a.c. bhaktivedanta swami
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| Prabhupada Letters :: 1968 a.c. bhaktivedanta swami |
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31 Dec 2004 Prabhupada Letters :: 1968 contains 530 individual letter reproductions in chronological order from January - December 1968. View them in their entirety in the archive section - 1968 letters - below right. Use Google Custom Search (immediate right) to search for specific letters from 1968. View - Today's Letters - at Letters :: Anthology >> letters | 06:08 | Tuesday, December 31, 1968 Los Angeles, Calif. My Dear Brahmananda, Please accept my blessings. I beg to ackowledge receipt of your letter of December 27, 1968 and I have noted the contents carefully. I have seen with very much pleasure the floor plan to our new temple. You have done nicely in arranging the placement of the various items in the temple. Having the guests enter through the store area is all right and will be good advertisement. Regarding Nara Narayana, he is already preparing to go there. He is very intelligent and I understand that he has very fine carpentry skills. Also, he has knowledge about casting deities, so after his business with the temple work is completed you can try to encourage him to continue with his casting work. He is coming from a respectable farm family, but sometimes I understand he becomes little eccentric, so keep him carefully. He is a hard worker and a good boy, and a devotee also. So far as portioning off part of the kitchen for prasadam taking area, the idea is very nice. But as usual, no prasadam should be taken in the kitchen where cooking goes on. So far as your safe, I will send some papers for safe-keeping later on. I have also a safe deposit box in the bank here, and there is no charge for its use. I am wondering if there is any charge for the box at the Trade Bank. You have written that you have received the 2nd canto Srimad-Bhagavatam, and please keep it carefully in my room for the present time. The new temple in Los Angeles is very nice and Sankirtana is going on there very nicely. I do not know how is your temple there, I have heard that it is very nice, but I think that the temple here is probably nicer. The rent is higher here though. Nara Narayana will give you details when he arrives. Enclosed is the duly signed documents for instating Rsi Kumar as the new secretary. He is very good boy. Please convey my blessings to all of the nice devotees of the New York temple. I hope this finds you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami NB: I have just received your letter of December 28, 1968. As you have nicely suggested, I am sending one copy of Bhagavad-gita As It Is to Srimati Morarji, but I do not think we require to send one to Dr. Radhakrishnan. In the future it is all right if we open a letter of credit with the United Shipping Company. Regarding this order sent on December 12, 1968, please send me a price breakdown of the various items so we may see how it totals to $250. ACB P.S. I have not heard anything from Gargamuni since a long time neither any check __. I am simply thinking of $7000.00 always as it is withdrawn from my savings. It must be filled up as soon as possible. ACB letters | 05:07 | December 31, 1968 Los Angeles, Calif. My Dear Sivananda, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your very long letter dated December 23, 1968 which explains the whole situation that you are undergoing. First of all, I must inform you that Vamanadeva's advice that first you should make a move and then consult your spiritual master is most unauthorized. A disciple should not do anything without asking first his Spiritual Master. It is said in Srimad-Bhagavatam that a brahmacari should beg and collect things and then deliver them to his Spiritual Master, and when the Spiritual Master will ask him to come and take prasadam he will do so. If one day the Spiritual Master forgets to call a brahmacari to participate in the lunch, he should rather fast that day than take food out of his own accord. Of course I do not mean to impose upon you such strictures, but the purport is that a brahmacari should not do anything without being directed by the Spiritual Master. I know that you are sincere devotee and a faithful brahmacari, but still you should not do anything without consenting me. If Vamanadeva gave such unauthorized counsel, he did not do right. Anyway, I have carefully read the contents of your letter and I can understand your mental situation. Your scheme is all right, your mother has some financial strength and you want to be in her confidence to get the money engaged in the Krishna Consciousness Movement. That's a good scheme, but unfortunately we do not get financial help by our schemes, but should always depend upon the Causeless Mercy of Lord Krishna. Under the present circumstance you are the only elder member of the Hamburg center, and if you leave, even for the fulfillment of some __ scheme, it will not be nice. The New Vrindaban scheme is very nice, but even though you take it very seriously, you cannot do anything there at the present winter season. In the winter, the activities there are almost suspended. As such, I advise you to stay in Hamburg at least for three months longer. In the meantime I am trying to get Jaya Govinda to Germany, and when he goes it will be all right for you to arrange for leaving for New Vrindaban. Regarding the draft situation, I can send to you a letter and certificate verifying that you are our student. But anywhere you will be staying, you will be a student of the Bhagavad-gita, and as I have issued a certificate to some students here, I will also issue one certificate unto you. There will be no trouble. So __ is that for the time being, you should not leave Hamburg leaving the younger boys perplexed. Simply continue to lecture, chant Hare Krishna, read Bhagavad-gita carefully. Perhaps you know by now that our Bhagavad-gita As It Is is already published and you can get copies by writing to New York center. So try to stabilize the Hamburg center first and then think of your New Vrindaban scheme which will be taken very seriously for next spring or summer. Don't be disturbed in mind. Whatever irregularities you have and with chanting your rounds or with Gayatri Mantra, that you __ to now and Krishna will forgive you. I am praying to Krishna for steadiness of your mind. I am very encouraged by your work in the Hamburg streets which you sent me a photograph of. This picture was reprinted here and I have shown your example to many friends and temples here. I am sure that if you keep to that spirit you will be a great preacher in the future. So far as your mother's money, Krishna will arrange to deliver it in due time. But don't be deviated in any way from your present chance for Krishna Consciousness. I have received letters from Uttama Sloka and Krishna das and I will reply to both very soon. I hope this finds you in very good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 04:00 | December 31, 1968 Los Angeles, Calif. My Dear Satsvarupa, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter of December 27, 1968 along with one very beautiful picture by Jadurani. I am so pleased to see this wonderful portrait and please convey my hearty thanks to Jadurani for her fine endeavors. Regarding the article suggested by Rayarama, you are correct in your doubts that Radha-Krishna lila should not be discussed in Back To Godhead. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam there are so many philosophical discussions and we should concentrate on these philosophical aspects. Otherwise the less intelligent will surely understand Radha-Krishna lila as simply nonsense boy and girl sex life. Hanuman Prasad Poddar and company are all mundane types and they have no entrance into actual spiritual activities. Superficially they pose themselves as great devotees, but we can feel their pulse; ultimately they are impersonalists. We should not depend upon writings from such unauthorized sources. Strictly we should avoid publishing these confidential topics in Back To Godhead. This is dangerous for the conditioned soul. Although such Krishna lila can do some good to the mundane people in the long run, to understand the philosophical aspects of Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam in the beginning is essential and will make for good stride in spiritual life. I do not know why Rayarama has asked you to send such article. It is not to my sanction. We shall be very careful about mundane sex life. That is the pivot center of conditioned life. You are intelligent enough and I hope that Krishna will help you in these matters. I hope that you are well. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 02:56 | December 31, 1968 Los Angeles, Calif. [TEXT MISSING] of December 24, along with your nice _ which I have read with pleasure. I have already explained in Sivananda's letter _. I will send you a letter and certificate to alleviate your draft difficulties, and I will do the same for you. So there will be no need for you to plan to leave in few months. I have seen your poetry and it is very nice. Try to write more and to have it published. If you like, I can send you more topics to write poetries about and to versify into the German language. Try to translate articles for a German edition of Back To Godhead, which you can arrange to be printed in Hamburg, as they are printing a French edition from our Montreal center. Somehow or other you should dedicate your life for developing your Hamburg center. If you still like, you can marry in the future, but for the present continue with brahmacari life so far as you can. This brahmacari life can be continued only by deep absorption in Krishna Consciousness. Don't be disturbed in your mind. I have sent a letter to Sivananda to stay there and conjointly work with you and Krishna das in progressing the success of the Hamburg center. I hope that this finds you in very good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 01:54 | 29 Dec 2004 Sunday, December 29, 1968 Los Angeles, Calif. My Dear Upendra, Please accept my blessings. I have received the copy of the article printed in the University District Herald, and I thank you very much for your nice efforts in publicizing your temple activities. You will be glad to know that just yesterday, in the Los Angeles Times there was publication of my opinion about the moon planet excursion. Such work with the local newspapers as you are nicely doing is very good. Try to agitate as far as possible our activities. Always be engaged so that maya will not disturb you. Chant Hare Krishna as many times during the day as you are able. Occupy your time in deity worship in full cooperation with Gajendra das and there will be no disturbance. As more articles are printed about your activities please continue to send them, it is encouraging to see how you are working nicely. I hope this finds you all in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 06:28 | December 29, 1968 Los Angeles, Calif. My Dear Nandakisora, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter of December 19, 1968 and I have noted the contents carefully. Regarding your thoughts of marriage, I think that for the present time you should take your mind away from such conceptions. Marriage is not so important. Your age is not so ripen that marriage is required. Try to remain as brahmacari, that is important. There will be many girls available in the future, so there will be no difficulty in finding a wife if you are desiring in this way. So try to remain a brahmacari as far as possible. If you should still be very eager, then you may write to Brahmananda in New York because in June there should be a few girls there who will be finished with schooling and available for marriage. I am glad that you are working sincerely for spreading this Krishna Consciousness movement. Please continue in this way and Krishna will surely help you to advance more and more and finally to go back to Home, back to Godhead. It is nice that you have written to this Reverend Malcolm Boyd, if you can somehow prove to him the importance of this movement of Krishna Consciousness, it will be very nice. Please convey my blessings to the others. I hope that you are very well. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 05:24 | December 29, 1968 Los Angeles, Calif. My Dear Dayala Nitai, Please accept my blessings. I bet to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated December 21, 1968 and I thank you very much for this. You are a very good worker I am fully aware, and I am always encouraged by your nice enthusiasm. You have written at length in apologizing for your difficulty in English language, but we are not concerned with language but with the heart. But at the same time, our language must be elegant to deal with the public. Anyway, you are entrusted with the French edition of Back to Godhead and this is nothing to do with the English language. Your sincere devotional service will surely help you more and more in improving your fluency with English, you need have no doubt about this. But even if our language is broken we must speak of Krishna Consciousness without caring for literary or grammatical style. English is a foreign language to me also, but I try to speak it, not to be a big scholar, but to be a servant of Krishna. So do not be disturbed if you feel that your language ability is not yet very expert. I very much appreciate your proposal to bind the yearly editions of your magazine in a permanent book. This will be very nice so that in the future these magazines will be preserved for people to take advantage of the valuable articles. Regarding teaching other forms of yoga in the yoga class, you may instruct upon the 6th chapter of Bhagavad-gita. That will include the process of the Patanjali system. Practically, any process besides sankirtana will not be very effective in this age of kali yuga, so as much as possible try to have your students chanting Hare Krishna and dancing in ecstasy. This will be very successful for everyone. So far as doing outside printing work on your printing machine, if it is worth while in terms of finance, then you may do this. Thanking you once more for your nice letter. I hope that you are very well. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 03:21 | December 29, 1968 Los Angeles, Calif. My Dear Satsvarupa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated December 25, 1968 and I have carefully noted the contents. I am always encouraged to learn how you are working hard and progressing more and more in Krishna Consciousness. In distributing the "perfection in yoga" leaflet, when people come to your temple you may explain to them the principles of yoga as they are described in the Bhagavad-gita. Such instructions by you may be preceded and followed by Krishna kirtana. If they are interested, you may show them how to sit, concentrating the eyesight on the tip of the nose. The concentration should be on Lord Krishna or Lord Visnu, as is explained in Bhagavad-gita As It Is. So if they come to know about hatha yoga you can show them in the authoritative scriptures how it cannot be successfully practiced in this present age of kali. Regarding Nectar of Devotion, you needn't bother about it now. We have solved the problem of what is to be done. Purusottama is now typing with the dictaphone, and he will then edit it and send to Rayarama for a final copy. So far as the new book, "Krishna", I have already sent suggestions to Jadurani, and as soon as the pictures are drawn, I will send to you the tapes. In this way the Krishna book will be completed. I think that because Jadurani is not quite healthy at the present there is no need of overburdening with pregnancy. In her weakness, the child will be a burden for you and her. Also a child born in weak health is always unhealthy. So it is better you wait until the situation improves. Please convey my blessings to the others at your temple. I hope that you are all well. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 02:18 | 28 Dec 2004 Saturday, December 28, 1968 Los Angeles, Calif. My Dear Madhavi Lata, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter of December 24, 1968 which was sent from the Halawa Jayal. It is nice that you are doing preaching work there, but you should know that such practices like stealing are against the principles of Krishna Consciousness. I always want that my students should be very ideal in character and not discredit our society. Actually, one who is in Krishna Consciousness automatically develops all of the good qualities which are possessed by the demigods. So we should always try to develop in this way by becoming fully surrendered to Lord Krishna. For Krishna we can execute any activity, but this is not free license to act whimsically. Arjuna was able to fight on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra because this was Krishna's desire, not because it was simply his whims. So please try to remember this and Krishna will help you surely as you are sincere soul. I am pleased to know that even in such circumstances as the Halawa Jayal you are taking opportunity to remember Krishna and to preach His Divine message to your acquaintances there. Already you have sparked some interest in some of the women there. My request to these ladies is that they chant Hare Krishna loudly or softly, as they are able, and if they like they may order our Bhagavad-gita As It Is which can be ordered from here in Los Angeles. Please keep me informed as to your situation with the jail. I hope you are well. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 01:13 | December 28, 1968 Los Angeles, Calif. My Dear Gaurasundara, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated December 24, 1968 and I have noted the contents with pleasure. I am so encouraged that your activities in Hawaii are going nicely and I will be looking forward to seeing you again when I am able to go there. You had been having problems with Madhavi Lata, and Krishna has solved the problem because she is now in the Halawa Jayal and preaching very nicely. I received one letter from her yesterday and she describes that some of her acquaintances there are already considering initiation, so Krishna has arranged to release you of any burden you were feeling and also she is having the opportunity to do service. I have seen the Istagosthi notes of your meetings which were sent by Lilavati, and you are doing very nice in speaking on the principles of Krishna Consciousness. So with your speaking talents there is so much valuable preaching work that you will have opportunity to do to relieve the burden of the suffering humanity. So more and more try to develop this skill, such able speakers as yourself are a great boon to spreading this movement of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Thanking you once more for your letter, I hope that you are well. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami P.S. Govinda Dasi is preparing herself for going ___, to you at Hawaii. letters | 01:11 | 27 Dec 2004 Friday, December 27, 1968 Los Angeles, Calif. My Dear Satyabhama, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your very nice and encouraging letter dated December 20, 1968, and I have noted the contents with great pleasure. There is a statement of Sri Naradaji, the exact sanskrit words are: satdharmasya ababadhaya yenam nirbandhini matih achirat eva sarbarthah siddhati esam akhipasitan The purport is that anyone desiring to raise the people's standard of advancement in spiritual life, will have their noble desire very soon successful by the Grace of the Lord. So I am very glad to see your enthusiasm in the matter of starting a Krishna Consciousness primary school in New Vrindaban and it will be just befitting that you become the head-mistress of the school. I have shown your letter to Prof. Howard Wheeler (Hayagriva das Adhikari) -- he was just married the day before yesterday with Syama Dasi, a very nice girl like you. I am also enclosing Hayagriva's letter to you along with this. Now you can do the needful and make arrangements to start the school immediately. If you take charge of the children of our devotees and give them nice education strictly on Krishna Consciousness principles, it will be a great help to the preachers, just like our six students, husbands and wives, who are preaching in London. One of them has got a child and as soon as she is at least two years old, she may be sent under your care. New Vrindaban is just the suitable place for keeping cows and children. It will be an ideal residential quarter, completely for spiritual life and I hope for the future the Americans must evaluate this enterprise as very very valuable. If you want to write books for children, story books about Krishna's Pastimes, I shall give you nice hints and Hamsaduta and Himavati can help you with nice pictures. I shall give you some facts about Lord Jagannatha also. I am very glad to learn the practical result of deity worship in your behavior. I am so glad to learn that you are feeling development of a bit of affection for Jagannatha by personal taking care, and that is the way of increasing our love of Godhead. Deity worship is the practical demonstration and hearing from the Spiritual Master is the nourishment of the idea. Krishna Consciousness is so nice that anyone who has a little taste of it must feel a distinction between his past and present life. It is not only the case with you but it is the case for everyone who has the fortunate opportunity for coming into contact with Krishna. I thank you very much for your taking my time in this way. May Krishna be pleased upon you; both you and your good husband will be more and more spiritually happy by your nice service attitude in Krishna Consciousness. Actually, I have no desire to start the school in any city. City life, especially in this age of kali yuga, is very much polluted. Poet Cowper stated that the city is made by man and the village is made by God. So in the village there is a natural tendency for Krishna Consciousness, so we want to develop such atmosphere in New Vrindaban. Your cooperation in this matter will very much encourage me. Thank you once more for your letter. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 04:42 | |
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