that very soon you will find yourselves situated on the highest platform of perfectional stage.
So I am very glad that you nice boys are helping me to revive the sleeping souls, in all parts of the world, and if we simply go on in this way, preaching very sincerely, following our routine work very strictly and maintaining always the highest standards of Krishna Consciousness, and by distributing more and more of books and literatures, then there is no doubt about it, that very soon we shall go back to Home, back to Godhead.
Simply if the standard of our routine work is maintained very highly, that is, if we steadfastly perform our daily program of rising early, cleansing, chanting 16 rounds, holding kirtana wherever we are at least twice daily, reading, worshiping the deity, going on Sankirtana, like that—if this routine work is always done nicely and never neglected, then our all success is guaranteed in whatever we do. But if this our regular KC program is allowed to slacken, then everything else we try will fail. That is the simple formula for success.
Regarding the Panca-tattva deities, the pictures you have sent are very nice. Because they live in Bengal, dhoti, shirt and chaddar are the standard dress, and if they are dressed in this style with different colors, that is nice. They should normally always be dressed in dhoti, but if occasionally you dress them in skirt-dress outfit, that can be also. They may all five wear jewellery, why not?
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter of 29 January, 1972, and I am very pleased to note that you are so enthusiastic to push on Krishna Consciousness and follow yourself very faithfully the regulative principles chalked out by our great predecessors. If you simply go on in this way, everything will come out successful, that we are seeing practically. So as GBC you must see to it that the highest standards of routine work are maintained throughout all the centers, and that chanting, rising early, cleansing, and all other aspects of our regular program may not be neglected. That is our first business. GBC men should not dictate very much, simply supervise and see that the standards are maintained. The individual presidents should be more managerial, more individual, and you can supervise, and if some defect is detected, you can make suggestions how to correct it. But if we lose individuality and simply become mechanical, what is the point?
Learn yourself and teach others, then this Movement will grow progressively. But one thing is that the highest standards of purity must be always very strictly followed. Therefore I am always encouraged that you are entrusted with instructing others in deity worship, cooking and other things. Although you are at liberty to follow your husband, that is not my point, but if you go the deity worship may be neglected and our progress will be hampered. That is my opinion, because you are in charge, but if you think you may go sometimes, I have no objection as long as the standard does not fall. In this and other matters you have to manage. You have to instruct others so they will not resent—if they resent, how things can be managed? As for the question about menstrual cycle, the only remedy is chanting. Anyone who is trained can be secretary, that is not such important position as preaching and training younger devotees from your experience. But that is up to your husband to decide if you will be his secretary. And you should not worry, he'll never be given Sannyas without your sanction. There is no question of giving him Sannyas, so why you are asking? Yo do not want separation from his good company, that's all right, my only point is, in your absence, who will manage? That is my only fear.
Now I have just got a complaint, both in writing and in person, from a man studying here in Madras who is supposed to be engaged to marry a young girl by name of A. Satyabama, who lives at #8A Krishnan Temple, Taiping, Malaysia. He complains that you and others of our devotees in Malaysia have somehow or other caused some disturbance in the girl's family, especially Hanuman, and has requested me to ask you to not interfere in the matter anymore. Now I do not do not know what are the details, but you may inform me. We must be very careful to avoid anything scandalous in our dealings, and always keep to the highest standards of respect and courtesy. So kindly deal with such matters in future with great caution and tactfully so that our Movement may not get a bad reputation, especially among people who are very sensitive to such things. I know in your country the mixing between boys and girls is very ordinary thing, but in our Asian countries one must be very very careful about such matters, so kindly inform Hanuman and the others in this way.
I am in due receipt of your letter dated January 16, 1972, and I have noted the contents. Yes, you may install either the Jagannatha deities, the Panca-tattva, or, if you are very serious to engage in deity worship program, you may have both, according to the direction and advice of your GBC man. But this deity worship is very serious program, and it must be kept to the utmost highest standard and never allowed to be neglected. So if you are willing and able to initiate such program in Baltimore center, I have no objection.
One thing, if Aniruddha is shaky in his Krishna Consciousness, how he can teach the children? Unless one is firmly convinced about Krishna Consciousness, I don't think the children will learn properly from such a person. Other experienced teachers may be called from other centers if they are required, that you should discuss with the GBC. If you are only a few persons, and if the place is so big, how you can manage? Especially I don't think you will be able to worship Radha-Krishna deities at the very high standard until later time. Better reserve all your workers for managing other things until many devotees are there. When I shall come there later on, I will see everything, how it is going on.
(1) "Panjika" is a calendar. (2) As for your question about Santa Rasa and the opinions of Rupa Goswami and Sridhara Swami, I don't remember. You can send me the appropriate passages. There is no reason why Acaryas cannot differ on certain points. (3) Dhoop arati may be performed in the morning if there is unusually great complaining, but it is better to hold full arati, but quietly, as in Bombay they play a tape-recording of myself singing arati softly and hold full arati. We should not try to diminish our standard of deity worship once it has reached a certain program, and it is especially nice to wake up Radha and Krishna with full arati with everyone dancing, but quietly. (4) You may wait until I arrive there before installing deities. (5) So far foodstuffs offered do the needful. Whatever is available and also very nice, that is offerable, as long as no meat, fish, eggs, garlic, onions, or other very objectionable foodstuffs are there. Salads are all right, and there is no condition on which type of rice, the best available under the circumstances, that's all. What matters is that everything is very nicely prepared and offered with great loving devotion, that is wanted.
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letters of January 7, 1972, and I am very much pleased that you have opened a very nice center in Madison, Wisconsin. Thank you very much. Now develop it very nicely, and especially make certain that the daily routine program is held nicely and to the regular highest ISKCON standard, that is, you should see that our rising early, holding mangala arati, chanting 16 rounds, reading books, having classes, street sankirtana, etc., go on just to the highest standard and are never for any reason neglected. In this way your success is assured, but if we neglect even for a moment our routine, work, if we allow the regular program to become slack then everything else we may try will fail. I think you have understood these things and you are doing things very nicely, and because your "number one concern" is distributing my books and preaching, I think Krishna will give you all facility to increase more and more and make advancement in Krishna Consciousness.
My only point is that simultaneously we must increase our literature production and build Mayapur Temple, But it is not that we have to stop everything else for one thing. The art of managing is to do all things at once in a nice manner, and the guiding principle is to do whatever is practical for preaching KC and at the same time maintaining our high standards of routine KC practices for making ourselves progress on the Spiritual path. Regarding the teacher Miss Wilson, you may engage her in translating, if she can read Bengali type. She can try Jiva Goswamis "Sandarbhas"—that will be a great contribution. So far Radhika's work, I am very pleased you are continuing translating into Russian language my books and essays. This book business is the most important of all, so kindly continue giving it your full attention. Work in Russia is going on slowly, and we have got a plan to send French devotee girl there to marry our Russian boy devotee in Moscow, and then the work will go much faster. I shall inform you when we are ready for BTG in Russian language, meanwhile go on with the work. Krishna das is in Europe, you may write him c/o Hamburg center. If you have honey, why not use instead of sugar but I think it is too expensive to be practical.
Because you are making so many new devotees and distributing so many books and magazines, therefore I can understand that your routine work is being kept to the highest standard and that preaching work is going on well. This I can very much appreciate. Now never let it slacken or neglect our regular program, and always you will be successful in spreading this sublime movement of Lord Caitanya's, and very soon you will yourself approach the supreme perfection of life.
(4) There are many authorized, standard versions of paintings of Garbhodakasayi Visnu reclining, so you may see these, exactly how it is done. Ananta and G. Visnu are practically the same size.
(5) Ananta is bluish with white inside.
(6) You may make a pillow under Visnu's head.
(7) You may see the other standard paintings to see how big is Lord Brahma in comparison with Visnu.
You say that your wife is an emotional sentimentalist, and that this is causing you some anxiety. But you have taken her as your wife, and by our Vedic standards you are responsible for her spiritual advancement, so you must make the attempt to assist her in becoming Krishna Conscious very seriously, that is your responsibility. If, however, after much trying and serious attempts you are still unable to help her, then leave her aside. One should be interested in his individual self, one should not be interested with others if they hinder his service unduly. But you have married her, and there is no question of separation. You may live from time to time separately, but at least you must try very hard to help her perfect her spiritual life.
So I am very glad that you want to increase in this way, and I have no objection, as long as the standard which instructed is not changed. Devotees like to increase, that is very nice, but this whimsically changing, now one way, now another way, now this schedule, now that one, this is not good. But as you have suggested to make nice bed and night clothes, that is good proposal. Originally I wanted that such bed, along with throne or gorgeous chair, be placed to the side, but I do not think anyone has done it. So you may add these features. Main point is to keep altar and everything very clean and neat, and to offer Radha and Krishna everything in the most opulent manner just suitable to your means, and always with full love and devotion, even it may be only a little water or few leaves if you are poor man.
Children will always do as they see others doing, so if by the good association of their parents and the other older persons, they will come out nicely fixed in Krishna Consciousness, and because they are not spoiled by an artificial standard of sense gratification, they will think that performing austerities is great fun, just like in India we see the young brahmacaris are sent out to beg for their spiritual master to teach them humility and non-attachment, and they spend the whole day in the hot sun and come back at night, take a handful of rice, and sleep without blankets on the hard floor—and they take this type of life as very much enjoyable and great fun. This is how we train our children in Krishna Consciousness, just be keeping them always attending our regular program and associating with Krishna devotees, teaching them in spiritual realization by giving them the idea that sacrifice and tapasya for achieving the highest goal of life is a very nice way of life. Not that we shall give them many games for playing, these so-called scientific methods of learning are artificial, unnecessary, and on the whole I do not have much trust in this Montessori system or any other such system of teaching. Your idea for having altars to train the children in deity worship is very nice.
So now it will be very important to flood Berkeley city with our books and literatures, because if we can convince the intelligent class of men of our Krishna philosophy then our success for changing the position of your country and the rest of the world from a very dangerous condition is assured. Just see that our routine programme such as rising early, cleansing, reading books chanting, street Sankirtana, deity worship, and so on, if these items of regular programme are maintained to the highest standard and not neglected for anything, then everything else we try for will come out successful without fail. So you are now big officer, and I think Krishna has favored you by this position, because now you will be forced to always be the best example of KC person and be very very responsible, because you must make sure that all the devotees in your temple are always satisfied as far as possible by being happy in spiritual life.
Now in India you must develop things also very nicely, especially for attracting overseas visitors to come there and enjoy Indian special atmosphere of spiritual life. Our Indian boys and girls are not very much interested to become devotees, but I am seeing that these fair-skinned Americans and Europeans are like angels by coming to Krishna Consciousness increasingly more and more, and that very soon the whole world will become filled with such angels, and so I am very optimistic that if we continue in this way by sticking very tightly to our pure standards that the Lord Caitanya's prediction will very soon be realized all over the world. So I am very much encouraged by our program in Vrindaban, especially the plan to cooperate with Cox and King's and have guided tours for foreigners, to be led by you. The main point is to acquaint by explaining them about Krishna and trying to sell them Krishna Book. So receive them nicely, and do same work as the pandas do. We have got our panda there, so you can take help from him. you can take help from Purusottama Brahmacari also.
This is our best field, and practically I am observing here in Australia that you western boys and girls are becoming angels by taking up this Krishna Consciousness process, and that our Indian boys and girls will not take it up. They think that to have a good wife and sufficient income, bas, that is the goal of their life. But you all are joining me and you are coming out very nicely by Krishna's grace, so I am very much thankful. One thing, if we are not very careful to always stick to the point of regulative principles and purest standards of high living, then everything will spoil very quickly and the whole show will be a farce. So impress this point in your preaching for training the younger devotees, they will follow your example in all respects.
So if you have talent for musical achievement, that is nice; but if you nourish some idea of becoming famous by playing some music, that will be a source of frustration—the end. So it is better if you play your music for Krishna by having very ecstatic kirtanas in your center in Vancouver, and in this way, as I have introduced it, all of the devotees and also the general public as well will be able to join together cooperatively in the glorification of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, not that we shall glorify anyone else. Let the materialists operate in their own way, but we have got Vaisnavism stand and we should train the general public to accept it and come up to our platform of process of doing things, not that we should reduce to their standard."
I beg acknowledge receipt of your letters dated April 10 and April 18, 1972, and I have noted the contents. It is better to forget past incidents, whatever is done is done. Let us look forward to correcting our mistakes. So far you are concerned, I am very much convinced of your sincere service. I am especially glad that the school Gurukula is improving more and more in its standard under your management. That is our real work, to educate people in spiritual life by giving them the practical example, so I wanted that the GBC would be a chosen body of men for that purpose, to see how the students are learning and reporting to me as my secretaries. I do not know how you could have missed these points, as they are clearly spelled out in my original constitution. Anyway, whatever is done, is done. So I am very glad that you are leading all others in book distribution, so you go on with your work in this way and Krishna will give you all the clear idea of how to do everything.
Your idea to recruit many brahmacaris is nice. We need a class of men purely brahmanas. The whole world is full of sudras. The Krishna Consciousness movement is meant for re-establishing the system of four varnas and asramas, then there will be progress of civilization. We have got such a nice process that even from the base sudras we can create brahmanas of highest calibre. All the presidents of our centers should see that all the members are strictly observing the brahminical standards, such as rising early, cleansing at least twice daily, reading profusely, attending arati, like that. You begin immediately this process. That is the main work of GBC. Sometimes we see that even they do not wash hands after eating. Even after drinking water we should wash hands. That is suci. Suchi means purest. Everyone should join the mangal arati. Gradually, we should become more regulated and strict for following the rules and regulations. Otherwise we shall fall down.
Pradyumna Prabhu says that he has sent the synonyms for chapters 15-33 in Canto 3 from Australia some time ago, but that the situation for receiving mail there in New York temple is not very good and that often letters are neglected or lost. Why these things are going on? I have appointed this GBC to maintain the standards. I don't do these things. I am always careful about the mail and the money. This is very serious business, if we go to so much effort to make these books available to the human society, and then no one takes care and portions are lost, and no money is paid by the temples to Book Fund, then what is the use? We must have a very efficient office at each temple, with facilities for prompt distribution of mail to the proper persons, not that the mail is simply left in a corner for everyone to pick through and find out for themselves. No, it should be delivered to the proper persons. And strict accounts must be kept. Atreya Rsi is there and he is always wanting some such engagement, why you do not engage him in being temple treasurer, keeping the accounts and records, answering the telephone? We must be very careful not to slide back into whimsically doing everything. You are GBC, and I see by the results of your being there that you are able to do these things, why you do not help Rupanuga and do them?
I am very much encouraged by the results of your re-organizing of temples, so go forward in this way, never mind we may sometimes have to concentrate in order to make further progress. I have heard from Srimati dasi that she has purchased your deities in Jaipur and they are being shipped to you from Bombay. Now I want the worship of Sri Sri Radha Krishna to be very seriously undertaken by you, and try to see they are always satisfied in every way. This is the ultimate in arcana worship, so the standard must be the highest. Kindly certify this will go on at the highest standard.
I had written you one letter to Bombay requesting that you shall be the GBC man for the South Pacific, South West Asia, and Australia-New Zealand zone. It was the idea of Karandhara, and Syamasundara and the others to redivide the world into twelve zones and reappoint new GBC members to fill those positions. So we have been meeting for the past several days, and we have decided that you will be the best man to manage Australia, New Zealand, and all of the South West Asia zone, including Hong Kong, Philippines, Malaysia, etc. Now I want that my GBC representatives shall travel extensively throughout their zone, without stopping in any one place for very long. Their job will be to see how things are going on, that the spiritual standard is maintained very high, to give encouragement to the devotees, like that. So you organize one traveling party and yourself lead them and go all over that zone, opening new centers wherever possible. Trivikrama has written me one letter and he is requesting to change from Japan. So if you like he can come to Manila or Sydney or wherever you prefer. He is awaiting your instructions in Tokyo.
Your great founder of your nation, Mr. Nikolai Lenin, was very much intelligent, and he could understand that people become united only under the guiding principles of a commonly accepted philosophy or standard of truth. But if we examine the course of history, we must conclude, with Mr. Karl Marx, that this so-called standard of truth constantly changes, and that what one group of people accept at standard of perfection at one time, the same people may again reject that standard and take another philosophy as the all-in-all, and so on. So if we are intelligent leaders of state, it is to our advantage to benefit all the citizens by satisfying their material requirements, but even more is it our duty to satisfy their need for being secure and confident that they are working under the principles of a truth or reality which does not change and is therefore absolute. That is spiritual satisfaction. Spiritual means philosophical, otherwise it is sentiment and sentiments are fickle and always changing. So we can very much appreciate your rejection of sentiment as a basis for practical activity.
If you have a crown dipped in gold for the Bombay Deities, you must keep them very carefully. I understand that sometime ago one crown was stolen from Krishna's Head despite the presence of one brahmacari who was sleeping there and did not even hear the thief coming. So we must take very great precaution to always protect the Deities from all kinds of danger. One thing is, if we make our Deity worship program extremely opulent and gorgeous, and if all of the devotees are always attending arati and holding kirtana in front of the Deities, that will be the best program for attracting the Indian people to Krishna Consciousness Movement. So you try to give the pujaris all assistance to improve the standard of Deity worship and always render Radha and Krishna the most sincere attention.
So being Sannyasi is no hindrance for being also GBC. In fact, the duties of the GBC men are now to be just like the duties of the Sannyasis. I want that the GBC men should leave the management of the individual centers to the local presidents and concentrate themselves upon preaching work. They should be constantly traveling from one center to another center to see how the students are learning and to give whatever advice is necessary for improving the temple standards. In addition, the GBC men will open new centers, distribute literature, and they should always be traveling with a sankirtana party to accompany them. So practically there is no difference between the Sannyasi duty and the GBC duty, and because you are my veteran disciple and you have had very good experience, I think there will be no trouble for you to accept the GBC position, I do not think it will in any way inconvenience you program of traveling. But for the time being, if you prefer, Mohanananda can work conjointly with you for managing. We shall decide finally after some months.
So you introduce this system in all of the centers in your zone, and you will discover that everyone becomes very much enlivened by these daily classes. Read one sloka and discuss and then go on to the next sloka on the next day, and so on, and even you discuss one verse each day it will take you 50 years to finish Srimad-Bhagavatam in this way. So we have got ample stock for acquiring knowledge. And if the students get knowledge more and more, they will automatically become convinced and very easily perform their duties for tapasya or renunciation of the material bondage, and that will be their successful advancement in Krishna Consciousness. So I want that advancement amongst all of my students, so your are responsible that the standard will be maintained.
You mention you like to speak now very often, but the first business should be to preach to the devotees. It is better to maintain a devotee than to try to convince others to become devotees. It is the duty of the GBC to maintain the devotees, keep them in the highest standard of Krishna Consciousness, and give them all good instruction, and let them go out and preach for making more devotees. Your first job should be to make sure that every one of the devotees in your zone of management is reading regularly our literatures and discussing the subject matter seriously from different angles of seeing, and that they are somehow or other absorbing the knowledge of Krishna Consciousness philosophy. If they are fully educated in our philosophy and if they can get all of the knowledge and study it from every viewpoint, then very easily they will perform tapasya or renunciation and that will be their advancement in Krishna Consciousness.
I am very glad to hear that all of you have been such a great help to Stoka Krsna there in our Dallas Gurukula and I can understand that all of you are very sincere boys and girls and quite eligible for going back to Home, back to Godhead. Now I very much appreciate your activities for conducting our school to the highest standard of Krishna Consciousness behavior, and I consider your work the most important in the society because you are shaping the future generation of our Krishna Consciousness preachers, and this is not any small thing. So I am depending very much upon you all to assist Lord Caitanya in fulfilling His mission for saving the human kind from very quickly gliding into hell.
Take any number of books without paying any price, and engage the whole amount for our building work there in Bombay, but the building work must be very superb. Now I have sent you one letter yesterday which I hope by now has cured the situation amongst you all leaders there in Bombay. So if there is neglect or slackening in the building work you may please give all good direction how it may be improved to the topmost standard in all of India. One thing, if our men are making daily between Rs. 30/- and Rs. 120/-, let us say average of Rs. 50/-, so that is Rs. 400-500/- per day, or Rs. 15,000 per month so that is very nice. So in this way you may order increasingly as many books as you can distribute and they will be immediately dispatched to Bombay without any cost to you.
I am very pleased to see the things are going on, and that new centers are opening many in Germany. Now I am feeling very much inclined for retiring behind the scenes to translate my Srimad-Bhagavatam. This means that now you all leaders, especially the GBC members, must become very much responsible and do the work that I am doing to the same standard. So I want you leaders especially to become very much absorbed in the philosophy of Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, and become yourselves completely convinced and free from all doubt. On this platform you shall be able to carry on the work satisfactorily, but if there is lack of knowledge, or if there is forgetfulness, everything will be spoiled in time.
I am in due receipt of your letter from Amsterdam dated June 21, 1972, and I look forward with pleasure to attending some of your meetings there in Holland near end of July. Yes, the two engagements for July 28 and July 29 sound all right, and as you have kindly invited me, if you make all nice arrangements, then I shall be very glad to attend them. One thing, you have mentioned a "band" for playing in the park.* If we hold public meetings, we can only hold kirtan, with our usual program of preaching being the main feature of attention. We shall stick only to the Vaisnava standard set for us by the great acaryas and saintly persons, namely, the Hare Krishna Mantra and other mantras which I have taught to you, but we shall not produce something artificial by writing and playing our own songs as we like.
So far you are concerned, I am especially stressing the importance of our Dallas Gurukula for training up the next generation of Krishna Consciousness preachers. This is the most important task ahead. I am seeing practically how wonderful the children are coming out. Therefore, we shall be very, very vigilant and careful to maintain the highest standard of temple atmosphere and conduct in Dallas. You may install Radha-Krishna Deities and worship Them very, very gorgeously. Simply by associating with the elderly members, the children will learn everything. So, the quality of the elderly members must be also very much to the standard of excellent Vaisnavas; otherwise, the children learn by example and they will very easily be misguided if their senior god-brothers and god-sisters are themselves neglectful. I shall certainly come there to Dallas to see how things are going on as soon as there is opportunity.
Otherwise, the children of your country and other countries, they are simply growing up to be sophisticated animals, so what good will their education do? But if they will agree to try to understand our Krishna Consciousness education or way of life and allow their children to be educated by us, they will see them come out as the topmost citizens with all good qualities such as honesty, cleanliness, truthfulness, loyalty, etc. So that is a very important work and you are especially responsible to make it successful. All other GBC men should give you all assistance for building up the standard there.
Worship of Radha-Krishna Deities is the ultimate pinnacle of Deity worship, and it must be done with the utmost caution and attention to every detail of giving opulent service. I am not recommending more temples to install Radha-Krishna Deities until I have become more convinced that they can properly manage. At least five to ten persons must be engaged full time to worship Radha-Krishna properly, and for any small temple especially that is a detrimental factor to maintaining the highest standard in other temple activities besides, because there are not enough men. You may worship Lord Jagannatha, or if you like to install Gaura-Gauranga, Gaura-Nitai, or simply Gaura Deity, He is also very liberal and will forgive and tolerate any service offered to Him even by Jagai and Madhai.
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter from Delhi dated June 23, 1972, and I am pleased to note that you wish to take up publishing our books. Enclosed you will find information of several of our major works, such as number of pages, size of pages, etc. So far number of copies to be printed, that you can decide between yourselves and our ISKCON representatives there in India. I wish to publish with your firm less expensive editions of our existing English language books, keeping as far as possible to the high standard we have established, and also to print Hindi language books.
Now you must all three, along with the other sannyasis, GBC members, and other leaders become very serious to actually give the human kind the greatest welfare, namely, this Krishna Consciousness movement. Your task ahead is very huge, but it will be quite simple and easy if you simply do as I am doing. You must become conversant in every feature wherever it is needed throughout the society. Out first business is to preach to the devotees and to maintain the highest standard of Vaisnava education. Management must be there as well, just as I am preaching daily from S. Bhagavatam, B.G., but I am also going to the bank, making investments, seeing the trial balance making letters, seeing how things are going on, like that.
So far the flats, yes, Rs. 80/- per sq. ft. should be the price. Rs. 100/- is the standard rate for that neighborhood, so our price is not too high. So far Lalita Krishna is concerned, I have received one letter from Purusottama das Brahmacari requesting to travel to Malaysia with Lalita Krishna for opening some centers there. So best thing is to open centers in Malaysia and Singapore, recruit many Chinese-speaking devotees, translate our books into Malaysian and Singapore language, then with a party go to China later on. Regarding the boys you have recommended, their letter of initiation is enclosed and beads are sent under separate post.
So far my writings, avoid publishing them in hodge-podge journals. These so-called Hindus are generally impersonalists, and we do not want to have anything to do with them. Better we stick to our own standard, and eventually they will all come to us for learning what is God. You can try the daily newspapers. If Times of India, Navbharat, if some of these daily papers agree, I can send regularly one sloka from Bhagavad-gita, whatever is in the book plus further elaboration.
Regarding householder life, I have no objection, this is not my responsibility. Henceforth my students must take the responsibility for their own householder life, get married outside the temple, take all risk for supporting wife and home, live outside the temple, like that. But they should live nearby and take part as much as possible in temple activities, such as mangala aratrik, sankirtana, etc. Living separately does not mean that we have nothing more to do with the devotees, no. You should associate with them as much as possible, and donate something regularly, 50% is the standard set by Sanatana Goswami. Keep your position, that's all right, but utilize it to make spiritual progress, that is the real think, not for satisfying my hankerings and desires.
So far the St. Louis chapter is concerned, let Vamanadeva live there peacefully husband and wife, why he should go away? That will be all right if he installs his Radha-Krsna Deities from his home. I am also happy to hear that the Gurukula project has been given help by Karandhara and others, so that cooperatively we may demonstrate the topmost example of real education in the world. Now you go on preaching with full vigor and determination, keep our standard of Krsna Consciousness always at the highest level, and remain sincere always by remembering Krsna, through vibrating of His holy name.
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated August 1, 1972 and I have noted the contents carefully. Yes, I shall be very glad to hear that you have installed the Deity of Lord Jagannatha, Subhadra, and Balarama, provided you and your wife are going to stick there in Mexico City and you will not go away. I have heard that you are well qualified to worship the Deity at highest standard and this is very much necessary. One who is worshiping the Deity must be always attentive and mindful of his occupation at all times. He must never for one moment forget his duty of serving the Deity at every moment and strive always to please the Lord. If you are willing to stick there in Mexico City, along with your good wife, and do the needful for worshiping Lord Jagannatha and take all responsibility, then I have no objection if you install.
So try to reform Mohananandan there. What he will do by coming here? Amogha has indicated he has already shaved his sikha and has left everything. do you think U.S.A. is a magic place, simply by coming here he will become reformed? If possible you can send to the U.S.A., but it is better to correct him to the standard point by friendly gestures. We can reject anyone, that is very easy, but to reform him that requires great skill and tact and if you can reform him there by kind words and dealings, that is best. When I was there in Sydney, I observed that Mohananandan is very, very good boy and he has great intelligence and talent, simply it has become little bit misguided due to circumstances. Now you both big leaders in Australia, along with the others, you make a very concerted attempt to help Mohananandan over his difficulties and persuade him that everything is all right; that I am not angry or displeased in any way.
I am in due receipt of your letter dated August 12, 1972, and I have noted the contents carefully. Yes, Karandhara said that Sriman Siddha Svarupa Ananda is not up to the point of our preaching work, especially when the "Sai Speaks" booklet was distributed there was some discrepancy from our standard. So when this complaint was lodged I called him here and I asked him to stay with me for some time. When I went to London I made arrangement that Siddha Svarupa Ananda Maharaja would speak in the sanctuary of Los Angeles Temple and this was settled up and he remained here in Los Angeles when I went to London. After coming back I understood that he left immediately when I left for London. I have received no letter from him. So there is no misunderstanding, but I want to keep him with me for some time, so if you have got his address you can ask him to come to me and live with me again for some time. It is better not to draw any wrong conclusions from so little evidence, actually he is very sincere soul and everyone knows it and I like him very much and so does Karandhara, so you need not worry in this connection.
One thing is, I have just received one letter from the black devotees in Cleveland who wish start their own ISKCON Center independently of the white devotees there. In principle, it is alright, birds of a feather will flock together. We should not discourage them in any way from opening their own center, but I want you to go there and see how their things are going on and that the standard of Krishna consciousness is being maintained on the highest level. You should give them all assistance for organizing their Center and be fully convinced that they can manage everything properly and then I have no objection if they open their Center in Cleveland.
I am in due receipt of your letter from Cleveland dated August 5, 1972 duly forwarded to me from Calcutta, and I thank you very much. As long as you are following our Krishna Conscious principles I have no objection if you remain separate from the other devotees in the Cleveland Center. I have instructed Satsvarupa who is the GBC man for Midwestern USA Zone to come and visit you to see how the things are going on and give you good guidance how to keep the highest standards of Krishna Consciousness Movement. If you have any further questions or if you require anything like mrdangas, books, etc. he will give you everything. I am enclosing the copy of one letter to him in this respect.
Now you are my elder disciples and both of your are sannyasis and also advanced in Krsna Consciousness, so these questions should not arise amongst you again and again. That means everyone is not conscientious. These things are not new to you, why do you continually ask these questions? The GBC authority must be accepted under all circumstances, not that there will be fighting amongst you. This fighting spirit will destroy everything, but what can I do, you American and European boys are trained up in this fighting attitude. Now put it aside and simply work cooperatively for spreading this movement all over the world. The standards I have already given you, now try to maintain them at all times under standard procedure. Do not try to innovate or create anything or manufacture anything, that will ruin everything. Simply do as I am doing and be always serious and sincere to serve Krsna, and He will give you intelligence how to do everything.
Now concentrate your efforts by bringing our regular program up to the highest standards, that is, holding street sankirtana, holding at regular times of the day very opulent aratrika with prasadam distribution, having classes in philosophy, chanting sixteen rounds, etc. This is our strength. If you practice these things now with full concentration and carry on the regular propaganda work, automatically people will come forward for helping and you will make also devotees there. That is our Krsna Consciousness process of regular program.
So far we are concerned we are following the Bhagavad-gita As It Is and we see the knowledge given in the Bhagavad-gita is quite perfect in the matter of understanding God. If we compare the truth mentioned in the Bhagavad-gita with other books, sometimes there may not be equal standard of understanding. So it is better to accept some recognized authority and follow his footsteps, and that is the best way for understanding God. we simply want that people should understand God, and love him also, because human life is meant for this purpose. So if a man loves God more than anything else, he is the perfect man.
Yes, your chief weapon will be prasadam, because everyone likes to eat nice foodstuffs and philosophy and other things will come gradually. In this way try to make many devotees, just like so many of you may top-grade disciples came from Buffalo university under direction of Rupanuga. Keep our standard Krishna Consciousness programme to the highest level by always without fail rising early, chanting 16 rounds, holding arati, going out for street sankirtana, reading books daily, distributing as many books as possible, like that, and in this way Krishna will give you all intelligence and facility for doing His work just to perfection. Thank you very much for helping me in this way.
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated nil, and with great pleasure I have read also the enclosed brochure "Who Will lead Us?" That is a new chapter for Krishna Consciousness movement. Now we shall begin to educate the politicians gradually. But they are so much corrupted by their sense gratification that we shall find it a difficult task. But if gradually we may present our philosophy in public places as you are doing in Atlanta, that will be appreciated by the intelligent class of men, and it will become well known that our philosophy of political leadership is of the highest standard and morality, and if anyone wants to advertise himself that he has made programme for the welfare of the people, he must be forced to compare his programme with ours so the citizens may judge which is better. Continue increasing this political activity, it is very pleasing to me.
Yes, your plan for travelling and preaching was very much approved by me, but now I understand from Satsvarupa that he has gone to Dallas to manage things there because Stoka Krishna has left to Los Angeles. Are you travelling now alone, or what shall be your programme now? This constantly changing managers is not good. We shall develop more progressively by sticking in one place and working, not that one week we have three presidents, that is not good. Our managers should be very responsible for developing their centre to the topmost standard, why this restlessness? It is just like one man is holding government post by getting votes, so today or tomorrow or next day, but he will have to go out, then another man comes, then another, another—in this way, democratic system, no one becomes responsible for the welfare of the citizens, only they want to take for themselves as much as they can before they have to get out, so they do not take real interest in their duty. It is a little like that. My idea is that the leaders must agree to stick at one place, even they may have to remain their life-long, that is the ideal leader, one who is conscious of his duty.
That is ideal leader. He is responsible and he knows his duty. Just like I did that. My Guru Maharaja gave me a task and always I was discouraged by my god-brothers, but I did not forget him even for a moment, and I was determined to follow my duty, even though sometimes I did not like to do it. But this always changing means no sense. If he is leader, he must be fixed-up. Otherwise, if he has no real interest, why he takes that post? He must be responsible. He must stick and develop the highest standard of Krishna Consciousness practice in that area of management. But if he is sometimes thinking, Oh, I do not like to do this, let me go away at first opportunity, then how will things go on? That is just like democratic system in your government: every four, five years changing all the leaders. In this way, each man is thinking he shall not try to do very much. No one is interested in the real welfare of the citizens, simply because the post is temporary. That is not our process. Real meaning of duty is just like Arjuna: he did not like to be responsible, he wanted to leave the scene, but Krishna convinced him this is your duty, to fight, so he did it for Krishna, and he fought until the last man was killed from the opposing side. That is leadership. He is determined to stick to his position because he has understood Krishna.
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated October 27, 1972, and I have noted the contents carefully. So far the Road Show and this Yoga Village are concerned, these things should be stopped. Simply perform our kirtana. If we divert our attention in this way, the whole thing will gradually deteriorate. He is going far away. All these things are nonsense inventions. Such inventing spirit will ruin our this movement. People may come to see, some will become devotees, but such devotees will not stay because they are attracted by some show and not by the real thing or spiritual life according to the standard of Lord Caitanya. Our standard is to have kirtana, start temples. What is this "Road Show" and "Yoga Village?" It will be another hippie edition. Gradually the Krishna Consciousness idea will evaporate: another change, another change, every day another change. Stop all this. Simply have kirtana, nothing else. Don't manufacture ideas.
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated November 1, 1972, and I am very much engladdened to hear that you have arrived to Europe and that you have enthusiastically begun your work there, opening one centre in France. Yes, such opening of temples, holding daily street sankirtana, distributing books, preaching in the schools and colleges, this is our standard programme for injecting Krishna Consciousness in the world. And if we simply stick to this programme we shall be successful, without any doubt. Now you are sannyasi, sannyasi means responsible, you must be responsible for the spiritual progress of the devotees, to see that the right standard is being observed in all departments. Just as I am doing.
But most essential thing is, if you improve the preaching programme, automatically everything else will improve, Krishna will give you all facilities. So I think there is plan to have each night one outside engagement for preaching and holding kirtana. That is very good proposal. But do not neglect also our own programme at Juhu. That should be improved progressively, not decreased. Now only a few men come. But when I was there thousands were coming daily. Why the standard has fallen down? If you become lazy in your spiritual life, everything else will deteriorate. We are not interested in big, big buildings, no. That was not my plan for Juhu. I simply want to engage everyone in the service of Krishna, that's all. And that means preaching. So if the preaching work has stopped, what can I do? In that case you must expect there will be so many troubles. So try to improve your preaching work, distribute all the books, and print more, and in this way, Krishna is the husband of the Goddess of Fortune, you will get as much money and as many big buildings as you need for spreading Krishna Consciousness movement, without any doubt.
So I have given you the guiding principles, it is not that I must be consulted with every small detail, that is the business of the in-charge, but if no one is there who can manage in the right way, what can I do? Now if you have got the right idea how to do it, you may go there again and take some responsible post for correcting the situation, that will be your real duty, not that there is some disagreement and I go away disgusted, no. That is not Vaisnava standard. Standard should be that, never mind there is some difficulty, my spiritual master has ordered me to do like this, now let me do it, that's all.
I am very glad to learn that the children at Gurukula school are making good progress in their Krishna Consciousness education, that is very good news. Yes, if we simply train them properly they will come out just to the highest standard of Vaisnava devotee. And what is that training? Simply they should be engaged in such a way that they are somehow or other remembering Krishna at every moment, that's all. It is not something mechanical process, if we force in such a way they will come out like this, no. We are persons, and Krishna is a Person, and our relationship with Krishna He leaves open as a voluntary agreement always, and that voluntary attitude—Yes, Krishna, I shall gladly co-operate whatever you say—that ready willingness to obey is only possible if there is love. Forcing will not make me agree. But if there is love, oh, I shall gladly do it. That is bhakti, that is Krishna Consciousness. So similarly, if we train children by developing and encouraging their propensity to love Krishna, then we shall be successful in educating them to the topmost standard.
Now you are the leader of so many men, so you have got the blessings of Krishna's favoring you, because now He is forcing you to be responsible for becoming yourself perfectly example of Krishna Conscious devotee and making yourself perfectly example of Krishna Conscious devotee and making others Krishna Consciousness. Now become always attentive to all the aspects of your temple's activities, especially to the regulative spiritual life and preaching work. If this standard of devotional practices is maintained at the highest level, everything else you do will become automatically successful. And that will please me very much.
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.
I can understand that your preaching work there is going on nicely just to the standard, because now you have got so many devotees and you are distributing so many of our books and magazines. That is very, very pleasing for me to hear. But now I think it must be very cold there. Even I was there in summer, still I had to go to England—it was so much cold in Hamburg. But never mind there is any discomfort of the body. We shall not be very much concerned for that. Devotee means he is able to tolerate all kinds of discomfort and whims of the material nature, and because he is so much absorbed in serving Krishna, he takes no time to become angry or take offense with others or find out some fault, no. Devotee means very liberal and kind to everyone, always gentleman under all kinds of conditions of life. So now you have practically become inseparable from Germany temples, and you have introduced this strict brahminical standard in those countries and it is coming out successful. So I am always appreciating you and your good wife, Himavati, for your kindly helping me in this way. May Krishna shower you with His all blessings.
But if you want, I must give, because you are serving Krishna so nicely, so in that case my request to you is that you enter into the universities and colleges wherever possible and preach there with a view to recruiting some first-class devotees for helping me manage and push on this movement all over the world. Overall there is shortage of first-class, experienced men to manage things just to the highest standard, as you are doing. Therefore I am calling upon you the big leaders to push this idea forward, namely, to attract some educated men to join us. The idea is that they will only agree to join us if we ourselves conduct ourselves intelligently by the preaching approach. The secret will be to engage them as they like to be engaged, that is, supposing I have got some education, I am business student, or I have got some skill or talent, I am typist or musician or something like that, so I will like to utilize these things for Krishna only if I am encouraged in a certain way, very tactfully, and I must not be discouraged by too much forcing me at first to accept everything of shaving the head, rising very early, going for street sankirtana, like that.
Our business is to raise ourselves to the highest status of life as preachers of Krsna's message, and one should behave himself rigidly, then he should instruct others. Two things: Be himself exemplary, then teach others to be exemplary. If one has not come to that high standard, he cannot judge or criticize others. There is one saying from Bible: 'Judge not, lest ye be judged.' So how we can preach unless we are able to make judgements? That will not be possible. Only those who are above suspicion can judge others. One must himself act in such a way that he is always above suspicion. Then he can judge, then he can preach. But now you have no power to instruct. One who is not following himself, how he can instruct others?
But you especially are to take the credit. From the very beginning you wanted that place, and you got the land, got money from me, and now you have built the place by your concentration of energy. That is wanted. If there is some discrepancy anywhere, some non-cooperation, fighting, or if the work is slow or not to the standard, it is to be supposed that the person or persons in charge are not very much attached to Krishna. That means they will discriminate: my engagement is not good, other's engagement is good, like that. They do not know the secret of surrendering to Krishna. Such surrendered devotee sees that everything is part of Krishna's plan, that whatever is meant to be, I am doing that, so let me do it with my full attention to every detail, let me become absorbed in such service, never mind what it is, but let all other considerations be forgotten and only my desire to do the thing best for Krishna's alone pleasure be my motive. That is advanced stage of understanding devotional service or Krishna Consciousness. Thank you very much for your kindly coming to the point.
That must be rectified at once. Each centre remain independent, that's all right, but the president and other officers must themselves follow and see the others are following the regulative principles carefully, and giving them good instruction so they may understand nicely why this tapasya is necessary. And GBC and Sannyasis will travel and see the officers are doing this, and if they observe anything lowering of the standard, they must reform and advise, or if there is some discrepancy I shall remove it. Of course, if new men are coming, they may not be expected immediately to take to our regulative principles cent per cent. Therefore we should not be so anxious to induce them to live in the temple.
So I am very much pleased upon you for your kindly guiding and training the new devotees in so many ways. Yes, if you simply instruct them as I have taught also you, being yourself always the perfect example and above suspicion, that will act with great force. I am doing that. And I wanted to make some sannyasis to do what I am doing, and if you keep the standard, always chanting Hare Krishna, then it will go on continuously without impediment. That is your duty as sannyasa, to keep yourself always above suspicion in Krishna Consciousness programme, and to teach others to become like you, that's all. That is our perfect programme. And you have pointed out that you want to train others to be leaders, because you have observed there is at present not very many qualified leaders. That is good proposal. Find out some intelligent men from schools, colleges, and being always very tolerant try to convince them gradually to utilize their intelligence and education in the service of Krishna. And if you simply keep to our standard programme—don't try to invent anything "Road Show" or "Yoga Village"—that means chanting daily 16 rounds, rising early, attending mangal arati, like that, if this programme is strictly maintained amongst all the devotees, they will remain pure, and if preaching is pure, automatically leaders, managers, funds, everything will be given profusely by Krishna, without any doubt.
I have heard from Siddha Svarupa that Tusta Krsna and his wife Krsna Tulasi are now fine and living in Krsna Consciousness on some farm in Australia. And he has assured me that things are going all right in New Zealand, and I have got one letter from the new president there at Auckland, and it appears that everything will go on nicely. But I think you should go there once and see how the things are going on just to the proper standard. Tusta Krsna is such intelligent boy and capable worker, and I had thought that without him the whole thing would collapse, but whether that is actually the case? Anyway, you may give me report as you see it. And you may also go to that farm in Australia where Siddha Svarupa is living with the others of his disciples and give me report also how the things are going on there, whether our standard is being maintained, like that. I know there has been some controversy within the Society about the actual position of our Siddha Svarupa.
There is not much population and the distances are great, so there is, no doubt, great need for several traveling parties to be working simultaneously. But if you keep that place in Nairobi as your base, sending all of the new recruits as you are able to convert them back to the Nairobi temple for getting themselves trained up, what is wrong with that? I think we need at least one big place for training up the new devotees just to the proper highest standard, just as we are doing in Los Angeles, New York, London, and other places. So also in Africa you require one such model center. If you remain only traveling parties, that will be nice for distributing many many books, and for having the sankirtana, but for new devotees that will be too much rigorous and they will not be able to adjust to the constant moving and changing about. That will spoil their chance for developing in their Krsna consciousness from neophyte stage. So keep the Nairobi center always very active, nicely decorated, worship the deities just to the highest standard, making sure that all of the students are rising to attend the mangala aratrika, chanting regularly sixteen rounds, reading books—in this way utilize what Krsna has given us there and develop it for the headquarters building for Africa.
So you are very determined and intelligent boy, you have got a cool head, so I am very much confident that you will be able to render more and more the best service to Krsna and to your spiritual master. That means that you will simply introduce our Krsna Consciousness program anywhere and everywhere, without any compromise or deviation from the highest standard of devotional practice, as chalked out for us by our great predecessors. If you yourself remain always pure, then your preaching will have effect. As soon as there is little impurity, the whole thing will deteriorate and go to hell. So we shall not like to take the credit in that case, therefore I am praying simply that all of you, my advanced disciples, GBC men, sannyasis, temple officers, like that, that all of you will become sober-minded and feeling always very much responsible how the things will go on as I have given them. If you simply do as I am doing, not avoiding anything which may have to be done for pushing on Krsna's movement, remaining always stuck up very tightly to the footsteps of Rupa Gosvami, then without any doubt you will remain always fresh and enthusiastic for working very energetically on Krsna's behalf, without any falldown.
Of course we work very very hard just to get someone to come to the platform of devotee of Krsna, so we shall not be too much hasty to drive anyone out. Therefore we may forgive once, twice, but more than that we must take other steps. So if any new candidate for devotee comes forward you may test him very thoroughly to understand from him if he is ready to fully accept our strict standard of temple living. Let him understand that it is not an arbitrary or whimsical decision on our parts to become like military camp, rather we are strictly adhering to our devotional principles only so that we may make advancement in Krsna consciousness and be protected from the attack of maya consciousness. They may be thinking that these people are slaves of their strict principles, but we are thinking that the strict principles are slaves to us.
1973 Correspondence
You may dress Lord Caitanya in the standard way, main things is do it nicely, don't make it funny. In your Western countries Lord Caitanya should be entirely covered, He should not appear bare-chested.
Why you are pouring water over the head of Radha and Krsna deities? Big deities should not be bathed in this way, using water or other things. Rather they are bathed daily by mantra, do you not know these things? Under no circumstances shall we bathe the Jagannatha deities with anything water or liquid, they should be bathed with mantra also. Now you are asking if Lord Jagannatha carries flute? Why this nonsense question? You are asking me so many concoctions and manufactured nonsense. Don't bother my head in this way any more. From now on unless I order you do something change or in addition, go on with the usual standard way. You manufacture ideas and then I have to waste my time. I have given you everything already, there is no need for you to add anything or change anything.
Why this nonsense question? You are asking me so many concoctions and manufactured nonsense. Don't bother my head in this way any more. From now on unless I order you do something change or in addition, go on with the usual standard way. You manufacture ideas and then I have to waste my time. I have given you everything already, there is no need for you to add anything or change anything. Why you are asking these things? Who has given you such freedom? Pujari should operate entirely under the supervision of temple president and GBC, not independently. The greatest danger to our movement will come when we manufacture and create our own process for worshiping the deities. So don't ask any more new questions, whatever is going on, follow it just to the exact standard as I have given you, that's all.
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated December 22, 1972, and I am so glad to hear that you are reopening the Baltimore temple and that you are prepared to stay there your life long for developing it to the highest standard. Yes, I was little disturbed to hear that we had closed down the Baltimore temple before. Baltimore is a very important city of your country and we must maintain our center there at all costs. I can understand by your letter that you are both very serious and sincere devotees of Krsna, husband and wife, so I think that you will have no difficulty in performing your duties there. First business will be to preach widely throughout the city and distribute our books and Krsna Consciousness propaganda. In this way, try to recruit some local men to help you. You are only two persons, therefore big temple with deity worship and so many other things will be impossible to maintain. Therefore if you get a place, simply hold our standard program of kirtana morning and evening, with class, inviting friends and other people that you meet. In this way develop the thing gradually, we are not in very much hurry to get big big house and very comfortable position, no. Our first and foremost business is to spread Krsna Consciousness. So utilize every opportunity that Krsna gives you for preaching His message, that is real meaning of temple management.
Regarding your other points, if there is need for stronger president in Montreal, I have no objection if Sripati leaves that place. Main thing is to have always one strong leader at each temple who can maintain the preaching standard to the highest degree. In this way, if our standard program is maintained just to the standard, automatically there will be enthusiasm and increase of preaching results. But Syamasundara has informed me that Sriman Sripati das is English citizen, so if he will like to return for assisting in his home country? They are mostly young boys in London, and they are opening so many new centers in other places of England, Scotland and Ireland, so if he is not required there, or if he likes, he may go there to help train up the young English boys. That is very much required. That seems better service for him than becoming cook only. At least in England he has got opportunity for active preaching and he may utilize his experience to manage things in some capacity.
Your letter dated January 3, 1973, is in hand and I have noted the contents with much encouragement. Your plan for rotating the chief man at Nairobi Center is nice, provided the sense of authority and continuity is not weakened by so much switching of head men. As long as you are recognized to be the leader of Nairobi Center with full authority in all matters, that is the point. This constantly changing the head man and whimsically dividing the attention is not good. Someone must be there who will stick tightly to the temple and develop it gradually to the highest standard.
Your letters dated December 25, 1972, are in hand and I am very much encouraged also to see the nice photos you have sent me. Especially I am glad to hear that Mohanananda has returned to Dallas School for taking charge of things there. Yes, he was the original pioneer member of Dallas Temple, so he has returned to develop now everything just to the perfect standard of completion. One thing is, I am requesting that one of my old friends here in Bombay, one Bengali man named Mr. D. C. Chakravorty, may send his three young children to our Gurukula, probably they will be coming there some time next spring. So you may prepare one letter of invitation to Mr. D. C. Chakravorty, c/o Mogul Line Ltd., 16 Bank Street, Fort, Bombay-1, India, wherein you shall certify that his children, namely Basanti Chakravorty, female 9 years old, Somendra Chakravorty, male, 6 years old, and Satindra Chakravorty, male, 6 years old, that these three children have been admitted to our bona fide educational institution at Dallas, Texas, U.S.A., and that you have accepted them to study with you for a period of, let us say, one year's time, and that you understand that the tuition fees and other incidental expenses such as boarding and lodging, clothes, medical expenditures, and so forth, that these maintenance expenses will be borne by the International Society for Krsna Consciousness, and then you may give some credentials and financial statements about our Society.
I am in due receipt of your letter dated December 31, 1972, and I have noted the contents carefully. Yes, that will be the best idea, to move your Austin temple closer to the University where there are so many potential devotees. Of course, we may set up our camp below any tree and preach anywhere, but because they will expect some comfortable place just to their standard of comfort, therefore we provide, but only so they will be more receptive to our preaching. So whatever must be done, must be done. Now in consultation with Satsvarupa, just do the needful and think always in your mind how much what you are doing will be pleasing to Krsna. That standard for pleasing Krsna is simply to spread this Krsna Consciousness message far and wide all over the globe. So if you are engaged in that activity, somehow or other, for preaching Krsna's name and fame, then that is the proper use of your energy and time, and you have nothing to worry further. So go on in this way, serving your spiritual master to best of your capacity, and remaining always fixed and steady in your determination to fulfill the goal of your life, namely, to go back to home, back to Godhead, without further delay.
Lord Caitanya is very pleased upon those who dedicate their lives for spreading Krsna consciousness. After all, He is the original promulgator of the Sankirtana Movement. So you may know it that in traveling and preaching about Krsna you are very much pleasing Him. This is the duty of a sannyasi, to travel amongst all of our centres for elevating the standard of devotional service. If by your presence in a centre the devotees become enlivened, that is the sign of successful preaching. It is not very difficult. Just read from my books and try and explain the meaning in your own words. It does not matter that you are not so expert at Sanskrit. You just try to realize the importance of Krsna consciousness and make your life cent per cent engaged in Krsna's service—that is perfection. I can understand from your letters that you are following Krsna's dictation and are trying very sincerely to help me in spreading this great movement of Krsna consciousness, and for this I shall always be grateful to you for dedicating everything to assist me.
You have my sanction to take with you Gaura Nitai deities. Carefully worship Them, attending to Them with regular aratis and bhoga offerings. Be very careful to maintain a strict standard of worship, and whenever you arrive at a temple you can place the Deity on the altar.
I am glad to hear that you are taking up the program of deity worship very seriously. This is required. So everything should be first class as you have got full facility, just to the standard of Los Angeles. In Los Angeles I personally advised them in all the different aspects of deity worship, so you may consult, especially with Silavati Prabhu (now in Dallas) and do the needful. One thing though, the deity worship must be completely pure in terms of cleanliness and punctuality, otherwise there will be some offense. Regarding the Radha-Krsna Deities for Chicago, I believe that Syamasundara Prabhu is taking care of this matter so you may consult with him about the shipping date of the deities, etc. You say that you are collecting sizeable funds from incense sale and book distribution, so I expect that you will also increase your payments to my book fund as much as possible. This will be very very pleasing to me, as I am most concerned that these books of mine be printed profusely and distributed all over the world as each book has so much potency for making persons Krsna conscious. So as Chicago is one of the largest cities in the U.S., why not see if you can be the largest contributor to my book fund, although I think that you have got some stiff competition from Los Angeles branch. But if you can beat them, that will be very first class.
As far as staying in some boys apartment, this is permissable if everyone in the house agrees to follow the principles while you are there. That is no smoking, no drinking, etc. You may also install a small altar there with a picture of Guru and Gauranga and the Spiritual Masters there and perform mangala arati every morning and hold classes etc. Under these circumstances you can live in others apartments. The point is we must not lower our position but we must educate others to come up to our standards. Regarding your writing, you must know that it is the duty of sannyasa to write always to save the cripple minded man and women. In fact sannyasa must do everything. I hope this meets you in good health.
So now I am seeing more and more that my senior disciples must take an active role in continuing the high standard of purity which has been established in our Vaisnava line. In your travelling from centre to centre, you must be very careful to see that the leaders are observing the principles of chanting 16 rounds, rising early for Mangala Arati, participating in the morning and evening classes, observing the four regulative principles etc., and if there is any deviation from this standard then it is the responsibility of you and the local GBC representative to rectify it immediately. Within these Vaisnava standards which I have put forward lies the spiritual strength of our movement. So you may please do the needful in this regard. I shall be returning to the U.S. in April and I will be looking forward to seeing you at that time. I hope this finds you in good health.
While in India last it was brought to my attention that our Sriman Hayagriva das has become deviated from the four basic principles which I have given to all my students for adherence to when they are first initiated. I do not know why he is living in such a way but I feel that he must be brought back to the standard immediately. So I am requesting you as my Governing Board Commissioners to help me bring him back to the standard. He has very good talent, but he is spending it by living such an unrestricted life.
While in India last it was brought to my attention that our Sriman Hayagriva das has become deviated from the four basic principles which I have given to all my students for adherence to when they are first initiated. I do not know why he is living in such a way but I feel that he must be brought back to the standard immediately. So I am requesting you as my Governing Board Commissioners to help me bring him back to the standard. He has very good talent, but he is spending it by living such an unrestricted life.
I can understand that actually Hayagriva was not involved directly in the management of Back to Godhead and that whatever arrangement you already have there is sufficient. Meanwhile Hayagriva can be encouraged to continue his literary contribution of articles, editing of the smaller books, etc. We shall see what he can do, and if at all possible he should be brought back to the standard. In this connection I have written his wife, Kirtanananda Swami, and the GBC members. Thus far I have received no reply regarding Madhudvisa's suggestion about Hrdayananda from the GBC members.
Actually, Hayagriva was not doing any managing or editing of BTG except for his own articles. More importantly he was engaged in working on our books, producing those smaller paperback booklets, etc. Such a talent is not so easily replaced, so we must try to bring him back to the standard for his own benefit. In this connection, I have written his wife, Kirtanananda Maharaja, and the GBC to see what they can do for him.
You are one of the trusted managers of the New York temple, and I am very much glad to see that the standard of temple activities is so nice. So Krishna has given you American intelligence, and I think this New York City is the greatest city in the world. So all you managers cooperate together and do something gorgeous. That is my instruction to you, and if you can do it Krishna will be very much pleased with you.
I am very much disturbed to hear of Kanupriya's activities, and I advise you that so long he is engaged in these nonsense activities, you should not have any association with him. Best thing is that you remain in the association of devotees, and take part in the temple worship here, not separately. Worship of Radha and Krishna is no cheap thing. It cannot be done whimsically, but it must be very carefully executed under strict regulation. Not that there can be LSD taking and all sinful activities, and then Deity worship. I have made it a point that unless one is able to keep to the same standard that is kept here at the temple, he should not worship the Deity separately. Best thing is to keep a Guru-Gauranga altar at home and take part in the Deity worship program at the temple.
I am in due receipt of your letter dated March 29, 1973 and I have noted the contents. I have received also the photograph of Radha-Kalachandji and they are looking transcendentally beautiful. Always keep to this high standard of Deity worship, never become neglectful. Everything must be done very timely, and the temple must be immaculately cleansed daily. These things, cleanliness and promptness, are the most important points for Deity worship, so be very vigilant in this way.
Now that you have become Brahmin you should know that this means increased responsibility on Krsna's behalf. Factually this is the important initiation so you please maintain a very high standard of Krsna Consciousness and be very serious to execute the instructions of the spiritual master and Krsna.
The deposit money of Rs. 700/. with the other Shebait has not yet been settled up. We shall file a petition to the rent controller court and fix up a standard rent for all the four rooms up and down. And the rent which will be fixed up for the upper two rooms, we will adjust for one years rent from the Rs. 700/. with interest. When you file the petition we shall bring in all the Shebaits names. In this way we have to deal with these men.
The magazine is gorgeous, better than Dia Nippon. Continue the standard, increase the pages, increase the articles, increase the distribution. May Krsna bless you more and more. Offer my blessings to your wife.
Regarding incorporation of our ISKCON centers, we want to run all our centers as nonprofit religious organizations; that is the main point. Keeping this point in view too much official control is not good in spiritual life. The centers should remain spiritually fit and independent. Some control must be there as is now. Too much control means so many vouchers. Gradually it will become a mundane institution. All our managers should be spiritually advanced simple and honest in carrying out the orders of the spiritual master and Krsna. That will be a nice standard. Democracy in spiritual affairs is not at all good but breeds power politics. We should be careful about power politics. Our only aim should be that each and every devotee is full dedicated to Krsna, then things will go on nicely.
Regarding book distribution, everyone, including book distributers, must follow the standard regulations. Book distribution is preaching, it should not be thought of as done for money. It is executed as a preaching purpose. With these guidelines in mind, try to distribute as many books as possible.
Or we see the description of Kali yuga, and we are experiencing it. "People of this age will keep big bundles of hair and thus think themselves very beautiful." So this is going on. "For want of bathing the population of this age will appear like Pisacas"—hippies. Everything is given in Vedas exactly. Why should we go to such men for knowledge? They pose themselves as big leaders, philosophers. But we have to accept our leader according to the standard symptoms—or qualifications. The standard text book for civilized administration is Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam. A leader must be peaceful, self-controlled austere, pure, tolerant, honest, wise learned and religious. Not like your President Nixon—a rogue and thief—such men cannot do any good to society, only those who are trained up in the Ultimate Goal of human life, they can lead—because human life is meant for going back to Godhead.
So I thank you for your support. I have sent one letter and sample of Satsvarupa Goswami's report which I consider to be standard for the other GBC member to follow, so please see it and try to follow his example.
By your recommendation I have chanted upon the enclosed sacred thread and agree to accept the devotee Jambavan Das Brahmacari for second initiation __ becomes twice born, or Brahmin. The qualifications of a Brahmana are listed in the 18th Chapter verse 42 of the Bhagavad-gita. "Peacefulness, self control, austerity, purity, tolerance, honesty, wisdom, knowledge, and religiousness—these are the qualities by which the Brahmanas work". So you should be very much careful to see that our devotees are following the regulative principles and standard practices such as attending morning Arati, classes, Sankirtana, and reading our books. We want to create some men who can give guidance to the human society, because at the present moment the society is without any intelligent head, namely Brahmins, therefore the whole world is confused for want of real guidance in the matter of ultimate goal of life.
To install Deities in a moving vehicle is not very good. There is always danger of falling and breaking. Sudama already has experience of this. Why is Deity worship being introduced? It should not be introduced because it is very difficult to maintain the standard under such circumstances. If you have picture of Guru Gauranga that is sufficient. You are wondering if you did the right thing by giving the Deities to Sudama, so the answer is no. The deities may be brought back and worshiped in the temple as before. The idea of traveling Sankirtana is to distribute books not to do Deity worship, it is very difficult to maintain the standard of Deity worship in the temple, how will it be maintained in a truck?
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated August 15, 1973.
On your recommendation I am happy to accept Brian Lloyd as my initiated disciple. His name will be Bhutanath das. You can instruct him on all matters of philosophy and regulative living, attending class, Sankirtana, book distribution. As president of the temple you have very much responsibility, so never forget that we are acting as agents for the Supreme Lord so our standard must also be perfect and then automatically anyone that comes in our company will become perfect in no time.
I am happy to note that you are traveling and preaching, this process was also practiced by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, in the beginning of his sannyasa life he traveled all over India for almost six years and my Guru Maharaja also traveled, and similarly I am also traveling. One thing is that I do not know how practical it is to carry deities in the truck, by the jarring of the vehicle there may be some damage and also I think that it is not possible to keep the top standard of worship, cleanliness, punctual offerings etc. We must be very careful about deity worship, if it is neglectful then it is very offensive and that will not help us, we should not do it simply for show. My suggestion is that all our buses should be outfitted with the picture of Guru Gauranga, that will be quite nice. Main business of traveling buses is to distribute books profusely, what do you think?
I began paying rent in 1960 at that time I was staying in two rooms upstairs then one of the Goswamis asked me if I would like to stay in the two rooms below where one Babaji who was taking care of the tombs was staying. The rooms were very dilapitated so he proposed that I fix the rooms and whatever I pay as rent would be all right. I invested about 1,000 Rs/. and paid him 5 Rs/. monthly, recently I have increased the monthly payment to 10 Rs/. to meet the rise in general standard of living. I do not know anything about any breaking of looks.
Regarding what is a Vaisnava, Vaisnava means that when others see him, they will also chant Hare Krsna. So why not give them the chance of seeing by wearing the beads, tilaka, and sikha? You are not paramahamsa that you can do whatever you like. So my advice to you is that you remain ideal Vaisnava internally and externally, and everyone will respect you. Don't be agitated. They will come back because they are chanting maha mantra. You keep your standard and try to help them, but don't become influenced by them. Regarding the Deity worship, it must go on nicely. Govinda dasi was doing very nicely. Decorate with flowers and incense and have arati and offer bhoga.
But, on the whole the Gurukula standard should be free education, boarding, and lodging. People shall voluntarily contribute as far as possible. That should be introduced. We cannot enforce that if you do not pay, then take back your child. Rather the opposite. We must give free education to our children. We have to if need be provide money from the incense business or Book Trust, like that if sufficient income is not there.
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated October 5, 1973 with enclosed pictures, and you have given me much pleasure. The altar is very nice and so are all the pictures. It appears to be very neat and clean. Please keep this standard. The tulsi also is very nice. It is a fact that the American people are the most fortunate in the world, and that this Krsna consciousness movement is the final touch of fortune. You are doing very nicely, and I thank you very much.
So make Gurukula more solidified. Up to now it is going nicely. Keep the standard intact. People are appreciating, and they will do so more and more.
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter with enclosures dated October 26th, and have noted the contents with great pleasure. It is Krsna's mercy that you were able to take in a copy of Bhagavad-gita to Moscow. It is very encouraging that the boy without any association is maintaining the standard. This is due to his chanting 16 rounds and following the regulative principles. Now he should be in your charge, so you kindly guide him and keep him in our atmosphere and utilize him properly, but steadily and cautiously. Yes, you arrange for their marriage. I am writing both Bhagavan Das and Mandakini, the copies herewith enclosed. Their marriage will be very good, and both of them will get some strength. So guide them both as you think best. Yes, have our literature translated into Russian. Why not have our Bhagavad gita distributed underground there as they are doing the Bible? So you support him in any way, and write Mandakini to immediately go there. So far his engagement is concerned, it is not necessary that he join the Christian order. Better as you have suggested to preach amongst their friends and to gradually induce them to take interest.
I am always very much encouraged when senior devotees like yourself and Rupanuga Maharaja are tending to their Lordships. This gives me assurity that our high standard will continue. Thank you very much for this, I am sure that Krishna will give you all intelligence in how you can improve your service to Krishna.
Thank you for your sincere service and offer my blessings to all the Prabhus there. Always maintain our simple standards and be enthusiastic and serious in pushing on this movement.
Take care of the devotees under your charge by maintaining our standards and always setting the proper example. Krsna will certainly give you all guidance. Please offer my grateful blessings to all the devotees there.
The news of the preaching work in New Delhi is very nice—continue with it. There are many intelligent men in that quarter, mostly European. So far as the Russian correspondent, try to convince him about our philosophy. We want to unit the world on the platform of Krsna Consciousness under one state, one government, one religion and one scripture. It will be successful if we work cautiously and maintain our standards.
I have not heard from Tusta Krsna or Siddha-Svarupa Goswamis nor do I know anything of their plans to return to New Zealand. Try to convince them to return to our Society and work cooperatively. That they have gone away is not good thing and it is a deviation from our line of parampara. Rather, avoiding faultfinding and anarchy, they should keep our standards and work maturely and not cause factions and splitting. I am not at all pleased at what they have done, but if they return let us forget what has happened and go forward. As Sannyasins they may preach and you may manage affairs. That will be very nice. We have got so much vital spiritual knowledge to distribute to the public and they are in desperate need of it. The whole world is going to hell and everyone is suffering. In light of this, how can we argue amongst one another and neglect our responsibility for reclaiming these fallen souls for going Back to Home, Back to Godhead.
| Page Title: | Standards (Letters 1972 - 1973) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, Mayapur |
| Created: | 13 of Dec, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=0, Let=123 |
| No. of Quotes: | 123 |