Teachings of the Bhagavad-gita (Letters)

Expressions researched:
"Bhagavad-gita teaches" |"Bhagavad-gita which teaches" |"teaching of bhagavad gita" |"teaching of the gita" |"teachings of Bhagavad-gita" |"teachings of the Bhagavad-gita" |"teachings of the Gita" |"teachings of the bhagavad gita"

1947 to 1965 Correspondence

Letter to Juggannath Babu -- Calcutta 14 March, 1949:

In the Bhagavad-gita the last instruction is to surrender fully unto Him the author of the Bhagavad-gita but unfortunate men of demonic mentality misunderstood the teachings of Bhagavad-gita as a method of sophistry and therefore the same Personality of Godhead Sri Krishna in the garb of a transcendental devotee preach the same techniques of Bhagavad-gita i.e. full surrender unto the almighty God or His different potencies in a demonstrative way.

Letter to Juggannath Babu -- Calcutta 14 March, 1949:

In the Bhagavad-gita the last instruction is to surrender fully unto Him the author of the Bhagavad-gita but unfortunate men of demonic mentality misunderstood the teachings of Bhagavad-gita as a method of sophistry and therefore the same Personality of Godhead Sri Krishna in the garb of a transcendental devotee preach the same techniques of Bhagavad-gita i.e. full surrender unto the almighty God or His different potencies in a demonstrative way.

Letter to R. Prakash -- Allahabad 22 June, 1951:

The medicine is administered through submissive aural channel as "Hari Sankirtana" which means

(1) To sing "Bhajan" songs glorifying the Almighty and His Pastimes.

(2) To preach the teachings of Bhagavad-gita, Bhagavata, Ramayana, life of such saints as Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Tulsidas etc.

(3) To establish the philosophy of devotional life as against fruitful action or dry speculation of empiric philosophy and meet the opposite elements with all logical weapons. i.e the medicine of "Hari Sankirtana" is administered by threefold action, namely by (a) melodious songs (b) by propaganda through press and (c) by propaganda on platforms.

Letter to R. Prakash -- Allahabad 22 June, 1951:

As followers of Bhagavad-gita we are firmly convinced that the onslaught of nature which is constantly being inflicted upon human society is a sort of police action by the laws of the Almighty and as soon as we surrender unto the Divine Will of the Almighty we not only become Mahatmas & saints but also the attack of unkind Nature is vanquished at once. That is the teaching of Bhagavad-gita and that is the demonstrative preaching of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. The real life begins when we are freed from the clutches of Maya which is nothing but a bewildered conception of materialistic life.

Letter to R. Prakash -- Allahabad 22 June, 1951:

Mahatma Gandhi set the example at his fag-end of life and his daily prayer meetings in the midst of gravest political occupation must be taken note of. So also in the Bhagavad-gita. The Arjuna in the gravest moment of warfare learnt the teachings of Bhagavad-gita & he changed his personal opinion in the manner of the fighting.

Letter to R. Prakash -- Allahabad 22 June, 1951:

Lord Caitanya's way of preaching is ___ but a practical demonstration of the way of Bhagavad-gita. No amount of dry speculation by easy chair empiric philosophers will be able to implement the teachings of Bhagavad-gita unless we adopt the practical ways of Lord Caitanya as above mentioned.

Letter to K. M. Munshi -- Bombay 21 February, 1957:

In this connection, I wish to draw your attention to my paper "Back to Godhead" issue No. VI dated 20/5/56 in which an idea of a Gita Nagari (PP2) and how to preach the teachings of Bhagavad-gita are suggested. In that article I have also touched the question of these various temples (PP3) of India and how to utilize them for public welfare work.

1968 Correspondence

Letter to Mahapurusa -- Los Angeles 12 February, 1968:

Why don't you try to convince the followers of Maharishi that they are following a rascal, a cheat. Because he does not follow a standard process. So try to understand the followers of Maharishi, how far they have advanced in spiritual consciousness, and get it corroborated from the teaching of Bhagavad-gita as you learned. Lord Caitanya talked with Sarvabhauma on the basis of Vedanta Sutra. The Maharishi has no basic principle, he is manufacturing his own way. So it is useless to talk with him. He has gathered the not very intelligent class of men, and they will not stay. We are teaching Bhagavad-gita as it is, that is called Krishna Consciousness. Why don't you try to understand Maharishi from the point of view of Bhagavad-gita.

Letter to Brahmananda -- Los Angeles 20 February, 1968:

As a military man, Arjuna fought to his best, but the victory was brought him by Krishna. Similarly, we should try our best to our best capacity, and victory will come from Krishna. We should never sit idly and ask Krishna to do everything. That is the teachings of the Bhagavad-gita. It is clearly said in the Gita: "Yuddhasya ca mam anusmara (BG 8.7)." So ordinarily, we have to try our best to our best capacity to achieve something, and by Krishna's Grace, all of a sudden we shall see everything is there. This sort of help from Krishna is transcendental happiness. Our principle should be therefore, that we should work for the mission with great enthusiasm, with certainty for its success, and patiently follow the regulative principles, and associate ourselves with pure devotees, and work being completely in Krishna Consciousness, that will make us happy and successful.

Letter to Rayarama -- Seattle 17 October, 1968:

So the Krishna Consciousness movement is training people how to be absorbed in the thought of Krishna, 24 hours. Take for example, the Bhagavad-gita: the instruction of Krishna in the Bhagavad-gita are just suitable for a perfect human civilization. So one should learn this teachings of Bhagavad-gita as it is. Next point, in order to understand this teachings of Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam, there should be centers where people can assemble daily, morning and evening, and try to understand this Krishna Consciousness or God consciousness movement.

Letter to Syama -- Seattle 21 October, 1968:

So far as girls or boys lecturing in the morning, that doesn't make any difference. Either girl or boy devotees may deliver lecture if they choose to do. We have no such distinction of bodily designations, male or female. Krishna Consciousness is on the spiritual platform. As such, anyone who is a devotee of the Lord, following in this line of disciplic succession, can deliver lecture, on the teachings of Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, etc.

Letter to Madhusudana -- Los Angeles 20 November, 1968:

Where Krishna is present there cannot be any darkness of maya. So as Arjuna although always in the presence of Krishna as eternal companion in friendship, still he had some illusion in the battlefield of Kuruksetra, and Krishna had to dissipate that darkness by the teachings of Bhagavad-gita. The purport is, sometimes even a liberated person like Arjuna plays the part of a conditioned soul in order to play some important part.

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Brahmananda -- Los Angeles 5 February, 1969:

Nobody can speak on the Bhagavad-gita so authoritatively as I can do. That is a fact. So if the university wants to take advantage of this opportunity, even in this old age I can go from one university to another, and I am sure they can learn from me only the true teachings of the Bhagavad-gita; from me and from my students who are already trained up in this connection. So, if something can be done in this connection, it will help our missionary propaganda, and the students shall get new light from our book, Bhagavad-gita As It Is.

Letter to Jaya Gopala -- Los Angeles 12 July, 1969:

Krishna Consciousness is the absolute need of the present day society, and there are many people who will come to join us if we simply make these teachings of Bhagavad-gita and rest of the Vedic literature available to them. So try to sell Back to Godheads as far as you are able to do with only Arundhati and yourself on Sankirtana Party, and soon others will come to join you.

1970 Correspondence

Letter to Japanese brothers and sisters -- Los Angeles 10 March, 1970:

The original Personality of Godhead is Krishna. Perhaps most of you who are present in this meeting have heard the name of the famous book "Bhagavad-gita." The teachings of the Bhagavad-gita were given to Arjuna by his friend and philosopher Lord Krishna 5000 years ago, and since then the cult of Krishna Consciousness is historically current in India. Most of you know that the people of India worship Lord Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead in many millions of Vedic temples, some of them more than two thousand years old.

Letter to Syamasundara -- Los Angeles 24 April, 1970:

Understanding of the existence of soul is the beginning of teachings of Bhagavad-gita. If one has no understanding of the soul and God, he is no better than an animal because animals cannot have any idea of the soul or God.

1974 Correspondence

Letter to Tarun Kanti Ghosh Babu -- New Delhi 11 March, 1974:

The whole world is moving under the conception of the body in different names are caste, creed, nation, culture, like that. By chanting Hare Krishna Maha Mantra offenselessly, one immediately realizes himself as spirit soul which is described in the Vedas as aham brahmasmi. The Mayavadi philosophers cease to think further than this, but Bhagavad gita teaches us how to realize further advancement in spiritual life in devotional service.

Letter to Satsvarupa -- Bombay 3 November, 1974:

So far we are concerned in the Krishna consciousness movement, we are preaching the teachings of the Bhagavad-gita. Krishna is the Supreme Person even before all demigods including Lord Visnu even, and of course Lord Siva. Our fundamental principle is the teaching of the Bhagavad-gita. Those persons who cannot understand this on account of particular modes of nature, such persons require further education, and until such time is fulfilled, we are helpless. To an animal in the modes of ignorance, how can we preach? Then we are helpless.

1975 Correspondence

Letter to Mr. Ashis Roy -- Mayapur 8 April, 1975:

The process of opening a center somewhere is that we go there and hold classes for one week on the teachings of Bhagavad-gita and if the people like, then we'll open a center. Actually, the teachings of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu that in every town and village there will be a center of Krishna Consciousness, is essential. People must co-operate. If not, then they will have to suffer.

Letter to Mr. K. C. Nigam -- Perth, Australia 11 May, 1975:

One must know what the spirit soul is within this body. He is eternal part and parcel of God, therefore, his only business is to revive his eternal relation with God and work on that fundamental basis so that he can achieve the ultimate goal of life. The whole thing is instructed in the Bhagavad-gita and if we accept the teachings of Bhagavad-gita, as it is without unnecessary commentary on it, then our spiritual movement will be successful. But, if we manufacture something out of our own concoction, it will never be successful.

1976 Correspondence

Letter to RamaKrishnaji -- Honolulu 14 May, 1976:

As you know I am trying my best to preach the teachings of the Bhagavad-gita all over the world, and I am experiencing some glimpse of success in this connection. Naturally, I'm inclined to preach the teachings of the Bhagavad-gita very fervently in India. India is the land of spiritual culture. But gradually, India, being influenced by the material allurement; Its spiritual culture is being forgotten.

Letter to RamaKrishnaji -- Honolulu 14 May, 1976:

n.b. The teachings of the Bhagavad-gita are so potential that if it is practiced seriously, it can bring in a new life and civilization. Now you have established a Gita Pratisthan, so do it very seriously.