ISKCON (the International Society of Krishna Consciousness) is a non-lucrative organization, whose purpose is to promote the well-being of human society by drawing its attention to God. We are a non-sectarian society, and our members include people from Christian, Jewish and Moslem as well as Hindu faiths. The aim of ISKCON is not to found a new religious sect, but to invoke the living entity's dormant love of God, and thus provide the human society of all faiths with a common platform of clear theistic knowledge and practice. Members of ISKCON may retain their own respective religious faiths, as ISKCON is meant to establish a clear, practical common formulation of the common ideal of all theists, and to defeat the unnecessary dogmatic wranglings that now divide and invalidate the theistic camp. This common ideal of theism is to develop love of God.
Well-being (Letters)
Correspondence
1968 Correspondence
So consult with your godbrothers and Gurudasa is the best man to tackle with this landlord and appeal to him to donate this house free for this great cause of spreading Krishna Consciousness. So again I thank you for your nice letter and the sentiments expressed therein and please keep me informed as to your well-being.
I have noted that you describe yourself as being just a "lump of ignorance". Actually the devotee should always think like that. That the devotee should feel himself so lowly is the teaching of Lord Caitanya. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu also represented Himself as a very foolish disciple even though He proved Himself as the greatest scholar and was actually Krishna Himself. So one who feels humble and meek has the door for the Kingdom of God opened for him or her. So I thank you again for your nice letter and please continue to inform me of your well-being.
1969 Correspondence
You can make the heading as follows: Genesis of the Krishna Consciousness Movement.
So please consider carefully the above mentioned points, and also keep me informed as to your all round well-being. Hope this meets you in very good health.
Your ever well-wisher,
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
NB: An Indian gentleman, one B. P. Parikh B.A. D. Education has written to me to say that being inspired by your "devotion to Krishna, and being fascinated by your character, discipline, and devotional surrender to the Lord, he has been drawn to your activities."
Arjuna's youngest brother, Sahadeva, became so angry at this that he was ready to attack Sisupal, but he was restrained by both Krishna and Arjuna. This is the explanation of the picture.
The term Devi Dasi may be used for either married or unmarried female devotees. I thank you once more for informing me of your well-being.
Otherwise she will wait in Boston till after I go there on April 22nd about. So when this matter is decided you will be notified about her arrival there.
I hope this will meet you in good health and cheerful mood. Please keep me informed to your well-being and the progress of your center.
1971 Correspondence
Please accept our prayers for your well being. Our society wishes to thank you for your kind cooperation in the past, regarding CCP application and import of books.
As before, we wish to reiterate that the religious books received from either Japan or our New York Press, are gifts, and there is no intention to sell these books in India, nor is there any question of foreign trade in any of our activities.
Again we are applying for CCP application for shipment of books statement enclosed worth Rs 50,000/- and we will be most happy if you advise and cooperate with us as you have already done.
You have been my student for some time, and I consider that you are one of the big men who are assisting me in this vast work, so I am naturally concerned for your well-being. I want that you should give up this idea of outside living and working and regard it only as a temporary trick of Maya. I need such strong men as yourself to stick with me and together we shall go back to Home, back to Godhead. If you have no other engagement, I would be greatly pleased if you could take up this work of selling my books and literatures everywhere, as many as possible.
1972 Correspondence
This will be good opportunity to preach widely and sell our literatures, so take advantage. But one thing, our platform must be very simple, that there is no other sacrifice necessary for the well-being of the citizens save and except this Sankirtana yajna. Regularly the town citizens can everyone congregate and chant Hare Krishna and hold festivals of celebration continually, with widespread distribution of tasty foodstuffs—who will not be attracted by such program? This is our simple method, nothing else. Any other political programs proposed by politicians will simply spoil everything. Actual government means to give the citizens the highest welfare, that is, spiritual fulfillment and access they should provide to obtain without any difficulty the perfection of this human form of life.
We, the above institution, have got our spiritual communism idea, and we want to see that not a single person, man or animal, remains hungry or in want of material necessities of life. According to our philosophy, a householder or substantial citizen of the state has to see not only after the well-being of his wife, children, relatives and dependents, that they shall be properly taken care of and will not starve, but also even if a lizard lives in his house, he should see that it is not hungry. Therefore, to give all facilities of living condition to all living entities is our Krishna Consciousness movement.
We are, like you, the good public leaders of your nation, interested in material improvement, but also there must be spiritual improvement as well. It is not that I should be concerned only that my wife and sons eat and get satisfaction, but I must be concerned for the ultimate well-being of everyone. By nature, everyone is endowed with individual tastes and preferences, therefore what satisfies one many may not satisfy another, so there will always be some dissatisfaction and discrepancies of all sorts. Therefore, if we try to satisfy everyone's well-being on the material platform, we shall never find the end of it, and we shall be frustrated in our attempts, and there will be protest, etc.
Yes, you have got the right idea when you say that your preaching work shall be directed toward the children and the devotees and not so much to the Dallas public. We may thin the milk till it becomes useless, or we may boil it until it becomes thick and sweet, so now we have got enough followers, let us train them up perfectly in the philosophy and activities of Krsna Consciousness way of life. Unless all of my students become very much fixed up in their spiritual progress, what is the use of so many programs for expansion? So you are the leader at Dallas, now it is your task to become very, very responsible for the spiritual well being of all of the students there, so Krsna will give you all intelligence and facilities to serve Him nicely if you are very much sincere to do so. This will please me very much.
I am in receipt of your letter dated September 8, 1972, and have noted the contents therein. Marriage between husband and wife means that the husband must forever be responsible for the wife's well-being and protection in all cases. That does not mean that now there is agreement between us, therefore I am responsible, but as soon as there is some disagreement then I immediately flee the scene and become so-called renounced. Whether your husband likes to take responsibility as your spiritual guide or not, that does not matter. He must do it. It is his duty because he has taken you as his wife. Therefore he must take full responsibility for you the rest of his life. And you also must agree to serve him under all circumstances and assist him in every way so that he may make advancement in Krsna Consciousness.
1973 Correspondence
This is the position of a Vaisnava. One disciple of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Vasudeva Datta prayed to Lord Caitanya, please Caitanya Mahaprabhu, take all these people back to Home, back to Godhead and I will suffer for their sins. Like this, this is the attitude of a pure Vaisnava. Actually the true Vaisnava, he is the only true humanitarian in the world today, for he is interested in the well-being of all living entities. So you will continue on and consult with Karandhara and the other GBC men and formulate some program to preach this Krishna Consciousness in the colleges and this will please me very much. I am approving of the initiation of John Favors who is now to be called GHANASYAMA DASA. From your description he is to be a very nice and intelligent boy so please train him up properly. You may send his beads on to Kirtanananda Maharaja for chanting.
1974 Correspondence
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 17/9/74 in Hindi language and I have noted the contents. I thank you for your concern for my well being. Actually I was very ill. I was falling down. But, by your prayers Krishna has kindly made me recover. Because you have prayed to Krishna therefore I have recovered. Just like Srimat Kunti devi when there was difficulty, she prayed to Krishna. That is Krishna consciousness. Not that when there is difficulty I shall forget Krishna. Whatever the material condition may be we should just cling to Krishna's lotus feet.
1975 Correspondence
Even a great devotee like Bhisma met his end by being pierced with hundreds of arrows, but he was so powerful that he waited in that condition to see Lord Krishna before he passed away. These are the examples of Bhagavatam, and we have to try to follow the instructions of such great personalities. Please offer my blessings to this nice girl and prayers for her well being.
Regarding your getting married, I have no objection. However as a brahmacari you are not obligated to marry, what is the advantage to your getting married? That should be considered. If one can remain brahmacari that is best. Finish this life and go back to Godhead, that is the basic idea of Krishna consciousness movement. So you decide.
1976 Correspondence
Dear Sri Subrahmanyan,
Please accept my greetings and prayers for your well being. Thank you for your kind appreciation of our Society's activities and of my humble effort on behalf of Lord Krishna.
Regarding your request for some books, the best thing will be if you ask some able person to buy them for you. Or you may ask for the fare to come to Madras and live with the devotees of our Movement. The address in Madras is 50, Aspiran Gardens, 2nd Street, Kilpauk, Madras-10. If you live with our men following our program then you will also get opportunity to read all our books.
I am in due receipt of your letter dated 5th August 1976, and have noted the contents with care.
I thank you very much for your many gifts to me and your concern for my well being. This is the correct attitude for a disciple. The disciple should be prepared to offer everything he has including his body, mind, and words, in the service of the guru. Anyone who is sincerely serving to his greatest capacity becomes dear in the eyes of the Lord. So continue in your efforts to spread Krsna consciousness and to help Jayatirtha prabhu win this case, and always follow the regulative principles of devotional service without fail.
1977 Correspondence
As you probably know, our society is facing a very serious courtcase in Germany. It is understand that if we have difficulty in this courtcase, we may not get further chance to print our German books. Whatever German books you have lying with you ready for printing should be immediately printed. This work should be given priority as our society's well-being there depends upon it.
| Page Title: | Well-being (Letters) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 12 of Nov, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=0, Let=19 |
| No. of Quotes: | 19 |