a.c. bhaktivedanta swami
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| Prabhupada Letters :: 1968 a.c. bhaktivedanta swami |
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10 Jul 2004 Wednesday, July 10, 1968 Montreal, Quebec My Dear Hayagriva, Please accept my blessings. Just on receipt of your last letter I sent you one detailed letter about the scheme of New Vrindaban. But since then I have not received any letter from you. In the meantime I also received one letter from Sriman Kirtanananda Swami which also I have replied duly, but I have not received any reply from him also. So I am very much anxious to know from you also how much this scheme has advanced. So far I could understand on the letter of Kirtanananda, that we had no freedom of action because the land belongs to Mr. Rose, who wants to develop an institution appealing to all sections of seekers in spiritual enlightenment. Such ideal of impersonal views can never be successful. That is the distinction between impersonalism and personalism. The impersonalists ultimate goal is something void, and therefore, any attempt for self-realization ending in voidness is all the same for the impersonalists. But we the personalists, we do not agree that all systems of self-realizing process ends in the same goal. In the Bhagavad-gita, it is explicitly said that the worshippers of different demigods ultimately reach the planets of respective demigods; the worshippers of forefathers also go to different pitri planets, respectively; the worshippers of mammon remain in the mammonish world; and the persons in Krishna Consciousness, ultimately reach to the planet of Krishna loka. So our mission is to reach the supreme planet, in the spiritual sky, namely the Abode of Krishna. As such, we cannot compromise that all sorts of meditation gives the same result. This sort of view is practiced and preached by the impersonalist missionaries like the Rama-Krishna mission, that one may follow any path, but he reaches the same destination. There is no Vedic evidence, neither any proof of the acharya principles. You know that Lord Buddha was Hindu, born in India, in a royal family, but because He advocated voidism, His philosophy was not accepted by the leaders of Vedic principles. For the time being, Lord Buddha's philosophy was accepted by emperor Asoka, and due to royal influence, it spread all over India. But later on, when Sankaracarya preached the Vedic principle, the voidism of Lord Buddha was driven out of India. Similarly, when Ramanujacarya found Sankaracarya a second edition of Buddhist philosophy, he also expunged Sankaracarya as compromising the Buddha, and he established Personal worship of Lord Visnu. Later on, other acaryas, including Sri Caitanya, developed the transcendental reciprocation of devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead and Lord Caitanya preached that loving service in the highest conjugal love with Krishna is also possible. So we are preaching the highest principles of loving service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and as such, there is no scope for compromising with any of the kinds of philosophies of the impersonalist school. If Mr. Rose wants something for the satisfaction of all sections of spiritualists, I think your endeavor in that part of the country will not be very successful. Under the circumstances, I would advise you to live with me, and try to develop this line of preaching work as we have been doing since the last two years. At the present moment, I am just organizing a Sankirtana party and if you come here, then we can make a rehersal of the Caitanya drama which you have already made. My idea is, Sankirtana with some dramatic demonstration, by the members, will be attractive to the people in general. So I am trying to concentrate the idea at the present moment here in Montreal, because in the temple, we have got sufficient space and if the Sankirtana party is successful here, as we shall try to make some experiment in the local expo grounds, then we shall make a program to go to Europe, starting from London, and make demonstrations of this drama and Sankirtana in different places. I do not know how much you will appreciate this idea, but if you think it proper, you may come and join us here. The New Vrindaban scheme under the present inconveniences is not possible to be successful ultimately. Hope you are well, and awaiting your early reply. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 08:53 | Wednesday, July 10, 1968 Montreal, Quebec My Dear Brahmananda, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated July 5, 1968. Regarding the Kirtana collection, I have talked with Hamsaduta who has arrived here last evening, and as proposed by you, that the contribution should be divided 50% for the temple, and 50% for the Sankirtana fund, is quite all right. Regarding Mr. Kallman, I am enclosing herewith one letter addressed to him, and if you think it is wise to present my letter to him, and as requested therein, if you and Mr. Kallman come here I may be able to settle up your differences by the Grace of Krishna. But if you think the matter has gone too far, that there is no possibility of settlement, then you do not present the letter and let the matter take its own course as desired by Krishna. Regarding Dai Nippon, please let me know whether you have sent the corrected proof sheets, and advise the Japanese bank in New York of necessary credit letter. Regarding Dwarkin and Son: I think you have sent one cablegram. If not, please send it now, and also ask United Shipping Corporation whether they have transferred the money to Dwarkin & Sons. If not ask them to do it. And ask Dwarkin & Sons to send more tanpuras covering the value which they received from United Shipping Corporation. Also, if somebody is coming here in Montreal from New York, please send me the dictaphone transcribing set lying in my closet. I think there are two sets--one of them may be sent. Also, please send the Bhagavatam copy as I told you before. Hoping you are well. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami N.B. I would like to know whether or not you have collected the money for that German book you took here from me. You can please send one set of Srimad-Bhagavatams to this address, to Sri Vamana dasa: Walther Eidlitz--Bavergrand 18A.III--Uppsala--Sweden. ACB letters | 08:49 | 9 Jul 2004 Tuesday, July 9, 1968 Montreal, Quebec My Dear Jadurani, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated June 27, 1968, and my first thanks to you because your picture has attracted the attention of Swami Sat-chit-ananda's students. This means your picture is helping us forward in Krishna Consciousness so that we could attract even the yogis like Sat-chit-ananda's students. Actually this is the fact. There is a verse in Srimad-Bhagavatam which was explained by Lord Caitanya in 64 different ways before Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya. In that verse it is stated that even the atmaramas or the persons who take transcendental pleasure in their own self--actually people should be trained up to be happy with one's own self. So the yogis and the philosophers, they are trying to be satisfied with their own self. But even such persons are attracted by the pastimes of Radha-Krishna, because the transcendental qualities of Radha-Krishna is attractive for persons who are already liberated from the 3 material qualities. Anyway, the picture which you sent to Montreal is well-received here, and everyone is speaking highly of your painting capacity and I am so pleased to see the picture. And you have improved very much in your painting capacity also by serving Krishna so faithfully by the talent which Krishna has endowed you with. Yesterday there was meeting of the Indians and all of them spoke very highly of your picture. Please try to paint the following pictures in quantity--namely, the "Mohan Madhuri" which you have sent here in Montreal, that is to say, Radha and Krishna with the 8 principal gopis; the Sankirtana picture of Lord Caitanya; and Panca-tattva. These pictures should be popularized in our movement and try to paint them very nicely. I am anxious about you because you are conducting one of the important departments of our activities, namely, painting of pictures and this will make your life successful. Keep yourself always healthy because you have to work so much for Krishna, and whenever you feel some difficulty, you may immediately inform me. This girl, Madhavi Lata, has come here to stay, for some days, and I learned that several girls have come from New York to you; I do not know what they are doing, and I shall be glad to hear from you farther in this matter. I have sent Satsvarupa instructions for the story of Maharaja Bali. And you can begin from that. Your questions about Lord Brahma: "Brahma is a great devotee of Lord Krishna and Brahma Samhita, etc., reveal his knowledge of the Lord. So are these 2 stories (namely, 1. He doubted Krishna became a cowherds Boy and stole His cows, etc.; 2. Krishna showed him the 1.4 part of His creation after Brahma had to designate himself as 4-headed Brahma.), are these 2 stories just examples to we conditioned souls, who think we can put God under restrictions?" Brahma is not among the great devotees, but he is a devotee of Krishna. All the great devotees of Krishna are in the Krishna loka, constant companions of Krishna at Vrindaban. They are actually great devotees of Krishna. Brahma is great devotee in the sense that he wants to serve Krishna the best with some material power. That means that he has a tendency to enjoy some material opulence. So Krishna has made him the number 1 living creature within this universe. But a great devotee does not want even the position of a Brahma. He would prefer to become an insignificant living creature like an ant or spider in the house of a great devotee, then to become Brahma, who has got the inclination of becoming powerful in the material world. The great devotees are always liberated from all material desires, big or small. That is the sign of great devotees. Brahma came to Krishna because he has very exalted idea about Krishna, and he was doubtful how his Lord could come into the material world and become a cowherd boy. This incidence is known as Brahma Bemohan lila, or the pastime of bewildering Brahma. In the beginning of Srimad-Bhagavatam, it is stated that great personalities like Brahma become bewildered in the understanding of the Absolute Truth. So sometimes such pastimes are manifested by the Lord in order to teach the so-called mental speculators. Even Arjuna was bewildered, although he was His constant companion. Arjuna also was talking from the material view point of standing. All this bewilderment of great devotees are created by the Lord, for 2 purposes: one purpose, is that even great personalities like Brahma and Arjuna sometimes become bewildered, and therefore, unless they present themselves in such position of bewilderment, the common men do not have the chance to understand Krishna. If Brahma would not have posed himself as not knowing the whole truth, then some truths about the transcendental position of Krishna would not have been explained. Besides that, we cannot calculate even one day's duration of the life of Brahma. So, Krishna appears only once in a day of Brahma, and that takes a rotation of unlimited trillions of solar years. So some incidences take place in one day, and other incidents take place in another day. Just like we do something today, something else in a week, and we forget today's action tomorrow, and tomorrow's action after a week. And that is the nature of conditioned life. Therefore, Brahma being a big conditioned soul, this forgetfulness of one's affairs in the next day are not uncommon. Just as we are forgetful, Brahma also is subject to forgetfulness. Our so much so-called knowledge is nothing in comparison to Krishna's full knowledge. That is admitted by Brahma there in that verse, that people may say they know You very well, but so far I am concerned, I admit I do not know even a farthing of You! I hope you will understand this explanation, and if you have got further questions, then you can put. Hoping you are all well. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 05:16 | 7 Jul 2004 Sunday, July 7, 1968 Montreal, Quebec My Dear Aniruddha, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated July 2, 1968, describing very briefly and emotionally about the nice success of our Rathayatra festival. When Gargamuni came here the other day he also described it so nicely and now you can understand the specimen of transcendental pleasure in which the human society as a whole can take part and realize transcendental bliss. The Car Festival was very simple. After all, it is a car with 4 wheels, but it attracted the people so enthusiastically because there was His Lordship, the Jagannatha. Atheistic people may call it that the Jagannatha Murti was made of wood, and the car was also made of wood, but the spiritual bliss can be exacted from anything, simply in Krishna Consciousness. Even accepting the whole affair as wooden, a Krishna Consciousness person can understand that wood is nothing but display of Krishna's energy. So it is the Krishna Consciousness energy that gives us transcendental bliss, just like it is the electric energy passing through copper cable which gives us electric light and heat. Simply the Krishna Consciousness electric energy can immediately be attractive by developing our sense of Krishna Consciousness, which I am sure you are experiencing gradually how easily it can be done. Now, it may be mentioned in this connection that India's electric energy of Krishna Consciousness is gradually developing in your country, and prior to this movement, anyone who came to this country from India to give the American people spiritual enlightenment, simply speculated on the mental platform. In the Bhagavad-gita it is clearly said that devotional service which is called Rajayoga, or the king of all yoga systems, is transcendental and very pleasing to perform. (I have received one letter from Dayananda also, and the reply is sent herewith, about his improved realization of Krishna Consciousness.) There is a good chance for opening a center, in Florida, through the exigency of Mr. John Fugate, a friend of Dayananda. To implement this transcendental bliss to the people of your country there is immense work to be done ahead and this Rathayatra festival is only a bit of sample. If we get opportunity we shall be able to overflood your country with waves of transcendental bliss, by the Grace of Krishna. We can introduce various other ceremonials in connection with Krishna and His different expansions or incarnations in such a nice way that people are sure to be attracted by such thing and become immersed in Krishna Consciousness. So far your center is concerned, now you have also got to introduce such ceremonies in Los Angeles. We have got altogether now 7 or 8 centers, and if each and every center endeavors to rise up to the required standard, it will be a great success. Yesterday Janardana took me to a nice church here called Notre Dame, a very nice wooden structural workmanship with colorful figures and windows, decorated with nicely painted pictures about the Crucifixion of Lord Jesus Christ. Everything was grotesque. Generally the Roman Catholic religion depends on this Crucifixion incident in the life of Lord Jesus Christ, but I think depiction of this incident simply stimulates the tensions of difference of opinion, and difference of religious principles, between the Jews and the Christians. My idea is that if simply by narrating the Crucifixion incident of Lord Jess Christ, the Roman Catholic Religion can spread to such a wide area of the world, how much there is great potency of spreading our Krishna Consciousness by depicting hundreds of thousands of such incidents like Rathayatra. There is not one incident like Rathayatra, but there are many hundreds of thousands of incidents in different appearances of the incarnations of Lord Krishna. In different cities and different centers we can introduce such multi-pastimes ceremonies of Lord Krishna. And certainly people will be engladdened to observe such transcendental and happy ceremonies. So in Los Angeles, as promised by Mukunda, you try to construct a grand temple and then we shall introduce gradually many ceremonial functions, which the people will be so glad to enjoy. Think of Krishna always and try to work sincerely, and everything will come automatically. Hope you are all well. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 05:10 | Sunday, July 7, 1968 Montreal, Quebec My Dear Dayananda, Please accept my blessings, and offer the same to Srimati Nandarani, and to your daughter. I hope you are all well in Krishna Consciousness. And I am so glad to learn that Krishna is endowing you with more and more intelligence in the matter of understanding Krishna Consciousness. Krishna is very kind and any sincere devotee is always taken care of by His Lordship in all respects. Please regularly chant Hare Krishna, read Srimad-Bhagavatam, and very soon you will get other books also, like Bhagavad-gita As It Is, Teachings of Lord Caitanya, and always read and talk about Krishna between yourselves, and always remember that this life is but a flash only. We have to seek after our eternal life in Krishna Consciousness and be transferred to the spiritual world in the association of Krishna. Continue to keep your present attitude and certainly even within this life, you will be successful in attaining perfection of Krishna Consciousness. Regarding Mr. John Fugate: This news is very encouraging. As we are spreading our Krishna Consciousness in your country, we need a center in Florida, and if Mr. Fugate cooperates with this movement, certainly he will be very much benefited. So you can keep him alive by correspondence and send him our books and literature to read. So the ten acres of land which Mr. John Fugate wants to utilize for some spiritual cultivation center can well be utilized in developing a New Vrindaban. In San Francisco, they are developing a New Jagannatha Puri and in Florida we shall develop a New Vrindaban, and it may be that Montreal can be developed into New Mayapur (The Birthplace of Lord Caitanya). So far I am concerned, I wish to live the major portion of my remaining days of my life in the Western world to propagate this movement, but I could not obtain my permanent visa on some technical ground. Some lawyers advised me to appeal but I did not like the idea. Here in Canada, I may get a permanent visa but the difficulty is that during the winter the severe cold here may be unbearable for me or for my attendants. The male attendant, Gaurasundara, may agree, but the female attendant, Mrs. Gaurasundara, is not agreeable. Anyway--apart from this point of view, it is sure that I personally cannot tolerate the severe cold here. Under the circumstances, if some arrangement is made in Florida, then during the winter season, we can work there, and as you have said that many tourists and well-to-do men assemble there, it will be a good opportunity for preaching Krishna Consciousness at that time. Another point is that I would have preferred to have permanent residence visa in USA rather than in Canada, and I have heard that if somebody adopts me as a child or something else, I can get the permanent visa. But if you adopt me as your old child, probably the visa department will laugh, that what you will do with an old child who is going to die very soon. But, if there is possibility to adopt me as old father, then you can try for it. If there is any law that you can adopt any old man as your father, and take care of him, then you can inquire from the Los Angeles immigration department and try for it. Thanking you once more for your nice sentiments expressed in your letter under reply, and hoping you are all well. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami N.B. Please deliver the enclosed letter to Aniruddha das. letters | 05:06 | Sunday, July 7, 1968 Montreal, Quebec Sri Caitanya Gaudiya Math 35 Sri Satish Mukhergee Road Kalighat Calcutta-26, INDIA My Dear Mangalaniloy Brahmacari, Please accept my blessings. I hope everything is well with you. I do not know where you are now staying, but I hope this letter will reach you. When I was in India there was some talks with you about your coming to this part of the world, but the difficulty was that even I had sincere desire to sponsor you, and if I sponsor your coming here through my society, the government of India would not allow you either the passport or travelers exchange. At the present stage, sponsoring is possible only if I guarantee to pay your expenditure so long you shall remain in the foreign country. My society will not agree to spend so much money for anyone whom they do not know. I was thinking about you since I have come back this time to this country, how to get you here, because there is ample possibilities for preaching Krishna Consciousness movement all over western world now, because the people are wanting something real spiritual life. Unfortunately, so-called swamis and yogis come in this part of the world and they exploit people and then go away. So the government here is also not very optimistic of such kind of swamis. But in spite of all difficulties, there is ample possibility of spreading pure devotional service of the Lord, or Krishna Consciousness movement, all over the western world. If you want to come here, then I shall have to arrange for your return ticket (round the world) which will cost $1200.00 or in Indian exchange, Rs. 12,000.-. Similarly, if we guarantee for your stay here for 6 months, that will also cost you at least $200.00 per month, which means another Rs. 12,000.-. If you, however, can arrange to spend this Rs. 24,000.- then it may be possible that I can arrange for your sponsoring and sending you a return ticket. On hearing from you we can think of further procedure in this connection. I hope you will reply this letter forth with and oblige. Hoping you are well. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami P.S. [TEXT UNCLEAR] letters | 05:01 | 6 Jul 2004 Saturday, July 6, 1968 Montreal, Quebec Dear Sriman Vinode Patel, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated July 2nd, 1968. The language was Hindi, and the script was Gujarati. I am not accustomed to read Gujarati script, but I can understand a little Hindi. Anyway, I have grasped the substance of your letter that you are a devotee of Lord Krishna Rancorji, of Dakore. You also desire to become my disciple. You have passed your M.Com. degree; and you want to stay with my other disciples in San Francisco. These are all nice proposals. And I think there is nothing objectionable. Gargamuni came here day before yesterday, and he has gone back yesterday after noon. He spoke to me about you, that you are coming in the temple and taking some active part in the affairs of our temple. I understand also that you have come to USA on students' visa. But you do not wish to prosecute your studies any more, but want to do some business. I know also that you are a family man, and in India you have got your wife and 2 daughters. The first thing is that you may remain in the temple with the permission of Jayananda Brahmacari, the president of the temple, and as you are rendering some service to the temple, I think he will be very glad to accept you as one of the inmates. Your desire to do something tangible for the temple and it is a very welcome suggestion. There are many things to be done in the matter of the temple. Perhaps you will appreciate that this Radha Krishna temple is the one only in San Francisco. And I know there are many Gujarati gentlemen in San Francisco to whom you can approach for improvement of the temple. If we get our own temple we can organize so many things, which will be appreciated both by the Indians and the Americans. So far business is concerned, Gargamuni is getting goods from some importer on credit, and he is selling the goods and then paying him the amount. So, he has not got to invest his capital in the business, but he is a good salesman. And if you can import some goods, according to his choice, and on your account, I think he will have no objection to purchase from you on the same system as he is doing with others. He did not talk with me about your business proposal. Under the circumstances, if you want to do something, you can talk with Gargamuni personally, and if he consults me I shall give my opinion. I know your community Patels in Gujarati are business community. And they can do lots of lucrative business, for material benefit. But you should know that we are not doing any business for material benefit. Gargamuni spends his profit for Krishna Consciousness. He is so much elevated that he works very hard for doing business diligently, but the profit made out of it, he spends for Krishna. If you wish to do business in that spirit, that will enhance your spiritual assessment. Generally, people are inclined to do business or make profit for sense gratification; such tendency is the cause of material bondage. But to act for Krishna is the cause for opening the door for liberation. So, I shall not try to implicate you in business if you are not ready to award the profit for Krishna's benefit. The best thing will be that if you can come here for some days, say, at least for a fortnight, you can remain here with us in the temple here, and talk with me in details before you become my disciple. Actually, I shall be very glad to accept an educated and intelligent disciple like you, but first of all we must meet and you should know whether you can accept me as your Spiritual Master, or I can accept you as my disciple. This is preliminary necessity. I am therefore requesting you to come here at least for a fortnight, and let us understand one another. I think it is better if you reply me this letter in English, because I find it difficult in reading Gujarati, script, though I can understand Hindi fairly well. Please convey my blessings to Gargamuni and all the boys and girls in San Francisco. Hoping you are all well. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 05:54 | 4 Jul 2004 Thursday, July 4, 1968 Montreal, Quebec My Dear Upendra, Please accept my blessings. I was in due receipt of your letter dated Sunday, June 23, 1968. And your vivid description of the prearrangement of Rathayatra ceremony was so nice and elaborate that it has moved my heart. I thank you very much for grasping the momentum of Krishna Consciousness, by your advanced service attitude. I can only wish that Krishna may give you more and more strength in understanding His transcendental nature. The only process for perceiving Krishna and His name, qualities, form is our sincere service attitude with our senses. Beginning from the tongue, all our senses are practically led by the tongue sense, whose business is to vibrate and to taste. If we can change the materialistic nature of the tongue, by changing of taste and vibration, then automatically the other senses become purified. And we can render sevice to Krishna with purified senses. As such we should try to chant and eat Krishna prasadam as much as possible. In the meantime, Gargamuni has come here and I have heard from him the details of your procession and it is so much engladdening to my heart. I thank you all very much for making the Rathayatra festival so successful. Please convey my gratitude to all the boys and girls who participated in this great transcendental service. This is the second year, and you have made a great stride from the first year, and in the third year, I hope it will be still more successful. Regarding your pen-friend in South India: I have not as yet received any letter from him, but as soon as I receive any news from him, I shall be glad to give him necessary instructions. In the meantime, if you write to him you can convey this message to the gentleman. Any friend in any part of the world that you may contact, try to infuse him with this Krishna Consciousness idea. Never waste your time in any other talks. I think our students have already developed this attitude and they are not interested in idle talks. Ambarisa Maharaja, he set very nice example by engaging his mind always on the Lotus Feet of Krishna, and talking always about him. We should follow the same example. I think there is a chance of my going to Vancouver and if I go there, I may call some of you there to open a branch. I think you shall be the first man to come there, and I shall be glad to know also how many of you can go to Vancouver for performing Kirtana. I understand from Gargamuni that Hayagriva has sent you a letter inviting some of you to live with him in W. Virginia where they are attempting to open a new center, but I am not very much hopeful about this center because there are so many impediments. I have already written to Kirtanananda that in such suspicious and unfavorable conditions, no Brahmacari will be interested to go there. If there is actually any invitation for going there, I send herewith instructions to all of you that for the present, there is no necessity of going there. And in future, also, nobody shall go there without getting my permission. I shall be glad to hear from you about further details of our successful Rathayatra procession. Hope you are well. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 05:51 | Thursday, July 4, 1968 Montreal, Quebec My Dear Balai, Please accept my blessings. I thank you very much for your letter of June 20, 1968, and I am so glad to learn that you are living happily as householders. I want to see all my disciples to live such peacefully and execute such Krishna Consciousness. That is the perfection of life. It does not matter whether one is Brahmacari or householder, the real test is how he is executing Krishna Consciousness. Yes, we are in need of our own press very urgently, and as Advaita has in his view to conduct such press, and he is laboring so hard for fulfilling this desire, certainly Krishna will be very pleased on him and you also for such endeavor. It is contemplated that we may start the press here in Montreal, because there is ample space. It is not yet settled up, but if we decide to start, then how Advaita can help this enterprise? Anyway, unless Advaita becomes quite conversant with the matter of conducting a press, I shall not try to start a press of our own. And when he is satisfied, then we shall start a well-equipped press. Yes, this is very nice sentiments. All parents should think like that. Maharaja Prahlada, Dhruva Maharaja, they are ideal child devotees and everyone's children should be trained in the ideal of such great personalities. Yes, during pregnancy you should live very carefully. Hoping you are both well, Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 05:48 | |
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