a.c. bhaktivedanta swami
|
|
| Prabhupada Letters :: 1968 a.c. bhaktivedanta swami |
|
|
25 Dec 2004 Wednesday, December 25, 1968 Los Angeles, Calif. My Dear Jadurani, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter without any date. Purusottama says that this is a particular specialty of your letters that you write without any date. I think that you are right, because you are eternal. There is no beginning and no end and your enthusiasm is also eternal. You never get tired of serving Krishna, so I hope you shall eternally be engaged in serving Krishna because there is no end of such service. I am very glad that you are taking the responsibility of doing pictures for "Krishna", and if Joy Fulcher has already gone there she may help you. The pictures should be paintings and if you prefer, you can make larger paintings so that when they will be printed they can be reduced to the size of the book, 8 1.2" x 11". The tenth canto contains forty chapters about Krishna in Vrindaban, and 50 chapters of Krishna in Dvaraka. So our book will most likely have the firt volume of the forty chapters of Krishna in Vrindaban, with one picture for each chapter. I will now submit my suggestions for the first five pictures. 1. Pregnant Devaki is sitting in a palace room and some glaring effulgence is coming out of her body. Almost near the ceiling of the room, the demigods are surrounding her and praying for the Appearance of Lord Krishna. Some of the demigods are throwing flowers upon her. 2. Devaki is sitting in a different palace room and Visnu with His four hands (conch, club, wheel, lotus) in yellow dress appeared before her. In this scene, Devaki and Vasudeva are bowing down to Lord Visnu and praying. 3. Krishna is lying happily on the lap of Devaki just like He is an ordinary child. 4. Setting of the scene: Vasudeva saw that all of the doors were opened and that the gate-keepers were asleep so he went outside of the house and came to the bank of the Yamuna. He sees that the river is inflated with rainy season water and he thinks, "How shall I cross?" Then he saw a jackal crossing the river and Vasudeva realized that the river was shallow and only up to his ankles. So Vasudeva, holding little Krishna in his arms follows the jackal across the Yamuna River. So this night scene of walking across the river is the fourth picture. 5. Across the Yamuna River, Vasudeva came upon the house of Nanda Maharaja, where Yasoda was lying asleep with her little girl baby. The fifth picture is where Vasudeva exchanges babies with the sleeping Yasoda. So please do these pictures very beautifully. I am enclosing a photograph of a painting which is in a very nice style that you should also paint your paintings. When you are almost finished with these five paintings then inform me so we may assign you further. Please convey my blessings to the other devotees there in Boston. I hope this finds you looking very carefully to maintaining your health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 03:24 | 24 Dec 2004 Tuesday, December 24, 1968 Los Angeles, Calif. My Dear Yamuna, Please accept my blessings. I thank you for your letter of December 16, 1968 and I have noted the contents carefully and with pleasure. So far as the mistake on the certificates, I think that only on the certificates to be given to brahmacarinis is it necessary to change the spelling, because on the brahmacari's certificate this word Srimate will be crossed out. So on the certificates for the brahmacarinis, you may cover the letter "e" with a white paint and insert the correct letter "i", making the word read "Srimati". So do this nicely and it will be all right. It is all right to read the books you have mentioned, namely Swami Bon's Bhakti Ramsamrita Shindu and Caitanya Caritamrta by Nagendra Kumar Ray, but you will be pleased to know that we are now composing the Nectar of Devotion, which is a complete summary of the Bhakti Rasamrita Shindu. Regarding the translation by Bon Maharaja, it is only one quarter of the complete work and I do not know if the other parts will come out very shortly. So far as having the Radha-Krishna murtis carved for Rs 1000, it is too costly. Continue to negotiate with Jaya Govinda on this matter. Here in Los Angeles, one boy, Nara Narayana, is planning to attempt murtis in bronze but I do not know that he will be successful. So please convey my blessings to your husband, and I hope that you are both well. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 01:39 | December 24, 1968 Los Angeles, Calif. My Dear Gurudasa, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your recent letter (undated) along with copies of the syndicate contact inviting for newspaper reproduction of the Royal Albert Hall chanting and they are all very encouraging. I am sure that Krishna is helping you all around for your honest and sincere endeavors. Just previous to your letter I received one very encouraging letter from Syamasundara. reporting of his meeting with George Harrison who I understand he has promised to give us a 5-story building in one of the busiest quarters of London. You have arranged for the convocation and I have seen the list of invitees. It is very encouraging. Please conduct this convocation carefully and try to recruit some sympathizers for our nice London center. I am dispatching one tape by separate register air mail in which you'll find my speech for this occasion. It begins with "Ladies and Gentlemen." I think this speech will be nice and it is recorded on speed 3 3.4. Regarding your analogy of sowing KC seeds, I may inform you that there is a Bengali proverb, "Sa bure meoya phale." This means that fruits like chestnuts and pomegranates, or similar other valuable fruits and nuts take some time to be fructified. So any good thing comes in our possession after hard struggle and endeavor. So Krishna Consciousness is the greatest of all good fruits. We must therefore have necessary endurance and enthusiasm to get the result. We shall never be disappointed when things are presented in reversed order. Anyway, your honest labor is now coming to be fructified. Always depend upon Krishna and go on working with enthusiasm, patience and conviction. In the meantime, I have received one letter from Sri C. Govinda which is also very encouraging. I understand that Sri Govinda and Pandit Trika are now cooperating with you. Please keep them as good friends. Mr. Govinda appears to be very intelligent man and he has grasped the Sankirtana movement is very suitable for the younger generation in the Western world. Our policy of Krishna Consciousness is very nice. We are offering people good family life with faithful wives in Krishna Consciousness. Similarly, able husbands in Krishna Consciousness so that the younger generation will be happy to have nice home, nice wife, nice food, nice dress, nice philosophy of life, nice culture and ultimately, nice Krishna. So this movement is the nicest of all other movements. Simply the ministers should be ready, intelligent, honest, and sincere. Then surely the Krishna Consciousness movement will be accepted by all considerate men and women. Thank you again for your letter and I hope this finds you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 01:36 | December 24, 1968 Los Angeles, Calif. My Dear Malati, Please accept my blessings. I thank you for your letter of December 17, 1968, I am always so glad to be hearing from you. Your sincere attitudes expressed are very nice and I thank you for them. I am very pleased that you are serving your husband nicely and helping him so that he may advance his Krishna Consciousness. When the husband advances, automatically the wife shares in his success so there is all around benefit. So a good wife is a great boon to her husband and to her children so please continue in this way and I know that your life will be very successful. Kindly convey my blessings to Syamasundara. and Sarasvati Devi. I hope that you are all well. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami NB: So far as the new chant that you heard being sung at arti, there is no objection. ACB letters | 01:34 | December 24, 1968 Los Angeles, Calif. My Dear Cidananda, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Dec. 20, 1968, and with great pleasure I have noted the contents. Both you and Aniruddha are sincere devotees with good talents, so anything you do by combined consultation has my 100% approval. The idea of distribution of Prasadam is long standing, and I suggested this from the very beginning of my missionary activities, both in New York, and in San Francisco. But it has never come to any practical shape till now. Therefore, if you can actually start a Prasadam distribution program, it will be very very nice. But to start a separate restaurant for this purpose does not appeal to me. If we have Prasadam distribution program it is to be done in the temple premises, not separately. Separate attempt will require separate energy diverted from the temple management. Therefore if you do at all start Prasadam distribution, try to do it in the temple itself. In the temple also if you keep some Indian goods for sale, that is also very nice. But don't attempt two at a time. First of all start the Prasadam distribution and make it successful, then try to do business in Indian goods. Regarding chanting in the street chased by the police is not good at all. The best thing is to invite people in our temple, and chant peacefully. If a person can sell from 7 to 12 magazines individually there is no need of making a procession of chanters and thereby disturbing the police equilibrium. If you can sell Back To Godhead individually as proposed by you, and some copies of our books, like Bhagavad-gita As It Is, that will be a great success. And there is no need of leading a procession of chanters for this purpose. The idea submitted by you is very nice, and I have given my 100% approval and I have given my opinion as above mentioned. Now you can do with intelligence depending on the supreme will of Krishna. I hope this will meet you in good health, and offer my blessings to all the devotees there. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 01:30 | 21 Dec 2004 Saturday, December 21, 1968 Los Angeles, Calif. My Dear Mr. Ginsberg, Please accept my blessings. I was much aggrieved to hear the news of your accident and I was very anxious to learn that you are lying now in the hospital. I hope that you are progressing nicely but in any condition I request that you continue to chant the Maha Mantra, Hare Krishna. Here is a chance for you to chant Hare Krishna exclusively in the hospital bed. This world is full of dangers in every step. Just like in the ocean there is danger in every step but if we take shelter of boat which is known as the Lotus Feet of Lord Krishna, then this great ocean of danger becomes as harmless as a small pit. We shall be able to cross hundreds of such pits simply by chanting the Holy Names of the Lord, the Hare Krishna Mantra. I am forwarding this letter through Rupanuga and I shall be glad to hear about your improved health from him. Praying to Krishna for your early recovery. Do not be worried. Krishna will save you from all dangers. Chant sincerely. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 06:32 | December 21, 1968 Los Angeles, Calif. My Dear Syamasundara, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your very encouraging letter of December 16, 1968 and I've noted the contents with great pleasure and hope. It is understood from your letter that Mr. George Harrison has a little sympathy for our movement and if Krishna is actually satisfied on him surely he will be able to join with us in pushing on the Sankirtana Movement throughout the world. Somehow or other the Beatles have become the cynosure of the neighboring European countries and America also. He is attracted by our Sankirtana Party and if Mr. George Harrison takes the leading part in organizing a huge Sankirtana Party consisting of the Beatles and our Iskcon boys surely we shall change the face of the world so much politically harassed by the maneuvers of the politicians. The people in general are in need of such movement. If Mr. George Harrison wants to benefit himself, his country and the people of the world I think that he must join this Krishna Consciousness movement with no hesitation. His proposal to offer us a five story building is very welcome. Actually we need such a nice building in London. During the British period in India, anything which was trademarked, "made in London" was sold very quickly, so try to make your London Yatra equally important so that when the young boys and girls of England and America combine together in Sankirtana Party it will be a great revolution in the world, even in Russia and China. I shall be glad to hear from you further on this matter. So far as our Hamburg center is concerned, the boy, Krishna Das is very sincere and intelligent boy. If you go for a week or so late January or early February it will be good suggestion. Regarding Hawaii, I was to go there immediately but the Sankirtana Party here led by Tamala Krishna has asked me to stay here at least for one month more. So I am immediately not going to Hawaii but I am always anxious to go to the London Yatra. I am very much hopeful when you say in your closing line, "soon we will have a temple, soon we will have a temple, soon we will have a temple." Thank you very much. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami P.S. If you have serious engagement with Mr. George Harrison then don't move from London until your business if finished. P.S. Have you any copies of Bhagavad-gita? If not then order from Brahmananda and present one hardbound copy to Mr. George Harrison with my compliments. He will be pleased to read it. ACB letters | 04:26 | December, 21 1968 Los Angeles, Calif. My Dear Harer Nama, Please accept my blessings. I have received your letter dated December 10, 1968 and have noted the contents carefully. I was very happy to read how you are keeping nicely engaged in giving lectures at schools and preparing for a puppet show of Krishna Consciousness stories. This is very nice and if you continue to accelerate with engagements such as these then I am sure that you will be very successful in propagating this movement of Lord Caitanya. When Krishna sees that we are trying very sincerely to preach His message to others He becomes very pleased and showers all blessings upon the devotee. So please continue to progress in this spirit and I am sure that Krishna will arrange to see that your future in Krishna Consciousness will be very nice. Regarding your question about Krishna recommending the chanting of His Holy Names, probably you have not marked it in your study of the Bhagavad-gita, but in chapter 9, verse 14, Krishna describes how His devotees are always chanting His Names. Lord Caitanya, although He is Krishna Himself, is even more merciful than Krishna in that He has shown to the fallen living entities of the kali yuga how the chanting process can immediately elevate one up to the spiritual atmosphere. Your second question about falling down from the brahmajyoti is answered that it is not that one must fall down, but that they generally fall down. There is a verse in Srimad-Bhagavatam, 10th canto, 2nd chapter, verse 26. "My Dear Lotus Eyed Personality of Godhead, persons who are very proud of becoming one with the brahma effulgence and thereby consider that they have become liberated are factually in a contaminated consciousness on account of the absence of devotional service unto You. Such persons may rise to a high level of spiritual understanding as far as the impersonal brahmajyoti but on account of the lack of devotional service unto You, they generally fall down again into material contamination." The final question which was asked by Tosana about the validity of the story of the sparrow and the ocean, you should know that everything that is found in these scriptures is factual. There is nothing allegory. But you must not depend upon your own limited experience. What happens in different corners of the Lord's Creation no one can say. But we can hear from the authentic Vedic sources such as the Puranas. This story of the sparrow is found in the Puranas. [PAGE MISSING] letters | 02:23 | December 21, 1968 Los Angeles, Calif. My Dear Jadurani, Please accept my blessings. I have received your letter of December 17, 1968 and have carefully noted the contents. Regarding Rukmini, I think that if she is desiring to marry Upendra then that idea is very nice and approved by me. If she will rather wait for awhile that is all right but in either case Upendra should be informed of her plans. It is very good sign that Rukmini is willing to submit this decision into my hands, but I think that in this country it is best if she can make her own choice of marriage plans. So whether marrying now or in the future, she will have my blessings. I hope that you are tending carefully to your health. Please convey my blessings to your good god-brothers and sisters in Boston temple. Hope you are all well. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 01:21 | 20 Dec 2004 Friday, December 20, 1968 Los Angeles, Calif. My Dear Rupanuga, Please accept my blessings. I have received your letter of December 15, 1968 and have noted the contents with much satisfaction and encouragement. This accredited course which you have attained at the University of Buffalo is a very nice breakthrough for Lord Caitanya's movement in the West. Please do this very carefully and seriously and I am sure that Lord Caitanya will give you the intelligence from within to successfully execute this new, important project. I think that under your expert guidance many of the students in your class will eventually understand something of the great importance of what you are teaching. By Krishna's Grace perhaps the more intelligent will also decide to join you and help you. I am handing over the course proposal which you have sent me to Hayagriva who is here in Los Angeles with me. He is planning to attempt a similar course in the University of Ohio. So if we can teach to the college students in this way surely it will be a great boon to our society. You have laid ground work for this project and for this I give to you my hearty thanks. Regarding your question of the planetary systems, the planets are arranged in each universe in layers like the petals of a lotus. But in each layer there is mixed both heavenly, hellish and middle planets. On the outside layer there are these three kinds of planets, on the middle layers there are the three kinds of planets and on the inner-most layer there are found these three kinds of planets. Above these layers, in the center, is the Brahmaloka where Lord Brahma, the creator is residing. So the earth planet and the moon planet are both on the same layer but the earth is middle planet and the moon is heavenly planet. I have sent to Jagadisa his beads duly initiated upon by me and I hope that he has received them by now. Please offer my blessings to Ernestine, Mr. Eric, Bhurijana and all others who are helping you at your center. I hope that you are all in very good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 02:25 | 19 Dec 2004 Thursday, December 19, 1968 Los Angeles, Calif. My Dear Rukmini, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter of December 16, 1968 and I thank you very much for it. Regarding marriage with Nandakisora, the situation is simply that he is desirous of marrying and I had asked Purusottama to see if you are agreeable to this proposal. In your letter you have written that you are desiring to remain as brahmacarini for a few years longer and this idea is alright. In India the marriage between a boy and girl is arranged by the parents but in this country such arrangement is not possible so we never request our students to marry if they are not desiring to do this. I am happy to learn that you are painting a portrait of my Guru Maharaja and that it is coming along nicely. As our movement continues to spread around the world we will be requiring so many of such paintings so that so many devotees and friends may engage their eyes in seeing Krishna and His devotees. So please try to improve your artistic abilities as far as possible. I am sure that Jadurani will always be a help to you in this matter. So far as offering to Krishna apple cider, this can be done only if it is prepared by devotees. These food manufacturers do not take proper precautions in cleanliness nor do they have devotion to Krishna in their labors so it is not very acceptable offering. If you can make this preparation yourself then it will be alright. So please continue to engage yourself in Krishna's service very sincerely and I am sure that Krishna will help you in all ways to advance more and more. I am always praying that Krishna will give you strength to continue to go on nicely. Please convey my blessings to all of your good god-brothers and god-sisters in Boston. I hope that this letter finds you all in very good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 13:03 | December 19, 1968 Los Angeles, Calif. My Dear Aniruddha, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter of December 17, 1968 and I thank you so much for it. From this letter I can see that you are taking serious interest in the welfare of Girish and this is very nice. You are quite right in your estimation that engagement in Krishna's service will help him to progress more and more. And keeping him engaged will similarly keep you engaged so I can see that there is all round benefit for you both. I do not think that at this time it will be necessary for you to obtain a teacher's certificate. You have so many other important duties to perform in your center. Also, I understand that in West Virginia that the qualification for being teacher is simply that one has graduated from high school so there will be no necessity of such teacher's certificate. Before long we are hoping to obtain a schooling program in New Vrindaban where our boys may be trained up in the principles of Krishna Consciousness as well as reading, writing and arithmetic. In Los Angeles, Visnujan is taking care of Birbhadra and this boy is also doing very nicely. Certainly this boy is very good soul to be in contact with Krishna Consciousness even at such an early age so be patient with him and I think that he will continue to progress very nicely. Please convey my blessings to Cidananda. I have received his letter and am encouraged that he is taking interest in selling our Bhagavad-gita As It Is. You may all try to distribute this book as far as possible and it will be a great service to our movement. If any sincere person reads this book I think that he will be impressed by the solid footing on which our Krishna Consciousness is based. All of the nonsense Bhagavad-gitas that deny Krishna are simply bluffs so if one is intelligent he is sure to get some inkling of the authorized nature of our Krishna Conscious philosophy. So try to promote sales as far as you are able and Krishna will surely help you in this important endeavor. Please convey my blessings to all others at your temple. I hope that you are all well. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 01:58 | December 19, 1968 Los Angeles, Calif. My Dear Janardana, Please accept my blessings. I beg to thank you for your letter of December 11, 1968. I have already acknowledged receipt of the French Back To Godhead and I have sent my hearty thanks for you all. May Krishna bless you to advance this attempt far and wide. It is encouraging to me that you are going to France and will acquaint yourself with theistic philosopher's on a Personal God. Actually when one comes to realize the Personality of Godhead, only then is his theistic knowledge complete. We have discussed this point very elaborately in the Bhagavad-gita As It Is and your high intelligence will help you to present this idea before the learned scholars of France who are already inclined toward a Personality of Godhead. Please impress them logically and scientifically and it will be a great achievement for our mission. France is considered to have the most cultured people in Europe and if we can have some footing in France in the matter of Krishna Consciousness certainly this will be a great success. I am very glad that this subject matter is entrusted with you and I hope you will do it to your best capacity. Although I could not read any of your article, I have learned from Purusottama that they are written very nicely. He is not fully conversant with the language but he could read most of it. So far as reviews I think that there is no need to review nonsense books and give them publicity at our cost. The sincere theists and philosophers will surely appreciate our presentation of Bhagavad-gita As It Is so you can write some articles on the basis of our discussions in this book or in Srimad-Bhagavatam. Regarding the six Goswamis of Vrindaban, actually they are our guidance in Krishna Consciousness. Sanatana das Thakura has said that anyone who follows the footprints of the six Goswamis he will wish to be his servant. So we should always try to follow the footprints of the Six Goswamis and it will be easy to understand the Krishna Conscious philosophy. Dayala Nitai is a very nice boy, a sincere soul so please try to train him as your assistant. I am very glad to learn that he is automatically improving in Krishna Consciousness on account of his sincere service spirit to Krishna and the Spiritual Master. That is the secret of success in Krishna Consciousness. I you want, I can send you the theistic vedanta interpretation which you can edit and translate into the French language for publication in Back To Godhead. There are four chapters of Vedanta Sutra and the first one called Janmadyasya. I have explained in my Srimad-Bhagavatam at the very beginning. You can see it and if you think it is nice then I'll try to explain the other sutras in the same way. I am enclosing herewith the sanskrit transliterations and meanings as requested by you. Please try for your Ph.D. very seriously and I am sure that Krishna will certainly help you in this matter. I hope that this finds you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 01:55 | December 19, 1968 Los Angeles, Calif. My Dear Brahmananda, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter of December 15, and December 17, 1968. I have carefully noted the contents of both of these. You have requested my suggestion for the neon signboard outside of our new temple and I think that the bigger sign may say "International Society for Krishna Consciousness" and the other may say the Hare Krishna Mantra if it is not too much expensive. Regarding the listing of the Bhagavad-gita in the religion catalog of MacMillan, they have spelled it Bhagavid Gita and not Bhagavad-gita As It Is. I do not know why they should commit such mistake, I hope that this will not hamper the sales. Please point out this discrepancy to Mr. Wade. The list of names you received from MacMillan of reviewer copies should be kept carefully so you may approach them with copies of Teachings Of Lord Caitanya. Try to convince these reviewers that these literatures are very badly needed at the present time when people are becoming confused on account of godlessness. Our Krishna Consciousness movement is a re-orientation movement for reviving the dormant Krishna Consciousness so these reviewers should cooperate and help our movement as far as possible. I have seen the Teachings of Lord Caitanya documents and as requested by you I am returning them for your files. I am also sending back the voucher of the bank duly signed by me for debiting my account for the charges. But one thing I must inform you is that out of my account almost $7,000 has been withdrawn in so many ways. Now this should be filled up as soon as possible because a bank balance in my favor is required in this country. Due to this bank balance I got my permanent visa and also due to this bank balance we have got the nicest temple in Los Angeles. So in case of a need I may require to show this bank balance under different circumstances and especially because I am a foreigner. Therefore the bank balance's blank or vacancy already created by drawing out about $7,000 must be filled up by selling books as far as possible. My only suggestion for this selling is to get the books widely reviewed in different papers and that is the only standard method of promoting this publication. By such reviews as soon as there is some demand all the book sellers will purchase from the publisher at least three copies each. That is the way of propagating sales organization. Regarding my apartment, if it is possible to keep it with no strain on your financial condition it is alright. Otherwise I am not very serious about retaining the apartment. Everything should be performed with no strain because too much financial strain will hamper our progress in Krishna Consciousness. Purusottama is helping me since he has come and I think that he should remain with me always. I require a male secretary because there are so many letters coming daily and which require expert management. At the same time he will be securing advertisements for Back To Godhead so I hope that you will not feel very much inconvenience because he is not there in New York. Regarding my health, I am glad to inform you that it is in better condition than that last year when I returned from India. I am feeling no more headaches nor any severe buzzing sound--but still some buzzing is going on. After all it is a broken house and I cannot expect all the comforts of a newly built house in an old broken residence. I thank you once more for your noble sentiments about me and I can simply say that for this nice attitude Krishna will certainly help you. I am fully aware of your sincere service and therefore I pray always to Krishna for your all-round welfare. You have got a nice temple by the grace of my Spiritual Master. It is very encouraging to me. You should always pray to His Divine Grace because naturally He will be more affectionate to you than to me. Generally one is more affectionate to the grandchildren than to the children directly. So I am sure that my Guru Maharaja will be easily inclined to your prayers than that of mine. You will do good always by offering your prayers to His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhanta Goswami Maharaja. Please convey my blessings to all of the devotees in New York and I hope that you are all well. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami NB: So far as you performing the marriage ceremony in exchange for a nice rug, the idea is alright and if you request I will send you instructions. Enclosures. letters | 01:50 | December 19, 1968 Los Angeles, Calif. My Dear Gargamuni, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated December 5, 1968 and I have noted the contents. I have also heard from Purusottama who has spoken to Brahmananda on the telephone yesterday that your father has made it clear that he will not confide in you or trust you to make advancement very easily in his business. Also I have heard that you have decided to leave back to the New York temple. This idea is alright under the circumstances and I think that your father will one day come to regret that he has not cooperated with your plans. Purusottama has also heard that you are considering to open a store of Indian imports in the new temple on 61 2nd Ave. This idea is approved by me and please try to do it nicely to help support and make improvements in the new large temple. If this temple can be made very attractive then surely it will attract many people to join us in kirtana and to take interest in Krishna Consciousness. Also you may resume your job as circulation manager, we have a much improved Back To Godhead since you have last done this job in New York and I know that you may do very good service in this regard. If you can help your god-brothers in selling ads also, it will be very nice. So I think that Krishna has seen that your services can be better utilized in the new temple and all the other work that is going on and He has seen fit to give you clue to leave your father's business and come back to the temple. So because you are sincerely in Krishna Consciousness there is no loss. Actually, for the devotee who is working for Krishna there is only gain of spiritual advancement. The fruits of our work is always given to Krishna and so Krishna accepts the responsibility of what these fruits shall be. So this is our principle of work and I request you to always remember this. I have also received one nice letter __ from you several weeks ago and just now I am taking the opportunity to thank you for this. I hope this finds you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 01:46 | December 19, 1968 Los Angeles, Calif. My Dear Uddhava Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Dec. 17, 1968, and I have noted the contents carefully. From your letter it is clear that as of yet you have no idea of how much the price will be to print our books. This is a very important factor and I think that now that Vaikunthanatha and Patita Uddharana are in NY to help you you should utilize their labor to arrive at some figure. As you know, Dai Nippon is printing our books for a price of approximately $1.20 per book with shipping paid. I do not know if our own press will be able to compete with such price. I there is good milk available plentifully in the market place there is no need to keep a cow. So similarly, if we can get our books printed and cheaply and with no trouble of labor then it is an adequate arrangement. From the beginning Advaita and yourself have been very sincere and enthusiastic about this project but now I think we must be very businesslike in investigating the price which will be required to print our books. So immediately you should look seriously into this question and inform me of your findings as you are able. I am so happy that you are looking to your marriage with Lilasukha and she also is happy with this arrangement. On Christmas day, Hayagriva and Syama Dasi are to be married in LA and this is very encouraging because we will welcome the arrival of nice KC children to carry on this movement for which we are laying ground. Please convey my blessings to the others and I hope that you are well. Your ever well-wisher, ACB NB: Please convey my thanks to Patita Uddharana for his nice letter. I will be looking forward to seeing the epic poem which he promised to be sending me soon. P.S. I have asked Hayagriva to invest some money in purchasing press and he has almost agreed. Apart from labor and other cost you can give me an estimate of price of the materials required. ACB letters | 01:01 | |
|
|
