a.c. bhaktivedanta swami
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| Prabhupada Letters :: 1968 a.c. bhaktivedanta swami |
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19 Jun 2004 Wednesday, June 19, 1968 Montreal, Quebec My Dear Purusottama, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter of June 15, 1968. I thank you very much for your feelings about me, but you should know that you are always with me. Because you are sincere servitor of Krishna and following my direction sincerely, so you are always with me. In future, of course, I shall try to keep you in my association as soon as there is such opportunity; in the meantime, I shall request you to open correspondence with Mr. Marcial Tamayo, or Mr. David J. Exley, chief of the NGO section of U.N., to get some appointment for meeting so that we can furthermore impress them about the importance of this movement, and thereby seeking cooperation from the U.N. for disseminating our great philosophy to the responsible personalities of each and every nation. They have not yet come to understand the importance of this movement, but if they kindly hear patiently about the basic principles of the movement, they will feel obliged to get this enlightenment. You began contacting the U.N. and it has come to a little success, and with this clue, if we try more, then our purpose may be fulfilled in the very near future. So kindly try for this. If they want to see me personally, I shall be very glad also to meet them. The idea is that we want to get some facilities for presenting our formulas to the different nations of the world. The formula is very simple, but sublime at the same time. I think you shall try for this. How is your store going on, Krishna's store? You have not written anything about it. You can also remind Brahmananda whether he has got the original letter received from Mr. Sahai of the Indian Embassy in Washington. If he has got that letter, please ask him to return it to me. Hoping you are all well. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami P.S. I have not heard anything from Brahmananda since he has gone to N.Y. ACB letters | 05:37 | June 19, 1968 Montreal, Quebec My Dear Saradia, Please accept my blessings. I am so glad to receive your letter dated May 30, 1968, and I was just awaiting another letter from your intimate friend Ali Krishna. I am so glad to learn that Ali Krishna and you are all living with Malati and Syamasundara. We have recently got a newcomer baby, Srimati Sarasvati devi, and pleased to learn that they are taking all care for you. I am also very glad that your mother is also taking part in Krishna Conscious activities. I have received one letter from Lilavati also, and I have replied her. I am very glad to know also that the injury in your hand is now cured. Yes, I am happy to hear that you are going to visit with Jadurani. She will be very much happy to see you also. We are preparing for starting for London and very soon we shall go there. And as soon as the newly born child is little strong, Malati and Syamasundara, along with you, may come to London and start our Sankirtana movement there. Hoping you are well. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 05:34 | 18 Jun 2004 Tuesday, June 18, 1968 Montreal, Quebec My Dear Gargamuni, Please accept my blessings. I thank you very much for your letter dated June 11, 1968, and noted the contents. Your sentiments expressed in this letter are transcendentally relished. Certainly you are mine and I am Krishna's, therefore you are also Krishna's. In the Krishna Consciousness activities that is the process. By following the disciplic succession, beginning from Krishna, everything becomes ultimately connected with Krishna. And Krishna being absolute, anything connected with Him becomes absolute, without any duality of concept like in the material world. In the material world, it is called illusion because everyone thinks I or my. But in the spiritual world, everything is Krishna. We being part and parcel of Krishna, when we surrender fully unto Krishna with sincerity of purpose, through the transparent via media of the spiritual master. One who thinks himself as Krishna's, he is non-different from Krishna. So the attitude which you are mentioning is the Grace of Krishna, and I wish by His Lordship's Mercy you will continue this aptitude of becoming more and more progressed in Krishna Consciousness. Thank you very much for thinking in such a nice way. Regarding the press, recently I have received one letter from Rayarama which I am enclosing herewith for your perusal. You can open correspondence with him about the press, and give him the details of the press materials. I think they are asking $5000.00 to make a bargain; if we can purchase a press for $1000.00 as informed by Rayarama, why should we spend $5000.00. Anyway, you can open correspondence with Rayarama in this connection, and certainly as we need a press for printing our books and magazines, I think Krishna is presenting us with the opportunity to purchase one press of our own. Here also in Montreal the temple space is very great, and part of it we can very easily spare for running on a nice press. And Mr. Kallman is ready to invest money. So far manpower is concerned, I think we shall be able to get it. There will be no scarcity of manpower. So considering all these different angles, if we can have our own press, it will serve the greatest purpose of our mission. Please therefore send the details of the press to Rayarama and if possible, send me a copy of the details. But I guess they are demanding not very reasonably. It cannot be so much high priced. Hoping you are well. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 05:30 | 17 Jun 2004 Monday, June 17, 1968 Montreal, Quebec My Dear Sacisuta, Please accept my blessings. I am very much thankful to you for your letter dated June 12, 1968. The science of Krishna Consciousness is transcendental science which is never understood by materialistic persons. Therefore, the Vedas order is that one must approach a spiritual master to understand that transcendental science. And the qualification of a spiritual master is that he has to have received the knowledge similarly from a bona fide spiritual master, and the result is that a spiritual master is completely convinced of the existence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and he is fixed. That is the qualification of the spiritual master. In other words, this science is appreciated by service attitude only. It is never understood by any challenging spirit. One who is submissive and ready to give aural reception of the transcendental message, to him only the transcendence becomes revealed. So the more you become in service attitude for Krishna, Krishna will reveal Himself to you. Krishna is within you and He is awaiting your surrender and service, and as soon as He sees that you are seriously in serving mood, you will understand everything about Krishna--His qualities, His form, His pastimes, His entourage, and His abode. I am very glad to know that you are gradually stepping upwards by your service attitude and I would request you to prolong this attitude eternally, and Krishna will reveal Himself unto you continually. In other words, Krishna is unlimited, but the more we advance in service attitude, we appreciate Him in newer and newer features. There is a verse spoken by Yamuna Acarya. He says, since I have begun to realize the newer and newer features of Krishna, I have forgotten more and more about material enjoyment. And the summit of material enjoyment is sex. And Yamuna Acarya says that whenever I think of sex, I spit on it. This is the state of Krishna Consciousness. The more you forget about nonsense material enjoyment, you must know you are advancing in Krishna Consciousness. You haven't got to ask anybody how you are making progress, you will realize yourself by this test. Just like a person taking lunch, he will feel satisfied of hunger and strength, himself. Similarly, the more you serve Krishna, you will forget material hankerings and get spiritual strength. This is the test. I am glad to know you are feeling like that, and keeping chanting Hare Krishna and the answer is already received by you. Thank you very much. Regarding your question, how Krishna can become a male: (your question,". . . I read from Srimad-Bhagavatam, chap. 11, text 7, `Oh, Creator of the Universe, You are our mother, well wisher, Lord, father, the spiritual master and worshipable deity.' I was asked, `How can Krishna be mother if He is the Supreme Male?' ") You have to forget always material concepts of existence for Krishna. Krishna is totally different from anything of material concept. In the material idea, we think that how a male can be a female, or how a female can become a male. This is material. But you know the picture that Krishna as Garbhodaksayi Visnu is lying on the sea, and a lotus stem is growing out of His abdomen navel, and Brahma is born there. Visnu's wife, Laksmi, was present there. She was just massaging the Lord's leg, and the Lord avoided her and produced a child. Here in the material world, without the assistance of the wife, nobody can produce a child. But there is the tangible example, that Visnu, without any sex life with wife He produced a child. In the material sense, we cannot conceive how a child can take birth without being born through the abdomen of one woman. Therefore, Krishna being both father and mother, He can be addressed also as mother. That is His all-powerful strength. He is full in Himself. He does not require anyone's help, therefore, He is both father and mother. I think this will clear your idea. It is our material thinking that is hindering us. You are thinking male, of the material world, and a male in the material world cannot produce a child. And if you think also that Krishna is mother, again you are thinking with material conception. So we have to avoid using our material thinking and material concepts when we think about Krishna. Therefore, we have to approach a bona fide spiritual master in order to understand. Another example is explained in the Bhagavad-gita, that Krishna begets the living entities, within the womb of material nature. The material nature is also expansion of Krishna's potency. The potency is not different from the potent. Just like the heat is not different from the fire. In other words, heat and fire is the same thing; so if we talk in that way, the material nature is the mother and Krishna is the father. But material nature being non-separable from Krishna, Krishna becomes both father and mother at the same time. The heat is fire and the fire is heat. Although you can bear the intensity of heat, but if you put into the fire, you will be burned. The heat and fire are simultaneously one and different. That is the philosophy of inconceivably one and different, expounded by Lord Caitanya. Try to understand in that way. Your next question, ("In Srimad-Bhagavatam, chap. 9, text 1, `Suta Goswami said, thus being afraid of the act of killing the subjects in the battlefield of Kuruksetra, Maharaja Yudhisthira went to that place of massacre where Bhismadeva.. was lying on a bed of arrows for passing away. Bhismadeva.. was endowed with the power of leaving his material body at his will and his lying down on a bed of arrows was his own choice.' Did Bhismadeva.. get wounded by arrows at the battle of Kuruksetra, or did he simply chose to leave his mortal body and thus lay down for passing on a bed of arrows") Bhismadeva.. was surely wounded by the arrows of Arjuna. But wounding is not always the cause of death. In our own practical experience we know that many soldiers become wounded in battlefield, sometimes very severely, but still one is not dead--he recovers in the hospital. So Bhismadeva.. was certainly such severely wounded, but that was not the cause of his death. He preferred to lie down on the bed of arrows and all Pandavas and Krishna arrived there to see his passing away. So his passing away was just on his own will--that was the benediction given by his father. In the battlefield Bhismadeva.. also wounded very severely Krishna. He was a great devotee of Krishna. And Lord Krishna accepted those arrows piercing His body as if somebody is worshipping with soft rose flowers. That is Krishna's transcendental body. But those who are materialists, they are cheated by Krishna that He is wounded. The materialists will think that Krishna was wounded, but one who knows what is Krishna, knows also that He is worshipped by the arrows. So in the battlefield, neither Krishna was wounded, neither Bhismadeva.. died due to the injuries out of the wounds. He decided to pass away at that time, therefore he died. These things will be more and more clear when you understand Krishna by revelation. I think if you make progress in your present attitude, you shall soon know all these intricacies of spiritual and material living conditions. I am very glad to learn that you are at Los Angeles temple. Please try to improve the condition of the temple conjointly, and this service will be very much appreciated by Lord Jagannatha. Just now I received one telephone message from San Francisco that a girl baby is born of Malati and Syamasundara.. And they asked me for registration of the baby's name, and she is named by me as Sarasvati devi. Please pray for the newly born baby in Krishna Consciousness. Hoping you are all well. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 05:00 | 16 Jun 2004 Sunday, June 16, 1968 Montreal, Quebec My Dear Satsvarupa, Please accept my blessings. I thank you very much for your letter of June 12, 1968. Yes, I am getting some good opportunities to meet here several learned scholars. Last night we had a meeting in the house of Mr. Abdul Rabbi, and there were some University professors and a Dr. Abbot, a Dr. MacMillan, and many others, two clergymen, and their wives. One Father Lanlais was without wife. So there was very good discussion and by the Grace of Krishna, I was able to give them some impression of this philosophy, that it is nicer than anything. Professor Abdul is Mohammedan, and is writing a thesis of Sufi religion. And he was also impressed. Unfortunately, I had to eat there, but I accepted a little fruits only, while they were eating all sorts of nonsense, but at least they did not drink. We are the two persons only, Janardana and myself, we avoided all kinds of nonsense. Brahmacaris and Brahmacarinis can live in the temple provided there is separate arrangement. The restriction is there because if they live together there might be sex impulses agitated. The whole principle is especially for the Brahmacaris to avoid causes which may give impetus to the sex desire. But in your country it is very difficult to make aloof the boys and girls because they are accustomed to mix together. So it is not possible for me to introduce this new system very strictly, because they are trained differently. Someway or other, if you are intelligent boy, you should make arrangement for the boys and girls to live separately; Brahmacaris at one place all together, and the Brahmacarinis all together at another place. We should always remember that sex life in spiritual advancement is great impediment. So keeping this point of view in front, we should intelligently manage things with great care. So that our aim of life may not be missed. Maharaja Dasarath, although he was a great devotee of the Lord, but because he was a Ksatriya king, keeping one's promise is inevitable for him. He preferred to banish Ramacandra on the request of his wife on the principle of keeping his promise. In higher states of spiritual life, one can break even promises also, but they are devotees of comparative merit. In the case of Vasudeva, we find that he was spiritually more advanced than Maharaja Dasarath. Vasudeva was also in agreement with Kamsa that he would deliver all his sons to his hand, as soon as the child is born. But in the case of Krishna he broke his promise. The point is that Krishna appeared as the full fledged Personality of Godhead. But Ramacandra appeared as an ideal king. Therefore in the Lila of Ramacandra, principles of morality and ethics as they are to be followed by ideal king and ruler was followed. In the same sense, He banished Sita in order to prove Himself as an ideal king who wanted to make His subjects always happy. The whole program was on the basis of an ideal king. But in the case of Lord Krishna, He played as full independent Supreme Personality of Godhead. Apparently, therefore he transgressed so many moral and ethical principles. These comparative studies on the life of Krishna and Ramacandra is very intricate, but the basic principle is that Ramacandra appeared as an ideal king and Krishna appeared as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Although there is no difference between the two. A similar example is Lord Caitanya. He appeared as devotee, and not as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Although He is Krishna Himself. So we should accept the Lord's mood in particular appearances and we should worship Him in that mood. Sometimes Lord Caitanya, because He is Krishna Himself, somebody worships Him in the same manner as Krishna. But Krishna was in the role of enjoyer and Lord Caitanya is in the role of being enjoyed. So the party known as Gauranga Nagari, they are considered to be deviated from pure devotional service, on account of Lord Caitanya given the same facility of Krishna, which He did not like. Our service mood should be compatible to the attitude of the Lord. Not that we should overlap the attitude of Krishna to Lord Caitanya, or Lord Caitanya to Krishna, or Krishna to Ramacandra, or Ramacandra to Krishna. Therefore, in the Sastras, specific injunctions are there, just like to worship Lord Caitanya is by the method of chanting Hare Krishna. Yes, it is true that Ramacandra banished Sita later on. Ayodhya is not bound up with any material worlds. Just like Vrindaban is not bound up by any material limitations, as much as Krishna is not bound up by any material limitations. So the kingdom of Ayodhya historically was a tract of land as we see at the present moment, but at that time the king of Ayodhya was the emperor of the world. Yes, that is very nice, your statement that "I am offering special flowers and prayers to Lord Jagannatha every morning because I know He is liberal to crippled and mistake-making devotees of His Lotus Feet." If we are always afraid of our mistakes, Krishna will save us from all such misgivings and even imperceptibly we commit some mistake, He will forgive us. But we should be always very careful not to commit mistakes. You are trying your best at that center, and Krishna will help you certainly. I am very glad to see that you are not disappointed. This is a good sign. One should work with courage and patience, and certainly Krishna will be pleased. For the time being you have four or five devotees there, so you try to maintain them there, so that you can carry on your program. Hoping you are all well. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami N. B. In the near future if I get even Canadian Permanent Visa, I shall go at least once quarterly to your place & try to enlighten people there in Krishna Consciousness. Please offer my blessings to Jadurani, __ & __. ACB letters | 04:52 | June 16, 1968 Montreal, Quebec My Dear Aniruddha, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter of June 5th, 1968, and I thank you very much for it. Yes, I have noted your questions about the serving of prasadam. The main thing is that whenever prasadam is offered to the Lord, everything should be very respectfully and cleanly presented and prepared. In Jagannatha Puri, the Lord eats 56 times. So the Lord can eat as many times as you can offer. But only thing is whatever is offered must be with respect and devotion. He is neither hungry nor poor, nor unable to eat, but He accepts everything, when such eatable is within the groups of vegetables, fruits, flours, milk, water, etc. is offered to Him with love and devotion, and faith. He wants our love only, and that makes Him hungry for eating as many times as you may offer. He is absolute, therefore, all contradictory points coincide in Him. He is hungry and satisfied simultaneously. So the purport is that everything should be offered very cleanly and pure things should be given. If a preparation is cooked all together, then offer all together. But if it is prepared separately, then the milk, the sugar and the cereal should be offered separately. But if the milk, sugar and grains are all cooked together, that can be done. Everything should be prepared very carefully and cleanly within the groups of foods listed. And nothing should ever be eaten before offering to the Lord. Best thing is to prepare separately each preparation. No, food which has been offered should never be put back into the refrigerator with the unoffered foods, or brought back into the kitchen. You should prepare as much as can be consumed, and after offering, nothing should be put back in the refrigerator, or kitchen. Refrigerator should always be very cleansed and pure. Everyone should be careful to make only as much as they can eat; they cannot keep any leftovers in refrigerator. I know this is a practice in your country, but in the temples or at homes of any Krishna Consciousness persons, a person should not indulge in such unclean habits. If there is any food extra, that should be kept separately; and if there is a separate refrigerator, not within the kitchen and not having in it any unoffered foods, then you may have such special refrigerator for leftover prasadam. But it cannot be kept within the same refrigerator as the unoffered, unprepared foods. That cannot be. One should never eat within the kitchen, there is ample place to eat so why should one eat in the kitchen? Kitchen should be considered as good as the Lord's room, and nobody should wear shoes in the kitchen, smelling and tasting of foods being prepared for the Lord should never be done, talking within the kitchen should be only what is necessary for preparing the prasadam, or about the Lord. Dirty dishes (those taken from kitchen and eaten from) should not be brought back into the kitchen (but if there is no other place to wash them, then they should be put into sink and washed immediately.), hands should always be washed when preparing prasadam, and in this way, everything shall be prepared very cleanly and pure.) What is the difficulty of enforcing these rules? They are rules, and they are simple rules, and must be followed. One must be prepared to follow the rules for Krishna. Otherwise where is the proof that he loves Krishna. And they are not very difficult to follow. I am very happy to hear that your center there is progressing nicely, and please continue doing like that. Hoping you are well. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 04:47 | 14 Jun 2004 Friday, June 14, 1968 Montreal, Quebec My Dear Hayagriva, Please accept my blessings. I was just expecting your letter since I have come here from Boston. I have already informed you about my successful program in Boston, attending many colleges and universities, and the church meetings, practically throughout the whole month. And Sriman Satsvarupa is to be congratulated for his endeavor to keep me engaged in such meetings. I thought that you were going to San Francisco as you informed me previously that during Rathayatra festival you would be there. The Rathayatra festival is going to be held between 27th June to 7th July, and they are making broader arrangement than last year, and expecting people numbering from 1000 to 5000 will attend the procession, chanting Hare Krishna. They have been advised to turn San Francisco gradually into New Jagannatha Puri, and I have advised Kirtanananda and yourself to convert West Virginia into New Vrindaban. I understand the spot is very beautiful, and the hills may be renamed as New Govardhana. And if there are lakes, they can be renamed as Syamakunda and Radhakunda. Vrindaban does not require to be modernized because Krishna's Vrindaban is transcendental village. They completely depend on nature's beauty and nature's protection. The community in which Krishna preferred to belong was Vaisya community, because Nanda Maharaja happened to be a Vaisya king, or landholder, and his main business was cow protection. It is understood that he had 900,000 cows and Krishna and Balarama used to take charge of them, along with His many cowherd boy friends, and every day, in the morning He used to go out with His friends and cows into the pasturing grounds. So, if you seriously want to convert this new spot as New Vrindaban, I shall advise you not to make it very much modernized. But as you are American boys, you must make it just suitable to your minimum needs. Not to make it too much luxurious as generally Europeans and Americans are accustomed. Better to live there without modern amenities. But to live a natural healthy life for executing Krishna Consciousness. It may be an ideal village where the residents will have plain living and high thinking. For plain living we must have sufficient land for raising crops and pasturing grounds for the cows. If there is sufficient grains and production of milk, then the whole economic problem is solved. You do not require any machines, cinema, hotels, slaughterhouses, brothels, nightclubs--all these modern amenities. People in the spell of maya are trying to squeeze out gross pleasure from the senses, which is not possible to derive to our heart's content. Therefore we are confused and baffled in our attempt to eschew eternal pleasure from gross matter. Actually, joyful life is on the spiritual platform, therefore we should try to save our valuable time from material activities and engage them for Krishna Consciousness. But at the same time, because we have to keep our body and soul together to execute our mission, we must have sufficient (not extravagant) food to eat, and that will be supplied by grains, fruits, and milk. So if you can develop this place to that ideal life and the residents become ideal Krishna Conscious men, in that part of your country, I think not only many philosophically minded people will be attracted, but they will be benefited also. So far I am personally concerned, the United States Immigration Department has denied my application for permanent visa on some technical ground. In other words, just to avoid a Swami, because the government is disgusted with so-called Swamis who exploit the innocent public in your country. The difficulty is that the people in this country, they want to continue their practice of sense gratification, and at the same time they want to become transcendentally advanced. This is quite contradictory. One can advance in transcendental life by process of negativating the general practice of materialistic life. The exact adjustment is in Vaisnava philosophy, which is called Yukta Vairagya, means that we should simply accept the bare necessities of our material part of life, and try to save time for spiritual advancement. This should be the motto of New Vrindaban, if you at all develop it to the perfectional stage. And I am always at your service to help you by practical suggestion and assistance also. On the other hand I was thinking that if I get permanent visa in Montreal, I shall make Montreal my headquarters and at that time I may require your help in so many ways. As we passed correspondence previously, that we should live together either in India or in this part of the world for publication of so many Vaisnava literatures. But if you want to develop New Vrindaban, I can spare you for that purpose, and it may be that we can live there together. For the time being, if you actually want to develop such ideal asrama, we must have sufficient land, and all other things will gradually grow. For raising crops from the land, how many men will be required--that we must estimate and for herding the cows and feeding them. We must have sufficient pasturing ground to feed the animals all round. We have to maintain the animals throughout their life. We must not make any program for selling them to the slaughterhouses. That is the way of cow protection. Krishna by His practical example taught us to give all protection to the cows and that should be the main business of New Vrindaban. Vrindaban is also known as Gokula. Go means cows, and kula means congregation. Therefore the special feature of New Vrindaban will be cow protection, and by doing so, we shall not be loser. In India of course, a cow is protected and the cowherdsmen they derive sufficient profit by such protection. Cow dung is used as fuel. Cow dung dried in the sunshine kept in stock for utilizing them as fuel in the villages. They get wheat and other cereals produced from the field. There is milk and vegetables and the fuel is cow dung, and thus, they are self-independent in every village. There are hand weavers for the cloth. And the country oil-mill (consisting of a bull walking in circle round two big grinding stones, attached with yoke) grinds the oil seeds into oil. The whole idea is that people residing in New Vrindaban may not have to search out work outside. Arrangements should be such that the residents should be self-satisfied. That will make an ideal asrama. I do not know these ideals can be given practical shape, but I think like that; that people may be happy in any place with land and cow without endeavoring for so-called amenities of modern life--which simply increase anxieties for maintenance and proper equipment. The less we are anxious for maintaining our body and soul together, the more we become favorable for advancing in Krishna Consciousness. Hoping you are well. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 04:35 | June 14, 1968 Montreal, Quebec My Dear Himavati, Please accept my blessings. And offer the same to your good husband. I was so glad to receive the two caps which are very nicely made fitting to my skull, and I am enjoying it everyday in the morning, and when I walk on the street they all look at me due to your cap. Not only your cap but also I am enjoying the shirt made by you. And Lord Jagannatha is also enjoying similarly with cap and ghagara. So Krishna has given you a very good talent and you are sewing expert. Regarding Kirtana party, I find that the Montreal temple is very suitable for training. So I am trying in Canada for visa, and if it is successful then I shall call you both, husband and wife, for beginning a training class of Kirtana. In the meantime ask your husband to accumulate some money on this account because my next program is to proceed to London with a Kirtana party. It is my duty to help you always in the matter of understanding Krishna Consciousness and whatever I am trying to bestow upon you all is the gift of Lord Krishna directly--I am just doing the work of a bearer. There is nothing of my personal contribution and I ask all your mercy so that I may be able to distribute Krishna's message as it is without any deviation. That will make Krishna, myself, and all others eternally happy. It is so nice, sublime and easy to perform. Teaching the girls to sew nicely is also a very good idea. Take some Indian samples from Purusottama and try to make exactly like that so that we may make very good profit for the society. Our society requires millions of dollars for propaganda work, but Krishna has made us financially poor. I think it is good to remain financially poor because always we shall be able to pray Krishna, asking His help to execute His service. If all of a sudden we become very strong financially, Maya may dictate us for sense enjoyment, and we may fall prey to her tactics. Therefore to remain poor is one of the qualifications for advancing in Krishna Consciousness. Our predecessors, the Goswamis, they voluntarily gave up everything for advancement in Krishna Consciousness. We do not require any money for our personal account, we shall always be happy with anything Krishna is happy to supply us for maintenance, but for the preaching purposes, we can accommodate to receive all the riches of the world. So let us try with sincerity, and Krishna will help us in the matter of our advancing the cause of Krishna Consciousness. Yes, you can teach the Brahmacarinis sewing very nicely, and it will be a great help to the society. Of course, if they can remain Brahmacarinis, it is nice. But it is difficult also. It is not good for the Brahmacarinis to associate with householders; similarly it is not good also for the Brahmacarinis to mix with Brahmacaris, but in your country the boys and girls are accustomed to mix freely. Therefore, we cannot put any deadline restriction. In my opinion, if the boys and girls get themselves married just like ideal Vaisnava householders, that is very good. But, if by the Grace of Krishna, both the girls and boys can live separately, that is still better, but it is not possible. If it is possible to divert the whole attention for Krishna's service it is quite possible to remain single even for the whole life. So you have got now good engagement so remain engaged in that work and train the Brahmacarinis also, chant Hare Krishna and pull on your sewing machine. There is no need of separation. Live together and train up your mind, that is all. Artificial separation is never recommended. And when you see, living together, you have no desire for sense gratification, then that is the highest stage of perfection. Voluntary restraint is tapasya, austerity, and this is possible with advancement of Krishna Consciousness. Artificial separation is foolishness. We recommend voluntary restraint, not artificial separation. So you should understand that there is no objection to live together as husband and wife. The tendency is there, it is natural. But if one can check it, that is very good. But it is not compulsory. And not to be checked artificially, but with advancement of strength in Krishna Consciousness. Yes, to call one another prabhu is all right, but not to become prabhu. To accept others as prabhu, and remain as servant is the idea. But because somebody is calling you prabhu, one should not become a prabhu, and treat others as servants. In other words, everyone should feel himself as servant, and not to think himself prabhu because he is being called prabhu. This will make the relationship congenial. Hoping you are both well. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 04:29 | June 14, 1968 Montreal. Quebec My Dear Purusottama, Please accept my blessings. I am very glad to receive the copy of the letter from United Nations information department and it is very hopeful for our future activities. I have handed over the letter to Janardana for making some copies. In the transcendental world there is no influence of maya or time. So there is full freedom of activities but because there is no maya, therefore everyone is engaged in his natural activities of spontaneously serving Krishna in different relationships. Just like hand is related with the whole body for some particular purpose, the leg is related with the whole body for some particular purpose, the ear is related with the whole body for some particular purpose, and so on. Similarly all living entities being eternally part and parcel of the Supreme Lord they are engaged in His service for some particular purpose. So there are varieties of engagements but they are all united with the central Figure, Lord Krishna. So this is in answer to your question; "On Krishna loka are all of Krishna's pastimes with the living entities controlled by Krishna, or do the living entities have choice in this matter? In other words, is one's rasa governed by strict laws determined by Krishna or is there free choice aside from the free choice of choosing Krishna or maya?" Your second question, "Why did Arjuna ask Krishna to go to His four armed form rather than His two armed form after Krishna had showed Arjuna His Visvarupa?" Because he understood that Krishna is the original Narayana. After seeing His Visvarupa, Arjuna was accustomed to see Krishna with two hands, but when he saw the Visvarupa, he understood Him the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and as such, he requested Him to revert to the original Form of Narayana. Then, Krishna after showing him the Narayana form, again to revert to His original Krishna form. Krishna explained that Narayana form is not original, but Krishna form in two hands is the original and even the demigods desire to see this form. Hope you are well. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 04:25 | 13 Jun 2004 Thursday, June 13, 1968 Montreal. Quebec My Dear Satsvarupa, Please accept my blessings. I thank you for your letter dated June 8, 1968, as well as for the booklet you have sent describing my activities in Boston. Your endeavor to utilize energy 24 hours for Krishna Consciousness is a great qualification. I am very glad to know that you are risking $350.00 a month for taking a nicer accommodation for our temple. I quite appreciate this attempt. And Krishna will surely help you. I have sent one letter to Miss Rose, and try to keep friendship with her. She will gradually become more and more interested in our temple affairs. Everyone has dormant love for Krishna and we have to give one possible chance to awake it. Miss Rose was taking gradual increased interest in our temple and I think if you flatter her a little more, she will come to Krishna Consciousness platform, and may be a great help to the center. I am so pleased to learn that the new temple location will be very near business district. In business circle there is a popular English saying that you can earn more by sitting in one place than by travelling in many places provided you can sit down in a place with due consideration. Similarly, if actually you have selected a nice place, that place itself will act as advertisement for popularizing our Krishna Consciousness. For the time being Devananda must stay with you; he should not come here for the present. When we shall form a Sankirtana party for European tour, I shall call him. Please show him this part of my letter and I hope he will understand. He is very good nice sober boy, and he will be a good help to your activities. In meantime I have received one letter from James. I am enclosing his letter. I do not know what does he want to know from me. This boy is a new boy, and he might have so many ideas within his brain and if you can train him for your purpose he will be a great service. We may always expect that we get always untamed boys and girls, and we have to train them up. That depends on our capacity. So if you can tackle this boy, he may be also good assistant. Our whole program is to train the untrained. Nobody is in Krishna Consciousness and we are trying our best to bring people in that platform. Hoping you are all well. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 05:18 | June 13, 1968 Montreal, Quebec My Dear Krishna devi and Dinesh, Please accept my blessings. I thank you very much for your letter of May 31, 1968, which is duly in hand. I had not heard anything from you in long time, so I was very glad to hear that you are doing well. I am pleased to hear that you have so nicely installed the Jagannatha Deities at your home, and that you are worshiping Them regularly with nice offerings of prasadam, incense and flowers, and also saying prayers before Them. That is very good. Please continue chanting and reading Srimad-Bhagavatam before the Deity, and you will progress nicely. Yes, the coloring book idea is nice, but for now there is greater need of your service to Krishna in helping out the Santa Fe Temple. You have requested me in your letter to please advise you about your devotional service, and I shall tell you frankly that the best thing for you to do now is to help the Santa Fe Temple financially. You were originally entrusted with the responsibility of that branch, as you helped start it, and so it is your duty now to help maintain it, even you are not present there. If it is closed down, it will be great shameful to you. So, at the present moment your former husband, Subala, is struggling alone there, and there is urgent need of financial aid to him. Therefore, I request you to do this service; you and your husband should earn money nicely, and send to Santa Fe at least $100.00 a month. That will be good for you both, and good for me, and good for Subala, and the best service for Krishna. Krishna wants that you should do Him this service, to help maintain His Temple there, so I request that you shall do this immediately. And Krishna will be pleased upon you, and will give you all aid in serving Him in this way. That is my desire. And, if after first giving service in this way, then, if you have got extra time and money, you can execute the coloring book idea, and I shall help you in the future on it. But the first duty is to help maintain the Lord's Temple as I have instructed. Hoping you are both well. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 05:10 | |
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