a.c. bhaktivedanta swami
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| Prabhupada Letters :: 1968 a.c. bhaktivedanta swami |
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30 May 2004 Thursday, May 30, 1968 Allston, Mass My Dear Aniruddha, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated May 25, 1968, and I have also received one letter signed by three of you, Mukunda, yourself and Umapati, recommending the new boy Stanley Broderick. I have received his beads also, and I am sending him the beads properly initiated, and his initiated name is Sacisuta. Sacisuta means the Son of Saci, or Lord Caitanya. So I am very pleased that this boy is attracted to Krishna Consciousness and he is being initiated by the Grace of Krishna. Please try to save him from the hands of Maya. Regarding your personal sentiments not being in agreement with Umapati: I am very sorry that this thing has happened. We are preaching Krishna Consciousness, the greatest platform of harmony, and if we dissent amongst ourselves, and disunite, it doesn't look very well. You are sinceremost servant of Krishna. I know that you have worked very good for Krishna. I think you should not be disturbed by minor disagreement. If you think that you cannot agree with Umapati, you can stop discussing with him, and if there is any point of judgment, you can refer to me. I am always at your service. So long we are individual souls, there must be disagreement also, because that is the symptom of individuality. But when such individual is surrendered unto Krishna, there should not be any disagreement. Of course, Subala is working alone, and he is doing very nice to his best capacity, but if you want to go there, I have no objection because it will be a great help to Subala. But I know also that much depends on you about the L.A. temple, and I am afraid if you go, the temple in L.A. may suffer. Therefore, I would advise that you should consult with Mukunda about this because he is very calm and coolheaded boy, and then decide whether to go to Santa Fe or not. I am writing separately to Mukunda also, as well as to Umapati in this connection, and I wish to know why there is disagreement. There cannot be any disagreement in discharge of duties in Krishna Consciousness. I am leaving for Montreal on June 3rd, 1968, at 11:00 a.m. and you know Montreal address so that you can reply this letter there. Again I say that don't be agitated on some flimsy ground but cooperate on the platform of Krishna Consciousness. Hope this will find you all right. Your ever well-wisher A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 05:56 | May 30, 1968 Allston, Mass My Dear Umapati, Please accept my blessings. A few days ago I received a nice letter from you in which you wrote nice things, and I was so glad that now you are making progress positively towards Krishna Consciousness. It is understood that Aniruddha and yourself are sometimes not in agreement in subjects concerning Krishna Consciousness. Of course, disagreements may be there, but there should not be dissension. I shall be glad to hear from you what is the point of dissension, and if it isn't very serious, I think you should ask Aniruddha not to be affected by such flimsy disagreement. I am very glad to learn that L.A. temple is improving day by day. Similarly, the temples in other places are also improving, especially Buffalo, Santa Fe, and Boston. I am starting for Montreal on the 3rd of June, 1968, and I shall be glad to hear from you at our Montreal address. Thanking you. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 05:54 | May 30, 1968 Allston, Mass My Dear Mukunda, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your recommendation for initiation to Stanley, whose name is now Sacisuta. In the meantime, I have received another letter from Aniruddha that he is in disagreement with Umapati. I do now know what is the basis of this disagreement, but when you are there, I request you to see to the matter and try to mitigate their illusory disagreement. Even there is disagreement, the platform should be Krishna Consciousness, and in that platform if there is disagreement there is no inebriety. Perhaps you have heard that my application for permanent visa has been denied on the ground that I filed my application while I came as a visitor. So I am leaving for Montreal on the 3rd of June, and second chapter for trying for visa there will begin. I do not know what is the result in future, but this time I have desired that I may go to London, and try to establish a center there for European activities. I have not heard for many days about your good wife, Janaki; I hope she is doing well. Hoping you are all well. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 05:52 | May 30, 1968 Allston, Mass My Dear Sacisuta, Please accept my blessings. I am very glad to receive your letter dated May 26, 1968, along with beads, and I am so pleased that you are seeking for being initiated. So, after due chanting I am sending both your beads by separate first class post parcel. Receive it and chant without any offense. The 10 kinds of offenses are like this: Blaspheming the Lord's devotee Considering the Lord and the demigods on the same level--or assuming there are many gods Neglecting the orders of the spiritual master Minimizing the authority of the Scriptures Interpreting the Holy Name of God Committing sin on the strength of chanting Instructing the glories of the Lord's Name to the unfaithful Comparing the Holy Name with material piety Inattention while chanting the Holy Name Attachment to material things while engaged in the practice of chanting So you follow those principles as well as the four restrictive rules, namely; No addiction to indulgence in any form of intoxication, including coffee, tea and cigarettes No illicit sexual relationships Must be strictly vegetarian No gambling And the other standard practices for initiated devotees: Must attend evening and morning classes Should not extensively mix with non-devotees Should not eat food cooked by non-devotees Should not waste time in idle talks Should not become engaged in frivolous sports Should always chant and sing the Lord's Holy Names Chanting as enunciated by Lord Caitanya is the only means for spiritual realization in this age of dissension. So chant at least 16 rounds daily, and for other help you can ask assistance from your elderly God-brothers. Hope you are well. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 04:49 | May 30, 1968 Boston, Mass. After lecture discussion Prabhupada: When the result of the karma is offered to God, then it is karma-yoga. Satsvarupa: Swamiji? Can I make an announcement? Swamiji has said there are fifty important pilgrimage cities in India, but as far as we're concerned here, it's whatever city His Divine Grace is residing in. So right now it's Boston. And he will stay here so long as it's the best place to spread Krsna consciousness. So you have some taste for it. You can help us to keep Boston this city of pilgrimage. We need engagements for Swamiji. The universities will be closing... Well, some of them are almost already closed. But if you have any access to a nice engagement, a church or a club where people attend, please approach us and help us to spread in this way. Also we have a love feast here in the temple every Sunday at noon, and this is very sumptuous bhakti-yoga love feast with Indian delicacies that you'll certainly enjoy. So approach this way. We'll take collections at this time also. You can help us very solidly by putting in all that you can. Our next kirtana is scheduled for Wednesday--Monday, Wednesday, and Friday--but it won't be, because it will be held at MIT instead in the student mezzanine lounge in the third floor at eight. Prabhupada: Wednesday there will be no meeting here? Satsvarupa: Yes, there'll be no kirtana. That's the next engagement, May 8th. Also, does anyone have a car? Swamiji lives nine blocks away. Prabhupada: You have got a car? Thank you. (end) letters | 01:10 | 29 May 2004 Friday, May 31, 1968 Allston, Mass My Dear Gargamuni, Please accept my blessings. I am in receipt of your letter post-dated May 27, 1968, and I thank you very much for the check for $80.00 for my book account. I am so glad that you are selling my books nicely. Yes, always try to sell our books and Back To Godhead, as far as possible. That is our main business. I am so pleased for your valuable loving sentiments upon me and this will keep you advanced in Krishna Consciousness, rest assured. Next time when I come back to San Francisco, some of the boys who have regularly chanted 16 rounds at least for one year shall be initiated for the second time, and offered sacred thread to recognize them as complete Brahmins. I am going to Montreal on Monday and shall see how things are going there. Krishna willing, I may be staying at Montreal for some time to organize the Temple as well as some Indian visitors. And I have in mind to start 2 or 3 branches there, one in Vancouver. Vancouver is nearer to San Francisco and if I get chance to go to Vancouver, surely I shall come back to San Francisco from there. Regarding your seeking permission for selling some leather goods and water pipes: I say yes, you can sell. We have nothing to do with these things, but in special cases, if somebody asks us to sell intoxicants or similar things, we cannot do that. The pipes are meant for persons who are already addicted to intoxication. So if we don't sell it, it does not mean it will counteract intoxication, even though indirectly it is connected with intoxication. We are not having any connection with these things, but you are selling for getting some profit for Krishna. You cannot dissatisfy your supplier who are eager to sell like that. But anyway, in all such odd circumstances as this, you should ask my permission. But be careful that you may not be attached to such business. If required, we can give up such business at any moment. I am always thinking of you, and I am also feeling separation of you all. But we have to work for Krishna diligently and with faith and love. Hope this will find you all right, and keep in good health. Thanking you once more, Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 10:00 | 28 May 2004 Tuesday, May 28, 1968 Allston, Mass My Dear Harer Nama, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated May 24, 1968, along with the news article published in the Daily Californian, p.9, on Wednesday May 22, 1968. The pictures and the statement are very appropriate and I hope this article will attract the attention of many students. Actually this Krishna Consciousness movement is the greatest need of the present day situation of the world. It is authorized approved and very old, and practical. It can be accepted by any person in any part of the world; that is already tested. Now each one of us has got a great responsibility to spread this movement as far as possible and that is the greatest service to the suffering humanity. You are a student of psychology, so you can study this movement more clearly than others, and try to spread it to your best capacity. Regarding your 2 questions: For offering prasadam simply prayers to the Spiritual Master is sufficient. The process is that everything is offered to the Spiritual Master, and the Spiritual Master is supposed to offer the same foodstuff to the Lord. When a thing is offered to the Spiritual Master, he immediately offers to the Lord. That is the system, and as we come by parampara system, it is our duty to go through the right channel--namely, first the Spiritual Master, then Lord Caitanya, and then Krishna. So when we chant prayers, we do this, Bande ham Sri Guru . . . and gradually to the Goswamis, then to Lord Caitanya, and then to Radha Krishna. That is the praying system. But offering the prasadam to present everything before the Spiritual Master whose picture is also in the altar, means that the Spiritual Master will take care of offering the foodstuff to the Lord. Therefore simply by chanting the prayer to the Spiritual Master, everything will be complete. I think a copy of the Daily Californian in which the article has appeared may be sent to each center of our society, and by that they will be encouraged. If possible, kindly arrange this. I am going to Montreal, sometimes next week after June 2nd. So you can write me letters at the Montreal address as follows: ISKCON RADHA KRISHNA TEMPLE; 3720 Park Avenue; Montreal 18, Quebec, Canada. Also, please send copies of the news article to our different centers, the addresses are as follows: [PAGE MISSING] letters | 09:37 | May 28, 1968 Allston, Mass My Dear Malati, Please accept my blessings. I thank you very much for your letter of May 14, 1968, and I have noted your kind sentiments with appreciation. Don't wait for next life for finishing up the business of Krishna Consciousness; try to finish up this business in this life. And pray to Krishna that if your Krishna Consciousness business is unfinished in this life, He may give you chance to take birth in a family where the father and mother are in Krishna Consciousness. That is a great opportunity. Similarly, the child who is coming in your family is supposed to have executed Krishna Consciousness in his previous life. I have not heard from your husband in many days. After your childbirth, does he propose to go to Germany for preaching work? We want to establish one center in Germany. As my permanent visa in USA has not been granted, so I am going to Montreal for some time, then after my business in Montreal is finished, I may go to London, and then to Germany. That is my desire. I do not know what is Krishna's desire. We can discuss this further at that time. In the absolute world there is no distinction as me, or he, and I. Krishna and His representative is the same. Just like Krishna can be present simultaneously in millions of places. Similarly, the Spiritual Master also can be present wherever the disciple wants. A Spiritual Master is the principle, not the body. Just like a television can be seen in thousands of places by the principle of relay monitoring. This seeing of "spirits" has no connection with Krishna Consciousness--it is hallucination. Yes, so far your coming child is concerned, I shall give name to it when it is born. No, circumcision is not done in Vedic culture, it is not required. Yes, to make a Krishna Consciousness coloring book for children is a very good idea for serving and for spreading Krishna Consciousness to the young children. Please do it. I will give you hints how to do it; just let me know when you are ready to begin. It will be a great service. Hope you are well. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 09:34 | May 28, 1968 Allston, Mass My Dear Hamsaduta, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter of May 27, 1968, and noted the contents carefully. As you are married, there is no need of separation as you are practicing artificially. You must live just like a respectable married couple and earn money as a Grhastha, and spend 50% for Krishna--that is the real program. If you have no sufficient men to form the Kirtana party at the present moment, you can go on chanting as usual in the temple. There is no need of becoming hasty. One or two boys from S.F. can join you at any moment, that is not a problem. But you must have some men locally. The process should be at least 4 to 6 men must be competent to begin the chanting with instruments and the members of the audience should be requested to join them. If you can make this practice successful, you can go anywhere. Four to six men, and the members of the audience will join together, and then it will be very successful Kirtana performance. Just try to practice like this. I am going to Montreal next week and after reaching there I shall consider when and how to go to London, or any other part of Europe. At present it is not yet fixed up. [PAGE MISSING] letters | 09:31 | May 28, 1968 Allston, Mass My Dear Subala, Please accept my blessings. I thank you very much for your letter dated May 24, 1968, and it is very encouraging. I am sure Krishna will help you more and more because you are sincere servant of Krishna. He blessed in your endeavor and everything will be all right gradually, and it will be a great enlightenment for you how God helps those who help themselves, especially in the service of God. Read Srimad-Bhagavatam and chant Hare Krishna and all other things will be adjusted automatically. Offer my blessings to Sriman Hal, who is taking gradual interest in Krishna Consciousness. I am going to Montreal by middle of the first week of June, and I will stay there for some days. You can send me letters at that address after first of June: Hope you are feeling well. Your ever well-wisher ACB letters | 09:29 | Tuesday, May 28, 1968 Allston, Mass My Dear Uddhava, Please accept my blessings. I thank you very much for your letter of May 24, 1968, and have noted the contents carefully. Sambhu is the principle by which the Lord impregnates the material Nature with the seeds of living entities. Durga is expansion of internal energy and Radharani is the quintessence of Internal Energy. In that sense Durga is expansion of Radharani. Brahma is the father of Rudra or Sambhu, therefore Brahma is the original creature for creation. Generally Sambhu is the creator of many many demons. Demons are therefore mostly worshippers of Lord Siva. Hope you are well. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 09:27 | 27 May 2004 Monday, May 27, 1968 Allston, Mass My Dear Brahmananda, Please accept my blessings. I hope you have safely reached N.Y. Till now I have received no reply from the Canadian Immigration Department, and I have just now received one letter from Janardana stating therein that even if I go to Montreal pending my immigration application, there will be no difficulty. Therefore I have decided to start for Montreal just after the second of June any day. I have sent Gaurasundara to the temple to contact him by phone informing this matter, as well as I have sent him one letter by airmail just now. So my going to Montreal is now fixed up. Now, so far American Immigration is concerned; you will try for it after my departure for Montreal. And if you come there sometimes after the first week of June or by the 9th of June, then Janardana, yourself and myself may consult and then take steps what to do in new chapter. So far purchasing the church it appears to be hopeful. So if Mr. Kallman will advise his banker to send a letter addressed to Mr. Muzzy of the Presbyterian Church that the bank will pay $270 per month, then I think the transaction can be finished without difficulty. Of course we will regularly pay Mr. Kallman or his banker this $270 without fail, because we are already paying everywhere more than $270 as rental. So there will be no difficulty to receive the money from San Francisco, and if required, Jayananda can give Mr. Kallman in writing about the assurement. I am enclosing herewith the letter of Jayananda dated May 24, 1968, and I hope this will clarify the whole thing. Please do the needful. Hope you are all well. Your ever well-wisher, P.S. Let me know what you have done with Dai Nippon, United Shipping Corporation & Dwarkin if possible send the copies of letters addressed to them, ACB letters | 04:24 | |
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