a.c. bhaktivedanta swami
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| Prabhupada Letters :: 1968 a.c. bhaktivedanta swami |
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23 May 2004 Thursday, May 23, 1968 Allston, Mass. My Dear Kirtanananda Swami, Please accept my blessings. I was so glad to receive your letter dated May 13, 1968, and my gladness knew no bounds, exactly like that when one gets back his lost child. You have written to say that you think of me often and now it is confirmed that you cannot do without thinking of me, because I was always thinking of you. Sometimes I silently cried and prayed to Krishna that how I have lost this child, Kirtanananda. But I am sure that you cannot be lost because you chanted very nicely in Vrindaban. Anyone who once sincerely chanted the Holy Name of Krishna cannot be separated from the Krishna Consciousness atmosphere. So I was sure that you were never lost and you would come back. Anybody who asked me how Kirtanananda left me I answered that either Kirtanananda or Hayagriva cannot be lost because at least they have chanted sincerely the Holy Name of Krishna. Anyway, Hayagriva came to me and was very glad to see him in New York, and I expected also to see you. You wrote one letter to Janardana, and I have replied that letter, and from the letter you can understand my feelings for you. Krishna has provided you with a nice plot of land, and it is due to His causeless unlimited mercy upon you. You were in Vrindaban but you did not like the atmosphere and you became disturbed, so immediately after your arrival in Vrindaban you felt uncomfortable--that I could understand, and therefore you came back to U.S.A. although it was settled before starting that you continue to live in Vrindaban. Krishna is so kind that you went to Indian Vrindaban, but you did not like that particular place, somehow or other, and therefore He has so kindly awarded so nice piece of land, exactly resembling Vrindaban. We should always know that Vrindaban is not localized in a particular area, but that wherever Krishna is there, Vrindaban is automatically there. And wherever the Holy Name of Krishna is chanted, Krishna is present there because there is no difference between Krishna and His Holy Name. So I am so pleased to learn that you are chanting and meditating of Krishna, and once only you are eating something to keep your body and soul together. But my request is that as you have accepted Sannyas in this order of our disciplic succession, you must do some more service to Krishna than chanting and meditating, and the opportunity you have got. I understand that the land is very big area; I heard that it is 320 acres of land, and in the letter addressed to Janardana, you expressed your desire to convert this beautiful piece of land into New Vrindaban in U.S.A. I wish that you may try for this New Vrindaban to your best capacity, and Krishna will give you all help. And if this piece of land is turned into New Vrindaban then I shall forget to return to Indian Vrindaban. I am getting older and older, so actually if I get a peaceful place as described by you, the rest of my life will be continued in translating Srimad-Bhagavatam and other Goswami literature, assisted by some of my disciples like you. So anytime you take me to your new hermitage, I shall be very glad to go there. So far your cooking is concerned, you are my first student to learn Indian style of cooking and from you the disciplic succession has spread and many of our students are cooking. But still your cooking surpasses everyone's cooking. I shall be glad to participate in your nice and tasteful prasadam. I am here till the end of May, 1968, and then I may either go to Montreal or may return to New York. It is not yet settled. My permanent visa is not yet granted; they are making so many implications. It may be that I may get permanent visa in Canada, but nothing is fixed up as yet, so I do not know what is there in the future. But I know Krishna has something in His mind, and whatever He does is the best. I shall be much pleased if you kindly write me at your convenience, and more, I shall be glad to hear that you are chanting Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, Hare Hare. Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Hoping you are well. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami P.S. Sriman Umapati's doing very well in L.A. letters | 00:30 | Thursday, May 23, 1968 Allston, Mass. My Dear Yamuna, Please accept my blessings. I received your letter a few days ago and I am very glad to learn that you are training the 2 boys in Krishna Consciousness. I do not think you require an academic degree for training such boys. We are training Krishna Consciousness, which has nothing to do with academic education; I therefore wish that instead of wasting your time for 2 or 3 years for taking a degree, you may increase your scope of activities for recruiting such boys and training them in Krishna Consciousness. But if your state laws do not allow it to hold any class without such degree then you must get such degree. On the whole you have got a very nice engagement for training children in Krishna Consciousness. And I think you are very fit for it. I am sure if you endeavor in this line of service, Krishna will be very much pleased and will shower His blessing more and more. you are very nice girl and I have got full faith in you and I wish that you can develop this line of service to the society. If possible, please send me the address of Prasad; I want to write him one letter. Hope you are both well. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 00:28 | Thursday, May 23, 1968 Allston, Mass. My Dear Gurudasa, Please accept my blessings. A few days ago I received one letter from you in which you desired to send me one manuscript for Nimai Sannyas drama, written by some Mr. Chatterji. Generally these dramas are sentimentalism. Those who are devotees of Lord Caitanya, they do not discuss much about the Lord's renouncing the householder life, but there are certain persons who floodlight the renouncement of Lord Caitanya in a materialistic sentimental way. I have seen such drama, written by Mr. Diliproy, and that was nearly nonsense. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu decided to accept this renounced order of life in a moment, and the business was finished in a day. But these people, in order to create a scene, they adulterate the Lord's renouncement in so many ways. so I guess in the drama of Mr. Chatterji similar such things may be included. Any drama or book written by unauthorized persons should not be indulged in. (In this connection I may mention that I have seen one copy of "Narada Pancaratra" sent here from San Francisco, and it is not good. Please stop circulation of this book, which is not authorized.) A pure devotee is always free from the four principle restrictions, and he has a tilaka on his forehead. At least these symptoms indicate one's purity in Krishna Consciousness. If one is not following these principles, he is not considered to be a pure devotee. As a matter of recognition I am giving the second endowment of initiation, namely the sacred thread to those who are chanting 16 rounds regularly, and have followed the four principles of restrictions may be awarded this sacred thread. The first batch of six disciples are already given. When I return to San Francisco I shall offer the same sacred thread to some of you. Hope you are well. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 00:24 | Thursday, May 23, 1968 Allston, Mass. My Dear Krishna das, Please accept my blessings. I am receiving your twigs for washing my teeth very regularly and I thank you very much. What about Krishna's flute you attempted to prepare? I think you can prepare one silver flute and I am inserting measurement. It should be with golden relief work--raised embroidery-like designs--on the body of the flute. The length of the flute may be 5 inches, and it should be 1.4" thick. Now I shall be glad to know what is your credit balance in the bank. It may be that I may call you to go with me to India at any moment. Hope you are well. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 00:14 | 17 May 2004 May 17, 1968 Allston, Mass. My Dear Gosainji, Please accept my greetings. Since I have come back to USA I have not heard anything from you. I hope everything is well with you. I am very much anxious to know about the litigations amongst yourselves. If you have no objections, you can let me know what the present position is. In my humble opinion I may say that instead of wasting your money and energy in the matter of litigation between yourselves, you shall now make a constructive program to develop the Seva-Puja establishment of Sri Sri Radha-Damodara Jeu. When you invited me from Kesi Ghat to the shelter Radha-Damodara Jeu, it was very kind of you. And at that time, both yourself and Nripen Babu of Kanpur agreed to give me the vacant lands adjoining the temple on leased terms. I hope you will remember this and I think in my files I have got letters of confirmations from both of you, namely, yourself and Nripen Babu. Later on situation became different, and the proposal could not be given any practical shape. I entered Sri Sri Radha-Damodara Jeu Temple with a desire to develop the position of the Temple in a very attractive way, but the prospect is being checked at the present position on account of both you and Nripen Babu being entangled in litigation. I am getting old day by day, and I do not know when the last moment will come, but before the last moment will come, I wanted to fulfill my desire in the matter of developing the establishment of Sri Sri Radha-Damodara Temple. I therefore request both of you to come to an agreement and let us join together in the service of the Lord. I hope this will find you in good health, with my good wishes for Ma Gosain Panchu, and other members of your family. I am going to Montreal, Canada, by the first week of June, and my Montreal address is as following: ISKCON RADHA KRISHNA TEMPLE; 3720 Park Avenue; Montreal 18, Quebec, Canada. If you reply this letter earlier than the first of June, you can address me at the above Boston address, otherwise, you can address me at my above mentioned Montreal address. Hope this meets you all right. Yours in the service of the Lord, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami P.S. My disciple, Sriman Acyutananda Brahmacari, is now working in Delhi; and I hope he sometimes comes to see you and the Temple from Delhi. letters | 10:30 | |
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