Go to Vanipedia | Go to Vanisource | Go to Vanimedia


Vaniquotes - the compiled essence of Vedic knowledge


This is practical (Letters)

Expressions researched:
"that is practical" |"this is a practical" |"this is also one practical" |"this is our most practical" |"this is our practical" |"this is practical" |"this is scientific and practical" |"this is showing the practical" |"this is the practical" |"this is very practical"

Correspondence

1968 Correspondence

Letter to Christopher -- Montreal 13 July, 1968:

And others, they are addicted to sex indulgence and intoxication habit. Our system is completely different from theirs. In the beginning, we simply invite men to come and join us in the transcendental vibration by chanting Hare Krishna. We do not say that you pay me something and I give you this chanting. But this chanting is open without any secret, and we do not ask anyone to pay for it. But the chanting is transcendental, and therefore, simply by vibration, one gradually becomes spiritually advanced, and thus he offers himself to become my disciple. In that discipleship also, I do not charge anything. Neither do I offer anything new. I offer the same Hare Krishna beads, but it becomes spiritually powerful on account of being delivered in disciplic succession. And practically we see that the students who are initiated in this way, they are advancing slowly and surely, and any one of my students can challenge any student of so-called yogis, and that is practical evidence.

So, I would advise you not to waste your time in such hodge-podge society, but follow the principles rigidly, and faithfully, and your life will be successful. You say that you do not really know enough about what they are following, because you have not assimilated the philosophy. But if you take the philosophy seriously, certainly you will be able to convince others. I am glad to learn that you are returning to Santa Fe, and I hope you will have good association there and you will be profitted by some sincere workers in Santa Fe. I am glad to learn also that you sometimes fast the whole day, and chant. It is a very good idea and you can follow this principle rigidly two days in a month, namely the Ekadasis. I have got always time to answer the letters of sincere souls because my life is dedicated for their service. So you are always welcome to send your inquiries. And I shall always try to enlighten you to my best capacity. You have kindly asked me what you have to do. That I shall tell you later on, when you are fixed up in our line of thought. So it is Krishna's Grace that you are going to Santa Fe, and try to assimilate our philosophy there, and then, I shall let you know what to do there.

Letter to Kirtanananda -- Seattle 22 September, 1968:

I am very glad to learn that Harivilasa has given you a Pair of Radha Krishna Murtis, so it appears that Radha Krishna is very kind on you, because you went to Vrindaban, to live there but circumstantially, you could not live there, and you left. Krishna has given you New Vrindaban, as well as He has, out of His good will, He has come to you. It is very surprising. So please welcome the Deity and install Him in a nice throne. I think Vamanadeva will be able to prepare a nice throne, and you have seen the New York Deities' dress and process of worship, so you can do in that way. There is nothing to be added new. The same principle should be followed, and the Deities should always be well-dressed in clothing and some ornaments and flowers and incense. The Deities should always be attractive. And the more we are engaged in decorating the Deities, washing the room, the more we are engaged in Deity worship, the more we become purified. That is practical. Brahmananda is also taking care of my Deity in New York, and he is practically experiencing and doing it. So if necessary you can take some information from him also.

This Seattle city is understood to be very big in area, and appears to be very peaceful also, because the population is less, and they are little responsive also. I think gradually this center will also grow very nicely.

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Mr. Mottissey -- Montreal 16 July, 1969:

I am so glad to receive your letter dated July 10, 1968, and I embrace you thankfully that you have become so much interested in Bhakti yoga. This Bhakti yoga is very pleasing, practical, and readily understandable how far we are making progress. But in practicing Bhakti yoga, we can make immediately an estimation of our progress. For example, all our students, they are completely refrained from 4 principles of prohibition in which they were addicted in their previous life. But since they are initiated, they are not taking any meat, they are not taking any intoxicants, including tea, coffee, and cigarettes, and so many other things but very nicely they are keeping the balance. So this is practical example that at least he is saved so much botheration, and unnecessary expenditures in the matter of eating and drinking. Sometimes I think when I see on the street strewn cigarette butts, that if people in general give up cigarette smoking, how much money they can save daily without any effort. And if they contribute the money for spreading Krishna consciousness, we can prosecute so many activities to change the face of the world. So Krishna Consciousness movement is all good from all sides. From social , political, economical, hygienic and many other points of view. And at last it is the greatest gift because at the end, we become associated with Krishna. I am very glad that you are attending Kirtana and eating prasadam and transcendentally enjoying the association of the devotees in the temple. Kindly continue this method and you will be more and more enlightened.

1970 Correspondence

Letter to Anil Grover -- Los Angeles 5 February, 1970:

Therefore, it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita that after many, many births of different activities under different concepts of life, when actually one becomes wise, he surrenders unto Krishna, understanding Vasudeva Lord Krishna is the Cause of all causes. But such great soul, accepting Krishna as the Supreme Master is very, very rarely to be found.

Fortunately, by the grace of Lord Caitanya, this Krishna Consciousness revival is made very easy, simply by chanting the Hare Krishna Mantra. Therefore, I advise you to chant this sublime Mantra—Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare, and be happy in this life without any frustrations, anxieties, worries, etc. as you have mentioned in the first part of your letter. This is practical and very easy to perform. Try it sincerely, and your life will be sublime.

Letter to Syamasundara -- Los Angeles 15 April, 1970:

I am Death who takes away everything." The atheist is liar that he does not see God. God is there for him as Death. But the atheist is so stubborn and obstinate that although he is very fearful of Death who will take away all his arrangements for sense gratification he lies that he does not see Him, and in the end he even attempts to resist Death, but he is killed as easily as anything and there is no doubt about it.

This appearance of God as Death before the atheist is also the kindness of the Lord. Both God's killing and protection are the same because He is Absolute, but His mercy is shown to the atheist by killing and His mercy is shown to the theist by protecting; so both are seeing God in different features. This is the practical demonstration of the presence of God, it is everyone's practical experience to see Death. There is never any question of the presence of God, only the lying rascal atheist tries to cheat by saying that he does not see God. He tries to cheat others to believe that he is "God," but he himself cannot deny God when He comes before the atheist in the form of Death.

Regarding the presence of the soul, it is experienced by everyone as the living force or consciousness which gives the body life. So long the living force remains within the body, the life symptoms are exhibited. When at the last stage of a man's life the doctor is feeling the pulse and then the beating stops, he says, "He is gone now." Who is gone? The complete bodily machinery remains, but the living soul has left it and the machinery stops working. It is the soul that has left. The soul was there and its presence is known by the life symptoms and when the soul departs its absence is perceived by the stopping of the exhibition of life symptoms by the body. Just as a machine is working so long the current is introduced into it and as soon as the electricity is removed the machine stops functioning. We know that there is electricity in the machine and that is making the machine run and we also perceive that the electric force is absent when the machine has stopped running. In this way the presence of the soul may be perceived directly by any thoughtful man.

1971 Correspondence

Letter to Satsvarupa -- Allahabad 11 January, 1971:

Regarding funds for ISKCON Press, this has been very much mismanaged in the past, so now you are suffering. The right thing is that the temples have got to pay the book bills to ISKCON Press very promptly. We have got so many literatures and therefore it is not very good that there is a shortage of money realized from their distribution.

I am still awaiting the shipment of books to India. Please let me know if they are dispatched or not.

I hear from all our centers that they have instituted regular classes for writing articles and still you say they do not contribute sufficiently to Back to Godhead. How is that? I want all our students to write articles for our transcendental magazine. That is practical. Karandhara has also written that my long desired scheme of a Krsna Conscious daily newspaper is being implemented. Please do this work very nicely. It will be a very great step in the history of ISKCON movement.

Regarding your proposal to approach important persons to help us in this work, I am sorry to note a consideration of some false "Trust Fund." Such false things have no value either for us or anyone else.

Letter to Gerald -- ISKCON Akash Ganga Bldg; 89 Bhulabhai Desai Road; Bombay-26 India 19th February, 1971:

The matter is very simple: Lord Jesus is the faithful son of God and his Father God is Krsna, so there cannot be any disagreement between them. Therefore the Father and Son are one, in agreement.

Lord Jesus explains that he kept his disciples faithful to the Lord in His Holy Name. And the process of Lord Caitanya is the same—to keep one always in contact with the Supreme Personality of Godhead by constantly chanting the Hare Krishna Mahamantra, the Holy Names of the Lord. Please go on with your chanting regularly and attend the Temple classes as far as possible and be happy in Krsna Consciousness. This is the practical way to revive our dormant love of God. No other way is so effective in this age as the chanting of Hare Krsna Mahamantra. That is now proven by the spread of this Movement all over the world in such short time. Do not be disappointed if sometimes your mind gives some agitation. Such agitation is only temporary and will be driven away by chanting. So chant loudly whenever there is some disturbance and hear the transcendental sound attentively. Study our literatures with the help of other devotees and render some devotional service in the Temple or on Samkirtan Party. As your heart becomes more and more purified by the chanting process you will feel constant happiness in Krsna's service and at that time Krsna takes all the sinful reactions from the devotee thus protecting him from all distresses of life.

Letter to Bhagavan -- Bombay 24 March, 1971:

Actually everyone in this material world is a crazy fellow; he doesn't know the aim of life. Even the erudite scholar doesn't know what is God or how the material world was created; so many things they do not know. So if the government officials want to take our help they must arrange for giving a nice place so we can accommodate the students concerned, according to our method. Such centers should be well equipped with temple, lecture room, sleeping quarters, kitchen, etc. as we have got everywhere. So try to convince the authorities that everyone will come to Krishna Consciousness, following our method, which is pure. Then craziness and madness will automatically disappear. This is practical welfare. So our movement should be very vigorously pushed on. But those who push must be pure; then it will be effective.

I am very glad you are getting many private home kirtana engagements. That is very encouraging. If each home adopts our method, they will be happy. There is no sectarian consideration. Everyone should be interested in what is God. The more one understands about God, the more he becomes wise and ultimately he achieves the goal of his life. Here in Bombay we have arranged a weeks meeting as Sankirtana Festival and the expenditure will be nearly Rs. 100,000, but the boys who are present here are doing nicely. Probably this festival will be very successful for drawing Indians about the importance of the Sankirtana Movement.

1973 Correspondence

Letter to Thakura Haridasa -- Los Angeles 23 April, 1973:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated April 21, 1973 and also the screenplay "Jonathan Livingston Seagull" from Mr. Diamond. So it is good work that you are getting important man to understand the importance of Krishna consciousness in the modern world. If the important men of your country use their wealth to support this movement then the whole face of the society can be changed. Just like the scientists they are getting millions of dollars from the government for their researches. But, have they been able to cure death, disease, old age, and birth? That is not possible for them because they are ignorant of spiritual science as given by Krishna in Bhagavad-gita. So we have to push this knowledge in the world and so money is required. So it is very nice Mr. Diamond has given $3,000.00 for the Book Trust, that is practical help.

I can understand from the play he is talented man. Now you have to impress upon hm, that when talent is used to glorify the Supreme Lord, that is perfection of talent. . Just like one of our students, he is scientist, Ph.d, and he can present God by scientific statement. He has written one small book presenting God consciousness based on scientific statement very nicely so we are publishing it.

1974 Correspondence

Letter to Lilasakti -- Bombay 5 November, 1974:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated October 26, 1974 with enclosed photograph of your Krishna. Krishna is so kind that although he is ajit, unconquerable, He can be possessed by the devotee. From love He allows this. This is the great position of the devotee.

I am glad to see that you are advancing in Krishna consciousness by this worship of the Deity. This is the practical application to what we find stated in the Bhagavad-gita, man manah bhava mad bhakto, mad yaji mam namaskuru. We do not speculate on what Krishna says but we follow whatever He says implicitly. I also follow this process. Every morning I go to the temple and see the Deity and offer obeisances, so I expect each and every one of my disciples should also follow what I have given in this connection, arising early, taking bath, attending mangal arati. yuktasya bhaktams ca niyunjato 'pi **. The Deity is non-different from Krishna Himself. This we have to understand.

Letter to Padmagarbha -- Bombay 22 November, 1974:

I am in due reciept of you letter dated October 22nd, 1974 regarding your proposal to spread Krishna Consciousness in Germany village to village by horse and wagon I do not know if this is a practical suggestion, but if the preaching goes on I have no objection. You can consult with Hamsaduta in this connection to see if he approves. Preaching is the important thing and not the mode of transport, So if it can be done I have no objection.

1975 Correspondence

Letter to Ramesvara -- Bombay 20 November, 1975:

I am in due receipt of your BBT Trustees report dated November 11, 1975 and have noted the contents. I note that under transfers you have sent $25,000 to Gurukrpa Swami in Bombay. When was this and why was it done? Please send the details. I note that for the new printing of the abridged Gita, Dia Nippon, there were mistakes. Why there should be mistakes? Mistakes makes the book useless. You must be very, very careful. It will be detrimental to the sales.

Regarding the proposal for a new warehouse, what is the rent that you are presently paying for your warehouse? I think if you can go on renting, that is better. Personally I do not have a financial brain. But my Guru Maharaja, he prefered rented house rather than one's own house. At least India, a rented house is prefered than possessing one and that is practical.

I have received your telegram regarding the one million copies of Back to Godhead printed and also the Spanish Gita. This is solid work. Thank you very much. I have also received a batch of letters of appreciation from professors such as from Anderson College, Alderson-Broaddus, University of Leicester, University of St. Andres and Brandeis University. All these letters are very valuable and they may be added to the quotation book, The Krsna Consciousness Movement is Authorized.

Gopala Krsna has informed me that you have deducted $77,000 for the last shipment of books to India. But this was to be a gift. This money is meant for construction, so you should not deduct this amount.

1976 Correspondence

Letter to Dixit -- Vrindaban 18 September, 1976:

These things are recommended for the brahmacari. You will find the statement in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto Seven, Chapter Twelve as follows, brahmacari gurukulae vasandanto gururohitam (SB 7.12.1). I want my gurukula should be in that way, we don't want big big scholars, for doing research work; what research work they will do? Everything is in perfect order in the Vedic scriptures summarised so beautifully in the Srimad-Bhagavatam and the Bhagavad-gita is the primal study.

So we want to introduce this system of education for the boys who are at the kaumara age. That is recommended by Prahlada Maharaja, kaumara acaret prajno dharman bhagavatan iha (SB 7.6.1). So this is the practical application in life of the education mentioned in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. I am also practically finding that if any of our students artificially try to become scholars by associating with unwanted persons they become victimized, for a little learning is dangerous, especially for the Westerners. I am practically seeing that as soon as they begin to learn a little sanskrit immediately they feel that they have become more than their guru and then the policy is kill guru and be killed himself.

So we shall have to teach character and spiritual understanding to the young children. To study other things as a high grade scholar is secondary for us. The first thing is to build up character and be experienced in the understanding of the conclusions of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, hari namanukirtanam, iti nirnitam—it is decided, there is no more need of research work.

Page Title:This is practical (Letters)
Compiler:MadhuGopaldas, RupaManjari
Created:12 of Apr, 2013
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=0, Let=13
No. of Quotes:13