Training of Damodara dasa (Letters, 1967 - 1974)

Correspondence

1967 Correspondence

Letter to Satsvarupa, Hamsaduta -- Vrndavana, India August 1967:

...but that we all dedicate our lives or our consciousness (no matter in what capacity) to Lord Krsna. If things can be worked out nicely within the temple, that's all right. But family life requires a certain amount of privacy and convenience, which may not always be available. I am simply concerned that you be happy and contented, so you can prosecute the most important thing, K.C., without being disturbed. Rupanuga and Damodara are both doing nicely in this regard, and I wish the same for you.

Letter to Hamsaduta -- Vrindaban 29 August, 1967:

I very much appreciate that you enjoy helping to open various centers, and that is certainly laudable on your part. You must fully consider, however, your wife and child; your first duty now as a householder is to provide nicely for your wife and child

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Lord to give up fighting; rather he was encouraged in his occupation but at the same time, he was to do it for Krishna. That is the secret of Krishna Consciousness—not that we all have to become preachers, but that we all dedicate our lives or our consciousness (no matter in what capacity) to Lord Krishna. If things can be worked out nicely within the temple, that's all right. But family life requires a certain amount of privacy and convenience, which may not always be available. I am simply concerned that you be happy and contented, so you can prosecute the most important thing, K.C., without being disturbed. Rupanuga and Damodara are both doing nicely in this regard, and I wish the same for you.

Letter to Satsvarupa -- Delhi 3 October, 1967:

Please accept my blessings, I've not heard from you in a long time. Please convey my blessings to Rayarama, Damodara & others.

Letter to Damodara -- Calcutta 13 October, 1967:

I am in due receipt of your letter of Oct. 9. I am very sorry to hear that Kirtanananda is advising you to give up the robes and the flags on the head. Please stop this nescience as I never instructed Kirtanananda to act like that. I am not at all satisfied with this action of Kirtanananda. Kirtanananda has no right to instruct you in that way, without consulting me. People are being attracted to the chanting of Hare Krishna & not to Kirtanananda's devices. Kirtanananda suggested to me when he was here that the Americans do not like the robes & flag. I told him personally if you think that Americans in great numbers will follow you, simply for not having robes & flag, I therefore advised him to drop for a few days in London & test this theory. But he has gone directly to N.Y. & is now causing these disturbances without consulting me. I have not sanctioned these methods. In my opinion, Clean shaved Brahmacharies & Grhasthas in saffron robes look like angels from Baikunta. Translation of prayers into English is good & if somebody dresses like nice American gentleman without any robes, I have no objection; but every one of my disciples must have the flag & marks of tilak on forehead. This is essential. Besides that, nobody should do anything without my sanction.

I am very sorry to hear Kirtanananda, without doing anything practical, changes his ideas constantly. He was first man in our society to take the robes shave cleanly, & take flag & now he is changing his position. You have asked me to tell you whether you are right or carry one by the following the foolish advice of Kirtanananda, & I say straight that Kirtanananda is wrong and you are right when you say that the movement will come to nothing if I am not satisfied with your actions.

You have written to say that a devotee can do anything for Lord Krishna; this is right provided such action is sanctioned directly by Krishna or his Bona fide representative. The idea of film making is very good & any propaganda medium can be utilized for Krishna Consciousness. In future if you get opportunity we can produce many films of life of Lord Caitanya, scenes from Bhagavad-gita & Srimad-Bhagavatam.

Your plan to remain in Boston till March and then start for N.Y. for film opportunities is quite approved by me. Thank you for your energetic enthusiasm.

Letter to Jadurani -- Calcutta 13 October, 1967:

I am very sorry to inform you that Kirtanananda is playing the part of a foolish man after his return to N.Y. & it is necessary for me to play the part of a thunderbolt for his nonsense activities. He has unnecessarily instructed something to Damodara which is not sanctioned by me. Since he has developed this nonsensical attitude so much so that he is dictating something which is not sanctioned by me, all his instructions should be neglected. Please inform this to all centers.

Letter to Brahmananda -- Calcutta 14 October, 1967:

I thank you very much for sending me 2 copies of BTG stationery & envelopes. I have received a letter from Damodara (dated Oct. 9) in which he writes to say:

"Swami Kirtanananda has returned to the United States and is causing quite a stir among the devotees. Following his suggestions, we have stopped wearing robes and have cut off our flags. He said these appurtenances are too strange-looking to outsiders and only make it more difficult for them to consider chanting Hare Krishna. Swami Kirtanananda has said we must avoid appearing to be Orientalists if we are to have 108 centers in the US."

This is very much disturbing to me & has caused me much pain. Please therefore stop Kirtanananda from making his mental concoctions. Do not be misled by him. I have never advised him to act like that. If he is causing such disturbances he should not be allowed to indulge in such nonsensical activities.

Letter to Satsvarupa -- San Francisco 16 December, 1967:

I missed your telephone call but I understand that your center is doing well. When I go to New York I shall go to Boston. I understand that Damodara has gone to N.Y. with manuscript of Teachings of Lord Caitanya. I thank you for your sincere service. I pray Krishna for your more & more improvement in Krishna Consciousness.

Letter to Brahmananda -- San Francisco 21 December, 1967:

Your handwritten letter of 12/18/67 is a great pleasure. Your handwritten letter is more valuable than type written. Regarding Damodara's plight, we are very sorry but we must always expect that some of the weak soldiers may fall down in a fight waged against the great Maya external energy of Krishna. The sex attraction is very great in the material world.

Letter to Rayarama -- San Francisco 21 December, 1967:

I am anxious to know about Damodara. What happens to him. If he is in need of sex, who forbids him. A man in sex life is not neglected by us. The only thing we want, that sex life can be allowed only in married couples. So get him convinced about it. What is the reason that he wants to leave us? It is understood that the finished MSS. of the Teachings of Lord Caitanya is with him; whether he has delivered this final MSS. to Brahmananda for printing purpose? Please inform me about this.

1968 Correspondence

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

I am pleased to hear that Damodara is returning; please treat him kindly and encourage him in all respects.

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Damodara -- Los Angeles 16 August, 1969:

I am very much thankful to you for your letter dated August 14th, 1969, and it is very encouraging. The Sankirtana Movement is the panacea for all problems of the world. The people are suffering on account of illusory happiness of this material world, and we have got great responsibility to enlighten them with Krishna Consciousness. I understand that you are considering to invite President Nixon in our temple, and if you are serious about it and if there is hint that President Nixon may visit our temple, then I can postpone my journey to Europe for the time being. I shall be so glad to receive President Nixon in our temple, and this will be a great incident. In the Bhagavad-gita it is stated yad yad acarati sresthas tat tat evetaro janah (BG 3.21). The thing is that people generally follow their leaders. So if one leader is convinced about the importance of this movement, many others will follow. So if actually you invite President Nixon, it will be a great forward step in our movement. If the President comes, then we can invite many other important men, and they will also come, as well as the press representatives will come. So there will be a great assembly, and if we can convince them even a very little of our transcendental movement, it will be a great stride. So if possible, try for this arrangement seriously, and pray to Krishna. He will help you. Please keep me informed of your activities in this connection. On the whole I am so much pleased that you have opened a branch in Washington, which is the center of all elites.

I very much appreciate the nice sentiments you have expressed, and Krishna is available only through service. We cannot demand from Krishna to know about Him. When you actually learn to serve Him, He reveals Himself. That is the process. And the success of life is simply by pleasing Him. That is the version of all Vedic literature. Knowledge means to know Him, and success means to please Him. And how He is pleased, that can be known through the transparent medium of His confidential servant. This is the process of understanding Krishna Consciousness. I was very much anxious to hear from you, and this letter is encouraging. Similarly, Hamsaduta and Himavati are trying in Berkeley, and although they have not found as yet any temple, their work is going on nicely. Please offer my blessings to Madhusudana, Dinesh and Krishna Devi. I hope this will meet you all in good health.

Letter to Damodara -- Ascott, England 23 October, 1969:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated October 14, 1969 and your check for $105. Also I have duly received your $15 maintenance check. I am pleased that you are trying to obtain a very nice house in the city. Washington is a very important city, so if you can develop a nice center, it will be a great achievement for our society. If Mr. Dhyani can arrange to collect $20 from each of his friends it will be very much appreciated by us. Now Satsvarupa has given us a very good example in purchasing a house on the strength of BTG sales. So either by selling BTG, our books, or by public contributions if we can have our own house, that will be very nice.

Madhusudana and yourself both are a good combination, and I am sure our Washington center will become very soon one of the first grade branches. From the plane we saw Washington city, and if possible, when I go to Boston I may visit your place also. I have received from Dinesh two records of Bunde Hum, but I could not play them as yet for want of a record player. Anyway, please convey my thanks to him. If he is earning something, let him send some money for my book fund.

Here in England things are coming along very nicely. We are having a few public meetings every week at various halls and societies, and there is much interest and appreciation in our movement being shown by the English people. We are seeing more and more how the peoples in all different countries are gradually becoming dissatisfied with the present Godless civilization and are taking to our movement with great appreciation. So continue to work seriously and sincerely and Krishna will help you to advance in your activities very nicely.

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

Please offer my blessings to Damodara, Madhusudana, Kancanbala, and of course your family.

1970 Correspondence

Letter to Damodara -- Los Angeles 30 January, 1970:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 26 January, 1970 along with your check for $15.

I am so glad to learn that Mr. David Loomis has sponsored a center in the University of Maryland, and fifteen students are attending our Bhagavad-gita lectures. Please organize this center nicely and try to attract the student community.

You will be glad to know that Mr. George Harrison has contributed the entire cost of publishing Krishna, and we are going to publish it very soon in Japan with various pictures. It is now in progress and in due course we will receive the books.

In the meantime, try to sell the books already printed as well as newly published "Isopanisad", and save some money for my book fund.

In every center they have got a car or truck, and they are going out in the street away from the temple to chant Hare Krishna—so you have got this opportunity now. Try to utilize it fully.

Letter to Damodara -- Los Angeles 22 February, 1970:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 15 February, 1970, along with a check $15.00 for my maintenance account. Thank you very much for it.

I am very pleased to learn how things are going on very well in Washington center and that you are nicely celebrating the various Advent days of our great Acaryas. But I am especially glad to know of your very successful work amongst the students. This is very encouraging to me. I know that the young people of your country are all eager to take up this Krsna Consciousness movement, simply we must sincerely present our program to them in such a nice way by chanting Hare Krsna, dancing, speaking something about our philosophy, advertising and selling our literatures, and distributing Prasadam.

In this connection, I may inform you that in order to maintain our status of spiritual strength, everyone of us must very rigidly chant daily sixteen rounds without fail and follow the regulative principles strictly. This is essential for understanding our philosophy clearly and for being able to impress Krsna Consciousness in the hearts of others; so our sincerity in this respect is most important, and all such duties should be observed regularly by everyone. I hope that you will see that all the boys and girls there are following this process, and studying our literatures carefully.

Hope this will meet you in good health, and please convey my blessings to all the devotees of Washington center.

Letter to Damodara -- Los Angeles 24 March, 1970:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 15th March 1970, and thank you very much for the check of $30 contribution to my maintenance and book funds.

I am so glad to learn that your efforts to raise contributions towards a nicer temple are now meeting with some good response. Now the Washington devotees have appeared on the television several times, so the public will be inquiring more and more what is this Krsna Consciousness movement. And you say that several hundred people joined in chanting and dancing during the eclipse. All these things are very much encouraging to me. The key to your success is firm conviction combined with sincerity of purpose, then push our Krsna Consciousness movement with unflinching determination.

Do not feel inferior complexity. When Krsna will give you chance, you will do more than others are doing. But whatever you do, do it nicely in Krsna's service, and Krsna will bless you. Washington is the capitol of the U.S.A., so your center should be just befitting the position of Washington.

If sometimes you come here and see the L.A. Temple and their activities, I think you may improve in your activities.

Please offer my blessings to Madhusudana, Kancanbala, Dinesh, Visnu Arati, Denise, and all the boys and girls there.

Letter to Damodara -- Los Angeles 30 March, 1970:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 26th March, 1970. I have initiated Denise Clapper as you have advised, and her spiritual name is Dvijapatni. I am sending her beads enclosed herewith. So now train her up nicely in Krsna Consciousness and when you find a nice brahmacari she may be married. That will be very nice. Then after some time she may go with her husband for starting a new center when they are ready. My idea is to train up many devotees and as soon as they are ready send them for starting new branches.

In the meantime, I am very glad to learn of your ten hours daily Sankirtana schedule, and that you have found a very good house for a new Temple. The building and location are very well suited to our needs, so why not acquire it as soon as possible? If you can purchase this house immediately, because Krsna is offering such a nice opportunity, that will be very encouraging. Please offer my blessings to all the Prabhus there. I hope this will meet you in good health.

Letter to Tamala Krsna -- Los Angeles 14 April, 1970:

Brahmananda is taking care of publication, so things appear to be nice everywhere. Damodara came here from Washington, and they have got a nice house there which may be purchased next year. Now your first business is to see Paris center organized very nicely and see the BTG published in French and German languages.

Letter to Damodara -- Los Angeles 4 May, 1970:

I hope everything is going on well in your center.

As each and every ISKCON Center is my life and soul for preaching this movement, I hope you are doing your best to conduct the regular routine duties of the Temple—chanting regularly the beads, observing the restrictive regulations, taking Sankirtana Party to the streets, and selling our magazines and books.

Now at the present moment, I am concentrating my energy in this Los Angeles Center as ideal for all other centers in respect of Deity worship, Arati, Kirtana and other necessary paraphernalia. As I have curtailed my moving program, I wish that you may come here at your convenience and stay here for a few days and see personally how things are going on, and by meeting with me personally for necessary instruction, I hope simultaneously in all Centers that activities will be of the same standard.

Letter to Damodara -- Los Angeles 1 July, 1970:

I hope everything is going on well in your center.

I am very glad to know that your sales of our literature and books are very good and improving more. It is natural that such distribution of literatures should increase as the people hear more about Krsna Consciousness Movement, so distributions of our books and literatures is our major propaganda program.

But Gargamuni informs me that the payments for BTGs and book sales are not being sent. So the best thing will be to keep a daily count of your stock and how many magazines and books sold. Then, regularly, on Sunday of each week the sales proceeds may be totalled for issuing a check to the amount owed to my book fund and to the BTG accounts. Then on each Monday the check may be sent to Los Angeles. So you do this regularly and it will be very nice.

Please see that the prescribed routine of temple activities is followed according to schedule and all the members are chanting rounds daily sixteen. Please offer my blessings to all the Prabhus there.

Letter to Damodara -- Los Angeles 1 July, 1970:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 25th June, 1970, and noted the contents. What has happened to Dinesh's letter to the Embassy? Please see that this permission is granted. It is very important business.

I do not know what Kirtanananda Maharaja has told you, but where there is want of pujaris only Panca Tattva picture should be worshiped by performance of Kirtana and as soon as Jagannatha or Radha Krsna Deities are installed you will require some qualified pujaris immediately. If there is scarcity of such qualifies pujaris, each center should be satisfied only by worshiping Panca Tattva of Lord Caitanya by performance of Sankirtana.

I learn that your marriage is already arranged, so I have no objection.

I am glad to learn that you are continuing your mahasankirtana., that is very nice. This is our main business. Temple worship is not so important as Sankirtana on the public roads and selling our literatures. Your class schedule is also very nice.

Letter to Damodara -- Los Angeles 19 July, 1970:

Please accept my blessings for yourself and your good wife, Mrganetridevi Dasi. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 13rd July, 197-0, and I am so glad to know that you are now happily married by Subala at a nice ceremony in Philadelphia.

You were for some time feeling agitation and now Krsna has blessed you with a very nice, qualified wife who is an enthusiastic devotee as well. Please both of you husband and wife work now conjointly in full Krsna consciousness for spreading Lord Caitanya's message. You are very intelligent boy, good devotee and good preacher with good experience also. Your wife and you are good match, so take up this work of spreading Krsna consciousness very seriously and make your both lives sublime and Krsna will certainly give you all intelligence how to advance in His service. Please take advantage of this opportunity and utilize your lives for the transcendental loving service of the Lord and be happy chanting Hare Krsna mantra, dancing, distributing Prasadam and literatures, and preaching Krsna consciousness as your life and soul.

Letter to Damodara -- Calcutta, India 28 September, 1970:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your encouraging letter dated Sept. 19th, 1970. I am so glad to know that things are progressing nicely with your center. That should be our constant care—to maintain what we have already established and continue to improve the standard as far as possible in the loving service of Lord Krsna.

Your program seems very nice. Your are now six strong devotees, so work together very diligently for the spreading of Krsna Consciousness Movement. Your report of present improvements in the temple and Sankirtana Party and preaching trips to the university campuses is very nice. You are a very intelligent devotee of Lord Krsna and if you turn over your intelligence to Him, He will bestow upon you more and more intelligence how to serve the Spiritual Master and Krsna in full Krsna Consciousness. That is the perfection of your life. So please use your good intelligence for serving Krsna only and do not be misled to divert your attention elsewhere.

Yes, here in Calcutta things have been very much favorable for spreading our Movement ever since arriving here. We have got now two centers in Calcutta and things are very promising.

Please offer my blessings to your good wife, Mrganetra, and all the other devotees, boys and girls, in our Washington temple.

Letter to Damodara -- Bombay, India 12 November, 1970:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 4th October, 1970 and I've noted the contents with much pleasure.

I am glad to see that you are working in the universities. They are a good field for spreading our Krishna Consciousness activities. Try and get all our books accepted in the college libraries and classroom courses. That will be our real success. Dr. Cenkner is correct in saying that Sankaracarya's belief is personal. Actually he is a covered personalist. He became impersonalist just to drive away Buddhism. All of India was Buddhist voidism. So, although a personalist, he had to keep pace with voidism by expounding impersonalism. There is very little difference between impersonalism and voidism, but because he had to bring Buddhists back to the Vedic cultural form, he adopted impersonalism. From the Padma Purāṇa, it is learned that Sankaracarya is Lord Siva, and who can be a greater devotee than Lord Siva? Lord Siva is considered to be the foremost Vaisnava.

Please continue to try and convince the world leaders who are in Washington D.C. about our Krishna Consciousness program. Why don't you approach the Congressmen and Representatives and inform them of the work that our men are doing within their states and cities. If they are favorably impressed with our work, they may be able to give us government land and property and so many other facilities which we can utilize to aid all of the population. I think so many men will be glad to receive our books, so please utilize this opportunity. Simply it requires determination and imagination. Maybe you can get the Indian Ambassador and his wife to hold a meeting at which many important men can be invited. If he and his wife are favorably impressed, certainly they can hold a nice meeting one evening. At that meeting you can speak and explain what our movement is and show slides and movies. Make a book table and display all of our books. Never mind if they also like to read from Ramakrishna. If you give them our KRSNA book to read, very soon all other tastes will go away.

Please offer my blessings to all the other Prabhus in Washington. Hope this will meet you in good health.

Letter to Damodara -- Bombay, India 29 November, 1970:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated November 9th, 1970, and noted the contents.

I am very glad to note your careful understanding of Krsna Science. It is a fact that there is no one who can claim to be happy who is not in Krsna's service favorably rendered. All others are simply entangled in the tight circle of sense gratification. However, the Lord is very kind to us and He has appeared for renovating the devotional service dormant in the hearts of all living entities in the matter of hearing, remembering, worshiping, etc. So that the conditioned souls suffering from material pangs may take advantage of them and thereby become liberated.

It is very good news that your Washington Temple is now expanded with devotees and you are increasing your program regularly. I am especially eager that all our books may be distributed to all the libraries and school-colleges of the world and so far the program of distribution has met with good success everywhere. So you also do it thoroughly with the help of your assistants. The university community is also a prime target for our propaganda work and I am most pleased to know that classes are being regularly taught at the universities and other classes are using our books as texts. You are one of our intelligent devotees, so please try your best to convince the students of the necessity for chanting Hare Krsna Mahamantra.

I am very much happy that you have added worship of Srimati Tulasi devi to your Temple activities. That is most auspicious. However, you should not try to speculate on the "level of consciousness" of the pure devotee of the Lord. In the material condition of life the consciousness of the living entity is covered over in varying degrees by the material energy in the form of sensuous body and subtle mind. But the consciousness of the pure devotee is not limited by the influence of maya and so it is never to be speculated in that way.

Please offer my blessings to your good wife and to all the Prabhus there.

1971 Correspondence

Letter to Damodara -- Allahabad, India 10 January, 1971:

I beg to thank you for your encouraging letter dated 12th December, 1970. I have carefully noted the enclosed photographs as well, and I am so glad to see how you are nicely conducting Sankirtana activities in important places in your nation's capital city.

It is my firm conviction that this Krsna Consciousness Movement of Lord Caitanya's will be successful in all parts of the world if our students kindly continue in their enthusiastic endeavors to distribute this message freely to all persons. Our Movement is now appreciated all over the world and it is gradually coming to the attention of the important leaders of the present society, so it is incumbent upon us to keep our spiritual strength by rigidly following the regulative principles; then we can deal adequately with all facilities offered by the Lord for expediting His Holy Mission. I am confident that all our sincere intelligent young devotees like your good self will carry this program to fruitful conclusion namely the delivery of the Holy Name to all the fallen souls suffering in varieties of conditional misery and material happiness. Please execute your program for distribution of literatures and Sankirtana, therefore, with increased vogor and may Krsna bless your sincere efforts to serve Him faithfully.

It is very good news that you are introducing courses in Krsna Consciousness in the Universities and the yoga institutes. As you know this is the only real yoga—bhakti yoga—and it is the only practical means for God realization in this age. So you are doing the greatest good for your countrymen and the world at large by introducing this sublime movement for regaining out lost position as eternal servants of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krsna.

Please continue to distribute our books, that is a very important business. Your idea for film distribution is also good, so do it nicely in cooperation with the GBC. I am very much anxious that at the same time as you carry out all these outside activities you are maintaining a strict schedule of Temple activities. Such regular activities like attendance of Arati, chanting of rounds, study of literatures in the class will keep you fit for effective preaching work in the outer field. Our standard of purity must be kept, otherwise there will be loss of spiritual strength, and subsequent fall down. Everyone of you should be thoroughly convinced of the power of the Hare Krsna mantra to protect you in all circumstances and chant accordingly at all times without offense. Then advancement will be swift and you will gradually come to see everything clearly so that you may act for the pleasure of the Lord without uncertainty. When one is spontaneously engaged in this way, always in the service of the Lord and anxious to avoid all mundane activities, he is actually experiencing the taste of bliss in Krsna consciousness.

Please offer my blessings to your good wife, Mrganetra, and I hope this will meet you in good health.

Letter to Damodara -- Bombay, India 5 March, 1971:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 8th January, 1971 and have noted the contents. Yes, you may like to know that I shall be returning to the U.S.A. by the first week of April. There are so many devotees who have been recommended for initiations by the temple presidents. So when I return I shall initiate them all. At that time, Nolen Prabhu may also become initiated by me. He certainly sounds qualified. Please offer him my blessings and thank him very much for his very kind letter enclosed along with yours.

Here in India our program is going on very nicely. Especially we are making so many life members. That program is so important that we are getting money, supporters and distributing our literature all at the same time. But any way we can distribute our books is good because anyone who reads our KRSNA book, TLC, NOD, and Bhagavad-gita As It Is, is sure to become a Krishna Conscious person. It is a most valuable service to Krishna to distribute these books.

Please offer my blessings to Tosana Krsna, Patita Pavana, Nolen, Rot, Robert, Robbies, Larry, Mrganetri Devi and Chris Prabhus. Hoping this will meet you in good health.

Letter to Damodara -- Bombay, India 11 April, 1971:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 11th February, 1971 and have noted the contents. Yes, Washington D.C. is very good location for the site of East coast Rathayatra festival. So go ahead as planned and do it nicely. I do not know whether I shall be present at that time, but if Lord Jagannatha desires, then I shall be there without a doubt. The point is that recently there is contemplation going on for me to go to Australia and then Russia, so my return to U.S.A. may be somewhat delayed. Here in India things are going on very nicely also. We just completed one grand Sankirtana festival entitled "Bhagavata Dharma Discourses, a Hare Krishna Festival" in which 25,000 to 30,000 people were attending daily for eleven days for lecture, arati, kirtana and prasadam distribution. It was a grand success and we should be establishing our permanent center here in Bombay very soon.

I am so glad to hear how you are increasing your program at the schools and colleges and teaching classes there also. That is very encouraging. This university teaching should be vigorously done and our literatures introduced as well. It is an ideal opportunity to do so. And you are getting free ghee from the city school system. That means support of the local government. That is very nice. If you can gain the sympathy there of the government, local state or national, that will so much enhance our prestige. So go on trying for it.

Letter to Damodara, Abhirama -- Los Angeles 3 July, 1971:

I beg to thank you very much for your letter dated 27th June, 1971 and have noted the contents. Yes, it will be a great event if you can arrange a meeting with President Nixon. If Mr. Nixon keeps a cool head and tries to understand our movement, it will be good for us and the whole world also. Actually the whole world is suffering for want of Krishna Consciousness, that is a fact. So there is great turmoil everywhere. If Nixon will help us a little, we can do the work with great enthusiasm and facility. Unfortunately the politicians do not want to see people in higher consciousness. They want to keep the people in darkness and exploit their sentiment for personal aggrandizement. They pose to be the friend of the people, but they are actually not. The real friend is Krishna. Still, if you can make arrangements to meet with Nixon, it will be a great event, so try for it very seriously.

Letter to Damodara, Patita Pavana, Michael, Tom, Emily, Tosana, Roset, Mrganetri, Gulab, Patrick, others -- London 15 August, 1971:

I beg to thank you very much for your kind feelings of appreciation of my humble service unto you. You are all helping me in pushing forward this mission of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu coming down by disciplic succession to my Guru Maharaja. So whatever you have spoken it is simply due to them. I am simply the via media to receive them on behalf of my Guru Maharaja, His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Maharaja Prabhupada.

Letter to Damodara -- London 1 September, 1971:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 28th August, 1971 and have noted the contents carefully. It is good news that Ocean City temple, started by Baltimore and Washington centers as a summer project, has succeeded and even one devotee has come from there also. And BTG distribution is solving all financial difficulties there in Washington. So go on selling them vigorously. Sankirtana and BTG distribution are our backbone for preaching and all other things are secondary. If you can distribute one BTG you go forward one step for our preaching advancement, what to speak of distributing our books also. So do it enthusiastically and Krishna will bless you more and more.

So far your film projects are concerned, the one consideration is that the management of Washington temple doesn't suffer, but rather is actually improving its position. If that is the case and you can somehow or other find the time, then I have no objection if you take up this film-making business. No doubt there could be some positive propaganda work done in this direction. But you are in charge of that center, so do not neglect your duty.

Please offer my blessings to your good wife Mriganetri and child Gulab Dasi as well as Tosana Krishna and all the others there. Hoping this will meet you all in good health.

Letter to Damodara -- Nairobi, Kenya 3 October, 1971:

I beg to aknowledge receipt of your letter dated 21st September, 1971 and have noted the contents. I have seen the copy of the letter from the department of State. So keep on trying, Krishna will help you. One thing is that Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister of India, is expected by the 3rd November in Washington D.C. so try to bring her to our temple and give her a nice feast, so that she can know what ISKCON is doing there in U.S.A.

I am so glad to hear that there are many new devotees there and they are doing so nicely. All newcomers should be welcomed and well treated. In the beginning they may be treated leniently and gradually they will learn. So out of many thousands of people on comes to become Krishna Conscious. So it is our duty to help them as far as possible. that is one of our activities.

Yes, this Govardhana puja is a bona fide procedure, but such things cannot be held in your country. It requires good space to decorate the imitation hill of rice. So when we offer such hill of rice, there must be other things also—a hill of capatis and other things. It is a huge affair. In India practically in all the Visnu temples this is observed and they spend huge amounts for this purpose and they distribute prasadam to thousands and everyone gathers to take even a little portion of it. If you can introduce this Govardhana puja, I have no objection, but it requires hard labor, good management and much money also. But the process is bona fide.

Yes, the picture is bona fide. Whatever the Indian gentleman may say, that is up to him, but this picture is bona fide; it is called Bala Krishna.

Letter to Damodara -- Delhi 3 December, 1971:

I am in due receipt of your letter of November 25, 1971, and I have noted the contents carefully. Enclosed please find one copy of Gayatri mantra and one sacred thread duly chanted on for your wife, Mrganetri dasi. Hold a fire yajna and give her Gayatri mantra. Rupanuga has a tape of me reciting Gayatri mantra, so you can get this from him. One thing is that the tape should be heard through earphones into the right ear.

I am very glad to hear that a new devotee has given $6,500 to your temple. A similar report has just come from Hamsaduta in Hamburg, Germany. So it is a very good sign that people are coming and of their own accord giving everything, that is the proof of your powerful preaching work. If we simply remain pure and become very convinced of this Krishna philosophy, any sane man will agree with us when we speak. And if we are determined to please Krishna with our routine work despite all kinds of economic handicaps, He will provide all relief. Just see. If preaching is strong, management will be strong. That is the rule.

I'm especially pleased to hear that your distribution of our books and magazines has increased. Go on in this way, increasing more and more. Each time someone reads some solid information about Krishna his life becomes changed in some way. These literatures are the solid ground upon which our preaching stands, so I want that they should be available to everyone, as many as possible. So please try for this.

You mention ghosts. So far I have experience, the best way to remove them is to chant Hare Krishna very loudly and have jubilant kirtana until they leave. In England, on Mr. John Lennon's house where I was staying in 1969, there was one ghost. But as soon as the devotees began chanting very loudly, he went away immediately.

You may be pleased to know that this morning I met here in Delhi with your American Ambassador to India, Mr. Kenneth Keating. He has got very good respect for our Movement, and he has promised to help me to arrange a meeting with your President when I shall return to your country perhaps by late Spring. I have requested him to help this Movement and that help will save your country from great danger by turning hippies into happies. Generally I don't have much faith in these politicians. They are no more interested for the welfare of the citizens. Simply they want some votes to exploit others. But let us see what can be done.

If you have got clippings from all the Delhi papers reporting about our pandal program, why not duplicate and distribute to all the centers for their preaching propaganda?

1972 Correspondence

Letter to Annuttama das Brahmachary -- ISKCON Bombay January 17, 1972:

Upon the recommendation of Damodar I have gladly consented to accept you as my duly initiated disciples. Your beads have been duly chanted by me and they are sent under separate post. I have given you the spiritual name of ANUTTAMA DAS.

I am so glad to learn that you have been such a great help to Damodar there in our Washington, D.C. center. I can understand that you are a very sincere boy and are a very eligible candidate for going back to Home, back to Godhead. And the process is simple. Follow the regulative principles, chant at least 16 rounds of beads daily, read our literatures, go for street Sankirtan, etc. In this way keep yourself engaged in Krishna's business 24 hours and you will be really happy in this life and in the end reach the Supreme destination.

Letter to Damodara -- Honolulu 9 May, 1972:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated April 19, 1972, and I have noted the contents. Regarding the high school programmes, this is very good opportunity to introduce our movement and try also to introduce our cheap editions of Krishna Book. Every student will be interested to read it. I think the whole sent can be purchased for $2. Some way or other these books should be introduced to the understanding of the mass of people, specially these students. There are religion classes in schools, the authorities should be approached with the books so they will recommend Bhagavad-gita and Krishna Book especially. At least there are no such books throughout the whole world, God is nicely explained. The authorities must implement God consciousness among the people, otherwise they are going to hell, and our books only introduce God so clearly that they must be introduced. At least nobody can tell so much about God as we can.

So far your management of different centers in Eastern Zone, I have already advised Rupanuga to do the needful; if there is waste then you can merge various centres. You can thin milk by adding water and you can make it thick by boiling. Now is the time for us to begin the boiling process. Now you know everything how to be a Vaisnava brahmana, now you must practice these thing or the whole thing will be a show only. Better to develop the small number of devotees we have, make them truly Krishna conscious boys and girls than to go on getting many followers who do not understand and practice the real principles. Better one moon that many stars.

Letter to Damodara -- London 15 July, 1972:

I have recently seen a copy of a letter that Karandhara Prabhu has sent to all centers regarding payments of the Back to Godhead and Book Funds dated July 9, 1972. Karandhara has informed me that you are apparently an offender in the connection of being tardy in payments to my BTG and Book Fund. This is not good. We are trying to push on this movement on many fronts, one of the most important being the production and distribution of our Krsna Conscious literature for the upliftment of mankind. My Guru Maharaja particularly gave me this assignment. Please assist me to your best capacity in this regards.

Karandhara Prabhu is the treasurer of the BTG and BKF so you may immediately clear your accounts with him, and this will be a serious responsibility upon you.

Letter to Damodara -- London 6 August, 1972:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated July 30, 1972 and I have noted the contents carefully. Regarding your debt to the book fun and Back to Godhead fund and incense from 'Spiritual Sky', these debts must be paid, that is important business. Along with our preaching and propaganda work, we must also give attention to financial matters, otherwise the whole thing will collapse and it will be a farce. If there is good financial standing it is understood that Laksmi is favorable because her husband Narayana is being served nicely. If Laksmi is unfavorable, then we must increase our preaching efforts, and strive for pleasing the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

I am enclosing several documents relating to our food distribution program in India, and I have advised Rupanuga Goswami and Atreya Rsi to consult with you and the three of you shall approach important leaders there in Washington D.C. for getting foodstuffs and other substantial aid from your government. As I will be in that vicinity in September, if you arrange some meetings with some big government leaders there in Washington, I shall be happy to come down there from New Vrindaban.

So far your purchasing that building is concerned, if it is a great endeavor, how can you manage? If you have so many debts to the book fun and Spiritual Sky business, how can you take more debts to the book fund? We are not very much for owning buildings, our real business is to preach and propagate Krishna Consciousness widely. Washington D.C. is the capital of your country, and therefore it is a very strategic location for preaching amongst the nations leaders. Concentrate on this work, and the sankirtana and book distribution activities, and if you wait until there is solid financial basis before purchasing, what is the harm? But if we spend our whole time simply to earn money to pay for big, big buildings and decorations, what is the value? I am more interested in preachers than builders and decorators. But if you think you are able, and there is good opportunity, you may purchase, I have no objection. When I come there in September I can install the Jagannatha Deities if you invite me. If you can find eucalyptus twigs, you can send them to me wherever I am in the world, and I shall always have nice toothbrushes thanks to you. Eucalyptus is the best.

1973 Correspondence

Letter to Hasyakari (Howard Bernd), Rathangapani (Randy Buchert), Varuthapa (Warren Havens), Laksmivan (Lawson Knight), Bhaktavatsala (Barry Butler), Bhaktilila (Linda Butler) -- Bombay, India 9 January, 1973:

Upon the recommendation of Damodara I have gladly accepted all of you as my duly initiated disciples. Now you may send your beads to Kirtanananda in New Vrindaban for chanting them, as I have empowered him to act on my behalf. Or you may write him and request him to send you new beads, as you arrange.

Letter to Damodara -- Bombay, India 9 January, 1973:

Your letter dated December 28, 1972 is in hand and I have noted the contents carefully. Upon your recommendation I am happy to accept the six applicants as my duly initiated disciples, and their letter is enclosed herewith. You may request them to send their beads to Kirtanananda in New Vrndavana for chanting on them on my behalf. I have given that responsibility as it is too costly to send so many beads such great distance by air mail. Now I am getting so many requests for first initiation, therefore I have given that responsibility to Kirtanananda, and Revatinandana will chant on the beads for the European devotees.

I am so glad to understand from you your concern about the managing of our Krsna Consciousness movement. Yes, you are my elder disciple, you are one of the leaders of our Society; therefore, it is your duty to feel always this responsibility for seeing that the things go on properly. So I am very glad to hear that you are taknog so many steps for improving things and spreading Krsna Consciousness more and more to the citizens at large. Main thing is to somehow or other create first quality preachers on Krsna's behalf. So many boys and girls are simply wasting their time in so many frivolous ways, but if we are sincere and serious to attract them to Krsna's fold, very easily we shall be able to persuade them to join us. That means simply let them get a taste of something higher than their present-day sense pleasure. Of course, that will not be so easily done, and that will be your credit for doing it. You have got now good experience, and you are mature, cool-headed and sincere devotee, therefore, I shall expect a very good result from your activity in this way.

Regarding the several smaller temples being dependent upon the central temple of Washington D.C., that is up to you to decide, but so far I am concerned, I have not got much stock in such centralized management or organization. I never wanted that any of my temples shall be dependent upon the other temples. Rather, our main business is to train up men to be self sufficient and competent in many ways to carry on the preaching work, not to make them into specialists or to minimize their responsibility by centralizing everything. If each center must rely upon its own strength to stand, that will be better training ground for the devotees. We must learn how to do all kinds of varieties of engagements on Krsna's service, not that we shall expect anyone else to act for us and thus avoid something ourselves. But for reasons of spreading Krsna Consciousness movement, we may sometimes centralize, just like the books and money for BBT are managed by Karandhara in Los Angles. In that case, for more than one man to be dealing with Dai Nippon, overseeing the general production and financial condition of the books, if that were left for each temple to manage, there would be great difficulty and the books would get neither printed nor paid for nor distributed widely. So in that case, centralized management is preferable. But in the case of new temples, it is better if they must have to struggle a little while to establish themselves in their cities, become familiar with the local city officials and leading citizens, elicit support from all quarters of the city, like that, otherwise these things will be neglected and there will be false dependency upon the outside supplies. This will deteriorate everything. Our purpose of Krsna consciousness movement is to create first class servants of Krsna, that means they know how to do everything.

I am especially encouraged by your increasing the distribution of books. That is our primary business, to sell these transcendental literatures profusely all over the world. And your methods which you have introduced for distributing the books are very much liked by me and approved fully. Whatever we have to do to induce people to take a book, that is nice. We shall judge the thing by its result, not by its means. But at the same time, we must avoid irritating anyone or disappointing anyone later by cheating them or telling big lies which become detected. Your program for approaching their businessmen in their offices is especially liked by me. Now tax your brain to create programs for engaging the wider and wider classes of population in Krsna Consciousness.

So far your ideas about influencing the leaders of society, yes, that must be done. But political power is not in their hands actually, factually speaking. It is the common people who elect the leaders of your country. Therefore we must get the support of the common men. What good is the support of a handful of so-called leaders of society? But, on the other hand, if such leaders of society can be influenced to preach on our behalf, help us to spread Krsna Consciousness in some practical way, that is the best service. But simply supporting, that will not help us. Support of mass of people will help us. But mass of people take direction from their leaders, so if the leaders of present day society can be persuaded of our beneficial working for the human welfare, and if they help us somehow to spread what they have learned from us to the people in general, that is the point to be considered. By going out for sankirtana and selling books to the citizens at large, in this way we are gradually getting the support of everyone, not just a select few. I have heard that during the last election of President in your country that the opposite party to Mr. Nixon was supported by most of the so-called intelligent class of men of your country, but still, what could they do, such high class of men, in comparison with Mr. Nixon? Mr. Nixon has got the support of the common men, therefore he is successful. So life that, we must get the support of the mass of men, and if the leading men can be induced by you to preach on our behalf, then you will be able to speed up the process and actually that is a very great service for Krsna. Spending so much time with upper class citizens to get funds must be judged on this idea, whether their appreciating our movement will have any practical effect in terms of widespread spreading of Krsna Consciousness and preaching to the mass of men? The program, as you have mentioned it, of approaching the professors to introduce our books in their classrooms, that is the right idea. In that way the leading class, just like the professors, if they can be induced to preach on our behalf, just like introducing the books to their students is one form of preaching, if they will do like that, then spending time with them is very, very desirable and effective.

Letter to Dr. Aggarwal -- Calcutta 7 March, 1973:

I am very pleased to hear that you are regularly visiting our Washington Temple, and seeing our Damodara Prabhu and the others.

Actually one can be perfectly Krishna-Conscious without being literate. Education is not necessary. Simply it is required to accept the fact, that we are the eternal servants of Krishna, and engage in some tangible service. Otherwise, there are so many convincing arguments, i.e. the Bhagavad-Gita, to bring us to the right point of surrender. Even the Karma-Kanda, and Jnana-Kanda, sections of the Vedas are designed to bring to the proper Sidhanta, conclusion. And that conclusion is made by Krishna in the Gita, that one who knows the purpose behind the Vedas, surrenders unto Him.

Four things can be surrendered:—Our life, our words, our intelligence, and our money. So just try to gradually engage these things in Krishna's Service. One thing you can enquire from Damodara, is about our Life-Membership-Program. Here in India we have now over 2000 members, including may prominent men.

You are a learned gentleman, a medical doctor, so kindly apply your determination, to understand this Krishna-Conscious movement, and I am confident that Krishna will bless you more and more. Kindly just read our books, and help us as you are able.

Letter to Atreya Rsi -- Los Angeles 29 April, 1973:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated April 25, 1973 and have read the contents carefully. Regarding purchasing the Washington D.C. Temple, yes, we can do it. We can invest $70,000.00, and Damodara can pay $700 per month net rent. So you negotiate, and we shall purchase in name of M-V Trust. But, here in L.A. we have invested $63,000 in one house and we are getting $800 per month rent. So you consult with Karandhara and do the needful.

Letter to Damodara -- Letchmore Heath, England 23 July, 1973:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of you letter dated July 19, 1973 and I have carefully considered the contents.

Yes, I have recently received a full report from Rupanuga Maharaja on the activities of the Washington D.C. and especially how you are most enthusiastic about book distribution and that you are fixing to purchase the house. I am very glad that you are taking so seriously your duty as president of our D.C. center, so certainly Krsna will give you all assistance in your preaching mission.

On your recommendation, I have chanted on the threads enclosed for second initiation of Dharmapada and Varuna das, and I have enclosed gayatri mantras as well for Rupa Manjari, Rambhavati and Vilasi as well. You may play the tape of my speaking the gayatri mantra into their right ear and instruct them in the principles of brahminical culture.

Letter to Radha-Damodara -- Bombay 30 September, 1973:

I beg to thank you for the very nice button you have sent me. Preaching work is our main business as this picture on the button shows. I pray that Krsna blesses you with all strength and intelligence to guide the Sankirtana movement ahead in Denver.

Letter to Damodara -- Letchmore Heath, England 25 November, 1973:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated Oct. 31, 1973, and I have acknowledge its contents carefully. I have also received the new copy in which you have enclosed; it is very nice.

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.

Regarding the second initiation of Antardyana Dasi you may hold a fire yajna and play the Gayatri mantra tape for her to hear through the right ear.

Thank you very much for your kind words regarding my books. Yes, more and more persons as they are exposed to my Krishna Conscious literatures are appreciating their value, and your greatest manner of showing your appreciation is by your constant increase in distributing them everywhere.

1974 Correspondence

Letter to Damodara -- Honolulu 16 January, 1974:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated January 3, 1974.

I have accepted as my disciples, those devotees recommended by you, and their spiritual names are as follows:

Edward Striker, Aindra dasa

Neil Kallmyer, Nilambara dasa

James Machuga, Jagara dasa

Pamela Machuga Padma malini devi dasi

Now instruct them very seriously about their responsibilities. To promise to follow the four prohibitive rules and to daily chant sixteen rounds means they cannot deviate. You can hold a fire yajna and inform them that in promising before the Deity and before the spiritual master, one cannot later break the rules without being punished, just as in the law court one is held for perjury. If we simply follow these instructions however, spiritual life becomes very simple and we can go back to Krsna in the spiritual world at the end of this life, which is the success of the human life. You may send their beads for chanting to Kirtanananda Maharaja.

As for the second initiation, I have accepted those disciples whose names you have sent me, Laksmivan das, Varuthapa das and Krsnabhava devi, and I am enclosing two sacred threads and three copies of the gayatri mantra. Please instruct them and show them by example as well what is the character and practice of a brahmana. They should hear the tape of me chanting the gayatri mantra through the right ear.

Your political preaching is encouraging to me. We should expose before the public eye that the lowest class of men are now taking the posts of leaders, and therefore there can be no peace or happiness. I have given the idea for a poster which shall be entitled: "Select Real Leaders—Don't Spoil Life", and it will depict devotees as leaders, illustrating that real leaders have to be free of meat-eating and animal slaughter, illicit sex, intoxication and gambling. This poster is being prepared in L.A. and I want it distributed all over the world, and you can use it widely in your campaign for Mayor of Washington D.C.

Letter to Damodara -- Bombay, India 23 March, 1974:

I have accepted the devotee recommended by you for first initiation and his spiritual name is as follows:

Douglas Duty,...Dandi dasa

His beads may be chanted on by Rupanuga Maharaja. Please hold a fire yajna and speak to him on the ten offenses against chanting. Personally see that he is chanting at least 16 rounds daily, without fail. By your own example you have to keep all the devotees enthusiastic and that is done by strict adherence to the regulative principles. Hope this finds you in good health, and I will be glad to hear of your progress in political sankirtana. Your political sankirtana Godbrothers, Balavanta and Amarendra are here in Bombay helping us for some time, but I have informed them that their real work is in the USA. So you are in the nation's capital and if you can get support it will be grand preaching for our movement. Anyway, we are simply presenting the truth, which is that outside of Krsna Consciousness there is no hope for betterment of the troubled conditions of modern affairs, rather they are going to hell without check.

Letter to Damodara -- Paris 8 June, 1974:

I have asked you to stop the political program because actually you cannot organize as the others can. We cannot manage with separate money, separate brains from our regular ISKCON propagation. It is not so easy to do politics, moreover it is a filthy atmosphere. So do not indulge in it. I am glad to hear all the participants have stopped. So you convey to them my instructions in this matter. We have an immense field of work in distributing books, reading and chanting and working for Krsna in many fields. And the aim of it is to always remember Krsna. Some philosophers think that in response negatively to the nasty consciousness of material life we should become "thoughtless" but this is not Krsna Consciousness, nor is it possible to become void or like a stone. Our process is to purify the thinking by always thinking of Krsna, actively and positively.

You have asked about Rupanuga. So I have asked him to not remain secluded but to work vigorously as grhastha now that he has returned with his wife. There is nothing wrong in his preaching as you are and so many GBCs, as grhastha. So although it is officially a falldown from sannyasa, there is no loss if he will become more enthusiastic by this way. So please continue to cooperate with him and implement all our regular programs.

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

ACBS/sdg

P.S. Yes you should give up the political offices and our men should return to working in the ISKCON centers.

Letter to Rupanuga -- Bombay 7 November, 1974:

Regarding Washington, D.C., that Damodara is also resigning, we are increasing in so many ways, but our men are deteriorating. What to do?

Letter to Rupanuga -- Bombay 7 November, 1974:

N.B. Regarding replacing Abhirama and Damodara I refer to the "Direction of Management" as follows: "Removal of a Temple President by GBC requires support by the local Temple members." Therefore you should take a vote of the Temple members and do the needful. A.C. B.S.

Letter to Damodara -- Bombay, India 26 November, 1974:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated November 12, 1974 with enclosed photograph. The photo is nice. Thank you. Yes, it is all right that you retire from the president post to do preaching. You are one of the elder students, so you should be careful to always set good example for the others. Maya is undoubtedly very strong, and we have to be very vigilant like soldiers in a fortress. We should not let maya enter into our activities, but keep all of our activities Krishna conscious. I have faith in you, so always try your best to serve Krishna and your spiritual master, and you will be all successful.

Page Title:	Training of Damodara dasa (Letters, 1967 - 1974)
Compiler:	Labangalatika
Created:	29 of May, 2010
Totals by Section:	BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=0, Let=50
No. of Quotes:	50