# Letters — 1975 ### Letter to Abhinanda **Date:** November 12th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Seattle My dear Abhinanda das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated October 18, 1975. Yes, this is very good that you have taken seriously our programs here in India such as the book distributing. This is very important. It is a very good idea for the Seattle temple to finance the purchase of a vehicle as well as monthly finances for travel and maintaining and operating expenses of the vehicle. So you can take a leading part in this program. In your party here you can take some Indian devotees. That will be very effective. So you should take from there an entry visa. You apply for one or two year entry visa, saying that you are student of ISKCON and you are coming to India to study the Vedic culture, live in our temples, and learn Deity worship. If you come all with an entry visa, then there will be no difficulty for you to renew. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Abhinanda, Gopesvara **Date:** June 23rd 1975 — **Location:** Los Angeles > Hyderabad My Dear Abhinanda and Gopesvara das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated July 15, 1975 from Bhuvaneśvara and was very glad to read the contents how you are selling books there. You have done a great service, and I am very pleased with you. So far for selling books in India, we do not require a license. We are already selling our books there. From where have you gotten this idea? Perhaps they clear the books from the customs on this plea. Anyway, why not obtain an import license and do the needful. Regarding a book agent, we have got our agent, India Book House in Calcutta. Find out if they are importing. Also Gopala Krishna is arranging with our printer in Delhi who can also import books. Regarding reducing the sale price of the Srimad-Bhagavatams, Gopala Krishna is arranging for a new printing of Volume One Number 1 in Delhi. For what the book is costing to print, it should be sold for @ Rs. 50/-, but for a poor man we can reduce the price by 25% so it could be sold for Rs. 38/.You appear to be a very intelligent boy. We have got a land in Bhuvaneśvara. Can you develop it? Your proposal for travelling and distributing books all over India is very good. Krishna will bless you with His mercy. Take books and sell and spend for your expenses. I hope this meets you both in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Abhinanda, Gopesvara **Date:** August 17th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Hyderabad My Dear Abhinanda das and Gopesvara das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated July 25, 1975 and have noted the contents. Your success of book distribution to the libraries has given me great pleasure. Gopala Krishna has discussed with me the problem of selling books imported under the present CCP. We are planning to import books for sale to libraries through an importer of books in Delhi. The arrangements will be finalized in about two weeks, and then we will be able to supply you with all the books you need for libraries. This distribution of books to the libraries is very encouraging. Please expand this program all over India. In one library carrying my books, hundreds of people will be able to read. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Abhirama **Date:** January 16th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Coconut Grove, Florida My dear Abhirama das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Jan. 7, 1975 and have noted the contents. I have accepted the ten persons whom you have recommended for second initiation and their threads have been enclosed along with mantra sheet. I have also accepted the three you have recommended for first initiation. Their names are: William—Isa das, Eric—Ahobala-Nrsimha dasa, Nancy—Nartaka Gopala dasi. Their beads may be chanted on by Kirtanananda Svami. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps --- Enc: 7 threads and mantra sheet. N.B. You must make sure that all of these devotees are following the regulative principles very nicely. Everyone must rise early, take bath attend mangala arati, chant at least 16 good rounds, attend class, and follow the four regulative principles strictly. If these things are lax, then there is no question of spiritual life. Any one who does not accept these things staunchly will have to fall down. You must teach them by your own personal example otherwise how will they learn. If you are loose in your habits, then everyone in your temple will also be loose in their habits. So, as one of my elder disciples, be strong. Do not deviate and you will be blessed ### Letter to Abhirama **Date:** August 21st 1975 — **Location:** New Delhi > Miami My Dear Abhirama das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated August 18, 1975, and upon your recommendation I am accepting the following as my initiated disciples and their names are: Sunil Awatramani—Srisatya dasa; Wayne Prabhu—Upasya dasa; Marcia Bernheimer—Gatiprada devi; Antoinette Kennedy—Gitagamya dasi; Bernadette Bonaccurso—Visnu-kanta devi. I also accept the following as twice born initiated brahmanas: Langa Ganesa dasa, Janardana das, Nandana Acarya das, and Raghunatha Puri das. Hold a fire sacrifice and let them hear my recorded tape through the right ear. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Acarya Prabhakar Mishra **Date:** July 1st 1975 — **Location:** Denver > Acarya Prabhakar Mishra E-91, Kirti Nagar,New Delhi-15INDIA My Dear Prabhakar: Please accept my blessings. I wrote you one letter on May 31, 1975, but I have not received any reply from you. Did you see Nandaji in this connection? Please reply this letter at the following address immediately: ISKCON, 2334 Stuart St., Berkeley, California 94075, U.S.A.I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Acarya Prabhakar Mishra **Date:** August 28th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Acarya Prabhakar Mishra Ex. Vice Chancellor:M.S.A. University (Bihar)C-121, Keerti Magar,New Delhi-15 My Dear Prabhakar Mishra: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated August 6, 1975 addressed to my Los Angeles address and redirected from there just now. I am enclosing herewith one invitation card to our Janmastami and Vyasa Puja Day celebration. So if you come we can discuss further the points. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Acyutananda **Date:** September 3rd 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Bombay My Dear Acyutananda Swami: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated July 30, 1975 with enclosed clippings. They are very nice. You have done nicely. If you can get money, I have no objection to your getting a bus. Regarding your question, Sukdev and Vilvamangal Thakura developed the conjugal ecstacies later on. Regarding your difficulty in rendering Caitanya Bhagavata, yes you are right that you are overstepping your position. Better to stop it. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Acyutananda, Yasodanandana **Date:** November 21st 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Hyderabad My dear Acyutananda Swami and Yasodanandana Swami, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letters dated November 16th and November 18th with all the enclosed clippings which I have read with interest. I am glad to see that your preaching programs are going on. I think Acyutananda Swami, he is a very good preacher. The process is simply to read the books and learn the purports and then speak to them in your own words. One thing is, where is Gurukrpa Swami? I have not heard anything from him. I do not know where he is. That you have been victorious in preaching to the big Mayavadis, that is the mercy of Krsna. Now the Western higher circles, they have admitted that the greatest contribution of the Hare Krsna Movement are these authorized translations of the Vedic literatures. This has been said by one professor. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd --- N.B. I am going to Delhi. I am arranging to start a Krsna-Arjuna temple at Kuruksetra where B.G. was spoken. ACBS ### Letter to Acyutananda, Yasodanandana **Date:** December 4th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Hyderabad My Dear Acyutananda and Yasodanandana Swami, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated November 28, 1975.The pictures are very encouraging, and the reports of your life membership and book sales is also nice. There is tremendous field in India for selling books, if you continue this effort you will soon be compete with America. Gopala Krishna Prabhu is arranging to print Srimad-Bhagavatam Hindi, First canto Vol. I 5,000 copies, also Bhagavad-gita as it is. So there is a big field, in India 600,000,000 people. In every home there should be at least one BBT publication, so the field is very big. I hope this letter meets you both well, keep me informed. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/hda ### Letter to Acyutananda, Yasodanandana **Date:** December 18th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Hyderabad My Dear Acyutananda and Yasodanandana Maharaja, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated December 11, 1975.The books are already on the way. Sankirtana will always be appreciated, because it is the special blessings of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu on the people of this fallen age of Kali. Sukadeva Goswami says, this age is an ocean of faults, but there is one boon, in this age one gets the same result as was achieved in former ages through elaborate temple worship, costly sacrifices, or introspective meditation, simply by chanting the Holy Name of The Lord. It is for this reason only that this Hare Krishna movement has spread so quickly all over the world. The people of this age are so fallen they are like cats and dogs. What cats and dogs will understand about philosophy? If a dog is barking and you speak with him very nicely "my dear dog, please try to control your barking, it is very disturbing" will he be able to understand? therefore we simply throw him a bone, and he is satisfied. So distribute prasadam, and chant Hare Krishna. For the mass of people this is the only medicine. Lord Caitanya never spoke philosophy in public, he held kirtana and distributed prasadam. When he meet Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya he talked high philosophy, otherwise, Chanting and prasadam distribution. I hope you are well. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/hda ### Letter to Aja **Date:** December 4th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban My Dear Aja Prabhu, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated November 17, 1975. I am very pleased to note that you are attempting to preach seriously in the schools and colleges. Prahlada Maharaja, a great devotee and authority in our line said, Krishna consciousness should be taught from the beginning of Childhood. The defect of modern education is that the children are taught all nonsense things. They do not receive even the first point of knowledge, that I am pure spirit soul part and parcel of God. Everyone is interested in the body only, which is compared in Bhagavad gita to a dress, "As a person puts on new garments, giving up the old and useless ones, similarly, the soul accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones." [Bg. 2.22] this simple fact they have yet to learn. So if you can teach them just this one point it will be a great success, because this is the basic platform of advancing in spiritual understanding. If we want to read and write, then it is essential to learn first of all A, B, C's.Whatever knowledge they have got now is on the platform of this body, which is a lump of matter only, there is no knowledge of the soul which is entrapped within the lump of matter, and so people are suffering because of ignorance of this simple point. So try to enlighten them on this point and make them happy, that will please me and krishna, and thus you will become perfect yourself. My blessings to Sivananda Prabhu, he is a good boy, he singlehandedly started the European movement. I hope this letter finds you well. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ### Letter to Ajita **Date:** October 16th 1975 — **Location:** Johannesburg > Stockholm My dear Ajita dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Oct. 1, 1975 and I have noted the contents carefully. If you see problems in the Stockholm center why don't you try to reform it by your example and practical application of our philosophy. If I have to be involved in every dispute, then what is the need for the GBC? GBC is there for this purpose. However, if there is some serious difficulties, just now I can not give decision. If it is not settled, then it can be discussed at Mayapur. I hope that this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/pks ### Letter to Ajita **Date:** January 6th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Stockholm My dear Ajita das, Please accept my blessings. I am due receipt of your letter dated Dec. 27th, 1974 and have noted the contents. Regarding dishonest means being used I have never advised or taught anyone like that. That is not my idea. This record distribution has caused havoc. It should be stopped immediately. I have also asked Hansadutta to stop it. Book distribution is our real business. If we give them a record, they simply hear some magical sounds and take it for sense gratification, but if they receive one of our books and read even one page, they get eternally benefited. Therefore I am stressing this book distribution, not other things. Stop record selling completely. This is my order. I have accepted Gauracanda dasa brahmacari and Sriharini devi dasi as duly twice-born brahmanas and their threads are enclosed along with mantra sheet. You can hold a fire sacrifice and let them hear the mantra through the right ear from the tape of myself saying it. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Akbar Ali Khan **Date:** February 24th 1975 > Governor of Orissa,Raj Bhavan, Bhubaneswar, Orissa, INDIA.Cazle Luis Roche No. 61Colinas De Los Chaguaramos, Caracas, Venezuela**Personal.** My dear Akbar Ali Khan Sahib, Kindly accept the blessings of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Since you kindly visited our temple in Vrindavana, last year when I was sick, I have not been able to write to you. I am now touring around the world. At present, I am staying at our temple in Caracas, Venezuela, South America. A few days before I was in Mexico City, Mexico and tomorrow I shall go to Miami, Florida in U.S.A. From Miami I shall go to Atlanta, Dallas, New York, Toronto, Montreal, and then London. Our Vrindavana temple is going to be formally opened on the Sri Rama-Navami day (April 20th, 1975). Before that, our annual ceremony on the birth day of Lord Caitanya will take place in Mayapur (Dist. Nadia, West Bengal) on the 27th of March, 1975. I have invited Dr. Channa Reddy, the present Governor of Uttar Pradesh, to become the chief guest in Vrindavana at the opening ceremony. There will be 7 days of functions held. I wish to invite your Excellency to become the chief guest on one of the days in Vrindavana. Also, if you like, you are invited to come to our Mayapur festival in Nadia, West Bengal, on the 27th of March. I am trying to establish a union of spiritual culture by the Krishna Consciousness movement. You were very kind to come to our Vrindavana temple and it was very much encouraging for me. There is a verse in Bhagavad-gita:brahma-bhutah prasannatma na socati na kanksatisamah sarvesu bhutesu mad-bhaktim labhate param“One who is thus transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme Brahman. He never laments nor desires to have anything; he is equally disposed to every living entity. In that state he attains pure devotional service unto Me.” (Bg. 18.54)And there is another verse in the Srimad-Bhagavatam:sa vai pumsam paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhoksajeahaituky apratihata yayatma suprasidati“The Supreme occupation (dharma) for all humanity is that by which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendent Lord. Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted in order to completely satisfy the self.” (SB 1.2.6)The idea is that when a person becomes spiritually advanced then there is actual peace and unity. So, we are trying to establish this spiritual unity on the basis of love of God throughout the world. If you could join us during these two festivals or at least one of them, as it is convenient for you, it will be a great encouragement for me. I hope that by this time, you must have finished reading my book, The Nectar of Devotion, which I presented to your Excellency. If you so desire, I can send you another book, The Teachings of Lord Caitanya, as soon as I hear from you. Please reply to my Bombay address: Hare Krishna Land, Gandhi Gram Rd., Juhu, Bombay 400 054, and please send a copy of that reply to my London address: Bhaktivedanta Manor, Letchmore Heath, Watford WD2 8EP, Hertfordshire, London England, U.K.I am enclosing herewith one copy of the letter from Dr. Channa Reddy as he has accepted my invitation to the Vrindavana ceremonies. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Aksayananda **Date:** January 16th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Madras My dear Aksayananda Svami, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 11-1-75 and have noted the contents. Stridish das was just here and he has brought you the answers to your questions I hope. Your program sounds very nice there. You have mentioned the idea of having a pandal in Madras between the Mayapur and Vrndavana festivals. This will be nice, if it is practical. If you can arrange it co-operatively with the other leaders, then I shall also come there at that time. So, you can consult amongst yourselves and see if it will be possible or not. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Aksayananda **Date:** July 26th 1975 — **Location:** Los Angeles My Dear Aksayananda Maharaja, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letters dated June 22, and July 3. So I am glad to know that you have had successful program in Kampoor. Yes, I think I remember Radha Krsna in Sadaf Agharwal from Kampoor. What was the name of his shop, is it a bottle shop? Yes, this traveling preaching program is a good idea. It is very nice, and you are a good preacher, so I am sure that you will do it nicely. It is a good idea also to train up other good preachers there in India. This is our need there. Regarding the Madjar center, sending funds for the deity maintenance in Vrndaban, you are already collecting money, so it is not required that Madjar send money to Vrndaban. Rather the money in Madjar should be used for printing. Not that we should use all collected money for maintenance. Better to print books and distribute. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Aksayananda **Date:** November 9th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Vrindaban My Dear Aksayananda Swami: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated November 5, 1975 and have noted the contents. Regarding the Life Member collection, Rs. 20,000/- collected locally is not a joke. To collect so much from visitors is Krishna's grace. This is very good. If you simply please the visitors, you will get so many Life Members. Simply I want that by the local collection and the receipts of the Guest House you maintain everything. We are considering to get a temple in Kuruksetra, so the collection from Delhi may be employed there. So it is a good sign that the visitors are becoming Life Members. So follow this policy, and very soon your temple will become self-sufficient. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Aksayananda, Dhananjaya **Date:** May 4th 1975 — **Location:** New Delhi > Vrndavana Dear Aksayananda Swami and Dhananjaya, Please accept my blessings. The bearer of this letter, Sri Munnalai, the driver for Mr. L. S. Agarwal, should be given nice facilities for himself and his family at our Asram when he comes to Vrndavana for pilgrimage. He would like to stay with us very much so see that full prasadam as well as a room is given during his stay in Vrndavana. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Aksayananda, Dhananjaya **Date:** May 10th 1975 — **Location:** Perth > Australia Vrndavana My dear Aksayananda Swami and Dhananjaya, Please accept my blessings. Kindly send me report of Vrndavana, how things are going on there, to our Honolulu address: 51 Coelho Way, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. The proposal for selling rooms should be dropped for the time being unless you take instruction from Giriraja how to take contributions from the prospective clients. For the time being, you organize the paying guest proposal. Whether you have arranged for Dr. Varma's stay in our guest house? He is an experienced physician, perfectly qualified. Try to accommodate him as a honorary physician of our guest house. Please let me know how things are going on there. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Aksayananda, Dhananjaya **Date:** May 26th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Vrndavana My dear Aksayananda Swami and Dhananjaya, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated May 17th, 1975 and have noted the contents. I was very much encouraged by this nice report you have given. Continue to organize the guest house. This is very important. Do it very nicely with the co-operation of Dr. Verma. In the evening, you must have many varieties of first class ghee-cooked preparations offered to the Deity and you can sell the prasadam. The L.A. standard is good, but still you should have a better standard. You should make kacoris, samosa, etc. If it is required, a professional confectioner may be employed. The Deity worship must be done very gorgeously. The 24 hour chanting is very encouraging to me. Please continue all as I have given you. I have full faith in both you. Kindly execute the routine work very nicely. Please send me a weekly report of how things are going on. Keep the accounts carefully and occasionally, they may be audited by Vishvambara's brother. Also, what about the Punjab National Bank opening a branch at our temple? Either Syndicate Bank or Punjab National Bank must open a branch on our land and pay 300 rs. rent. If they are not willing, then approach State Bank of Central Bank. Ask Gopala Krishna to complete the negotiations for the 5,000 sq. yds. of land. He's in charge of that. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps --- N.B. I am very glad to hear that Pradyumna is teaching English and that the classes are going on. Please continue this ### Letter to Alanatha **Date:** September 1st 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Stockholm My Dear Alanatha das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated August 22, 1975 with enclosed copies of your new Swedish Back To Godhead magazine. It is very nicely done. The printing and paper are very good. You have published on the first page the first photograph of my preaching in America. It is an historical photograph. Even though I was alone completely in a foreign country, still I was not appearing forlorn. I was confident, that can be seen in my photograph. I think the translation work was done by Vegavan and Ajita Prabhus. So encourage them in this work. This translation work is very important. It is not simply a matter of ABC's, but it requires spiritual realization to do it properly. I understand that you are a good sankirtana man and book distributer. So you all cooperate. They translate, and you print and distribute. What more do you want? In this way you flood Sweden with transcendental literatures. I am very glad that you are getting so much interest from persons coming from the Eastern Europe countries. You should give the two devotees from there all facility in translating. Now I am requesting Hansadutta and Bhagavan to make vigorous propaganda in Eastern Europe. In the latest issue of Back to Godhead English edition there is my discussion about Marx philosophy. It will appeal to any sane man. Lenin has murdered the Czar, that was his only accomplishment, but any gunda could do that. This article should be read and translated. Upon your recommendation I am accepting Vaclav and Jan as my initiated disciples. Their spiritual names are Paragati dasa and Turiya dasa respectively. See that they chant regularly 16 rounds and follow our principles. Then they will remain strong in Krishna consciousness. Their beads can be chanted upon by Hansadutta dasa. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Alanatha **Date:** November 10th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Stockholm My dear Alanatha das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your two letters dated 26th and 27th September 1975 and have noted the contents. Upon your recommendation I am accepting the following as my initiated disciples. Their names are as follows: Johnnie—Jamadagni das; Maggie—Vedatita devi dasi and Christine—Samhartri devi dasi. I also accept for second initiation Vrsnivallabha das Brahmacari. Enclosed is the sanctified mantra thread and mantra sheet. It is your responsibility as the president of the temple to see that these devotees strictly follow the rules and regulations such as chanting 16 rounds minimum on the beads. 16 is the minimum; one can chant more. There is no harm, but one at least must chant the fixed number of rounds. You should hold a fire sacrifice and they may hear the mantra from my recorded tape through the right year. The beads may be chanted on by Hansadutta. Regarding the controversy that is going on there in Stockholm, what is the reason. This must be considered at a full meeting of the GBC. You may suggest a way to mitigate this difficulty and if it is not accepted, then both of them should resign. I know that Hansadutta is very expert in selling books but books are not only for selling but also for reading. Now has the GBC become more than Guru Maharaja? As if simply GBC is meant for looking after pounds, shilling, pence. The GBC does not look after spiritual life. That is a defect. All of our students will have to become guru, but they are not qualified. This is the difficulty. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mddEncs. ### Letter to Alanatha **Date:** November 13th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Stockholm My dear Alanatha das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated November 4, 1975, with the enclosed copies of the Yoga Library in Swedish language. The get-up is very nice and I think they will sell very, very well. Just see what books we are publishing all over our Society in all the languages. Where is the CIA message in our books that they are claiming? They are claiming that we are CIA's, but where is the CIA message in our books? Our books are simply on the basis of Krsna consciousness. What better service are we doing than publishing these books? But one thing is disturbing me, are these reports coming from Sweden. These books are translated by Vegavan and Ajita, so they are rendering good service to you. Do not deal with them by force. They are competent hands, so why fight with them? Do everything amicably. This fighting is going on everywhere. It is not a good sign. I know the fight spirit is there in you, within the Westerners, that even if you do not care to fight, someone will induce you to fight. Rather, you should make vigorous propaganda for making people understand the utility of the Krsna consciousness philosophy. It is not something speculative. Make your plans, organize, and then execute in order to increase all of our Krsna consciousness programs. This will be better. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Alfred Ford **Date:** January 3rd 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Sriman Alfred Ford > Teton Village > Wyoming 83024 USA My dear Alfred, Please accept my blessings. I am writing this letter to inform you that Sudama Swami has left our camp. He has his own plans. He has violated our rules and regulations and thus fallen down from the spiritual platform. Under these circumstances, please do not act under his advice. I have been very much busy here in Bombay. In about a week, I am going to come to Honolulu. I will notify you of my definite arrival date and I request that you please come and see me there. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps --- cc: Honolulu, Wyoming, c/o G.K. Swami ### Letter to Alfred Ford **Date:** April 5th 1975 — **Location:** Mayapur > Sriman Alfred Ford Teton Village Wyoming 83025 U.S.A My dear Alfred, Please accept my blessings. Gurukrpa Svami has referred your latter dated March 12th, 1975 to me for final approval. I think your idea is very good. You are giving your forefather's hard-earned money and I don't want to see it spoiled in any way. In a year or so you can turn the property over to: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps --- Prabhupada, Founder Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. You are sincerely trying to please Krishna, and therefore He is giving you all intelligence—how to do it. After the opening of our Vrndavana temple here in India, I shall start for Australia by May 5th to install Gaura-Nitai deities and then I shall go to Fiji for a few days to see how our center is doing there. After that, I shall arrive in Honolulu by May 17th. This time, I will stay there for some time, most probably until the beginning of July, when I will be going to the American mainland for our annual Rathayatra festival in San Francisco. If it is convenient for you, I would like to have you come and stay with me while I am there in Hawaii. I will arrange a nice room for you and any other facilities you may require. I am hoping that you will consider this carefully to my Bombay address. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ### Letter to All ISKCON Temple Presidents **Date:** October 29th 1975 — **Location:** Nairobi To All ISKCON Temple Presidents: This is to introduce to you Mr. Harjibhai M. Patel of Diamond Press Ltd., P.O. Box 40030, Nairobi, Kenya. He and his wife are going on world wide tour in April, 1975. Kindly receive Mr. Patel and offer him best accommodation, prasadam, and whatever assistance he might require. He is a pure vegetarian. He is my friend here in Nairobi, and he has kindly hosted me at his home on two occasions before we had our own temple here. He is also one of the important members in helping to assist our mission, especially through his press. So I want that he should have a favorable impression of our movement all over the world. So please do the needful. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to All Temple Presidents **Date:** January 9th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Temple Presidents All ISKCON Centers My dear temple president, Please accept my blessings. This letter is to inform you that Hari das Brahmacari has received permission to go to all of our centers in the west for visiting and gaining the experience of preaching there. He is from Bengal and he can cook nicely, go out on sankirtana, lead kirtanas, classes, as well as teach Bengali bhajans. Please give him all facility to engage in these ways while he is staying at your temple. He will be returning to India for the Mayapur festival in March, 1975. I hope this meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to All Temple Presidents **Date:** February 6th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > TO ALL TEMPLE PRESIDENTS My dear President, Please accept my blessings. Recently in Germany the government, police and church have started heavy persecution against our movement by arrests, investigation, and blocking our monies in the bank. By unfair and slanderous newspaper and television propaganda, they have ruined our reputation and turned the general public against our movement. We cannot sit down and be idle. Even killing of our devotees has been attempted in Berlin by shooting. Hansadutta prabhu has formulated a plan for protesting at all German Embassies all over the world. This plan has my sanction. He will be contacting you in this connection. Please co-operate with him fully. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to All Temple Presidents **Date:** December 18th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay My Dear Temple President, Please accept my blessings. I have received one letter from a Mr. Morris Yanoff with a news paper clipping explaining the disappearance of his Grandson David Yanoff age 12 years. Mr. Yanoff is very anxious about the whereabouts of his grandson and he has asked me to help locate him. If this boy is in your temple please contact the following address. Mr. Morris Yanoff, 6159 North Wolcott Ave. Chicago Ill. 60626, U.S.A.I hope this letter meets you well. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/hdacc: --- All temples ### Letter to All Temple Presidents, G.B.C. and Sannyasis **Date:** October 17th 1975 > 59 Muller Street,Yeoville, Johannesburg,South Africa Dear Prabhus, Please accept my humble obeisances. All Glories to His Divine Grace, Srila Prabhupad. It has come to our notice that one Godbrother of Srila Prabhupad’s, Swami Bon Maharaj, has been spreading damaging propaganda against Srila Prabhupad and against our movement. Satsvarupa Maharaj recently informed Srila Prabhupad that one Professor in Canada refused to take a standing order of Srila Prabhupad’s books because he associated with Swami Bon at his Oriental Institute in Vrindaban, and Swami Bon so much made untrue accusations against our beloved Spiritual Master Srila Prabhupad. Swami Bon recently made a tour of Canada and Satsvarup Maharaj reported that his statements were “poisonous, saying many false things about Krsna consciousness.” Recently, one professor, Dr. Hines, of Indian Religious Studies at Yale marked: “I think Swami Bon is just jealous of Srila Prabhupad.”Under the circumstances, we shall fully non-cooperate with this Swami Bon and neither we shall form any kind of association with any person whose aim it is to blaspheme the Lord or his pure devotee. I hope that this meets you all in blissful serving mood, Your unworthy servant, Pusta Krsna SwamiActing Secretary forSrila PrabhupadApproved: ACBS(initialed by hand) ### Letter to Amarendra **Date:** October 21st 1975 — **Location:** Johannesburg > Gainesville My dear Amarendra dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 9-22-75 with enclosed Guru-daksina and I thank you very much. On your recommendation I am accepting the following devotees for initiation:1st. initiation: Robert Tarjan (Dronacaryaguru), Keith Consbruck (Manusrestha dasa)2nd. initiation: Bhusaya das Brahmacari, Jagannatha Tirtha das Brahmacari, Ekadasi das Brahmacari, Mahaprabhu das Adhikari, and Jalangi devi dasi. You will find enclosed 4 brahmana threads and you should perform fire-sacrifice for all of the new initiates stressing the responsibility involved. Everyone must follow the four regulative principles and chant minimum of 16 rounds japa daily. There is no question of falldown if one seriously follows these principles. I hope that this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/pks ### Letter to Ambarisa **Date:** September 15th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Detroit My Dear Ambarisa das: Please accept my blessings. The land at Kuruksetra is now available to us. So you can come and join me. If you meet me in Nairobi at about the third week of October, then we can come to India together. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Ameyatma **Date:** July 12th 1975 — **Location:** Philadelphia > Los Angeles My Dear Ameyatma das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated June 27, 1975 and have noted the contents. Thank you for your nice sentiments. Yes, this is the proper for you to satisfy your spiritual master. It is stated: yasya prasada bhagavata prasada. By the mercy of Krsna one gets the mercy of Krsna. As far as your writing additional poetry is concerned, do not spend very much time in this way. It is not very important. There are already so many prayers written by great acaryas. What will you add to this? However if you have got some spare time and the inclination, you can read the chapters of Krsna Book and put them into verse. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Amogha **Date:** April 17th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Melbourne, Australia My dear Amogha dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due reciept of your letter dated 2-4-75 and have noted the contents. I am also hoping that you will be able to print our books in that part of the world in the local languages. I think there is a Dai Nippon branch in Jakarta. It is a great service to sell our books to educational institutions. The more you do this, the more you become recognized by Krishna. Take standing orders, as much as possible. If you can induce any of these educational institutions to invite me, I shall go there to speak amongst the educated persons. Please continue your good work with added enthusiasm. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Amogha **Date:** August 8th 1975 — **Location:** Toronto > Melbourne My Dear Amogha das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated July 15, 1975 and have noted the contents. I think you should take Australian rather than the American passport. The Australian passport is better because it is Commonwealth. So you take the Australian passport, and immediately go to India. We require good men in India now. Indonesia is not a very important place. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Amogha **Date:** September 21st 1975 — **Location:** Vrndavana > Melbourne My dear Amogha das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your cable reading as follows: COMING EARLY OCTOBER TO WHICH PLACE SHALL I COME SIGNED AMOGHA DAS.You may come to Bombay. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Amrita Patrika Newspaper **Date:** October 25th 1975 — **Location:** Mauritius > "Amrita Patrika" Newspaper Calcutta, India Attn: Advertising Dept Dear Sir: Please accept my greetings. We are interested in advertising in the important daily Indian newspapers. If you can kindly send me the respective contract rates of advertising, at the same time our society being a charitable religious concern to propagate God-consciousness all over the world, if there is any special concession for us. On hearing from you we may begin full-page advertising in your daily newspaper. Thanking you, Yours sincerely, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/pks ### Letter to Amsu **Date:** January 21st 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Ottawa My dear Amsu das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Jan. 10th, 1975 and have noted the contents. Thank you very much for distributing my books in such severe conditions of cold. This is Krishna Consciousness. No matter what the conditions, still a devotee will always try his best to please his spiritual master and Krishna. I have accepted Kati McIntosh as my initiated disciple. Her name is Karanakarana devi dasi. Her beads can be chanted by Kirtanananda Svami. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Ananga Mahan **Date:** June 10th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Sri Caitanya Gaudiya Math Puri My dear Ananga Mahan dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 31-5-75 and have noted the contents. I am returning to Vrndavana by October. At that time, you please see me, and we shall talk about your program. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Anangamanjari **Date:** May 28th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Washington D.C My dear Anangamanjari devi, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated May 23rd, 1975 and have noted the contents. I have given the information in my books, how to please the spiritual master. Simply by following the rules and regulations very carefully, by chanting at least 16 rounds daily, by reading our books, and by always engaging one's self in the service of Krishna, a person will please the spiritual master and Krishna both. In your country, the Deity should not go without shirt. Gaura-Nitai may wear turbans. Nothing should be offered to Krishna unless it is prepared by the devotees themselves. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Arvind Shah **Date:** September 30th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Arvind Shah (Mathiawala)166 Parkview Ext.Athens, Georgia 30601 My Dear Arvind Shah: Please accept my best wishes. I am in due receipt of your letter dated September 12, 1975 and have noted the contents. I cannot quote immediately from sastra, but psychologically we can understand that there is no such things as Hindu religion, but according to the Vedic sastra there is varna-asrama, the religion of varna and asrama. The whole varna-asrama system discourages sex life. Circumcision is a facility for sex life. So in other systems of religion or throughout the whole universe the tendency is to enjoy sex life, whereas the varna-asrama system discourages sex life. Sex life is the cause of bondage of the conditioned soul to remain in the material world. If one can conquer over the sex impulses voluntarily, he conquers over the influence of material nature. So the ideals being different, I think in the Vedic system such circumcision is prohibited. I hope this meets you in good health. Yours sincerely, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Asita **Date:** January 10th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Sri Caitanya Gaudiya Math Gaura Bat Sahta Road Swargadwar, Puri Orissa 1752001 My dear Asita das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated nil and have noted the contents. If you want to stay there I have no objection. For the time being you can perform your devotional service in Puri and when I return to Mayapur in mid-March, you can see me and we shall see what was the cause for your being asked to leave. It is a big establishment and sometimes disagreement happens and I am helpless. I am enquiring from Mayapur why you were asked to leave there. If you want to take initiation from madhava Gosvami Maharaja I have no objection. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Aticandra **Date:** January 4th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Los Angeles My dear Aticandra dasi, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Dec. 16th, 1974 and have noted the contents. I think your idea is a little utopian. First thing is that one must understand Srimad-Bhagavatam fully. The first verse, if you simply explain, will take volumes and volumes. So, please study my books intensely and do not fail to chant 16 rounds daily following the four regulative principles strictly. This will make everything perfect. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Audolomi **Date:** February 6th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Evanston, Illinois My dear Audolomi das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Feb. 2, 1975 and have noted the contents carefully. It is the mercy of Krishna that you are getting fair warning of your nearing death. Now, you must become very serious to prepare to meet death without fear of being fully absorbed in the lotus feet of Krishna. You must be very careful and always praying to Krishna that you will not forget Him at the time of dying. If your heart is weak, do not take part in so much active service. It will be better for you to chant more, read books, eat less—like that you can engage yourself. Everyone has to die sometime, but the problem is that most men your age are thinking, "I will live another fifty years", but now you have been informed that in your case, you will not live so long. Take advantage of this advance notice, consider it a blessing and prepare yourself to go back to home, back to Godhead. I hope this meets you in strong Krishna Consciousness. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Audulamidasa **Date:** October 16th 1975 — **Location:** Johannesburg > Detroit My Dear Audulamidasa, Please accept my blessings. It is great offense to change dress now that you have taken babaji dress you must continue. You are all so restless and take everything as farce. Now, take more rest and go on with your program of chanting and that will be good for you. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/pks ### Letter to Augusto, Romeo **Date:** March 14th 1975 — **Location:** Tehran > Rio, Brazil My dear Augusto and Romeo, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Feb. 17th, 1975 and have noted the contents. It is not compulsory that one live in the temple, but in order to make spiritual advancement, one must follow all the rule and regulations of Krishna Consciousness, just as the devotees in the temples do. One must rise early, hold mangala arati, have class and chant at least 16 rounds daily as well as follow the four regulative principles. It is always best to associate with devotees as much as possible if one cannot live in the temple. I think Mahavira dasa is in charge of our Brazil temple, so you can co-operate with him nicely and follow his advice. Regarding Siddhasvarupa Gosvami, he is preaching nicely in our Honolulu temple. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Babhru **Date:** May 31st 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Honolulu, Hawaii My dear Babhru dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated May 29, 1975 and have noted the contents. Thank you for you daksina of 20 dollars. Please continue to follow very strictly the rules and regulations, chant 16 rounds and read my books well. This will keep you always fixed up in Krishna Consciousness and Maya will not succeed in bewildering you. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Babhru, Satyaki **Date:** September 18th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Honolulu My dear Babhru and Satyaki, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated September 1, 1975 with enclosed check for $15.00. I thank you very much for it and for your appreciation of the Krsna consciousness movement. Please continue reading my books seriously and everything will be revealed to you. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Badarinarayana **Date:** September 1st 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Ann Arbor My Dear Badrinarayana das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your note dated May 9, 1975 attached to the letter by Pam Conger. Upon your recommendation I am accepting her as my initiated disciple, and her spiritual name is Padmahasta dasi. Please see that she chants regularly 16 rounds. Enclosed please find herewith a copy of a letter to Mr. Mahalingam. You have to deal tactfully in your preaching. Do not compromise the truth, but speak palatably so he does not reject it but accepts it. That is preaching. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Bahu Rupa **Date:** September 1st 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Bahu Rupa Das P.O. Box 4758Long Beach, CA. 90804 Dear Bahu Rupa Das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated August 16, 1975 and have noted the contents. How can you prove that Vedic culture did not exist before 5,000 years? Darwin's theory says millions and millions of years in calculation. So how are these millions of years existing? Mundane archeologists are mistaken because they say from monkey the human beings have come into existence, but at the present moment both the human being and the monkey are existing. The monkey is not extinct. So these theories are not correct. Nobody has seen a monkey giving birth to a human being. As the monkey and the human being are existing side by side at present, so for millions of years they were existing like this. That is our theory. The modern material archeology has no meaning for us. Our realization is depending on the spiritual platform. Transmigration of the soul does not depend on history. There is Vedic literature that gives proof of Lord Parasurama driving out the ksatriyas. We do not take these mundane histories as authority. Regarding the dating of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, the Battle of Kuruksetra took place at the beginning of Kali yuga, and Kali yuga has passed more than 5,000 years. The Bhagavad-gita was also spoken at the beginning of the fight, so we take it as 5,000 years ago. From the Bhagavad-gita we learn it was spoken by the sun god millions of years ago. We take this as authority. If you don't accept my authority, then I don't accept your authority. That is the way of evidence, to accept the Srimad-Bhagavatam and the Vedic literature. The calculation is that the Kali yuga is 432,000 years, out of which we have passed 5,000 years. I hope that this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Bahudak **Date:** November 10th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Vancouver My dear Bahudak das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated September 23rd and have noted the contents. I am glad to note that you are taking out the traveling party. I hope that you have good success. Just do everything very soberly. Regarding the instruments, stringed instruments are Vedic, but the real Vedic instrument is mrdanga and karatala. Anyway, you have to do according to the time and circumstances if you use these other instruments. So you have got my approval and you can go on. Regarding complaints by the sannyasis, these things shall be discussed in everyone's presence at the Mayapur meeting. There is no question of change but sometimes change is invigorating. I note that your wife has given birth to one girl child. Are all your other children also dasi's or do you have any das's? We want more das's than dasi's.I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Balavanta **Date:** September 7th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Atlanta My dear Balavanta das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter undated with enclosed check for $500. Thank you very much. I am very glad to hear that everything is going on nicely, especially your developing your new 250-acre farm. Yes, if you can get the government to support our project, that would be big triumph for us. They are spending millions and millions of dollars trying to keep the young people from turning into hippies, drug-addicted, and we are actually doing it. So why they should not give us some support? Upon your recommendation I am accepting the following as twice-born initiated brahmanas and their sanctified threads and mantra sheets are enclosed: Ballabadra Bhattacarya das Brahmacari and Mahejya das Brahmacari. I also accept as my initiated disciples the following and their spiritual names are: Dr. Richard Thompson, Ph.D.—Sadaputa das; Mike Dunn—Vedaguhya das; Chuck and Diana Sanders—Munjakesa das and Madamohini dasi; and Cindy Barber—Janmasunya dasi. Please see that they are chanting 16 rounds without fail. You should hold a fire sacrifice and let the second initiates hear the mantra from my recorded tape through their right ear. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Bali-mardana **Date:** April 17th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Honolulu My dear Bali Mardan, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated April 7, 1975 and have noted the contents. Thank you for sending the $1,000 to Bombay. Your article is very nice. You should continue to write very nicely. I am giving your article to the press editors to check over for printing. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Bank of America **Date:** July 23rd 1975 — **Location:** Los Angeles > Bank of America Express Towers, Nariman Point Bombay, INDIAAtt: The Manager Dear Sir: Enclosed please find a copy of the cable transfer advice No. 177654 from Bank of America Branch No. 553, San Francisco to your bank in favor of INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS A/c. No. 16026 for the amount of Dollars 24,846.39 (twenty four thousand eight hundred forty six and thirty nine cents).Please place the entire amount on a Fixed Deposit for six months in the name of Bhaktivedanta Book Trust. The Fixed Deposit receipt may be kept with you, and when I return to Bombay I shall collect it from you. Faithfully yours, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Batu Gopala **Date:** July 25th 1975 — **Location:** Los Angeles > Cleveland My Dear Batu Gopala dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated July 16, 1975, and have noted the contents. Upon your recommendation, I am hereby accepting the following as my initiated disciples: Shombe Lumkin—Sri Lanka dasaI also accept upon your recommendation the second brahminical initiation for Murari Caitanya dasa. His sanctified thread and mantra sheet are enclosed. Please have a fire sacrifice and impress upon them that they are accepting vows before Radha Krsna, the Spiritual Master, and the assembled Vaisnavas. The mantra should be heard through the right ear from my recorded tape. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS:bs ### Letter to Batu Gopala **Date:** February 1st 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Cleveland My dear Batu Gopala dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Jan. 27, 1975 and have noted the contents. Thank you very much for distributing my books so enthusiastically. You are right. We must all become ideal in our character and then people will be very impressed with such purity. A devotee is faultless. He has no flaws. I have accepted the devotees that you have recommended for 1st initiation and their names are as follows: Leon—Lilamohana, Virginia—Venu-Vilasa devi dasi, John—Gurugovinda dasa. Their beads can be chanted on by Kirtanananda Svami. Make sure that all of these candidates follow our principles very staunchly. Train them nicely by your own example. I have also accepted Madhyam devi dasi and Vajasana devi dasi as duly initiated brahmanas. Their mantra sheets are enclosed herein. Let them hear the gayatri mantra through the right ear from the tape of myself chanting it. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Batu Gopala **Date:** June 12th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Cleveland My dear Batu Gopala dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated June 9, 1975 and have noted the contents. Thank you very much for selling so many books there. This is very much wanted. Try to sell again more and more each day. Regarding naming your Cleveland center, New Govardhana Hill is a very nice name. But as far as worshiping a Govardhana Sila from Govardhana hill, that we shall see later on. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Batu Gopala **Date:** June 17th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Cleveland My dear Batu Gopala, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated June 8th, 1975 and have noted the contents. I accept the persons you have recommended for initiation (first). Their names are as follows, Bill—Bhama dasa, Brenda—Brahma-vadini devi dasi, Michael—Mahana dasa. Their beads may be chanted by Kirtanananda Swami. Also, I have accepted Divyanga dasa for 2nd initiation. His thread and mantra sheet are enclosed herein. Let him hear the tape of myself chanting gayatri mantra through his right ear. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Bhagavan **Date:** January 27th 1975 — **Location:** Tokyo > Paris My dear Bhagavan das adhikari, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your telegram reading as follows (dated Jan. 25th, 1975): NEED SANCTION LETTER FROM PRABHUPADA FOR MANAGING OTHER EUROPEAN TEMPLES FORWARD TO PARIS GERMANY—BHAGAVANDAS. So far our movement is concerned, actually it is not a so-called religion movement. People throughout the whole world are more or less disgusted with the man-made religious systems. Therefore the government of different states is gradually banning the preaching of religion. People in general also think that this is also another type of so-called religion. So, gradually, they will take steps for banning our propaganda also, unless we present our system very scientifically based on philosophy. Of course, by Krishna's grace, the higher learned section is appreciating our books. That is the only hope for pushing on. But, I am very much depressed by the recent incidences in Germany. It is now evident that some of our top men are very much ambitious and there has been so many fall-downs. In his last letter, Hansadutta said as follows: I am exhausted, my brain is exhausted, I do not know what to do, so you can just tell me what I should do and I shall do that . . . I cannot understand your mind or actions, I do not know what you divine grace wants, or what you want from me. So, at this moment I am just going to sit and chant till I hear from you, because everything till now has come out wrong, so please just instruct me what to do. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news again. Please forgive me, I am so helpless and spiritually weak. Please save me. What more can I say, please save me. In India you said, "Every rumor contains a grain of truth." So the police, the karmis, newspapers must also bear a grain of Truth. I feel discouraged now. All my godbrothers and your Divine Grace are dissatisfied with me, so I have lost my enthusiasm. Under the circumstances, I have asked Hansadutta to come to me at Hawaii. There I shall try to rectify the mistakes and as previously arranged, the GBC's should act as my secretary at least one month in a year. So, he may come and remain with me and in the meantime, you work conjointly with Brahmananda Svami. Try to manage Germany, London, and Paris. The main business in Germany is to reply the charges and rescue the frozen money. In England, we have to revive the Rathayatra festival which is now stopped by the police intrigue. In Paris, you require a larger place to accommodate devotees, so find out a suitable place. I am going to Honolulu by Wednesday (29th) and if Brahmananda Svami is absolutely required, I'll call him to South America. Otherwise, both of you co-operatively, execute the most important business in Europe. Kindly send in regular reports and oblige. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/pscc: --- Germany ### Letter to Bhagavan **Date:** June 27th 1975 — **Location:** Denver > Paris My Dear Bhagavan das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated June 20, 1975 and also the French Gita blue prints. Is that the paper that it will be printed on. This paper is very nice. I have also seen the Spanish literature you have published. Why you do not use the literature they are publishing for South America? Your qualification is that you can live amicably with anyone. Even if one is an offender to you, you do not become agitated. This is a Vaisnava qualification. I am glad to hear of the improvements of Amsterdam temple. That you are now getting so many more people for the feast program means that the management is very much improved. Yes, I am looking forward to coming to France to see the castle. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Bhagavan **Date:** September 7th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Paris, France My Dear Bhagavan das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated August 29, 1975 with enclosed copy of Italian Back to Godhead. This is very encouraging. Thank you very much. Regarding the farm, you can call it Bahulaban. Regarding the question of second marriage, it cannot be done. Neither the law will allow it and neither we can encourage it. If they want to marry more than one wife, they must live outside our temples in their own arrangements. We have no objection if he does it, but it must be done outside the temple. It cannot be done inside the temple jurisdiction. Outside he can work, earn money, and if he wants he can maintain 16,000 wives. But he must go outside the Society. Within the Society only one marriage can be allowed. I thought these boys and girls will be married and be happy. But, I see that they are not satisfied. In the Western countries they are trained up in a different way. Jumping from one to another. Another wife, another husband. This is the disease all over the world. Simply by agreement, then cancelled, then another agreement. Everyone wants more than one wife. That is human nature. This means their mind is not being diverted to Krishna. Because they are not madan mohan, they are madan dahan, they are in the Cupid's fire. You want them to have more wives under GBC supervision. You will supply the maintenance? What is this nonsense? They must go outside the Society to do it. And, the sort of marriage where they are not satisfied cannot be allowed. Nor can women with child strictly she cannot marry again. Regarding Spiritual Sky, yes you can be appointed. Gopala Krishna has suggested that the Board meet bi-annually, and I approve of it. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Bhagavan **Date:** October 5th 1975 — **Location:** MauritiusSriman Bhagavan > das Adhikary ISKCON4, Rue Le Sueur Paris, 16 France My dear Bhagavan das: Please accept my blessings. Here in Mauritius there is a very good potency for introducing Krsna consciousness on a wide scale. The government is not opposed to our movement. Yesterday we had one meeting and all big government officers, ministers, ambassadors came to hear me speak. And they appreciated. Most important the local boys, Indians, are coming, and now they want to do something. They are convinced that this is a good movement. They are organizing a program of getting boys from the villages for me to instruct them. So I am prepared to personally take up this program and remain here. The boys here are educated and intelligent and speak English and especially French. What is required immediately is some French speaking devotees to come here for preaching. You kindly arrange for this. Sober, intelligent men are required who can preach. Now we have so many French literatures, so there is a great opportunity. Not only here but in other islands. And these local Indian boys can in future be sent to India to preach to their people. So on the whole there is great potential here. Enclosed are some cuttings from the newspapers here. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Bhagavan **Date:** November 14th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Paris My dear Bhagavan das, Please accept my blessings. I am un due receipt of your letter dated October 23, 1975 together with enclosures. So far your misunderstanding with Hansadutta is concerned, it is not substantial. But in the presence of all GBC, the matter should be settled though. Don't worry. I have received the weekly cash reports. It is very good that you have the same treasury system and reporting system in all your temples. This is wanted. Please keep the accounts very correctly so that we may remain always above suspicion. I am glad that you now have 20 devotees in Geneva. This is very encouraging. Try to train them up and gradually leave the matters to be managed by them, in the hands of the Swiss devotees. When I started this movement, I wanted to bring some men from India. The problem was that in India the men who joined the Gaudiya Math mission were not very educated. So I declined to bring them in the Western countries and by the grace of Krsna I was able to train the local men. And thus gradually, things became successful. The Western people, they are Aryans and ksatriyas in their origin, but due to bad association with the aborigines, they have taken all bad habits and become degenerated. Now we have to revive this Aryan civilization and rectify things. If we do it nicely, then all the Western people will be happy and they will glorify Lord Caitanya. This is Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's prediction, "When they will take this Vedic culture, they will applaud Me." So our mission should be how to have Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu applauded all over the world. His statement is param vijayate sri-krsna-sankirtanam. That statement will be fulfilled. That we want to see. It is very good that the new house in Geneva temple was former German Embassy. It is a very good honor that the people voted in favor of giving us the lease. Is this new place near to the river? Regarding Rome, that is very good that you have 50 devotees. Are they all Italian? Yes, that is nice that you are looking for a new building in Rome. Rome is a crowded city. We must have there a very big building. The climate there is also nice. It is always sunny. In Rome I have seen many houses exactly like Indian houses. Also in Paris I have seen this. I have received the Italian new literatures and they are very, very nice. Thank you very much. Regarding Spain, yes, don't risk anything. You've got sufficient engagement in the other European cities. Do everything slow but sure. The new French Back to Godhead is very nice. Amsterdam temple has also grown to 55 devotees. This is a credit, not that the temple should be a place simply for good residence. It should be a place where there is constant activity in Krsna's service. The Westerners have good brains, but they do not have any good leader. Now the Krsna consciousness movement will provide them with good leader if they take it seriously. Regarding the contract with the incense manufacturer, don't supply them if they do not pay. That is very good to separate the Spiritual Sky business from the temple. Regarding Paris, the house there in the city must be kept very nicely. It is a very nice house. I always remember my quarters there. Also the Parisian people are very intelligent. So you are selling 100 French Bhagavad-gita's per day at $12 per book. That's $1,200 per day. This is no joke. That means there is very good reception. When are you going to print the next edition? Yes, try to place the books in stores and libraries. Are you liquidating your debts for the farm? You borrowed money on the farm. Are you repaying the loan? It is very good that the farm will be providing foodstuffs for both the farm and the temple in Paris. That is wanted. The farm program should be: grow your own food, produce your own milk, cloth and everything and chant Hare Krsna. It is good that you are repairing the buildings. They are dilapidated, but they can be repaired very nicely. So your book distribution is very good. I think our books will never keep us in a poverty-stricken condition. This is the blessings of His Divine Grace Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja Prabhupada. He is very pleased that you are distributing so many books. The American program for distributing books is very successful in this connection. So you collected $20,000 in one week. Now you are a rich man. We are also constructing the Bombay temple and the work has begun and if you so desire, you can send some contribution. Also we now have got Hindi and Gujarati publications. Do you require any for the Indians there? Now you are going to print the small Bhagavad-gita. One thing is if the people will get the small Bhagavad-gita at the cheap price, then will they want to purchase the bigger one? Will that be good? How will you distribute the bigger ones at the more expensive price when there is the cheaper one also available? Your program in the schools, that is very nice. That is your success, that even the unruly students were well-disciplined. Dhiradhira-jana-priyau priyakarau nirmatsarau pujitau. "I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Six Gosvamis, who are always engaged in chanting the holy name of Krsna and dancing. They are just like the ocean of love of God, and they are popular both with the gentle and with the ruffians because they are not envious of anyone."I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Bhagavan **Date:** December 19th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Paris My Dear Bhagavan Prabhu, Please accept my blessings. I have received the list of first and second initiations and I have accepted them as my duly initiated disciples. Enclosed please find the sacred threads duly chanted upon by me. Now hold a fire ceremony, and instruct the new devotees to chant 16 rounds daily and follow the regulative principles of devotional service. The newly initiated brahmanas should hear the mantra from the tape recording through the right ear. Brahmin initiation means to be very clean, inside and outside. Inside by chanting the glories of the Lord, and outside by bathing regularly. Washing hands and mouth after eating. Instruct them all these things, and do it yourself, example is better than precept. First initiatesParisOlivea—Valyavapu DasMathilde Bonci—Nandirupaka DasiBenny Beandin—Sadasivapriya DasBruno Leny—Aristanasana DasChristian Zkine—Kesinasana DasNicole Bouborin—Dharmarupa DasiAnne Faramice—Gopanandini DasiRomeAlessio—Papaha DasEmanuel—Artiha DasCarlo Dipalo—Suptavigraha DasCarlo Zacca—Dhenupalaka DasPaolo—Bhutiha DasFregro—Valihara DasSecond initiatesAdisekhara DasCanarari DasSalagrama DasBhima DasJivadaya Das(1. Richard Diller, 2. Ann Diller—1. Sivatmaka Das, 2. Pralambahari DasiI hope this letter meets you well. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/hda ### Letter to Bhagavata **Date:** May 11th 1975 — **Location:** Perth > Australia Calcutta My dear Bhagavata dasa, Please accept my blessings. This is to introduce Sriman Svadhin Kumar Mullick of 50A, Hari Ghose St., Calcutta-6. I do not remember whether I have seen him before, but his grandfather was my very intimate friend. This boy is coming from a very respectful family, Mullick. I think he is slightly deformed by one hand. Anyway, please admit him to be trained up to be a devotee. He appears to be educated. Let him read our books, follow the regulative principle, and be trained in our line. Then, when I go to Calcutta, I shall see how much he has advanced and then we shall give him some definite engagement. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Bhagavata **Date:** June 10th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Calcutta My dear Bhagavata dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated May 28, 1975 and have noted the contents. I am very glad to hear that things are going on very nicely there. Keep on working with this nice enthusiasm and carefully observing all the rules and regulations, chanting, reading,—in this way, you will always be a success. Regarding Nandulala, Gurukrpa Maharaja wanted her to go to Japan and collect for some time there and then afterwards, if she likes, she may come again to Calcutta. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Bhagavata **Date:** July 1st 1975 — **Location:** Denver > Calcutta My Dear Bhagavata das: Please accept my blessings. Enclosed please find a copy of a letter addressed to the Central Bank of India, Camac Street Branch dated June 2, 1975. I have not received any reply from them. Will you please personally go to the bank and take their reply or any other information regarding the subject matter and let me know definitely at the above address in Berkeley. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs --- N.B. Round about our temple there are many apartment houses constructed. Will you enquire about an apartment not less than three rooms and up to four rooms and find out what is the price and what are the terms ### Letter to Bhagavata **Date:** July 5th 1975 — **Location:** Evanston > Illinois Calcutta My Dear Bhagavata das: Please accept my blessings. Tripauri Swami is starting his bus preaching program, and you are required for this purpose. You are a good preacher. I very much like these bus programs. They are greatly increasing the scope of our book distribution and many new men are being attracted. So you should immediately come here to USA. You may hand over the management of Calcutta affairs to Bhavananda Maharaja. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Bhagavata **Date:** November 12th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Calcutta My dear Bhagavata das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated November 2, 1975 with enclosed articles and I have noted the article. So those who say that the Mahabharata battle was fought 3,000 B.C., that is correct. But they had a big, big meeting with big, big professors but was there any conclusion? No. So therefore these kinds of meetings are all useless. Unless there is some conclusion, it is simply a waste of time. I hope this finds you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Bhaja Hari **Date:** September 21st 1975 — **Location:** Vrndavana > Bhaktivedanta Manor My dear Bhaja Hari das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated September 10, 1975 with the enclosed clippings. The clippings are very interesting and I enjoyed them very much. I have been showing them here to all the people who have been visiting me. Yes, the plan you have sited for the lake and island is approved by me. I am very glad that you are doing this work and since the work started on September 8th, it is already going on. It is because you are charming the Indian community, therefore they are giving you money for these projects. So you should continue in this way. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Bhakta dasa **Date:** February 1st 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > San Francisco My dear Bhakta das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Jan. 16th, 1975 and have noted the contents. I have been informed by Jayatirtha prabhu that you have decided not to get the farm and that you want to get a building in Berkeley. I have discussed with him and that idea is approved by me. The boys that you have recommended for 1st initiation are accepted by me. Their names are: Ed—Hrdayagovinda dasa, Nagaraja dasa and Jamie can be called Jiva dasa. Kirtanananda Svami can chant on their beads. Concerning Ganesa worship, it is not actually necessary for us. But, if someone has a sentiment for getting the blessings of Ganesa in order to get large amounts of money for Krishna's service, then it is alright, but anyone who takes up this kind of worship must send me at least 100,000 dollars monthly—not less. If he cannot send this amount, then he cannot do Ganesa worship. Please continue distributing by books as many as possible. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/psN.B. --- Thank you for the 100 dollar check ### Letter to Bhakta dasa **Date:** May 7th 1975 — **Location:** Perth > Australia San Francisco My dear Bhakta dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am due receipt of your letter dated April 15th, 1975 and have noted the contents. I am very glad to hear all of the good news in your letter. This is very encouraging. Continue to preach vigorously, following all of the rules and regulations very carefully and Krishna will give you every facility. It sounds like the Rathayatra festival will be bigger than ever this year. I am hoping to come there again. Regarding your physical malady, you should do whatever is required to treat it properly. Whatever is most practical. The names for the new child are approved by me. Circumcision is not important. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Bhakta dasa, Jayananda, Bahulasva **Date:** June 17th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > San Francisco My dear Bhakta, Jayananda, and Bahulasva, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letters dated June 13rd and 15th, 1975 and have noted the contents. It sounds like things are going very nicely there. I will come for Rathayatra festival and then I shall see the new building also. The photos were very nice. Regarding the sannyasis convincing men within the temple that they should leave and go with them on their parties, that is not at all good. I have never approved of this action. You can tell them. Everyone is concocting something of their own. It must be checked. The sannyasis should work with what men they have got and they cannot secretly convince men in the temples to leave their duties. Those duties also must be done and they are just as important as any other service. Regarding the books being sold for less than $4, that we shall discuss in L.A. with Ramesvara. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps --- N.B. Why did you publish this college program book independently and unauthorized? Any literature that is to be published on behalf of the movement, must be authorized by the BBT Trustees. You have not even mentioned my name in this book. This is not at all good. Why have you done this? ### Letter to Bhakta Dennis **Date:** April 8th 1975 — **Location:** Mayapur > Los Angeles My dear Bhakta Dennis, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated nil and have noted the contents. I think that the best thing for you is to study our books very carefully and then try to write something. Do not try to concoct your own theories. This is not the process. You must write just as you have heard from your Guru and nothing else. Otherwise, your writing is useless. I think you may contact Svarupa Damodara prabhu if you want to ask any questions. Most important thing is to make sure and follow all of the regulative principles and chant at least 16 rounds daily. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Bhakta Steven Knapp **Date:** December 18th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Denver My Dear Bhakti Steven Knapp, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your long letter how you are appreciating this philosophy. It is said in the Bhagavad-gita that out of thousands of men, only one takes an interest in the perfection of human life. The perfection of human life is to develop one's dormant love for God, and thus be released from the terrible cycle of birth and death. People are so foolish that they simply waste time in temporary pursuits of material happiness, eating, sleeping, defending and enjoying sex life. Especially sex life. The sum and substance of material life is attraction for the opposite sex. The sum and substance of spiritual life is attraction to Krishna. So to develop attraction for Krishna is not difficult, you simply have to hear about Krishna, his activities, his name, his form and his teaching in Bhagavad-gita. Naturally you will develop love for Krishna, because we are all part and parcel of Krishna. The beginning process is to Chant Hare Krishna, follow the four regulative principles and associate with devotees, and take Prasadam of Krishna. I think you are now living in the temple of Krishna, so these things will be very easy for you to practice. I hope this letter meets you well. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/hda ### Letter to Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha **Date:** September 2nd 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Sri Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha, Secretary Sri Caitanya Gaudiya Math35, Satish Mukherjee Road,Calcutta-26 My Dear Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha: Please accept my best wishes. I am in due receipt of your invitation card for the Annual Sri Krishna Janmastami Celebration and I thank you very much for it. I am here in Vrindaban where we are holding our Janmastami and Vyasa Puja ceremony at our Krishna Balarama Mandir. I hope this meets you in good health. Yours faithfully, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs --- N.B. I am enclosing herewith a copy of the latest "Hare Krishna Explosion" which is published from our Hyderabad branch for your perusal ### Letter to Bhakti Pramode Puri Maharaja **Date:** September 7th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Tridanda Swami Sri Bhakti Pramode Puri Sri Ananta Basudev Sri Mandir P.O. Kalna, Dt. Burdwan Dear Bhakti Pramode Puri Maharaja: Please accept my obeisances. I am in due receipt of your letter dated August 27, 1975 and have noted the contents. Yes, it is Bhagavan's special mercy upon me that I am getting such immense wealth. You will be pleased to know that my books are selling to the extent of one million of dollars per month. But this money is coming from the mlecchas and yavanas. That is the difficulty. This money is not coming from the brahmanas. Therefore I am afraid to contribute to you as you request. How shall I give to you and pollute you? They are all mlecchas, and you are a rigid brahmana, pukkha. So how will you accept it? If you like, you can hand over the management charge of your temple, and my devotees will manage. I hope this meets you in good health. Yours faithfully, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Bhanutanya **Date:** March 14th 1975 — **Location:** Tehran > Brooklyn My dear Bhanutanya dasi, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated March 6, 1975 and have noted the contents. You should understand that Krishna Consciousness is a purificatory process. One may not be purified immediately, but since he is on the right path for purification, one should not criticize him for some faults that he may still have. Just because some body has made some mistakes does that mean that you should give up your whole career in Krishna Consciousness? What will that accomplish? Simply more rebirth and death. The fact that you have left our movement just on account of some minor disagreements shows that you are not actually serious about going back to home, back to Godhead. I suggest that you become serious about spiritual life and try to overlook the minor offenses of others. You should keep yourself in the association of devotees, chant at least 16 rounds, read my books and follow all of the rules and regulations very strictly. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta SvamiACBS/ps ### Letter to Bharadraja **Date:** November 18th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Los Angeles My dear Bharadraja das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated November 1, 1975 with enclosures and thank you very much. From the photographs I see that the work you have done is superexcellent. It is very, very nice. I very much appreciate it. The dolls of Lord Damodara are very nicely done. The face is so nice. Your plans for including restaurant and bookshop in the museum is very good. So far your future plans are concerned, you should understand that at every center there should be such doll exhibitions. So wherever it is suitable, you should take up in that place first. We want that at every center there should be this doll exhibition. In the new New York building, one flat should be for this exhibition. The name of your exhibition is approved by me and it is a very good idea that you want to get federal funding. So far the Garuda Stambha is concerned, from the photograph, yes, it is approved what you have done. It can be placed in the Los Angeles temple in front of the Deity underneath the balcony. It must be underneath the balcony, otherwise how can it be done. It is better if it is not underneath, but if there is no other space for where to do it, then you will have to do it like that. Regarding the Nrsimhadeva Deity, yes, that can be done, however to worship Nrsimhadeva requires a separate temple structure, not that Lord Nrsimhadeva can be worshiped in the same temple as Radha-Krsna. Regarding your question about offering aroti to the form of Damodara, no, the Deity worship that you are now doing is sufficient during the Damodara-vrata. Regarding my head for the statue, that will appear in the museum, all of them, they are perfectly done. Locana has done very, very well. Yes, it is good if you prepare a mold so that these life-sized murtis can be available. I am sending these photographs with Saurabha to Jaipur for their making the murtis here for the Bombay temple. Regarding the fruit decorations, it is not proper for them to be on the head of the throne. This should not be done. Regarding the mrdanga-making, this is very, very important item. It will open a great scope of our activities, so it should be done very carefully. I want to see large production. I note the signatures of all your assistants and I very much appreciate their activities. Make them all experts. All of them require to be experts because they will have to go to all centers because we want to have this transcendental exhibition in all our centers around the world. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Bhavananda **Date:** July 10th 1975 — **Location:** Evanston > Illinois Calcutta My Dear Bhavananda Maharaja: Please accept my blessings. Enclosed are some photographs of a lake here where I take morning walk. Now I want that our lake in Mayapur should be like this. You can make the stone stairway on four sides, one at each end and one at the middle of each side. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Bhavananda, Jayapataka **Date:** January 23rd 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Mayapur My dear Bhavananda Svami and Jayapataka Svami, Please accept my blessings. The bearer of this letter, Jagannatha das brahmacari is coming to Mayapur to work on the Caitanya Caritamrta manuscript. Hopefully, he will finish editing work on the Antya-lila by the Festival at the end of March. Please give him all facilities in this connection. He will need a quiet spot for working. Try to see that he is full-time engaged in this editing work. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Bhrsakapi **Date:** January 16th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Washington, D.C My dear Bhrsakapi das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated nil and have noted the contents. Thank you for distributing my books so enthusiastically. Please increase this book distribution as much as possible. Regarding the Mayapur and Vrndavana festivals coming up, you can come to one of them or both of them as it is convenient to you. I have accepted the three devotees that you have recommended for 1st initiation and their names are as follows: Ben—Bhavanatha dasa, Jeff—Yadunatha dasa, Jim—Yajna dasa. Their beads may be chanted on by Kirtanananda Svami. I have also accepted the three men that you have recommended for 2nd initiation. Their threads and mantra sheets are enclosed herein. Let them hear the gayatri mantra through the right ear from the tape of myself saying it. Please make sure that these new devotees (as well as the old ones) follow all of my rules and regulations strictly. They must chant 16 rounds, rise early, attend class, etc. Without these things, there is no spiritual life at all. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/psEnc: --- 3 threads and mantra sheets ### Letter to Bhumata **Date:** July 12th 1975 — **Location:** Philadelphia > Cleveland My Dear Bhumata devi dasi: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated July 10, 1975 with enclosed check for Dollars 300.00. I thank you very much for this your service. You are a good lady and a good devotee. Your willingness to serve shows what is your progress in Krsna consciousness. Regarding sending money to Mayapur, you can transfer money through your bank by wire in favor of International Society for Krishna Consciousness, American Express Bank, Calcutta, India, Account No. 090031.I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Bhumata **Date:** November 21st 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Cleveland My dear Bhumata devi dasi, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated October 13, 1975 and also your poem enclosed and have noted the contents. I am very glad to note your enthusiasm for spreading Krsna consciousness and that you want to increase your propaganda work. This is the main thing—to always be anxious how to spread the glories of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mission. I note that you have got this dedication and I am very pleased. I have noted your ten requests and I think that yes, there should be a GBC man who I have delegated who can take care of these matters. So Satsvarupa Maharaja, he is the right man. Regarding your request for Krsna consciousness marriage, oh yes, certainly Satsvarupa Maharaja, he can perform the ceremony. Regarding sending the gifts and offerings, is it cash or kind? I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd --- N.B. I think you may send to Bombay address, but you have to be careful if you are sending money in the mail. You can consult with Satsvarupa Maharaja how best to do this ### Letter to Bhurijana **Date:** August 11th 1975 — **Location:** Indre > France Victoria, Australia My Dear Bhurijana das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated August 1, 1975 with enclosed currency note of 50 dollars. Thank you very much. I am glad to know that you have applied for your Hong Kong visa. You were happy there, so why not return there. Pancadravida Swami is leaving to go to South America, and Gopala Krishna cannot send any man there. You started there in Hong Kong, and I have full confidence in you to make it successful. I am presently en route to Bombay, and I have stopped here for one day. Here we have got a very nice land of 250 acres with a big French castle. They are starting to grow vegetables, fruits, and flowers, and they are keeping cows. It is a very nice place about 180 miles from Paris. So you may keep me informed of your program by replying to me in Bombay. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Bhurijana **Date:** September 4th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Melbourne My dear Bhurijana das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated August 11, 1975 with enclosed currency note of $50. I thank you very much. Please keep me informed regarding your Hong Kong visa. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs/hdb ### Letter to Bhurijana **Date:** September 7th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Melbourne My dear Bhurijana das, Please accept my blessings. This is to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated August 15, 1975 with enclosed currency note of $50 Australian. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Bhurijana **Date:** September 11th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Melbourne My Dear Bhurijana das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letters dated August 22, 29th and September 5th with enclosed Dollars 50.00, 159.61, and 126.50. You say that someday you hope to be useful, but you are already useful—you are sending checks. This is the best useful. You are remembering me and chanting Hare Krishna. This is Krishna consciousness. Regarding the other matters, a difference between godbrothers is natural. That difference of opinion will continue, what can be done. Siddhasvarupananda Maharaja and his group, whenever they see me they give me money. So they are not against me. So it is a natural thing for the brothers to fight, as long as they all stay obedient to the father. You do whatever you like, but do not forget chanting and following the rules and regulations. That will save you. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Bhurijana **Date:** September 18th 1975 — **Location:** Vrndavana > Melbourne My dear Bhurijana das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated September 12, 1975 with enclosed check for $127.68. In this way you are rendering very nice service and the more you render service, the more you advance. This is the only way. Therefore the Vedic regulation is that whenever one goes to see some saintly person or to visit a temple, he must offer something. That will help him. It is enjoined that one should first of all dedicate his life and if it is not possible to do that, that one should dedicate his money. If he has no money, then he should utilize his intelligence how to spread Krsna consciousness. Or if he has no intelligence, then he should utilize his words that, "Yes, they are doing nicely. This is a nice movement." This is the process for advancement in Krsna consciousness. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Bhurijana **Date:** November 9th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Melbourne My dear Bhurijana das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letters dated September 19 and October 17, 1975 with enclosed checks for $100 and $500 respectively. So this is very nice that your checks are getting bigger. You are one of my older experienced students and I am always praying for your advancement in Krsna consciousness. As the husband of your wife, you should see that she is trained up nicely in Krishna consciousness. You also have a child, so this is your responsibility to see that your family no longer again has to come back and take material body in this world of birth and death. This is the responsibility of a father in Krsna consciousness. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Bon Maharaja **Date:** June 5th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > His Holiness, Sri Srimad B.H. Bon Maharajac/o Joseph T. O'Connell St. Michael's College University of Toronto My dear Sripada Bon Maharaja, Please accept my humble dandavats. When I was in Vrndavana, I was informed that you were staying in New York, but I do not know what is your address. Now, I understand that you are staying with Professor Joseph T. O'Connell. So, I am addressing this letter to his care and I hope you will receive it. One of my disciples informed me that you had been in our Toronto temple. Now, I invite you to come to Hawaii. The climate is very nice here and I wish that we may pass a few days together in this nice climate. I hope this meets you in good health. Your obedient servant, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Bon Maharaja **Date:** July 7th 1975 — **Location:** Evanston > Illinois Rector, Institute of Oriental Philosophy Vrndavana My Dear Sripada Bon Maharaja: Please accept my humble dandavats. I thank you very much for your letter dated June 18, 1975 and I have noted the contents carefully. I left Honolulu on the 30th of June for Los Angeles where I stayed for one week, then I left for Denver where I stayed for one week, then I have come to Chicago, and I am staying in our temple at the above address. Enclosed are two newspaper clippings from the Chicago newspapers concerning my arrival. Here we shall observe the Ratha Yatra festival on the twelfth of July and grand arrangement is being prepared with the cooperation of the local authorities. The Ratha will be taken downtown to Chicago as usual. So after making all these arrangements I shall have to go to go to Philadelphia where I shall attend the Ratha Yatra ceremony, and then I shall go to San Francisco where as usual our Ratha Yatra will take place for the seventh year. The Mayor of the city of San Francisco has declared two days local holiday for this particular ceremony. This will take place on the 20th of July. If you could have found the time to come to Hawaii, I thought I would take you with me to all these places and surely you would appreciate my humble attempts. I thank you very much for your appreciation, "A wonderful job in this country."Sripada Sripada Sridhara Maharaja also appreciated my service. He said that Caitanya Mahaprabhu's prediction [CB Antya-khaṇḍa 4.126] : prthivite ache yata nagaradi grama/ sarvatra pracara haibe mora nama, would remain a dream only, but he congratulated me that I have done it practically. I do not know how things are going on automatically by His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada, because I have no other assets except his causeless mercy. I am glad to know that you visited some of our centers in Canada. Prof. O'Connell is well known to me. Last he met me in London. He sent a copy of his review of Prof. Stillson Judah's book, Hare Krishna and Counterculture. This book is a favorable presentation of our movement of Hare Krishna in this country, and he has done it very scholarly. I have seen in the book that your good name and Sripada Tirtha's name are also there. We are also having good sales of our books about 50 in number amongst educated circles both in America and Europe with good appreciation. Enclosed is one pamphlet published in Dutch. We are publishing in all languages. Last time we met in Vrindaban in that matter of your institution. I gave you my decision, and you were to reply your decision, but I never heard from you in this connection. If there is any possibility of co-operation I am still ready for it. Apart from this, I wish to start a Gurukula Institution in Vrindaban for educating small children attached to my temple. You have enough land still vacant. Therefore I request you to spare some land in the front of my Krsna Balarama temple. It will be a great mercy on me. I hope by this time you have gone back Vrindaban. You can reply this letter to my San Francisco address as follows: ISKCON BERKELEY, 2334 Stuart St., San Francisco 94705. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs --- Encs ### Letter to Bon Maharaja **Date:** July 24th 1975 — **Location:** Los Angeles > His Holiness Swami B.H. Bon Maharaja,D.Lit., I.Ph.D., D.D., D.D.,D.Theos., D. AEH.Institute of Oriental Philosophy Vrindaban, Dist. Mathura U.P., INDIA My Dear Sripada Bon Maharaja: Please accept my dandabats at your lotus feet. I thank you very much for your kind letter dated July 15, 1975 and have noted the contents carefully. Your letter was addressed to our San Francisco temple, and it is forwarded to me here in Los Angeles. The day after tomorrow I am going to San Diego via Laguna Beach. Then I shall go to Dallas, New Orleans, Detroit, Toronto, Montreal, New York, and then New Vrindaban, West Virginia. From there I shall go to Europe to London and Paris, and then I shall return to Bombay perhaps via Africa by the month of October. Regarding your proposal for a guest house, we have already got it, a guest house of 75 rooms well equipped. The Governor Dr. Channa Reddy was very pleased with it, but we can extend the guest house program more if we get suitable land. So I can immediately accept your proposal for Gurukula and guest house provided you give us the vacant land in front of our temple. This land is lying vacant without any use. So if you spare this land just behind your college building, we can immediately begin the construction work. The best thing will be that if you charge some nominal price for the land or as you like it. Then we can use the land independently according to our plan. Immediately we do not require any guest house, but in expectation of a future influx of guests we can construct another house along with the Gurukula building. So either in the newly constructed guest house or the guest house already constructed our scheme is to receive paying guests. So for the Gurukula it will be very suitable if you spare the front land or back side of your college building. That will be very kind of you. Our Philadelphia Ratha Yatra was very attractive and successful; similarly the San Francisco Rathayatra was also. Some of the Indian saints Shushil Muni Maharaja and Yogi Bhajan and many others attended the ceremony. They also appreciated our activities. I have not received any report from Saurabha das about his meeting with you in Vrindaban. Nowadays the construction of a guest house is a very costly affair. We have spent about Rs. 50 lakhs for our temple and guest house in Vrindaban and with great difficulty. Regarding the library building, I am only interested in Caitanya philosophy. As it is stated in the Caitanya Caritamrta, "sri krsna caitanya daya karaha vicara/ vicara karile citte pabe camatkare." If you are indeed interested in logic and argument, kindly apply it to the mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. If you do so, you will find it to be strikingly wonderful. (Cc. Ādi lila 8.15) But, in the library other books may be kept for comparative study by the scholars. I have no objection, but our main purpose will be to accelerate the grandeur of Caitanya philosophy. On this basis I have full cooperation. Besides that I have got about a half a dozen students who are Ph.Ds in different subjects, but they are all expert in Caitanya philosophy. If you so desire, their service can be utilized in this connection. If we fully cooperate on this Institution plan, I can attract students from all over the world such as America, Europe, Canada, Australia and the Middle East. In all these places we have got our centers and there are many students. So when I arrive in Vrindaban we shall discuss these things in detail, and if possible we can take up the library program at that time. In the meantime if you decide to give us the land in front of our temple we can immediately begin the construction. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Bon Maharaja **Date:** August 11th 1975 — **Location:** Indre > France Swami B.H. Bon Maharaja Rector, Institute of Oriental Philosophy Bhajan Kutir, Madan Mohan Ghera P.O Vrindaban, Dist. Mathura U.P. INDIA My Dear Sripada Bon Maharaja: Please accept my humble dandabats at your lotus feet. At the present moment I am staying in our French castle in the village of Lucay-le-Male. We have purchased recently 250 acres of land with a big palace. Some photos are enclosed herewith. I am now organizing in Europe and America many farm lands so that my devotees can live there peacefully, grow their own foodstuffs, produce cloth, and save time for chanting Hare Krishna. This scheme has been successful in New Vrindaban, West Virginia; New Orleans; and Pennsylvania. So the same attempt is being made here in France. This place is a little interior from Paris about 180 miles, and there are about 100 devotees already. They are growing vegetables, fruits, and flowers, and keeping cows with great enthusiasm. They are chanting Hare Krishna also village to village in buses, so the propaganda work is going on nicely. I have received recently one letter from Dhananjaya in which amongst other things he gives me the following information: "Now Bon Maharaja is prepared to make a proposition regarding allowing the construction of the Gurukula on two acres in his college property. He has assured us that the land will be registered in the Society's name."I have received your letter dated July 15, 1975, and I have replied from Los Angeles. I am very much anxious to start this Gurukula scheme immediately, and as you have kindly agreed to give us the vacant land for our Gurukula, I am starting for India immediately by cancelling other programs. From here I shall go to London for one or two days, and from there I shall take one Quantas plane which goes directly to Bombay in eight hours. Then I shall see Bombay affairs where we are constructing a very big temple and residential quarters. There are six houses of two stories already on a spacious land of 20,000 sq. yards. We have already constructed one floor more on each house to accommodate our devotees, and still we are constructing another two towers for receiving guests, as well as a very big temple in that land. After inspecting for a few days how things are going on there, I shall go back to Vrindaban via New Delhi, and if you kindly give us the land I shall begin the constructing of the Gurukula building immediately. I am coming here via Toronto and Montreal, and it was a great pleasure for me to know that you saw our temples there. Next time if you kindly come either to Europe or America please visit all our temples, especially I will request you to visit our temples in Los Angeles, Detroit, London, and Paris (Lucay-le-Male.)I hope this meets you in good health. Affectionately yours, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Bon Maharaja **Date:** August 28th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > His Holiness Swami B.H. Bon Maharaja Bhajan Kutir, Madan Mohan Vrindaban My Dear Sripada Bon Maharaja: Please accept my humble dandabats at your lotus feet. Your letter dated August 7, 1975 addressed to my Los Angeles address is just now received having been redirected from there. Please take our invitation card for the Janmastami and Vyasa Puja Day. Kindly attend if possible because I understand that you are sick. The other day Sripada Brahmananda Swami and Sriman Gopala Krishna das Adhikari and Sriman Dhananjaya das Adhikari went to see you, but they were not allowed to disturb you on account of your sickness. Now I have studied your letter under reply. Regarding the land, if you can't sell then you can lease it to us for 99 years. I think there is no objection. The land is lying vacant from a long time 50 years. Now if it can be utilized for the benefit of the Institute why there should be objection. The other day while taking my morning walk from the backside of your land I reached on the main road. So much land is still vacant without any utility. If you can spare all these lands on lease terms we can immediately use them properly. Now when you lease out the lands for some income, I don't think there is any objection by the Trustees. So if you come on Janmastami or Vyasa Puja Day we can talk on this matter, or if you are sick, if you give me some appointment I can go and see you. So far other proposals, if the Institute is given for our management, we can fulfill all your desires mentioned in your letter under reply. Hope this meets you in good health. Thanking you once more. Yours faithfully, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Brahmananda **Date:** January 17th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Frankfurt My dear Brahmananda Svami, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 11-1-75 and have noted the contents. If Karandhara can continue to pay the 9,000 dollars monthly, then what is the necessity of change? Let him continue. Regarding the lawyer, is it necessary to pay 20,000 dollars? Can this be avoided? Unnecessarily, we cannot spend so much. I will be going to Hawaii on Jan. 26th. You can let me know what is the situation by mailing a report there. It is contemplated that we are going to South America afterwards. So, if your business is finished up, then you can join us directly from London to Caracas, but if the South American program does not take place, then I may come back through L.A., New York, London, etc. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Brahmananda **Date:** February 6th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Frankfurt, Germany My dear Brahmananda Svami, Please accept my blessings. I have heard that you want to make apologies to the police and others. This policy is not at all good. We cannot apologize. We have not done anything wrong. Our policy should be to protest against this persecution if they are determined to suppress our movement there. However, everything can be settled peacefully, if they agree to drop the charges and give us facility to push on our movement without further harassment in the future. These are the two points to be considered, so, discuss with Hansadutta and Bhagavan and do the needful. I am coming to London via New York by the 2nd of March and you can meet me there. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Brhat-samu **Date:** June 10th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > San Francisco My dear Brhat-samu dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 6-7-75 and have noted the contents. Thank you for the pecans. I shall be coming to L.A. on the 20th of June for one week and then I shall go to Denver for one week. You can see me in L.A., if you like. Please continue to follow all of the rules and regulations carefully, and chant or read always. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Brijratan S. Mohatta **Date:** July 17th 1975 — **Location:** Berkeley > Brijratan S. Mohatta Mustafa Building Sir P. Mehta Road Fort, Bombay-1 INDIA My Dear Brijratanji: Please accept my blessings. Enclosed please find herewith a copy of our latest issue of Back to Godhead containing the selection from Srimad-Bhagavatam as you had kindly suggested. We are making it a regular feature each month. I hope this finds you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Brijratanji **Date:** May 11th 1975 — **Location:** Perth > Australia Mustafa Building Bombay My dear Brijratanji, Please accept my greetings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated April 17th, 1975 and have noted the contents carefully. I welcome your suggestion. I have advised my assistants to publish one chapter in each issue from the Bhagavat Maha-Purana. This will contain the devanagari script as well as the roman script. I thank you very much for your suggestion. I hope this letter meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Brsni **Date:** June 10th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Kealakekua, Hawaii My dear Brsni dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated June 6, 1975 and have noted the contents. I shall be very glad if you come and visit me in Honolulu at our temple at 51 Coelho Way. When you come to see me, we can talk over all these things. I shall be leaving Honolulu for L.A. on June 20th, 1975. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Brsni **Date:** December 18th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Kamuela, Hawaii My Dear Brsni Prabhu, Please accept my blessings. I am in receipt of your letter dated December 8, 1975. The Deities may be carved without hair or dhoties, and then later they can be dressed. I will be anxious to see the photographs of your work. I hope this letter meets you well. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/hda ### Letter to Brsni Prabhu **Date:** November 27th 1975 — **Location:** New Delhi My Dear Brsni Das Prabhu, Please accept my blessings. I am in receipt of your letter dated September 9, 1975, I have noted the contents carefully. Regarding the Gaura Nitai deities, I think 100 dollars is too much to pay for one pair of deities. Better you carve them from wood. In India the carvers have always used a wood bitter in taste, this keeps the worms from eating it, best is nim wood if such wood (bitter in taste) is available there then why not make Gaura Nitai from wood. In New Vrindaban we have so much woodland, it is not that deities have to be made in Hawaii, why not in New Vrindaban and supply all our centers? let me know. I hope this finds you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/hda ### Letter to Bunke Behari **Date:** July 20th 1975 — **Location:** Berkeley > Berkeley My Dear Bunke Behari das: Please accept my blessings. I wish to thank you very much for ivory carving gift which you have kindly presented to me. You have made it very nicely. I can see that it required skill to make it so artistically. You have made Radha and Krishna and Caitanya Mahaprabhu very attractively. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Caitya-guru **Date:** May 7th 1975 — **Location:** Perth > Australia Nairobi My dear Caityaguru dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Jan. 14th, 1975 and have noted the contents. For some reason or other, I have received your letter very very late, otherwise reply would have been much sooner. Anyway, I am very glad that you are feeling very much encouraged working in Africa. If you follow all of the rules and regulations very carefully and continue in this way then you will always be successful. Regarding the program in Punjab, that may be possible to hold in the fall when I will be in Vrndavana. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Caitya-guru **Date:** June 10th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Nairobi My dear Caityaguru dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated June 6, 1975 and have noted the contents. The idea of the Bhetnama system is that the man pays the cost of the room and we make a plate with his name on it saying, "the cost was payed by such and such person." Whenever he may come, he can use the room. And when he is gone we will use the room for other guests, but if he may come the room will immediately be made available. After his death, his heirs cannot make any claim on the room. While staying with us, they must follow the principles and there should be a certain limit to how long they can stay. For the details, I think Giriraja can find out how it is done at Tirupati and other temples in India and let you know. I will ask him to do so and inform you. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps --- Will you kindly let me know what Guru Nanakji has said about Lord Krishna and Lord Rama in his Granth Sahib? How we can cooperate with the sikh community? ### Letter to Cakravarti **Date:** December 2nd 1975 — **Location:** New Delhi My Dear Cakravarti Prabhu, Please accept my blessings. I have accepted the following list of Boy and Girls as my duly initiated disciples. So you are the president there at Schloss Rettershof, it is your duty to see that the standards of Krishna Consciousness are always maintained, especially chanting 16 rounds daily, observing the four regulative principles, no meat, fish, eggs, no intoxication, no gambling, and no illicit sex life. The students must all attend morning and evening arati and classes. If we follow this simple program along with regular sankirtana, distributing the books and preaching, then there will be no fall down. Just like if one keeps himself clean and properly nourished by eating regularly, he will not infect disease, but if there is neglect, then there is room for infection, he becomes weak and fall prey to disease. So Krishna consciousness is the medicine for the material disease, and chanting Hare Krishna mantra sincerely is the basic ingredient of that medicine. George—Pavenesvara dasJoseph—AiravataThomas—Gurusrestha DasDuri—Dhanadhena DasTulsi—Dinadyatma DasAnanda Kumar—Giri Pati DasBernhardt—Marendra DasJurgen—Yadasampati DasPeter—Devarsirat DasJutta—Saumyarupa Devi DasiSabina—Amahamaha Devi DasiI hope this letter finds you well. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/hda ### Letter to Candradevi **Date:** August 7th 1975 — **Location:** Toronto > New Orleans My Dear Candradevi dasi: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter undated and have noted the contents. It is a very good idea that you have to be more attached to the Deities above marriage. But, it is not good to live at home because there is where meat is eaten. That will be offensive, so how can you worship the Deity under such circumstances. If your whole family become devotees, then that is another thing. Actually I think that you can move from the Lord Jagannatha Deities to the Gaura Nitai Deities if that is your desire. That will be best. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Candramukhi **Date:** February 2nd 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Dallas My dear Candramukhi devi dasi, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated nil and have noted the contents. I am very happy to see that you are learning our philosophy so nicely. You will grow up to be a great devotee of Krishna. You are very fortunate to have the opportunity of attending Gurukula, so don't waste this opportunity. Take full advantage of it by always rising early, attending arati, classes and chanting at least 16 rounds daily without fail. These things will make you very strong in Krishna Consciousness. Thank you for appreciating my books. Read them carefully and you will preach very nicely. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Candravali **Date:** January 6th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Miami My dear Candravali devi dasi, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Dec. 25th, 1974 and have noted the contents. Your husband will be consulting with Gurukrpa Swami as to what his next engagement shall be. Your son's name can be Virat das. Wherever you are, you should always be sure to chant at least 16 good rounds daily and to read my books very carefully, as well as following all the rules and regulations strictly. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Caranaravinda **Date:** April 2nd 1975 — **Location:** Mayapur > Zambia My dear Caranaravinda dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 15-3-75 and have noted the contents. Thank you for the interesting Photographs that you sent. I am very glad to hear report of your programs going on there, especially with the young boys. Please continue these programs with added enthusiasm. They are very important. You should be very careful to follow all of the principles very rigidly. You must rise early (before 4:00 AM), attend the mangala arati, attend the classes, chant at least 16 good rounds daily, and observe the four basic principles. These things you must do without fail otherwise, there is no question of spiritual life. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Carlos Bismark **Date:** July 12th 1975 — **Location:** Philadelphia > Carlos Bismark Bagiio City R.P. Philippines My Dear Carlos: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter undated and have noted the contents. It is very good to hear from you and that you are chanting and trying to follow my instructions, even though you are so far distant from any of our centers. This proves the potency of Lord Caitanya's mission. He predicted, "prthivite ache yata nagaradi grama/ sarvatra pracara haibe mora nama. [CB Antya-khaṇḍa 4.126] In every town and village My name will be heard."Now through His grace this is coming to pass. So please continue to chant and also carefully follow the four regulative principles namely, no eating meat, fish, or eggs; no illicit sex; no gambling; and no intoxication. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Caru **Date:** February 6th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Albert Park, Australia My dear Caru das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due reciept of your letter dated nil and have noted the contents. From your letter, it appears that you need a change of activities. I think it will be best if you come to the festival at Mayapur and from there we can decide what project will be best for you to become involved in. For the time being, keep yourself fixed in Krishna's service 24 hours and follow staunchly all of the regulated principles, such as chanting 16 rounds, rising early, attending arati and class, etc. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Certification (for Jayapataka) **Date:** August 24th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban CERTIFICATE OF CHARACTERIn the matter of an application for a certificate of naturalization under the Citizenship Act, 1955, made by my disciple Jayapataka Swami/ Gordon John Erdman I, Sri A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami --- aged 79 years by occupation the Founder-Acarya: International Society for Krishna Consciousness son of His Divine Grace Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Prabhupada, residing at Vrindaban, U.P., do solemnly and sincerely affirm that I am an Indian citizen otherwise then by naturalization; that I am a property-holder; that I am not a solicitor or agent of Jayapataka Swami/ Gordon John Erdman; that I have personal knowledge of, and intimate acquaintance with, the said Gordon John Erdman of seven years; that the statements contained in his application for naturalization are true to the best of my knowledge and belief. I support Sri Jayapataka Swami's/ Mr. Gordon John Erdman's application for naturalization and I can vouch for his good character and loyalty. A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ### Letter to Charles Frazier Wilson **Date:** September 18th 1975 — **Location:** Vrndavana > Mr. Charles Frazier Wilson924 Littlefield Building Austin, Texas 78701U.S.A My dear Charles Frazier Wilson, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated August 17, 1975, redirected to me here in Vrndavana, and I am glad to see that you have appreciated my books and the Krsna consciousness philosophy. So I recommend you to continue and read as much as possible and also chant Hare Krsna. We have our temple in Houston, Texas, and if possible you can associate with the devotees there for some time. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Citsukhananda **Date:** January 6th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Tokyo My dear Citsukhananda das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Dec. 26th, 1974 and have noted the contents. Regarding your new engagement, you can consult with Gurukrpa Maharaja and decide which engagement will be best for you. Your new son's name can be Virat das. Always continue chanting 16 rounds and reading my books, observing all the rules and regulations and you will be strong in Krishna's service. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Cyavana **Date:** July 23rd 1975 — **Location:** Los Angeles > Nairobi My Dear Cyavana Swami: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated July 2, 1975 and have noted the contents. I am glad to see that you are working enthusiastically there in Africa to spread Lord Caitanya's movement. This I want. It is especially important that you train up the Africans there. Do this carefully. Now I have received one letter from Bhakti Mati and she has some complaint. She also says there was some physical attack against Navayogendra. This is not good. So I think they can open a separate temple in Mombassa for the Asian community. The Africans and the Asians will not like to mix. So there is no harm in opening separate temples. Both will preach Krishna consciousness and the kirtanas will go on. So do like that. Regarding your questions, you have to decide amongst yourselves if Jagad-guru is to come, but if you require his assistance since Brahmananda Swami is not there, that is different thing. Yes, there can be a separate bank account for Spiritual Sky. The idea of the travelling ship seems a bit utopian, but at the next GBC Mayapur meeting it can be thoroughly discussed. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Cyavana **Date:** July 29th 1975 — **Location:** Dallas > Nairobi My Dear Cyavana Swami: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of several letters from Shakti Mati, also your telegram reading as follows: REGARDING OPENING OF SEPARATE TEMPLE MOMBASSA ASIANS ATTITUDE AND MOTIVES OF NAVAYOGENDRA HIGHLY QUESTIONABLE AND MAKE SUCH A PROPOSITION QUITE IMPOSSIBLE SITUATION HERE DIFFICULT AS IS AND WE CANNOT UNDERSTAND THE VALUE OF A SPLIT IN OUR EFFORTS TO SPREAD KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS AFRICA FULL REPORT WILL FOLLOW AND CAREFUL CONSIDERATION IS HUMBLY REQUESTED—YOUR SERVANTS CYAVANA SWAMI AND MANAGING COMMITTEE ISKCON AFRICA. I have also received a letter from Shakti Mati's son. I have been very much disturbed to learn of the difficulties in Africa. As the leader there you should not have allowed this dissension to take place. Shakti mati is an elderly woman and can do important work with the cultured Indian society, and she also speaks Swahili. She must be given an important position as a manager. She can work under Brahmananda Swami. They may have had some disagreement with you, but expert management means to engage all of the devotees and not allow them to split into different parties. Your action of sending a letter to the pleader has disturbed me. Why have you taken this rash action without consulting me or Brahmananda Maharaja? You should immediately withdraw that letter. I want that you approach Navayogendra with all humility and ask his forgiveness for the beating. In this way you can rectify things. You must bring them back. Otherwise if you cannot do it, then you should come here to me and we shall discuss it personally. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Cyavana **Date:** September 4th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Nairobi My Dear Cyavana Swami: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated August 14, 1975 with enclosed copy of letter to Shakti Mati and the proposed BBT and Spiritual Sky agreements. So it is good that Shakti Mati is again living in the temple. Keep her nicely. She is woman, so you call her Mother. As soon as you call her Mother, that I am so fallen please save, you are so great, then she will be very pleased. She is very talented and can organize the Pujari Dept. You say that the devotees are not enthusiastic, but this is important for spiritual life. Without Deity, then we are just sleeping and eating, and again they will return to hippie life. They must take care of the Deity very carefully. I saw once the film of the Deity installation there, and it was done very nicely, so why are they now slackening? Shakti Mati can teach others how to do things. They should assist her. It is very good that the Government is cooperating by giving land. It is a good opportunity. Do it nicely. Do not worry about the political situation. Try to convince the African leaders that we have nothing to do with politics. We are trying to unite the whole human society under the flag of Krishna consciousness, love of God. That is our mission. If we get African devotees, then we are successful. So already some are coming. Now keep them fixed, and they will bring others. That is nice that the Africans from South Africa are coming from there and joining you. The philosophy of South Africa is simply on the bodily platform. It is all nonsense. Can they be sure that in their next life they will be South Africans? The BBT arrangement you have made is all right, but Brahmananda Swami says that it may be difficult for the temples to maintain by giving to both the Book Fund and the Building Fund. So if it is not possible that the temples maintain themselves by giving 45% to the BBT and 45% to the Building Fund, then use the Building Fund for maintenance. But the BBT must get its money. That is the prime responsibility of every temple. So let the temples pay the BBT 50% and when you require money for construction, then we shall see. I understand you want to print Swahili literature with Dai Nippon and it will cost U.S. 8,000. So Dai Nippon gives BBT-L.A. credit, so let them order, and you pay L.A., even if you can transfer funds yearly. It doesn't matter. This publishing work is very important. I approve for you to get books from BBT-L.A. at reduced prices, at the cost price, the same as India is getting. You can inform Ramesvara that I give my sanction. Regarding my coming there, I want to come, especially your Mauritius program is attractive, but my present state of heath will not allow me to travel outside of India. I am not having any appetite so I am eating less. By eating less where is the energy for travelling? Upon your recommendation I accept the children of Rasa-lila as my disciples. There spiritual names are Radhika devi dasi and Sanatana das Brahmacari. You can chant on their beads. I know the devotees there are working hard, especially as you have mentioned Prabhanu, Sharma, Dinanath, Jnana das, Caitya-guru, Jalakara das, and Pusta Krishna Swami. Because you are all cooperating with me, so much has been done. When I was alone I was taking so much trouble, but now there are so many assistants. But now you have to manage things very carefully and relieve me from the management so I can translate my books. But I do not want to see that everything deteriorates by your management. If you cannot increase then you should at least maintain what I have established. Yes, you are correct in feeling sorry for mistreating Shakti Mati and Nava Yoginder. Hitting the devotees is not good. We have to teach by our example. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs --- N.B. Now I have decided that I must come to Africa. So my visa for South Africa is valid up to October 18. Therefore I shall leave from Bombay approximately October 1 for Mauritius and stay there for one week. Pusta Krishna Swami may come there and take me to South Africa since none of my servants have S.A. visas. I shall stay in South Africa for one week. Then Pusta Krishna Swami may take me to Nairobi and I will stay there for one week and go to Mombassa if you think. Then I shall return to Bombay by the end of October. So you arrange this program. ACBSI shall decide later on ### Letter to Cyavana **Date:** October 17th 1975 — **Location:** Johannesburg > Nairobi My dear Cyavana Maharaja, Please accept my blessings. I have received one letter from Jnana das Adhikari dated Oct. 8, 1975, and also Pusta Krsna Maharaja has pointed out one letter addressed to you here in Johannesburg dated Oct. 10 from Jnana das. This letter was opened by Pusta Krsna because it may have contained information relevant to our travel to Nairobi. In any case, it appears that Jnana das is restless. It is not a good idea for him to bring Lilavati's daughter to Kilifi as he has described the living conditions as very poor and now she is at least nicely situated in Gurukula. Also, he speaks of going to America, and who will supply him the money for this? So, all these unnecessary expenditures should be stopped. We can discuss the matter further when I am in Nairobi. I will be arriving on BA 018 from Johannesburg on Saturday, October 25. I hope that this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/pks ### Letter to Cyavana **Date:** November 23rd 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Addis Ababa, Ethiopia My dear Cyavana Swami, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 16/11/75 and am glad to read the contents. I am glad that you are traveling and preaching. This is the business of a sannyasi. Please follow my order in this regard. Africa is huge field, so you have plenty of opportunities for traveling and preaching. This will keep you enthusiastic. So do not neglect it. Of course if the young people there are interested, then you should stay there to instruct them. Then if you can collect and send money to Nairobi, that is very good. In this way their debts can be paid. I am also glad to see that you are taking seriously the Life Member program. So many Life Members they are complaining they are not receiving books or they are not being treated nicely. So if you can rectify this situation, that would be very good. So far your becoming GBC is concerned, yes, I had wanted that, but there are so many complaints. This is not good. GBC must mean that by his managing, there is not any complaints so that I can be relieved in order to do my translation work. Anyway, you go on with your preaching program and we shall discuss this matter in Mayapur meeting time. In the meantime I am sending Brahmananda Swami to rectify the situation in Nairobi and later on we shall see. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Cyavana **Date:** December 4th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Addis Ababa, Ethiopia My Dear Cyavana Maharaja, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated November 17, 1975. I have noted the contents carefully. The program you have suggested can be discussed at the Mayapur GBC meeting. At Mayapur each year a program is chalked out for the entire year, and that is to be executed till the GBC meets again. I hope this letter finds you well. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ### Letter to Damodara **Date:** May 26th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu My Dear Damodara dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated May 9th, 1975, and have noted the contents. Regarding your writing, this is very much wanted, but I think that it is better if you write articles, not books. Write articles that can be printed in our Back to Godhead magazine. That will be very nice. Also, be very sure that you always maintain a high spiritual standard by following all of the rules and regulations very carefully. Chant 16 rounds minimum daily and study my books deeply. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ### Letter to Damodara Pandita **Date:** June 14th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > New Vrndavana My dear Damodara Pandita dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your note dated June 12, 1975 and have received the check for 500 dollars. You can thank Kirtanananda Swami for me since he has given the donation. I will be seeing you all there in New Vrndavana after I visit the Rathayatra festivals and some other temples here in America. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Damodara Pandita **Date:** September 18th 1975 — **Location:** Vrndavana > New Vrndavana My dear Damodara Pandit das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated August 6, 1975 with the enclosed versification of the chanting of the song sung by Lord Siva. It is all right. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Daruka **Date:** April 8th 1975 — **Location:** Mayapur > Los Angeles My dear Daruka dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 3-16-75 and have noted the contents. Thank you very much for the 150 dollar donation. If you follow my instructions very carefully as you promise in your letter, then your life will be perfect. I am not saying anything which is not given by my Guru Maharaja. I am simply repeating what I have learned from him. So you please do the same and your life will be full of ananda—blissful happiness, and you will be able to help spread this sankirtana movement all over the world. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Dayananda **Date:** February 2nd 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Dallas My dear Dayananda das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Jan. 17, 1975 and have noted the contents. Your study aids that you are using to help the children learn the meaning of Bhagavad-gita slokas fully seem to be alright. The thing is, you must see that the meaning of the verse is in no way altered or changed. Simplification is alright but do not change anything. I have accepted Brenda and Gary Wallis for 1st initiation. Their names are as follows: Balavati devi dasi and Gaurasarana dasa. Their beads may be chanted on by Kirtanananda Svami. I have also accepted Kamanagari dasi, Jyotir dasa, and Svarga devi dasi as my duly initiated brahmanas. You can perform the fire yajna and let them hear through the right ear the tape of myself chanting the gayatri mantra. Please continue working nicely there training all of the children to become ideal Vaisnavas. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps --- N.B. Sacred thread and mantra sheet enclosed ### Letter to Deoji Punja **Date:** July 29th 1975 — **Location:** Dallas > Lautoka, Fiji My Dear Deoji Punja: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated July 28, 1975 with enclosed plans for the Fiji temple. Regarding the land, if it cannot be transferred then you should give the use of the land to ISKCON with a formal lease for 99 years with an option to renew. Your purpose that the land cannot be transferred will be served because a temple on leased land cannot be sold or transferred. So your purpose will be served. ISKCON is locally registered with yourselves as the incorporators, and the lease can be made. So do the needful. The adjacent land, that can also be purchased. The money can be collected locally. Regarding my coming there, yes I shall go there again and again because there is temple there. I was always thinking of how Fiji can be developed and organized. It is a nice place. Regarding the plans you sent, it is not clear whether the front stairway leads to the temple or the first floor rooms. There should be a space for a large kitchen for preparing mass prasadam. The first floor kitchen seems too small for this purpose. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs --- N.B. There should also be one pujari room for keeping the Deity paraphernalia nearby the Deity ### Letter to Deoji Punja **Date:** August 26th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Sriman Deoji Punja Punja & Son's Ltd.P.O. Box 125Lautoka, Fiji My Dear Deoji Punja: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated August 12, 1975 and have noted the contents. What you have proposed I have no objections. Do it. Krishna will bless you for this work, rest assured. He will give you all facilities; that is His promise, and actually it is so. You are all respectable gentlemen, and I have full confidence in you. Yes, I will come there to lay the foundation stone as you invite me. I hope this meets you in good health. I am sending a copy of this letter to Madhudvisa Swami so he may be instructed to cooperate with you. It is all right for the appointment of officers as you have suggested. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Deoji Punja **Date:** September 4th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Sriman Deoji Punja Punja & Sons P.O. Box 125Lautoka, FIJI My Dear Deoji Punja: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your two letters dated August 6th and August 15th together with the revised plans for the temple. The pujari room on the first floor behind the temple is not meant as living quarters for the Pujari. It is meant for storing the Deity paraphernalia, making flower garlands, etc. No toilets should be on this floor. Water taps will be needed however for washing the Deity utensils and prasadam plates of the Deity. Also on the Ground Floor on the first plan there were living quarters, but on the second plan there is only one big Library. Where will our men live? Living should be on the Ground Floor. Regarding the adjacent piece of land, if you can donate, then the adjacent land owner can also donate. The management of affairs should be in the hands of my devotees. Your program for making Life Members is approved by me. You should work under the supervision of the GBC.I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Deoji Punja **Date:** November 4th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Lautoka, Fiji My Dear Deoji Punja: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated October 14, 1975 with enclosed altered plans for the temple. You are doing solid work, even alone, and I am very pleased. This is the test for a sincere devotee. Simply by depending on the mercy of the Lord and carrying out the order of the spiritual master, ones success in spiritual life is guaranteed. I thank you for your endeavor. So far the plan is concerned, I shall consult with some of my experienced disciples in this matter and shall let you know. One thing is that the domes should be like the ones we have constructed on our Krishna Balarama Mandir in Vrindaban. Yes, try to get the preaching permit, so that men can come and help you. Upendra das is in Vrindaban, and he is wanting to come and assist you. It is good that you are taking the leading part in the raising of the funds. By your sincerity and determination, I do not think you will have any difficulty. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Deoji Punja **Date:** November 14th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Lautoka, Fiji My dear Deoji Punja, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated November 1, 1975 with enclosures. I have informed Upendra das, who is in Vrndavana, that his ticket is waiting for him in Delhi. So it is good that you have arranged it. And I think that he will be a good asset for your activities there in Fiji. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Devakinandana **Date:** April 8th 1975 — **Location:** Mayapur > Brooklyn My dear Devakinandana dasa, Please accept my blessings. I have heard that you are a very good man with cows. Your service would be very valuable here in India. I think that you could travel to the centers here where we keep cows and try to establish a very high cow-protection standard. Our cow-protection program in India should be the exemplary standard for the whole world. So, if you like, come to India as soon as possible. You may come directly to Calcutta and from there you can easily go to Sri Mayapur-candra-daya Mandira. I want to improve our Gosala here in Mayapur first. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Devamaya **Date:** January 9th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > London My dear Devamaya devi dasi, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Jan. 6th 1975 and have noted the contents. Thank you for your burfis. Regarding your questions, there is no special planet for the Lord in His form of Lord Jagannatha. This particular lila was performed with His brother and sister when They were on this planet. If you are attracted to worshiping this form of the Lord, then you will go to Krishna. Lord Jagannatha is Krishna. You ask about what kind of food He likes to eat most. That you cannot prepare. If you sometimes come to Jagannatha Puri, then you can see. You should not give them any clubs to hold. It is not necessary. Regarding astrology, you should not listen to any of these so-called astrologers—strictly avoid. Don't even see them. What is the use of seeing them? Astrology is meant for the materialist, but a spiritualist does not care for the future. Everything is dependent upon Krishna. So where is the necessity of astrology? The devotees' principle is, let there happen anything as Krishna desires. Let me remain sincere devotee, that's all. Pure devotee is never interested in this astrology. So, continue nicely with your deity worship there and read my books very carefully, and without fail chant 16 rounds on your beads daily. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Devotees of ISKCON Rome **Date:** November 13th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Rome My dear devotees of ISKCON Rome, Please accept my blessings. I have received from Haihaya recommendations for the following devotees for initiation and I am glad to accept them. Their spiritual names are as follows: Bhakta Tonino—Narakantaka; Bhakta Franco—Sjjanasraya; Bhaktin Miriam—Amohamoha; Bhaktin Subrena—Yoganandakari; Bhaktin Luciana—Vicitravasini; and Bhaktin Micaela—Citrarupini. So the beads may be chanted on by Bhagavan das and be sure to see that all these devotees follow all our rules and regulations, chanting minimum 16 rounds and attending the mangala aroti and the Srimad-Bhagavatam class. This is very important because the maya is very strong, mama maya duratyaya [Bg. 7.14]. But we can easily cross beyond it if we take cent per cent shelter of the lotus feet of Krsna. Mam eva ye prapadyante/ mayam etam taranti te. I have asked Haihaya to remain here in India for helping in the management of the Krishna-Balarama temple in Vrndavana and he has gone there. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Dhananjaya **Date:** November 9th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Vrindaban My Dear Dhananjaya das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated October 5, 1975 and have noted the contents. Regarding the Krishna Balarama Gosala, so let them arrange the meeting of the Trustees. I am in India, so let them arrange the date, time, and place, and I shall go there. There is no difficulty for me to attend. But, let them do it. The land on Chatikara Road is very good. We can develop it. Your Govardhana Puja celebration sounded very nice. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs --- N.B. I am also in receipt of your letters dated October 20 & 21, 1975. I note that your wife and Visalaini both gave birth to baby girls. That is the defect. I want male children but you have no stamina for it. I expected from Visalaini by her belly that it would be a boy. Anyway, never mind. The name Brijlata is nice. Why do the majority of my married disciples give birth to girls? That is nice that Upendra wants to stay and is calling for his family. Anyone who can stay permanently is welcome. I want that as many devotees stay permanently and become Brijabasis. That will be very inspiring. I am coming there soon. ACBS ### Letter to Dhananjaya **Date:** November 19th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Vrindaban My Dear Dhananjaya das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your telegram/reading as follows: JAYDAYAL DALMIA IN VRINDABAN TILL 22 AND DELHI 23 NOVEMBER TILL 7 DECEMBER. HE REQUESTS PRABHUPADA TO COME AS HE IS SOLE DECISION MAKER—DHANANJAYA DAS.I have yesterday sent through my secretary the following reply: PRABHUPADA COMING DELHI MONDAY NOVEMBER 24th INFORM DALMIA—BRAHMANANDA SWAMI.I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bscc: --- J. Dalmia, Mathura and Delhi ### Letter to Dhananjaya **Date:** July 13th 1975 — **Location:** Philadelphia > Vrindaban My Dear Dhananjaya das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letters dated June 21st and June 29th, 1975 and have noted the contents. Your printing in Hindi in Mathura is a good idea. Do it in consultation with Gopala Krishna Prabhu. So you send me the translation and after seeing it, I shall approve. Regarding the land, you purchase immediately. I have already advised the bank. Regarding Nitai, he is now travelling with me for some immediate editing work. Afterwards you can consult with Ramesvara what will be his program. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs --- N.B. Please send our latest Vrindaban Temple pictures at the following address. Sri Mahabir Prasad Jaipuria8, Prithviraj Road, New Delhi—110011 ### Letter to Dhananjaya **Date:** July 18th 1975 — **Location:** Berkeley > Vrindaban My Dear Dhananjaya das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated June 14, 1975 and have noted the contents. Yes, if you get guests there in the asrama you can easily make them Life and Patron members. For a gentleman who stays with us there is no difficulty in paying one or two thousand Rupees for this purpose. They come there to Vrindaban to spend for religious purpose their money. But, those who stay with us must be well behaved. From our side we will attend to their needs and make them comfortable, and from their side they must be clean and attend the aratis. Somehow or other they must be induced to take interest in spiritual life. Then it will be successful. You will get money and they will get spiritual profit. Both will be benefited by the grace of Krishna Balarama. Continue your prasada distribution. This is very important. Yes, make the whole place full of gardens. Especially the small separation wall between my quarters and the temple should be filled with plants and creepers where there are the holes for putting in the plants. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs --- N.B. You should go see Swami Bon Maharaja and ask if he has replied to my last letter to him, a copy of which is enclosed. You should take a copy of his reply and send it to me c/o Los Angeles address. ACBS ### Letter to Dhananjaya **Date:** July 23rd 1975 — **Location:** Los Angeles > Vrindaban My Dear Dhananjaya das: Please accept my blessings. Enclosed please find a copy of my letter dated July 23, 1975 to Syndicate Bank, Vrindaban. Please take the copy and go there and take information whether they have received the amount and done it according to my instructions, and reply to me. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Dhananjaya **Date:** August 11th 1975 — **Location:** Indre > France Vrindaban My Dear Dhananjaya das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letters both dated July 30th, 1975 and have noted the contents. Regarding the plot of Bon Maharaja, I will speak with him personally. I am returning to India, and shall reach Bombay by the 14th instant. After seeing Bombay affairs I shall come to Vrindaban via New Delhi. Regarding men for Vrindaban, when I was in Toronto one British householder with wife and child has agreed to come. Please send me the list of all devotees there in Vrindaban giving their passport names, nationality, and passport number, and date of arrival in India. Send this list to Bombay. Krishna will arrange more men for you there. Do not worry. I have requested them to send more men from Canada. I am very glad to note that you are having the Phool bangla. It will be very popular. Tell me how it was held. That you are expecting 30,000 people for Jhulana Yatra is wonderful. You should distribute liberally prasadam. Aksayananda Maharaja will supply money. Let each man be given prasadam. That is our special program. I thank you very much for the photos you have sent. The translation specimen is all right. Please arrange to have this man come and see me when I come there. Navayogendra can also personally guide the translators. The temple there should be kept very nicely. Some one was saying that the front well has been spoiled. Regarding the adjacent land for sale, yes, it is not to be done in this indirect way. Let them take money from us openly and give us the land. We are prepared to pay for 5,000 sq. yards Rs. 20/- per sq. yard. If Bon Maharaja gives us land, still we can purchase this land for future expansion. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Dhananjaya, Aksayananda **Date:** June 18th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Vrndavana My dear Dhananjaya and Aksayananda Swami, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 7th June, 1975 and have noted the contents. You can go on offering ten plates. In the Radha-Damodara temple, the offer Bhoga to the Six Goswamis. Offer ten full plates, 8 puris, 2 kacoris, 2 samosas, varieties of sweets (2 each), and varieties of vegetables. Make many palatable things such as Jhuri, Dhal-mot, Jalebis, Rauta and many other nice dishes. You can keep a nice stock of these things, so that when a big man comes you can give him a nice plate of free prasada. In this way, our temple will become very popular, because everyone will know that if they come to our temple, they will receive very nice prasada. For the other guests, continue to sell the prasada daily. This is very nice program. Make all the prasadam very first class. Regarding Tulasi devi in the courtyard: For the time being, put one stone pot in each corner and when I come there I shall see if any other thing is to be done in that connection. In Delhi, the Home Member, Mr. Brahmananda Reddi, has promised me that 50 of our members will be allowed to stay as permanent residents. He said it may take a little time to arrange, but Tejyas can see him. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps --- What Pranava is doing about the land? ### Letter to Digambar Singh **Date:** October 20th 1975 — **Location:** Johannesburg > Digambar Singh Chowdhury My dear Digambar Singh: Please accept my blessings. Since I have left India I am touring so many places. Now I am in Johannesburg and on the 25th of October I am going to Nairobi. Regarding our farming scheme, it is almost settled that we shall get some land. Now we have to organize carefully. In this respect, I am counting upon your good help. On my return to India I wish to hold immediately one meeting of Krisans or agriculturist society. The idea is that the land is there and Krisans may be engaged to grow food both for men and for the animals, namely the cows. The cow should be maintained very healthy so that they can give sufficient good milk. The Krisans shall live comfortably in the cottages. They should produce their food, their milk, and their cloth. Everything produced will be used by themselves. If there is any excess production then the question of trade will arise. That we shall see later on. All the products produced will belong to Krishna-Balarama. Everyday at least thrice, all the Krisans meet in the local temple of Krishna-Balarama, chant Hare Krishna Maha-mantra, and take prasadam. In this way they should live peacefully locally without going outside for their livelihood. This is the general program. Now we have to itemize so that things may go on very nicely. So I am returning to India by the end of this month. Please arrange to hold a meeting successfully for this purpose. I do not know your address therefore I am forwarding this letter through Bhaktaji Sriman Visvambhara Dayala Agarwal. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/pks ### Letter to Dina Bandhu **Date:** February 16th 1975 — **Location:** Mexico City > Portland My dear Dina Bandhu das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Feb. 6th, 1975 and have noted the contents. Thank you very much for the 300 dollars daksina. Thank you again and again for distributing my books with great enthusiasm. Now, try to double this enthusiasm. Anyone who even touches one of our books gets such great benefit. Give them to everyone. Because you are all very sincere and working very hard, Krishna is giving you all facilities. I have accepted upon your recommendation the three persons for 1st initiation and their names are as follows: Dave—Devarsi, Michele—Maladhari, Andrea—Abhaya. Their beads will be sent to you by separate post. I have also accepted Anantatma dasa for 2nd initiation. His thread and mantra sheet are enclosed herein. Let him hear the tape of myself chanting the gayatri mantra. It should be heard through the right ear. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps --- ENC: one thread, mantra sheet ### Letter to Dina Bandhu **Date:** October 7th 1975 — **Location:** Durban My Dear Dina Bandhu dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Sept. 25, 1975 with enclosed daksina and I thank you very much. So far as name for Portland Yatra is concerned, you may call it Manipur. Upon your recommendation I am accepting both boys for my disciples. Their names are Girijarata dasa—Marty, and Amoghavirya dasa—Michael. Also, I am accepting Edhaniyasvabhava das brahmacari and Lila devi dasi as twice born brahmanas. You will find enclosed one brahmana thread duly chanted on. Now everyone must strictly follow the principles of chanting sixteen rounds japa daily, and refraining from illicit sex-life, intoxication, gambling, and animal slaughter and then they will not be blown away by the material energy. You may perform fire-yajna and brahmanas should hear a tape of me chanting Gayatri mantra through the right ear. I thank all of you for assisting me in spreading Lord Caitanya's Movement throughout the world. People are simply being cheated by so many rascals who pose themselves as big, big leader so you must all strictly follow the principles that I have established and for the general mass of people give them chanting, prasadam, and have them take some of our literature. That will benefit them and gradually they will come to the standard. I hope that this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/pks ### Letter to Dina Dayala **Date:** September 27th 1975 — **Location:** Ahmedabad > Athens My dear Dina Dayala, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 18th inst. with Greek pamphlet. This preaching work is very pleasing to me. Go on with your translation work, and Krishna will surely bless you. Thank you very much. Do everything in consultation with the GBC. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/as ### Letter to Dinanatha **Date:** June 14th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Calcutta My dear Dinanatha, Please accept my greetings. I thank you very much for your letter dated 30-5-75. I am very sorry to say that I did not receive your letter addressed to me at Mayapur. I am still in Hawaii and I shall leave this place by the 20th of June for Los Angeles. Our temple there is situated at the following address: 3764 Watseka Ave., Los Angeles, California, USA 90034.I am not returning to India by Rathayatra festival because there are programs here in America and Europe—Rathayatra festival in five different places like, London, Philadelphia, Chicago, San Francisco, and Melbourne. So, I am introducing this Rathayatra festival in the Western countries and the idea is received everywhere very very enthusiastically. I am enclosing herewith one Back to Godhead magazine specifically dedicated to describing the Rathayatra activities. After leaving India, I went to Australia and there we have constructed a very nice temple of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Radha-Krishna, and Lord Jagannatha at Melbourne. This movement is being highly appreciated by the higher educated circle. One professor in Berkeley, California University has written one big book in favor of this movement, "Hare Krishna and the Counterculture".I am glad that you are now writing books about Lord Ramacandra. It is a very good idea. I think you are a devotee of Lord Ramacandra, and because you are my very old and dear friend, I will suggest now in your old age (when your sons are grown-up and well-situated), why not join this movement and retire from family life? According to our vedic principle, a person, especially a Brahmana, should leave home after the 50th year and accept the order of Vanaprastha. Then after a few years of Vanaprastha, one should accept the Sannyasa order for the rest of his life and devote himself fully in the service of the Lord. There is a great need of the Krishna Consciousness movement all over the world. If educated persons like you take active interest in this movement, and preach the cult for the benefit of the mass of people, that is the success of life. You will find on the 2nd page of the enclosed magazine, a list of our important centers all over the world. In big cities like London, Chicago, New York, Paris, Rome, Geneva, Tokyo, Toronto, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and in India, Vrndavana, Navadvipa, Bombay, Calcutta, Hyderabad, etc. I wish that you may retire from family life and live in one of our so many centers wherever you like, and preach the cult of Krishna Consciousness. That will make your life successful. Because you are my very intimate friend, from college life, I take this opportunity to give you a suggestion, and I shall be glad to hear from you. I hope this meets you in good health. Yours very sincerely, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami --- ASCBS/ps ### Letter to Dinanatha **Date:** September 7th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Mombassa, Kenya My dear Dininatha das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated August 6, 1975 and have noted the contents. I am glad to learn that you are working very hard there and preaching Krsna consciousness amongst the Africans. If you are sincere and your motive is pure, then everything will come out all right and you will be successful. Regarding the incident with Nava Yogendra, now this can be forgotten and you go on with your work. We are not concerned for these things. So I am coming there shortly and I will see how you are doing. I am glad to learn that one Moslem girl has joined. I do not know why there should be opposition from her community for wearing sari. In Bengal many Moslem women, they wear sari and there is no objection. Similarly, in other parts of India Moslem women, they wear sari and there is no objection. The fact that the Moslems are saying Hare Krsna to you on the street, that is your success. We do not care for Moslem, Christian, this or that. We see everyone as part and parcel of Krsna, and as such they should re-establish their loving relationship with Krsna. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Dinanatha **Date:** November 17th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Calcutta My Dear Dinanath, Please accept my greetings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated November 14, 1975 and I thank you very much for the same. I am so much pleased that your staying in my Vrindaban temple was not any inconvenience. I met a very major car accident in Mauritius, and still there is some little sore on my knees. So by the middle of December I shall go back to Vrindaban via Delhi. From there I shall go to South India to Nellore, and then I shall go to Calcutta by the beginning of February, 1976. Surely at that time we shall meet. By the by we had some talks when you were in Vrindaban about some flat apartment. I require a flat of four rooms. If you kindly negotiate and let me know the terms, it will be very kind of you. The flats can be taken either on rent or maybe purchased. I hope this meets you in good health. Yours sincerely, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Dinanatha Misra **Date:** May 19th 1975 — **Location:** Melbourne > Dinanatha Misra, M.A.B.L. Pleader Somewhere in the junction of Chittaranjan Ave. and Balarama De St.Calcutta-6, INDIA My dear Dinanatha, Please accept my greetings. Since I saw you last at your house, I had gone to Kuruksetra, Delhi, and also attended our Vrndavana temple opening ceremony, and now I've come to Australia to open another temple here. Just this evening the function is completed. From here, I shall go to Fiji and then Hawaii (USA). I was wondering whether you will be willing to join this Krishna Consciousness movement in your ripe old age. Your beloved son goes to our temple in Calcutta along with your daughter-in-law. I am very much pleased upon them. I also understand that you do not move very much nowadays, therefore you cannot come in the temple, but at home you can render some valuable service for this movement. So far I know, you are a good Hindi scholar as well as in English. So, if you like, you can translate our books into Hindi and I shall be glad to hear from you in this connection. I do not know whether you shall receive this letter because your house number is not known to me. I have simply given an idea of your address on the envelope. I am asking somebody in our temple to go to you with the copy of this letter. I hope this meets you in good health. My blessings to your children and my regard for your good wife. I beg to remain, Yours affectionately, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Dinanatha N. Mishra **Date:** July 26th 1975 — **Location:** Laguna Beach > Sriman D.N. Mishra179, Balarama Dey Street Calcutta-6 My Dear Dinanatha: Please accept my greetings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated June 27, 1975 and have noted the contents. Regarding seeing your book on Lord Ramacandra partly translated into English, I am very much eager to see it. I am returning to India by the month of October, therefore there is no hurry. When I return I shall be glad to see your book either in Bombay, Vrindaban, or Calcutta. I have to translate all the Puranas, Ramayana, Mahabharata, and many other theistic literatures left by the Gaudiya Vaisnavas headed by the six Goswamis like Rupa, Sanatana, Jiva, etc. I have already translated about 50 big books of 400 pages each, and my books are selling all over the world in universities, libraries, learned professors, and the public also is receiving my books with great respect. Of course they are not my books, since I have simply translated; but my purports for each and every verse from the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam do very much appeal to the people in general as well as learned circles. They are very much appreciating and we are selling to the extent of 30-40 hundred thousands of Rupees per month. Out of this we spend 50% for the maintenance of our different temples all over the world and 50% we spend for reprinting my books. I do not take any royalty or any profit out of it. Similarly if you agree not to take any profit or royalty then our Bhaktivedanta Book Trust will publish your book on Lord Ramacandra. I have a great desire to translate the Valmiki Ramayana because that is authorized. Tulsi das' Charit manas is already translated into English by some clergyman, but I do not exactly know his name. Therefore I wish to translate Valmiki Ramayana exactly in the way I have done Srimad-Bhagavatam. I am sending herewith a copy of our monthly paper "Back to Godhead" in which you will find the mode of translating of Srimad-Bhagavatam. It begins after page 14. It will give you an idea in which way we want to translate. Or you are welcome to come to our temple along with your son at 3, Albert Road, Calcutta. There you can see in my books the mode of translation by giving the purport of the verse in English. I therefore suggested in my last letter that now you are in ripe old age, so you can accept vanaprastha life which is your duty as you are born in a brahmana family. According to our Vedic principle a brahmana is supposed to accept the four asramas, namely brahmacari, grhastha, vanaprastha, and sannyasa. Others are not do not accept sannyasa, but a person who is a brahmana must accept sannyasa at the end of his life. So I would suggest that you now retire from family life and accept at least vanaprastha order of life keeping your wife with you as assistant and fully engaged in translating the Vedic literature as far as possible. It appears that in the Western countries there is a great demand for real knowledge of Vedic literature. So you are a learned scholar both in English and Hindi, and you can do this completely devoted to the service of Lord Ramacandra. I have opened many temples all over the world, numbering 100. Enclosed herewith are some of the photos of some of the Deities in some of the temples. Very recently we have established our temple in Vrindaban at a cost of 50 lakhs of Rupees or more. The Governor of U.P., Dr. Channa Reddy was present for two days for the opening ceremony. All the goswamis and sannyasis like Akhananda Swami all attended the ceremony. We have got a guest house there containing about 80 rooms, and the recent report is that not less than 500 men are coming daily to visit the temple. Prasad is being distributed to the poor, and others are purchasing prasada (pakki) to the extent of Rs. 100/- per day. We are selling our books also. Now I wish to establish some temple of Ramacandra, Sita Ram. Of course it depends on the mercy of Lord Ramacandra. Therefore I am still requesting you to join our movement completely retired from family life and engage yourself in translation work for the rest of your life. More when we meet. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs --- N.B. What is the criminal charge against a public man who decorates himself as D. Lit., D.D. etc? ### Letter to Dinesh Candra Sarkar **Date:** May 11th 1975 — **Location:** Perth > Australia Dist. Hooghly West Bengal My dear Dinesh Candra Sarkarji, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated April 16th, 1975 and have noted the contents. We are not interested to purchase any land at so high a price. That is not practical. I have already spoken with Jayapataka Swami about all details of Mayapur. You may hear from him my ideas. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Dinesh Candra Sarkar **Date:** October 20th 1975 — **Location:** Johannesburg > Dinesh Candra Sarkar,5, Bidyasagar Road,P.O Nabagram,Dist., Hooghly,W. Bengal, India My dear Dinesh Candra, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 22nd. October, 1975 and I have noted the contents carefully. I am not keeping always very well. At the present moment I have some trouble with my teeth. By the end of the month, I shall go to Bombay where I shall decide to go either to Calcutta or Vrindaban. Please find out if there is any good big house for sale near where you stay. If so, please send me the details to the Bombay address.c/o Hare Krishna LandGandhi Gram Rd.Juhu, Bombay 400-054.If you keep in contact with the Calcutta temple they will also let you know when I am coming. Thank you very much. I hope that this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/pks ### Letter to Dinnath N. Misra **Date:** September 15th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban D.N. Mishra179 Balram De SteCalcutta—6My Dear Dinnath MisraPlease accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated September 11, 1975. I have sent you one telegram as follows: RECEIVED YOUR LETTER OF SEPTEMBER 11 PLEASE COME HERE IMMEDIATELY—A.C. BHAKTIVEDANTA SWAMI.So I am here in Vrindaban at least up to September 25th or longer, as I am leaving for South Africa in the first week of October. Kindly come here so we can discuss. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ### Letter to District Judge of Agra, Mr. S.D. Kulshrestha **Date:** October 29th 1975 — **Location:** Nairobi > District Judge of Agra Through his Personal Assistant Mr. S.D. Kulshrestha District Judges Court AGRA, U.P., India Dear Sriman Kulshresthaji: Please accept my blessings and offer my regards to Judge Saheb. I am in due receipt of your letter dated September 24, 1975, while I am on tour. I left India on September 30th and went to Mauritius. From there I went to South Africa to Durban and Johannesburg, and then again I came to Mauritius and from there to East Africa to Nairobi at the above address. I am very sorry to learn that Judge Saheb was sick and we could not meet. Anyway I am returning to India on November 2nd and afterwards I have to go to Vrindaban. So if Judge Saheb makes any program for my going to Agra and to arrange for a meeting of the leading people of the city, it will be a great pleasure for me to meet them and present my appeal so that they may join this great movement. With the consent of Judge Saheb you can reply this letter to my Bombay address as follows: Hare Krishna Land, Gandhi Gram Road, Juhu, Bombay 400054.I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Doc Dockstader, Shari Dockstader **Date:** June 8th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Doc and Shari Dockstader340 Manzanita Ave.Boulder Creek, Ca. 95006 My dear Doc and Shari, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated May 29th, 1975 and have noted the contents. I am very pleased to know that you have accepted the Krishna Consciousness way of life. Please continue with determination to keep chanting 16 rounds daily and follow all of the regulative principles very strictly. Upon the recommendation of Revatinandana Swami, I have accepted you both as my initiated disciples and I have sent your names to Revatinandana Swami who can give them to you at the proper time at the initiation ceremony. Please continue your Krishna Conscious program with great faith and steadiness. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Doctor Currier **Date:** February 15th 1975 — **Location:** Mexico City > Mexico Gobernador Tiburcio, Montiel No. 45San Miguel, Mexico 18, D.F.W.D. Currier, M.D., Inc.960 East Greet Street Pasadena, California 91101 My dear Doctor Currier, Please accept my greetings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Feb. 7th, 1975 and have noted the contents carefully. Thank you for your kind suggestions and interest in our movement. In brief, I have always instructed my disciples to eat only healthy foodstuffs which will be beneficial for the body and mind. Not only that, but I have also instructed that whatever they eat must be first offered to the Supreme Lord Krishna for His pleasure and then they can take the remnants which are called Prasadam or mercy of the Lord. We are very practical. Whatever is necessary for the maintenance of the body and mind, we will accept. I have never said that my disciples should sever all relationships with friends, relatives and others, but sometimes an inexperienced devotee may do it out of fear of being too much attracted to the materialistic way of life by associating with such persons. An experienced devotee is strong enough not to be affected, rather he can help others to become purified by his association. For more information, I suggest you visit one of our centers there in California. Thank you again for your concern. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Dorothy Scott **Date:** January 1st 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Dorothy Scott > 19 Willow Way > Didsbury, Manchester 20 > England My dear Mrs. Scott, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Dec. 19th, 1974 and have noted the contents. If you like, you may contact the temple president in Paris and find out from him if he thinks it is a good idea for you to go there. Please chant 16 rounds and follow the 4 regulative principles strictly and read my books with great care. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Dr. Babbar **Date:** September 17th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Dr. Babbar Civil Surgeon District Medical Hospital Mathura(Residence: Dawnpier Park) Dear Dr. Babbar: Please accept my best wishes. I wish to introduce to you Mr. Govardhana Sharma, Token No. 0404, Tiamic Shop, Escorts Ltd., Faridabad. He is in need of some service from you, and I request you to kindly give him assistance. I hope this meets you in good health. Yours sincerely, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Dr. Channa Reddy **Date:** January 11th 1975 > Governor of Uttar Pradesh,Raj Bhavan, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.Personal.Hare Krishna Land, Gandhi Gram Rd.Juhu, Bombay 400 054 My dear Dr. Channa Reddy, Please accept the blessings of Lord Caitanya. I beg to thank you very much for your letter dated December 25, 1974. I hope by this time, you have returned to Lucknow from your long tour in Hyderabad. So, I did not try to reply to this letter earlier. My two secretaries, Srimad Bhagavan das Adhikari and Srimad Giriraja das Brahmacari tried their utmost to get an appointment from the secretary of the Governor of Maharashtra. His Excellency Nawab Ali Yavar Jung, but it was not successful. The reports of my secretaries are enclosed herein (please find).I hope by this time, you might have received some reply from the Nawab Sahib. If so, kindly let me know what is the reply. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami --- Encl: As above ### Letter to Dr. Channa Reddy **Date:** February 4th 1975 > Governor of Uttar Pradesh Raj Bhavan, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh INDIA51 Coelho Way, Honolulu, Hawaii**Personal.** My dear Dr. Channa Reddy, Please accept the blessings of Lord Krishna. The copy of your letter dated Jan. 23rd, 1975 is forwarded to me by my secretaries in Bombay and I thank you very much for your kind letter. I left Bombay on Jan. 26th, 1975 and on my way to U.S.A. I visited Hong Kong, and Tokyo. Now I am staying at the above address, Hawaii. I shall leave this place on the 9th and go to Los Angeles. From there, I shall go to South America, Mexico, Caracas, etc. Then, Puerto Rico, New York and I shall reach London by the end of this month. From there, I shall go directly to Bombay. From the letter of the Governor of Maharashtra to you dated 20th of January, 1975, it is understood that the Governor himself is examining the case, personally. I do not know if my secretaries in Bombay have seen the Chief Minister as directed by you, but I think that when the Governor is personally examining the case, it may not be necessary to see the Chief Minister. I am also enquiring from Bombay whether they have seen the Chief Minister. I am very much thankful to your Excellency for taking so much trouble for this noble case. Krishna will bless you with good opportunity to serve him more and more in the near future. Thank you once more. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Dr. Channa Reddy **Date:** February 5th 1975 > Governor of Uttar Pradesh Raj Bhavan, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh INDIA.51 Coelho Way, Honolulu, Hawaii**Personal.** My dear Dr. Channa Reddy, Please accept the blessings of Lord Krishna. In further reference to your letter dated Jan. 15th, 1975 (the copy of which I have just received yesterday along with the copy of the letter you have written to the Chief Minister of Maharashtra), I have noted the contents carefully. Thank you very much for all this trouble that you are so kindly taking for us. I am now in our Hawaii temple. The house here was given to us by one grandson of Henry Ford very recently. I have not yet received any report from my secretaries in Bombay as to whether they had any opportunity to meet the Chief Minister or not. Regarding your desire to guide the idea of the Purana temple construction at Naimisharanya, it will be my duty to help you in all respects by my guidance and advice to give a shape to it. A long time ago, maybe in the year 1962 or 1963, there was a big meeting in Kanpur of the organization of Naradananda Swami. In this meeting, the Gov. of U.P., Visvanatha das, attended. I went to meet Visvanatha dasa at Lucknow and he also took me there in the meeting. It was a big meeting undoubtedly, attended by many men, but I could not find any substantial program. Anyway, Naimisharanya is the place where the Puranas were discussed. There are 18 Puranas meant to attract different persons under the influence of the 3 modes of material nature, sattva, raja, tama. The sages in Naimisharanya inquired from Srila Suta Goswami, the president of the Naimisharanya meeting as follows: krsne sva-dhamopagato dharma-jnanadibhih saha kalau nasta-drsam esa puranarka’dhunodita tatra kirtayato vipra viprarser bhuri-tejasah aham cadhyagamam tatra nivistas tad anugrahat so’ham vah sravayisyami yat adhitam yathamati. “This Bhagavat Purana is as brilliant as the sun, and it has arisen just after the departure of the Lord Krishna to His own abode, accompanied by religion, knowledge, etc. Persons who have lost their vision due to the dense darkness of ignorance in the age of Kali shall get light from this Purana. Oh learned brahmanas, when Sukadeva Gosvami recited Bhagavatam there (in the presence of Emperor Pariksit), by his mercy I hear this from that great and powerful sage with rapt attention. Now I shall try to make you hear the very same thing as I learned it from him and as I have realized it.” (Bhagavatam 1.3.43 & 44)Also in the Brahma Samhita (5.33) Purana Purusa is explained as being Govinda, Krishna the Supreme Personality of Godhead: advaitam acyutam anadim ananta-rupam adyam purana-purusam nava-yavanam ca vedesu durlabham adurlabham atma-bhaktau govindam adi purusam tam aham bhajami. “I worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Govinda (Krishna) who is the original person absolute, infallible, without beginning, although expanded into unlimited forms, still the same original, the oldest, and the person always appearing as a fresh youth. Such eternal blissful, all-knowing forms of the Lord are usually not understood by the best Vedic scholars, but they are always manifest to pure unalloyed devotees.”So, if we strictly follow the sastric injunction, then the scheme will be successful. In the Bhagavad-gita it is said: yah sastra-vidhim utsrjya vartate kma-karatah na sa siddhim svapnoti na sukham na param gatim. (BG. 16.23). “But he who discards scriptural injunctions and acts according to his own whims attains neither perfection, nor happiness, nor the supreme destination.”India’s spiritual culture of knowledge is in great demand in the Western countries and we are trying to deliver the ideas, I am very glad that it is progressing satisfactorily. If the saintly persons in India co-operate with this movement, strictly according to the sastric injunction, this movement will be a great success throughout the whole world. At present, as the Gov. of U.P., if you kindly give me a little facility in this connection, it will be a success, and I am always prepared to give my guidance in your scheme. I hope this meets you in good health. With my best regards, I beg to remain, Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Dr. Channa Reddy **Date:** May 7th 1975 > Governor of U.P.Raj Bhavan, Lcknow, INDIA9 Marimba Crescent, City Beach 6015Perth, Western Australia My dear Dr. Channa Reddy, Please accept my greetings. I beg to acknowledge with thanks your letter dated April 22nd, 1975. I am very much obliged to you for your kind appreciation of my humble attempt in opening the Vrindavan temple of Krishna-Balaram. It was only successful on account of your presence and I thank you once again for your presence there. After this Vrindavan affair, I went to Kurukshetra to attend the meeting of Manava Dharma organized by Sri G.L. Nanda. So, after attending the meeting I had to come back again to Bombay for starting to Australia where I have got several meetings arranged. I am staying at the above address. I am also enclosing herewith one copy of the letter addressed to Mr. G.L. Nanda. And my ambition is that the Kurukshetra field should be fully utilized for spreading the cult of Krishna Consciousness all over the world. The enclosed letter to Mr. Nanda will speak for itself and it will be a great pleasure for me if you will also co-operate in this attempt. So far our Bombay temple is concerned, I have not received any reply of the Governor to you. If you have received any reply by this time, kindly let me know what is his decision. Thanking you once more for your kind co-operation in my spiritual activities. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/pa ### Letter to Dr. Channa Reddy **Date:** July 26th 1975 > Governor of Uttar Pradesh Raj Bhavan Lucknow, U.P. INDIA Dear Dr. Channa Reddy, Please accept my best wishes. I thank you for your letter dated June 14, 1975 and have noted the contents carefully. As you are also touring very widely within India, I also am touring very widely all over the world. From Australia I went to Fiji, then to Honolulu, Hawaii. From there I went to Los Angeles, then Denver, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, then again I have come to Los Angeles. Now I am going to San Diego, then Dallas, New Orleans, Detroit, Toronto, Montreal, New York, and then to New Vrindaban, West Virginia. So far our Bombay temple is concerned, I have received one telegram from my secretary there stating: “NOC FOR TEMPLE OBTAINED.” It is understood that the present Chief Minister Sri S.B. Chavan is a kind gentleman who is religiously disposed, and he has kindly given the order of NOC.I do not know the latest news about Bombay, but I hope they may begin the construction work as soon as they get the Municipal sanction. Regarding my project in Kurukshetra, I have sent one letter to Sriman Gulzari Lal Nanda, the copy of which is enclosed herewith. I have received no reply as yet, maybe on account of my heavy tour program. So when I get some opportunity I shall take the advantage of constructing a temple and Varna-ashrama College as soon as possible. Then your help will be certainly required. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs --- Encs ### Letter to Dr. G. Ghosh **Date:** March 15th 1975 — **Location:** Tehran > Dr. G. Ghosh Gyan Bhavan22, Minto Rd.Allahabad 211002INDIA My dear Dr. Ghosh, Please accept my greetings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Feb. 8th, 1975 and have noted the contents. On my world tour, I have received your letter redirected to New York City. I started from Bombay on the 24th of Jan., then via Hong Kong, Japan, Hawaii, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Caracas, Miami, Atlanta, Dallas, New York, and London, now I am here in Tehran in our center as above mentioned. I shall be starting from Bombay tonight and will be staying for 2 or 3 days. Then I shall go to Calcutta from there. And after that, I shall go to Mayapur to hold our annual ceremony celebrating Lord Caitanya's Birth day. You are cordially invited to attend our ceremony there and then also our ceremony in Vrndavana. I wish that you may visit our temple along with your wife Mrs. Ghosh. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps --- NB: Mayapur festival will be held from March 23rd-27th. Vrndavana festival will be held on April 20th ### Letter to Dr. Ghosh **Date:** April 5th 1975 — **Location:** Mayapur > Dr. G. Ghosh Gyan Bhawan22 _ Road Allahabad 211002 My dear Dr. Ghosh, Please accept my greetings. I am in due receipt of your two letters dated March 20th and March 23rd, 1975 and have noted the contents very carefully. I thank you very much for your kind invitation and, tentatively, I accept it. Most probably, we shall go to Allahabad from Vrndavana by the 28th of April, 1975 and stay there for a week, and then start for Bombay on the way to Australia by the 5th of May I wish to hold classes on Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam for one hour in the evening and one hour in the morning. I do not know if gentlemen there will spare so much time. If not two hours, then I shall hold one hour Bhagavad-gita class, and I wish to see how people there appreciate our missionary activities. It is strictly on the basis of Lord Krishna's teachings as they are presented by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. That is our mission. So, if people become interested in our philosophy, then we shall consider the other two items, namely, the nursery school and dispensary. So far dispensary is concerned, we have none all over the world. It will be a new attempt. So far the school is concerned, we have got in Africa and America, and we have got men experienced to teach on our line. But for dispensary, we have no experience at all. I do not know how you are at the present moment about your health but I request you again to come to Vrndavana about the 20th of April. Then we shall discuss elaborately and make a decision. Otherwise, if you do not come, we will go as already decided and open a nice center there if possible. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Dr. Jagadisa Bhardawaj **Date:** September 3rd 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Dr. Jagadisa Bhardawaj, M.A., Ph. D.Professor Hindi Division Atmaram Sanatana Dharma College New Delhi Dear Sriman Bharadwajji: Please accept my blessings. I beg to thank you for your presentation of two books, Krishna Lila he Lila Varnanani and Krishna Lila Vimarsa. I have gone through some of the pages of these books. It is done very scholarly. We are presenting Krishna consciousness all over the world. In future many devotees will be interested to read your books. We understand from the Srimad-Bhagavatam that everyone should utilize his talent in the service of the uttamasloka, Krishna.idam hi pumsas tapasah srutasya vasvitasya suktasya ca buddhi dattayehavicyute 'rthah kavibhir nirupiteyad uttama sloka gunanuvarnanam[SB 1.5.22]Learned circles have positively concluded that the infallible purpose of the advancement of knowledge, namely austerities, study of the Vedas, sacrifice, chanting of hymns and charity, culminates in the transcendental descriptions of the Lord, who is defined in choice poetry." (Bhag. 1.5.22)Generally it is very difficult to understand Krishna tattvatah, as it is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita, manusyanam saharasresu/ kascid yatati siddhaye/ yatatam api siddhanam/ kascin mam vetti tattvatah. "Out of many thousands among men, one may endeavor for perfection, and of those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth." (Bg. 7.3) But, Krishna is available through the process of devotional service, bhakti yoga, bhaktya mam abhijanati [Bg. 18.55], and anyone who actually understands about Krishna, about His appearance and disappearance, he goes back to home, Back to Godhead, janma karma ca me divyam/ evam yo vetti tattvatah/ tyaktva deham punar janma/ naiti mam eti so 'rjuna [Bg. 4.9]. Therefore in the Brahma Samhita we learn: vedesu durlabham adurlabham atma bhaktau [Bs. 5.33]. It is further stated in the Padma Purāṇa: atah sri krsna namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaih/ sevonmukhe hi jihvadau svayam eva sphuraty adah [Brs. 1.2.234]. "No one can understand the transcendental nature of the name, form, quality, and pastimes of Sri Krishna through his materially contaminated senses. Only when one becomes spiritually saturated by transcendental service to the Lord are the transcendental name, form, quality, pastimes of the Lord revealed to him." Krishna cannot be known by the materially blunt senses. When you utilize your tongue in the service of the Lord then Krishna reveals Himself. You cannot order Krishna please come and I will see you. So you are a learned scholar, and you have tried to use your energy for the service of the Lord. That is your success. I thank you very much for your endeavor in spreading Krishna consciousness. With my best regards, I beg to remain, Yours sincerely, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Dr. Ram S. Verma, Mrs. Ram S. Verma **Date:** July 4th 1975 — **Location:** Evanston > Illinois Dr. & Mrs. Ram S. Verma1325 Madison St. Apt. 203Denver, Colorado 80206 Dear Dr. Verma: Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge with thanks your letter undated with enclosed donation of $50.00 and thank you very much. You have a good position by the grace of Krishna, and I request you to continue on in this spirit of service to the Lord. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Dr. R.F. Rao **Date:** March 13th 1975 — **Location:** Tehran > Dr. R. F. Rao Reader in Chemistry University of Gorakhpur Gorakhpur, U.P., INDIA My dear Dr. Rao, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Jan 21, 1975 and have noted the contents. I had not received any letter from you until now, Svarupa Damodara das is in our Atlanta temple. The address is: 1287 Ponce de Leon Ave., N.E. Atlanta, Georgia 30306 U.S.A. I have asked Svarupa Damodara to write you and I gave him your address. He promised that he would immediately write a letter. I have just completed a world-wide tour visiting Hong Kong, Japan, U.S.A., South America and Mexico, London, and now I am in Tehran. Our center here is very nice. I will be leaving for Bombay on the 15th of March and then on to Calcutta on the 19th from there. This year, we will again celebrate the birth day of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in Mayapur on March 27th. All the devotees will be coming about a week early for doing parikrama of the different holy spots. About 400-500 devotees will again come this year. I would be happy to see you there if you are able to come. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta SvamiACBS/ps ### Letter to Dr. Santosh Kumar **Date:** February 16th 1975 — **Location:** Mexico City > Dr. Santosh Kumar Mc Master University Hamilton, Ontario, Canada Dept. of Medicine St. Joseph's Hospital My dear Dr. Kumar, Please accept my greetings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated Jan. 18, 1975 and have noted the contents carefully. Regarding your question, the Supreme Personality of Godhead is recognized through the sastras not otherwise. For instance, in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, first canto, third chapter, all the major incarnations of Godhead are listed. Many times the scheduled time of appearance and family, etc. are also mentioned. The incarnation of Godhead must be indicated in the scriptures, otherwise we cannot accept him as being incarnation. Today, there are so many bogus incarnations, but we do not accept them. The Supreme Lord can appear in this world at any time, but he does so according to the regular scheduled appearances mentioned in the sastras. According to the sastras, the last most recent incarnation was Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu who appeared in West Bengal about 500 years ago. We are following in direct line of disciplic teaching from Him. Another point is that the words of the Lord have been recorded in the Bhagavad-gita, so if someone comes claiming to be incarnation, but also contradicts the Bhagavad-gita, then we can be sure he is phony. Please try to read and understand my books very carefully. All these things are explained. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Dr. W.D. Currier **Date:** June 19th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > W.D. Currier, M.D., INC.960 East Green St., Suite 209Pasadena, California 91106 My dear Dr. Currier, Please accept my greetings. I am in due receipt of your kind letter dated June 16, 1975 and have noted the contents. If you are willing to offer your medical services to my students, when it is required, that will be very nice. It is important to keep the body fit and healthy so that we will not meet the obstacle of ill health while serving Krishna. Ill health may hinder one's service, so, we want to avoid it as much as possible. Enclosed herein is the question sheet sent by you, duly filled out by me for your information and signed by me. Thank you. I hope this letter finds you well. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Dr. W.H. Wolf-Rottkay **Date:** June 8th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Dr. W.H. Wolf-Rottkay12915 Venice Blvd., Apt. 37L.A., Ca. 90066 My dear Dr. Wolf-Rottkay, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated June 1, 1975 along with your elaboration of the word LIFE. It is very interesting. Regarding your question at the end, yes, the soul is eternal and it is transmigrating from one body to another. Therefore the body is undergoing evolution, not the soul. Just like if I come to the USA from India, I have to change my residence. I personally do not have to change, but my residence changes. So, the soul travels from one body to another and always remains the same. I shall be looking forward to your elaboration of the word MATTER. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Dr. W.H. Wolf-Rottkay **Date:** June 18th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Dr. W.H. Wolf-Rottkay12915 Venice Blvd., Apt. 37L.A., Ca. 90066 My dear Dr. Wolf-Rottkay, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated June 14, 1975 and have noted the contents. Biological evolution is taking place on account of the soul's desire. It takes place because of infection. If a man has smallpox virus, then he is subjected to smallpox. It is not that everyone is infected and everyone is attacked with smallpox disease. Only the person who is infected, he is attacked. In this connection Krishna says in the Bhagavad-gita, purusah prakrti-stho hi bhunkte prakrti-jan gunan karanam guna sango'sya sad-asad-yoni-janmasu [Bg. 13.22]. Purusa means the living entity, or the soul. He is subjected to be infected by the modes of material nature. There are 3 modes of material nature, sattva-guna, raja-guna, tama-guna. And when they are mixed up, they become 3 x 3 = 9, and 9 x 9 = 81, and in each quality, there are millions of forms. Therefore the total number of forms is 8,400,000.So, the diseases are there and the forms of disease are also there. Material form means diseased form. Therefore, one has to change this form—death. And he carries with him the infection and he develops another disease. In this way, the soul although part and parcel of God in diseased condition, they are forced to change body. That is transmigration of the soul from one body to another. To be more clear, the disease is there. Just as the Small-pox disease is there. One has to become diseased, being infected. Similarly, the forms of the body are there. One has to infect the form and it develops. karanam guna sango'sya sad-asad-yoni-janmasu. Because he is infecting different diseased forms, therefore he is developing different forms of body. There is no such case of Small-pox changing into Malaria. Small-pox is Small-pox, and Malaria is Malaria. By the desire of the living entity, he becomes infected with a certain disease or body. Krishna Consciousness is the vaccine for all the diseases (different forms of material bodies).Krishna says,mam ca yo 'vyabhicarena bhakti-yogena sevatesa gunan samatityaitan brahma-bhuyaya kalpate[Bg. 14.26]Brahma-bhuyaya is the immune stage or Krishna Conscious stage when one is always fixed in Krishna. When one reaches this perfectional stage he no longer has to accept these different types of diseases, or bodies. Regarding the German translation work, if you feel difficulty because there is no good scholar there in Germany in our temple, then do whatever you can. Do not feel pressured. Whatever you can do is very much appreciated by me. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Dr. W.H. Wolf-Rottkay **Date:** November 21st 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Dr. W.H. Wolf-Rottkey12915 Venice Blvd., Apt. 37Los Angeles (Marvista), California 90066 My dear Dr. Wolf, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter post dated November 12, 1975 and have read the contents carefully. So it appears that the sun planet comes first and then the moon planet. That is the statement in Srimad-Bhagavatam. How do modern scientists say that the moon is nearest from the earth? What is their authority? But according to what is stated by you, the sun is first and then the moon. That is the verdict of Srimad-Bhagavatam. If the moon is beyond the sun, then how they can go to the moon while they are unable to go to the sun? This is the problem I am thinking and if you can make a solution, that would be nice. According to Srimad-Bhagavatam the moon is above the sun planet by 1,600,000 miles. The scientists say that the sun is 93,000,000 miles from the earth and if the moon is beyond the sun planet, the distance from the earth then would be 95,000,000 miles. So the moon being 95,000,000 miles away, how can they go even if they travel at the speed of 18,000 mph, how can they go 95,000,000 miles in four days. It is not possible. In four days they can go only 1,728,000 miles. If they say the moon is 240,000 miles from the earth, then why is the moon not mentioned first? Why not Monday being the first day of the week? According to Srimad-Bhagavatam, the sun is first, the moon is second and therefore we have no objection to the first of the week being Sunday and then Monday. Why is it universally accepted in all languages that Sunday is first and then Monday? Why is it not Monday and then Sunday? I have noted that you are working with the German translation department. Kindly continue your cooperation. It is Krsna's business and He will be very, very happy. I hope this finds you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Dr. W.H. Wolf-Rottkay **Date:** December 9th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Los Angeles My Dear Dr. W.H. Wolf-Rottkay, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated November 23, 1975.Because your letter to Nairobi was a long letter I sent it to Svarupa Damodara, he is also one of my trusted disciples. I do not know why he has not replied it yet, and since I do not have a copy with me I am also unable to reply it. How is the German translation work going on? I hope this letter meets you well. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/hda ### Letter to Dr. Wolf **Date:** February 19th 1975 — **Location:** Caracas > Venezuela Los Angeles My dear Dr. Wolf, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated Feb. 12th, 1975 and have noted the contents carefully. I am very soon going to London and I shall meet with Hansadutta and other secretaries there. I shall seriously see that all such undesirable things may not happen in the future. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Dr. Y. G. Naik **Date:** August 7th 1975 — **Location:** Toronto > Dr. Y. G. Naik, M.Sc., Ph.D.Retired Principal, Gujarat College,66 Hemdeep, Sharda Society Ahmedabad, 7 INDIA Dear Dr. Naik: Please accept my greetings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated July 11, 1975. After long years it is pleasing and surprising to receive an affectionate letter from you. I think I met you sometimes in the year 1958. Since then in 1965 I came to America and started this missionary activity from New York in 1966. Now the Society has got about 100 branches all over the world. And, everywhere we have got Deity worship; Guru Gauranga, Radha Krishna, and Jagadisa. Prasadam in this country means a full meal. From the very beginning even when I was alone, I was cooking myself for at least one dozen men, and I distributed full meals. According to Caitanya Mahaprabhu philosophy, prasadam should be taken up to the neck, akantha. In Jagannatha Puri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's only occupation was holding Sankirtana at least four hours every day and distributing prasadam to the devotees. It is stated in the Caitanya Caritamrta that the Lord was so liberal that He would give to every man prasadam quite sufficient for being eaten by two or three men. So we are trying to follow by distributing prasadam very liberally, and we invite everyone without any discrimination. Everywhere we have got temples we distribute prasadam especially to the poorer men. I am enclosing one issue of our "Back to Godhead" magazine which contains photos of our prasadam distribution starting on page 12. This prasadam distribution is going on all over the world. Regarding the free distribution of books, there is no need in this country. They have sufficient money and sometimes they pay more than the price. Here in this country if literature is given free of charge, they throw it away. In most cases we offer our books and ask for a contribution. And, sometimes they pay three rimes or four times the requested price. So about money matters they are very liberal. Krishna has given them money, and they spend it very liberally. You will be interested to know we are collecting about Dollars 250,000 per month. This means about Rs. 20 lakhs per month from book sales. I have written about 50 big books of 400 pages each and about a dozen small books, and all of them are being sold in the above mentioned figures. We spend also very liberally, and whatever we collect we spend it also. The first book was started with your foreword, Easy Journey to Other Planets. Now they are selling revised editions and perhaps it is the best selling item. Since I have come to this country, I might have sold this Easy Journey about one half million copies. My Krishna books are selling more than that. So by Krishna's grace our books are being appreciated by universities, libraries, and respectable professors, and some are being used as textbooks in the universities. I am enclosing herewith a copy of our book catalog which contains some of the comments of the professors. I hope you will enjoy it. Also I am enclosing a copy of one book, Scientific Basis of Krishna Consciousness, written by one of my Ph.D. students. You are also a scientist, and I hope you will enjoy it. In India we have got a program of membership and patronship costing Rs. 1,111/- and 2,222/- respectively, and all of our members and patrons are receiving all of the books free of charges. So any member can come to our temples and live as long as he likes and take free prasadam. So if any Indians students come here as our member, we shall welcome him and give him a place as well as prasadam free of charge. We have already organized the Ratha Yatra ceremony, and we hold a great Love Feast festival every Sunday in everyone of our branches. Now I advised to organize more festivals during Janmastami, Lord Ramacandra's Appearance Day, and Gaura Purnima, the Appearance of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. I am addressing this letter to your Indian address because I could not properly reply your letter earlier because your letter has been redirected to me from the many places I have been on tour. I am also sending a copy of this letter to your address in USA in care of your son. I am very anxious to meet you again. I am returning to India by October, and I am inviting you to come to our Vrindaban temple and live there for some time. I have got a very nice Guest House there, and I would suggest humbly that since you are already retired from service and your sons are well situated, that you may retire from your family life and live in Vrindaban in the vanaprastha order. Our Vrindaban temple is appreciated as the best in this quarter. The Governor of Uttar Pradesh stayed with me for two days recently, so at least for a few days you may come there and live with me. Learned scholars like you are now needed to represent the cause of Krishna consciousness because without this consciousness the human society is doomed. So I require the help of respectable, learned scholars like you for spreading this movement more and more. According to the Vedic system this body is perishable and the ultimate form of this body is to become ash, stool, or earth. Therefore it is advised by the great pandita Canakya that the body should be sacrificed for a better cause. That is the idea inherent everywhere, especially in India. Everyone is advised to achieve the result of pious activities by engaging this body for such purposes. That is the greatest gain. According to the Vedic varna asrama it is compulsory that one retire from his family life and engage this body for Krishna's service at the end of his life. As it is stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam:tat sadhu manye 'suravarya dehinamsada samudvigna dhiyam asad grahathitvartma patam grham andha-kupamvannad gato yad harim asrayet[SB 7.5.5]I hope you will try to understand my point of view and join this movement to make it more appreciable by the people in general all over the world. Thanking you once more for your letter, and more when we meet. I hope this finds you in good health. Sincerely yours, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Dr. Yogi Raj Dev Svarupa **Date:** December 4th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Dr. Yogi Raj Dev. Svarupa,c/o Prof. K. Sellin Active University Olfert Fiseersgade 40Copenhagen Danemark My Dear Dr. Yogi Raj Dev Svarupa, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated Nil. In thank you very much for your kind appreciation. Because you are teaching in a respectable University I request you to study some of my books, especially Bhagavad-gita as it is. As stated in the Bhagavad-gita, manah samyamya mac-citto, yukta asita mat parah "One should meditate upon me (Krishna) within the heart and make me the ultimate goal of life." [Bg. 6.13-14]. Western people are now becoming more and more interested in yoga practice, but unfortunately because they have no authorized source of information, they are being mislead by unauthorized teachers and concocted methods of yoga practice. Actually the astanga yoga system practiced thousands of years ago is not practical for this age, therefore Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu introduced the simple process of chanting the Holy name of Krishna for the people of this fallen age of Kali. It is said in the sastras that the same result that was formerly attained by difficult sacrifices or yoga practice is easily achieved in this age simply by chanting the Holy name of God, Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. In all our temples we are doing that, and we have more than 40 big volumes of authorized books, Srimad-Bhagavatam and Bhagavad gita, etc. Intelligent people are accepting this movement all over the world, so if you are serious about joining this mission, then why not study these books, understand the philosophy and teach. I hope this letter finds you well. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ### Letter to Dulal Candra **Date:** May 19th 1975 — **Location:** Melbourne > Pittsburgh My dear Dulal Candra dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated May 4th, 1975 and have noted the contents. Thank you for boldly infiltrating into the intellectual circles there. By attracting intelligent men to our movement, automatically, others will also be attracted to come. By preaching in this way, one becomes firmly convinced of the philosophy of Krishna Consciousness himself, and gradually it becomes easier and easier for him to convince others also. Most important thing is to follow all of the rules carefully, chant 16 rounds, and read our books carefully. This will make you spiritually strong. I accept Bob Bauer and Sue Bauer as my duly initiated disciples. Their names are Bhokta dasa, and Sukhavaha devi dasi. Their beads may be chanted by Kirtanananda Swami. I hope this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Durgesh Patel **Date:** June 18th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Durgesh Patel105 Park Ave.Southall, Midd'x, U.K My dear Durgesh, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 10/6/75 and have noted the contents. Please keep yourself saved by chanting 16 rounds daily and following the regulative principles, and reading books. For the time being, stay with your parents until you are of proper age to be independent. Raghunatha dasa Goswami was also restricted by his parents, but ultimately he joined Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's movement and became one of the six Goswamis of Vrndavana. So, do not be discouraged, rather feel fortunate that at such a young age you are able to practice Krishna Consciousness. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Duryodhanaguru **Date:** February 2nd 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Toronto My dear Duryodhanaguru das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Dec. 17, 1974 and have noted the contents. I want that someone learns how to make mrdangas in the Western countries. As far as I know Isana has not produced any mrdangas. So how will he teach your wife how to make them. First let him produce something, then he can teach others. I have no objection. If somehow or other someone can learn how to make good mrdangas in America, it will be a great service. Please study my books very carefully and do not fail in chanting at least 16 rounds daily. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Dvarakesa **Date:** April 17th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Stockholm My dear Dvarakesa dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 3-4-75 and have noted the contents. Thank you for sending the final edition of the Swedish Sri Isopanisad. It is very very nice. I am very anxious to see all of my books printed in the Swedish language, so continue your printing, and distributing with all enthusiasm. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Ed Gilbert **Date:** September 9th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Mr. Ed Gilbert3101 West End Ave.No. C4BNashville, Tennessee 37203 Dear Ed Gilbert: Please accept my greetings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated August 19, 1975 redirected to me from New York. Regarding your question, God does not discriminate, but so long as we have got forms we have to discriminate. Without God consciousness the discrimination is there. Why should think that you are American or that he is an Indian? Upon this platform of discrimination the whole philosophy of nationalism, communism, this ism and that ism is going on. When one learns how to see individual persons without discrimination, then he becomes perfect. That is described in the Bhagavad-gita: vidya vinyaya sampanne/ brahmane gavi hastini/ suni caiva svapake ca/ panditah sama darsinah [Bg. 5.18]. "The humble sage by virtue of true knowledge, sees with equal vision a learned and gentle brahmana, a cow, an elephant, a dog, and a dog-eater (outcaste.)" It is only on the spiritual platform or Krishna consciousness or God consciousness platform that there is no such discrimination. So if you remain on the material platform and artificially desire no discrimination it is not possible. We are preaching therefore this Krishna consciousness movement so that we may not have material discrimination. The soul has nothing to do with the body. The body is of different varieties calculated to be 8,400,000 forms. The soul is the same passing through different bodies by the process of transmigration. It is exactly like gold passing through business transaction, but when it is in the hands of somebody he thinks that it is "my gold," and when it is passed through another's hands, he thinks it is "my gold." Similarly the soul being as gold when he is situated in a particular body, it identifies with the bodily position, and each and every body is different from the other. So long the soul is in ignorance and identifies with the body, how can there be equality? So unless one is raised to spiritual understanding, there is no question of equality on the bodily platform. This is a scientific calculation. Women claim to be equal, so that now they are thinking that they do not want to become pregnant, so they are killing their own child. What kind of equality is this that it creates another's suffering? As soon as the body is different how can there be equality? We see that woman cannot work so hard as a man, and women can do work that a man cannot do, so where is there equality? I hope this meets you in good health. Yours sincerely, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Eldest son of the late Mr. Atulya De **Date:** May 14th 1975 — **Location:** Perth > Australia The eldest son of the late,Mr. Atulya De P.O. Barala, Dist. Mursidabad West Bengal, INDIA My dear son, Please accept my blessings. I wanted to see you very urgently to know about your family affairs. So, will you kindly give me your exact name and address so that I can arrange to see you? When I was grhastha, I had visited your home two or three times. Now, I am a sannyasi. My headquarters is #3 Albert Road, Calcutta-17. So, it will be very kind of you to write me at this address in Calcutta how I can see you. Thanking you in anticipation. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/psN.B.. --- If possible, you may reply this letter to my Honolulu address: 51 Coelho Way, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA ### Letter to Gadi **Date:** June 17th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Charlotte, N.C My dear Gadi dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated June 13, 1975 and have noted the contents. Thank you for the $20 donation. Thank you for helping me in this preaching work. Make sure that you preach nicely and at the same time follow the example of perfect behavior given by your spiritual master and the previous acaryas and confirmed in the scriptures. Always remain fixed in the service of Krishna and you will be untouched by Maya. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Gandharva **Date:** January 12th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Seattle My dear Gandharva das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated nil and have noted the contents. If you like, you can come to India and live with me for some time. During Sri Caitanya's appearance day festival, if you like you can come and live with me. Then everything will be alright. Please do not fail to chant 16 rounds, rise early, read my books carefully and follow all the regulative principles. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Gandharva **Date:** March 18th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Seattle My dear Gandharva dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Feb. 7th, 1975 and have noted the contents. We are very eager to give everyone a chance to become Krishna Conscious, but if someone repeatedly causes a disturbance then he may be asked to leave. That is not our business to ask people to leave our association but if they are actually causing too much disturbance by not co-operating with authorities or by not following the rules properly (especially the four regulative principles), then we are forced to do the necessary. If someone who has been asked to leave sincerely wants to be given another chance, following the rules strictly and co-operating with authority, then he may be admitted again. That is the Krishna Conscious system. Any way, whatever your position may be simply follow the rules carefully, chant 16 rounds and read my books and you will be saved from Maya. Regarding your writing, it is a little off-time. I suggest that you read my books more carefully and present things as I have presented them. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Ganesa **Date:** May 22nd 1975 — **Location:** Melbourne > Melbourne My dear Ganesa dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated May 21st, 1975 and have noted the contents. Thank you for the $200 (Australia) and your kind sentiments. From your letter, I can understand that you are reading my books nicely and understanding our philosophy. This is wanted. By reading my books carefully, you will become enthused to distribute them more and more in greater quantities. If you continue in this way being very much determined to achieve success in this lifetime, following all the rules, chanting at least 16 rounds, and reading my books, then all of your desires to advance in Krishna Consciousness will be fulfilled and you will surely attain spiritual perfection and be able to go Back to Godhead, very soon. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Gargamuni **Date:** January 1st 1975 — **Location:** Bombay Calcutta My dear Gargamuni Svami Please accept my blessings. I am writing you regarding 8,000 dollars that was sent from Ramesvara for the Mayapur Temple Kitchen. I received notice that the money was sent before December 15th, 1974. Have you not received it yet? When you had not received any money for the construction, you sent a threatening letter. Now money is there and you are silent. Why don't you inform us? I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Gargamuni **Date:** June 8th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Evanston, Illinois My dear Gargamuni, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated May 30, 1975 and have noted the contents. Go on preaching for now, so far money matters, that we shall see later. Preaching is our life. Follow strictly the principles, read, chant,—then there is success. And if you don't do this, spiritual strength is reduced. It is just like a snake is very powerful, so long he has got poison. If it has no poison, nobody cares for it. Similarly, this chanting, reading, and following the principles is our spiritual strength. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Gargamuni **Date:** September 29th 1975 — **Location:** Ahmedabad > Brooklyn My Dear Gargamuni Swami: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 25/8/75 and have noted the contents. Regarding the disturbance made by the women devotees, they are also living beings. They also come to Krishna. So consciously I cannot deny them. If our male members, the brahmacaris and the sannyasis, if they become steady in Krishna consciousness, there is no problem. It is the duty of the male members to be very steady and cautious. This can be done by regular chanting like Haridasa Thakura did. Whenever there is a young woman, we should remember Haridasa Thakura and beg his mercy to protect us, and we should think that these beautiful gopis are meant for the enjoyment of Krishna. It is a dilemma for our Society that we cannot deny these girls, and at the same time they are a great dangerous allurement to the young boys. Yes, as you say, I never think in terms of Indian or American regarding my students. I take you all as part and parcels of Krishna. Regarding your program, that is your fortune, that wherever you go, you do nicely. One thing is that in your absence the Calcutta center is not being managed very nicely. You were making progress for making a Calcutta temple. Who is there who can do that now? Those men cannot do that. Anyway you are doing greater service there by distributing so many magazines and also books. Your program of travelling to Europe and then by vehicles to India is a very good idea. I quite appreciate that idea. Do it. Come to India and preach. Six months in America and six months in India. Such a program of world touring work is very nice, and you are the competent person to execute this program. At the same time chant Hare Krishna regularly. That is my request. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Gargamuni **Date:** November 4th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay BrooklynMy Dear Gargamuni SwamiPlease accept my blessings. Now after consideration it is my desire that you return to take over Calcutta affairs. Otherwise things are not at all going on nicely there. You are experienced man for Calcutta. I do not wish to see things deteriorating there. It is important center, and you have proven that you can manage things nicely, so why you should not be there? I want you to go there immediately. This is more important responsibility. Gopala Krishna also agrees with my desire, so you should go there. You can apply for one year entry visa. Say that you are a member of ISKCON and you are going to India to study Vedic culture and languages and Deity worship in our temples in India. Apply immediately because Gopala Krishna says it may take 6-8 weeks for the visa to be granted. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Gargamuni **Date:** November 13th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Brooklyn My dear Gargamuni Swami, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter undated from El Paso, Texas and I have noted the contents. So I am glad to see that you are doing well. Similarly, now we are getting literature published all over the world. I just received very nice books in Swedish and also Italian Isopanisad and similarly our Bhagavad-gita is being prepared in Dutch language. And also our literatures are being received very nicely. Bhagavan das in Paris has reported that they are collecting $20,000 per week in literature distribution. Our Bhagavad-gita in French language is being received very enthusiastically by the people, libraries and schools. All other reports are also very good. Tamala Krsna is also distributing many big books and also magazines and having many college engagements. Here in India the government is beginning to give us facility for our men to remain here. I am here in Bombay and I am supervising the construction of our temple here. It is a very large project. The temple is larger than our Vrndavana temple. We are trying to get it done as quickly as possible. I have just received a report from Mukunda in London that the Encyclopedia Brittanica wants to carry my biography article in their publication. So this is all welcome news. So I am very pleased by all of the progress, how you boys and girls are working very sincerely to push on this movement of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. The only difficulty is the fighting that is going on. Why there should be fighting in our society? This is not a good sign. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Gargamuni **Date:** December 4th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Boston My Dear Gargamuni Maharaja, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 11, November 1975, I have noted the contents carefully. Yes! your present engagement is more important, managing Calcutta temple is not so important. I am pleased that you are selling my books, this is superior engagement, so please continue and increase it more and more. Your plan for the busses is nice. One address in Yugoslavia is Vladimir Radovanov, 45 Skadarska, Belgrade. I hope this letter finds you well. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/hda ### Letter to Gaura Govinda **Date:** September 21st 1975 — **Location:** Vrndavana > Hyderabad My dear Gaura Govinda Swami, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your long letter dated September 12, 1975 and your letter dated September 17th and have noted the contents. Regarding your returning to your own village, a sannyasa is not supposed to go back to his own village. If you are doing some substantial work, you should not agitate your mind for opening a center in Orissa. I talked here with Anandapanda and he said after October the season in Orissa is better. I have proposed to him also for arranging for us to go there and during that season we may go there in a party and preach there and if possible open a center. I understand that you are doing well in Hyderabad so there is no necessity for immediate change. I am going now on tour of Africa and when I return I shall see you and we shall do the needful. I may go to Hyderabad when I return. I hope this finds you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Gaura Govinda **Date:** November 20th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Hyderabad My dear Gaura Govinda Swami, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 15/11/75 and have noted the contents. So if you think your presence is required in Bhuvaneśvara, then you can go there for necessary action. I am going to Vrndavana, so you can come and meet me at Vrndavana and from there you can go to Bhuvaneśvara. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Gauragopala **Date:** May 26th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Alexandria My dear Gauragopala dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated nil and have noted the contents. I think it is very obvious, even you have admitted, that the problem is that you are not following the basic principles of our society. The fact that you have not chanted your rounds for a long time is enough to make you without any spiritual strength. The best thing for you is to seriously try to follow all of the rules and regulations very strictly under the guidance of the temple authorities. Then your mind will become very clear, not so agitated. You have taken initiation from me, so actually you are obliged to do this. You have promised, therefore there is no choice,—you must follow strictly. Otherwise, you are carving your pathway to hell. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Gaurasundara **Date:** January 31st 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Laupahoe hoe, Hawaii My dear Gaurasundara, Please accept my blessings. I shall be very happy if you would kindly come and see me here. I am scheduled to leave Hawaii on the morning of Feb. 9th, so if you could possibly come before that time it would be very nice. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Gauri **Date:** February 3rd 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Los Angeles My dear Gauri dasi, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Jan. 23, 1975 and have noted the contents. You are a very expert book distributer, so I do not want you to give it up altogether. If you like, you can also do some painting, but you should still distribute books two days out of the week (at least).Always strictly follow all the rules and regulations, rising early, attending mangala arati and classes and without fail chanting 16 rounds daily. This will make you strong in Krishna Consciousness which is the most essential thing. Always be engaged 24 hours a day in the service of Krishna and be happy. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Ghanasyama **Date:** November 9th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Los Angeles My dear Ghanasyama das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated October 5th, 1975 and was very glad to read the contents. You mention about the well-renown psychologist at Harvard who is interested in finding about man's true nature. Man's true nature is to render service. Originally the living entity was meant for rendering service to Krsna and as soon as the living entity misuses this marginal position, he becomes conditioned by material nature. You are rendering first quality service to Krsna by your preaching success. Be blessed and continue your efforts and Krsna will recognize you very quickly. Anyone who preaches like this is very much appreciated by Krsna. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Ghanasyama **Date:** November 20th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Los Angeles My dear Ghanasyama das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated November 4, 1975 and was very pleased to read the contents. On the whole it is very encouraging that the professors like our books. This is our success. This quotation is very important: "One professor went on to explain that the other books were mostly dealing with speculations in contrast to our books which presented religion as a way of life based on authentic writings." This is a very good quote. This should be publicized and it should be published in the new book that is being presented of all the quotations, The Hare Krishna Movement is Authorized. As I had ordered you to preach and distribute to the libraries, so you are doing it. So I am very pleased with your activities. Now continue and increase. Everyone will want our books. We will always have customers. This is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mercy. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Giriraja **Date:** February 4th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Bombay My dear Giriraja das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of the two copies of the Governors' letters but nothing from you. I do not know how far you have advanced in the matter of constructing of the building as sanctioned by the municipality. I hope everything is going on nicely there and please send weekly reports as I am anxious to know. As advised by Sri M. Channa Reddy, have you seen the Chief Minister or not? If you've seen him, let me know the result. But I think the Governor is personally examining our case. So, what is the use of seeing the Chief Minister. Regarding the bus, now I am serious to purchase one bus at least and I have secured money. So, arrange for this immediately with the help of Sridhara. We do not want the seats—it should be vacant. As such, the price should be reduced considerably. Gurukrpa Svami will go to India to lead the party, but at least 6 Indian men must go with him. As soon as I return to India, I shall take up this Bus sankirtana very seriously. One copy of our book, Lord Caitanya in Five Features may be handed over to Svami Cinmayananda as our humble presentation. If somebody, or yourself sees him personally, give him thanks for his letter recommending our admission in the temples and present this book to him. That will be nice. As far as possible, all big Mayavadis sannyasis should be presented with this book. Hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Svami ### Letter to Giriraja **Date:** February 15th 1975 — **Location:** Mexico City > Bombay My dear Giriraja das, Please accept my blessings. The interest rate here in the west is very low now, so I am thinking very seriously to invest about 410,000 dollars (approximately 32 lakhs rupees). I want to know immediately what kind of monthly interest I would receive if I was to put this amount in a fixed deposit for five years. Check with the big banks and find out what the highest interest rate would be. You can check with many of the big banks such as First National Bank, Punjab National, Central, Bank of India, State Bank of India, etc. Please see to this matter immediately without any delay and let me know by return post to New York Temple. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps --- Send news about new construction ### Letter to Giriraja **Date:** May 10th 1975 — **Location:** Perth > Australia Bombay My dear Giriraja, Please accept my blessings. I am very much anxious to receive report of the Bombay activities, about construction and everything. Please send full report to my Hawaii address: 51 Coelho Way, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.We have got many enemies, especially our tenants. Therefore, things should be very carefully done. Whether the tenants union is legally alright and whether by their united action, they can encroach upon the rights of the landlord. We wanted to build up a wall and the tenants, by force, have broken the wall. Does it mean that the tenants unit can encroach upon the landlord's right? Have you formed any advisory committee of the persons we selected? I think the advisory committee should not be more than ten persons, very important from the list. The other day, I saw Mahadevia's attitude not in our favor, but in favor of the tenants, being influenced by Acarya. These things should be considered very carefully. For the time being, we have stopped the wall construction, but it was not at all congenial that the tenants broke the wall illegally. Now, plans should be made how to utilize all the lands available. Sumati Morarji wanted some land for her school on lease. I think we shall negotiate with her on favorable terms. Things in the past were done very irregularly. Now, everything must be done very carefully and cautiously. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Giriraja **Date:** May 28th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Bombay My dear Giriraja dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated May 19th, 1975 and have noted the contents. So far the managing committee is concerned, when I shall return to Bombay, I shall personally form it. In the meantime, go on managing as it is. If there is any possibility of getting money from Africa, then you must go there and collect. That Major Jagdish Sah should be encouraged to continue nicely as he is doing. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Giriraja **Date:** July 4th 1975 — **Location:** Evanston > Illinois Bombay My Dear Giriraja das: Please accept my blessings. I have received your report via telephone and it is a very good news that you have received the NOC for the construction of the temple. So, you begin the work, and money will come to you by the grace of God. Don't worry, just finish the buildings as soon as possible and somehow or other money will come. In Bombay you collect as much as you can, and the balance money will be sent rest assured. I am instructing Ramesvara to send Gurukrpa's collection to Bombay. So you just finish all the buildings as soon as possible. You must also keep proper account. Not a single farthing should be wasted. I will see the accounts personally when I return to Bombay. Regarding the money you are taking for the rooms, this must be carefully done. As soon as you take money and allow a person to stay in your place, then the money can be considered by him as rent. The Rent Act is so subtle in India. If you have to call the police to eject a man, the police will not do it. They will see that the man is living there only, but they will not ask how he got there. That is a matter for the courts to settle. And in India court business is very troublesome. Practically it is useless because you have to bribe. This is Kali Yuga; you have to pay money to get justice. Neither will it be sufficient for you to print on the registration form that the visitor signs that you have some right to bar entrance. Making your own law on the registration form has no value. You know of that Mr. Mukherjee who refuse to leave our place even when you called the police. In Tirupati they have a nice system. You have to see how the hotels and dharmasalas are doing it. What laws there are to protect them. People are very cunning nowadays, and we have to be careful. You should manage the whole thing very nicely, just like in Tirupati they are managing so many buildings very carefully.[TEXT UNCLEAR]India to organize large scale book distribution. He can help Yasomatinandana Prabhu. Yasomatinandana is sincere but not a business minded. But, if sincerity is there, other things will come. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs --- N.B. All money sent to Bombay from L.A. is BBT money and must be paid back by you to the BBT account in Bombay. The money sent to you is on loan basis and must be paid back. You can pay back conveniently. We shall help you, but you must pay back. Also One of the rooftop blocks may be dedicated for stocking books as go down. You may select the largest one available. If you fit it with book shelves that are away from the wall and not touching one another; i.e. the shelves should be wide enough to accommodate only one row of books and each shelf should be separated by a space wide enough for a man to pass; then you will not have the rat problem. The Chand Society flat may not be sold. It can used as office and residence of Vaikunthanatha and Yasomatinandana. Two rooms used as residence and one room office and stock. The BBT should provide facilities for offices and stock go down. BBT should pay for the rooftop go down. By my calculation you should be able to sell in India at least four lakhs of Rupees worth of books per month. You simply have to organize it. What is the report of Hyderabad? ACBS ### Letter to Giriraja **Date:** July 14th 1975 — **Location:** Philadelphia > Bombay My Dear Giriraja das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated July 6, 1975 and have noted the contents. Why are you making concessions to the tenants? There shall be no common area for the tenants to sit. Why are you doing this? This shall not be allowed. It is not in the Rent Act. This is all nonsense concessions. They should be placed in their rooms, that is all. We have to construct buildings on all the vacant lands. The common reading room is for the public and not for the tenants. You now have to make a program for building on all the vacant land. Every inch of available land will be built up. In the back side of my apartment the single story tenants should be induced to occupy temporarily the rooftop flats, and we shall construct a three or four story building where their houses are on their plot and shall then give them the same area to live in the new building. Now make this plan. Every drop of land must be filled with buildings. We cannot spare any land for any other purpose. Take sanction and make plans for these buildings. If the tenants become devotees and follow our principles, arising early like the others, then we can forgo their rent, but no nonsense concessions of sitting room. This is all rubbish things. So make plans for all vacant lands for buildings. We actually do not want anyone to live there who is not a devotee. Note this policy and do the needful. Regarding the internal road, this has to be decided in the court. How can it be a public road? We have purchased it and there never was any mention of a public road. Go to the court. If in the court they prove that the road is public, then you can agree to surrender your claim for compensation for the setback land. But, this is all Matre's program. It will be very, very, bad if this road is public road. Immediately make plans for constructing the land behind my quarters with buildings. Regarding finances do not worry. Whatever is required, Krishna will send. Don't be bothered. Ramesvara has now transferred Dollars 50,000.00 to Bank of America. Yasomatinandana is reporting that the publications are coming just now, but this has been going on for 300 years. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Giriraja **Date:** July 23rd 1975 — **Location:** Los Angeles > Bombay My Dear Giriraja das: Please accept my blessings. Enclosed find a copy of my letter to Bank of America, Bombay. Please take this copy to the Manager and see whether they have made the Fixed Deposit in the name of Bhaktivedanta Book Trust. Also send me a report of the Bombay affairs. You should send reports regularly. Copies of your letters may be sent to Los Angeles and New York during the next thirty days as I will be touring. I also request you to send me an account statement of Bank of America A/c No. 16026 International Society for Krishna Consciousness. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Giriraja **Date:** August 4th 1975 — **Location:** Detroit > Bombay My Dear Giriraja das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated July 15, 1975 with enclosures redirected to from various places. I am enclosing herewith a check for Dollars 50,000.00 from Bank of America in favor of ISKCON, so you can deposit in your account. It is good that you are contacting interested persons who want to donate. Bhogilal Patel is a perfect gentleman. He has got money and also heart. His son is also good. Yes, get the tax exemption, and they can donate to us each year regularly. It costs them nothing and we get money. You can present to them for the exemption that all over the world in different parts we are training men to live in the interior parts of the country and to produce their own food grains, sufficient milk, and produce cloth also. The attraction is Krishna consciousness, spiritual enlightenment. The foreigners in Europe and America is where we have already started such centers. In Hyderabad, India we are attempting such a center. The idea is that local inhabitants will be satisfied with their bare necessities of life and their attention will be diverted towards spiritual development of life. That is the aim of human birth. We are trying this also in Africa, and it is partially successful. The whole scheme is that if a man becomes a devotee all good qualities inherent in him become manifest, whereas a person without being a devotee even though he has so-called academic qualifications, he will remain on the mental platform and will again be brought to the material field of activities which will always bring dissatisfaction. The total scheme is for simple life and high thinking and exalted character of the human society. As a matter of fact all of our members refrain from eating meat, gambling, intoxication, and illicit sex. In this connection Prof. J. Stillson Judah of the University of California, Berkeley, has remarked, "Krishna consciousness has transformed lives from drug addicted hippies to loving servants of Krishna and humanity."Yes, you can accept donations there for the project in Bombay and not promise them anything. On the whole it should be run on the hotel principle. They come and stay, and upon entering they sign one "Visitors Register." Such a book should be maintained. Every dharmasala they keep such a book. He writes wherefrom he is coming, how long he will stay, where he is going next. Not that there should be big forms to sign. They will resent it, and also they may be able to find some legal fault with the forms. Make it simple. Keep this Visitors Book. And as far as possible let visitors stay together in a room, two or three men together, not each man alone. This will discourage them from over-staying. Yes, what is the use of approaching a poor man to contribute. A poor man will simply think how can I occupy. Regarding the retired persons staying, retired means vanaprastha. They cannot live with family. Husband and wife must sleep in different rooms. One room should be for two or three retired men, and they will live together. So there will be no accommodation together with the wife. And, husband and wife must follow all the rules and regulations. When you go to Ahmedabad, you see the following gentleman and invite him to come to Hare Krishna Land. He can recommend many men for becoming life patrons. His name is Dr. Y. G. Naik, N.Sc., Ph D., Retired Principal, Gujarat College, 66, Hemdeep, Sharda Society; Ahmedabad 7, Phone 85516. He wrote an favorable comment on my original edition of Easy Journey to Other Planets. Regarding Malaysia, postpone it. Hansadutta sent to Hyderabad L1,000. Where is that money? Please check it. Yes, it is nice that you go to Ahmedabad for collecting only. It is also good that you are selling books in the Santa Cruz Airport. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs --- Enclosure check for Rs. 3,75,000/- three lacs and seventy five thousand on Bank of America, Bombay check no. 60276077 a/c 16026 ### Letter to Giriraja **Date:** August 26th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Bombay My Dear Giriraja das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 22/8/75 and your telegram reading as follows: COMMISSIONER AGREES WRITTEN IOD TEMPLE WITHIN 24 HOURS—GIRIRAJA DASA. So this is very good news. Actually Krishna is doing everything. Only we are taking the credit. I am enclosing a copy of the latest "Back to Godhead", and I am requesting that in your Janmastami Festival meeting you read the article under "ISKCON NEWS" about the Ratha Yatra Festival. The point is that in the foreign countries they are accepting this a bona fide religion and making holidays and our Ratha Yatra is regularly established. But, in our own country they are giving so many hindrances. Anyway, after all we have got the permission. I am also sending you a copy of the corrspondence with Raj Kapoor. This should also be discussed in your meeting how prominent people are giving us respect, why are others making false propaganda? This correspondence can be published by you along with his photograph. I think you have one publication of Member Lists. It can go in there. I am returning herewith the Bank of America resolutions duly signed. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Giriraja **Date:** September 11th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Bombay My Dear Giriraja das: Please accept my blessings. I have the copy of your letter addressed to K.T. Charitable Trust dated July 29, 1975 regarding the sale of one guest room. But, what you have agreed to is not satisfactory. We cannot make such agreements with Trusts because it will go on perpetually. It can only be in one person's name and for his lifetime. The following scheme should be followed hence forth. We have Guest Rooms and Devotee Rooms. The Guest Rooms can be used by anyone who pays the fees, in advance. Any Life Patron Member can live in a Guest room for a period not exceeding three days free of charge. If he wants to stay with us longer for any reason, then he may move to the Devotee Rooms, where he must live as we do, following all devotional practices as we do. Rooms can be sold on bhetnam basis, but only to an individual and for his lifetime. A person who purchases a room can stay there as long as he likes for his lifetime and the room cannot be transferred to his sons, heirs, or assignees. His individual name will be put on a plaque on the room. Trust or Companies can nominate one man in whose name the room can be sold. No Guest Rooms can be given to anyone free of charge. Everyone must pay for the accommodation, except Life Patron Members for three days. When a Guest comes he signs in the book how many days he will stay, and then pays in advance. Small kitchens can be provided for the use of Guests for preparing their own tea. Smoking is strictly prohibited. All men who live in the Devotee rooms must attend mangal arati or starve. The price for rooms on bhetnam basis in Vrindaban are Rs. 60,000/- for a double room and Rs. 50,000/- for a single room. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Giriraja **Date:** September 15th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Bombay My Dear Giriraja das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated September 6th, 1975 and have noted the contents. Regarding the tax question, our Krishna consciousness movement is cultural. We are preaching Bhagavad-gita As It Is. Our mission is to spread the instructions of Krishna so that people may become happy, hopeful, and peaceful. The central point is to understand Krishna as the supreme proprietor, the supreme enjoyer and the best friend of all living beings. He is the best friend of the human society because He gives perfect social order, perfect economic development, perfect philosophy, perfect religion, and perfection of life. Religion is described in the English dictionary as a kind of faith. Of course when we accept Krishna's instructions perfectly we become automatically perfectly religious person. Therefore Krishna consciousness movement is not a sentimental fanaticism of so-called religion. But, it is the perfect culture for peace and happiness of the whole human society. I am glad that you had a nice Janmastami celebration in Bombay. Continue your dilligent work, and Krishna will give you all success. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Giriraja **Date:** October 22nd 1975 — **Location:** Johannesburg > Bombay My dear Giriraja dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 11-10-75, and I have noted the contents with care. Now that you have received the order from Indian Govt. that our men can get two year visa you should send this to our centres from where men will be coming to India, such as New York, San Francisco, London, Paris, Johannesburg, Nairobi, Etc. This way they can show a copy of the order at the port of entry and get the two years at the port of entry. The persons coming to India, however, must be experienced older devotees, not new men. Navayogendra sent telegram saying it was 3 year visa and you say two years, but never mind, it is a good opportunity all the same. Do the account under Mr. Vyasa' instruction. They must not remain loose. Accounting is simple, receipts and expenditures. Why complicated? From all centres receipts and expenditures should be taken and everything properly adjusted in the Bombay centre. Do it nicely. It is very nice to hear of the book distribution. I shall be going to Mauritius from here on Oct. 24, meeting with the Prime Minister there, and then returning to Bombay by November 1. I hope that this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/pks --- N.B. Send some book-catalogs to Vrinda Book Co. 30/1b College Row Calcutta—9 ### Letter to G.L. Nanda **Date:** April 19th 1975 > Sriman G.L. Nanda5, Tughlak Road, New Delhi Krishna Balaram Mandir Dist. Mathura, Vrindaban My Dear Nandaji: Please accept my greetings. It was very kind of you the other day to come to see me in my New Delhi center at Bengali Market. I have gone through the literatures left by you and as you have expressed your desire, "I shall appreciate greatly if your ideas and suggestions are embodied in a note. If it reaches in advance, copies will be circulated to the other participants."Number 1. Regarding a broad survey of the situation, I may inform you that in the Srimad Bhagwatam the symptoms of the present day situation all over the world is given very broadly. Please refer to the 12th Canto, 3rd Chapter. The summary is that throughout the whole world not to speak of India, people have no idea that perfection of civilization means spiritual realization. Unfortunately the people have no spiritual interest, and if anyone has got a little interest he is misguided by so many concocted suggestions. Over and above this people are generally very unfortunate and they are always disturbed by a scarcity of rain and a scarcity of food grains and also taxation by the government. I think this is the right survey of the whole situation not only in India but all over the world. Number 2. To answer your second item in the shastras it is said that to counteract the present situation of the world the only way is to chant the holy name of the Lord, harer nama harer nama harer nama eva kevalam kalau nastyeva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha. Therefore we have started this Krishna consciousness movement to give people without distinction of caste, creed, or color a chance to chant the holy name of the Lord. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said that God has many names. One of them is Krishna. If one is reluctant to chant the name of Krishna, considering it as a Hindu god's name, one can chant another name if it is available in other religious systems. The point is that one should chant the holy name of God. Unfortunately the people all over the world have no idea of God, what to speak of His name. Therefore we should pick up the holy name of God available from the Vedic scriptures. In the Vedic scriptures there are many names of the Lord, as it is stated in the Brahma Samhita:ramadi murttisu kala niyamena tisthannanavataram akarod bhuvanesu kintukrsnah svayam samabhavat paramah puman yogovindam adi purusam tam aham bhajami(Bs. 5:39)But, of all these names it is pointed out krsnas tu bhagavan svayam. Krishna is the original name of God. So if one can chant the holy name of God that will purify the whole situation as it is being proved by the Krishna consciousness movement all over the world. Therefore my suggestion is especially in India we should organize the chanting of the Hare Krishna Maha-mantra village to village, town to town. In Europe and America I am doing this regularly by sending our men by buses and cars and it is appreciated all over the world. Of course there is some opposition from interested parties, still on the whole it is going on ahead with great effect. The word Hare Krishna is now well known all over the world. In this age there is no better way of executing dharma, and the statement available in Vedic literature is that it is bharatiya sanskriti. If you adopt this means I will fully cooperate with you, and I am sure you will be pleased to see the effective result. Number 3. Regarding propagation of moral education, there should be a section of men fully trained up in moral values of life. That is to say a section of men fully equipped with brahminical qualifications as they are stated in the shastras. Samo damas tapah saucam, ksantir arjavam eva ca, jnanam vijnanam astikyam, brahma karma svabhaga jam. In this connection I suggest you to open the Varnasrama College in Kurukshetra or any other holy place like Naimisaranya. As there are different sections of educational institutions there must be one institution how to train up perfect brahmins with ideal characters as above mentioned in the Bhagavad-gita. If there is a section of people of ideal character, say 5 per cent, the other 95 per cent by seeing their example will follow. In other words a section of the society must be of ideal character. That is essential. Number 4. Regarding propagation of manava dharma, manava dharma means the activities of the human beings. So the distinction between manava dharma and pasu dharma is that in the animal society there is no idea of god consciousness. God consciousness can only be propagated in human society. In the animal society they may be physically stronger than the humans like the tiger and the elephant or many other such animals, but they cannot be educated spiritually. But in human society even though one may be a low grade member of the society, he can be trained up to be purified as a first class brahmin. It only requires training. Therefore manava dharma means to impregnate a human being with spiritual knowledge. A human being must be educated spiritually. That means he must know that he is not this body. Krishna teaches this idea in the beginning of the Bhagavad-gita: dehino 'smin yatha dehe kaumaram yauvanam jara/ tatha dehantara praptir dhiras tatra na muhyati. 2:13. This is the beginning of spiritual education, that everyone of us is not this body. Unfortunately the whole world is in darkness, and therefore every human is identifying with this body and thinking wrongly I am Indian, I am American, I am brahmin, I am this, I am that. To drive away this misconception of life is actually manava dharma. You must know that we are not this body but spirit soul, and as such we are part and parcel of God; and therefore qualitatively one with God; exactly like a small particle of gold is also gold as is the gold from the big gold mine, but quantitatively the particle of gold is not equal to the gold in the mine. This is very elaborately described in the Bhagavad-gita, and if we accept these principles of Bhagavad-gita as manava dharma then the whole world will appreciate, and this is being done by our Krishna consciousness movement. Number 5. Regarding elements in our tradition relating to dharma and sanskriti, we must adopt the whole varna and ashramas as they are recommended in all the shastras. If you give up these directions of the shastras, that is neither dharma or sanskriti at least in the Indian tradition. As it is directed in the Bhagavad-gita that the four divisions of social and four divisions of religious systems like brahmin, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra, brahmachary, grihastra, vanaprastha, and sannyasi must be adopted. Otherwise there is no tradition of bharatiya sanskriti. Number 6. So the mutual relationship of dharma and politics in the light of our history and tradition can only be revived when we observe the system of varnasrama. It is actually like this. The brahmin is like the head, and the ksatriya is like the arms. The vaisya is the stomach or the abdomen, and the sudra is like the legs. Similarly spiritually the brahmachary is the trained up disciple, the grihasta is a trained up householder, the vana prastha is experienced as a retired gentleman, and the sannyasi is completely in the renounced order of life for spiritual advancement. There is no question of the head being in an exalted position without the cooperation of the leg. When there is a pinprick in some part of the leg, the head immediately takes it very seriously and takes out the thorn in some part of the leg. Similarly whenever there is some outside attack, the arms or the hands spread to protect the whole body. In the same way within the abdomen there is the machinery of digesting foodstuffs and after digestion the secretion turns into blood and it is infused throughout the whole anatomical structure of the body. Similarly the cooperation between the head, arms, stomach, and legs is the perfect situation of the human society. Number 7. The injunction of the shastra about charity is that charity should be given to qualified brahmin or sannyasi because they will spend it for the benefit of the whole human society. This is called charity in goodness. In the shastras there is no recommendation for giving charity to the unqualified men. In this connection I am enclosing a copy of one chart reproduced from our "Back to Godhead."CharityIn Ignorance-performed at an improper time and place, to an unworthy person like a gambler or drunkard, or contemptuously without respect. In Passion-performed to get something in return, with a desire for fruitive results, or in a grudging mood. In Goodness-performed as a duty, at the proper time and place, to a worthy person and with no expectation of material returns. In Pure Goodness-performed only to satisfy the Supreme Lord. In the shastras, there is no recommendation of giving charity in passion and ignorance is completely rejected in the shastras, although people do it unconsciously. Charity in goodness only is recommended. Number 8. Srila Rupa Goswami was the chief minister of the government of Nabwab Hussain Shah. He gave us a good example how to divide the property in the society. 50 per cent of the income must be spent for Krishna, 25 per cent of the income should be spent for family, and 25 per cent should be kept in reserve for emergency expenditure. Spending 50 per cent of the income for Krishna means for the whole society by encouraging the Krishna consciousness movement. Number 9. I think that if the Manava Dharma Parishad takes these suggestions of mine very seriously, certainly it will be of great benefit to the Indians and the whole world. The Krishna consciousness movement is going on this principle, and if the Parishad inaugurated by you cooperates with us, certainly we can render a very great service to the human society. So far manava dharma is concerned it should not be restricted within the Indian borders, because human beings are in all parts of the world. Number 10. Therefore the constitution of manava dharma or the institution of varnasrama must be interesting for the whole world, and it should be exemplified by practical demonstration. The immediate program should be village organization as Mahatma Gandhi contemplated. In India the majority of the population is in the villages. The difficulty is that there is no sufficient supply of water to produce food grains. Mother nature or Mother Durga punishes the godless demons by restricting the supply of food grains. The godless demons are very enthusiastic to produce motor cars, skyscrapers, brothels, and cinemas and many other unnecessary demands of the body, but they are not interested in producing food grains. This is the defect of the modern society. If food grains are produced in an organized way, the human society can produce ten times what they are presently producing. In the Bhagavad-gita, it is confirmed annad bhavanti bhutani parjanyad anna sambhavah/ yajnad bhavati parjanyo yajnah karma samudbhavah. Bg. 3:14.I hope you will give your serious consideration to my suggestions, and I am prepared to cooperate with you to my best capacity, if you think my suggestions are right. Our festival is going on until the 26th instant. The Governor of U.P. Dr. Channa Reddy is coming tomorrow. If you kindly find time to come here at least for one day to become Chief Guest, kindly let me know and we shall make the proper arrangement. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to G.L. Nanda **Date:** May 7th 1975 > Sri G.L. Nanda5, Tughlak Road New Delhi-11, INDIA9 Marimba Crescent, City Beach 6015, Perth, West Australia My dear Sri Nandaji, Please accept my greetings. Since I met you at Kurukshetra, I have come to Australia. I am staying at Perth at the above mentioned address. It was the first time I went to Kurukshetra and I was very much obliged to you for your kind invitation and arrangement for my comfortable stay at the Irrigation Rest House. The house was very comfortable and I stayed there up to four o'clock. Then, I started for Delhi to prepare myself to come to Australia the next day. So, I could not stay there and attend the meeting in the evening for which kindly excuse me. But one thing I must express my feeling that I was very very much astonished and satisfied by seeing the Brahma-kunda as repaired by you. The whole credit goes to you. Krishna has given you the opportunity to serve Him in this battlefield of Kurukshetra and therefore I request to make this grand center of Kurukshetra including its university as the preaching center for Bhagavad-gita all over the world. I can bring many international students to come to this university for studying Krishna and Krishna philosophy. Please organize this center solely for preaching the cult of Krishna Consciousness. Then it will be a great success. The ground-work that you have done is very very nice. Now fully utilize it for spreading Krishna Consciousness as the cult of Krishna as it is taught by Him in the Bhagavad-gita. That is my only request. The hodge-podge ideas of religiosity are going on all over the world. Nobody has been able to derive any benefit out of it, but if you utilize this holy spot, Kurukshetra, for preaching the cult of Bhagavad-gita as it is, the whole world will be benefited. The site is so nice that you can construct many hundreds of buildings for inviting foreign students and I shall fully co-operate with you if you kindly make such arrangement. The other day in the morning meeting, you selected me president for which I am very much obliged to you. I wanted to speak so many things, but I thought that the sannyasis and spiritual leaders surrounding me were not very much prepared to accept the philosophy of Bhagavad-gita. Therefore I shortly finished my speech and came back because I was already tired sitting there for three hours. Anyway, my request is again and again that this holy grand spot, Kurukshetra should be utilized only for preaching the cult of Bhagavad-gita throughout the whole world. The university is already there. Simply, we have to organize very intelligently. I hope you will accept my request very seriously and do the needful. That pamphlet which I sent you in response to your enquiry was not published. Never mind, not published, neither it was cyclostyled, neither it was distributed, but I understood that some persons who read the literature, that they very much appreciated it. I shall be glad to hear from you about your decision in this connection, namely that the grand field of Kurukshetra should utilized solely for the purpose of preaching Bhagavad-gita as it is. Otherwise, if you utilize it in some other way, without referring to the Bhagavad-gita slokas of the 18th chapter especially, then it will spoil the whole situation. Up to date, it is already untouched by any material contamination. Kindly try to protect it. Don't bring any person to interfere with this business. That will spoil the whole situation. In this connection, you may refer to the verse number 67 of 18th chapter:idam te natapaskaya nabhaktaya kadacanana casusrusave vacyam na ca mam yo'bhyasuyati"This confidential knowledge may not be explained to those who are not austere, or devoted, or engaged in devotional service, nor to one who is envious of Me."Selected persons should be brought to Kurukshetra to study and those who are envious of Krishna, to them, the message of Krishna should not be imparted. The result is as it stated in the 68th verse up to the 72nd verse:ya idam paramam guhyam mad-bhaktesv abhidhasyatibhaktim mayi param krtva mam evaisyaty asamsayahna ca tasman manusyesu kascin me priya-krttamahbhavita na ca me tasmad anyah priyataro bhuviadhyasyate ca ya imam dharmyam samvadam avayohjnana-yajnena tenaham istah syam iti me matihsraddhavan anasuyas ca srnuyad api yo narahso'pi muktah subhal lokan prapnuyat punya-karmanam"For one who explains the supreme secret to the devotees, devotional service is guaranteed, and at the end he will come back to Me. There is no servant in this world more dear to Me than he, nor will there ever be one more dear. And I declare that he who studies this sacred conversation worships Me by his intelligence. And one who listens with faith and without envy becomes free from sinful reaction and attains to the planets where the pious dwell."Lord Sri Krishna enquired from Arjuna whether he had decided to change his opinion. Needless to say, he decided to fight and it is said:kaccid etac chrutam partha tvayaikagrena cetasakaccid ajnana-sammohah pranastas te dhananjaya"O conqueror of wealth, Arjuna, have you heard this attentively with your mind? And are your illusions and ignorance now dispelled?" (BG/18/72)And Arjuna replied:nasto mohah smrtir labdha tvat prasadan mayacyutasthito'smi gata-sandehah karisye vacanam tava"My dear Krishna, O infallible one, my illusion is now gone, I have regained my memory by Your mercy, and I am now firm and free from doubt and am prepared to act according to Your instructions." (BG/18/73)In this way, the Bhagavad-gita was concluded by Sanjaya:ityaham vasudevasya parthasya ca mahatmanahsamvadam imam asrausam adbhutam roma-harsanamvyasa-prasadac chrutavan etad guhyam aham paramyogam yogesvarat krsnat saksat katnayatah svayam"Thus I have heard the conversation of two great souls, Krishna and Arjuna. And so wonderful is that message that my hair is standing on end. By the mercy of Vyasa, I have heard these most confidential talks directly from the master of all mysticism, Krishna, who was speaking personally to Arjuna." (BG/18/74-7)So, Krishna is the best yogi and the Bhagavad-gita is the best yoga philosophy. He personally delivered it for the benefit of the whole world. Please take up this mission of Krishna as the gift of spiritual contribution to the whole world by India very seriously. If however, you give me a chance, I can try my best to organize this Kurukshetra field for Bhagavad-gita education throughout the whole world. So, either do it yourself with my cooperation, or give me chance to organize it for the benefit of the whole world. Thanking you in anticipation. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/pscc: --- Dr. Channa Reddy, Governor of U.P. Kamalapati Tripathi, Central Railway MinsterBrahmananda Reddy, Central Home Minister ### Letter to G.L. Nanda **Date:** May 9th 1975 > Sri G.L. Nanda5, Tughlak Road New Delhi 11, INDIA9 Marimba Crescent, City Beach 6015, Perth, West Australia My dear Sri Nandaji, With further reference to my last letter dated 7th May, 1975, I beg to submit herewith another verse from Srimad-bhagavatam in which it is said (vide Srimad-bhagavatam, 6th canto, 3rd chapter, verse number 19-22). It is said there:dharmam tu saksad-bhagavat-pranitamna vai viduh-rsayah napi devahna siddha-mukhya asura manusyahkuto nu vidyadhara-caranadayahsvayambhur-naradah sambhu kumarah kapilo manuhprahlado janako bhismo balir-vaiyasakir-vayamdvadasaite vijanimor dharmam bhagavatam bhatahguhyam visuddham durvodham yam jnatvamrtam-asnuteetavan-eva loke 'smin pumsam dharmah parah smrtahbhakti-yogo bhagavati tannama-grahanadibhih"Only the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna can enact the system of religiosity. This is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita, 4th chapter:imam vivasvate yogam proktavan aham avyayamvivasvan manave praha manur iksvakave 'bravit(BG 4/1)Forty-million years ago, before speaking the principles of Bhagavad-gita to Arjuna, Krishna spoke to the sun-god, Vivasvan. Vivasvan spoke to Manu. Manu spoke to Iksvaku. In this way, the principle of religiosity was handed down by the parampara system, but in course of time, sa kaleneha mahata yogo nastah parantapa, on account of passing of time, the system was broken, therefore Krishna decided to speak to Arjuna about the principle of religion in the Bhagavad-gita. And the same Bhagavad-gita is still present, so why should we manufacture another type of religion which will never be successful. Religion means the acts and codes given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is clearly said, navai vidur-rsaye napi devah. Even great great saintly persons rsis and brahmanas do not know what is the principles of religion. Neither the demigods can understand the principles of religion and enact it. In this position, how men or inhabitants of other planets like the Vidyadhara, Caranas and similarly others can understand the principles of religion and introduce it as a new system. This is not possible. As such, it is recommended that we should learn from the real Mahajana, great personality as it is enjoined in the sastras, dharmasya tattvam nihitam guhayam maha-jano yena gatah sa panthah. The mystery of religion is very very confidential, therefore, we should follow the great personalities like Svayambhu, Narada, Sambhu, Kapila, Kumara, Manu, Prahlada, Janaka, Bhisma, Bali, Vaiyasaki, and Vayam. We should follow the religion enacted or introduced by Lord Brahma, Lord Siva, Narada Muni, Sukadeva Goswami and Yamaraja, because it is completely [indistinct].If we follow the mahajana, mahajano yena gatha sa panthah. It is clearly said in the Srimad-bhagavatam, dvadasaite vijanimo dharmam bhagavatam bhatah. Yamaraja says that we the 12 persons know the principles of religion and the system is guhyam-very confidential, visuddham-very pure, durvodham-and at the same time very difficult to understand, yam jnatvamrtam-asnute-but it is so nice and beautiful, if anyone can understand, he achieves the goal of life-amrtam-immortality. That is the principle of religion. This human life is the gift of nature to get rid of the material disease, namely,janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi-duhkha-dosanudarsanam,(BG 13/9).Every living being is eternal, unborn and still he has accepted the path of birth, death, old age and disease, so the human being should be taught and trained up how to get out of this miserable condition of material life-janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi. If we follow therefore, the real religious system, the result will be, yam jnatvamrtam-asnute; by knowing the real principles of religion, one can attain immortality. And to accept this system of religion is very very simple, easy even for a child. It is said clearly, etavan-sva-loke'smin pumsam dharmah parah smrtah. Here is the principle of transcendental religious system. What is that? bhakti-yogo - that yoga system which is called devotional service. And the devotional service is enunciated in nine ways, sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam pada-sevanam arcanam vandanam dasyam sakhyam atma-nivedanam. This is also confirmed, bhakti-yogo bhagavati tannama-grahanadibhih, one can simply chant the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, tannama-grahanadibhih, ordinary mass of people, they can chant the Hare Krishna Maha-mantra and those who are thinking themselves as becoming very learned scholars, philosophers, and scientists, they can read the vedic literature which we have translated into many languages. And they are accepting, big big scholars, professors, colleges, universities in the Western countries. And they are accepting our books. We have already translated about fifty books, and another set of fifty books are going on. They will be published within a very short time. Whatever we have published, we are selling these books in the Western countries-about forty lakhs worth every month. So, my request is that don't try to introduce any manufactured type of religious system and thus take the old, authorized, genuine system as it was spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Bhagavad-gita. I have already appreciated the place Kurukshetra which you have tried to improve so diligently. Let us utilize it simply for this purpose, without any hodge-podge idea. Real dharma means bhagavat-dharma and it is recommended by Prahlada Maharaja who is also one of the Mahajanas. He says, kaumaram acaret prajna dharman bhagavatan iha, durlabham manusyam janma tad api adhruvam arthadam. Prahlad Maharaja says even when he was a child of five years old, he used to preach the Bhagavat-dharma amongst his class friends. And he advised them, my dear friends, from the beginning of life-kaumara, just after five years age, one should be taught about this bhagavat-dharma. Bhagavat-dharma is common dharma. Bhagavat means in relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Bhagavan. When the Bhagavan says in the Bhagavad-Gita, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja, this is the beginning of Bhagavat-dharma. When one man is convinced about the necessity of Bhagavat-dharma, he can read Srimad-bhagavatam in which it is further clearly stated, rejecting all types of cheating religious systems, or deceitful religious systems. dharmah projihita-kaitavo'tra paramo nirmatsaranam satam. So, since I met you last, I am very seriously thinking about utilizing [indistinct] us preach the system of Bhagavad-gita purely without any adulteration, and the people of the world will come learn and adopt this religious system without any doubt. They are already accepting it. I have seen the evidence is that so many young men and women are so much attached to this Krishna Consciousness movement because it is nothing manufactured by me, but I am simply introducing the old system, Bhagavad-gita, as it is. So, my further request to you is that you take up this matter seriously and let us combinedly try to introduce the teachings of Bhagavad-gita all over the world, and let there be the headquarters at Kurukshetra-dharmakshetra. Kurukshetra is Dharmakshetra even before the battle of Kurukshetra took place. Therefore Dhrtarastra in the beginning he says, dharma-ksetre kuru-ksetre. It is not that for 5,000 years this place was known as Kurukshetra, but before the battle of Kurukshetra, this place was known as Kurukshetra, and it is recommended in the Vedas thatoneshould perform religious, ritualistic ceremonies in Kurukshetra, kuru-ksetre dharmam acaret. So, let us combinedly revive the glories of Kurukshetra in a modern way, namely establishing university which is already there, inviting international students and teach them the principles of Bhagavad-gita. Bhagavan Sri Krishna was not limited to a certain section of people or to a certain country. He says that He is the seed-giving father of all forms of living beings, sarva-yonisu kaunteya murtayah sambhavanti yah tasam brahma mahad yonir aham bija-pradah pita. He is the father of all living entities. So, there is no hinderance for anyone all over the world to learn the principles of Bhagavad-gita. When things deteriorated, then so many religious systems sprung out without any benefit to the human society. Now let us revive the original, real religious system and let us invite everyone to study it learn it and accept it. That will be the real purpose of Manava Dharma. And if we manufacture a system out of own brain, it will never be successful. I shall be very glad to hear from you in this connection. My next address for replying will be better at Honolulu because from here I shall go to Fiji, and then I shall go to Honolulu. And I shall stay there at least for one month. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to G.L. Nanda **Date:** June 14th 1975 > Sriman Gulzari Lal Nanda5, Tughlak Road, New Delhi-11, INDIA51 Coelho Way, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA My dear Sriman Nandaji, Please accept my greetings. Thank you very much for your letter dated May 29th, 1975, and I have carefully noted the contents. I have very much appreciated your statement when you say that it was Krishna's own plan for Kurukshetra that I came there. Actually, it is the hand of a benign providence that Kurukshetra is giving me some inspiration to do something there. Until now, I have worked outside India to spread the Krishna consciousness movement. Now, I am seriously thinking to do something in India because India, or Bharat-varsa, although in the most exalted position than other countries, there is a great fall-down of its own culture, Bharatiya Sanskrti. Anyway, you are so kindly thinking of the beginning of a true spiritual and moral renaissance for India. Please let us combine together to do it faithfully. In the last portion of your letter, you have desired for further communications. In this connection, completely devoted to the spreading of Krishna Consciousness and the propagation of the Gita and Srimad-bhagavatam. I have already explained to you my mind on the authority of the two great vedic scriptures, Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-bhagavatam. My note which you have cyclostyled very kindly and distributed, my mind is already expressed, but still I shall try to place before you what I want do in this connection. So far Manava-dharma is concerned, I beg to say that dharma is especially meant for manava, or the human being. Dharma is not meant for the animals, cats and dogs. Therefore, when a human being is without any awareness of dharma and adharma, he is no better than animal. It is said in the sastras, dharmena hina pasubhih samana-means when a human being is without dharma, then he is nothing better than an animal. And what is that dharma? Dharma is the law given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In the Srimad-bhagavatam, 6/3/19, it is said, dharmantu saksad-bhagavat-pranitam na vai viduh-rsayoh napi devah na siddha-mukhya asura manusyah kuto na vidyadhara-caranadayah. Real dharma is the law given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The principle of dharma is not given known to the seven rsis, headed by Bhrgu. They cannot ascertain what is real dharma. Similarly, the demigods also cannot. Similarly, the inhabitants of Siddhaloka, they also cannot know, neither the Asuras, nor the human beings. Nobody knows, and what to speak of the Vidyadharas and the Caranas. Therefore, at the end of the Bhagavad-gita, Krishna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja. This is the real dharma, and this dharma is further explained in the Srimad-bhagavatam, so that in the beginning of Srimad-bhagavatam, it is said, dharma projjhita-kaitavo'tra. It means that dharma, artha, kama, moksa, they are not actually dharma. It is given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore, Srimad-bhagavatam has not taken very seriously dharma, artha, kama, moksa, but dharma which is transcendental, above moksa, that is real dharma. So, the Krishna Consciousness movement is propagating the real dharma, as it is spoken by Lord Krishna Himself in the Bhagavad-gita, as it is, as it is prayed by Vyasadeva in his transcendental literature, Srimad-bhagavatam, amalam-puranam, as it is explained as the spotless purana, Maha-purana, Srimad-bhagavatam. So, if you kindly accept my direction, it will be my duty to give you the right direction exactly on the basis of authorized vedas. In the subject matter dharma, or Bhagavat-dharma, I have already written about fifty books, including Srimad Bhagavad-gita, As It Is, (pages 1,100), and 25 volumes of Srimad-Bhagavatam of four-hundred pages each, and besides that, there are about 25 small books. I wish these books be introduced for study in the colleges, as well as in the schools, and there should be regular examination of the students to give them degrees, B.A., M.A., P.H.D. because there is enough stock of knowledge for this purpose. In the Western countries, especially in America, the higher educated circles are appreciating our books. Now, I am trying to introduce them for study in the schools and colleges. Among the Universities, they have already taken up our books and they are being studied there. One professor, Dr. Stillson Judah has written a nice book in this connection of the name, "Hare Krishna and the Counterculture". This book is very seriously taken by the professors of all Universities, and I am just trying to introduce them to study in their religion and theological classes. This is one of my desires. Kurukshetra University is there and the authorities must introduce these books for study in their University classes. The next item is that there should be a regular Varna-asrama college because Bharatiya Sanskrti is dependant on Varna-asrama dharma, four varnas and four asramas. This should be introduced by proper authority. Although in this age, Varna-asrama dharma is now topsy-turvy, and because people are not strictly following the Varna-asrama dharma, therefore the sastra has recommended chanting of the holy name of God. This can be taken part by everyone, even by the children, but still, to maintain the standard of Bharatiya culture as it is recommended by Lord Krishna, catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah. There must be four divisions of the human society, Brahmana, Ksatriya, Vaisya, Sudra, and for spiritual advancement, Brahmacari, Grhastha, Vanaprastha, and Sannyasa. In the Bhagavad-gita, it is very nicely explained who is Brahmana, who is Ksatriya, who is Vaisya, and who is Sudra. So, in the Varna-asrama college, we shall train up actual Brahmanas, actual Ksatriyas, actual Vaisyas, actual Sudras, and we shall accept students from all over the world. In the Srimad-bhagavatam, it is explained by Narada to Yudhisthira Maharaja that according to symptoms of Brahmana, Ksatriya, Vaisya, Sudra, one should be accepted as such-not by birth. A person born in the Brahmana family, if he is well-qualified with the brahminical qualities, it is very very good, welcome. And if those qualities are found in other places, it means if a person who is not born in a Brahmana family, but he is qualified, he should be accepted also as a Brahmana. Srila Sridhara Swami has commented in this connection that birth in a particular family is not all, but one must be fully qualified. In the Varna-asrama college, we want to train up actual Brahmanas, actual Ksatriyas, actual Vaisyas, actual Sudras. This is possible, because in the Western countries, they are mostly born according to our Vedic culture, in the families of Mlecchas and Yavanas, but still, they are coming out very nice Brahmanas. In the beginning of the Srimad Bhagavad-gita, it is said, dharmaksetre kuruksetre. Kuruksetra is Dharmaksetra. Real religious principle as it is enunciated in the Bhagavad-gita must be taught. We should not contaminate the Dharmaksetra, Kuruksetra with some ideas which are not approved in the sastras. In the Vedanta Sutra, it is said, sastra-caksusyat. One should see everything through the sastras and that direction is completely there in the Srimad-bhagavatam for solving all problems; how they should be managed by the Brahmana, Ksatriya, Vaisya, Sudra, how they should be elevated to the highest perfection of life-means God realization. In these two books, especially, Srimad-bhagavatam and Bhagavad-gita, and literature correlated to these books should be regularly instructed. I am glad to learn that you have already a kendra, Sri Bharatiya Sanskriti Kendra, and Bhagavad-gita is being regularly studied, but it should not only be studied, but practically realized and practiced in life. There are four divisions, namely the Brahmana, Ksatriya, Vaisya, and Sudra, and nobody should remain un-employed. At the present moment, the question of un-employment is the cause of all restlessness. Everyone should be employed. There is immense scope for this purpose, immense scope for world co-operation. Simply, we have to organize. The principles of dharma are known by the twelve Mahajanas, Svayambhur-Naradah Sambhuh Kumarah Kapilo Manuh Prahlada Janako Bhismo Valir-Vaiyasakir-Vayam. Let us follow their footprints and everything will be successful. It is not difficult. How it is not difficult, there is already direction in the sastra. So, the directors of the institution, as I have explained above, must all be self-realized, following strictly the regulative principles. Then everything will be successful. I can give you full direction, and guidance in this connection which I am sure will be infallible. Now, the land which is at your disposal, about 8 acres, I suggested that land will be required, not less than 10 and up to 15 acres, so, if 8 acres of land is immediately available, we can begin work and gradually we can extend to the near about places, if the matter is taken seriously by all thoughtful men. According to Varna-asrama principles, the Brahmana should be the advisory board. The Ksatriya should take part in politics, the Vaisya should produce the necessities of life (especially food), and the Sudra should help. This is the process of perfection for all in Krishna Consciousness. At least, the Brahmanas and Ksatriyas should be well-organized. It is not at all beneficial that the Sudra class of men or Vaisya class of men should take part in politics. The politicians should be trained up Ksatriyas, and everything will be properly conducted. If the Sudra class of men or the Vaisya class of men take part in politics, then even great personalities will be subjected to criticism. Yesterday, I saw in the paper, that our Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi has been also convicted for some fault. Everyone should be above suspicion. Then things will go on very nicely. That will require training and that is the ultimate purpose to start the Varna-asrama college-that only trained up persons, especially the Brahmanas and the Ksatriyas should guide the destiny of the human society. And all over the world, there will be peace, morality, religion, and happiness. Regarding my note which you have cyclostyled, you have not given your reaction. I do not know if you accepted them as I have explained; otherwise, we can discuss these points item by item because I have given my notes from the points in your Manava-dharma ideas. Now, if you have accepted, that is alright. If not, I shall be glad to know your reasons why they cannot be accepted. Anyway, I am going to Los Angeles on the 20th of June. So, your reply may be sent to my Los Angeles address which is as follows: 3764 Watseka Ave., Los Angeles, California, 90034, USA.Thanking you once more for your letter, and I beg to remain, Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to G.L. Nanda **Date:** July 20th 1975 > Sriman G.L. Nanda5, Tughlak Road New Delhi-112334 Stuart St., Berkeley, Ca My Dear Sriman Nandaji: Please accept my greetings. I was very anxious to receive a reply to my letter addressed to you dated June 14, 1975. So if you have not yet replied, I shall be very glad if you send the reply now to the following address: ISKCON, 3764 Watseka Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90034, U.S.A.Today we are holding our annual Ratha Yatra festival in San Francisco, They are expecting 25,000 people to participate. There are three raths each 45 feet high and weighing 10 tons. Mass prasadam will be distributed, and they have prepared 6,000 lbs. Of potatoes, 3,000 lbs. Of halawah, 2,000 gallons of lemonade, 2,000 lbs. Of salad, and 15,000 papadams. We are holding this Jagannath Cart Festival in five places: San Francisco, Chicago, Philadelphia, London, and Melbourne. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bsEnclosure: --- 1 Proclamation of Mayor ### Letter to G.L. Nanda **Date:** July 26th 1975 > Sriman Gulzari Lal Nanda5, Tughlak Road New Delhi - 11, INDIA641 Ramona Ave., Laguna Beach, Ca. 92651 USA Dear Sriman Nandaji, Please accept my greetings. Since I last wrote you my letter dated June 14, 1975, I have received one encouraging letter from Dr. Channa Reddy, Governor of Uttar Pradesh. He is very enthusiastic in this project. So I am very anxiously awaiting your reply to my letter. If you have not as yet replied, do it now and kindly address it to New Vrindaban, R.D. 1, Box 620, McCreary's Ridge, Moundsville, West Virginia 26041 USA.I am herewith enclosing a copy of the Governor's letter. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bsEncs: --- 1 ### Letter to G.L. Nanda **Date:** December 3rd 1975 > Sriman Gulzari Lal Nanda5, Tuglak Road, New Delhi 110011Krishna Balarama Temple, Rama Reti, Vrindaban (U.P.) My Dear Sriman Nandaji, Please accept my greetings. After seeing the whole situation I've decided like this. Let us immediately construct a nice gorgeous temple on the spot which you have earmarked for constructing the Radha Krishna Temple. I think the land is measuring about 10 acres. If you allow me to construct the temple on this spot, I can take up the work immediately without a moment's delay. Later on when the construction is completed the cost may be exchanged by giving me a land suitable for constructing a Varnashram college. The idea is that the temple construction on the land earmarked by you is overdue, therefore I wish to take up the work immediately. I hope you will favorably decide. Your sincerely, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/had ### Letter to Gokularani **Date:** March 15th 1975 — **Location:** Tehran > Bhaktivedanta Manor My dear Gokularani dasi, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated nil and have noted the contents. I thank you very much for your kind donation of 10 English Pounds. Please try and render devotional service very carefully following all of the rules and regulations mentioned in our books. Always chant at least 16 good rounds daily. If you try very sincerely to do these things Krishna will help you and you will become spiritually perfect in this life. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Gopala Krsna **Date:** June 4th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Bombay My dear Gopala Krishna, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated May 26, 1975 and have noted the contents. It is a great credit that you have met with the Chief Minister and now he will give us all help. Why you did not apply immediately for the NOC? You should do it immediately, if you have not done so already. Regarding Bangalore, I am not much interested in staying there. I have already got so many places to stay, but I cannot stay in any of them for more than a few days. Why the guest house in Vrndavana is not yet organized? You have not even mentioned it in your report. That will pay for the maintenance budget if you simply organize it. You must do it immediately. Pranava and Dhananjaya together can organize it, or anyone else who may be able to do it, but it must be done. Why is there delay? Stop construction for the time being, and clear all of the debts. Regarding Hong Kong, Bhurijana is in Melbourne and he is again ready to help there if he is needed. Yes, try to start a center in Malaysia. That Malaysian boy can help in this connection. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Gopala Krsna **Date:** June 21st 1975 — **Location:** Los Angeles > Bombay My Dear Gopala Krishna das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated June 14, 1975 with enclosure hand delivered by Palika dasi, and I have noted the contents carefully. Yes, I have received your letter dated May 26, 1975. So it is good that you are meeting with the Government officials and they are taking interest. Yes, you arrange for a big festival in Bombay and get them to come. That will be very nice, but not exactly on Gaura Purnima as we will be in Mayapur, but afterwards. Why are speaking of a loan for Bombay construction when you have already taken two lakhs from the Book Fund? What do you mean that you want another loan? Why are you again asking for a loan? Why is Giriraja not writing? Regarding the Vrindaban Gurukula land, yes, I shall arrange to pay. Don't worry. I have already told Pranava. The money will be paid. This I have already said. Complete the negotiations and the money shall come. All instructions have already been given. Regarding the maintenance for Vrindaban, that must come from Tejiyas in Delhi. Whatever he is sending, that you must use. If he can send only Rs.. 7,000/—, then you should maintain with that Rs. 7,000/- per month is no joke. Are other temples there spending like that, Rs. 18,000/—per month? I do not like that Madras should pay for Vrindaban maintenance. Neither should Aksayananda Swami go out of Vrindaban on a collecting party. His business is to remain there and organize the temple program. I have heard reports that Dhananjaya is not following the schedule. So Aksayananda Swami must be there if Dhananjaya is not so expert. Also, the guest house should be organized to make income. Why have we invested so much money in the guest house? Please organize this. Regarding your making Yasomatinandana das BBT administrator, I have no objection, but I think he can be better engaged in printing work. Actually he has no business experience. Of course he may be trained up, but in the meantime he should not be in charge. I have given him charge of the publishing work, but what is he doing? Better not to change. Yes, the accounts must be kept very carefully. The book inventory must be recorded, and what is collected and what is spent must be there. One thing I want is for the book sales to be organized there in India. There are many English books selling there on the market, and there are many English publishing houses. So why it cannot be organized? Even if our own men cannot do the selling, we can hire some agents to do it. Our books are very much appreciated in India, and the people will purchase. Even the clerks they can purchase the small books. We have so many small books. This kind of preaching work is very important. The people must be given some impression of our philosophy. Regarding the food distribution program, you spend whatever is collected. Why are you asking me? Regarding Vrindaban construction, you may have all of the creditors submit their final bills and together with the accountant you check them vigilantly and make a full settlement. Then conveniently we shall see how the further work will be done. Now I am very much doubtful. I think there has been some cheating. It is my habit to see that money is not being squandered. If money is spent unnecessarily, I feel very badly. You are collecting with great effort, and I do not like to see it spoiled. I am thinking that Guru-krpa's collections may be used for book publishing only. He can print books in Japan and send there to you for selling in India. From these sales, you can spend 50% on construction and 50% on Hindi publishing. And anyone who can manage such an organization, he can manage the BBT. But one must do it. It is simply a matter of organization. We can send you unlimited number of books. You simply have to apply your brain how to sell them. Then you will have plenty of money. This my mission you know started when I came alone to your country by selling my books, and still whatever money we are getting it is coming from the book selling. So it is already proven how important the book-selling is. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ### Letter to Gopala Krsna **Date:** June 28th 1975 — **Location:** Denver > Bombay My Dear Gopala Krishna das: Please accept my blessings. I am sending you one copy of a letter to PNB so the bank will pay up to 1 lakh of Rupees. So now complete the negotiation. The bank will guarantee payment. Why you are not completing the negotiation? Pranava is silent. He did not send any message with Nitai so I do not think that he is able to negotiate. If it is ready, then settle up. The money is there in the bank. I have also given Giriraja 2 lakhs of Rupees but I have not heard anything from him. How has it bee spent?* I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs --- *Please ask him to write and report ### Letter to Gopala Krsna **Date:** July 14th 1975 — **Location:** Philadelphia > Bombay My Dear Gopala Krishna das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letters dated July 4, 6, & 8th, 1975 and have noted the contents. Regarding Vrindaban, yes purchase immediately that land at Rs. 20/-. I have already advised the bank to issue one letter of credit for up to Rs. one lakh. If the cost is more, then we shall pay. Atul Krishna Goswami has given a good certificate. Yes, everybody says like that, that I am incarnation of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Actually Krishna and Krishna's representative are not different. Anything that is Krishna's is not different from Krishna. Therefore it is said saksadharitvena 'samasta sastrair. The spiritual master is accepted by all advanced devotees as Hari. Regarding Narottamananda das, no he cannot marry a second wife. If he wants to do so, he can leave our temples. We will not support him and his wives. I have written to him separately in this matter. Yes, you can use BBT payments from the temples for printing the books. I paid Giriraja three lakhs from the Book Fund and Gargamuni was also given money from the Book Fund. Besides this there are the regular collections, so use this money. The paper sample you have sent is not at all good. It is third class. If good paper is not available then we shall not print. If the printer is getting import license to import books for selling, why we are not getting? What have we done that we are not getting this license? Why are we prohibited from selling our books, and the others can do it? How are they paying for the books? Are they sending out foreign exchange as payment? The best thing will be for them to get import license to import paper. We shall supply them the paper. But this paper you have sent is not approved. It is not even half as good as the paper supplied from Japan. Who is writing complaints? I have not received any complaints about your management. I have no objection to Bhurijana going to Hong Kong and Pancadravida Swami going to South America. That is nice if you can arrange it. Regarding Bhagavata das, I received report that he was talking privately in his room with a woman, and if anybody would try to come in, then he would get angry, saying get out, get out. What is this? In India private talks with woman are immediately condemned. He is a good preacher, but it is very dangerous to close the door with woman, and then he becomes angry if anybody comes. Lust is so strong that if it is obstructed it turns into anger. Brahmananda Swami and Bhavananda Swami also confirm that he has this tendency. All women should be sent from Calcutta to Mayapur. No women should be in Calcutta. Woman is good and man is good, but if you combine them, then both become bad, unless there is regulation. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ### Letter to Gopala Krsna **Date:** July 17th 1975 — **Location:** Berkeley > Bombay My Dear Gopala Krishna das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated July 12, 1975 and have noted the contents. So it is all right that Aksayananda Swami travels and collects provided that the management of Vrindaban does not suffer. This collecting is also preaching. But not only collection, but expenditure must also be stabilized and srutinized. Nothing should be spent extravagantly. That you have to see. Do not bother my brain how to do it. I have put you in charge how to do it. Regarding purchasing a car, why not purchase one Mercedes car, so when I am in India I can utilize it. I do not like very much the Ambassador car. Regarding the festivals you are having at the Vrindaban temple, I suggested in my previous letter to make phool wadi of flowers. Please make this possible. Regarding the purchase of the adjoining plot, why not take the help of the D.M. regarding the negotiations. Take his permission that there will not be government enquiry so that there is nothing for the seller to risk. Explain that this man has agreed to sell, but he is now hesitating for this reason. He should help us in this matter. Yes, you can take out the Deities in a cart for Sankirtana. Yes, you can make the name Mandir and Ashram instead of Guest House. Formally you said that you would complete the Bombay project in six months if I sent money, and now you say one year, so why is this? Syamalal Gupta is well known to me. He is an able man, and if he likes he can help us in so many ways. You can inform him that we are selling our books all over the world between 30 to 40 lakhs worth per month, but not in India are we selling because we do not have any sales organization. But, to give him the exclusive rights, they have to guarantee some minimum amount of order per month. We are selling 30-40 lakhs around the world so we shall expect at least sales in India of one lakh per month of Rupees. So on experimental stage we can make them the exclusive sales agent for six months to one year, if they can guarantee a certain reasonable amount of monthly order. If the agree to Rs. 1 lakh per month than for the first four months they must pay us Rs. 50,000/- per month and then Rs. 1 lakh per month upon delivery. Yes, you can print small books as much as possible. The paper sample you sent in your last letter is all right if it is acceptable for the Indian book market. If the sales will go on, even if the paper is inferior, then it is all right. S. Chand Co. they are able to sell 1 lakh of Rs. of our books per month. They can do this if it is organized properly. But, they should not get any commission on books we sell ourselves, nor will we sell our books at prices below that of the retail shops. For printing additional small books you can use the loan repayment from Bombay. I gave so much loans and that must be paid back. Or you can take from the Dollars 50,000.00 that was just now sent. But, money will come do not worry. Did the Oberoi-Sheraton purchase the books? The hotels must purchase the books for putting in their rooms. Incidentally, it is my 80th birth anniversary, not 79th. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Gopala Krsna **Date:** August 4th 1975 — **Location:** Detroit > Bombay My Dear Gopala Krishna das: Please accept my blessings. I have read your letter addressed to Pancadravida Swami dated July 23, 1975. So a temple may not be wanted there now. But, someone must stay there and print literature. Keep Guru Gauranga altar. But there is no good preacher. Even Pancadravida fails. Trivikrama failed. You should simply print literature and distribute. Get the smallest rental place. Let Yasomatisuta do it. Give up the present flat if necessary. Bhurijana wanted to go there, but if he is spiritually weak, then there is no need. Print literature and distribute, or if it is impossible, then close it. Yasomatisuta should be assisted by somebody. He is a good boy. Therefore I do not like to close it. Why you have not mentioned anything about Bombay? I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Gopijanavallabha **Date:** May 28th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Brooklyn My dear Gopijanavallabha dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated May 25, 1975 and have noted the contents. If this building in New York is the best one available, then we must get it. By Krishna's grace, things may work out so that we can get that building. I shall be seeing Alfred Ford here soon so at that time, we can discuss further and we shall inform you if we can devise a plan to get the building with Alfred's help. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Gopijanavallabha **Date:** June 19th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Brooklyn My dear Gopijanavallabha dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated June 16, 1975 and have noted the contents. I accept the devotees that you have recommended for 1st initiation. Their names are as follows: Nick—Nandaki, David—Durjaya, Frank—Pharnesvara dasa, Jimmy—Jita-manyu, Joe—Jara-sangha, Kurt—Kesiha, Luis—Lokasvami, Wilfred—Vidisa, Linda—Laksmirniranjana, Judy—Jaganmata, Merylee—Murti-vandya. Their beads may be chanted on by Kirtanananda Swami. I have also accepted Bhaktivinode, Pankajanabha, Preraka, Vipramukhya, Agnideva, Urmila for 2nd initiation. Their threads and mantra sheet enclosed herein. Let them hear the tape of myself chanting the Gayatri mantra through their right ear. Please train our boys and girls to follow the principles very strictly. They must chant 16 rounds daily, follow the 4 principles, read our books very carefully, and always be engaged in the transcendental loving service of Lord Krishna. These things will give them real spiritual strength and their lives will be perfected. I hope this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Gopijanavallabha **Date:** October 17th 1975 — **Location:** Johannesburg > Brooklyn My dear Gopijanavallabha dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated September 24, 1975 and I have noted the contents carefully. Thank you for the enclosed check for Daksina. Your plan to have my quarters on the 11th. floor is very nice. I have made some alterations to your plan however and if possible you can implement then when you are designing the rooms. Enclosed is a copy of the 11th. floor plan with alterations. When it is completed, then I shall go there. New York is very special to me because I started there without anything except faith in my spiritual master and Lord Krishna. I am very glad to see that things are developing there nicely. Yes, your plan to hold 24 hour kirtana is approved. Everything is kirtana including recitation of Bhagavatam which is also kirtana, and japa as well. I hope that this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/pks ### Letter to Gopiparanadhana **Date:** February 15th 1975 — **Location:** Mexico City > Brooklyn My dear Gopiparanadhana das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Feb. 6th, 1975 and have noted the contents. Regarding your problem of not being able to get married, this is not the proper type of question to place before your spiritual master. I think you should discuss this matter with Rupanuga das. Anyway, you should be sure to follow all the regulative principles without fail and to chant at least 16 rounds daily. If you do these things, then in any position of life you will be satisfied. Krishna is fully aware of your every necessity and he will surely provide everything that you need for your bodily maintenance. You should have this kind of faith. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Gopiparanadhana **Date:** December 2nd 1975 — **Location:** New Delhi My Dear Gopiparanadhana Prabhu, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated November 20, 1975. Yes! You have done it very nicely. I thank you very much, so immediately it can be printed in BTG and then later on it can be published in book form. I thank you very much for your sincere efforts, please continue to work sincerely and Krishna will bless you more and more. I hope this letter meets you well. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/hdaCarbon --- copy: Satsvarupa Goswami ### Letter to Govardhana **Date:** February 15th 1975 — **Location:** Mexico City > Detroit My dear Govardhana dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Feb. 8th, 1975 and have noted the contents. Thank you for the photo of Sri Sri Radha Kunja-Bihari. It is very nice photo. They are looking very beautiful. I have accepted the following for 1st initiation: Bruce—Brajendralala, Miriam—Mukhya, Jeff—Jayavamana, Robin—Rajendranatha, Kim—Kaviraja, Karl—Kapiladeva, Sue—Sukti. Their beads may be chanted on by Satsvarupa Maharaja. Be sure and help them become first class devotees by following all the rules and regulations, very carefully, especially, they must rise early for mangala arati, chant at least 16 rounds and attend class. Your list of qualifications for choosing candidates for 2nd initiation is very good. Regarding Rudra dasa, he can worship Gaura-Nitai in his home. The most important element for their worship is the chanting of the Hare Krishna Mantra. They can have at least one arati and whatever foodstuffs are prepared can be offered. Regarding my books, everyone should read. I am also reading. Everyone should be engaged 24 hours. That is the sum and substance. How much you should read and how much you should do other types of service, that has to be decided by each individual devotee. Eating and sleeping should be minimized—not a single moment should be misused. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Govardhana **Date:** November 18th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Detroit My dear Govardhana das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated November 7, 1975. It is a very good achievement that you have gotten this new building in Detroit. It is very aristocratic and prestigious. Do everything very nicely there now. You now have very good facility for broadcasting our Krsna consciousness propaganda. Just do everything very carefully and soberly. As soon as everything is set up, I will go there. You can call the new Detroit temple Devasadhan, meaning celestial. Upon your recommendation, I accept as twice-born initiated brahmanas Ramananda Raya das and Visvatomukha das. Enclosed are their brahminical threads, duly sanctified and the mantra sheet. Hold a fire sacrifice and impress upon them the importance of following the rules and regulations so that they may not be affected by the influence of maya. There is two things: there's Krsna and there's sex life. So if you want to have Krsna, one must be above illicit sex life. That requires some strength. So you have to impress upon them that following these rules and regulations, especially by chanting Hare Krsna, one will become strong. Unfortunately, we have no taste for this chanting. This is our misfortune. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Govinda **Date:** February 1st 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Honolulu My dear Govinda dasi, Please accept my blessings. In reply to your letter dated nil and have noted the contents. I beg to advise you to come to India and live in Mayapur comfortably in association of devotees. If you go, then I shall arrange to give you a very nice room completely for your use and you can peacefully engage in your painting work and read Srimad-Bhagavatam as well as join in with the devotees for regular kirtana, arati, and prasadam. What you have to do in this connection is as follows: 1) immediately you go to New York and take an entry visa from the consulate general of India. 2) ask your father to send the 200 dollars monthly to the Bank of America-Bombay branch, account number 16026, (International Society for Krishna Consciousness Mayapur-Vrndavana Fund.) This money will be kept for your expenditure. I think 500 rupees monthly will be sufficient for your food and lodging (60-70 dollars). And the balance you can spend as you like. I think this arrangement will be very nice for you according to my idea. Now you decide what to do. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Govinda **Date:** May 19th 1975 — **Location:** Melbourne > Kamuela, Hawaii My dear Govinda dasi, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated April 28th, 1975 and have noted the contents. Thank you very much for your kind donation of $100. I am very glad to hear that you are continuing your drawing work nicely. This is your business. Krishna has given you some special talent and you are using it for spreading His glories. This is wanted. I will be arriving at Honolulu on May 25th, 1975 and at that time I can see you. I will be staying there in Honolulu for at least one month, so we can talk during my visit sometimes. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Govinda Datta **Date:** February 19th 1975 — **Location:** Caracas > Venezuela Calcutta My dear Govinda Datta, I am in due receipt of your letter dated 1-1-75 and have noted the contents. I am very glad that you are eager to see our foreign temples and that you wanted my advice in this connection. So, I am now on tour and very soon, by the 15th of March, I will return to India. Maybe, by the 20th I will be in Calcutta and you can see me there. I shall advise you personally. You are also invited to participate in our Mayapur festival during Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's appearance day ceremony, as well as the opening celebration of our Krishna-Balarama Temple in Vrndavana on Rama-Navami day. The governor of U.P. will also come there to participate and many other important and respectable gentleman will also be coming. I hope you will also come with your wife and son and mother, and encourage us by taking part in the festivals. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Gunagrahi **Date:** May 19th 1975 — **Location:** Melbourne > San Diego My dear Gunagrahi dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated May 8th, 1975 and have noted the contents. Thank you very much for doing such nice preaching work there. Train our men to follow all of the rules and regulations very carefully, as well as to chant at least 16 good rounds daily and to read all of our books. Regarding the festival on July 6th, the best thing is to simply hold big kirtana and have plenty of prasadam distributed. Generally, the public masses are not so much interested in hearing philosophy. After five or ten minutes, their attention is lost. You can speak a little philosophy, but the stress should be on kirtana and prasadam and selling my books. I accept Sharon Swanson for 1st initiation. Her name is Sandamini. Her beads may be chanted on by Satsvarupa Maharaja. Also I have accepted Sajjane Jivana for 2nd initiation. Let her hear the gayatri tape (of myself chanting) through the right ear. Her mantra sheet is enclosed. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Gunagrahi **Date:** August 16th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > San Diego My Dear Gunagrahi das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated August 5, 1975. Your letter to the newspaper is nice. Upon your recommendation I accept for second initiation Sona puri devi dasi. Enclosed is the mantra sheet. Hold a fire sacrifice and let her hear the mantra from my recorded tape through the right ear. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Gunagrahi **Date:** February 19th 1975 — **Location:** Caracas > Venezuela San Diego My dear Gunagrahi das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Feb. 11, 1975 and have noted the contents. I have accepted upon your recommendation Dan for first initiation. His name is Dvarakaraja dasa. His beads may be chanted upon by Kirtanananda Svami or Satsvarupa Maharaja. I have also accepted Matanga das and Vamsi dasa for 2nd initiation. Their threads and mantra sheet are enclosed herein. Let them hear the tape of myself chanting gayatri mantra (through the right ear). Make sure and train these persons very nicely to follow all of our principles very carefully so that they may not fall victim of Maya. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Gupta **Date:** April 8th 1975 — **Location:** Mayapur > Laguna Beach My dear Gupta Dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated March 8th, 1975 and have noted the contents. Regarding your idea for writing articles for different legal journals, that will be very nice. I think it will be best if you take a little help from the editors who will be in Los Angeles soon. They can help you to make sure that nothing is stated improperly. They are experienced, so consult with them. Jayadvaita and the others are now here in India, but they will be back by the first of May, so take their advice in this matter. Please continue your work, and most of all try to rigidly follow all of the rules and regulations and chant at least 16 good rounds daily without fail. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Guru Datta Sharma **Date:** November 7th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Guru Datta Sharma BEAWAR (Dist. Ajmer)Rajasthan 305901 Dear Sriman Sharmaji: Please accept my greetings. I am very glad to learn that your son Niranjana Datta Sharma is interested in our movement so much so that he wants to join. We are very eager to get educated men to push on our movement all over the world. I cannot understand from your letter if your son is in India or abroad, but if he is in India then he may come immediately here to Bombay to see me personally. I hope this meets you in good health. Yours sincerely, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Gurudasa **Date:** January 19th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Los Angeles My dear Guru das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Dec. 31st, 1974 and have noted the contents. By Krishna's grace, you are very much engaged there. It is very encouraging. I will be going to Hawaii on Jan. 24th via Hong Kong and Tokyo, arriving in Honolulu about the 29th. If you like, you can see me there. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Gurudasa **Date:** February 1st 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Los Angeles My dear Guru das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated nil and have noted the contents. I will be leaving Honolulu on Feb. 9th and will be arriving there in Los Angeles on the same day. While I am in L.A., we can discuss your plans in full detail. I hope this letter meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Gurudasa **Date:** March 9th 1975 — **Location:** Bhaktivedanta Manor > Los Angeles My dear Guru das, Please accept my blessings. I have received notice from Saurabha in Vrndavana that we owe 25,000 rs. to the Mukutwala and another 12,500 rs. to Lalita Prasada, and he says that still there are many other deity goods that only been ordered and not paid for. So, I request you to please send the equivalent of at least 30,000 rs. to Vrndavana because there are no collections coming in at this time for the deities and you have ordered this paraphernalia. You should send this money to the Bank of America in Bombay in favor of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Mayapur Vrndavana Fund) account number 16026. Address is Express Towers, Nariman Point, Bombay-1. Please send me a copy of the bank receipt after you send the money. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps --- cc: Saurabha das adhikari ### Letter to Gurudasa **Date:** August 21st 1975 — **Location:** New Delhi > Laguna Beach My Dear Gurudasa Swami: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated August 6, 1975 and have noted the contents. The purpose of sannyasa is that now one has no hindrances for preaching work. The purpose is to increase preaching. So if one takes sannyasa and does not increase preaching, then there is no value. So you take this opportunity seriously, and preach and inspire others to also preach. Then there will be no question of thinking of other things. This will all vanish. I have complete faith in you. Regarding your question, we need not bother about these things now. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Gurudasa **Date:** November 12th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Tampa My dear Gurudasa Swami, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated October 21, 1975 and have noted the contents with much pleasure. So I thank you very much because I see you are doing very good. Now you are doing something. So you should continue in this way. Do practical solid work. This is required. You are an old experienced devotee and I have personally trained you in so many things, so now it is your responsibility to train others otherwise what is the meaning of my training you? So do it with sincerity and know that Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He will give you all facility and you will be a success. This preaching and managing of the sankirtana parties is our real business. Do it more and Krsna will bless you more and more. It is very good that they are paying something for the lectures. Upon your recommendation I am accepting for brahminical initiation Locasvara das. Enclosed is his sanctified gayatri thread and also the mantra sheet. I also accept for initiation Chris Nell and hs spiritual name is Srutisagara das. His beads may be chanted on by Tamala Krsna Gosvami. A fire sacrifice should be held so the brahminical initiate can hear the mantra through the right ear from my recorded tape. You should impress upon them of the responsibility for following the rules and regulations and chanting 16 rounds minimum each day. This will save them from maya. No, there is no special name for your Gaura-Nitai Deities. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Gurudasa **Date:** December 22nd 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Los Angeles My Dear Guru das Maharaja, Please accept my blessings. I have received the letters of appreciation of your preaching work. Thank you very much, you are very competent, and if you continue like this you will get strength from Krishna more and more. I always say, man is good, and woman is also good, but when they combine, then they become bad. Before there was so much difficulty, but now you are doing well and Yamuna dasi is also doing well, and I am very pleased with your work. Please continue like this and keep me informed. I hope this letter finds you well. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/hda ### Letter to Gurudasa, Prajapati **Date:** February 17th 1975 — **Location:** Mexico City > Los Angeles My dear Guru das and Prajapati, Please accept my blessings. Regarding the dance troupe, I request you to prepare 7 different dances (a new one each day) from the Caitanya Caritamrta for displaying and performing during the Mayapur festival. Also, I request you to prepare 7 different dances from the Krishna book for performing during the Vrndavana festival. When you come to India, I shall also give you some personal direction concerning these dance performances. There are so many nice stories that can be performed. We can have a party of about 15 persons who can go all over and perform these dances. It will be very attractive, if nicely done and people will be inclined to buy books and even buy tickets to see such a performance. In this way all the expenses of going from one place to another will be covered. So, organize this program nicely and it will be a great success. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Gurukrpa **Date:** July 8th 1975 — **Location:** Evanston > Illinois Tokyo My Dear Gurukrpa Maharaja: Please accept my blessings. Regarding your request to divert $5,000.00 from your collection to purchase a vehicle for the Hawaii farm costing $8,000.00 does the farm require this? Does it mean that without this truck they cannot develop? Actually I do not think it is a very good place. There is no water arrangement. The temple is not being maintained properly. They are keeping long hairs and not living responsibly. I do not think it is good to put good money after bad. So I have asked the GBC's that are here to discuss this, and the conclusion was that if you can make profit from selling the property, then it should be done. They said that the property was purchased for $60,000.00 and now is worth $100,000.00 So why not sell it and make profit. If the restaurant is making profit daily of $200.00 as was reported, then they may purchase the truck by paying $100.00 per day. On the whole I am not in favor of investing in this property. Regarding Manasvi's going to India, it appears that he is doing well in Hawaii. If the restaurant is going on, then Manasvi's presence is required. Then why should he change? In Bombay there is already a qualified accountant, so why should Manasvi be chief accountant? Occasionally he may go to India if his presence is required. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Gurukrpa **Date:** July 29th 1975 — **Location:** Dallas > Honolulu My Dear Gurukrpa Swami: Please accept my blessings. From your telephone conversation with Brahmananda Swami I understand you have paid DNP another $28,000.00. You are keeping 10 men there in Japan, and even if the collection will not be so much as you were doing, that is all right, just as long as it goes on. Regarding setting up a jewelry business in Japan, that is all right. That the men started with $50 and now have $25,000 worth of stock is a good business. Are they our men? Regarding investing in a new restaurant, it doesn't matter it may be $100,000. If there is profit there, then you can invest. I want that all of our householders be engaged in managing these restaurants. You cannot sell the Hawaii house. It is a good house, and I do not approve selling it. If you want to expand, then you can purchase other houses for residences. I do not want any of our houses to be sold. I have no objection to your moving the farm on the same island with the temple, but you can purchase a farm separate and keep the present house. What will be gained by selling the house? I do not like this idea. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Gurukrpa **Date:** August 26th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Honolulu My Dear Gurukrpa Swami: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated August 15, 1975 and have noted the contents. Regarding Manasvi you immediately inform the police that he has misappropriated so much money. He must give the account or we shall prosecute. Yes, Srutakirti he is a good boy, so he can be made the President as you suggest. You are GBC so you must stop all this from going on. The best procedure is that the Treasurer takes all money collected and immediately writes it in the book and then daily deposits everything in the bank. None of the collection should be used for spending. All expenditures should be done by check as far as possible. Check means two signatures, so in this way this nonsense will be stopped. Please see that all temples are following this system. These report are very much disturbing to me. How can I translate? I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Gurukrpa **Date:** September 30th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Los Angeles My Dear Gurukrpa Swami: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter addressed to Rupanuga das dated September 16, 1975 and have noted the contents. Why is there this politics? This is not good. If politics come, then the preaching will be stopped. That is the difficulty. As soon as politics come, everything is spoiled. In the Gaudiya Math the politics is still going on. My Guru Maharaja left in 1936, and now it is 1976, so after 40 years the litigation is still going on. Do not come to this. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Gurukrpa **Date:** June 21st 1975 — **Location:** Los Angeles > Tokyo My Dear Gurukrpa Swami: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated June 9, 1975 and have noted the contents carefully. I can understand that you are feeling something regarding your collecting program. These things can be decided by the GBC. One thing is that I may take up one project of constructing a Varna Ashrama College and Temple in Kuruksetra in India. I am presently negotiating for this, and if we get the opportunity, I shall spend the money here first. So in Japan you go on collecting, and I shall tell you how to spend. Anyway you don't feel any botheration. Dai Nippon has agreed to take money in exchange of books. Whatever money you pay, you print books and send to India. You can also send to Australia or to USA if they want. You begin with Srimad-Bhagavatam and the small edition of Bhagavad-gita. Our work must go on. The world is suffering on account of not taking up Krishna consciousness, so we have to try to save them. You kindly help me to do this. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Gurukrpa **Date:** July 4th 1975 — **Location:** Evanston > Illinois Tokyo My Dear Gurukrpa Swami: Please accept my blessings. I may inform you that we have received the permission for constructing our Juhu temple. I want that your collection should be sent there so that the buildings may be completed as soon as possible. I am instructing Ramesvara to do the needful. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Hansadutta **Date:** January 6th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Bhaktivedanta Manor My dear Hansadutta das, Please accept my blessings. I have considered this matter of record distribution and have decided that it should be immediately stopped. It has simply caused havoc. It should be stopped everywhere. The stress must be on books, nothing else needs to be sold. If someone hears a record, he will not understand anything of our philosophy. He will simply enjoy it as sense gratification. But if he gets a book and reads even one page, then he may very likely be induced to take part in our movement. These records are not important. My books are important. You should make arrangement to distribute them in as much quantity as possible. Enclosed is one letter from Ajita das (president of Stockholm) wherein he expresses anxiety and confusion coming from this record distribution. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Hansadutta **Date:** January 17th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Bhaktivedanta Manor My dear Hansadutta das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due reciept of your letter dated Jan. 11th, 1975 and have noted the contents. It is very encouraging. I pray to Krishna that everything may be settled up as described by you. I am going to Hawaii on Jan. 26th via Bangkok, Hong Kong, and Tokyo. You can report the next incidences to Hawaii. The program is that from Hawaii I may go to Mexico and Caracas as invited by Hrdayananda Gosvami. All money that is collected on behalf of the Food Relief program should be sent to India. (or if possible, send grains) Why has this not been done? That money (700,000 dm) that has been blocked up in the bank account there, as soon as it is freed, you should send whatever portion of it was collected on behalf of food distribution program to India. All money should be sent to Bank of America, International Society for Krishna Consciousness, Mayapur-Vrndavana Fund, account no. 16026 in Bombay. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/pscc. --- Ajita das, Puranjana das and Viswambhar das ### Letter to Hansadutta **Date:** May 11th 1975 — **Location:** Perth > Australia Bhaktivedanta Manor My dear Hansadutta dasa, Please accept my blessings. I have received one telegram from Mahamsa Swami which reads as follows: MISSED YOUR GRACE BY HOURS AGREEMENT DRAFT FOR FARM LAND SENT TO YOU PLEASE SANCTION RS 30,000 URGENT TRANSFER TO PREPARE FOR UTILIZING THIS MONSOON—MAHAMSA SWAMI. So, they have agreed to our terms and made a draft agreement form which I have not yet seen. Anyway, as stipulated before, that you will come back to India after setting things up there in London and Frankfurt, the monsoon begins by the latest, July in that part of India, so you have to come back sometime in the month of June. And immediately, you have to send Mahamsa Swami 4,000 dollars. So, do the needful and be in correspondence with Mahamsa Swami at Hyderabad. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Hansadutta **Date:** May 19th 1975 — **Location:** Melbourne > Bhaktivedanta Manor My dear Hansadutta dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated May 15th, 1975 and have noted the contents. Your pair of slippers is very nice. Thank you very much. Thank you for sending my coat to Melbourne. It is a little cool here. Your program in Germany is a good one. There is no need of establishing a deity for the time being in these places you have mentioned. Simply make a nice preaching center. Yes, while you are in India you may appoint other competent devotees to take responsibilities. I am very pleased with the life member program as well as the annadan program. That is a very good idea. Regarding BBT affairs, European publications are your main business, but for the time being, you must also see to the accounts and managing of the BBT in USA. Bhagavan can also be another BBT trustee. His name can be added to the list. It is approved by me that you get the books for only 20% above the cost of printing. Regarding the farm, whatever money I had, they have taken 3 1/2 lakhs in India. Giriraja tooks 2 lakhs and Jayapataka Swami took 1 1/2 lakhs. So, you can provide the funds from Europe I think. As far as machines are concerned, it is better to avoid using them as far as possible. I am enclosing one letter that I have recently written to Mahamsa Swami concerning the farm for your information. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps --- Where is Himavati? ### Letter to Hansadutta **Date:** May 31st 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Bhaktivedanta Manor My dear Hansadutta dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated May 23, 1975 and have noted the contents. I approve your ideas. Yes, London is a city where we can open many centers. If possible, do it. In Melbourne, I saw one devotee girl who looked almost exactly like Himavati. Therefore I asked about her. Yes, she is welcome here if she likes. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Hansadutta **Date:** June 8th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Bhaktivedanta Manor My dear Hansadutta, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated May 30, 1975 and have noted the contents. I don't think that Hayagriva is at fault. He has not changed the meaning or the philosophy in any way. But if you like to use the original manuscript, then if it is possible, you can use it. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Hansadutta **Date:** July 2nd 1975 — **Location:** Denver > West Germany My Dear Hansadutta das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated June 10, 1975 and have noted the contents. Regarding the house in Almora, yes it is a good proposal. I shall like to stay there. Almora is a good place. You may go see the house personally. Regarding the closing of Zurich center, that's all right. Don't make competition. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Hansadutta **Date:** July 29th 1975 — **Location:** Dallas > Bhaktivedanta Manor My Dear Hansadutta das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated July 21, 1975 and have read the contents carefully. I am very glad that you had a nice Ratha Yatra there, and that even more people attended this year. It doesn't matter that the ratha was smaller. The people know that the police have reduced the ceremony. Anyway, do not try to agitate the police. Whatever they say, you follow. We want the ceremony, that's all. Regarding getting a different house in the City, that's nice. In the City purchase a first class house, and the Indians will pay for it. Now the Indians are interested to come to the temple, and in the City they will take more interest. Yes, utilize the land at the Manor, and purchase a first class building in the City. There are many churches that are vacant. Find out one. I saw many nice churches when I was there with Dayananda. He has much information about them, but he does not remember. If required he can go there for one month and find out some church and negotiate. There is one Paddington Church. Also there is one I saw with a weak roof, but we can repair it. There was also a YMCA building available near our temple. So you find out some nice building or church. You can send the new German publications to New York. I am going to New Vrindaban on August 20th. I am glad you are selling the books nicely there in Germany. Therefore I have elected you BBT Trustee. Sometimes you should come to L.A. to see the BBT affairs. Ramesvara and Jayatirtha they are doing it, but still sometimes you may come and check. Sometimes you may come and sometimes Bhagavan das may come. Regarding your being depressed, you are becoming older, but so also am I an old man. But, you should not be depressed on account of advanced age. Krishna will help you. I do not think you have done wrongly in your management, and still now I do not think you have done wrongly. Rather you are wrongly depressed. But, for you this feeling of insufficiency is good for progress. No one should think that now I am complete. It is good to think that I am incomplete and useless. Actually Krishna is unlimited, and our energy is limited. Actually we cannot serve the unlimited, but Krishna's unlimited mercy induces us to serve, and He accepts. Actually we are unworthy. He is so kind that He accepts our little service as if it were very big and great. Regarding your wanting to leave your family and take sannyasa, what is your family? You live aside from your wife, and you have no children, so you are already sannyasa. Anyway we can consider later on. First we have to push this movement. That is most important thing. Grhastha or sannyasa it doesn't matter. First we have to know the science of Krishna consciousness. Caitanya Mahaprabhu never said everyone had to take sannyasa. We should just be after becoming the pure servant of Krishna. Regarding my coming to London, yes I will come immediately after Janmastami and Vyasa Puja from New Vrindaban. So it will be in the very beginning of September. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Hansadutta **Date:** September 3rd 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Bhaktivedanta Manor My Dear Hansadutta das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of three copies of the new German edition of Caitanya Caritamrta Chapter 7 & 8. It is very nice. The printing is very good. Bengali types in a German country, is very good. They will take it. Did Dr. Wolf-Rottkay help edit this book? I do not see his name mentioned. He is professor, so if you mention his name in the book, it will be impressive. When I was in Los Angeles he was coming to see me everyday. Also on the spine of the book under the BBT logo the words "Bhaktivedanta Book Trust" must appear. They are doing this on all the new volumes of Caitanya Caritamrta from Los Angeles. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Hansadutta **Date:** September 9th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Bhaktivedanta Manor My Dear Hansadutta das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated September 3, 1975 with enclosed clippings and the booklet on Cow Protection. Cow protection is one of the items of the Krishna consciousness movement: krsi goraksya vanijyam. raksya means protection. It is especially mentioned. Mukunda has done a great service. I am asking them to reprint it here. It will be very useful for preaching to the Indians. If you are sending men they can bring copies with them. This time that there were 10,000 Indians for Janmastami is very encouraging. Yes, they are good supporters. Yes, I approve of your program. We work where there is a good field. Do it nicely. You have noted that is the secret of success. Please continue this policy of straight forward dealings. Regarding Bury Place yes, for raising money to purchase there will be no difficulty. Try to keep our temple there. Purchase it and then repair it nicely and it will be a permanent establishment. We are staying there for the last two years. How we can be moved from there? You can hold the day after Diwali the Anakut Govardhana ceremony. There should be heaps of prasadam. Regarding the farm, our business is not farming. Our business is to spread Krishna consciousness. So in favor of Krishna consciousness whatever policy is suitable that we should take. Even if you move the farm, how will it be conducted if your devotees are not interested? No, it is not a good idea. It will mean our attention will be diverted. If you have got more men, then it can be tackled. The clipping on the Janmastami day mentions specifically that the Manor was purchased by George for us. Keep this article for future if there is some trouble. Actually he purchased for this purpose. Encourage Alanatha in his publishing, and also in German language publish as many books as possible. Enclosed are letters about Hyderabad. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami --- N.B. English devotees may be requested to come to India ### Letter to Hansadutta **Date:** September 14th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Bhaktivedanta Manor My Dear Hansadutta das: Please accept my blessings. The bearer of this letter is Sri Bagla who is the District Magistrate and Collector for the Mathura District. He has been very helpful to us in many ways for our Vrindaban Project. He is traveling with his wife, and I wish that you give him a very good reception. You should invite him to stay with you at Bhaktivedanta Manor and offer any assistance he may require while he is there in England. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ### Letter to Hansadutta **Date:** September 29th 1975 — **Location:** Ahmedabad > Bhaktivedanta Manor My Dear Hansadutta das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your two letters dated September 10th & 16th, 1975 and have noted the contents carefully. Regarding the propaganda for Russia, it is a very good idea to include the interview and the Marx discussion in the same book. After publishing the book, there is no question of distributing it underground by smuggling it into Russia. Sell it openly outside of Russia. It will be for people coming to visit our temples who come from there. You can advertise that ISKCON Books in Russian language are available in such and such place. That they cannot stop. Regarding the logo of the German Caitanya Caritamrta, it is o.k. Regarding the Bury place temple, the girls are taking care of the Deity, so how can you completely stop it. Not many women should stay there, but at least five can stay in a room. Why should they occupy two floors? Only one floor may be given to them. Regarding your dealings with Bhagavan dasa, when two GBC's are concerned, the whole GBC must consider. What can I do? I have appointed the GBC not to fight amongst yourselves but to manage. If there is fighting then how will you manage? So the whole GBC committee must decide if there is fighting. Regarding the Hyderabad project, you will be the principal man for finances. I have received report that they have planted 20 acres of paddy, some being bashmati and rest local variety. Regarding Dr. Wolf, why has he gone against us? First of all consult with Svarupa Damodara. What is his complaint? Regarding the reports of Japan, therefore the police have stopped Gurukrpa. I have sent Trivikrama Maharaja and one man to go there and maintain the center and preach. There is good potency there. I do not want to see it closed. Regarding your idea for a Gujarati newspaper, no it is better to sell our Gujarati books. We shall print and sell our own books. Yes, you can open a restaurant in Edinburgh. Regarding Bharadraja, I have no objection to him coming. What is he doing in L.A.? Only on Sunday can you keep the Deity curtains open throughout the afternoon. Regarding the Frankfurt temple and the Deity program, unless we have got our own building, this proposal of installing Deity should be postponed. Do not install, unless we have got our own building, the large Deities. And, the Nrsimha Deity should be installed only in a separate temple building. The Deity must have its own temple. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ### Letter to Hansadutta **Date:** October 16th 1975 — **Location:** Johannesburg > Taunus, West Germany My dear Hansadutta dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated September 29, 1975 and I have noted the contents carefully. It is a good idea to have the Russian teacher in Czechoslovakia to do the translating, but it must be checked afterwards by our men with the help of someone competent. It is encouraging to hear of your book distribution there and if you can manage locally by selling books, then I have no objection. If you want to print another cassette of books, that depends on your good discretion. Why Bhagavan should interfere with Stockholm. I appoint GBC for peaceful management of affairs and now you are creating disturbances amongst yourselves. So how can I be peaceful to translate my work. So all these things should be kept in abeyance for the time being and when we meet in Mayapur we can discuss amongst the entire GBC. If Stockholm is in your charge why Bhagavan and Jayatirtha should dictate, and why Ajita should join with them. On the whole why there should be difference of opinion amongst the GBC? If there is some difference of opinion how is it that it can not be adjusted amongst you? The Spiritual Sky questions and all other questions of this nature will simply have to wait until we discuss it in Mayapur. I hope that this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/pks --- cc: Atreya Rsi, Jayatirtha, Bhagavan. P.S. concerning the castle which you mentioned; if you can afford it then you can buy it ### Letter to Hansadutta, Bhagavan **Date:** September 1st 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > London and Paris My Dear Hansadutta and Bhagavan das: Please accept my blessings. I have received one letter from Alanatha das Brahmacari, President of ISKCON Stockholm, in which he reports that there is much interest in Krishna consciousness in Eastern European countries. He is recommending two boys for initiation from Czechoslovakia. I do not know the language otherwise I would have gone there. So I am requesting you to make vigorous propaganda in Eastern Europe. In the latest English BTG there is my discussion about Marx philosophy which will appeal to any sane gentleman. This should be read and translated. Lenin killed the Czar that's all, but any gunda can do that. You make one book containing my conversations with Prof. Kotovsky and also the one with Syamasundara, and translate it into Russian and distribute in Russia. My special mission is for the Western countries. Whatever success I have got, it is because the Westerners have cooperated. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Hanuman **Date:** February 12th 1975 — **Location:** Mexico City Mexico CityMy dear Hanuman dasPlease accept my blessings. Regarding your engagement, I strongly recommend and encourage you to travel extensively and preach our philosophy everywhere you go. You have my authorization to open centers as you see fit after considering twice and thrice. Do not whimsically open or establish any center and then close it down later on. Please report to me directly as to your whereabouts and your programs for preaching work. You must be very strict to follow all of the rules and regulations that I have given without even the slightest deviation. By a perfect example from your own conduct, others will be nicely trained up to be perfect Vaisnavas. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Hanuman **Date:** March 18th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > San Jose, Costa Rica My dear Hanuman, Please accept my blessings. I have received one letter from Narayana dasa, saying that he has been informed by some of your men that you are GBC there and that he must subjugate to your authority. I never said that you were the GBC there. You cannot say that. If you are unable to work under the direction of Hrdayananda Gosvami, then you must work under my direction, but you are not independent. You cannot interfere with the programs that are now going on there. If you can work co-operatively, that is wanted, but if you cannot work with Narayana, that doesn't mean that you can disturb his program. He is working hard under the direction of Hrdayananda Gosvami. He is not under your authority. If you want to preach there, that is alright, but you cannot interfere with the work that Narayana is doing. If there is any difficulty, we can discuss it in India. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Hari Krsna **Date:** February 2nd 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Amsterdam My Dear Hari Krishna Das, Please accept my blessings, I am in due reciept of your letter dated January 18, 1975. I am glad to note that your Amsterdam center is improving and that new devotees are joining. Example is better than precept, so you follow the regulative principles, chant 16 rounds daily, attend morning and evening arati and as much as possible go for sankirtana distributing my books. I have already written Puranjana, that whatever money is owed to the BBT that should be paid. You may continue to distribute records, providing a book is given with each record. Do not manufacture records, but take from Germany. They are already doing so you take from them. Hansadutta is here with me now and other GBC members, they are consulting all problems and trying to relieve me of management, so in future you may consult with the local GBC and work co-operatively, that will give me relief for printing my books. I hope this letter finds you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Harinama, Tadit, Bhaktin De Anna **Date:** September 21st 1975 — **Location:** Vrndavana > Srimati Harinama-devi dasi Srimati Tadit-devi dasi Bhaktin De Anna Atlanta My dear devotees, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter. I thank you very much for the package containing the woolen slippers and the nice bag for the karatalas. They are very nicely done. Regarding the baby Acarya das, yes, the name is approved by me and it is a very nice thing that he was born with umbilical cord wrapped like sacred thread. I am very pleased to hear about the book distribution. I know that Atlanta is very good place for book distribution and you are doing it nicely. So please continue. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Hasyakari **Date:** May 26th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Buffalo My dear Hasyakari, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated May 17, 1975 and have noted the contents. If the GBC has no objection to your going to India to help with the cow program, then I encourage you to go there. This program is very very important. If you can help to organize our cow program in Mayapur, it will be a great credit for you. We must be able to grow our own fodder for the cows. We don't want to have to purchase food for the cows outside from some other party. That will run into a great expense. Cow protection is the business of the vaisyas and along with our preaching, this is the most important work. We must have a good section of Brahmanas in our society and we must also have a good group of vaisyas who can grow grains and tend cows, and thus supply the society with food-grains and milk products from the cow like ghee, curd, cream, etc. If you can help in Mayapur it would be very much appreciated. I have accepted the devotees you have recommended for initiation. Their names are: Stephen—Sundarakara, Janet—Jaganmurti, Patricia—Premaka. Their beads may be chanted by Kirtanananda Swami. The thread for Phanamandita dasa is enclosed and the mantra sheet is also enclosed with the gayatri mantra. Let Siladitya devi, Mahavegavati devi, and Phanamandita dasa all hear the tape of myself chanting the gayatri mantra through the right ear. Make sure that these boys and girls follow very carefully all of the rules and regulations, as well as chant 16 rounds daily and read my books carefully. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Hasyakari **Date:** July 8th 1975 — **Location:** Evanston > Illinois Washington D.C My Dear Hasyakari das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated July 1, 1975 and have noted the contents. As for your going to Mayapur is concerned, that is a very good suggestion. But, it is best that you earn the money for the fare independently by doing Sankirtana. Now Gurukrpa Swami and his men are working very hard to raise money for construction of our important projects in India. He has raised objection why his collections should be used for other purposes such as plane fare, etc. Therefore it is best that you raise the money through your own efforts, even it may take a little longer. You are sincere in this endeavor, so Lord Caitanya will assist you. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Hayagriva **Date:** November 9th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Los Angeles My dear Hayagriva das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated September 23, 1975 with the proposed Table of Contents for the philosophy book. By the grace of Krsna you have got a special capacity to do this work. I am very glad that you have revived your activities in the editorial work. So Krsna will certainly help. Do not neglect chanting 16 rounds at least. Yes, you can come and see me wherever I am, either at Mayapur in the spring of next year or it may be that I may go to Imphal in Manipur after the Vrndavana festival. The Table of Contents are nice and you can come and we shall discuss further. Yes, you have got a nice farm in New Vrndavana. If you are not there, then let others stay. That is all right. Regarding the scientists, they will always find something new because their knowledge is not yet standardized. They will go on making new discoveries, on account of their imperfect knowledge. The modern scientists despite their experience of imperfectness, they take everything that they find out as the last word of perfection. Again they find out something which they find out as a further improvement and so they have to adjust everything new. They do not know that the senses are imperfect so any advancement of knowledge with imperfect senses must always remain imperfect. Our process is different. We admit that we are in the conditional stage and our source of knowledge is not the senses because they are imperfect. We cannot find the right knowledge from the imperfect senses. We therefore take knowledge from the most perfect personality, Krsna, and His faithful servants and the result is that despite all of our imperfect senses, we have perfect knowledge. You have to keep this point of view in your front and pray to Krsna for enlightenment and then we shall be able to understand what is written in the Vedic literature. This is confirmed in the Vedic literatures: yasya deve para bhaktir, yasya deva yatha guru [ŚU 6.23].I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Hindu Newspaper **Date:** October 25th 1975 — **Location:** Mauritius > "Hindu" Newspaper Madras, India Attn: Advertising Dept Dear Sir: Please accept my greetings. We are interested in advertising in the important daily Indian newspapers. If you can kindly send me the respective contract rates of advertising, at the same time our society being a charitable religious concern to propagate God-consciousness all over the world, if there is any special concession for us. On hearing from you we may begin full-page advertising in your daily newspaper. Thanking you. Yours sincerely, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/pks ### Letter to Hiranyagarbha **Date:** January 4th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > New Vrindaban My dear Hiranyagarbha dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Dec. 25th, 1974 and have noted the contents. Those young boys are living as true brahmacaris. Brahmacari's business is to study and then go to make some collection on behalf of the guru. This is very good engagement for them. ata sri-krsna-namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaih sevonmukhe hi jihvadau svayam eva sphuraty adah (Padma Purāṇa) [Brs. 1.2.234] No one can understand Krishna as He is by the blunt material senses but He reveals Himself to the devotees, being pleased with them for their transcendental loving service unto Him. So, keep everyone engaged 24 hours and everything will be all right. Bring them all to India for Lord Caitanya's appearance day and they can also attend the opening of the Krishna-Balarama Temple in Vrndavana. I have accept Tausteya (Joseph Fournier) as my duly initiated disciple and his name is Jagamanalobha dasa. Kirtanananda Svami can chant his beads. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Hrdayananda **Date:** May 19th 1975 — **Location:** Melbourne > Caracas My dear Hrdayananda Goswami, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your report dated April 30, 1975 and have noted the contents. When our Mexico City branch is open, how can we close it? That building there is very nice and we have been there for five years now. I am not at all in favor of closing such a temple. Stay there in that building somehow or other, and if you like, you may also open a center in Guadalajara. We can keep men in Mexico City who are approved by the government, why should we close it? Jagadisa prabhu is there, so, work together with consultation so that we may remain in that building. Jagadisa has met one good lawyer and he is helping us. It looks favorable for us. You and Jagadisa please arrange it so that we may not have to leave Mexico City. That is my desire. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps --- N.B. Thank you for distributing so many books and please continue to print more books with added enthusiasm ### Letter to Hrdayananda **Date:** May 28th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Caracas My dear Hrdayananda Gosvami, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated May 21, 1975 and have noted the contents. Try everything to remain in that house in Mexico City. I like that house very much. The best thing to do in Guyana is to kick out Mr. Rama, but if it is not practical, then let him buy us another house of our choice for our use—at least as good as that house, if not better. Regarding registration in Guyana, you simply have to show in court how we are an international society, not for any particular creed, race, or nation. Show them that we are a cultural movement. You should not back away when things get difficult. Regarding your spanish literature, I am very happy to hear that they are selling nicely. Now, print more and distribute more. Let me know what is the most suitable season for going to Brazil and I may go there. If you want to add Radha Krishna's name to the list of candidates for sannyasa, that is alright. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Hrdayananda **Date:** June 27th 1975 — **Location:** Denver > Sao Paulo, Brazil My Dear Hrdayananda Swami: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated June 9, 1975 with the enclosed books in Portuguese. It is very nice, and I am glad to learn that our movement is being nicely received there. So I am prepared to come to South America, but the Venezuela Consulate in Los Angeles informs that they have government order not to give me visa. What is the meaning? You can try to arrange programs in Panama, Trinidad, and Guyana, so I can get down there on my way to Brazil. But, if there is any difficulty in getting the visa for these countries, then we may suspend the program. I do not want to take any risk, just like in Nairobi I was refused entry and it was a great inconvenience. This is not good for me. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Hrdayananda **Date:** July 1st 1975 — **Location:** Denver > Sao Paulo, Brazil My Dear Hrdayananda Swami: Please accept my blessings. With regard to your letter dated June 9, 1975, upon your request I am accepting the following as my initiated disciples: Joca—Yajni dasa; Claudio—Caturmurti das; Bosco—Bhamaka dasa; Lucio—Lokasaksi dasa; Marcio—Maha kala dasa; Julio—Jagad bharta dasa; Flavio—Virocana dasa; and Bernadech—Bhuta mata dasi; Lucia—Raga bhumi devi; Marcia—Maha yogisvari dasi. Please see that all these new devotees from Brazil are strictly following the regulative principles and chanting 16 rounds minimum daily. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Hrdayananda **Date:** November 13th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Buenos Aires My Dear Hrdayananda das Goswami: Please accept my blessings. I have seen your letter dated October 13, 1975 addressed to all GBC's. Brahmananda is accused, but I shall explain that Pusta Krishna Swami since the last three years was trying for my visa, so out of natural compassion for him I thought let me go to South Africa and come back before sitting down tightly. He was expecting me for a very long time, and South Africa is a strict place in the matter of visa and so on. After going there I was very much satisfied with how my movement is being received there. After my lecture in the University the Europeans clapped and they were very enthusiastically purchasing my books. Now I have come back, so let me stay in India. I will remain in Bombay, Vrindaban, and Mayapur. As you have desired, now let me do that, to sit down tightly and concentrate on the translating business. But, if you disturb me, then my mind will be disturbed. I want that what I have established may go on nicely, but I see that some of the devotees are reviving their old "good" qualities. That is the difficulty. If the old habits come back, then everything is finished. If my mind becomes disturbed in this way, then how can I concentrate on book writing. It is not possible. Better not to inform me anything, and let me sit in Vrindaban. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Hrdayananda **Date:** December 7th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Los Angeles My Dear Hrdayananda Maharaja, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 22 November 1975 and the new books in Portuguese and Spanish. They are very nice and the reports of sales are also very encouraging. If Radhavallabha Prabhu can help you that is all right, but you have to discuss this with the BBT trustees. No you should not install Gaura nitai deities if you do not have the required Brahmins. Better wait. Yes you print all my books, if you can sell then why not print. Print as much as possible and store them if necessary. But you must pay regularly the BBT loans that is not to be neglected. I hope this letter finds you well. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/hda ### Letter to Hrdayananda **Date:** December 11th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban My Dear Hrdayananda Swami, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated November 25, 1975, I have noted the contents carefully. The deities in the picture you sent appear nice. Also the article, Visa to the Kingdom of the spirit looks favorable, although I cannot read the language. Your idea of printing a deluxe edition and an ordinary edition is all right, everyone should get a book that is the idea, so do it. The idea of GBC changing zones for 2-3 months of the year is also good. Bring up this point at the Mayapur meeting and vote on it. I accept the below listed students as my initiated disciples their new names are given and you may hold a fire ceremony and chant on their beads. Instruct them to chant 16 rounds daily and refrain from the four sinful habits of material life. The second initiates should hear the Mantra from the tape recording through the right ear, instruct them in habits of cleanliness, and brahminical qualifications and behavior. BrazilAmaro—Srivatsa DasSergio—Jagajjaitra DasHelio—Kalanemiha DasEvaraldo—Anantakirti DasAntonoi—Visvavandya DasRogerio—Kuladeva DasPedro Paulo—Yajnatrata DasAriel—Dvijapriya DasArgentinaOscar—Jayadhvaja DasHector—Sadhyasrestha DasRamon—Sahasranama DasHumberto—Dharmananda DasMaria—Rasasun Devi DasiLilian—Yogini Devi DasiSilvia—Rasavasini Devi DasiKamala Carana Das—second initiationPremaprayojana Das—second initiationMexico cityArturo—Dvija hari DasRafael—Yajnaphalada DasVivara—Visvaksena DasAlfredo—Devyahpati DasRicardo—Kripalu DasRicardo A.—Adityesa DasIsabel—Bhutabhavya DasEfren—Sananava DasRaul—Stutya DasJorge—Vedasara DasYour ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/hda ### Letter to Hrdayananda **Date:** December 22nd 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Sao Paulo, Brazil My Dear Hrdayananda Maharaja, Please accept my blessings. Thank you for your letter dated November 29th 1975. The poem is very nice, however one should not think himself a devotee, poem 3. should read"Your servant's calling so sadly,""Your servant's falling so badly,""A servant's trapped in the city."one cannot call himself a devotee, but servant he can call himself always.*Your bus program sounds nice, it is approved my me. I hope this letter meets you well. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/hda --- *Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu presented Himself as "Patitam kimkarana mam visamey charambudhva". Kimkaram means servant ### Letter to Ideal Advertising Agency **Date:** October 22nd 1975 — **Location:** Johannesburg > Ideal Advertising Agency Calcutta Dear Sir: It is understood that you are connected with all the important Eastern and Indian newspaper societies. We are interested in advertising in the important Indian daily newspapers. If you kindly send me the respective contract rates of advertising, at the same time our society being a charitable religious concern to propagate God-consciousness all over the world, if there is any special concession for us. On hearing from you we may begin full-page advertising in the best Indian daily newspapers. Thanking you, Yours sincerely, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/pks ### Letter to Indira Gandhi **Date:** July 1st 1975 Srimati Indira GandhiPrime Minister of IndiaParliament HouseNew Delhi, IndiaVIA REGISTERED POST1014 Emerson St., Evanston, Illinois 60201Your Excellency Srimati Indira Gandhi: May it please Your Excellency, enclosed please find one copy of my letter addressed to Sri Jai Prakash Narayanji. I wish that both of you may sit together and agree to join together to work on the basis of the instructions given in the Bhagavad Gita. It is practical and good for India as well as for the whole world situation. The whole world is expectant to receive something from Indian culture. Why not push this movement and solve the complete problems of India? I hope you will take this suggestion seriously and do the needful without delay. Thanking you in anticipation, I beg to remain, Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Indira Gandhi **Date:** August 20th 1975 Srimati Indira GandhiPrime Minister of IndiaParliament HouseNew Delhi19 Todermal Lane, Bengali MarketNew Delhi, tel: 44722Your Excellency Srimati Indiradevi Gandhi: When I was in Toronto, Canada, Srimati Lalitadevi, who is just like my daughter, sent me one intimation that she had approached you for a meeting with me and you, and I have come here postponing all my engagements. I am preaching this Krishna consciousness movement all over the world on the basis of Krishna's instructions in the Bhagavad-gita. Actually this Krishna consciousness movement is called the Sankirtan movement, and sometimes it is called the Hare Krishna movement, which was inaugurated by Lord Chaitanya in Bengal and throughout India. His mission is that everyone should become a guru and preach all over the world the instructions of Krishna. So we are doing this very faithfully, and it is becoming effective. I think in India also if some vigorous activity is done for the awakening the Krishna consciousness of the people under your leadership it will be very effective. We have already eight branches in India, and all development is being done mostly by foreign exchange and foreign assistants numbering about 100. I have written about 50 books of 400 pages each such as Srimad Bhagavatam, Bhagavad-gita, Chaitanya Charitamrita, and Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu, and these books are very popular in foreign countries, Europe, America, as well as in India. By the sales proceeds I am bringing foreign exchange for developing my scheme here. It can be continued if I get encouragement by the government by allowing these foreign assistants as missionaries. I shall be very much pleased to see you in this connection. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs --- **Notes: Points To Be Presented ToPrime Minister Indira Gandhi,16 August, 1975**BombayPOINTS TO BE PRESENTED TO PRIME MINISTER INDIRA GANDHI1. As it is stated on our letterhead, the Krishna consciousness movement is for the whole human society for reviving its God consciousness. "mamai-vamse jiva loke/ jiva bhutah sanatanah. Bg. 7:15. The living entity and God are intimately related as the part and the whole.2. We are preaching this philosophy on the basis of the Bhagavad-gita As It Is without any interpretation. This is a cultural and educational movement to understand what we are, what is God, and what is our relationship and how to act upon it.3. The basic principle is that people must eat sumptuously and be free from all anxieties to cultivate his spiritual identity and his relationship with God. We invite everyone without any discrimination of caste, creed, and nationality, and factually within our Society there are members from all parts of the world, Europe, America, Africa, etc.4. In India we have got special interest to distribute prasad to the half fed or hungry population. For this purpose we are getting money from America and we are getting goods from Australia also. We have got already 6 or 7 centers in India and we are distributing prasad in all centers.5. The young Indian men are not joining our movement. So for conducting all this business we require 50-100 men, foreigners who are trained up. We have no business to take part in politics. We are bringing money from our country outside India. Practically we do not eat by spending India's money. We are therefore requesting to allow our men to work on this mission to distribute prasad without any expenditure from India's side. Even for our own subsistence we shall bring money from abroad, and the bank will certify.6. If we take to politics we can be asked to leave, but we are only interested in this movement of welfare activities. On this basis we ask for 50-100 men ### Letter to Indupati **Date:** April 9th 1975 — **Location:** Mayapur > Indupati Brahmacari Sri Caitanya Gaudiya Math Mathura Rd.Vrndavana—281 121 My dear Sripada Brahmacariji, Please accept my humble obeisances. I am in due receipt of your letter (in Bengali) dated 29-3-75. I am advising my men in Vrndavana to begin the function from the 16th of April as desired by you. Thanking you for your suggestion. Yours respectfully, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Jacquetta Buell **Date:** July 30th 1975 — **Location:** Dallas > Jacquetta Buellc/o Mrs. Keya Laurence1477-A 19th Ave.San Francisco, Ca. 94122 Dear Jacquetta Buell: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated July 21, 1975 and have noted the contents. It is a very good sign that although you are not happy now you know it is only because you are not in the company of Krishna and the devotees. It is true that in the past there was some mismanagement in our Honolulu temple, but I was there recently, and it is nicely organized. But, since you have moved to San Francisco, I advise you to go there to our very nice temple in Berkeley. All the things you say you are yearning for are there. Radha Krishna are being worshiped, and there are many devotees there. So I am sure that if you go there and join with the devotees, all your problems will be solved, Krishna Consciousness is so nice. As for your desire to follow the path of the gopis, that can only be done by following the rules and regulations of devotional service in the association of devotees. Once you have joined the temple, then we can see about Deity worship. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Jagaddhatri **Date:** March 14th 1975 — **Location:** Tehran > Dallas My dear Jagaddhatri devi dasi, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated March 4, 1975 and have noted the contents. Thank you for your kind sentiments. From your letter I can understand that you are advancing very nicely in Krishna Consciousness. Yes, you are right—all qualifications come if you simply surrender to a bona fide Guru. Please follow all of our rules very careful and your life will be perfect. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Jagaddhatri, Pasupati, Sailogata, Pamela **Date:** July 30th 1975 — **Location:** Dallas > Srimatis Jagaddhatri, Pasupati,Sailogata, & Pamela devi dasis Dallas My Dear Daughters: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated July 29, 1975 and have noted the contents. Regarding the problem of how to be aggressive on Sankirtana and submissive in the temple, my request to you is that you should go on being aggressive on Sankirtana. I myself was aggressive in coming to your country. No one invited me. Even you boys and girls did not invite me. But, I came and I preached aggressively, and therefore you are now my disciples. So now you well know you have to approach the men and women of your country, and it may appear that superficially that you have to disturb them. They are doing their business peacefully, and you come and disturb them, "Please take this Krishna book."Of course it is good that you are concerned about being chaste, shy, and submissive amongst your godbrothers. Canakya Pandit said that every man should see all other women as mother, and similarly a woman should see all men as son. So what is your difficulty? If you are completely aggressive on Sankirtana, there should be no material aggressiveness and pride remaining. You have to distinguish between devotees and non-devotees. Aggression for the cause of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu is pure. If you become completely absorbed in such aggression to spread Sankirtana Movement, there will be no question of wanting to lord it over in the temple. Preaching purifies us of these material tendencies for sense gratification. It is simply a matter of time that you will see this. Do not worry. Krishna will help you. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Jagadisa **Date:** January 12th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Dallas My dear Jagadisa das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Dec. 31, 1974 and have noted the contents. Thank you very much for the nice book distribution report. Chicago temple is doing very nicely. Give them many thanks. There are so many devotees there in your zone. So, you must see that every one of them is chanting at least 16 rounds daily and observing our rules and regulations strictly. Keep everything nicely in this way. This is the duty of GBC, to see that all of our members are becoming fixed in Krishna's service. If you think it best, you can set up headquarters at Gurukula. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Jagadisa **Date:** February 1st 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Seattle My dear Jagadisa das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 1-1-75 and have noted the contents. This problem that you have presented is not the kind of thing to present before the spiritual master. You should try to approach your GBC man, Jayatirtha prabhu in this matter. I am requesting again and again that all of my disciples simply follow all of the rules and regulations very strictly. Rising early, chanting 16 rounds, attending mangala arati and class, etc. are all essential for spiritual development. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Jagadisa **Date:** February 2nd 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Dallas My dear Jagadisa das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Jan. 22, 1975 and have noted the contents. All of your proposals have been approved by me. Try to increase the book distribution as much as possible. This is our business—to put our books in the hands of intelligent men of America. If they read even one page, the influence will be so great. I have accepted Doug, Judith and Paul for 1st initiation and their names are respectively; Dayala Nitai, dasa, Jaganmayi devi dasi, and Paripurna dasa. Their beads can be chanted on by Kirtanananda Svami. Train them nicely to follow all of our rules and regulations strictly without fail and to engage 24 hours in Krishna's service. Help them to understand the importance of this Krishna Consciousness Movement. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Jagadisa **Date:** May 26th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Dallas My dear Jagadisa dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated May 20th, 1975 and have noted the contents. Thank you for helping in this situation so nicely. By Krishna's grace we shall be able to remain in that building. For the time being, make sure that the Deity worship is been done nicely and that sankirtana goes on daily. Also the devotees must all follow the rules strictly as well as chant 16 rounds daily and read my books. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Jagadisa **Date:** June 10th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Dallas My dear Jagadisa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated June 5, 1975 and have noted the contents. Yes, when you go to the court in Mexico, show them a copy of Professor Stillson Judah's book, "Hare Krishna and the Counterculture", and a copy of the letter from him to me which I have enclosed. Our movement is a genuine movement and we are being accepted as such by the higher educational circles all over the world. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Jagadisa **Date:** September 26th 1975 — **Location:** Ahmedabad > Evanston, Illinois My Dear Jagadisa das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated September 6, 1975 and have noted the contents. Regarding the difficulty with Gurukula what can I reply? This is your responsibility. The GBC can decide what to do. Instead of spending money there, if the government is specifically passing the act against us, then we can spend that money in the Gurukula in Vrindaban. We are getting land adjacent to our temple and on Radhastami I laid the foundation stone for a Gurukula. We shall put up a suitable building there. In India there is no such government regulative law. I see that all the temple presidents are not to your liking. So how will you manage? If all the presidents are bad and not to your liking, then let the GBC consider what to do. I hope this meets you in good health. You say that Karandhara was being supported by Jayatirtha, but Karandhara does he have any position still? He has no official position I do not think. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Jagadisa **Date:** September 29th 1975 — **Location:** Ahmedabad > Dallas My Dear Jagadisa das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated September 19, 1975 with enclosed photographs and map. The property is very nice. You should take it immediately. Make some bargain as far as possible to get the best price, and take it. We shall try to get the money. Ask Ramesvara. He is now getting money from book distribution, so money is coming. I do not know if the centers can contribute. 40 centers would have to contribute U.S. 5,000 each to raise U.S. 200,000. As far as taxing the centers for the maintenance, that should be considered amongst the GBC.It is a good idea to also have the Vedic Institute there also on this property. So negotiate and develop it cojointly. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs --- N.B. What will you do with the old building? ### Letter to Jagadisa **Date:** November 9th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Dallas My dear Jagadisa das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated October 10, 1975, together with enclosures. Regarding the Dallas Army base property, you can forward this offer to Svarupa Damodara and in this connection you may correspond with him. We may require it for the Bhaktivedanta Institute for Higher Studies. Do not reject this military base. We can use it for this purpose. You can use the Illinois property for the Gurukula and the army base for the Bhaktivedanta Institute. Send details to Svarupa Damodara of the military base. The military academy property in Illinois sounds very nice. You can consider amongst the GBC and do the needful. Regarding your proposal to reduce the number of students in the Dallas school, and sending them to New York and Los Angles, that is a good idea. You can do that. Anyway, this should be considered by the GBC together and do the needful. I am glad to hear that Govardhana Prabhu is doing nicely now. I am very happy. If there is any discrepancy, we have to request them to correct, not changing or dismissing. Our whole process is to humbly request, sometimes falling down on the feet and flattering. The vivid example is Nityananda Prabhu converting Jagai and Madhai. So study my books and reproduce the purports in your own language. You should instruct your temple presidents to preach like this. This is preaching. We haven't got to invent something by our fertile brain for preaching. Everything is there. One who is expert for presenting these things before the audience so they can conveniently understand, this is a successful preacher. You have only to speak what Krsna has said. Then you become a preacher. I am also glad to learn that Sripati Prabhu is traveling with you. Keep him nicely. I hope this finds you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Jagadisa **Date:** November 20th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Dallas My dear Jagadisa das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated November 8, 1975. Regarding your letter of October 11th, I have replied it November 9th, so you should have received it by now. Regarding the Illinois property, I have also agreed that it is a nice property. That is good that the GBC men have agreed to the tax proposal. Regarding your use of manpower in the Texas Gurukula, that is very good what you are doing now. There should not be more than twelve students for one teacher. This is tutorial system. I am also glad to see that you have 9 devotees doing full-time book distribution. That is nice and also it is sufficient. Book-selling is our most important engagement. Regarding Chicago, it is very surprising how they distributed 800 big books in one day. Here in India we could not sell 800 books in one month because there is no market. Here there is only a market for technology and black market. This is the advantage of the Western countries. There is enough resources, but simply it should be used in Krsna's service. Then it will be nice. Yes, you should develop better relations with the Indians in Chicago. 30,000; that is no joke. In the London temple the Indian devotees are doing everything for the maintenance of the temple. So as soon as the Indians in Chicago come to know, then they will help you. Here in India the temples are maintained by the grhastha bhaktas. Regarding Toronto, I am glad that they have gotten that church. I have sent them congratulations. Regarding Detroit, I note that Sudama Maharaja was there. Has he left Tamala Krsna's party? Alone Sudama Maharaja is not safe. He should not leave Tamala Krsna's party. Regarding the Detroit house, even though you will move there after Christmas, some devotees may go there immediately to take possession, and make the necessary repairing. If you can take out a mortgage for only $70,000, then what is the use? Anyway, this you have to consult among yourselves. Regarding Montreal, yes, it is required that the temple be ventilated nicely. That you will style it after the Krishna-Balarama temple in Vrndavana, that is very nice. Regarding the New Orleans' farm, do not make sugar. Just boil it and make molasses. You can eat the molasses instead of sugar. Just boil it and keep boiling it until granule forms and then keep in a pot. Don't try to make sugar and sell it. That will simply increase the botheration. If you start trading business, then so many problems will be there. You should produce just enough for our own use. Trading leads to envy and jealousy and cheating, then everything is lost. I am seeing now that the business activities in our society, they are increasing. Originally I allowed that Gargamuni could start the incense business. I thought that the Ramakrishna Mission, they are doing and the incense we are using, so if we make some and sell it, then what is the harm. But now I see that Spiritual Sky, they have so many products. And now there is jewelry business going on. So why should the business increase? Nanda Kumar, he came here to India simply for doing business. This is not required. So I have given him sannyasa and now he is finished with all business, and he will go to Africa to preach. So this business should be discouraged, otherwise, if they do it, our men will again become karmis. Our business is simply book distribution. So far increasing the New Orleans' farm, yes, if you have got more men, you can get more land. You should make a stock of ghee from the farm and if possible open a restaurant in the city for attracting people. You can prepare samosas, kacoris, rasgullas, sweetballs: In Honolulu they are doing nicely, this restaurant. You can take information from Srutakirti das. And the farm will get money by selling ghee to the restaurant. And also you can sell the ghee to the Indian people in the city. Regarding the Deities of Gurukula, Lord Kalacandji, why you should move? The Deities shall stay. If you want you can install another set of Deities in a new place. There's no question of selling the building; it must be maintained. Enclosed is some correspondence I had with one Mr. Kumarachar. So he is now in London and he has his ticket up to New York, so if you want him to be Sanskrit teacher in Gurukula, you will have to pay for him from New York to Dallas. I do not know what he has been doing so long for 1 1/2 years since I wrote him April 17, 1974. Anyway, you can see if he is useful and if so, then you should keep him. So you can bring him to Dallas. The new Gurukula buildings are very nice. We shall invite children there from all over the world. If big Indians here in India understand that Vedic culture in English medium is given, they will want to send their children. This is a unique opportunity. We shall induce big life members to send their children. Sanskrit and Indian culture through English medium—this is what they want if their children will not be trained up to do business. If we organize very nicely, the Indian families will send their children. The whole world is misled. You must apply your brains how to spread Krsna consciousness. I am an old man. I can give you the idea. Now you have to carry it out. Upon your recommendation, I am accepting the following devotees as my initiated disciples and their spiritual names are as follows: William C. Rich is Kanupriya das; Gregory Furgeson is Gopala das; Melinda Pickup is Yogamaya dasi; David Sliman is Sesadeva das; Sam Santoro is Pralabaha das; Kelly Griffin is Yugapriya and Tracy Smith is Vamana-devi. I also accept for second initiation Rajendranandanana das, Lokahita dasi. Also from Winnipeg, I accept for second initiation Dharmaprana das, Natha das, Lalita devi dasi and Misrani devi dasi. The sanctified gayatri threads are enclosed and also the mantra sheets. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Jagadisa **Date:** December 6th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Dallas My Dear Jagadisa Prabhu, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated Dec. 1, 1975, I have noted the contents very carefully. I said from the very beginning that we should not move, but you proposed moving, so now you are proposing staying at Dallas. So it is all right, stay at Dallas and develop there. I hope this letter finds you well. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/hda ### Letter to Jagannatha-suta **Date:** June 12th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Los Angeles My dear Jagannatha-suta dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated June 10, 1975 and have noted the contents. I have received the new BTG magazine. It is very nice issue. Having the Indian Rathayatra on the cover and the American one on the inside makes a good contrast. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Jagannatha-suta **Date:** August 26th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Los Angeles My Dear Jagannatha Suta das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated August 18, 1975 and have noted the contents. I have received the new issue of "Back to Godhead," No. 9 and it is done so nicely. It is all very pleasing to me, and I thank you all for this service. The printing I think is actually better than the Japan printing. Long, long ago when I was alone I was thinking of printing like this, but there was no way to do it. Now you American boys and girls are helping me, so I thank you in this regard. I pray to Krishna for your continued enthusiasm in spreading Krishna consciousness. The article on Marxism is very much appreciated. We can say all these big so-called philosophers are all simply mudhas. Perhaps I am the first to do it. Our philosophy is perfect, and we cannot be defeated by anyone. So it is up to you to learn it and be able to present it nicely. Now you have everything, respect, philosophy, money, temples, books, all these things I have given, but I am an old man and my notice is already there. Now it is up to you all how to manage it. If you cannot increase it, you should at least maintain what I have given you. You cannot accuse me that I have not given you anything. So it is a great responsibility you now have. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ### Letter to Jagannatha-suta **Date:** September 26th 1975 — **Location:** Ahmedabad > Los Angeles My Dear Jagannatha Suta das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated September 15, 1975 with the enclosed copies of the latest issue of BTG No. 10. I can say that each issue you produce is an improvement on the previous one. This is very good. You are doing it enthusiastically. For the article of my touring they have selected the photos very nicely. We can talk with anyone. Marx. Darwin, all professors and politicians, we can challenge and defeat them. Our philosophy is so perfect. So go on exposing them, that is the purpose of Back to Godhead paper, to expose their materialistic ideas as all nonsense and present the real philosophy that Lord Krsna gives. This is the real knowledge. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Jai Prakash Narayan **Date:** July 1st 1975 > Sri Jai Prakash Narayan P.O. Patna, Bihar, India TRUE COPYVIA REGISTERED POST1014 Emerson St., Evanston, Illinois 60201 Dear Sri Jai Prakash Narayanji, Please accept my greetings. I am hearing from the newspapers that in India there is some upheaval on the ground of political activities. I have also heard that you are observing "fast" and it has given me some concern. I think that your goodness and Srimati Indira Gandhi are equally well wishers of India, but there is a difference of opinion only. Under the circumstances I would request you to give up this fasting. If you and Indira Gandhi sit down together, I can give you some suggestions on the basis of Sri Srimad Bhagavad Gita, and this will solve all of the problems of India. Perhaps it is known to you that I am leading the Hare Krishna Movement all over the world. I am glad to inform you that the movement is appreciated by the thoughtful educated circles in the western countries. They are seriously reading my English translations of the Vedic instructions, and I think that if this movement is pushed forward, the whole world will be happy and it will glorify the prestige of India, which is considered to be the most holy place in the universe. I am forwarding a copy of this letter to Srimati Indira Gandhi to take necessary action in this connection. I am always prepared to meet you both in this connection, and I hope that such a meeting will be a great epoch in the human society for changing the chaotic condition. Hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs --- cc: Srimati Indira GandhiNew Delhi ### Letter to Jamuna **Date:** May 11th 1975 — **Location:** Perth > Australia Hyderabad My dear Jamuna devi, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated March 28, 1975 and have noted the contents. Your husband recently came to Delhi and Vrndavana and he has sold so many properties of ISKCON through the Mukutwalla. His only business is to acquire money. He is collecting money like anything and is not contributing to the society. So what can I do? I did not say anything to him. I am simply praying to Krishna for his welfare. It is good that you are now living separate from him. Wherever you live, you can follow the regulative principles and my instructions along with chanting. That will make you happy. Do not deviate from the path I have chalked out for every one of you. Some years ago, in San Francisco, both you and your husband wanted to live in Vrndavana and I was training both of you to take up the charge of Vrndavana center very expertly. Unfortunately, both of you fell victim to sense enjoyment and now both of you are fallen from the service especially your husband. So what can I do? But if both of you again come to your consciousness, Krishna consciousness, Krishna can lift you again from the fallen condition. That much I can assure you. Tejyas was complaining that Madira has also gone with Gurudasa. Recently, I was in Delhi for participating in a meeting at Kuruksetra, and he informed me like that. Anyway, the Vrndavana opening ceremony was performed very gorgeously for 7 days. The Governor of U.P. participated for 2 days. There was a big crowd all the days and it was a grand success. The total expenditure for the opening ceremony was about 60,000 rs. or more and I was feeling your absence. Your husband was present, but his business was different. Anyway, what can I do? I can simply pray to Krishna for revival of your old Krishna Consciousness. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Janajanmadhih **Date:** November 15th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Memphis My dear Janajanmadhih das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated October 31, 1975 and have noted the contents. So, if you are strong enough to preach Krsna consciousness there, that is very good; that as long as you chant your 16 rounds and follow the four regulative principles, then you will get the strength. The process is that you should memorize the purports of my books and then speak them in your own words. Do not adulterate or change anything. Then you will be the perfect preacher. You should also distribute our books as far as possible. If you do this sincerely, then you will be successful. I hope this finds you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Jay Krishna Thakura **Date:** December 6th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Sriman Jaya Krishna Thakura B.Se., Ll.B3 Locket Road Wealdstone Harrow, Middlesex,HA 3 7 LY,England My Dear Jay Krishna Thakura, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated November 30, 1975.Yes I remember you were coming to see me daily at Bhaktivedanta Manor during my stay there in 1973. Regarding your question about my birth. I was born September 1, 1896, Tuesday at about 4:00 in the afternoon. My rasi is Metthuna. I hope this letter finds you well. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/hda ### Letter to Jayadvaita **Date:** May 11th 1975 — **Location:** Perth > Australia Los Angeles My dear Jayadvaita dasa, Please accept my blessings. From now on, include one chapter from Srimad-bhagavatam in every issue of Back to Godhead magazine. You can start with the 1st chapter of the 1st canto and continue. You should reproduce the chapter as it is in the book, in other words, with the devanagari script, word meanings, transliteration, etc. If a chapter is very very big, it can be given in two issues. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Jayahatakosthaka **Date:** March 14th 1975 — **Location:** Tehran > Bhaktivedanta Manor My dear Jayahatakosthaka dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated March 10th, 1975 and have noted the contents. Regarding your going to Spain, if Hansadutta and Bhagavan think it is a good idea, then it is alright with me. Your name means all glories to Krishna who performs the transcendental pastime of breaking into the storeroom (of butter).Wherever you may go to perform your devotional service, you should always be very careful to observe very strictly the rules and regulations. Rise early, attend mangala arati and class, chant 16 rounds, and follow the four regulative principles without deviation. This will guarantee your spiritual perfection. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Jayananda **Date:** September 1st 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Tampa My Dear Jayananda das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated August 11, 1975 and have noted the contents. What you have done is good. Why should you remarry? Rather you should take sannyasa. Now you are getting very good training. Why has Jayatirtha suggested you to remarry? In Delhi there is a certain kind of laddu which has such a taste, that anyone who has tasted it once, he laments, oh how I would like to taste again. And anyone who has never tasted, he also laments, oh I have never tasted. So one who has tasted, and one who has not tasted, both are lamenting. Wife is like that. You have already tasted, now you are lamenting. But my advice to you is not to try to taste again, otherwise your lamentation will increase. You have got no children, so you are free, so take sannyasa. Sex life is nasty, but out of illusion we think it is nice. Now you are experienced, so don't take sex life again. You should not take sannyasa out of sentiment nor artificially, but it is better to accept it anyway. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Jayananda **Date:** June 3rd 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > San Francisco My dear Jayananda dasa, Please accept my blessings. The book, "Hare Krishna and the Counterculture" written by Professor Judah, the copy of which was presented to you was lying here at Honolulu temple. I have read it with great interest. Just to congratulate the Professor, I am enclosing herewith a letter to him. I do not know his address therefore I am sending it through you. I wish to present him also one copy of the book titled, "Lord Caitanya in Five Features." So, kindly immediately see him with my letter and the book and congratulate him on my behalf. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Jayapataka **Date:** January 10th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Mayapur My dear Jayapataka Svami, Please accept my blessings. I have just received one letter from Asita dasa wherein he claims that he was all of the sudden asked to go away from Mayapur. What was the situation? Kindly let me know. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Jayapataka **Date:** June 28th 1975 — **Location:** Denver > Mayapur My Dear Jayapataka Swami: Please accept my blessings. I have not received any report from you. I gave you 1 1/2 lakhs of Rupees, and I want to know what you have done with it. How have you spent it, and what is the progress. Gargamuni Swami is collecting for Mayapur. Is he sending you any money? How is the money being utilized? I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Jayapataka **Date:** July 4th 1975 — **Location:** Evanston > Illinois Mayapur My Dear Jayapataka Swami: Please accept my blessings. In Hawaii they are arranging for manufacturing plastic kholes. You can arrange one or two Bengali experts in making and fitting the heads of the kholes. They must be prepared to stay with us for at least one year. We will pay their transportation to Hawaii and return and also a small salary. Our men can then learn from them. We now require so many khols for expanding our Sankirtana movement. I have not received any report from you. I am anxious to know how you have spent the money. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Jayapataka **Date:** July 14th 1975 — **Location:** Philadelphia > Mayapur My Dear Jayapataka Swami: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated June 25, 1975 and have noted the contents. The Gurukula and poor feeding programs should be developed and it will make us very popular. The wrestling is all right. The program for Nitai Cand to visit the villages and preach and make men join is very good. Make everything green there. Why not install your American sprinkler system? I have seen in Denver a very nice arrangement in the park for watering the grounds. You have got your own pumping water, so it will be easy for you. There you have got enough water. Move the dirt from the pukur. It is not nice. I have sent to Bhavananda Maharaja the photos of how it should be done. It may be cleared and the dirt put along the sides where we shall make rooms at a high level for the flooding. The lake water should be clear. What is a charan on the front gate? I have asked Jayatirtha that Ranadhira may immediately go to Mayapur. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Jayapataka **Date:** November 7th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Mayapur My Dear Jayapataka Swami: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your telegram as follows: PADAPADMA SAHASRA PRANAME WELCOME BACK FROM YOUR TOUR STOP DEVOID YOUR LOTUS FEET DUST MAYAPUR IS WEEPING HOPE YOUR ARRIVAL FORTHCOMING WEATHER NICE FRESH STOP—JAYAPATAKA SWAMISo let us begin the construction on the temple here in Bombay first, then we shall see for coming there to Mayapur to stay with you. Say after a month. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Jayapataka **Date:** November 13th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Mayapur My dear Jayapataka Swami, Please accept my blessings. I have received a letter from Gargamuni Swami that he has sent $20,000 to Mayapur. So why should there be scarcity of money? What are you doing with this money? Please give me your report. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Jayapataka **Date:** December 17th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Mayapur My Dear Jayapataka Swami, Please accept my blessings. I beg to inform you that this time while coming from Delhi to Bombay I saw one Mr. M.N. Chandhuri he is a very nice gentleman and important West Bengal Government officer, he is in charge of the department of development and planning, government of West Bengal. His office is at Raj Bhavan, Calcutta. He wanted to help me in any way in the government affairs. So immediately see him with some prasadam and flowers. His office phone number is as follows; 23 29 19, 221681/476, 230177-79. His residential number is as follows; 44 53 22.I am enclosing herewith an introductory letter which you can take with you when you go to see him. First of all try to invite him to come see our Mayapur establishment, give him nice reception, and then try to take his help in acquiring lands. He has personally promised to help me in every way, because he is impressed with my missionary activities all over the world. You can take help from him also about some of our disciples citizenship for which you have already applied. I asked you to open a bank account for purchasing land, so did you open it? so why did you not let me know the account number etc.? So do the needful. I hope this letter meets you well. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/hda ### Letter to Jayasacinandana **Date:** December 12th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Los Angeles My Dear Jayasacinandana Prabhu, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated December 2, 1975. No! you have made some discovery. All along you have been hearing the recording of Yamuna devi and now you want to change. It is not ordinary singing, it is concert, many people are singing, so it is not bad. Just like Sankirtana, many voices are there, men and women, so it is the same thing, sankirtana. I approve of it. Here in Krishna Balarama Temple we are hearing the same recording every morning, so if it is good here why not there? I hope this letter finds you well. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/hda ### Letter to Jayatirtha **Date:** January 1st 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Los Angeles My dear Jayatirtha das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of you letter dated Dec. 27th, 1974 and have noted the contents. Regarding this matter of Spiritual Sky management, I have given the decision over to the GBC men. Whatever they decide, I will accept. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Jayatirtha **Date:** February 16th 1975 — **Location:** Mexico City > Los Angeles My dear Jayatirtha Das, Please accept my blessings. I have accepted Jesus's for 1st initiation upon your recommendation. His name is Yaduvamsi. His beads may be chanted by Kirtanananda Svami. I have also accepted Aroudha, Vidambha, Pujana, Sastramayi, Jalakara as my duly initiated brahmanas. You should allow them to hear through the right ear, the tape of myself saying the gayatri mantra. Please make sure that these devotees follow very strictly all of our regulative principles and chant at least 16 rounds daily. Then they will not go away from us. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps --- Enc: 3 threads, mantra sheet ### Letter to Jayatirtha **Date:** August 8th 1975 — **Location:** Toronto > Los Angeles My Dear Jayatirtha das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated August 6, 1975 and have noted the contents. Yes, it is all right if you pay something monthly. The monthly dividend is all right. Please send me the balance of the M-V Fund. Regarding the Bank claim, is it necessary to correspond with them? We do not know whether we have received two or three or whatever payments from them. Anyway, whatever we get, we spend. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Jayatirtha **Date:** September 7th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Los Angeles My dear Jayatirtha das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated August 26, 1975. I want that the GBC relieve me of all management which means they have to manage the way I manage. I do not want to see things deteriorate by their management. I have read the article of Transcendental Meditation. From this study I understand that it is not seriously taken. Therefore it means that this Transcendental Meditation, so-called, will not stay. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Jayatirtha **Date:** October 16th 1975 — **Location:** Johannesburg > Berkeley My dear Jayatirtha das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated September 28, 1975 and I have noted the contents carefully. There is no question of removal at the present moment. We shall sit together in Mayapur if there is any complaint against one another. At the Mayapur meeting, whatever we have decided that is good for one year. So if anything has to be done it will be decided by majority decision of the GBC. I do not wish to give any decision without the GBC's verdict. My only grievance is that I appointed GBC to give me relief from the management but, on the contrary, complaints and counter-complaints are coming to me. Then how my brain can be peaceful. Naturally, I want to see that all of my centres are going nicely, so is it not possible to mitigate the differences of opinion and work smoothly, conjointly. So best thing is that we wait for the Mayapur meeting and decide there combinedly what to do. The local management has to be done by temple president, GBC should see whether management is going on nicely, and if there are any discrepancies that will be discussed at the GBC meeting in Mayapur. That is the process. Sannyasis are meant for preaching only. That is the principle. But, contrary to the principle if things are being embezzled then how can I save them. How one man can manage the whole world affairs? This is my concern. So far I know you are approved manager, so why complaints are there I do not know. I hope that this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/pks ### Letter to Jayatirtha **Date:** October 24th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay My dear jayatirtha das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of the September BBt Trustees report with enclosed report of Mayapur-Vrindaban Fund, Bank of America account number 6004-07143, for the months of July, August, and September 1975.I have noted that in July there were so many deposits. Why in August, September there were not so many deposits? Please explain. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami --- P.S.Jayatirtha as per your request Mohanananda's addressMichael Walker, Chandler, 352 W. 15th, New York 10011 ### Letter to Jayatirtha **Date:** November 20th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Berkeley My dear Jayatirtha das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated November 12, 1975 with enclosed photographs and also your letter of November 8th. I note that starting December 15th there will be a monthly deposit in the amount of $1,900 in the Mayapur-Vrndavana fund account. You have got a good business brain and you worship the Deity very nicely. Therefore I like you. I am very glad to see that you have out-collected the Sri Sri Radha-Damodara party. This is good competition. So now is Tamala Krsna defeated by you? So one month you defeat him and another he can defeat you and in this way Radha-Damodara service will be increased by transcendental competition. This is very nice. Regarding San Diego temple, from the pictures it appears very nice. So you can get this building. It is a good house. They are all selling to ISKCON, the Christians and the Jews. They are all going to liquidation. So take it without any doubt. I am very pleased with the distribution that the new Dvaraka temple is going. When I hear of your advancement of devotional service by book distribution, it invigorates me although I am an old man. Although I am traveling all over the world, my mind is always in Los Angeles. So do everything very nicely so that very soon I may go there and see the improvement. The mrdanga-making is very important. The new bhaktas, they can be engaged in the mrdanga-making and also help Bharadraja with the doll-making. The nursery school program is very good. That is good that the mothers are being freed to increase their devotional service. It is not that women should only produce children, but they are meant for advancing in devotion. The sign Hare Krishna Colony is very good idea. You can add, the words Come and Join. Why are the French books not being composed on our own equipment? We have got so many nice machines there. I think it will be better if we do it on our own machines and save money. Regarding Berkeley temple, I note that permission for living in the building is not yet finalized. Please keep me informed. Portland is a very nice city. I am glad that we have our temple there. That is very good that Seattle does not have any debts. This is proper management. This is very much wanted. It is also very good that Jayadvaita is in Laguna Beach and is preaching there. This is our process of preaching, that one shows by his personal example, not that we preach something and then do something else. That is called cheating and that is going on in the religion, especially. We are not that kind of cheaters. And we are not that kind of so-called religionists. Yes, so you keep an eye on things there in Laguna Beach, and see that whoever takes over as temple president is trained up. Regarding the Vancouver farm, yes, the log cabin type structure you have mentioned, that is nice. Whatever is suitable, that you should do. This is the meaning of plain living and high thinking. If the chanting of Hare Krsna is not there, then there will not be any high thinking. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Jayatirtha, Manjuali **Date:** November 10th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Los Angeles My dear Jayatirtha das and Manjuali dasi, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your card dated October 25, 1975 along with the beautiful photographs of Sri Sri Rukmini-Dvarakadhisa of New Dvaraka. So do it nicely. I have invited Krsna and He may not be insulted by disrespectful behavior. I have introduced this system of Deity worship amongst the non-believers, the atheists, the mlecchas, the yavanas and I pray to Krsna that I am inviting You to come, so please, because You are seated in their hearts, please give them the intelligence how to serve you so that You may not be inconvenienced. I have introduced this system to the mlecchas, the yavanas and the lowest and the fallen, but still it is successful. I think that you are doing nicely. As soon as one thinks that he is greater than his spiritual master that is the greatest offense. Krsna will give one everything, but to these offenders everything is lost. I thank you very much. You know how to dress and how to worship and I am very much pleased. It is a question of heart how to please Krsna. One simply has to agree to be trained up how to do it. You have done very nicely. I am very much pleased. And now you should teach others how to do it. This is very important business, Deity worship. The more the Deity is decorated, the more your heart will be decorated with Krsna consciousness. This is the way for the neophyte devotee how to absorb his mind in Krsna consciousness. Never think of the Deity as made of stone or wood. Every worshipper must remember that Krsna is personally present. He is simply kindly presenting Himself before us in a way so that we can handle Him. That is His mercy, otherwise He is unapproachable.atah sri-krsna-namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaihsevon mukhe hi jivadau svayam eva sphuraty adah[Brs. 1.2.234]"No one can understand the transcendental nature of the name, form, quality and pastimes of Sri Krsna through his materially contaminated senses. Only when one becomes spiritually saturated by transcendental service to the Lord are the transcendental name, form, quality and pastimes of the Lord revealed to him." (Padma Purāṇa).I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Jayatirtha, Ramesvara **Date:** February 26th 1975 — **Location:** Miami My Dear Jayatirtha and Ramesvara, Please accept my blessings. I have today advised the Bank of America, Los Angeles branch to transfer the whole amount of the two fixed deposits to their Bombay branch, account number 16026, in favor of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Mayapur Vrndavana Fund).Kindly see that it is done. I hope this finds you both in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami --- enc: Letter to Bank of America, L.A ### Letter to Jennifer **Date:** February 15th 1975 — **Location:** Mexico City > San Francisco My dear Jennifer, Please accept my greetings. I am in due reciept of your letter dated Jan. 6th, 1975 and have noted the contents. Thank you for your donation of 20 dollars. We are Vaisnavas. We are not concerned with male or female position in life. That is simply bodily concept of life. It is not spiritual. Whether one is male or female, it doesn't matter, simply chant Hare Krishna and follow the four regulative principles and your life will be perfect. Regarding initiation, it is required that you be recommend by one of our temple presidents to me and then I shall consider it. First of all, one must have followed the regulative principle for at least six months without deviation. It is not necessarily required to live in the temple, but you must observe the rules. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Jennifer Wayne Woodward **Date:** June 10th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Jennifer Wayne Woodward3081 16th St. #201San Francisco, CA. 94103 My dear Jennifer, Please accept my greetings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated June 6, 1975 and have noted the contents. First of all, you decide whether you are female or male, then be one or the other. Then, you may enter our temple any time you like. But sometimes man and sometimes woman, that is not proper. Such awkward thing cannot be allowed. It will be disturbing to others. Anyway, continue to chant Hare Krishna as much as possible. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Jitasvara **Date:** April 17th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Dallas My dear Jitasvara dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated March 27, 1975 and have noted the contents. The best thing for your wife is to try and tolerate the pains and to execute her devotional service to the best of her capacity. If this is difficult, then she should try to get the proper treatment for her problem. And in this case, you may consult with Jagadisa dasa for advice. Under any circumstances, she should follow all the rules and regulations and chant at least 16 good rounds daily. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Jivananda **Date:** February 3rd 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Honolulu My dear Jivananda das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Jan. 8, 1975 and have noted the contents. Thank you for your kind donation for 108 dollars (in check). I hope that you are being very careful to strictly observe all of our basic rules and regulations such as rising early (before 4:00 AM), attending mangala arati and classes, chanting 16 rounds without fail and of course the four regulative principles. Without accepting these things seriously, there is no question of spiritual life. So, I hope you understand the utmost necessity of these things and are remaining pure in your activities. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Jnana, Lilavati **Date:** June 27th 1975 — **Location:** Denver > Nairobi My Dear Jnana das and Lilavati dasi: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated June 16, 1975 hand delivered by Brahmananda Swami. So now that you are married you work together to spread Krsna consciousness. Marriage means that one's service becomes doubled, but at the same time we have to be very careful not to fall into sense gratification. That tendency is there, and we have to be always vigilant. Best thing is to chant carefully our 16 rounds on the beads and always think of Krsna. Brahmananda Swami has given me a good report of the African program, so you two as man and wife make our movement solid there. This I want. I hope this meets you both in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Jnana, Lilavati **Date:** September 12th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Kilifi, Kenya My Dear Jnana das and Lilavati devi dasi: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letters dated August 20, 1975 and have noted the contents. So I think that you are both very well suited for preaching in Africa. If you continue as you are now doing by the mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu you will be very successful. It is by His order that we are carrying this message all over the world. Do not neglect chanting Hare Krishna. Cyavana Swami is submitting very good reports of your activities. Now I am coming there to Africa, and shall see you then. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to John Panama **Date:** April 19th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > John Panama, c/o Zabrek9113 Sudbury Rd.Silver Springs, M.D.20901 USA My dear John Panama, Please accept my greetings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated nil and have noted the contents. Yes, I can help you. But you must want to be helped. Life is not meant for simply eating, sleeping, mating and defending as the animals are doing. It is meant for developing spiritual consciousness or Krishna Consciousness. I think if you could visit one of our temples, it would be very nice for you. We have many temples there on the east coast in Baltimore, Boston, New York, Washington, Philadelphia, etc. I hope you will make the opportunity to go to one of them in the very near future. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps --- P.S. In the meantime, please chant Hare Krishna as often as possible for purification of the heart ### Letter to Joy Deb Mullick **Date:** April 15th 1975 — **Location:** New Delhi > Joy Deb Mullicks/o Late Ratton Lall Mullick50A, Hari Chose Street Calcutta-6 My dear Joy Deb, Please accept my blessings. I have duly received your card sent through my devotees and I am so glad to hear from you after so long a time. I am sending herein an invitation card for our Vrndavana festival from the 20th through the 26th of April. And it will be my great pleasure if you attend the ceremony along with your mother. I hope this will meet you in good health along with your brothers and other family members. Yours affectionately, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Jyotiganesvara **Date:** January 16th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > San Diego My dear Jyotiganesvara das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Jan. 4th, 1975 and have noted the contents. Because I am stressing one thing (book distribution) especially, does that mean that everything else is not important? No. Everything must go on. Please consult with your temple president or your GBC for direction as to what is your best engagement there in San Diego. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Kadamba Kanana **Date:** December 8th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > San Francisco My Dear Kadamba Kanana Prabhu, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 8.31.75. The mercy of the spiritual master is always there, but we have to take it. Just like the sun, it is there for everyone, but we at least have to stand in a receptive place to get the benefit. So I do not know what you have done, but now you remain strict in the regulative practices of devotional service and make progress. I hope this letter finds you well. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/hda ### Letter to Kalacanda **Date:** May 31st 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Los Angeles My dear Kalacanda dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Trivikrama 1,489 and have noted the contents. Thank you for the nice photos. I saw one photo there of Bharadraja's doll studio along with the others. You can tell him that we want many Panca-tattva Deities made out of cement or plaster paris. They can be made the same size as the L.A. Gaura-Nitai Deities. Regarding your sarod playing, I shall hear you play when I come to Los Angeles next. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps --- N.B. Continue doing nice plays for the public. This can be very attractive if it is done very nicely ### Letter to Kapoorji **Date:** November 9th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Sri Kapoor ji International Foundation of Meditation44 Kailash Mandir Kanpur 208001 My dear Kapoorji, I thank you very much for your letter dated September 30, 1975 and also the one on the 22nd which has been forwarded to me. Yes, I left Vrndavana and went to Delhi, then Ahmedabad, then Bombay. And then I went to Mauritius, South Africa and again Mauritius where I met with a major motor accident in my car. All my men got slightly injured and they were saved by Krsna. The accident was very disastrous, but still Krsna saved. Anyway, then I went to Nairobi and from there I have come just the day before yesterday to Bombay. Perhaps I may stay here for some time for finishing our temple construction on this land. So far the Vrndavana Gurukula is concerned, it is already named on the foundation stone as ISKCON Gurukula. Regarding the application of the Gurukula for recognition, kindly send me the necessary requisites for this purpose, but the land is not yet transferred, so we shall seriously think about these things when the land is actually obtained. I hope the meets you in good health. Yours sincerely, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Karandhara **Date:** February 1st 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Culver City, California My dear Karandhara, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 1-28-75 and have noted the contents. I will be leaving Honolulu on Feb. 9th and will be arriving there in Los Angeles on the same day. While I am in L.A., we can discuss your situation in detail. I will see you there. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Karandhara **Date:** June 18th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Tehran My dear Karandhara, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 6/9/75 and have noted the contents. Any position we remain in, we must have full dependence on our spiritual life.—chanting 16 rounds daily, following the four regulative principles, etc. This will maintain our spiritual strength. And if we maintain our spiritual strength, then anywhere we live, we live under the protection of Krishna. A Narayana-para or a person who is fully surrendered to Narayana is not afraid to live even in most dangerous place. He is always safe, under the protection of Narayana. To help the preaching work, that is also preaching. If you can get money to help expand our preaching activities, that is preaching. We require money. Laksmi is the immediate assistant of Narayana. Narayana is always preceded by the word Laksmi. The Mayavadi philosophers do not touch laksmi, but we accept for the service of Krishna. We are not of the mentality of Ravana who took Laksmi from Narayana and became ruined. Keep Laksmi and Narayana always together and you will become as powerful as Hanuman. He is always worshiped along with Lord Rama and Laksmi-Sita. There are many temples of Hanuman in India. Regarding investing money there in Iran, I have no objection if it is kept in Atreya Rsi's name. He is one of our men. Please send the complete details in this connection and I shall decide. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Kartikeya K. Mahadevia **Date:** October 19th 1975 — **Location:** Johannesburg > Kartikeya K. Mahadevia Bombay My dear Kartikeya, Please accept my blessings and offer the same to your wife, Gauridevi, and your children. I am enclosing herewith some foreign stamps for your beloved son, Kirtana. I am very much pleased that now you are taking more active part in the propagation of our missionary activities. Regarding Ahmedabad Centre, we must have a place there. I am also very much eager to open a centre there, Ahmedabad being one of the most opulent and important cities of India. Last time when we held our festival in Ahmedabad it was certainly very encouraging. People are naturally Krishna Conscious there. If we organize properly, people will get enlightenment more and more and they will be happy. We have to organize in the neighboring village from where the Raja Saheb came to offer his respects to me. He has promised to hold a meeting of the agriculturists of 20,000 people minimum and this will be a great opportunity. Now, our next program will be to organize farming land to set an example to the whole world how people can be peaceful, happy, and free from all anxieties simply by chanting Hare Krishna Maha-mantra and living an honorable life in Krishna Consciousness. In India especially people are religiously inclined. They like to live in village and also like to love Lord Rama, Lord Krishna. This idealism is running through their blood and veins. We have to organize their natural tendency and elevate them again back to Home, Back-to-Godhead. Please think over these points very seriously and as soon as I return we shall take up the program. My beloved sannyasi disciple Swami Pusta Krishna has promised to give me a car, and as soon as I get it I shall move from village to village along with some selected assistants and organize this farming village development program. More when we meet, in the meantime I hope that this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/pks ### Letter to Kartikeya Mahadevia **Date:** May 2nd 1975 — **Location:** New Delhi > Karatiey Mahadevia A-11 Sea Pace Park Bhulabhai Desai Road Bombay-400 026 Dear Karatiey, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 27-4-75. The enclosure of the Gujarati paper clipping was received but I could not read the Gujarati language. I could although understand the purport of it. I have already decided to make a trust board for Hare Krishna Land in which there will be twelve trustees. Out of them seven will be Indians and five will be foreigners. Foreigners means, not only Americans, but members of the Commonwealth like England, New Zealand, Australia, etc. I have selected you also one of the trustees out of the Indians. I am reaching Bombay on the morning of the 5th instant, so kindly see me so that before leaving for Australia on the 6th I want to immediately make a document of trustees and get it signed by all concerned. Regarding Ahmedabad program, in Vrndavana, I was certainly a little indisposed, but I have come here in Delhi invited by some MP Ministers in the Central Government. We had one meeting at the place of Brahmananda Reddy, the Home Minister, as well as at the place of Mr. Tripati, the railway minister last night. The meeting was very much successful. They were very much pleased to understand our activities. I am also invited by Mr. L. N. Handa, the late Prime Minister in the central government for a conference at Kuruksetra. We are going there with our party, the morning of the third instant and most probably, I shall come back the same evening. On the fourth instant I shall take rest and then on the fifth morning I shall go to Bombay. This is my present program. I shall be very glad to see you in Bombay on the fifth morning, and we shall discuss how to improve our activities in Hare Krishna Land, Juhu, Bombay. I hope this will meet you in good health. My blessings for your wife and children. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Karunasindhu **Date:** October 16th 1975 — **Location:** Johannesburg > Los Angeles My dear Karunasindhu das, Please accept my blessings. Concerning your letter of Oct. 5, 1975 addressed to Brahmananda Swami, nobody should interfere with our work. There is no need to send anything to be checked by Purusottama das in Vrindaban. It is useless. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/pks ### Letter to Karunasindhu **Date:** November 9th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Los Angeles My dear Karuna Sindhu das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated October 24, 1975 and I have noted the contents. I am very glad to receive your letter. I can understand this cunning Purusottama das has taken advantage of your simplicity. So any one of my godbrothers cannot help me in this way of book writing because they are unfortunate in the matter of preaching work. They are simply trying to infiltrate our society to so something harmful by their attempt. So please do not have any correspondence with this Purusottama or any of my godbrothers, so-called. And do not do anything without consulting me. You can inform this instruction to everyone and send back to me the sheets of corrections sent to you by Purusottama. I was very much anxious to know how Purusottama entered in our camp. Now the matter is clear. Be careful for further dealings with such men. I hope this finds you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Karunasindhu, Kirtiraja **Date:** November 7th 1975 — **Location:** India My Dear Karanasindhu and Kirtiraja das: Please accept my blessings. you should immediately write one letter to Purusottam das in Vrindaban saying that you are not interested in his work nor do you require his help; and whatever books he has got of ours in his possession he may return to our Vrindaban center immediately. A copy of your letter should be sent to me. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ### Letter to Kaumadaki **Date:** September 7th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Los Angeles My dear Kaumadaki devi dasi, Please accept my blessings. This is to acknowledge reciept of your Sri Vyasa Puja offering, August 30, 1975. Thank you very much for it. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Kenneth H. Petchenik **Date:** March 11th 1975 — **Location:** Bhaktivedanta Manor > Kenneth H. Petchenik President, Who's Who in America200 East Ohio Street Chicago, Illinois 60611 U.S.A Dear Sir: I am in due receipt of your letter dated Feb. 28th, 1975 along with the enclosed information of Who's Who in America and data form. Enclosed please find the form duly completed which I hope will meet your requirements. I thank you for your having selected me for being listed in this noteworthy publication. I look forward to receiving the completed biography before publication. I hope this meets you in good health. Yours faithfully, A.C. Bhaktivedanta SvamiACBS/ps ### Letter to Kerry Welsh **Date:** May 20th 1975 — **Location:** Melbourne > Kerry Welsh Whangamata, New Zealand My dear Kerry, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your note and your hand-knitted sweater gift. Thank you very much for this sweater. I have been using it here in Melbourne as it is a little cold here. Please continue living nicely in Krishna Consciousness, chanting 16 rounds daily minimum, rising early, following the rules and regulations, reading my books, and make your life perfect. Regarding your initiation, I will be pleased to accept you as my disciple if Tusta Krishna Swami gives me his recommendation. It appears from your letter that you are following everything very nicely, so if Tusta Krishna Maharaja will recommend you to me, then I will be very happy to accept both you and your wife for first initiation. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami --- ACBSP ### Letter to Kirtanananda **Date:** February 2nd 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > New Vrndavana My dear Kirtanananda Svami, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your recommendations for initiations received on the 2nd of Feb., 1975. I have accepted the ten devotees you have named and their new names are as follows: Gregory—Gaurasakti dasa, Walker—Venkata dasa, Patrick—Parisevana dasa, Barbara—Vibhavari devi dasi, Anne—Amrtaprada devi dasi, Sheryl—Sobhavati, Mary—Mahadevi dasi, Donna—Damagrahya devi daski, Marie—Mudakari devi dasi, Catherine—Kratuphalas devi dasi. You may chant on their japa beads. I have also accepted upon your recommendation, Hunkara dasa, Stavya dasa, Maha devi dasi, Demagrahya devi dasi and Mudakari devi dasi as my duly initiated brahmanas. Let them hear the gayatri mantra through the right ear from the tape of myself saying it. Their threads and a mantra sheet are enclosed herein. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Kirtanananda **Date:** May 31st 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > New Vrndavana My dear Kirtanananda Swami, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated May 23, 1975 and have noted the contents. Your report is very nice to hear. If you give the right protection to the cows, then they will give so much milk, that the ground of New Vrndavana will be muddy with milk. European and American civilization will be finished on account of this sinful activity of killing the cows. Actually, one should not circumambulate when the Deity is open. It is stated in the Nectar of Devotion. I think you can close the doors to the Deity room during Tulasi puja and then open them again afterwards. Regarding my coming to New Vrndavana, yes, I can stay there for the month of August. That will be very nice. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Kirtanananda **Date:** June 9th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > New Vrndavana My dear Kirtanananda Swami, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated June 6, 1975 and have noted the contents. Your report is very nice. It is wonderful to hear that you are distributing 1000 magazines and collecting $1,000 daily. Now, you have plenty of money, milk, fruits, flowers, grains, everything, and you are living in the jungle. What more could you want? I may be coming there immediately after the Philadelphia Rathayatra, and I shall stay until after Janmastami. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Kirtanananda **Date:** August 17th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > New Vrindaban My Dear Kirtanananda Swami: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your telegram. Upon your recommendation I am accepting the following as my initiated disciples and their spiritual names are as follows: Barbara Wolfe—Vedanta dasi; Janet Cleaver—Viduttama dasi; Kurt Cleaver—Sarvasaksi dasa; Florence Walldeck—Vedapriya dasi; Carlos Ordenoz—Nityodita dasa; Gary Williams—Rsi Kumar dasa; Jeff Long—MahaRudra dasa; Jeff Wiseman—Atmabhu dasa; Jeff Daniels—Visvamohan dasa; Eileen Daniels—Vinalangi dasi; Karen Bogdonoff—Janani dasi. I also accept for second initiated brahmanas the following: Suksmarupini dasi, Damagraha dasi, Dharmakala dasi, Maha Kamini dasi, Nogomala dasi, Kunjari dasi, Jalakolahali dasa, Baivsyhe dasa, Caidayastru das, Hari Dharma dasa, Advaitacarya dasa. Enclosed are the sanctified threads and mantra sheet. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Kirtanananda **Date:** November 10th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > New Vrndavana My dear Kirtanananda Swami, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated September 24, 1975 together with your check for $1,111. I thank you very much for it. I was thinking that Kirtanananda Swami is angry upon me because I did not go to New Vrndavana, but what can I do? They are dragging me in so many places and it was arranged for me to see Indira Gandhi, the Prime Minister of India. Therefore, leaving aside all other programs, I had to come here. Of course it has become a little effective because since then the government of India is not considering us an enemy, but they are giving us more and more facility to extend the visa. Then again I had to go to Mauritius, South Africa and East Africa. In Mauritius for the first time in my life I had to meet a very disastrous type of motor accident. We were four in motor carriage, the driver, Brahmananda Swami, Pusta Krsna Swami and myself. The driver was especially injured and we got a little bruises and cuts. Anyway, I have come to Bombay on November 3rd. Here the temple construction is now being undertaken seriously and we are looking after things. You say that you may be a broken gong, but you will never be broken. You are standing solidly by the grace of Krsna. Have faith in guru and Krsna and your attempt will be successful. You know how I started in the U.S.A. with faith both in the spiritual master and Krsna and they are certainly helping me. I am always praying to Krsna that the New Vrndavana attempt will be more and more successful and ideal for your country. That is my only prayer. I am glad to note that Indians are coming and that you are constructing a large kirtana and prasadam hall and also guest rooms. Yes, so you should do it and it will actually be a New Vrndavana in America. According to our program we will have to construct seven temples, Govindaji, Gopinatha, Madana-Mohana, Syamasundara, Damodara, Gokulananda and Radha-Ramana. And later on if possible, Rangunatha also. These guests rooms, it is very good you are constructing because they were needed. I am glad also that you have a new gosala. Let other farms see what is our behavior for the cows and how we derive benefit from them and that will be the living example to persons who are using cow flesh rather than cow milk. Regarding the palace, when will you expect to finish it so I may go there. I am glad to note that Pittsburgh temple management is going on nicely. This is wanted. We want cooperation. Why there should be non cooperation between ourselves. That is not good. Regarding your desire to be relieved of managing these other centers, I may request you to continue until the next Mayapur meeting and then you can make some other arrangement conveniently. Regarding your question about the dancing, the dancing should be done enthusiastically by raising the hands like Panca-Tattva. You can also dance enthusiastically by raising hands. All of Lord Caitanya's followers used to dance with raised hands. If someone dances with ecstasy, that is all right, but it is better to dance with raised hands. Regarding the topics of the Krsna book, this is Istagosthi. Istagosthi means discussion between ourselves but that should not be taken as a competition. It is not the subject matter for competition. It can be discussed in a small group of devotees. That is Istagosthi. This is better than competition. Regarding your recommendations for first and second initiation; I accept the following for first initiation: Ann Shotland—Sukulina dasi and Diana Alpert—Gopalasyapriya dasi. And for second initiation I accept the following as twice-born brahmanas: Janaladha das, Manipuspaka dasi, Manisa dasi, Damodara Pandit das, Kalanidhi das, Uttamauja das, Ajitananda das and Mudhakari devi dasi. Enclosed are their sacred threads and the mantra sheet. Please see that they follow the rules and regulations. This is not to be taken lightly. If it is then surely they will again fall under the influence of maya. Mama maya duratyaya [Bg. 7.14].I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd --- N.B. I am in due receipt of your letter dated November 6, 1975 with enclosed check for U.S. 1111.00 which replaces your previous check which you have cancelled. I am glad to see that the Brijbasi spirit is improving in get-up. Yes, it is all right to close the Buffalo farm. It is also all right to move Radha Madhava to Nandagram and keep Gaura-Nitai and Lord Jagannatha at Madhuban. ACBS ### Letter to Kirtiraja **Date:** September 26th 1975 — **Location:** Ahmedabad > Los Angeles My Dear Kirtiraja das: Please accept my blessings. I have seen the latest reviews that you have sent with your letter and I thank you for them. The linguistics professor has correctly remarked. It was my intention in presenting the books that anyone who would read, they would learn Sanskrit. For example almost all of my disciples are pronouncing Sanskrit very nicely just by reading my books. He says that there is no pronunciation guide, but it is there is it not? The best thing would be is a recording. Therefore our process for learning is by hearing. Hearing is so important. The other professor has remarked that my books will be appreciated by students of consciousness. That is very good. Our books are meant to educate people in consciousness. And, it is very good that the other professor has recommended the Krsna Book for undergraduate study. This book should be introduced as a Krsna study book. As soon as the book is discussed in the class the books will be purchased by the students. Now you should publish a booklet of all these quotes. It will be very effective. This must be done. The questionnaire for Religious Who's Who is enclosed. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Kirtiraja **Date:** October 16th 1975 — **Location:** Johannesburg > Los Angeles My dear Kirtiraja dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated October 8, 1975, and I have noted the contents carefully. As soon as someone is trained then go to preach very nicely in Poland. Try to make some literature in Polish and Russian. Anyone can be trained to execute orders in sending out the books but preaching requires special qualification. So you have this good qualification for preaching and now do it very nicely. I hope that this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/pks ### Letter to Kirtiraja **Date:** December 2nd 1975 — **Location:** New Delhi My Dear Kirtiraja Prabhu, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of you letter dated November 17, 1975. Due to traveling I have not received it till just now, but in the meantime I have learned from Hansadutta Prabhu that you have already arrived in Germany. So you work with Cakravarti and Alanatha Prabhu, they will give you good advice and help. I am very happy that you are taking a chance for Krishna, do everything very carefully and sincerely, Krishna will help you. Lord Caitanya predicted that in the modern age this movement would be spread to every town and village of the world. So by the sincere help of you American and European boys and girls it is actually happening. It is not bogus, like communism, socialism and so many isms going on in the world today. But is purely spiritual authorized by the disciplic succession tracing all the way back to Krishna himself who spoke this science of life 5,000 years ago on the battlefield of Kuruksetra. The battlefield is still there and you will be happy to know that yesterday we have been at that very spot where Krishna spoke to Arjuna, and we will build a gorgeous Krishna Arjuna temple there. People will come from all over the world to see it and understand the authority and sublime message of Lord Krishna. Please keep me informed how you are progressing with your mission. I hope this letter finds you and your good wife well. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/hda ### Letter to Kirtiraja **Date:** December 31st 1975 — **Location:** Bombay My Dear Kirtiraja Prabhu, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated December 7, 1975. I am very please to note your activities in Warsaw Poland. Yes if you can arrange for the translation of my books in Polish language that will please me very much. We do not have to manufacture anything new. We are getting perfect knowledge from krishna through the disciplic succession, so our position is very firm. Whatever we hear from the bona fide spiritual master should be practiced in life and the same message delivered to whomever we meet. In this way you become spiritual master. We have got so many big big books now, so any sane man will appreciate them, you simply have to present them, that's all. Is it very difficult? It is being done all over the world and professors and scholars are appreciating them by writing reviews and introducing them as standard text books in their university courses. So try to present my books there. It is assure of success because Lord Caitanya predicted, "In ever town and village of the world, my name will be known" The whole world is full of rascals presenting concocted ideas and everyone is suffering. Caitanya Mahaprabhu came just to deliver these rascals. How?hare nama hare nama hare nama eva kevalamkalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyathaChant Hare Krishna, induce others to chant, and distribute prasadam. This can be done everywhere, who will object. Temple or no temple, you simply chant and give prasadam and it will act. I am very please that you have taken so much courage and I pray that Krishna will bless you with more and more success. Please keep me informed of your activities and send copy to Hansadutta and Cakravarti in Germany so that they may help you as far as possible. I hope this letter finds you well. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ### Letter to Kirtiraja **Date:** January 12th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Los Angeles My dear Kirtiraja das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Dec. 31, 1974 and have noted the contents. Any householder devotee who is working full-time (with his wife) as a sankirtana book distributer, of temple managerial duties, artist, cook, etc. shall be provided food, shelter, and other bare minimum necessities by the temple itself. They should not cook their own meals separate from the temple meals. If they have children, then some minimal allowance may be given according to the number of children. If they want anything extra or over and above what the temple president sees as absolute necessity, then they should work outside—the temple cannot pay for anything beyond the bare necessities. And definitely, the BBT cannot pay any salary to anybody. Our philosophy is "simple living and high thinking"—not sense gratification. The temple presidents and leaders (elder students) must show this by example. Temple or asrama means for renunciation and renounced persons. If one is engaged in self-realization process, then his material necessities become almost nil. Persons who do not like this can work outside. Regarding food-stamps and welfare, if we have to fabricate some lie, that is not good. It can be done only if it is completely honest. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Kirtiraja **Date:** May 28th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Los Angeles My dear Kirtiraja dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated May 26, 1975 and have noted the contents. Thank you for sending the book reviews. They are very encouraging to me. As much as possible, we want our books to be accepted by all learned circles of men. Regarding sending books freely to any library. The system that you can adopt is to send the books and tell them to read them over for one week's time. If they do not like the book, they should send it back at our cost. If they like it and want it, then they can send the amount of money to us (whatever the book sells for). But, we cannot give books away free to anyone. They must be paid for. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Kirtiraja **Date:** September 15th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Los Angeles My Dear Kirtiraja das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letters dated September 7 & 8th and have noted the contents and the enclosures. The reviews are very nice. He has written that people will want to learn Bengali just to read Caitanya Caritamrta. That was the prediction of my Guru Maharaja. This is very enlivening. Get all these appreciations published in a nice booklet. Regarding your preaching in Poland, you go there immediately. Take this opportunity. I want that our preaching be pushed in the Eastern European countries. I have recently written to Bhagavan Das and Hansadutta regarding this. This boy who has written from Poland, can be sent a set of books, Krishna Book, Caitanya Caritamrta, and Bhagavad-gita. If he cannot pay that is all right. You are an intelligent boy, and I know that you will be successful in preaching there. Regarding my birth date, it is September 1, 1896. Why is there question? I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Krsna dasa **Date:** February 15th 1975 — **Location:** Mexico City > Dallas My dear Krsna dasi, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated nil and have noted the contents. You are very fortunate to be attending the Gurukula school. You please take advantage of it and become a pure devotee of Lord Krishna. I would like to come there very much and see all of my sons and daughters there. I will be coming sometime soon, maybe next time I come back to USA after the Mayapur and Vrndavana festivals. Be very careful to follow all of the regulative principles nicely and chant 16 rounds and study my books very deeply. This will make you able to go back to Godhead at the end of your life. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Krsna Devi **Date:** March 14th 1975 — **Location:** Tehran > Dallas My dear Krishna Dasi, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated March 4th, 1975 and have noted the contents. Thank you for the karatala bag. It is very beautiful. I was very happy to see all of you bright-faced children at Gurukula. And I am already thinking of when I can come and visit there again. You are so fortunate to have such training in Krishna Consciousness from the very beginning of childhood. So, take full advantage of it and follow very obediently what your older Godbrothers and Godsisters ask you to do. Chant Hare Krishna all day and dance nicely. Eat nice Krishna Prasadam and go back to Godhead, back to home. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Krsna Vilasini **Date:** June 3rd 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Los Angeles My dear Krsna Vilasini devi dasi, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated May 29th, 1975 and have noted the contents. There are many examples in history of persons who have been very much disabled physically, but still have executed Krishna Consciousness. Still, up to date in places like Vrndavana, India, there are many persons who are blind, crippled, lame, deformed, etc., but they are determined to practice Krishna Consciousness to their best ability. So, you should also do like that. Simply be determined to practice the process of Bhakti-yoga with whatever abilities you may have. If you are really sincere, then Krishna will give you help. If you require any medical help, you can take as much as is needed. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Krsnanandini **Date:** April 8th 1975 — **Location:** Mayapur > Cleveland My dear Krsnanandini devi dasi, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated March 3rd, 1975 and have noted the contents carefully. Regarding Bhumata devi dasi's affliction, she should simply take the proper treatment. Make the best out of a bad bargain. This material body is a bad bargain because it is always miserable. So, to make the best out of this bad bargain means to render devotional service in any circumstance. The dust from the lotus feet of the spiritual master is never to be used for material benefit. That is a great misconception. The best thing is that the girl tries her best to chant 16 rounds daily and to follow all of the rules and regulations even if she is afflicted with something, and in this way, she willfully understand the mercy of Krishna and the spiritual master. I will be in Hawaii in May and June and then American mainland for about 6 weeks. She can send her offering to Hawaii. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Krsnavesa **Date:** January 16th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > London My dear Krsnavesa dasi, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Jan. 10th, 1975 and have noted the contents. Thank you for your nice book-bag. My request to you is that you try to follow the authorities there, the temple president, the GBC, etc.—co-operated nicely with them. Our movement is based on love and trust, so if we do not co-operate, then how is that love and trust? Follow all of the rules and regulations very strictly without deviation, chant 16 rounds, attend class and mangala arati and then everything will be alright. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Kunj Bihari Shastri **Date:** May 11th 1975 — **Location:** Perth > Australia Mathura, U.P., India My dear Kunj Bihari Shastri, I am in due receipt of your note. Your desire to stay with us for regular recitation of the Srimad-bhagavatam is welcome. So, for a few days, you can stay with us and see how it will be suitable for you. But, one thing is the language difficulty. All our men are speaking in English. Still, you can make an experiment and if you like, then you can live with us provided you follow our rules and regulations. Just now, I am on tour and I shall be glad to receive your reply to my Honolulu address as follows: 51 Coelho Way, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. Then I shall do the needful. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Kurusrestha **Date:** July 2nd 1975 — **Location:** Denver > Denver Dear Kurusrestha, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated July 2, 1975. Upon your recommendation, I am accepting the following twice born brahmanas; Koshalendra Das Adhikari, Jyoti Das Adhikari. Enclosed please find their threads sanctified by me. I also accept as my initiated disciples the following devotees and their spiritual names follow: Al Rhiener—Adhata, Cleef Athey—Kamari Das. Please see that they are chanting 16 rounds & following the four regulative principles. Now hold a fire sacrifice and let the brahmanas hear the Gayatri mantra tape that I have spoken in their right ear. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ### Letter to Kurusrestha **Date:** September 26th 1975 — **Location:** Ahmedabad > Denver My Dear Kurusrestha das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated September 13, 1975 and have noted the contents with pleasure. The District Court has given us the permission "for as long as the country lasts." Were these exact words used in the judgement? This is very funny. The judge is a very funny man. He should be sent a congratulation letter. This should be quoted. Actually any gentleman should be a little humorous. So Krishna has given you the chance to spread Krishna consciousness so long your country lasts. So try to sell a similar quantity of books every day as you are now doing and that will encourage me. And you can offer your heartiest thanks to the justice because he has given us such a great facility. May by the grace of Krishna your country last forever, and may the justice also live a long time and may you go on selling books. That is my desire. Your country is very much liked by me, and I am sure that if your country takes this Krishna consciousness movement than nobody will be able to vanquish America at any time. With this aim in view try to convert your great country to become krishna conscious. There is a good chance for it, so if you try, you can do it. That is my opinion. I like America very much. So many good boys have come to me from America. Unless your country is good, how could good boys and girls come? You are not poverty sticken. That is a great qualification. You have all good qualities. You are open-minded people. So please go on breaking every month the records of how money you send to BBT. The more you go on in this way, the more your country will go on everlastingly. I see in your country that the girls are being exploited. They are taught to be independent so they become the playthings for sex. So where is the freedom? I want that they live, man and wife together, chant Hare Krishna and be happy. When I was in Denver I saw the temple very nice. You have great potential for spreading Krishna consciousness there. So if you organize things, it will be very nice. That the people are receiving you nicely, these are all signs of improvement. You have to be determined in your preaching, and at the same time remain humble. The two brother Jagai and Madhai injured Lord Nityananda, but still he continued to preach, and they became great Vaisnavas. In the beginning we have to face awkward situations, but if we stick to our principles and continue to preach, things will come round to our favor. The University wants you because they have seen it is as a good movement. Stick to our principles and be humble even if there is provocation; and things will come out successful. This is the instruction of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, trnad api sunicena. Regarding your festivals with prasadam, yes do it occasionally. There is no need of accumulating wealth more. You can get wealth more, and also spend wealth more. This is brahmanaism. Get and spend, but not to spoil and squander. This example should be shown to others. That the City was paying you means that they are appreciating. Gradually they will all appreciate very much. Upon your recommendation I am accepting the following as my initiated disciples and there spiritual names are as follows: Mike Puglise—Govardhanadhari dasCheryl Puglise—Gopanandakari devi dasiChristina Mills—Pradhanagopika dasiScott Byrnes—Yajnopabhokta dasPlease see that they follow the four regulative principles strictly and chant 16 rounds daily, and they will remain strong in Krishna consciousness. I also give brahminical initiation to Puja dasi. The mantra sheet is enclosed. She can hear at the fire sacrifice my tape recording through the right ear. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Kurusrestha **Date:** June 9th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Denver My dear Kurusrestha dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated June 5, 1975 and have noted the contents. I am very very pleased with your report about how things are going there. This is very encouraging news. Yes, I will come there. I am leaving Honolulu for L.A. on the 20th of June, and on the 27th of June, I shall come to Denver for 6 or 7 days stay on my way to Chicago temple. Make sure all of the devotees there are working very sincerely, following all of the rules and regulations, chanting 16 rounds, and reading every day, and everything will be successful. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Kusa **Date:** February 3rd 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Honolulu My dear Kusa devi dasi, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Jan. 30, 1975 and have noted the contents. I have studied your situation carefully and I encourage you to live in the temple in the association of fixed up devotees who are following my teachings strictly. If your husband cannot follow our principles properly, you are not to think that you should let that hamper your spiritual life. You should stay with us and cultivate spiritual life peacefully under Krishna's protection and care. If he is not interested in spiritual life, let him do as he pleases. I have given all of my disciple instructions to follow for making spiritual advancement, but if they do not have the desire to follow, then what can I do? Anyone who is unwilling to follow our regulated principles, you should not live or associate closely with such a person. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Laksmimoni **Date:** January 2nd 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Dallas My dear Laksmimoni devi, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Dec. 18th, 1974 and have noted the contents. Thank you for your nice pictures of Sri Sri Radha Gopinatha in Toronto. The thing is, we should have little common sense in all activities. The example can be given that women by nature do not forget to dress very nicely although always engaged in household affairs. Deity worship is just as important as book distribution. As we sing in the Gurvastakam prayers, srivigrahara dhana-nitya-nana-srngara-tanmandira-marjanadau. So, it should be very nicely done, and at the same time, book distribution should be done. Not that we should do one thing at the sacrifice of another. That requires a little common sense. Factually, we should be engaged 24 hours in Krishna's service and everything should be done very nicely and perfectly. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Laksmimoni **Date:** June 23rd 1975 — **Location:** Los Angeles > Dallas My Dear Laksmimoni devi: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated June 21, 1975 with enclosed photo. Generally it is not good for the women with babies to worship the Deity, because a baby means uncleanliness. You have to touch the baby and there is so many dirtiness, so how can you remain sanctified? But if you are doing it nicely, then it is okay. But, if you have to take care of the baby, then it is not good. Why is Nandarani not taking care of the Deity? I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Lalana **Date:** March 18th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Miami My dear Lalana devi dasi, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 3-7-75 and have noted the contents. It is very nice that you are learning to weave. That is a great asset to have. I have no objection to your coming to India as long as your temple president and GBC do not object. So, consult with them and do the needful. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Lalita Priya **Date:** May 7th 1975 — **Location:** Perth > Australia Edinburgh, Scotland My dear Lalita Priya devi, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated April 10th, 1975 and have noted the contents. I am happy to know that you are feeling blissful in our Krishna Consciousness movement. We should follow in the footsteps of Lord Caitanya and the six Goswamis of Vrndavana. They were always serving Krishna in the mood of separation. They never said that "now I have seen Krishna" or "last night I danced with Krishna"—No. They were crying where is Krishna, and they were always searching after Him, wondering when they would finally be able to see Him. We should also desire intensely to see and be with Krishna, but first thing is to become purified through devotional service. It is not possible otherwise. So, keep on helping me to spread this Krishna Consciousness movement, following the rules and regulations very carefully, and your life will be perfected and you will see Krishna. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Lalitananda **Date:** May 26th 1975 — **Location:** Hawaii My Dear Lalitananda dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated May 13rd, 1975 and have noted the contents. I am very sorry that you have taken to homosex. It will not help you advance in your attempt for spiritual life. In fact, it will only hamper your advancement. I do not know why you have taken to such abominable activities. What can I say? Anyway, try to render whatever service you can to Krishna. Even though you are in a very degraded condition Krishna, being pleased with your service attitude, can pick you up from your fallen state. You should stop this homosex immediately. It is illicit sex, otherwise, your chances of advancing in spiritual life are nil. Show Krishna you are serious, if you are. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ### Letter to Lata **Date:** March 19th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Pittsburgh My dear Lata devi dasi, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated nil and have noted the contents. Krishna Consciousness is the only truth that exists. Without Krishna Consciousness everything is illusion. You must not waste this life away thinking that everything belongs to you. Everything belongs to Krishna and it must be used in His service. Even your body and mind belong to Krishna and it must be used for Krishna's glorification. Otherwise, if you use your body or mind any other way, you will have to suffer so many future miseries such as rebirth, etc. So, I request you to please try and chant 16 good rounds daily and to follow the four regulative principles as well as to read my books carefully. And give up all these foolish ideas. If you sincerely try to do this, Krishna will reciprocate by giving you the necessary intelligence and determination to carry on in Krishna Consciousness. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Lesley Fordham **Date:** January 12th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Bhaktivedanta Manor My dear Bhaktin Lesley Fordham, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated nil and have noted the contents. Thank you very much for participating in this sankirtana movement. I am glad to hear that you are enthusiastic about chanting. Keep chanting 24 hours if possible. This constant chanting of Krishna's names will assure you of not falling down from His service. Never leave the association of devotees, otherwise it will be very difficult to chant constantly. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Lilavati **Date:** April 17th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Paris My dear Lilavati dasi, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated April 2, 1975 and have noted the contents. Bhagavan das and Brahmananda Swami have suggested that you go to London and collect the money for your ticket there and then immediately go to Africa to help there. I think that will be nice. Make sure that you follow all of the rules and regulations, and chant at least 16 rounds daily. That will make you out of the reach of Maya. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Locanananda **Date:** January 16th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Paris My dear Locanananda das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Dec. 31st, 1975 and have noted the contents. Your ideas are good and are surely worth considering. I have discussed them with Bhagavan das and he also thinks that it may be possible to unify Europe in this way. So, Bhagavan should be going back to Europe in a couple of weeks and we shall see how things are working out there. Please keep yourself fixed up in Krishna Consciousness by strictly adhering to all the rule and regulations. Always be sure to chant 16 rounds and study my books daily. This will keep you strong in spiritual life. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Locanananda **Date:** July 7th 1975 — **Location:** Evanston > Illinois Amsterdam My Dear Locanananda das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated June 17, 1975 and am very pleased to read the contents. I have also received the copies of the Dutch pamphlet. The get up is very nice. I thank you very much. The picture of Krsna on the inside front cover is very nice. It is very natural. Krsna is so young, and I see on the following page that everyone is getting old. That is the difference of the spiritual world and the material world. On the whole this pamphlet is very nice. Regarding your proposal for printing the condensed version of Bhagavad-gita, yes, do it. From your figures of book distribution you are doing real preaching. Which books are you distributing? Your prasadam program is also very important. Continue it. By chanting and giving prasadam you will get so many devotees. Yes, as you say the purity is attractive to people. Continue it. Our only asset is our purity. pavitram paramam bhavam. You cannot reach Krsna without being pure, because He is the supreme pure. Yes, on my next visit to Europe, I will certainly visit your temple. Upon your recommendation, I accept the following as my initiated disciples and their names are: Henk van Teylingen—Hayesvara dasa; Gabriel Sebach—Gabhiratma dasa; Ernesto Lucifero—Ekatma dasa. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs --- N.B. The translation work of Bhagavad-gita in Dutch language is very important work. Do it nicely ### Letter to Lokamangala **Date:** February 2nd 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Brooklyn My dear Lokamangala das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Jan. 30, 1975 and have noted the contents. You have asked me what I feel is the best engagement for you at this time and in response, I kindly request you to continue to distribute my books full-time. You are very expert in this matter and you can also teach others how to do it. At the present moment, the plays are not as important as our book distribution. So, my desire is that you increase your book distribution more and more and be blessed by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Lokananda, Ramesvarai **Date:** November 9th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Amsterdam My dear Lokananda das, and Ramesvarai dasi, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letters dated October 17 and October 20, 1975. With regard to your son, let him see the Deity and ask him to offer obeisances. He will see and learn it. Yes, the body is received according to karma, still it is not an impediment to advance in Krsna consciousness by being deaf. Just teach him to see the Deity and how to offer obeisances and he will take prasadam. These things will elevate him to Krsna consciousness. Later on if Krsna desires, he can develop his hearing power. Krsna is almighty and He can do whatever He likes. What is the use of the karmi deaf school. Better to sit him down before the Deity and see and offer obeisances. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to M. N. Chaudhuri **Date:** December 17th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Sriman M.N. Chaudhuri,Dept. of Development and Planning,Government of West Bengal,Raj Bhavan, Calcutta Dear Sriman Chaudhur, Please accept my blessings. I am very pleased to meet you the other day at the airport of Delhi. I think it was ordained by Lord Krishna because I need your help in the service of Lord Krishna. The bearer of this letter is my secretary of our Mayapur establishment, and he will explain to you about our activities there. It will be a great satisfaction if you kindly visit our Mayapur establishment to see how things are going on there. We are developing a plan there to be self sufficient. Namely to produce our food grains, maintain cows for drinking milk, and weave cloth for garments, and for this purpose we want a considerable tract of land. For this purpose I wish that the government may acquire some land for us so that we may develop our plan, and I hope you can help me in this connection. Sriman Jayapataka will further explain to you in this connection and I hope you will kindly do the needful. I hope this letter meets you well. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/hda ### Letter to M. V. Sita Ramalai **Date:** January 16th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Sri M.V. Sita Ramalai, Advocate Danavayipeta Rajahmundry 533103 East Godavari A.P My dear Sri M.V. Ramalal, Please accept my greetings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 21-12-74 and have noted the contents. In regards to your question, we are accepting the Srimad-Bhagavatam as it is without interpretation and in that book in the 3rd chapter of the 1st canto all the incarnations of Godhead are listed. (at least the major ones are there). It is stated there that Lord Ramacandra advented and also disappeared many many 100's of thousands of years ago. This is all I can say on this matter. I cannot go beyond what the sastra says. If you happen to go to Hyderabad sometime, you are welcome to visit our Radha-Krishna Temple there. The address is: Hare Krishna Land, Nampally Station Road, AP. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Madame Sangupta **Date:** January 15th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay DetroitMadame Sangupta, Please accept my greetings. I am in due receipt of your Bengali letter dated 29-12-74 and have noted the contents. The grievances of family life are always the same everywhere. There is nothing new in your case. I am very glad you have taken shelter there at our Detroit temple. You can remain there without any hesitation and learn how to become a devotee. We have no Bengali books. All of our books are in English, but you can chant always Hare Krishna and follow the rules and regulations and this will help you in the advancement of spiritual life. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Madhava **Date:** May 20th 1975 — **Location:** Melbourne > Coconut Grove, Florida My dear Madhava dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated nil and have noted the contents. You go to those rascals and they will convert you. You are not so strong that you can convince them and convert them from their foolishness. It is distinctly said in the Bhagavad-gita that the purpose of Vedic knowledge is to understand Krishna, vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyo, [Bg. 15.15]. So, we are presenting Krishna in so many ways, politically, socially, economically, philosophically, and religiously, etc. We are describing Him in 75 books of 400 pages each. Better read these books thoroughly and be firmly convinced yourself before going to these demons for convincing them. if you are weak yourself, while trying to convert them, you will be converted by them. Don't try any hard task before you are very strong. Chant 16 rounds daily, follow the rules and regulations, and read our books. Don't become very big preacher immediately. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Madhava Maharaja **Date:** January 14th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Puri My dear Sripada Madhava Maharaja, Please accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet. I understand from the letter of Asita das that he has gone to your place in Jagannatha Puri. He has asked permission from me for taking initiation from you. I have given him my permission and you can initiate him if you like so that he may increase his devotional service there. By the by, I beg to inform you that I have arranged for the opening of the temple in Vrndavana on Sri Ram Navami day by the 20th of April, 1975. Perhaps you know it that the ceremony was to take place on last Janmastami, but as the temple was not finished at that time, it could not be. Therefore, it was postponed. I wish to know whether your Holiness will kindly participate in this ceremony during that time to install the deity properly according to the Hari-bhakti-Vilasa regulations. His Excellency, the Governor of Uttar Pradesh has kindly consented to join us during the ceremony. So, I shall be very glad to hear from you in this respect by return post. I am obliging. I hope this meets you in good health, and thanking you in anticipation for an early reply. Yours obediently, A.C. Bhaktivedanta SvamiACBS/ps ### Letter to Madhava Maharaja **Date:** March 8th 1975 — **Location:** Bhaktivedanta Manor > Personal My dear Sripada Madhava Maharaja, Please accept my humble dandavats. I thank you very much for your letter dated Feb. 5th, 1975, addressed to our Hawaii temple. I started from Bombay on the 24th of January, and then via Hong Kong and Tokyo, I reached Hawaii on the 29th of January. Then, I left Hawaii for Los Angeles and Mexico. From Mexico, I went to Caracas, South American countries, Miami, Atlanta, Dallas, and New York. And just last night I arrived in London at the below address. Your letter arrived in Hawaii after I had already left that place and I received your letter redirected to New York only two days ago. So, just now, I am getting the opportunity to reply your kind letter. A similar letter was addressed to Sripada Sridhara Maharaja inviting him, but he has not objected to the temple being open on the Srim Rama Navami day. Sridhara Maharaja on account of his uncertain health condition will not be able to take any active part in celebrating the ceremony, but he has promised to come provided his health permits. I have therefore entrusted the matter to a learned pandita, brahmana, Bhimasena Vedacarya, a great astrologer and learned brahmana. He has agreed to conduct the ceremony. Details may be discussed as soon as I return to India by the 16th of March in Bombay, then we will have a detailed program. Another thing is that I have invited the Governor of U.P., Mr. Channa Reddy and he has also agreed to join the ceremony. Under the circumstances, I don't think it will be possible to change the scheduled date. If we change the date, the Governor may not be available because he has his program fixed up. On my return to India, I shall again try to revise the whole situation as far as possible and let you know. I hope this meets you in good health. Yours obediently, A.C. Bhaktivedanta SvamiACBS/ps ### Letter to Madhavananda **Date:** July 25th 1975 — **Location:** Los Angeles > Paris My Dear Madhavananda dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated July 25, 1975 and I am glad to know that everything is going on well in the Paris temple. Upon your recommendation I am accepting the following as my initiated disciples: Olivier Anconne—Bhusana dasaFrank—Visodhana dasaFrances Marlier—Anisa devi dasiAlso upon your recommendation, I am accepting the following as twice-born initiated brahmanas: Indriyadamana dasa BrahmacariMahabala dasa BrahmacariBrajisma dasa BrahmacariVrsaktri dasa BrahmacariAvyaya dasa AdhikariJyestha devi dasiNavalanga devi dasiTheir sanctified threads and mantra sheets are enclosed. Please hold the fire sacrifice and impress upon them that they are taking vows before Radha Krsna, the Spiritual Master, and the assembled Vaisnavas. Please see that they are chanting 16 rounds and following the four regulative principles. This is your responsibiity. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS:od ### Letter to Madhudvisa **Date:** January 8th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Melbourne My dear Madhudvisa Svami, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Dec. 16th, 1974 and have noted the contents. We can have the installation there in May if you think it is wiser. I have accepted Bhakta Wayne and Bhakta Rod as my firstly initiated disciples. Their names are as follows: Venugopala and Ramasaran. Also I have accepted Antaratma dasa, Ramai dasa, Gunavati dasi, and Camari dasi as duly initiated brahmanas. Their threads and mantra sheets are enclosed. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps --- Enc: 4 sacred threads and mantra sheet ### Letter to Madhudvisa **Date:** January 21st 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Alexandria, Australia My dear Madhudvisa Svami, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Jan. 4th, 1975 and have noted the contents. Thank you for settling things up nicely in Fiji. Enclosed, please find one copy of a letter to Vijoya das requesting him to work co-operatively with Asta Siddhi das. Try to get some nice farm. That will be very good. If we can produce milk products and grain, there will be grand success. I was so much pleased with your book distribution there. I am sure that the coming year will be even better. I am very much encouraged by big book distribution. I have received information from Ramesvara that 50,000 big books will be distributed every month in 1975. Introduce the books as far as possible. That is the success of our mission. Please send the next shipment of ghee immediately, as it takes quite a while for it to reach India. Shipments should be sent regularly every six months. The amount that you sent last shipment was good, send that much twice a year. You are so humble and so sincere, this is a sign of your success. May Krishna bless you more and more. Krishna has placed you in that position. Now, you should always be fully conscious of your great responsibility. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Madhudvisa **Date:** June 6th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu My Dear Madhudvisa SwamiPlease accept my blessings. I am writing to find out what has happened with the Fiji affair. What has happened to the registration of the society in Fiji. When I left it was settled up that you would remain there until the completion, but I have not heard from you and I am anxious to know what is the situation there. Please inform me. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/hkdb ### Letter to Madhudvisa **Date:** June 17th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Melbourne My dear Madhudvisa Swami, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated June 11, 1975 and have noted the contents. Regarding Ratha-yatra, we shall chose the most favorable time to hold our celebration. If for our preaching, it is going to be more beneficial to hold it in September, then you may do so. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/psN.B. --- I am awaiting your report ### Letter to Madhudvisa **Date:** August 4th 1975 — **Location:** Detroit > Melbourne My Dear Madhudvisa Swami: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your GBC report and have noted the contents carefully. Yes, it is good that you are sending everybody on Sankirtana party, and also that everybody is taking prasada together. This is all very good. And, the cutting of the long hairs is also good. They should all adopt our means of life, and we should behave in such a way that others may follow. Regarding Sydney, that the President has left, if one does not follow the regulative principles, then he will leave. That is a fact. Has somebody else been elected? This is the function of the GBC, to see that one may not be taken away by maya. The GBC should all be the instructor gurus. I am in the initiator guru, and you should be the instructor guru by teaching what I am teaching and doing what I am doing. This is not a title, but you must actually come to this platform. This I want. Regarding Adelaide, unless you are sure that the Deity worship will go on nicely, do not install the Deity. Simply have kirtana and keep the Panca-tattva picture, that's all. What are the ingredients of the Lord Caitanya murti? Metal or wood is best, but not ordinary wood. Neem wood which is never attacked by moth is best. Regarding New Zealand Spiritual Sky, that you must decide. Spiritual Sky is not important. Regarding Fiji, you can decide what to do there. I have written Mr. Punja to lease the land to us in the name of ISKCON for 99 years. Yes, it is all right for you to observe Caturmasya if you can manage in the mornings. The Deities should be offered the regular prasada. The Deities are not devotees. They are Lords. But, it is a fact that Lord Caitanya observed, as we find in Caitanya Caritamrta, but it is not necessary for Them to follow there in your temple. Regarding your Ratha Yatra and my visit, nothing should be done according to my schedule. I am an old man. My visits should remain independent. As far as possible I am travelling, but nowadays I am feeling a little inconvenience. Still I am thinking to go to Australia during December or January as you like. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Madhudvisa **Date:** November 4th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Melbourne My Dear Madhudvisa Swami: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated October 21, 1975, and I thank you very much for it. Now I am getting old, so if you can do things without me, that will be a great pleasure for me. You are an experienced devotee and know how to manage things, and you have good men there to help you so I am sure that you can carry on things nicely. Still if I get the chance, I will come for the Ratha Yatra festival. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Madhudvisa **Date:** November 7th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Melbourne My Dear Madhudvisa Swami: Please accept my blessings. I have seen your letter to Brahmananda Swami dated October 9, 1975. They promised before me to follow the principles. If they are not, then they are not allowed to initiate, but if they are actually following, then they are allowed. These things should be raised in our next meeting in Mayapur and decided. My point is that even if somebody does not go in one line with the rest of the godbrothers, he can remain separately, but it does not mean that he may disobey the principles that I have laid down. So long as one follows the principles, he continues to be my disciple. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Madhudvisa **Date:** November 10th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Melbourne My dear Madhudvisa Swami, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated September 16, 1975 together with the nice photographs and the professor's review. From the photo it appears that everything is very nice. I am very glad. In Melbourne, Australia who dreamt that there would be such a nice temple, Radha-Krsna, and that local men would be worshiping. And still anyone who is sincerely serving, he will get inspiration how to do it nicely. Krsna is there in his heart. As is stated in Bhagavad-gita:tesam evanukamparthamaham ajnana-jam tamahnasayamy atma-bhavasthojnana-dipena bhasvata"Out of compassion for them, I, dwelling in their hearts, destroy with the shining lamp of knowledge the darkness born of ignorance." [Bg. 10.11]As a child when I was going to the neighboring Mallik temple, I was thinking then when will I have such a nice Deity to worship and now Krsna is so kind that I am establishing so many nice temples all over the world. Now I want that there should be established 108 temples before my death, so you think how to do it. Make some program, train up devotees. All temples in Melbourne, London, Paris, Bombay, all are very nice. Everything is very bright and brilliant. The Deity is proof of the sincere service. It is the duty of the GBC now to maintain this. Their duty is how to enthuse them and maintain. You mention about the wrist-watch given to the Deity. Was it made in Melbourne? Or somewhere else. Was it made in Japan? The dresses are made very nicely. It appears from the photographs. Some of the dressmakers may come here to India, one or two of them. Krsna is supplying the ideas for you to take photos like this, so you will be recognized by Krsna. Sarvasya caham hrdi sannivistho/ mattah smrtir jnanam apohanam ca [Bg. 15.15].Regarding the review, the professor has got the real picture. We do not want any compromise. Indological means you have to have the correct view. Regarding your questions, the first question, when a soul reincarnates, does he associate with the souls he associated within his lives, that is not necessarily so. Even if he associates, how can he recognize them because everyone changes his body. Regarding your question about karmic debt, yes, it is generally that the debtor is obliged to take birth and also the creditor. Sometimes the creditor takes birth as the son of the debtor and after being a very affectionate son for a few days, he dies and thus the debtor becomes aggrieved very much. This is the punishment. In this way in every transaction the participants are becoming involved in their resultant action of karma. This is karma-bandhana, in Bhagavad-gita, or the bondage of different fruitive activity. It is advised that one should act only for Krsna, otherwise he will be involved in karma-bandhana. Regarding your second question, whether a person who is a Negro, Chinese, Indian, etc. are they different species of life making up the 400,000 species. Yes, so far their body is concerned. Your question whether woman in each one of these species is another separate species, no, the species means both man and woman of the same type. Of course, strictly speaking the woman is taken differently, otherwise how would Krsna say striyo vaisyas tatha sudras. Regarding Rathayatra, yes, if possible I will go and I shall let you know timely. I am glad to note that you are sending men to India. This is very good. Thank you very much. Since they are Australian, they will not require any visa. Now in India we require very good men, men who are steady, who follow the rules and regulations and who are willing to work hard. Here in Bombay we have started our Bombay construction and so on. Men who come here, they should be prepared to stay here for at least two years. And they must be very strict in following the rules and regulations. Now the government is recognizing us so we do not want that there should be any incidences. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Madhudvisa **Date:** November 18th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Melbourne My dear Madhudvisa Maharaja, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated October 11, 1975 and have noted the contents. Regarding your coming to India and travelling with me, oh yes, you are welcome. It is very good that you have been observing Catur-masya. I have already sent through Brahmananda Swami a telegram approving your travel program. That's very nice that you will travel to the Southeast Asian countries, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong and also China. That is very nice. Regarding the Gaura-Nitai Deities, yes, they can be installed, but let me see the photographs first. That is very good that you are growing your own flowers at the Melbourne mandir. This is very important. Regarding China preaching, so far as I know Chinese people, although communists, they are not devoid of God consciousness. If they are sincere communists, they will accept our philosophy. Our philosophy is that every living being is the son of the Supreme Being and whatever we see within our vision—either living beings on the land, on the water—everything belongs to the Supreme Being. Every living being has a right to enjoy the Supreme Father's property. So everyone means not only the human being, but also other living entities, those living in the sky, water, trees, plants, creepers, ants, beasts, birds—all living beings, they are sons of the Supreme Being in different forms. So we should be compassionate to every living being, accepting them as sons of the Supreme Being. That is the real communistic idea, perfectly enunciated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. So any communist country, if they take help from us, their communistic ideal will be perfect. Let the leading men of any communistic country come and talk with us about our philosophy and they are sure to make him convinced about this loftiest philosophy of Krsna consciousness. We do not criticize the communistic idea, but we want to make it perfect. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Madhudvisa **Date:** December 7th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Melbourne My Dear Madhudvisa Maharaja, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter with the recommendations for first and second initiation, their names are as follows; Steve—Visvahetu DasDave—Dustamohana DasGrant—Jitagarisa DasRodney—Usapati DasPeter—Adhipurusa DasSamjata Das BrahmacariLugudi Das BrahmacariVeno Gopala Das BrahmacariKrpa Kara Das BrahmacariJagatvira Das BrahmacariAsta Siddhi Das BrahmacariI have chanted on the sacred threads and they are enclosed herewith, now hold a fire ceremony and have the students hear the Gayatri mantra chanted by me and the tape recording through the right ear. Instruct the newly initiated Brahmins about cleanliness, taking bath three time daily, taking bath each time after passing stool. Cleanliness within and without, that is very important for brahminical life. The qualifications of the Brahmanans are described in the 18th Chapter 42nd verse of the Bhagavad gita. You may chant on the beads of the first initiates, and they must chant at least 16 rounds daily, that will keep them strong. I hope this letter finds you well. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/hda ### Letter to Madhudvisa **Date:** December 31st 1975 — **Location:** Bombay My Dear Madhudvisa Maharaja, Please accept my blessings. Thank you for your nice invitation card. Thousands of Caitanya Mahaprabhu temples may be established all over Australia so that I may receive one invitation card at least every month. Physical health does not allow me to move very much, but my mind is absorbed in thinking of you with blessings of Krishna. I hope this letter finds you well. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ### Letter to Mahajana **Date:** June 23rd 1975 — **Location:** Los Angeles > Los Angeles My Dear Mahajana das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated June 21, 1975 and have noted the contents. As far as this matter is concerned, it is my desire that you consult your local Governing Body Commissioner Jayatirtha das. Now I am desiring more and more to have time for translating my books, not that I have to become involved in every question. For this reason I have installed the GBC. Now I have given the guideline that 50% of a householder's income should be donated to the temple. If there is any disagreement, it may be taken up with Jayatirtha. I hope this meets you and your family in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Mahamsa **Date:** May 2nd 1975 — **Location:** New Delhi > Hyderabad My dear Mahamsa, Please accept my blessings. At the present moment, I am in New Delhi. We came here on the invitation of two big ministers, the Home Minister and the Railway Minister and we had two successful meetings here. Now, on the third instant, we shall go to Kuruksetra invited by Mr. G.L. Nanda. Then I shall come back on the same evening. On the fourth, I shall take rest and on the fifth, I shall go to Bombay. I do not know how much you have proceeded about the land donation by Mr. Hari Prasad Badruka and brothers. If Hari Prasad Badruka donates the land as stipulated, then I wish to make him one of the trustees of Hare Krishna Land, Bombay. I am going to make a trust board for the Bombay Hare Krishna Land in which I wish to include Sri Panalala Pithi, Hari Prasad Badruka, as well as yourself as members of the trustee board. What is your opinion? If possible, please see me in Bombay on the fifth instant, and we shall discuss on this point. If Hari Prasad Badruka and brothers are serious about donating land to us, then my decision is to make one of them especially Hari Prasad become the member of the trust of the Hare Krishna Land. I hope you will understand my views. I shall be glad to see you in Bombay on the fifth before starting for Australia on the sixth instant. Thanking you in anticipation. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Mahamsa **Date:** May 10th 1975 — **Location:** Perth > Australia Hyderabad My dear Mahamsa Swami, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your telegram which read as follows: MISSED YOUR GRACE BY HOURS AGREEMENT DRAFT FOR FARM LAND SENT TO YOU PLEASE SANCTION RS 30,000 URGENT TRANSFER TO PREPARE FOR UTILIZING THIS MONSOON -MAHAMSA SWAMI. But, I have not received the draft copy as informed by you. Regarding the money, rs. 30,000, of course, if need be, it must be paid, but one thing is that you must be very careful that our temple portion must be completed by Janmastami so that the Deity can be moved there. This is very important that the temple portion be completed by Janmastami. Whatever money was available, I have given 1-1/2 lakhs to Jayapataka Swami and 2 lakhs to Giriraja. So, you have to take this money from Giriraja. Please arrange like that and let me know what is the progress of Hyderabad activities at my Honolulu address: 51 Coelho Way, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Mahamsa **Date:** May 19th 1975 — **Location:** Melbourne > Hyderabad My dear Mahamsa Swami, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 7-5-75 and have noted the contents. Please find enclosed the copy of the draft agreement with my corrections made therein. The money you have requested can be paid, but unless there is a solid transference of the land over to ISKCON, then how can we invest any of our funds? It is not good business to invest money when it is not sure yet that the land will actually be transferred in the name of ISKCON. This must be considered very carefully before anything can be spent. Immediately send me one copy of the original trust document as drawn up by the settlor and I will examine it. After I have seen it, I will give my next instruction. Send reply to this letter along with copy of document to my Hawaii address: 51 Coelho Way, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Mahamsa **Date:** June 3rd 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Hyderabad My dear Mahamsa Swami, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 24-5-75 and have noted the contents. Regarding Acyutananda's preaching, what is the use of criticizing Sai Baba and creating some enemies? Do not do this in public meetings. It is different to do it in a private meeting. You can discuss all details about the farm with Hansadutta and then do the needful. He will be coming there very soon. Anyway I am forwarding your report to him for his information. Regarding registration with the Endowments dept., you can discuss this with Gopala Krishna. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps --- N.B. We're not going to be controlled by the endowment dept. That is not good. They are all worldly men. Why should we be controlled by them? If possible start a center in[TEXT UNCLEAR] ### Letter to Mahamsa **Date:** August 3rd 1975 — **Location:** Detroit > Hyderabad My Dear Mahamsa Swami: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated July 22, 1975 and also the enclosed literatures, and I thank you very much for it. Now you have the land, but the temple construction is not being done. Is it that you are doing too much? You should not become overburdened with too much management responsibilities because then you will not be able to accomplish anything. Regarding the batai sharing arrangement for the farm, one thing is that if we cannot do ourselves then our attention will be diverted and the preaching will be hampered. As soon as some misunderstanding will be there with the third party then there will be litigation and the preaching will be stopped. The Batai should be done so that the man may not claim proprietorship over the land. That is the risk. Anyway without court permission we shall not take the land. In the meantime it is all right that you invest only in moveable property. Of course you should not be thinking to sell any of the crops for profit. That is not our purpose. The village organization is that the local people produce their necessities like grain, vegetables, milk, and cloth; and for recreation they have the chanting of Hare Krishna. They should live there comfortably and have spiritual recreation. They should not come to the cities. I wish to introduce this ideal now. Then if we are successful this cheating civilization will stop. They have made these cities as hell. If people do not cooperate with them, then how will the factories run on? And, if the people are satisfied by this arrangement, then what will the communists do? Regarding registering with the Endowments, will they force our men out? Endowment means that as soon as there is income, they will interfere. The literature you have published is very nice. The Explosion is very good. I started out with this kind of paper, only I was the only writer, the only editor, the only publisher, and the only distributer. So go on with your publishing. At least each month one Hindi and Telugu magazine should be published from Hyderabad. Arrange like that. Regarding the Malaysian trip being called off, everything must be done very cautiously because our Indian people they are very poor and are prone to steal. We collect money with so much hard labor. But, one thing is that the money is not important. If the man goes away taking our money that is our discredit. The man is more important than the money. We admit everyone to our society, including the cheater, the drug addicted, all qualified. We should take the responsibility to train them. Why has he left? It is our responsibility to train and rectify them. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Mahamsa **Date:** August 17th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Hyderabad My Dear Mahamsa Swami: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated August 2, 1975 and have noted the contents carefully. The photographs show that the Nellore land is very nice and that a nice center can be constructed there. Yes, you did the right thing in getting the Gift Deed registered. I am sending herewith the Power of Attorney in this connection that you have asked for. Gopala Krishna informed me that you plan to build the temple in Nellore with the help of local life members. This is a very good idea. You may construct a library and a meditation hall to please the donors, but as far as possible the library should carry our books and books of other Vaisnava acaryas. The meditation hall you may put pictures of Krishna on all four sides. The construction may start as soon as you have raised enough money to local help. If the climate there is nice, then I may also come there. Regarding the Hyderabad construction, it should not be stopped. I have received your request for the additional Rs. 40,000/- that I have agreed to give you, and this is all right. ___ you a loan you have requested for Rs. 60,000/-, but one thing is that it must be paid back. So many loans are given and they do not pay back. Please send me in writing that you agree to repay as soon as possible. Regarding the farm, we should not invest any money until it is transferred into our name. If we are offered land in the future, you can consult with me or Gopala Krishna before accepting it. I would like to have a temple in every village in India and invite everyone to come and eat prasada, and live with us provided they follow our principles. The only problem is that we do not have enough devotees to manage so many centers. But, if you can make local devotees who have management ability, then you may accept as many plots of land as are offered. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Mahamsa **Date:** September 3rd 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Hyderabad My Dear Mahamsa Swami: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated August 21, 1975 with enclosed copies of the master plan and cost estimate of the Hyderabad land. Who has drawn this big scheme? And, where to get the money? I wanted simple life. What is the Nature Cure Hospital? The first scheme is how to get food grains. What is the scheme for getting this money? Will Hansadutta supply? Then I have no objection. Hansadutta will be president of this scheme. I will go in my quarters there, nothing more. The idea is good. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Mahamsa **Date:** September 9th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Hyderabad My Dear Mahamsa Swami: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated September 6, 1975 with enclosed photos of the farm. I like that place and wish to go there. As soon as you call me I will come. If this scheme is successful, it will be a great fortune for us to capture Indian ideals and the support of the Government. Yes, Hansadutta can supply Rs. 2 lakhs for irrigation. Also I am asking that he may request that English devotees may be sent. The Nature Cure Hospital as you have described it is all right. Regarding the libraries taking the books, they can be given up to 25% discount. We shall take a standing order from them, and supply whatever we can, and the balance by and by. Yes, you can rotate the profits from the milk products and agriculture for future developments. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs --- N.B. I wish to make an experiment in preaching by bullock cart. One cart can hold 6-8 men sitting and 2 men for sleeping ### Letter to Mahamsa **Date:** September 21st 1975 — **Location:** Vrndavana > Hyderabad My dear Mahamsa Swami, Please accept my blessings. I thank you very much for the affidavit which you have sent. It should be followed by all other centers. It is very good that people are already coming to see the temple. That means that there is great interest. Regarding the need for money there, if it is a case of emergency, then more money can be lent to you. You have already borrowed Rs. 60,000/-. If you want immediately money, then I am prepared to lend to you at 10% interest. So if there is emergency, you can send account number of your bank and we shall do the needful. I am starting for Delhi on September 23rd and on the following day, September 24th, will go to Ahmedabad for some programs. From Bombay I will start for Mauritius on September 30th. You have invited me to come to Hyderabad and yes, I will certainly come. It is a very nice place there and I shall come either by the end of October or early November. Yes, if you like we can also go to Nellore. Your idea for the bullock cart sankirtana is very good. So now do it. And your program for distributing the literature, the charity and the prasadam, this is all very nice. And that you yourself will do it personally, that I thank you very much. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Mahamsa **Date:** December 9th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Hyderabad My Dear Mahamsa Maharaja, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated December 5, 1975 and have noted the contents. So Gaura Govinda Maharaja has to go to Orissa to get that land in Bhunesvara, so I have given him the documents for necessary action. Unless he is absolutely required in Hyderabad he may go there with the other Orissa devotee. I have seen his Orissa literature about our movement and it appears to be very nice, any common man can understand it, and it is set up very nicely. He is very much hopeful to sell our books there amongst the higher class. I have already given him all instructions how to organize a center there. So I wish that he may go there and do his best to show his ability. You have taken a loan from me to the extent of 2 laks but I think you have not returned even a part of this. So kindly send me as statement of accounts. I require a huge amount for the Kuruksetra project, not less than one crore, so now I wish to get it back. By 15th December I will be in Bombay, so you can reply this letter to the Bombay address. I hope this letter finds you well. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/hda ### Letter to Mahamsa **Date:** December 17th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Hyderabad My Dear Mahamsa Maharaja, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 9 December 1975.I am pleased to note that everything is progressing nicely. Regarding the loan you do not have to repay it immediately, but as soon as possible. Naturally the sankirtana men traveling with the bullock carts are blissful. It is Lord Caitanya's engagement. Lord Caitanya personally traveled all over India for 6 years. His program was simply kirtana and prasadam distribution. Lord Caitanya never spoke philosophy in public. When he met big scholars like Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya he spoke philosophy, otherwise for the mass of people, kirtana and prasadam distribution. So continue this program, it is very pleasing to Lord Caitanya. I hope this letter finds you well. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/hda ### Letter to Mahamsa **Date:** January 6th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Hyderabad My dear Mahamsa Svami, Please accept my blessings. I have received one letter from Sudharu deva dasa whom you have transferred to Madras. He like to stay in Hyderabad to be engaged in the service of the deity, so what was the difficulty to keep him there? He is interested in worshiping Radha-Modanmohan deity and very very anxious to stay at Hyderabad. If there is not great difficulty, I think he may be called back. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Mahamsa **Date:** January 19th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Hyderabad My dear Mahamsa Svami, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 10-1-75 and have noted the contents. Mr. Badruka came and talked with me about the land, but I don't know whether he wants to sell it or give it to us. It is not clear. But he has invited me to see the land when I come to Hyderabad. I have agreed to this. So far the Nellore property is concerned, that is a nice proposal. Now, we should have self-sufficiency. This means to make our own food grains grow and to weave our own cloth—like in Mayapur. If we have food grains, milk, and cloth life becomes easy and we can save time for preaching and chanting. Not that everyone should do these activities of farming, but if one is less intelligent, or not intelligent enough to preach nicely, he can do. If one is capable, then he should preach. On the whole, our society should be divided into 4 divisions, but such divisions are not material. Just like Krishna belonged to the Vaisya community, but he is worshiped by the brahmanas. We shall utilize everything for Krishna's service. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Mahavir Prasad Jaipuriaji **Date:** July 13th 1975 — **Location:** Philadelphia > New Delhi My Dear Mahavir Prasad Jaipuriaji: Please accept my blessings. Last time we opened our Vrindaban temple under the leadership of the Governor of U.P. Dr. Channa Reddi. I expected your presence also. Perhaps you could not attend due to prior engagement. So this Vrindaban temple is being visited by many devotees to the extent of 500-1000 per day, and we have got a very nice guest house. I request you to come there at your convenience and see how it is nicely done especially for the retired gentlemen, vanaprastha. You are Jaipuria, so you can help me in completing such an institution in Jaipur also. Jaipur is visited by many Vaisnavas as a holy place of pilgrimage. Especially Gaudiya Vaisnavas go there to see the duplicate Vrindaban Deities such as Govindaji, Radha Damodaraji, etc. So I want to open a duplicate Krishna Balarama temple in Jaipur. I am sending separately copies of pictures of our Krishna Balarama temple in Vrindaban. Of course there is also Radha Krishna and Gaura Nitai. I wish that you have some land in Jaipur and to help us in constructing a duplicate temple like Vrindaban. When I was a guest in your house I saw you a great devotee of the Lord, and I hope you will try to fulfill my request as abovementioned. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Mahavirya **Date:** September 7th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Hyderabad Dear Mahavirya das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated August 9, 1975 redirected from Los Angeles. I am very glad to hear that you are working so nicely in developing the project there. It is very important, and I am very encouraged that you are taking it seriously. The modern civilization is a condemned civilization. The innocent people are being dragged from the villages and exploited in the cities. But in the Bhagavad-gita Lord Krishna recommends them to remain where they are and produce grains: annad bhavanta bhutani. Grow your food, eat sumtuously, and chant Hare Krishna. This is real life. If we establish such projects all over India, we shall be the proprietor of India. Similarly in the USA. And if USA and India join together in such Krishna consciousness projects, then the whole world will be paradise. Krishna provides everything, but we mismanage it. Even in this condemned world He has provided everything complete. He is so perfect. Krishna wants us to pass on our days here in Krishna consciousness, and then go back home, back to Godhead. This village program is for the ordinary class of people, and for the intellectuals we have got our books. We are not lacking in anything. I hope this meets you in good health. I very much like that place in Hyderabad. That tree is very nice. I was sleeping underneath it. It is a pleasant place. Now develop it first class. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Mahavisnu **Date:** December 31st 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Edinburgh, Scotland My Dear Mahavisnu Prabhu, Please accept my blessings I am in receipt of your letter dated December 12, 1975.It is very unfortunate that Savitri devi dasi met with such a bad accident. The material world is full of danger at every step. Even a great devotee like Bhisma met his end by being pierced with hundreds of arrows, but he was so powerful that he waited in that condition to see Lord Krishna before he passed away. These are the examples of Bhagavatam, and we have to try to follow the instructions of such great personalities. Please offer my blessings to this nice girl and prayers for her well being. Regarding your getting married, I have no objection. However as a brahmacari you are not obligated to marry, what is the advantage to your getting married? That should be considered. If one can remain brahmacari that is best. Finish this life and go back to Godhead, that is the basic idea of Krishna consciousness movement. So you decide. The Edinburgh temple may be moved. However Hansadutta Prabhu has suggested that if it is to be moved why not move it to Birmingham or Manchester where there will be more facility to preach and make life members and devotees. I hope this letter meets you well. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/hda --- P.S. As you have recommended, I accept Jagaddhatri devi dasi for 2nd initiation. Now you must hold a fire ceremony. She should hear the mantra from the tape recording through the right ear. Brahmana initiation means to be very clean, inside and outside. Inside by chanting the glories of the Lord, and outside by bathing regularly, washing hands and mouth after eating. Instruct her on all of these things and do it yourself, as "EXAMPLE IS BETTER THAN PRECEPT." ### Letter to Malati **Date:** January 8th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Bhaktivedanta Manor My dear Malati devi dasi, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Jan. 6, 1975 and have noted the contents. Thank you for the fruits and vegetables. Regarding the London situation, I have asked Brahmananda Svami to go there and see what is the position. He is most probably there by now. Please continue your service nicely as one of my elder women disciples always setting good example for others to follow. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Malati **Date:** January 16th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > London My dear Malati devi dasi, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 12-1-75 and have noted the contents. Thank you very much for the honeycomb and the camphor that you sent. Always fix yourself in Krishna's service and you will be far away from Maya's touch. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Malati **Date:** February 3rd 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Amsterdam My dear Malati devi dasi, Please accept my blessings. I am in receipt of your letter dated Jan. 27, 1975 and have noted the contents. It is good that you have gone to Amsterdam temple to help with the deity program there. It must be done very nicely. So, help train them up to worship Radha and Krishna very nicely. Thank you for also sending Syamasundara's new address. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Manager, Central Bank of India **Date:** February 12th 1975 > Central Bank of India, Head Office Mahatma Gandhi Rd.Fort, Bombay 400 001, INDIA3764 Watseka Ave.Los Angeles Calif. 90034 USA Dear Sir: Please transfer ONE LAC rupees from the "Bhaktivedanta Book Trust" account #16066 to the "International Society for Krishna Consciousness" account #16840 without delay. I hope this meets you in good health. Yours faithfully, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Manager, Central Bank of India **Date:** April 6th 1975 > Manager Central Bank of India Camac St. Branch, Calcutta P.O. Box Sree Mayapur Dham W. Bengal (Dist.Nadia) Dear Sir: Please find enclosed cash rupees 3,200 and U.S. money order for dollars 150. You please credit to my account #831 and acknowledge receipt. Thanking you. Yours faithfully, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps --- (handwritten) Received Rs. 3,200.00 in cash and u.s. money order for $150.00 for credit in H.S. a/c 831 ### Letter to Manager, Central Bank of India **Date:** April 6th 1975 > Camac St. Branch, Calcutta P.O. Sree Mayapur Dham W. Bengal (Dist. Nadia) Dear Sir: Please credit this amount, 12,300 rupees to Bhaktivedanta Book Trust account #16066 in your Bombay Branch, Gowalia Tank Road. You should transfer this amount by mail. Thanking you. Yours faithfully, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Manager, Central Bank of India **Date:** June 2nd 1975 > Manager-Central Bank of India Camac St. Branch Calcutta, India51 Coellho Way, Honolulu, Hawaii Re: account #831 Dear Sir, I beg to inform you that on 13/4/75 there was an advertisement in the Ananda Bazar Patrika on behalf of West Bengal Housing Board that you are receiving application for apartments in Barahanagar Apartment Housing Estate. In this connection, I wish to take one apartment of 780 square feet consisting of one sitting room, two bedrooms, one reading room, two bathrooms, dining place and corridor. Kindly let me know what is the price and how you are receiving money for this purpose. The reply for this letter may be sent to Sri Brindavan Candra De, c/o Vrinda Book Co., 30/1B, College Row, Calcutta-700009, West Bengal, India. Thanking you. Yours faithfully, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/PS ### Letter to Manager, Central Bank of India **Date:** September 8th 1975 > State Bank of India Vrindaban Branch Att: The Manager Krishna Balaram Mandir, Raman Reti Vrindaban, U.P Dear Sir: I am enclosing herewith the forms duly signed and shall be thankful if you open my personal account with your bank. Enclosed herewith are the following foreign checks and currency not which will be the initial deposit in my account.1. Currency Note- Australian Dollars 50.00 No. YAJ 9772682. Bank check on Bank of New South Wales, Wales Corner Branch, Melbourne, No. L 5114481 1-12/210 dated August 29, 1975 for the amount of U.S. Dollars 159.61.3. International Money Order on Bank of America, San Francisco, No. 036618137 11-35/1210 dated August 25, 1975 for the amount of U.S. dollars 19.94.Please credit the above in my account and deliver me my passbook. Thanking you. Yours sincerely, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami --- Encs:1 Currency Note YAJ 9772681 Bank Check L 51144811 International Money Order 036618137RECEIVED ON BEHALF OF STATE BANK OF INDIA, VRINDABAN BRANCH; September 8, 1975 ### Letter to Manager, State Bank of India **Date:** September 10th 1975 > State Bank of India Vrindaban Branch Att: The Manager Krishna Balaram Mandir Vrindaban, U.P.Re: Savings A/c No. P2236 Dear Sir: Enclosed herewith please find one check on the State Savings Bank of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia, Check No. L 375362 dated September 5, 1975 for the amount of U.S. Dollars 126.50.Please credit this amount in the above mentioned account, and bring my passbook up to date, and return. Thanking you. Yours sincerely, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami --- Enc: 1 Check No. L 375362, 1 passbookRECEIVED ON BEHALF OF STATE BANK F INDIA,1 check for U.S. Dollars 126.50, and 1 passbook No. 1682Signature: September 10, 1975 ### Letter to Manager, State Bank of India **Date:** October 18th 1975 > Regd. Post State Bank of India,Vrindaban Branch Attn: The Manager Hare Krishna Land,Gandhi Gram Road,Juhu, Bomby 400-054, India18 October, 1975[Copy]Re: Savings Account No. P2236 Dear Sir: Enclosed please find the following checks:1. Bank check on Bank of Hawaii, Kapaa, Hawaii, No. 30-122492 (1-23/210), dated September 29,1975 for the amount of U.S. Dollars 141.29 (One-hundred forty-one dollars and twenty-nine cents).2. Check of I.S.K.C.O.N., The International Society for Krishna Consciousness, 439 Henry Street, Brooklyn, N.Y. 11231, U.S.A. whose checking account is with First National City Bank, 181 Montague Street, Brooklyn, N.Y. 11201, U.S.A., check no. 6314 (1-8/210 51) for the amount of U.S. Dollars 500.00 (Five-hundred U.S. Dollars), dated 9/22/75.3. Check of the International Society for Krisna Consciousness, Inc., 2805 S.E. Hawthorne, Portland, Oregon, U.S.A., whose checking account is with First National Bank of Oregon, 26th and E. Burnside Branch, Portland, Oregon, dated Sept. 25, 1975, Check No. 1409 (24-191/1230), for the amount of U.S. Dollars 200.00 (Two hundred U.S. dollars).You please credit the above amount (totaling U.S. Dollars 841.29), immediately as usual on receipt of this letter at the current rate of exchange and send the duplicate of this letter duly signed by you to my Bombay address as follows: Hare Krishna LandGandhi Gram Road, Juhu, Bombay 400-054,India. Thanking you, Yours sincerely, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami --- Encs:1 check for U.S. Dollars 141.291 check for U.S. Dollars 500.001 check for U.S. Dollars 200.00RECEIVED ON BEHALF OF STATE BANK OF INDIA, VRINDABAN BRANCH:Signature________________________ ### Letter to Manasvi **Date:** February 20th 1975 — **Location:** Caracas > Venezuela Honolulu My dear Manasvi dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am very interested to hear of your progress there in Hawaii. Are things going nicely there? How is Siddhasvarupa Maharaja doing? How is his preaching? How are the people accepting? You can write me these things promptly. You should send the letter to Dallas, Gurukula. You are very intelligent devotee, so always keep yourself strong in Krishna Consciousness by following all of the regulative principles very very carefully. This will save you from the attack of Maya. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Manasvi **Date:** March 13th 1975 — **Location:** Tehran > Honolulu My dear Manasvi das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Feb. 28th, 1975 and have noted the contents. I am very glad to hear that things are going nicely there. Our Honolulu center is very nice. Give Siddhasvarupa Maharaja nice facilities for preaching. He can attract many people by his preaching. Regarding the shortage of men that you mentioned, I have spoken to Kirtanananda Svami and asked him to try and arrange for more men to come. And regarding the cows on the farm, try to make some ghee also. That will be very valuable. I have accepted the persons whom you have recommended for 1st initiation. Their names are: Linda—Lilasravana, Kathryn—Kamini, Cynthia—sita, Joe—Yasodala, Ronald—Ranganatha. Their beads can be chanted by Kirtanananda Svami. Also I have accepted Laksmana dasa for 2nd initiation. His thread and mantra sheet is enclosed herein. Let him hear the tape of myself chanting the gayatri mantra in his right ear. Keep the standard of devotional service very strict there. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Manasvi **Date:** April 1st 1975 — **Location:** Mayapur > Honolulu My dear Manasvi dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated March 13rd, 1975 and have noted the contents. I am very glad to hear that everything is going on nicely there. Encourage Siddhasvarupa Maharaja to continue to speak as much as possible and give him all facilities. Whenever there is some question or if he speaks something incorrect, you may humbly correct him or if need be, I can also give correction by mail. His booklet is very nicely done. It is sound preaching. Continue all your programs there nicely, giving special stress to strictly following all of the rules and regulations especially the four regulative principles and chanting 16 rounds daily then everything will be very nice. I will most likely be coming there in the fall for some time after my European and American tour. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Manasvi **Date:** November 30th 1975 — **Location:** New Delhi My Dear Manasvi Prabhu, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated Nov. 18, 1975. Now you are living peacefully with your family, that is good. Best thing is if you continue your employment at the book store, try to sell my books there if possible. Visit the New York temple regularly with your family and try to help them as far as possible, I think you should not attempt to make life members at this time. Maintain your wife and children by working honestly, attend the temple programs as far as possible and in this way live peacefully as a grhastha following the four regulative principles of spiritual life and chant Hare Krishna on beads and at home with family. That will keep you pure. I hope this letter finds you well. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/hda ### Letter to Mandakini **Date:** January 16th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Bhaktivedanta Manor My dear Mandakini devi dasi, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Jan. 11th, 1975 and have noted the contents. Regarding your going to Moscow, if as you say, there is a chance of your getting a residential permit, then you should go there and try to get it. If your husband has a plan, that is very good. By Krishna's grace you may be able to stay there and spread Lord Caitanya's movement. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Manindra **Date:** July 4th 1975 — **Location:** Evanston > Illinois Denver My Dear Manindra devi dasi: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated July 3, 1975 and I thank you very much for your nice sentiments. It is simply by the grace of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu that we have now got a feeling for service to Krishna. Krishna is so perfect that He comes and teaches us personally how to become Krishna conscious. What Lord Caitanya is giving no one else has done. So you continue on in this way following our rules and regulations, and I shall pray to Krishna for your ever advancement in Krishna consciousness. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Mantrini **Date:** April 8th 1975 — **Location:** Mayapur > London My dear Mantrini dasi, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated March 26th, 1975 and have noted the contents. In order to start the proposed project in your letter you must have full sanction of the GBC. Then I will approve of it, if they approve it. Do not try to start any project independent of the GBC. I want that everyone will co-operate nicely with the GBC. Please follow all of the rules and regulations very carefully and chant at least 16 rounds daily. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Mark Phillips **Date:** December 4th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Parkwood, Via thora N.S.W. 2492Australia My Dear Mark Phillips, Please accept my blessings. Thank you for your letter dated 4th November, 1975. Yes we are eternally related to the Lord as servant, so naturally when we forget our eternal relationship as servants of the supreme master, Krishna, we suffer. A child is naturally subservient to the parent, but if he rebels then the child suffers in so many ways. Therefore Krishna advises everyone in Bhagavad-gita to simply surrender to him, and he will take care of us. In Australia we have got our temples, consult the Back to Godhead magazine for the temple nearest you. Please visit the temple and take advantage of the pure spiritual atmosphere, this will immediately extinguish the burning fire of material suffering in your heart. Meanwhile I humbly request you to chant Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. This chanting will bring you all perfection of life, please try it. I hope this letter finds you well. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/hda ### Letter to Mathura Prasad Agarwala **Date:** April 22nd 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Proprietor Mathura Prasad Agarwala Agarwala Iron Works andlate Argawal Oil Mills Motilal Nehru Rd.Agra My dear Mathura Prasad, Please accept my greetings. I have heard from Gopinatha Mahesawari that you came here to see me, but that due to the Governor's coming there was some confusion and you were not able to see me. I am extremely sorry for this. I wish to invite you to come and take lunch with me on the 26th of April at about 11:00 AM if it is convenient for you. I will be awaiting your arrival. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Mathura Prasad Agarwala **Date:** April 28th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Mathura Prasad Agarwala Proprietor-Agarwala Iron Worksand the Late Agarwala Oil Mills Motilal Nehru Rd.Agra My dear Mathura Prasad, Please accept my greetings. I had sent you one letter of invitation which I think did not as of yet reach you. Gopinatha Mahesawari spoke to you on the phone and told me that you will be coming here on the 30th of April. He gave me a more complete address and now I am hoping that this note will reach you in time. I will be awaiting your arrival on the 30th for luncheon with your family also at about 11:00 AM. I hope that will be convenient for you. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Mayapurusasa **Date:** November 4th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Montreal My Dear Mayapurusasa das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Oct. 9, 1975 and have noted the contents. Regarding this matter with your child, I cannot say, but at least I would not have agreed that the doctors perform this operation. In New York in 1968 when I was in the hospital they tried to operate my brain, but I left the hospital tactfully. Therefore I say that you never call a doctor for me or send me to the hospital. So it is up to you, but I would have not agreed. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Michael Jon King **Date:** February 2nd 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Michael Jon King3415 Maunaloa Ave.Honolulu, Hawaii 96816 My dear Mr. King, Please accept my greetings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Feb. 1, 1975 and have noted the contents. I am glad that you enjoyed our chanting. You are welcome to come again and again if you like. You should understand though that we are not very much concerned with the principles of Hatha-yoga. We practice Bhakti-yoga strictly and since Bhakti includes all other results obtained from practicing other yogas as it is declared in the Bhagavad-gita to be the culmination of all yogas it becomes unnecessary for us to apply any other techniques besides simply chanting and hearing about the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna who is called Yogesvara or the master of all yoga. Of course, it is certain that if one sits with straight spine it may be of some help in his ability to concentrate, but it cannot be considered as essential by any means. That thing which is really essential in Bhakti is to develop one's eternal dormant love for Krishna. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Minister for Land & Revenue **Date:** August 31st 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Minister for Land & Revenue Government of Uttar Pradesh Civil Secretariat LUCKNOWRe: Land for Community Development Dear Sir: I have been told by Sri Ram Pandey who is the Editor of INPF Samachar Samiti, Allahabad, and the District Youth Counsellor for the District Planning Office, Allahabad; that there are enough barren lands that are not suitable for agricultural use that are lying unused in Allahabad District. If you could kindly give over these lands to use we could develop it into a self sufficient community producing foodstuffs, grains and vegetables, milk products, and cloth involving the local peoples for their greater benefit, as we are already doing at our Mayapur Candradaya Community Development Project in West Bengal, Dist. Nadia, and which we are now planning near Hyderabad, Andra Pradesh. I hope you may enquire into the availability of lands for such a complete development scheme which will benefit the people at large. Yours sincerely, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Miss Nedungadi **Date:** March 19th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Calicut—2, Kerala State My dear Miss Nedungadi, Please accept my greetings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated March 6th, 1975 and have noted the contents. Thank you so much for your kind appreciations. I am so much grateful that you have enjoyed studying my books. Many young intelligent persons such as yourself are studying these books in the colleges and universities all over the world. Actually anyone who tries to understand these books will become a great realized devotee of Lord Krishna gradually. The original potency of the sastra remains in these books because I have not added or opinionated anything of my own. I have simply presented the scriptures such as Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam as they are. Therefore just see the effect they have on the world. At present, we have about 100 centers worldwide and about 10,000 fully dedicated students in those centers. You are welcome to visit or stay in any of our centers for your spiritual advancement. We have a nice center in Madras: 50, Aspiran Gardens, 2nd St., Kilpauk, Madras—600010. You can get all the books there. I will be in Bombay at the end of April and beginning of May. So, if you can come then, I shall see you there. In the meantime please correspond with or visit one of our temples. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Miss P. Boodhena **Date:** November 23rd 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Miss P. Boodhena Clairfonds Road Vacoas, Mauritius Indian Ocean My dear Miss Boodhena, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated November 10, 1975 and have noted the contents. I am very glad to see that you are taking keen interest in this sublime movement of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu for benedicting the entire world with the holy name, Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. It is very good that you are taking serious interest in reading our books. This is very important. I think it will be easier for you to get our Srimad-Bhagavatam from our devotees who are there in Mauritius. If they cannot supply, you can write to our Nairobi temple at P.O. Box 28946, Nairobi, Kenya. You should chant Hare Krsna every day and read our books and in this way you will make advancement in Krsna consciousness. We have to understand that we are not animals like cows and asses. We should not live like the hogs, but we should realize the higher goal of Krsna consciousness to understand that I am not this body, but part and parcel of the Supreme Lord Sri Krsna. This state of consciousness can only be achieved by following the instructions that Krsna gives and that his representatives teach us. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Miss Wanda Bonner **Date:** August 24th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Miss Wanda Bonner536 Maple St. No. 305San Diego, Ca. 92103 Dear Miss Bonner: Please accept my best wishes. I am in due receipt of your letter dated July 20, 1975 and have noted your problems. My suggestion is that you please chant Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare; Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. This maha mantra cleanses the dust from the mirror of the mind and awakens us to a pure life of devotional service to the Lord, free from all anxieties. You can discuss further your problems with Gunagrahi das Adhikari, the President of our San Diego center. I hope this meets you in good health. Yours faithfully, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Mokika, Kardama Muni, Vaisnavananda **Date:** October 7th 1975 — **Location:** Durban My Dear Mokika dasa, Kardama Muni dasa, and Vaisnavananda dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated August 6 and enclosed daksina and I thank you very much. I hope this meets you all in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/pks ### Letter to Mooljibhai Patel **Date:** June 8th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Grant Hotel Oakland, California My dear Mooljibhai Patel, Please accept my greetings. Since a long time, I did not hear from you. Hope you are all doing well with your business and family affairs. Recently, we have purchased one building at Berkeley and the Deities, I have understood are being removed by the 1st of July. I understood also that the Gujarati Vaisnavas there are not happy on account of the temple being moved to Berkeley. The San Francisco temple, not being situated in a nice quarter, they are trying to remove to somewhere else. Now they have got a Berkeley temple. It is not my policy to close any temple, but if there is inconvenience, we change the place. If we can get another nice house in San Francisco in good quarters, we can immediately re-open another temple in San Francisco. Sriman Citsukhananda das Adhikari is also enthusiastic in this connection, therefore, if your good self along with other Hindu Vaisnavas help us in this connection, it will be my pleasure to get another temple in San Francisco as soon as possible. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ### Letter to Mr. A. D. Nyamiaka **Date:** November 10th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Mr. A. D. Nyamiaka District Commissioner Office P.O. Box 29Kilifi, Kenya East Africa Dear Mr. Nyamiaka, Please accept my greetings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated October 18, 1975, delivered to me by my disciple Jnana das Adhikari. I had requested Jnana das for you to come and see me in Nairobi and he said you were to come, but unfortunately I did not meet you. Anyway I am glad that you are appreciating this Krsna consciousness movement which is meant for the welfare of all living entities in the universe. Our philosophy is that there cannot be happiness or peace unless everyone serves the Supreme Lord. Just like the body cannot be nourished unless food is supplied to the stomach. When the food is supplied to the stomach, then the entire body becomes nourished very nicely. But if I foolishly think let me put the food not in the mouth hole but in the ear hole or the eye hole, then that is simply foolishness and there will be no good result. So at the present moment, we are thinking let us serve this "ism" or that "ism" or so on, but actually we should serve God and then everything will be taken care of. This is not some sectarian faith but it is eternal truth. I am glad that you are reading Bhagavad-gita. Try to do this regularly. Chapter 2 is very important because it explains that we are not this body, that we are spirit soul, part and parcel of God. One has to have this preliminary understanding if he is to advance in spiritual life. We want very much to spread this highest welfare activity there amongst the Kenyan people and we are very thankful for your cooperation. Please try to give us more and more facility. We want the people to live simply but to think highly. We want to make projects whereby the people produce their own food, food for themselves and also for the animals. In this way they can produce their own necessities and not live on any artificial standard. My disciple Jnana das Adhikari is there for this purpose of establishing our program. The main thing is to chant Hare Krsna and take the remnants of foodstuffs that have been offered to the Lord. This is our main program and please encourage him for this program within the village people. Everyone will like to sing and dance and to eat nice foodstuffs. This is our simple process for God realization. I hope this meets you in good health. Yours sincerely, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Mr. Ashis Roy **Date:** April 8th 1975 — **Location:** Mayapur > Ashis Roy, B.A.c/o Artists Academy85, Vasant Nagar, Nagpur-10 My dear Mr. Roy, Please accept my greetings. I am in due receipt of your kind letter dated 27th march, 1975 and have noted the contents carefully. The process of opening a center somewhere is that we go there and hold classes for one week on the teachings of Bhagavad-gita and if the people like, then we'll open a center. Actually, the teachings of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu that in every town and village there will be a center of Krishna Consciousness, is essential. People must co-operate. If not, then they will have to suffer. So, I am very glad that you have come forward, being one of the leaders of the cultural community. I am very much enthused by this. Our ideology is standard. It is not anything new, but it is very old. It is not anything concocted. ajo nityah sasvato 'yam purano na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20], The living entity is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain. (Bhagavad-gita 2/20).I would like to take this opportunity to invite you to our Vrndavana festival which will be held on the 20th of April up to the 27th of April. We will be opening our temple there. If you can come, then we can talk in detail about a center at Nagpur. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Mr. Aubrey L. Duke **Date:** September 1st 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Mr. Aubrey L. Duke Chief of Police City of Cypress5275 Orange Avenue Cypress, Ca. 90630 Dear Mr. Duke: I am in due receipt of your letter dated July 31, 1975 redirected to me here in India. How can I assist you when I am here in India? If you take away the girl, I have no objection. They come and go, but if the parents take her away, I have no objection. We have no business to keep young girls from their parents. We do not force anyone to go or to stay. It is all voluntary. Yours sincerely, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Mr. Dennany **Date:** March 14th 1975 — **Location:** Tehran > Mr. Dennany8653 South 2nd St.Mattawan, Miami, Fla. 49071 My dear Mr. Dennany, Please accept my greetings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Jan. 28th, 1975 and have noted the contents. Thank you very much for reading and appreciating my books. Please continue to do so as much as possible and visit our temple in Miami frequently. You mentioned in your letter that you had read many other Bhagavad-gitas before you read mine and that none of them revealed as much to you as Bhagavad-gita As It Is. The reason is because we do not change the actual meaning of the gita at all. Many other commentators due to poor fund of knowledge tamper with the lines of Bhagavad-gita and twist the meaning for their personal motives, but we do not do like that. We present it exactly as it is; without any additions or subtractions. That is perfect in every way and therefore it is actually having a tremendous effect all over the world. The original words of Lord Krishna have unrivalled potency and anyone who is fortunate enough to hear those words and tries to apply them to his life becomes perfect. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Mr. Faul **Date:** April 8th 1975 — **Location:** Mayapur > Culver City My dear Mr. Faul, Please accept my greetings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated nil and have noted the contents. I am glad to hear that you have visited our temple in L.A. If you carefully study our movement around the world, you will find that actually we are solving all of the so-called problems of life. I request you to take an active part in our movement as much as possible and your spiritual understanding will increase manifold. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Mr. Fitzgerald **Date:** April 8th 1975 — **Location:** Mayapur > London My dear Mr. Fitzgerald, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated March 21, 1975 and have noted the contents. These things should be decided by the GBC. Let them make a decision on the matter. You have already sent letters to them, so the problem is in their hands. I cannot deal with so many managerial problems. The GBC is there to releive me from so many problems such as this one. I hope that you will continue your service nicely following all of the rules and regulations and that you are chanting 16 rounds daily on your beads. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Mr. Fletcher **Date:** May 9th 1975 — **Location:** Perth > Australia Geoffrey Fletcher St. Ives, Australia My dear Mr. Fletcher, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated April 9th, 1975 and have noted the contents. Thank you for your kind sentiment. You are very fortunate to be taking part in the Krishna Consciousness movement. If you take it very seriously, then you will not have to take another birth in this miserable material world. You can go back to home, back to Godhead at the end of this life. So, my request is that you take it up very boldly and finish your business in this material world. I hope to see you in Melbourne. I will be arriving on the 17th of May and leaving on the 21st of May. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Mr. Gold **Date:** January 16th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Brooklyn My dear Mr. Gold, Please accept my greetings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 12-30-74 and have noted the contents. I am so glad to see that you are so much absorbed in our philosophy and comparing it to other philosophies. I have written many books already which are full of the different aspects of this deep philosophy of Krishna Consciousness. I request you to study them carefully and you will find a treasure house of scientific information in relation to the ultimate goal of life and conquering the major problems of life, birth, death, old age, and disease. Visit our temple there in Brooklyn as much as you can. By associating with the devotees there, your spiritual life will become fully developed. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Mr. Gordon T. Gattone **Date:** July 30th 1975 — **Location:** Dallas > Mr. Gordon T. Gattone Art-Craft Associates114 Evergreen Ave.Woodlynne, New Jersey 08107 Dear Mr. Gattone: I am in due receipt of your letter dated July 20, 1975 and have noted the contents. Your feeling on seeing the Ratha Yatra in Philadelphia, which you say cannot be expressed in words but which has since given you great peace in your life—is not astounding. In the authoritative transcendental literature which we have published as The Nectar of Devotion, it is stated that one can be liberated from all material suffering simply by seeing the Ratha Yatra cart passing. You say, "I am not sure I want to learn more," but a human being should desire to know the science of God consciousness, which is the most important part of human life. Krishna consciousness is not sectarian. One should not think that because he is a Jew or a Christian he should not read the Bhagavad-gita. The Bhagavad-gita As It Is is pure knowledge. It tells us of our relationship as eternal spirit soul with the supersoul Lord Krishna the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In no other philosophy will you find such a clear conception of God. So I request you to kindly study with seriousness our books, and you may compare Krishna consciousness with other philosophies. Yours sincerely, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Mr. Gururaja R. Rao **Date:** April 8th 1975 — **Location:** Mayapur > Gururaja R. Rao1626 PIE XI Blvd.HIV 2C5Montreal, Canada My dear Mr. Rao, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated March 14th, 1975 and have noted the contents. I am very pleased to know that you are feeling the greatness of the Krishna Consciousness movement. You will find that the more you involve yourself, the more you will understand our philosophy and then automatically you will be able to preach it nicely. Please continue to associate with devotees, read my books, follow all of the rules and regulations as well as chant at least 16 rounds daily and then everything else will follow automatically. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Mr. Himtsinh J. Bhatia, Mrs. Manjula H. Bhatia **Date:** November 23rd 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Sri Himtsinh J. Bhatia and Srimati Manjula H. Bhatia P.O. Box 82855Mombassa, Kenya East Africa Dear Mr. and Mrs. Bhatia, Please accept my blessings. I have understood from Sripada Nava Yogendra Swami that you have taken keen interest in our Krsna Consciousness Movement. So I am very pleased to hear this and I thank you for your service in helping to push on this mission of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Our mission is that especially those who have taken their birth in India that it is their responsibility to become perfect in the science of Krsna Consciousness and to deliver everyone in the world. In this way everyone is expected to become guru. But how to be a guru? It is said that one simply has to repeat the instructions that Krsna has given. If he repeats without adding or subtracting anything, then he is qualified as guru. Actually there is only one guru—Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So those who simply repeat His words, they also become guru. But of course a guru never thinks himself as being God. He only thinks himself as the servant of the servant of the servant: gopi bhrtya pada-kamalayo das dasanudasa [Cc. Madhya 13.80].Recently I visited Africa and I could see that the management was not going on properly. So now I have given Nava Yogendra sannyasa order and am sending him back to Africa. He will be the president of the Mombassa temple, so please help him to make our mission there very solid. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Mr. K. C. Nigam **Date:** May 11th 1975 — **Location:** Perth > Australia Sri K. C. Nigam Convenor-All India Spiritual Conference108/119 Durgadevi Road Kanpur-208012, INDIA My dear Mr. Nigam, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated March 11th, 1975 and have noted the contents. Now, I am on world tour. At present, I am staying in Perth, Australia, then in one week, I shall go to Melbourne, then Fiji, then Honolulu where I will stay for at least one month. Then I shall go to Philadelphia and San Francisco, etc. I am very glad that you are holding some spiritual conference, but my only request is to follow the standard method of spiritual consciousness. One must know first of all, what is the spiritual basis. Anyone who is accepting this body as the self, he is no better than the cats and dogs. One must know what the spirit soul is within this body. He is eternal part and parcel of God, therefore, his only business is to revive his eternal relation with God and work on that fundamental basis so that he can achieve the ultimate goal of life. The whole thing is instructed in the Bhagavad-gita and if we accept the teachings of Bhagavad-gita, as it is without unnecessary commentary on it, then our spiritual movement will be successful. But, if we manufacture something out of our own concoction, it will never be successful. This is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita (16/23):yah sastra-vidhim utsrjya vartate kama-karatahna sa siddhim avapnoti na sukham na param gatim[Bg. 16.23]"But he who discards scriptural injunctions and acts according to his own whims is headed for a hellish destination." I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Mr. K. T. Desai **Date:** November 12th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Mr. K. T. Desai Kambli Block Nehru Road Ville Parke East Bombay 57 Dear Mr. Desai, I am in due receipt of your letter dated October 14, 1975 with your enclosed article. You mention God, but who is God? If you do not know who is God, then how can you say that He is the Super Joy? You mention transcendental meditation, but what is transcendental meditation? We do not find it in any authorized scripture, but jnana-yoga is there in the Vedic literature and the yogis practice this type of yoga. These things are explained in the Bhagavad-gita 6th Chapter very nicely. And in the other Vedic literature we find that a yogi by concentrating his mind can see the Supreme Personality of Godhead within the core of his heart. Bhagavad-gita states:yoginam api sarvesammad-gatenantaratmanasraddhavan bhajate yo mamsa me yuktatamo matah[Bg. 6.47]And of all yogis, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all.)So this is the perfection of meditation. One must have faith and great love for the Supreme Lord. He must be a devotee. Therefore bhakti is the perfection of meditation. I do not know what is this transcendental meditation, but I have seen so many advertisements for transcendental meditation in America wherein it was advertised there is no need of religious principles or regulative principles nor is any faith required. But our Vedic culture is chiefly dependent upon regulative principles. It is not possible to perform meditation without performing regulative principles. So in your article, if you support your statements with quotations from the Vedic literature, then we can publish. Otherwise we regret that we cannot do anything. So far meditation is concerned, sex life is strictly prohibited. But the followers of the transcendental meditation, they do not follow this principle. Regarding education, that education begins when one understands that he is not the body, but where is that education? That you will find in Krsna consciousness. Yours, sincerely, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Mr. Kimmel, Mrs. Kimmel **Date:** April 2nd 1975 — **Location:** Mayapur > Mr. and Mrs. Kimmel20321 Enadia Way Canoga Park, California 91306 My dear Mr. & Mrs. Kimmel, Please accept my greetings. I have received your kind offering of guava jam through your daughter, Urvasi devi dasi. I wanted to thank you very much for becoming so much interested in our Krishna Consciousness movement. Actually, because Krishna Consciousness is the nature of the soul, it is not unusual that one becomes attracted to the method. We are trying very hard to give everyone in the world, in all walks of life, a chance to hear the message of Krishna and to take up the process which is recommended in the Bhagavad-gita for becoming freed from the cycle of birth and death, and thus go back to the kingdom of God to render eternal service to Him. I sincerely hope that you will continue the process as your good daughter has done and achieve the perfection of human life. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Mr. K.L. Trivedi **Date:** November 14th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Mr. K.L. Trivedi1st Grade Assistant (Retired)General Administration Dept.Nagar Mahpalika Kanpur, U.P Dear Mr. Trivedi, With this letter you can go to Vrndavana and live there under the direction of the President. If both of us find it suitable, then we have no objection. I hope this letter meets you well. Yours sincerely, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Mr. Lepesqueux **Date:** January 12th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > France My dear Mr. Lepesqueux, Please accept my greetings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Aug. 28, 1974 and have noted the contents. I am sorry for such a late reply, but I have just received your letter last night due to the poor postal system in India. I hope that you have had the opportunity to visit our temple in Paris. If not, please go there and you will be pleased to see our programs there. The address is: ISKCON, 4 rue le Sueur, 75016 Paris, France. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Mr. Longo A. Ali **Date:** October 29th 1975 — **Location:** Nairobi > Mr. Longo A. Ali Kilifi Garage Box 21Kilifi, Kenya Dear Mr. Ali: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated October 13, 1975 hand delivered to me by my disciple Jnana das Adhikari and I am pleased to note the contents. I am glad to note your determination to be freed from the material entanglement by chanting Hare Krishna mantra. This is the recommended process for this age of disagreement for achieving Krishna consciousness. It is authorized, very easy, and it does not cost anything. I understand that you have got japa beads, so this is very good that you are seriously taking to the process. So if you continue Krishna will bless you, and you will go back home back to Godhead. I also understand that you have Bhagavad gita As It Is, so try to read something regularly, but do not neglect the chanting, that is the important thing. I hope this meets you and your family members in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs --- N.B. Regarding becoming my disciple is concerned, first you have to follow our rules. Besides chanting on the beads 16 rounds daily minimum, you should take only prasadam of vegetarian foodstuffs offered to Guru Gauranga. Jnana das can instruct you in this ### Letter to Mr. Lourenco **Date:** March 14th 1975 — **Location:** Tehran > Sintra, Portugal My dear Mr. Lourenco, Please accept my greetings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 18-9-74 and have noted the contents. Thank you for reading my books and appreciating them. Please continue to do so. That will help you advance nicely in spiritual life. By reading my books and chanting Hare Krishna, your life will become perfect. The reason for the Japa beads is so that you can keep track of how many times you are chanting Hare Krishna mantra daily. It should be chanted a steady amount of times regularly. We chant at least 16 times around the string of 108 beads daily (one full mantra on each bead). This keeps us strong in spiritual consciousness. Try to visit our temples in London, Paris, Rome, etc. as much as you can. The association of the devotees there will help you to become fixed in Krishna Consciousness. If this is not possible then you can correspond with the devotees at those temples. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Mr. M.K. Kaul **Date:** September 28th 1975 — **Location:** Ahmedabad > Mr. M.K. Kaul, M.A. B. Comm.Development Officer New India Assurance Co. Ltd.Station Road, Main Puri, U.P Dear Mr. Kaul: Please accept my best wishes. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 18/9/75 and have noted the contents. The best thing will be for you to immediately come and live with me. I am going on the 30th instant to South Africa, and I am coming back after one months time, and then you can meet me in Bombay, and I will be glad to keep you as my constant companion for sometime so that you can learn Krishna consciousness and be useful for Krishna's service. It is the great mercy of Krishna that you are feeling like this that you want to serve me. Do not lose this opportunity. The whole world is suffering for want of Krishna consciousness. Although the subject matter is very simple and easy, still fools and rascals will not take to it. This is the influence of maya. To take to Krishna consciousness means to make one's life successful, as well as helping others to make their lives successful. It is a great mission. Try to understand the philosophy and try to dedicate your life for Krishna's mission. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Mr. Mohan Majundar **Date:** November 18th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Mr. Mohan Majundar402/1/A Netaji Subhas Candra Bose Road Calcutta 47 Dear Mohan Majumdar, I am in due receipt of your letter dated 12/11/75 and have noted the contents. I can be seen during the Lord Caitanya birthday celebration in Sridhama Mayapur. That will be in March of 1976.We cannot invest any money in any film industry. I am very glad to learn that you will soon be freed from all family responsibility and join our movement. Yours sincerely, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Mr. Morris Lapidus **Date:** July 1st 1975 — **Location:** Denver > Mr. Morris Lapidus439 Henry St.Brooklyn, New York 11231 Dear Mr. Lapidus: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated June 21, 1975. Actually we are not fond of having businesses. Although for spreading Krsna consciousness we can use millions of dollars, yet we do not like to employ many of our men at great endeavor in the competitive business world. In order to manufacture and market your own inventions it would be a great struggle and too much time and energy would have to be spent, as you have stated. It also requires great business expertise to succeed and not be cheated. You should regard your main business as trying to become Krsna conscious through reading my books and associating with the devotees in the Sankirtana movement there in Brooklyn temple. You are an older man, 68 years old, so I appreciate it if you can help my disciples in New York in cooperation with the President, Gopijanavallabha. At any rate we do not know how long we shall live. So we have to concentrate on reading, chanting, and distributing books, and in this way try to become Krsna conscious completely before the next death. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Mr. Mukund Parikh **Date:** October 16th 1975 — **Location:** Johannesburg > Mukund Parikh,838, Mohinoor Court,Gaithersburg, Maryland 20760 My dear Mr. Parikh, Please accept my blessings. I am in receipt of your letter dated August 22, 1975, and I have noted the contents carefully. You are knowing so many languages and you can be of great service in this respect, so why don't you join our Bombay centre and help to propagate Krishna Consciousness in Hindi and other languages. I hope that this meets you in good health, Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/pks ### Letter to Mr. N. N. Bagai **Date:** January 6th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > N. N. Bagai1185 Sector 18-GChandigarh My dear Mr. Bagai, Please accept my greetings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Dec. 30th, 1974 and have noted the contents. You have now got you identity card, so you can go if you like to any of our centers and live there for some time. If you like the atmosphere, then we have no objection to accept you into our institution. You should remain with us for some time, otherwise how will we know what work you are fit to do? You should understand of course, that we do not pay anyone in our society. After you have stayed with us for some time, then we shall discuss initiation, name and mantra. These things are not awarded immediately. When you take sannyasa, you can use the word svami—not before. We are not interested in these things like hatha-yoga and swimming. We do not encourage such useless activities. We would never take to such activities for earning money. We get money enough. We don't require to adopt any unauthorized means. At present we spend 8 lakhs of rupees every month and Krishna sends all money. Our process is to chant Hare Krishna. That is sufficient. You are welcome to Vrndavana anytime. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Svami ### Letter to Mr. N.V. Bhakta **Date:** June 8th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > N.V. Bhakta Box 130, Nelola Zambia, Africa My dear Mr. Bhakta, Please accept my greetings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 21-5-75 and have noted the contents. I can go to Zambia at any time by my secretary's arrangement. So, Brahmananda Swami, my chief secretary, is coming to meet me in Los Angeles on the 20th of June, and then he can give you reply as to when I shall be coming to Zambia. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Mr. Ogata **Date:** June 13th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Mr. Ogata Int. Sales Manager Dai Nippon Tokyo, Japan My dear Mr. Ogata, Please accept my greetings. By experience, we gather that Japanese ladies and gentlemen are very much interested with our Krishna Consciousness movement, especially with our literature, and more specifically with Srimad-bhagavatam. Here in Hawaii, many Japanese gentlemen, they purchase Srimad-bhagavatam simply by hearing the name, but they have got the language difficulty—they don't know English. So, if our books were translated into Japanese language, it will be a great help to us and to you also because it will be another opportunity for printing books. So, why not give us a good translator who can regularly translate all our books into Japanese? This will be another enterprise for printing in your press. So, if you can arrange for this with a Japanese scholar, or if you take this responsibility, then it will give me great pleasure. I hope this meets you in good health. Yours very sincerely, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Mr. Punja **Date:** January 2nd 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Lautoka, Fiji My dear Mr. Punja, Please accept my blessings. I am writing this letter to inform you that I am now sending Bhagavata dasa brahmacari there to Fiji to be co-manager with your good self. This man is very experienced in the Gujarati communities. He has preached in Africa to the Gujaratis there in Kenya, Tansania, Zambia, etc. for over 3 years, as well as London and Gujarat. He is I think capable of working with you very nicely there. If you would be so kind as to send him a ticket from Bombay to Fiji, he can leave Bombay immediately upon arrival of the ticket. He is very eager to make Fiji an established Krishna Conscious center and to work with you co-operatively. Please send the ticket to his Christian name, Joseph M. Selvester, passport number Z1964356. He is waiting here in Bombay at our Hare Krishna Land. I think you can send the ticket by wire through one of the airlines there that has their branch office in Bombay. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps --- N.B. Please make the ticket one-way and if possible via Sydney ### Letter to Mr. Punja **Date:** May 11th 1975 — **Location:** Perth > Australia Lautoka, Fiji My dear Mr. Punja, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated April 1st, 1975 and have noted the contents carefully. I have also received from Madhudvisa Swami one copy of the Constitution that you have drawn up there. On my way from Melbourne to Honolulu, I will stop in Fiji for two days around the 22nd of May. Madhudvisa Swami will give you the exact dates of my arrival as soon as it is fixed up. When I come there, we shall discuss everything in detail regarding the Fiji program. I am looking forward to seeing you in Fiji. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Mr. R. Van den Tak **Date:** June 10th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Mr. R. Van den Tak60 Liverpool St.Paddington, 2021Sydney, Australia My dear Mr. Van den Tak, Please accept my greetings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 1-6-75 and have noted the contents. Your endeavor to prove scientifically the existence of re-incarnation is not very practical. It is like bringing a cannon to kill a mosquito. It is not required to bring a cannon to kill a mosquito, similarly any sane man can understand the principle of re-incarnation. There is no need of giving some long so-called scientific explanation. Explanation is already given in the Bhagavad-gita, as it is. Krishna, the Supreme Authority has already explained, and you should accept and understand His explanation and then try to make others understand. You should visit our temple in Sydney. The address is: Corner Wrights Rd. and Drummoyne Ave., Drummoyne N.S.W. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Mr. Ram Patel **Date:** January 10th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay Sri Ram Patel105 Park AvenueSouthall, MiddlesexLondon, EnglandMy dear Mr. PatelPlease accept my greetings. I am in due receipt of your letter concerning your son Durgesh. I am very sorry for any inconvenience that has come upon you due to this misunderstanding. I did not receive any letter from you until now about the situation so I was not aware fully of the circumstances as you have given them. Your son should stay with you and abide by your instructions. I will be coming there in April and will be more than glad to meet with you and your son at that time if you so wish. Again, I am sorry for any misunderstanding that may have occurred. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Mr. Ramanbhai M. Patel **Date:** April 19th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Mr. Ramanbhai M. Patel1255, Fort St., Apt. #201Montreal H3H 2B8Canada My dear Mr. Patel, Please accept my greetings. I have duly received your check for 200.00 dollars forwarded to me at our Vrndavana branch. Thank you very much for this kind donation. I hope that you are finding the time to visit our Montreal temple frequently, and that you are finding our books interesting to read. By associating and rendering service to the Vaisnavas and hearing the philosophy of Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-bhagavatam as well as chanting Hare Krishna, your life will become perfect. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Mr. Richard Cohen **Date:** May 26th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Richard Cohen P.O. Box 1615Sausalito, Calif My dear Mr. Cohen, Please accept my greetings. I am in due receipt of your letter April 10, 1975 and have noted the contents. I am happy to hear that you are attracted to the Krishna Consciousness movement. Your talents for making movies can be engaged very nicely in Krishna's service. I think in this connection, you may contact Sriman Yadubara dasa adhikari, 3764 Watseka Ave., Los Angeles, Ca. 90034. He is very experienced at making Krishna Conscious movies. He may be able to give you some good advice. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Mr. R.L. Bhatt **Date:** April 2nd 1975 — **Location:** Mayapur > R.L. Bhatt Gokul Nivas, Ahmedabad _,Baroda My dear Mr. Bhatt, Please accept my greetings. I have received your kind letter dated 19th March and have noted the contents. I am very glad that you have appreciated our movement so nicely. I am sorry to say that I did not reach your letter until quite a few days after I left Bombay. Our festival has gone very nicely here in Mayapur. About 400 American and European devotees have come for the celebrations this year. We will all be going to Vrndavana for the opening of our Krishna-Balarama temple there on April 20th, 1975. You and your family are cordially invited to attend our functions there if it is convenient for you at that time. Regarding your books, we are trying to organize our shipping of books in a better way, so you should be receiving them in the near future. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Mr. Robert Bedoian **Date:** May 26th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Robert Bedoian16102 Orange Ave.Paramount, Ca. 90723 My dear Mr. Bedoian, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated May 17, 1975 and have noted the contents. Thank you for being attracted to this Hare Krishna movement and engaging yourself in chanting Hare Krishna. You are most fortunate to be giving up your sinful activities and chanting the name of Krishna. Please continue and go to visit our temples as much as you can. After you have followed our principles for a while under the instructions of one of our temple presidents, I shall, upon his recommendation, give you a spiritual name and initiate you into the chanting of Hare Krishna. For the time being, it is not necessary for you to have a deity of Krishna. That will come later. For now, just chant Hare Krishna and read my books, and try to follow our principles in association with devotees. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Mr. Saral Kumar Gupta **Date:** January 4th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Mr. Saral Kumar Das Gupta > B/381 Tribeni Tissues Ltd. > PLO. Tribeni, Dist. Hooghly > West Bengal My dear Mr. Gupta, Please accept my greetings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Dec. 28th, 1974 and have noted the contents. I think the best thing for you would be to come to our center in Bombay and live with us for a while here. We have very nice facilities here and we are constructing more facilities. I will be here until about mid-January and then I will go for 2 months to U.S.A. and South America for preaching. You are welcome to come at any time. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Mr. S.D. Purmanan **Date:** December 8th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Mr. S.D. Purmanan Central training institutefor instructors Kurla,Bombay 70 My Dear S.D. Purmnanan, Please accept my blessings. Thank you for your letter dated December 1, 1975.I shall be in Bombay by the 15th December, so you can meet me at that time any day after 5:00 PM till 23rd December. My address there is, Hare Krishna Land, Gandhi Gram Rd. Juhu, Bombay 54.I hope this letter meets you well. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/hda ### Letter to Mr. Sharma **Date:** June 3rd 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Vrndavana My dear Mr. Sharma, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 1-5-75 and have noted the contents. The best thing is if you continue to visit our temple regularly in Vrndavana at Raman Reti. The temple manager there is His Holiness Aksayananda Swami. Since I am overseas and cannot personally interview you, you please request Aksayananda Swami to recommend you to me for initiation, and then do the needful as he may suggest to you. By this process, it may be possible for you and your wife to be initiated as my disciples. We are very strict in the selection of disciples. We are not after large numbers. In order to be initiated by us, one has to chant at least 16 times around his japa beads daily (the Hare Krishna maha-mantra), he has to follow strict rules such as: no meat, fish, eggs, no intoxication—including tea and cigarettes, no illicit sex, and no gambling. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Mr. S.T. Asnani **Date:** January 1st 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > S.T. Asnani, MA > Advocate High Court > "Meher House" > 15, Cawasji Patel St. > Fort, Bombay-1 My dear Mr. Asnani, Please accept my greetings. I thank you very much for your kind New Year's card. The picture of Krishna on the front was very nice. Thanking you once again. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Mr. T. S. Orr **Date:** February 27th 1975 — **Location:** Miami > Att: Mr. T.S. Orr Vice President Bank of America, L.A Dear sir: Re: Time fixed deposits for 257,356.09 dollars and 110,000.00 dollars respectively, due to be matured by the first week of March with interest. With reference to the above, I beg to inform you that on maturity of the above time fixed deposit, you can transfer the whole amount to your Bombay branch, account number 16026, in favor of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Mayapur vrindavan Fund).Thanking you in anticipation. Faithfully yours, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ### Letter to Mr. T.P. Murli **Date:** March 15th 1975 — **Location:** Tehran > T.P. Murli7 Shilloo House1st Floor, 20th Road,Danda pada, Khar,Bombay-52. AE My dear Mr. Murli, Please accept my greetings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Feb. 18th, 1975 and have noted the contents. I am returning to Bombay on March 16th (tomorrow). I shall stay up to the 19th. If you like, you can see me there. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Mr. Vincent Karl **Date:** April 6th 1975 — **Location:** Mayapur > Mr. Vincent Karlc/o SOL Press Box 239, Van Brunt Station Brooklyn, N.Y. 11215 My dear Mr. Karl, Please accept my greetings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated March 20th, 1975 and have noted the contents carefully. I wish to thank you very much for your reading our books so carefully and scrutinizingly. Any man who read these literatures will find a storehouse of transcendental information. I hope you will continue to study so nicely on a daily basis as you have described in your letter. Regarding your question, you may refer to Ādi-lila, Chapter 6, Text 79 along with the purport, (Caitanya-caritamrta). The answer is there. The basic understanding is that Sada-Siva is an expansion of Maha-Visnu and that same Sada-Siva incarnates as Advaitacarya. Therefore, since Advaitacarya is an incarnation of Sada-Siva who is non-different from Maha-Visnu, we can say that Advaitacarya is an incarnation of Maha-Visnu. It can be said both ways, that He is an incarnation of Sada-Siva or Maha-Visnu. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Mrdapriya **Date:** February 15th 1975 — **Location:** Mexico City > Laguna Beach My dear Mrdapriya dasi, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated nil and have noted the contents. It is never too late to become Krishna Conscious. If you actually follow all of the regulative principles and chant 16 rounds avoiding the offenses, and attend the mangala arati and classes, then Krishna will see that you are sincerely trying to follow the real process of Krishna Consciousness. Don't try to manufacture some artificial process. The process I have already given. Now you simply have to follow it strictly and Krishna will give you all help. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Mrdapriya **Date:** July 12th 1975 — **Location:** Philadelphia > Laguna Beach My Dear Mrdapriya devi: Please accept my blessings. I have received your letter undated and noted the contents. You should not feel that it is impossible for you to surrender to Krsna or that you are not a devotee. You are already a devotee, that is clear from your statements. Of course an advanced devotee feels sometimes hopelessness, just like Caitanya Mahaprabhu prayed: "O my Lord out of kindness You enable us to easily approach You by Your Holy Names, but I am so unfortunate that I have no attraction for them."However in the neophyte stage it is best to develop firm faith, that just by chanting the Hare Krishna Mahamantra everything else will come, and try to avoid the ten offenses. So please continue to chant 16 rounds daily and follow carefully the four rules and regulations, and Krsna will help you more and more. I hope that this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Mrs. Beatrice Matusow **Date:** June 17th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Beatrice Matusow4542 Lehus St.Kapaa, Kauai, Hi. 96746 My dear Mrs. Matusow, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated June 2, and have noted the contents. Regarding your idea, I think it will be best, if the next time you come to Honolulu, you come to our center here and discuss this proposal to the temple president named Manasvi dasa. Then some decision can be made. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Mrs. Bhatt **Date:** January 18th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Ontario My dear Mrs. Bhatt, Please accept my greetings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 29th of October, 1974 and have noted the contents. Thank you very much for your kind donation of 2500 Rupees for our food distribution program. It will be very helpful in endeavors. I hope that by now, you have had the opportunity to come and visit our center in Toronto. You are cordially invited to visit there anytime. The address is: 187 Gerrard St., East, Ontario M5A 2E5. We have very nice Radha-Krishna murtis there and there are many devotees there also. Please visit at your convenience. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Mrs. Mohini H. Singh **Date:** March 6th 1975 — **Location:** Brooklyn > Mrs. Mohini H. Singh Consul (Culture) & Director Indian Cultural Center215 Market Street San Francisco, California94105 USA My Dear Mrs. Singh, Please accept the blessings of Lord Krishna. I thank you for your kind letter of invitation dated 21st of Feb., 1975. I am just on my way to London from here (New York), and from there I shall have to go to Tehran, Iran, and then back to India by the 15th of March, 1975 for arranging the birthday anniversary of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu at our Mayapur center, (District Nadia), West Bengal, India. Therefore I am very sorry to inform you that I shall not be able to attend the auspicious meeting which you are going to hold on the 23rd of March. I am advising therefore my senior disciple, His Holiness, Kirtanananda Swami to attend the meeting and I hope he will be able to present the proper view of our Krishna Consciousness movement. Our movement is completely a spiritual movement, therefore sometimes it appears to be a little different from the materialistic cultural movement. In the Bhagavad-gita, the spiritual hint is there in the beginning of the lesson to Arjuna. Krishna wanted to pick up the spiritual soul from within the body: dehino 'smin yatha dehe kaumaram yauvanam jara [Bg. 2.13]. So, the spirit soul is within the body. Unless we catch up the spirit soul within the body, there is no question of spiritual life or culture. Still, we are trying to push this movement in the western countries and many of them are taking it very seriously. I hope Sriman Kirtanananda Maharaja will be able to convince you further in the meeting and I hope you will give him some time to speak on the subject matter on my behalf. Further in order to convince people more about this movement philosophically and scientifically, we have published up to date about 50 books. So, if you kindly give me a nice booth for demonstration of the books, it will be a great opportunity to introduce our literature amongst the intelligent class of men. Our books are already recognized by the academic section of universities. They are a standard, authorized collection and I hope you will give us proper facilities to utilize the opportunity. Thanking you once more for your kind invitation. Yours sincerely, A.C. Bhaktivedanta SvamiACBS/ps ### Letter to Nalinikanta **Date:** September 3rd 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Phoenix My Dear Nalinikanta das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated August 8, 1975 with enclosed check for U.S. 50.00. I have noted the contents of your letter. You have been married for a year and a half but do not have any desire for children. Then why did you marry? That is my question. If you do not want children, then why did you marry? You should not take sannyasa. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Nalinikanta **Date:** November 21st 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Phoenix My dear Nalinikanta das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due reciept of your letter of November 9, 1975 and also your telegram to Brahmananda Swami reading as follows: "ASK SRILA PRABHUPADA IF WE SHOULD BUY SMALL CHURCH IN PHOENIX TWO BLOCKS FROM UNIVERSITY WITH $15,000 to $20,000 LOAN FROM BBT. WIRE BACK IMMEDIATELY AS MAY BE SOLD SOON. NALINIKANTA." So this matter I cannot say because I do not know what money is available. You have to consult this with Ramesvara. Regarding taking sannyasa, this mentality that either I will have sex life or I will take sannyasa, this is not proper. Sannyasa means that one is finished with material life. So you have gotten married and you are in family life. So you should remain there. So you thought that by getting married you would expand your service. So you should do that. Actually all my disciples are sannyasis because they have surrendered everything in the service of Krsna. I have read the clipping and you have also mentioned of the women wearing karmi clothes and going into sex movies and bars late at night for collecting. So this kind of canvassing should be immediately stopped. Upon your recommendation I am accepting the following two brahmacaris as my initiated disciples. And their names are Malcolm Perey is Yamunapata das and Monte Flynn is Kalatita das. It is your responsibility since you are recommending them that they follow strictly the rules and regulations and remain strong in Krsna consciousness. They must attend the mangala aroti and the Srimad-Bhagavatam class and Bhagavad-gita class and chant 16 rounds minimum daily and also follow the four rules and regulations. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Nandakisora **Date:** March 14th 1975 — **Location:** Tehran > Los Angeles My dear Nandakisora dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Feb. 14th, 1975 and have noted the contents. I think it is best if you consult with Prajapati prabhu on these points. He is in charge of the dramas, so take his advice on these matters. Keep yourself always engaged in Krishna's service following very strictly the rules and regulations so that Maya will not be able to discourage you in your attempt to become Krishna Conscious. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Nandarani **Date:** April 17th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Dallas My dear Nandarani, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated April 3, 1975 and have noted the contents. Your going away, I did not take very seriously. I am very glad that you have come back. You should remain with Dayananda. That is your duty. He is a very good boy. So, please remain always fixed in devotional service and live peacefully. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Nandikesvara **Date:** June 28th 1975 — **Location:** Denver > Winnipeg, Canada My Dear Nandikesvara das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated June 17, 1975 and thank you for the nice report. You are enthusiastic for spreading Krsna consciousness. This is the most important quality. Please continue. I am accepting the following as twice born brahmanas and their threads duly sanctified are enclosed: Duryodhana guru dasa and his wife Vrndadevi dasi, and hold a fire sacrifice and impress upon them that they are taking vows before Radha Krsna, the spiritual master, and the assembled Vaisnavas. I also accept the following as my initiated disciple: Dandra Fohr—Sanga devi dasi. Please see that she carefully follows the regulative principles. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Narayana **Date:** March 18th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > San Jose, Costa Rica My dear Narayana Dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated March 4, 1975 and have noted the contents. Hanuman is not GBC. If he cannot work under Hrdayananda Gosvami, then he must work under me. He cannot be independent. I never said he was GBC. You should continue your programs there under the direction of Hrdayananda Gosvami. If Hanuman wants to preach there as long as he does not create any disturbance, he can preach there. I am enclosing one letter to Hanuman which you may present to him explaining his position. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Narayana **Date:** June 16th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > San Jose, Costa Rica My dear Narayana dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated June 10, 1975 and have noted the contents. Regarding your report on Hanuman, I am forwarding your letter to Hrdayananda Goswami who can present this problem to the GBC for their solution. I have accepted Saunaka dasa for 2nd initiation. His thread and mantra sheet are enclosed. Let him hear the tape of myself chanting the gayatri mantra through his right ear. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Naresh Chandera Gupta **Date:** November 10th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Sriman Naresh Chandera Gupta575 D L F Colony Rohtak Naryana My dear Sriman Naresh Chandera, Please accept my blessings. I am very thankful for your letter in appreciation of our Krishna consciousness movement. You will be very much useful in this great movement. Please immediately come to Bombay at the above address and we shall talk in detail and do the needful. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Nari **Date:** January 12th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Buffalo My dear Nari devi dasi, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 11-26-74 and have noted the contents. You must follow the principles that I have given at all times, under all circumstances. Without these four principles, there is no spiritual life. Even it may be very difficult you must follow. You should reject anything or anyone who advises you to break these principles. Association with such persons is worse than poison. If you like, you may come to Vrndavana and live for some time. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Narinder Natha Bagai **Date:** April 17th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Narinder Natha Bagai1185, Sector 18CChandigarh, Punjab My dear Mr. Bagai, Please accept my greetings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 28-3-75 and have noted the contents. Our book shipping department in Bombay is being improved, so I hope you shall receive your books soon. Regarding your taking sannyasa, first, you must come and live with us for some time and then we shall see. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Narottamananda **Date:** July 13th 1975 — **Location:** Philadelphia > Vrindaban My Dear Narottamananda das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated July 4, 1975 and have noted the contents. Regarding your taking a second wife, you cannot do this. At least you cannot stay in our temple in Vrindaban. If you want to take a second wife, then you have to leave our Vrindaban temple. Whether you can maintain them and take some job and earn? Our temples cannot support you and your two wives. You will then want three, four, and more. Anyway as an American it is illegal for you to do this. We are trying to minimize sex and you are trying to increase it. Please give up this idea. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Nataka-Candrika, Jusania, Rama Tulasi, Tripti **Date:** July 2nd 1975 — **Location:** Denver > Nataka-Candrika Jusania Rama Tulasi Tripti My dear daughters, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of the nice silver gift box which I already put to my personal use. I thank you very much for your taking seriously to this Krsna Consciousness movement by spreading this movement of Lord Caitanya's here in Denver. I am sure that Lord Caitanya will benedict you, and that this will be a great success for Krsna Consciousness in Denver. I hope that this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ### Letter to Naveen Khurana, Margaret Khurana **Date:** March 18th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Naveen and Margaret Khurana2FY Lake Village Dr.Walled Lake, Michigan 48088 My dear Naveen and Margaret, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated March 9th, 1975 and have noted the contents. Thank you for your kind sentiments and the 100 dollar daksina. Upon the recommendation of Sriman Govardhana Prabhu, I have accepted you both as my duly initiated disciples and your names are as follows: Navina-Krsna dasa and Mahanandini devi dasi. Please continue to chant 16 rounds and to follow the four regulative principles as you have promised in your letter and your life will be perfect. Your beads will be sent along with Govardhana dasa. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Niranjana **Date:** January 21st 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Glasgow My dear Niranjana das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Jan. 9th, 1975 and have noted the contents. Thank you very much for translating my books. It is so much important to me to have my books printed in all languages of the world. But, why are you sending the work to Ksirodakasayi for publication. I would rather have you send them to Bombay. You can send them to Yasomatinandana das adhikari here in Bombay. He can do the final editing as well as see to it that they are printed nicely. For the translation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, you can say either Paramesvara or Bhagavan. Paramatma or Antaryami is good for localized Super-soul. If you can give the meaning of all the sanskrit words, that will be best. I am glad to hear things are going nicely in Edinburgh and Glasgow. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Niranjana **Date:** April 17th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > P.K. Sjrovastava Dept. of Metallurgy Univ. of Strathclyde Glasgow, U.K My dear Niranjana dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated April 6, 1975 and have noted the contents. Go ahead and continue your work and try to work co-operatively with Yasomatinandana dasa. Concerning a temple in Gorakhpur, Ramananda can consult with me about that. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Niranjana **Date:** July 26th 1975 — **Location:** Los Angeles > Glasgow My Dear Niranjana dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated July 14, 1975. Regarding the temple that Ramananda is expecting to construct, who will pay for it? Has he mentioned this to you? Anyway, I will be speaking with him when I next go to India. I thank you for your report of the Rathayatra. Please ask Hansadutta to send me a complete report of the Rathayatra festival in London. Yes, go ahead with your translation work. This is very important and work together with Yasomatinandana. We want very much to publish Hindi publications and distribute throughout India. This will be our next program, so please do it. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Nitai **Date:** October 20th 1975 — **Location:** Johannesburg > Vrindaban My dear Nitai dasa, Please accept my blessings. Herewith please find the copy of one letter received from Karunasindhu in the matter of asking my permission to allow Purusottama das Brahmacari to scrutinize final printing. The letter has come from Karunasindhu suggested by Kirtiraja. Did you suggest this proposal to Kirtiraja? If not, then please enquire who suggested this proposal to Kirtiraja. I do not like that anyone should scrutinize our publications without my sanction. Kindly enquire into the matter and let me know the report to Bombay address. Also, send me a general report of Vrindaban affairs. I hope that this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/pks ### Letter to Nitai **Date:** November 7th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Vrindaban My Dear Nitai das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated October 28, 1975 and have noted the contents. Regarding the matter with Purusottama dasa, you immediately go and take back whatever books of ours that he has in his possession. You may inform him that we do not require his editing, neither should he correspond with our men in Los Angeles. He is a very heinous man. He wants to become more important. Who sent him books from Los Angeles without asking me? Who has given him the books he now has? You take them back immediately. If this man comes to see me in Vrindaban, I do not wish to see him. Regarding your enrolling in the Sanskrit school, if you get a certificate and you can get the extended student visa, then it is all right, but first of all get it. It is not at all good that the Deities do not have warm clothing for the cold weather. They are still spending so much for construction, spending spending, but the Deities are not clothed properly. What is this? I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Nityananda **Date:** February 15th 1975 — **Location:** Mexico City > New Orleans My dear Nityananda das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Feb. 5th, 1975 and have noted the contents. I am very glad to hear that your farm project in Mississippi is going on nicely. Develop it nicely like New Vrndavana. I have accepted the two persons that you have recommended for 1st initiation. Their names are Michael—Muniraja, and Robin—Rajanatha. Their beads can be chanted by Kirtanananda Swami. Train them to be first class devotees by following very strictly all of our rule regulations, chanting at least 16 good rounds daily. Thank you for the 100 dollars donation. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Nityananda **Date:** June 5th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > New Orleans My dear Nityananda dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated May 31, 1975 and have noted the contents. Thank you for the nice photos. Your Deities are very nice there. Regarding my coming there, we shall see later on. I have accepted Caron Dempsey for first initiation. Her name is Krsna-pujya devi dasi. Her beads can be chanted on by Satsvarupa Maharaja. Be sure that all of the devotees there are very carefully following all of the regulative principles and chanting 16 rounds daily and let them study the books deeply. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Nityananda **Date:** July 1st 1975 — **Location:** Denver > New Orleans My Dear Nityananda das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated June 28, 1975 with the enclosed photos. Your farm appears very nice, open plain land. The cows are very nice and so are the sheds. This farm project you should consider very important. The idea is that people can be self sufficient and raise their own foodstuffs and have sufficient milk to save time and chant Hare Krishna. Why should they work so hard in the hellish factories? Let everyone live simply and be Krsna conscious. Upon your recommendation I accept Paul Warren Menard as my initiated disciple. His spiritual name is Pana dasa. Please see that he maintains the Vaisnava standards and chants always 16 rounds minimum. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Nityananda **Date:** August 21st 1975 — **Location:** New Delhi > New Orleans My Dear Nityananda Das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated August 5, 1975 and have noted the contents. The news clipping was nice. Regarding your festival of Ratha Yatra, you have got my blessings. Either with or without my presence, you will be successful, so do not worry. I have seen your farm, and it is very nice. Develop it very nicely. You have already done nicely, so develop it further. That is very nice that you are saving money U.S. 250.00 per month on cow feed. Grow for animal and man food as far as possible. That is Krishna's order. annad bhavanti bhutani [Bg. 3.14]. It is also nice that you are making so much profit from your Spiritual Sky. Use it wisely. Upon your recommendation I am accepting the following disciples as initiated and their names are as follows: Thomas White—Padavja dasa; Henrietta Whelan—Jayaprada dasi; Katherine Kern—Kamarikanta devi; Jim Tucker—Jagatkarta dasa. I also accept for second initiation Sanatanai devi dasi. The mantra sheet is enclosed. I think you can inquire from Jagadisa about getting the tape. Hold a fire sacrifice amongst the devotees and let her hear the tape through the right ear. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Nrsimha dasa **Date:** January 4th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Honolulu My dear Nrsimha das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Dec. 24th, 1974 and have noted the contents. Your idea is very nice but regarding the practicality of it, you should discuss with either the temple president or the GBC man. You should work it out together with the leaders there. Please be very strict in following all the rules and regulations as well as chanting at least 16 good rounds daily and reading all my books thoroughly. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Omkara **Date:** September 2nd 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Los Angeles My Dear Omkara dasi: Please accept my blessings. I have seen your letter dated August 17, 1975 and have noted the contents. I never said there should be no more marriage. By all means legally you can get married. How can I object? They misunderstand me. Unless it is there from me in writing, there are so many things that "Prabhupada said."I have no objection to marriage, but to bless it by a fire sacrifice, that I am thinking that if they don't stay together, then it is not good. But if they can remain together for one year, then there can be fire sacrifice. But changing three times in a month husband and wife, that is not good. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to P. S. Garg **Date:** January 16th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Sri P.S. Garg M.A., M.B.Advocate High Court Candralok "A"97, Nepean Sea Road, Bombay-6 My dear Sri P.S. Garg, Please accept my greetings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Jan. 6th, 1975 and have noted the contents. I thank you for your concern for my disciples' health. Actually, they are getting ghee and other milk products daily along with capatis, dhal, and rice. They are also taking fruits and vegetables daily. Some of them are getting very fatty. Any way the food is there, if they are getting skinny and thin, it might be some other cause. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/psN.B. --- You are cordially invited to come to our Hare Krishna Land. We have a nice evening program starting at 7:00 with kirtana, pravacana, and arati. Please come at your convenience. Hare Krishna ### Letter to Padmanabha **Date:** July 2nd 1975 — **Location:** Denver > Denver My Dear Padmanabha and Mahojjvala dasi: Please accept my blessings. I thank you very much for your guru daksine gift and your nice letter expressing your appreciation for your spiritual master. This is the proper way to receive the blessings of Krsna, by begging the mercy of the spiritual master. yasya prasadad bhagavata prasadao. If one pleases the spiritual master, then it is to be understood that Krsna is pleased. So continue on in this way following our path of bhakti yoga with enthusiasm and you will have perfection in this life and the next. Hoping this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Palika **Date:** November 13th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Los Angeles My dear Palika devi dasi, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated November 27, 1975. Yes, the separation of man and woman is desirable. If Yamuna and yourself can develop such an institution of a woman's asrama, that will be nice. You are all elderly devotees. I think that this will be a good idea. If you produce milk, you should not drink milk very much. Rather, you should save it and convert it into ghee and then sell it to the householders and centers and thus maintain your asrama. The excess quantity of ghee may be exchanged by trade. Kirtana is our first duty. The Deity worship should be simple and the eating should be as meager as possible. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Panalalaji **Date:** May 2nd 1975 — **Location:** New Delhi > Hyderabad Dear Panalalaji, Please accept my blessings. I am now staying in New Delhi and I am going to Bombay on the fifth instant. You wanted me to send you news when I am reaching Bombay. You also wanted to come at that time. So, would it be possible to come to Bombay on the fifth instant and do the needful? Now I have decided to make a trustee board for Hare Krishna Land, Bombay. I wish to select trustees—twelve altogether. Out of them seven will be Indian and five will be foreigners. Foreigner means those who are members of the Commonwealth like Australia, New Zealand, England, Canada, etc. After all, this is an international institution, but the majority of the members of the trustees will be Indian. Namely, out of twelve members, I will make seven Indians and five foreigners. Therefore, I have decided to make you one of the trustees. If you come to Bombay on the fifth instant, we shall discuss on this matter. If not, please send me your letter of acceptance in which you agree to become one of the trustees of the Hare Krishna Land. Kindly treat this as urgent and do the needful. I hope this meets you in good health. Thanking you in anticipation. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ### Letter to Pancadravida **Date:** January 4th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Bangkok My dear Pancadravida Svami, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Dec. 29th, 1974 and have noted the contents. I am sending this letter via one friend who will be coming to Bangkok tomorrow. He will deliver the letter to a Mr. Panikar who will bring it to you. This Mr. Panikar has been recommended to me by one of our life members here as someone who can sign the registration. Along with him, there is a Mr. Raman and a Mr. Chaisrikyl (Thai citizen). Mr. Panikar should be able to advise you how to get in touch with these men also. Regarding sending men to Bangkok, let us see who is a spare man or is having visa problems. But our policy as you know is not to import devotees, but to make devotees out of the local men there. That is better. Regarding the German situation, it is an attempt to suppress our movement there. We have become very popular there and now the Christian church, as well as the police are very much feeling pressure that "now this movement is increasing." The son of one big police officer has joined us and so his father has a grudge and has tried to cause counter-propaganda to be spread. Please go on with your work there with continued enthusiasm. The Bombay business is still not yet finished so I have not been able to fix up my journey out of Bombay yet. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Pancadravida **Date:** January 6th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Bangkok My dear Pancadravida Svami, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Dec. 29th, 1974 and have noted the contents. I have sent one letter already responding to your most recent letter, via one life-member, but in case of it not reaching you, I am sending another. Three men have been recommended to me by one of our life-members here in Bombay as men who may be able to help by signing our registration there. Their names are, Mr. Panikar, Mr. Raman, and Mr. Chaisrikul (Thai National). We have sent word to Mr. Panikar to come and visit you and to bring the addresses of the other two gentlemen so you may contact them. I think it is all right to have men who are non-life-members sign our registration if they are good men, sympathetic to our movement. But, you should try to make them members if possible. As far as sending more men to Bangkok is concerned, we shall see if any of our men are forced to leave India on account of visa difficulties. They can go there. But my policy, as you know, is not to import devotees, but to create devotees out of the local men. That will be better. I did not import any Indian devotees when I first came to your country. Print as much as you can into the Thai language. That will be a great asset. Regarding the German situation, it is an attempt to suppress our movement there. We have become very popular and important in a very short time and now the Christian church, as well as the police are feeling much pressure that "now this movement is increasing". The son of one big police officer has joined us and therefore his father has a grudge and also one newspaper reporter came to our temple incognito and has some grudge. In this way they and others are trying to spread some counter-propaganda to destroy our reputation. It is not yet fixed up when I am leaving Bombay, but I will notify you beforehand of my arrival there. Please go on with you work with great determination. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Pancananda **Date:** February 15th 1975 — **Location:** Mexico City > Denver My dear Pancananda das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Jan. 31, 1975 and have noted the contents. The problem that you are experiencing may have something to do with the drugs you were taking previous to joining our movement. Any way, you should try very sincerely to become a pure devotee of Krishna by following all of the four regulative principles and chanting at least 16 rounds daily, as well as rising early, attending mangala arati, attending classes, etc. By this simple method, you will be very strongly fixed in spiritual life and whatever problems you may have will seem insignificant. However, if you need medical attention, your temple president should make the necessary arrangement for your seeing a doctor. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Pancaratna **Date:** September 18th 1975 — **Location:** Vrndavana > Brooklyn My dear Pancaratna das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated July 17, 1975. This proposal of yours is out of the question and it shall not be done. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Pannalal Bansilalji **Date:** July 13th 1975 — **Location:** Philadelphia > Hyderabad My Dear Pannalal Bansilalji: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated May 19th, 1975 and have noted the contents. I am advising my Bombay center with a copy of this letter to send you the latest amended copy of the Rules of the Society. It is not yet settled up as to those who will be the Trustees. When I return to India, I shall send you the list. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bscc: --- Giriraja das, Bombay ### Letter to Paramahamsa **Date:** July 16th 1975 — **Location:** Berkeley > Honolulu My Dear Paramahamsa Swami: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated July 11, 1975 and have noted the contents. It is a good idea to send the fiberglass shells to India for fitting and testing. You can easily pack two or three in a crate and send air mail. Your Hare Krishna pineapple program is very nice. Continue to distribute. The name is already nicely advertised and there you can easily get pineapple. Regarding the restaurant, why they should get salary? There should be no salary. You are working without salary, so why they should take. They are not very important men. So after this month arrange for no one to get any salary there. That will be nice. Regarding the farm, if by getting money from the cash crops, then do that and improve the place. Construct temple and residential quarter. Somehow or other you have to keep the men who are there engaged. If they are allowed to become idle gradually they will again become hippies. If the farm cannot be utilized, then it may be sold. What is the use of keeping a bad cow? But if you are utilizing, then we can purchase the truck to help. But, what about the idea of selling the bus and repaying me Dollars 3,000.00? What happened to that idea? I had lent Dollars 5,000.00 and that should be repaid somehow or other. Everyone I advance money to, they repay. Brahmananda Swami took Rs. 16,000/-, and he has returned, so why not you also? Anyway, if there is some potential there then keep it and go on. But, if you are able to make profit, then why not you purchase the truck? So far I have studied Siddhasvarupa, he is not a bad boy, but he has his own philosophy, from the very beginning. It is almost inevitable that there should be enviousness amongst the godbrothers, just like amongst my godbrothers. What kind of business is that which the man is giving Dollars 5,000.00 monthly profit? It is very nice that you are getting that other property. You are gradually getting men, so try to develop it. If men are required, then you can get them from the mainland. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Paramahamsa **Date:** September 4th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Honolulu My Dear Paramahamsa Swami: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated August 21, 1975 with enclosed check for U.S. 1,000. I have not received the letter you say you sent to Paris with a second check for U.S. 1,000. You should immediately inquire. Regarding Manasvi, you should immediately prosecute. The charge should be Breach of Trust and Misappropriation of Funds. I have received today the Oath of Allegiance duly signed by him and notarized. When required it will be supplied to you. Therefore I wanted this declaration. Immediately prosecute. Regarding the restaurant, that is the defect, that if we divert our attention more on business. Therefore it is very difficult. Things should be adjusted so that temple programs are not hampered. The brahmacaris and sannyasis must stick to the temple activities. Only the grhasthas can take part in the restaurant. Our aim should not be to work for profit. You American boys and girls can make very large profit, but why you have taken to Krishna consciousness? You are not meant for profit making but for advancing in spiritual life. So we should not take to the restaurant for profit making at the cost of slackening of spiritual life. This is dangerous. Manasvi is getting a job, but what about the money? Ask him. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Paramahamsa **Date:** September 15th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Honolulu My Dear Paramahamsa Swami: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated September 2, 1975 with enclosed check for Dollars 3,000.00. Thank you very much for repaying this money. But I have still not received the Dollars 1,000 you sent c/o Paris. You should inquire into this and inform me. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Paramahamsa, Srutakirti **Date:** July 4th 1975 — **Location:** Evanston > Illinois Honolulu My Dear Paramahamsa Swami and Srutakirti das: Please accept my blessings. Now we have a plan for expanding our Sankirtana and we will be needing so many hundreds of mrdangas. So you have got the fiberglass shells there, so I am informing Jayapataka Swami to arrange for one or two Bengali craftsmen to come and stay with you for at least one year to make the skins. Then our men can learn from him. We will pay the transportation and some salary. Please let me know what you think of this idea. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Parasuram R. Jalan **Date:** September 7th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Sri P.R. Jalan Kunjlal Street Upper Bazzar Ranchi, Bihar 834001 Dear Parasuram Jalan, Please accept my greetings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated September 1, 1975. Becoming a life member of this movement is not the necessary thing. Life membership is a side issue. We want people like you to co-operate with this movement. We want you to work for this movement. This is essential. You must know the philosophy and try to co-operate. Money is not important thing. Money is sent by Krsna. The thing is that unless one understands the philosophy that the human life is meant for understanding Krsna, then simply a group of men such as you propose of the Jaycees, this will not help us. We have to impress upon all men the importance of this movement. Therefore people should be given the chance to hear somehow or other, to hear the philosophy of Krsna consciousness. So my suggestion is that some of the intelligent men of Ranchi are welcome to stay here with me and try to understand the philosophy of Krsna consciousness. Then it'll be easier for you to start a center there. So you are invited to come and one who cooperates with this movement, he is the real life member. I hope this meets you in good health. Yours sincerely, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Partha **Date:** January 16th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > London My dear Partha das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Jan. 7th, 1975 and have noted the contents. Your idea sounds very nice. It is a good proposal. Is it practical? Can you do it? If you think it is practical and you can do it, then it could have very nice results. Work nicely with Hansadutta and see what can be arranged. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Patita Uddharana **Date:** January 3rd 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Bhaktivedanta Manor My dear Patita Uddharana das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Dec. 27th, 1974 and have noted the contents. Madhavananda is now being sent to Hong Kong to collect for Krishna-Balarama Mandir in Vrndavana. So, all your desires are fulfilled. Now, work more enthusiastically in Krishna's service and do not deviate from my teachings and everything will be a success. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Patita Uddharana **Date:** January 10th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Bhaktivedanta Manor My dear Patita Uddharana das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of you letter dated Jan. 4th, 1975 and have noted the contents. I very much appreciated your nice report on London and I am glad to hear how things are going on there. Many thanks to Prabha Visnu das. Yes, I'll come there, but the first opportunity may be in April. I am also hankering to go there. Please take great care, you are experienced. Co-operate with Prabha Visnu and make an ideal place for devotional service there. Regarding the incident with Mr. Mody, it was a mistake by Kausalya. Don't commit anything which will cause mistrust. This is not at all desirable. Keep peaceful situation with all men. There is no question of taxing someone for a donation. They can give donation and we will accept on friendly terms. Nobody should be pressured for contribution. Impure atmosphere can be counteracted by having kirtanas twice and thrice daily with dancing. So, keep the atmosphere very peacefully. Go on chanting and hold classes in Bhagavatam, etc. Don't allow anyone to engage in eating and sleeping alone or the devil's workshop will develop. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Patita Uddharana **Date:** February 3rd 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Bhaktivedanta Manor My dear Patita Uddharana das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letters dated Jan. 18th, and 27th, 1975 and have noted the contents. Your column in the Gujarat Samachar is a great way to preach Krishna Consciousness to the Indians there in London. They will become very much familiar with our ideas and goals by reading it regularly. Please continue it nicely. Regarding the other points mentioned in your letter, Hansadutta prabhu has said that he can take care of these matters. Actually, I have requested that these type of matters be brought before the GBC instead of me. I am trying very hard to find time to write my books, so I want to be relieved from so many questions. Please work co-operatively with Hansadutta and everything will be very successful. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami --- N.B. You can allow the sacrifice in the Manor for Mrs. Mehta, but as with with the weddings, they must pay for the room. (Don't have it in the temple room.) She can bring her own brahmanas ### Letter to Patita Uddharana **Date:** April 2nd 1975 — **Location:** Mayapur > Bhaktivedanta Manor My dear Patita Uddharana dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated March 17th, 1975 and have noted the contents. Thank you for your articles. They are very nicely written. They have given us a good amount of space. That means that we can present our philosophy in detail and they will read it. Regarding that man Mr. Shah, you can ask him what is the best season for going to Dvaraka. Then I shall arrange for going there. I have never been there yet. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Paul Diglio **Date:** November 15th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Mr. Paul Diglio87 Fairmont Avenue New Haven, Connecticut 06513U.S.A My dear Paul Diglio, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter and I am glad to know that you have a sincere interest in this Krsna consciousness movement. Now you should try to become strong in Krsna consciousness. The first thing is to chant 16 rounds minimum on the beads and it is best to do this in the association of others who also desire to progress in spiritual life. So you should try to remain at one of our temples; that will help you. You should also read my books very carefully and you should render service. Tad viddhi pranipatena/ pariprasnena sevaya [Bg. 4.34]. Service must be there. So you have to find out some service that you can render. Then your progress will be very quick. I hope this finds you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Pavanadeva **Date:** May 9th 1975 — **Location:** Perth > Australia Coconut Grove, Miami My dear Pavanadeva dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 21st of April, 1975 and have noted the contents. Do not be discouraged. Simply follow all of the rules and regulations very carefully. Rise early, attend mangala arati, attend class, chant 16 rounds and follow the four basic rules and regulations. This is most important. Without these things, there is no spiritual life. If your try sincerely, then Krishna will give you all blessings. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Phatikcandra **Date:** January 1st 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Vineland, New Jersey My dear Phatikcandra das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Dec. 13rd, 1974 and have noted the contents. I simply request you to chant 16 rounds daily without fail and follow all the regulative principles. Rise early, attend temple functions and study my books carefully. Work closely and take advice from your elder godbrothers like the temple president and the GBC. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Pierre Sauvageau **Date:** February 2nd 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Pierre Sauvageaua/s Centre d'information Hare Krishna728 Laurier, Trois-Rivieres Province de Quebec, Canada My dear Mr. Sauvageau, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Dec. 17, 1974 and have noted the contents. I am very pleased to know that you have taken such a great interest in our Hare Krishna Movement. You are an educated man and you can use your education very nicely in the service of Krishna. I like the idea of yours to continue on for PHD presenting our books and philosophy in your thesis. This will be a great service for you to perform and I shall be very grateful to you if you can do it. Please therefore go ahead with obtaining PHD and become a learned scholar in the science of loving Krishna.* This will be a wonderful credit for you and you will surely get recognition from Krishna for such an attempt. Keep in touch with Jagadisa dasa and he can give you all assistance. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps --- *That is the verdict of S.B. "Idam hi pumsa srntasya saktasya ca budhadata yo avicyuta'tha kavi bhih nirupitah yaduttamasloka gunanuvarnanam" ### Letter to Prabhakar **Date:** May 31st 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > New Delhi My dear Prabhakar, Please accept my blessings. I thank you for your letter dated May 20, 1975. I have not yet received any reply from Nandaji. So, immediately, what I want is in the Kuruksetra university a class should be opened for studying Krishna Consciousness and there are already about 50 books in English and Sanskrit, so if the university offers degree, B.A., M.A., and P.H.D. in different grades of understanding, I can arrange for many foreign students to come there. My first business is to spread Krishna Consciousness all over the world. Actually, this movement is not to be limited in India only—that is the mission Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. As desired by you, I can immediately take up the task of opening a center there and to open a varna-asrama college there affiliated by the university. In this college we shall train up pure brahmanas, (qualified brahmanas), Ksatriyas and Vaisyas. That is the injunction of Bhagavad-gita. And this institution will be open for all without any discrimination. As I am training these European and American boys, most of them coming from Christian and Jewish families, and they are accepting to become a pure brahmana and then a pure sannyasi. This system should be introduced. They must sit for proper examination after being trained. And then why not accept them as real brahmana by quality and work? This procedure is recommended both in the Bhagavad-gita and in the Srimad-bhagavatam. In the Bhagavad-gita, it is said that the brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra should be selected by quality and work. Similarly, in the Srimad-bhagavatam, it is said that if quality and work is present in a different varna, that is to say, if the quality of a brahmana is visible in a person born in sudra family, such person on account of quality and work, should be accepted as brahmana. So, if we start a varna-asrama college in terms of Bhagavad-gita instructions and approved by Srimad-bhagavatam, why the university will not give degree to a qualified person as approved brahmana. This is the necessity of the present day. In the days past, when Prthu Maharaja was the emperor, his government was inspecting to see whether a brahmana is acting actually as a brahmana, whether a ksatriya is acting as a ksatriya, and all the different castes were engaged in all their respective duties. At the present moment, even though one is qualified brahmana, he does not get sufficient opportunity to act as brahmana, and therefore he is obliged to accept the occupational duty of someone who is outside the brahminical post. But if we accept the principle of varna and asrama as they are recommended in the sastra, and if we push on the Krishna Consciousness movement, surely everyone will be engaged in his occupation and the question of unemployment will be finished. Therefore, I think if we propagate this movement on the principles of Bhagavad-gita, all the problems of the human society will be solved. I can do all this business if some leading man of India co-operate with me. When I was in Delhi, Nandaji met me and I spoke to him exactly as I am writing now, but he said that immediately, these things cannot be introduced. But, I think it can be introduced immediately without any loss of time, provided you are serious about it. I am so pleased that you are ready to help me in spreading Krishna Consciousness in India. So, kindly decide it finally and immediately upon my return to India, maybe by the end of August, you meet me anywhere I am (of which I shall inform you duly). In the meantime, you can let me know what is the position of the Birla temple at Kuruksetra. What is the form of Deity being worshiped there? How the management is going on? Who is the chief Birla under whose direction the temple is being managed? My idea is that if this temple can be used for our movement, then we do not need to construct a separate temple. If it is not possible to utilize this temple, then we can construct our own temple and for constructing temple and varnasrama college, we shall require a big plot of land—at least 10-15 acres or more. Whether this plot of land is available through the government acquirement. So, these are the immediate questions which I place before you. Kindly let me know the answers as soon as possible. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/psN.B. --- On May 18, 1975 we just opened a very large headquarters in Melbourne, Australia. The festival took place with great pomp and it was a great success. Many outsiders came and took part in the festival. I installed two very large, beautiful Deities, Gaura and Nitai in a very beautiful all-marble temple room. Things are going on very nicely in the western countries ### Letter to Prabhanu **Date:** February 2nd 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Seattle My dear Prabhanu dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 1-31-75 and have noted the contents carefully. Regarding your problem, first thing is that the philosophy of the Bhagavad-gita is that one must learn to tolerate the sufferings due to the frailties of the material body. Whenever there is a material body, we have to expect birth, disease, old age and death. We don't want these things, but they are forced upon us, therefore we should try to attain that position in which these miseries will not be forced upon us—eternal life in the kingdom of God. Material life means great risk—at every step there is danger. But, a devotee is not jolted by this. He simply tries to render whatever service possible and accepts everything as the mercy of Krishna. So, you should carefully consider these points and do the needful. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Prabhanu **Date:** May 20th 1975 — **Location:** Melbourne > Seattle My dear Prabhanu dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated May 15th, 1975 and have noted the contents. I have accepted Lauri and Joni for 1st initiation. Their names are as follows: Lalita devi dasi and Jivanausadhi devi dasi respectively. Their beads may be chanted on by Satsvarupa Maharaja. Also I have accept Simha dasa, Anagha dasa, and Dhanasri dasi, and Kantimati dasi for 2nd initiation. Let them hear the tape of myself chanting the gayatri mantra. It should be heard through the right ear. Their mantra sheets and threads are enclosed. Train all of our boys and girls to follow the rules carefully, chanting 16 rounds and reading our books very carefully. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Prabhas **Date:** August 4th 1975 — **Location:** Detroit > Vrindaban My Dear Prabhas das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter and have noted the contents. If you have your ticket, I have no objection to your coming to USA. You should consult with Gopala Krishna Prabhu. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Prabhavisnu **Date:** January 4th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Bhaktivedanta Manor My dear Prabha Visnu das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letters dated Dec. 17 and Dec. 27th, 1974 and have noted the contents. Your festival sounded very nice. Go on like this. Regarding book distribution, this is my foremost desire to have my books circulated profusely. I have just discussed with Hansadutta about lowering the prices for England. Keep the grounds there nicely. That is important. I am glad to hear how nicely the cows are doing. Send some milk here. Madhavananda is being sent to Hong Kong to collect for Krishna-Balarama Mandira in Vrndavana. As far as the initiations are concerned, Hansadutta was not so sure about all of them, so he can go over the list with you in London, and after hearing from him, we shall consider. So, all your desires are fulfilled. You must be very cautious, being president that you set a perfect example so others will not be misled. Always chant 16 rounds and observe our other rules and regulations strictly. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Prabhavisnu **Date:** February 3rd 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > London My dear Prabha Visnu das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Jan. 18, 1975 and have noted the contents. Regarding the question about selling records there, I have already told Hansadutta that it may continue temporarily until the stock is finished, but you must give a book with each record. I will most probably be coming to London on March 2nd or 3rd after visiting South America. So, I will see you then. Your picture of the London Deities is very nice. Thank you very much. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps --- N.B. I have just received your letter (signed by several persons) dated Jan. 27, 1975 and have noted the contents. Hansadutta will be coming there shortly. We shall decide about the permanent management arrangement when I come there in March ### Letter to Prabhavisnu **Date:** November 13th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > London My dear Prabhavisnu das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter undated and accept upon your recommendation the following as my initiated disciples. For first initiation, their spiritual names are as follows: Martin Webster—Akhandadhi; Gordon Stocker—Prithvipati; John Morgan—Dharanidhara; Frank Jokson—Yajnanga; Terry Maloncis—Ādi Kurma; Lynn Avionis—Sri Kama dasi. I also accept the following as twice-born brahmanas and their threads and mantra sheets are enclosed: Krpamoya das, Yasodadulal das, Sarvasagara das, Gokulananda das; Ragudvaha das, Cittavinodama das, Vamsivadana das, Anjana devi dasi. You should have a fire sacrifice and the second initiates should hear through the right ear the mantra on my recorded tape. The beads may be chanted upon by Hansadutta. It is your responsibility to see that these devotees that you have recommended strictly follow the rules and regulations, chanting 16 rounds, attending the classes and the mangala aroti and refraining from the four prohibitions. You should lecture on these points at the initiation ceremony so that everyone understands fully. And by your own example you should teach. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mddEncs. ### Letter to Pradyumna **Date:** September 28th 1975 — **Location:** Ahmedabad > Mayapur My Dear Pradyumna das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated September 11, 1975 and have noted the contents. It is nice that you have started the Sri Rupanuga Vidyapitha Library and that you are teaching the boys at the Gurukula Sanskrit. You can do it. You have got the capacity. Now do it. You may send me a copy of the examination and what were the results. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Prajapati **Date:** January 17th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Los Angeles My dear Prajapati das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Jan. 8, 1975 and have noted the contents. You can come to the Mayapur festival and stay until the Vrndavana festival if possible. In between the two festival, we will be trying to arrange other large programs in South India (Madras and Hyderabad), so, there will be a nice program for all the devotees. You don't have to worry so much about recruiting new people. Just work nicely with the dancers you have now. Make full utilization of the facilities that you already have. Regarding your plane fare to India, it will be best if you can collect that money by selling some books on sankirtana. Then there will be no shortage. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Pranava **Date:** May 10th 1975 — **Location:** Perth > Australia Vrndavana My dear Pranava, Please accept my blessings. I am very much anxious to know what you have done about the land which Tahsilder and Patwari proposed to give us. I am very much anxious to know it. Please send report to our Honolulu address: 51 Coelho Way, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Pranava **Date:** June 4th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Vrndavana My dear Pranava, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated May 26, 1975 and have noted the contents. I agree to give Sri Ghanshyam das amount that you have mentioned, and he must donate the 25,000 rs. and he can be a patron member with his brother. But, why you are asking for so much? You do not need 1 1/4 lakhs. You only need 75,000 rs. Anyway the money can be paid by PNB upon my request, but first you make the sales agreement, then you take the owners' documents to our lawyer to make sure they are actually bona fide, and the lawyer will give a title certificate, if they are bona fide. Then you make the deed conveyance, and take it to the registration office for being registered. Then upon registration, at that time, you give the payment. Not before that time. So, by the time you have done all this, the money will be ready for you. The land should be put in the name of International Society for Krishna Consciousness, Mayapur-Vrndavana Trust, Founder-Acarya A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps --- Prabhupada. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta SwamiWhy the guest house not yet started? Please let me know about this ### Letter to Pranava **Date:** June 24th 1975 — **Location:** Los Angeles > Vrindaban My Dear Pranava das: Please accept my blessings. How is that there is no news from you about the land? I expected to receive news through Nitai, but there is no news. Please see to this matter as I have requested you in my previous letter, the copy of which is enclosed. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Prem J. Batra **Date:** September 28th 1975 — **Location:** Ahmedabad > Prem J. Batra Ruparel College, Sr. B.A.Matunga, Bombay 400 016 My Dear Prem Batra: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated September 19, 1975 and have noted the contents. I am very glad that you are seriously trying to understand our Krishna consciousness philosophy. It is Srila Jiva Goswami who has presented very high philosophy in his Six Sandavas. Regarding your question about the difference between the mind and the soul, in the Bhagavad-gita it is directly said that the mind is inferior energy in a subtle form, and soul, jiva, is superior energy. So they are completely distinct. Mind is not spiritual, but mind is a subtle material form. When the soul becomes captivated for enjoying the material world instead of rendering service to Krishna, that is the beginning of his falldown. When the living being thinks himself to be the enjoyer, that is called false ego. His constitutional position is to serve Krishna. So this false egotism degrades him to pollute the intelligence and the mind. So mind and intelligence are already there in the soul, but in the conditional stage the same mind and intelligence become polluted as false egotism or enjoyer. The bhakti process is to purify everything. The mind is not the soul but is a venue for expressing the soul's desire. So if the mind is purified, then things go on nicely in its original position. If he does not go on rightly he falls down in conditional life. The whole yogic system is to convert the mind from matter to spirit. You can utilize the mind in both ways. When the mind is spiritually trained up it is the best friend of the soul, and when the mind is materially polluted, it is the worst enemy. The Bhagavad-gita states:bandhur atmatmanas tasya yenatmaivatmana jitahanatmanas tu saturve vartetatmaiva satruvat[Bg. 6.6]For those who are grossly materialistic persons, for them the yogic system is recommended, otherwise if the mind is directly engaged engaged at the lotus feet of Krishna, the senses automatically become engaged in Krishna's service; and that is the liberated stage. Chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra is the direct process for curing the mind of all materialistic contamination. Take to this process and be happy. You have asked many questions, and I am glad that you are going to join our movement. I am going to South Africa tomorrow for one month, and when I return to Bombay, you can come and see me at that time. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Prof. O.P. Goel **Date:** May 10th 1975 — **Location:** Perth > Australia Prof. O.P. Goel7, Krishna Kunj Plot 143, Tulsipipe Road Matunga, Bombay-26, India My dear Sriman O.P. Goelji, Please accept my greetings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated April 1st, 1975. Please excuse me for my late reply, as I was very very busy in Vrindavan for the opening ceremony of our Krishna Balarama Temple. As I was scheduled to come to Bombay after the ceremony, I thought I shall call you at my Bombay residence, (Hare Krishna Land, Juhu, Bombay) and talk with you in detail. But circumstantially, I stayed in Bombay for a few hours only because from Vrndavana, I went to Delhi, then to Kuruksetra as I was invited by Sri G.L. Nanda in a big meeting, and again I came back to Delhi, then to Bombay and on the same night, to Perth, Australia, where I am now staying. Your proposal for co-operation with ISKCON is welcome. I very much appreciate your proposal. The mass problem at the present moment in India is actually a food problem. I have therefore decided to start some village organization program—namely, people should be invited to live in the village, produce their own foodstuff (grains, fruits, and vegetables), maintain a sufficient number of cows to get a large quantity of milk, produce their own cloth, eat sumptuously for keeping fit in health, and then they can regularly sit down and chant the Hare Krishna Maha-mantra. I shall arrange for the irrigation of the land and the people living there should give their labor for their own food and clothing, and then chant Hare Krishna Maha-mantra and cultivate Krishna Consciousness. Besides that, our men should go from village to village with Sankirtana party, hold festival, namely distribution of Bhagavat prasadam and induce them chant and join with us in vibrating the Hare Krishna Maha-mantra. In India, they are not less than 95% villagers and Mahatma Gandhi wanted this village organization. I think this is a solid program. The people must eat sumptuously—not voraciously and make them fit for working and chanting. In this way, they will be purified and everything will be nicely organized. We require some men only like your good self to co-operate with this movement. The necessary things in this connection will surely be supplied by Krishna. Simply we want some sincere worker like your honor. Up to date, I am working chiefly with my foreign assistants and disciples. In India, for them there is the language difficulty, otherwise they are ready to work in Indian villages also. Besides that, they have visa problems. Under the circumstances, I require immediately some willing, educated worker for this purpose. So, kindly reply this letter to my Honolulu center. The address is as follow: 51 Coelho Way, Honolulu Hawaii, USA.By the by, I be to request you to see His Excellency, Sri Aliyavar Jung, the governor of Maharashtra in connection with our temple construction, the sanction for which is pending in his hand. The Governor of U.P., Dr. Channa Reddy, approached him on my behalf on December 18th, 1974, the copy of the letter is enclosed herein. The Governor of Maharashtra acknowledges[TEXT MISSING]which is giving me too much anxiety. I have established about 100 big big temples all over the world. Unfortunately, I am getting too much anxiety in my country and I do not know why. If you kindly solve this problem, it will be a great relief for me and a great service to Krishna. Thanking you in anticipation. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Professor Stillson Judah **Date:** June 3rd 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu My Dear Professor Stillson Judah, Please accept my humble greeting and blessings of Lord Krishna. Since I have come to Honolulu from Melbourne, I got the opportunity to read your nice book "Hare Krishna and the Counterculture" with profound interest. I am also very much obliged to you as you have shown to me so much mercy, even by illustrating my photograph instead of your goodness. The presentation has been done just fit for ready by all scholars and educationists. If you so permit I can ask my assistants to publish some important extracts from your work in our magazine BTG for benefit of all our readers. Besides that we can sell your book also along with our other books by arrangement. I don't know what is exactly your address and therefore I am dispatching this letter through my disciple Sriman Jayananda Adhikari. I shall be very glad to meet you again when I go to the mainland. You have taken so much pain for writing this book and I thank you very much again & again. May Lord Krishna bless you more & more. Yours very sincerelyN.B. I take this opportunity to present you one chapter of my translation of Caitanya Caritamrta under the caption L.C. in Five Features ### Letter to Professor Stillson Judah **Date:** June 11th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Professor Stillson Judah Graduate Theological Union Library2451 Ridge Rd., Berkeley, CA. 94709 My dear Professor Stillson Judah, Please accept my greetings. Your kind letter dated June 6, 1975 in hand, I thank you very much for this. The chapter 5 of Caitanya-caritamrta is already dispatched yesterday by post. It is my great delight that you have realized how Krishna Consciousness has transformed lives from drug addicted hippies to loving servants of Krishna and humanity. Loving service of Krishna is so exalted, that it automatically turns loving service to humanity. Krishna is just like the root of the tree and if you pour water on the root, it automatically reaches other parts of the tree. It is said in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, yasyasti bhaktir bhagavaty akincana sarvair gunais tatra samasate surah harav abhaktasya kuto mahad-guna manorathenasati dhavato bahih [SB 5.18.12]. If a person has unflinching devotion at the lotus feet of Hari (God), then all the good qualities of great personalities like the demigods, automatically becomes manifest in the person of a devotee. Whereas a nondevotee, even he is decorated with material qualities, he is forced to act on the material plane and he stays in temporary field of activities. The idea is that spirit-soul is eternal and the material body is temporary, or for the sake of sense gratification. The mental plane is also material. People being forced to stay on the material platform, they are planning for temporary happiness, and being frustrated, they are jumping from one platform to another which are all temporary. But, fortunately, if one becomes situated on the platform of Krishna Consciousness, then his jumping over material platforms becomes ceased. It is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita as follows: yam labdhva caparam labham manyate nadhikam tatah—Upon gaining this, he thinks that there is no greater gain. So, at the present moment, there is great necessity to give to the human society Krishna, or God. Everyone speaks of God, but nobody has clear idea what is God, or where is God. We Hare Krishna people are trying to do our best to say, "here is God, Krishna". So, please try to co-operate with this movement and I am sure the world will be happy. I am coming to Los Angeles on the 20th of June, and more when we meet. Yours very sincerely, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Punjab National Bank **Date:** June 28th 1975 — **Location:** Denver > Punjab National Bank Vrindaban Branch Vrindaban, Dist. Mathura U.P. INDIAAtt: The Manager Dear Sir: Re: A/c No. 668 Vrindaban Construction Fund Fixed Deposit for Rs. 3,14,557.36 Date of Maturity 21/6/75Regarding the above mentioned C.D. which matured on June 21, 1975, out of this 1 lakh of Rupees may be kept with you, and the balance should be renewed for Fixed Deposit for 3 (three) months. The 1 lakh of Rupees may be kept in your custody, and you issue a letter of credit in favor of Sri Chanshyam das Agarawal of Murzaffar Nagar stating that on completion of the negotiation of selling his land to Mayapur-Vrindaban Trust he will get up to 1 lakh of Rupees when the conveyance deed is registered before the Registrar. Thanking you. Faithfully yours, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Punjab National Bank **Date:** December 27th 1975 — **Location:** Ahmedabad > Punjab National Bank,Vrindaban Branch,Vrindaban Dist. Mathura,Attention: Manager Dear Sir, With reference to our conversation regarding opening a branch in our temple. The amount of 5 laks of Rs. to be deposited is already secured. As soon as you open the branch your Bombay head office will immediately transfer the money. The other bank was very much eager to open a branch in our temple, but because our negotiations with you were already completed we did not accept. I hope by this time you have your sanction from the head office and do the needful as soon as possible. Respectfully yours, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/hdacc. --- Sri Vishwambar Dayala, General supervisor ### Letter to Puranjana **Date:** January 16th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Amsterdam My dear Puranjana das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Jan. 6th, 1975 and have noted the contents. I think your idea about having professional men do our accounting in order to assure good accounting, is a good proposal. Regarding your other points, you must discuss these things with Hansadutta. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Puranjana **Date:** February 2nd 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Amsterdam My dear Puranjana, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letters dated Jan. 6, 13, and 17, 1975 and have noted the contents carefully. Hansadutta is here with me now and I have given the letters to him. They have all been read and discussed by the GBC members who are present here. I want that the GBC should relieve me of this management burden and in the future, all such questions should be taken up with the local GBC member. If no satisfactory solution can be reached, then other GBC members may be consulted. The GBC can formulate proposals and submit them to me for approval. So, kindly co-operate with Hansadutta and thereby help me use my time to finish my translating work in my old age. Whatever money is owed to the BBT, that should be paid. As far as record distribution is concerned, if you have no big books, you may temporarily continue, but give a book with each record. With record distribution alone, the result is temporary. They will hear it for some time and throw away. Book distribution is solid. Even if they do not read, simply by touching they are benefited. It is so much powerful. You can purchase records from Hansadutta. Do not manufacture yourself. The BBT fund there has money, so your Bhagavad-gita in Dutch language can be printed with that money. I shall be anxious to see it. Anyway, work combinedly and everything will come out successful. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Purnima **Date:** June 21st 1975 — **Location:** Los Angeles > New Vrindaban My Dear Purnima das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated June 19, 1975, and I thank you very much for it. I am glad that you are very serious about Krishna consciousness even at such a young age. This is the instruction of Prahlada Maharaja who was a young boy like yourself. He said that now is the time to become Krishna conscious no matter what is one's age. We may die at any moment. There is no guarantee. So you please stick to this line you have taken and chant Hare Krishna every day without fail. You will be very happy, and I shall pray to Krishna for your advancement. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Pusta Krsna **Date:** June 15th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Johannesburg, South Africa My dear Pusta Krishna Swami, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated June 11, 1975 and have noted the contents. I am prepared to come to South Africa by the middle of July. I can come there from Brazil. We shall need at least one visa for Wayne Gunderson (Upendra) and if possible, one for Robert Campagnola (Harikesa). Please arrange for that. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps --- N.B. One travel agent in New Delhi has told us that two of her clients (American) were going to Johannesburg with visa, sufficient funds onward ticket, passport, etc., and due to some change all of the sudden in the Government, they were thrown into jail, and the next day, they were sent, at their own expense out of the country. The travel agent said that it could be even more severe for an Indian citizen, so, if there is any risk, it is not a very good idea. So, you should find out if there any risk at all and then let me know at my Los Angeles address. ACBS ### Letter to Pusta Krsna **Date:** November 14th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Johannesburg My Dear Pusta Krishna Swami: Please accept my blessings. I have today sent you one telegram reading as follows: IMMEDIATELY GO NAIROBI TO TAKE CHARGE INSTRUCTIONS MAILED NAIROBI—A.C. BHAKTIVEDANTA SWAMI.One telephone call has come from Dinnath that Sharma the president has left Africa because of fighting with Cyavana Swami. When I was in Nairobi I took away from Cyavana all managerial duties. There were so many complaints against him from our men and from outsiders. He could not manage nor could he collect. I had wanted that Sharma and Shakti Mati manage themselves without any interference. Now I want you to manage things there. The management was not being done properly when I was there. The accounts were not being kept properly, and they were spending everything. Please rectify the situation. Cyavana Swami should go to Europe for preaching and travelling. Caitya-guru das may be sent here to India for starting our Kuruksetra Project. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bscc: --- Nairobi ### Letter to Pusta Krsna **Date:** December 2nd 1975 — **Location:** New Delhi My Dear Pusta Krishna Maharaja, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated November 17, 1975. Regarding the car, you just register it in your name in Germany. Hansadutta Prabhu has agreed to give the 11% tax until export. Then drive it here and when it is here we will see how to manage. The list of devotees to be initiated have been named as follows; Mike Harris—Pandavagrya DasJohn Antonopaula—Nagendra DasGail Netherlands—Vimoha Devi DasiMartha Kriek—Venurati Devi DasiYou may chant on their beads, and instruct them nicely in the regulative principles and philosophy of Krishna consciousness. The Jehova's witnesses do not accept the fact of rebirth, and they claim "AWAKE" so this is nonsense. Your letter was very nice. The whole world is in darkness, we are bringing light by preaching Bhagavata Dharma. Thank you for helping me. I hope this letter finds you well. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/hda --- P.S. I just received you letter dated Nov. 20. Yes a roof carrier will be nice ### Letter to R. M. Patel **Date:** January 10th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay MontrealMy dear Sri R. M. PatelPlease accept my greetings. I am in due receipt of your check for the amount of 200 dollars. Thank you very much for this kind offering. I hope by now you have been to our center in Montreal. If not, you are cordially invited at any time to visit there and take prasadam and associate with devotees. The address is: ISKCON, 1626 PIE IX Blvd., H1V 2C5. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Radha Krishna Dhawan **Date:** June 10th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Radha Krishan Dhawan Concord Housing Society1st Plot—10th N.S. Rd.Juhu Scheme, Bombay-58 My dear Radha Krishna Dhawan, Please accept my greetings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated April 29, 1975 and have noted the contents. Yes, we are trying to set a perfect example according to the Bhagavad-gita as it is, how to execute simple living and high thinking. We are not interested in any material comforts of life which are limited and temporary. We are interested in solving the real problems of life, birth, death, old-age, and disease. These problems must be solved, and Krishna gives the formula in the Bhagavad-gita. So, we are preaching that simple formula given by Krishna, and people are trying it and finding real happiness in life, therefore the Hare Krishna movement is an undeniable success. Everyone is accepting. I am very glad that you are also accepting. Please visit our temple there in Juhu as much as possible, and try to read our books. We have many books, about 50 400 pages long each, as well as many smaller ones. Study this movement carefully and you will find it very rewarding. I hope this meets you and your good wife in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Radhavallabha **Date:** January 19th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Brooklyn My dear Radhavallabha das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 1-8-75 and have noted the contents. I have received one copy of Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto 4, Volume 4, and Krsna Consciousness: the Matchless Gift. Thank you very much for these books. One thing is that every volume of Srimad-Bhagavatam, Caitanya Caritamrta and any other big volumes, must have a full index. It is not a very prestigious presentation without the index. All volumes in the future must have the index. Please go on there with great enthusiasm and strength to print my books very nicely. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Radhavallabha **Date:** January 21st 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Brooklyn My dear Radhavallabha das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 1-7-75 and have noted the contents. Regarding the book on Kapila's philosophy, you can call it "the Sankhya Philosophy of Kapila, (the Son of Devahuti)". You can give the roman transliteration for the sanskrit and the English translation and then the lecture. There is no need of the original sanskrit (deva-nagari), or the synonyms. For the time being, I shall consider regarding the dedication, and introduction. After it is ready, I will tell you. You can use pictures from the Srimad-Bhagavatam. That will be alright. Finish the Caitanya-Caritamrta as soon as possible. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Radhavallabha **Date:** February 6th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Brooklyn My dear Radhavallabha das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Feb. 3, 1975 and have noted the contents. Thank you for distributing my books everyday. This is a nice program for the press workers to increase enthusiasm. The sample that you sent me of the new design for the BBT logo is approved by me. For the sake of consistency, you can also use it on the cover jacket. Every volume of Srimad-Bhagavatam as well as Caitanya Caritamrta must be fully complete with an index, list of references, glossary, Sanskrit pronunciation guide, and index of Sanskrit (or Bengali) verses. This will be best. I will be glad to see you all (at least 15 of you) in Mayapur for our festival. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Radhavallabha **Date:** May 26th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Brooklyn My dear Radhavallabha dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 5/17/75 and have noted the contents. I have also received the first volume of the Madhya-lila. It is very nice. The pictures of Jagannatha Puri and the Samadhi tombs of Rupa Goswami, Jiva Goswami, and Krishna das Kaviraja are very nice. I will be very pleased if you can produce these books at top speed. Please do this. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Radhavallabha **Date:** July 20th 1975 — **Location:** Berkeley > Los Angeles My Dear Radhavallabha das: Please accept my blessings. In the next issue of "Back to Godhead" you should put one note of thanks to Mr. Alexander Kulik of Laguna Beach California. This boy has kindly paid BBT Dollars 25,000.00 for publication of books. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Radhavallabha **Date:** August 21st 1975 — **Location:** New Delhi > Los Angeles My Dear Radhavallabha das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated August 15, 1975 and also the copies of the Vyasa Puja book. It is done nicely, but why it is mentioned my 79th birthday. It is my 80th birthday. That is correct. You do not know this? One of the GBC articles says 79th birthday. Big GBC man, so many editors, and it is not detected? You are all mudhas, what can I do? Anyway it is better to remain a mudha before your spiritual master. Just like Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He said that My spiritual master saw Me as mudha. Do not worry, in spite of war, Srimad-Bhagavatam will be distributed. We don't care for war. Our preaching business will go on. Your desire for the complete Srimad-Bhagavatam will be fulfilled. The Sixth Canto I have already completed and I shall begin the Seventh Canto within a fortnight. When I am relieved from the administration work, then it will be done. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Radhavallabha **Date:** August 26th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Los Angeles My Dear Radhavallabha das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated August 17, 1975 and have noted the contents. Regarding the English editing discrepancies, that how can I know? Let them point out which part and on which page so I can see. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Radhavallabha **Date:** September 11th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Los Angeles My Dear Radhavallabha das: Please accept my blessings. I have seen your letter dated August 31, 1975 regarding the calculation of my birthday. The system for calculating is as follows: the first day of birth is the first birthday. The next year that day is the second birthday; i.e. the second birthday means that one year has been completed. So it is my 80th birthday, and I have completed 79 years. According to the Hindu system, on the first birthday there is jata karma ceremony and all big, big astrologers assemble and give the horoscope. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam the birthday of Maharaja Pariksit is there. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Radhavallabha **Date:** September 21st 1975 — **Location:** Vrndavana > Los Angeles My dear Radhavallabha das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated September 13, 1975 with enclosures. Regarding 6th Canto, Nitai has just yesterday sent off Chapters 5, 6, 7 and 8 and next week he expects to send off Chapters 9 through 13. This will be sufficient for you to publish one volume. I expect before leaving India on September 30th to have finished the 6th Canto. I have received a letter from Jayadvaita das dated September 8th regarding the Upadesamrta book. The title of the book can be Nectar of Instruction. We already have the Nectar of Devotion so now you will have the Nectar of Instruction. You can make it just like the set-up of the Nectar of Devotion book. The words Sri Upadesamrta do not have to appear in the title. A dedication is not required because it is not a big book. The suggestion for the picture of Rupa Gosvami's Govindaji Temple is approved. Regarding the conclusion of the book, yes, it says in the text that the most fortunate devotees execute devotional service near Radha-kunda. That is stated in the book. I am enclosing the introduction for the book; please find. Regarding the corrections you have sent, this kind of changes is admissible. There is no harm. Regarding your managing production of Spanish and German books, yes, it is approved by me. Why not? I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Radhavallabha **Date:** September 26th 1975 — **Location:** Ahmedabad > Los Angeles My Dear Radhavallabha das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated September 19, 1975 and the two copies of the three other parts of Caitanya Caritamrta. Yes, I am very pleased with how you have done it. I have ordered you in two months to do it, and you have done it. I know you have worked very hard. The art paintings are very, very good. Everyone likes them, and I know they have worked especially hard. You should know that I am very pleased that you have fulfilled my request without any hesitation. This is your success in spiritual life. The photographs are all also wonderful. He has done nicely, the boy Bhargava. The translations . . . I am not using. There is some fault. I am doing the translations, and Nitai will see that the synonyms are done. I have finished now the Sixth Canto and have already started the Seventh Canto. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Radhavallabha **Date:** October 20th 1975 — **Location:** Johannesburg > Los Angeles My dear Radhavallabha dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of the 4 volumes of Caitanya-caritamrta and your letter dated October 1, 1975 and I have noted the contents carefully. Concerning the synonyms, henceforward I am adding the synonyms myself. From yesterday night I have begun adding the synonyms as it doesn't save very much time to have the synonyms. The Upadesamrta can be composed in the Bhagavatam format in the size of the pocket NOD. I hope that this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/pks ### Letter to Radhavallabha **Date:** December 24th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay Los Angeles[To Radhavallabha das]THANK YOU BE BLESSED MY GURU MAHARAJ WILL BE VERY MUCH PLEASED UPON YOU AND ALL OTHER WORKERS ON THE HOLY OCCASION OF HIS DISAPPEARANCE DAYA C BHAKTIVEDANTA SWAMI ### Letter to Radheswaranand Goswami **Date:** May 10th 1975 — **Location:** Perth > Australia Goswami Raheswaranandc/o H.K. Ajudia, B.A.L.L.B.ADVOCATEStation Road, Jam-Jodhpur 360530India My dear Radheswaranand Goswami, Please accept my humble dandavats. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 23-3-75. I expected you at our opening ceremony of the Krishna Balarama Temple in Vrndavana. The Governor of U.P. came and the festival continued for 7 days. Then I went to Kuruksetra, then I have come here in Australia for installing Gaura-Nitai deities in Melbourne. Then I shall go to Fiji and on to Honolulu. Regarding opening a center in Saurastra, it will be my pleasure to do it immediately if the local important men like you will co-operate with me. I wish to open centers in the villages. The mass problem at the present moment in India is actually a food problem. I have therefore decided to start some village organization program—namely, people should be invited to live in the village, produce their own foodstuff (grains, fruits, and vegetables), maintain a sufficient number of cows to get a large quantity of milk, produce their own cloth, eat sumptuously for keeping fit in health, and then they can regularly sit down and chant Hare Krishna Maha-mantra. I shall arrange for the irrigation of the land and the people living there should give their labor for their own food and clothing, and then chant Hare Krishna Maha-mantra and cultivate Krishna Consciousness. Besides that, our men should go from village to village with Sankirtana party, hold festival, namely distribution of Bhagavat prasadam and induce them to chant and join with us in vibrating the Hare Krishna Maha-mantra. In India, they are not less than 95% villagers and Mahatma Gandhi wanted this village organization. I think this is a solid program. The people must eat sumptuously—not voraciously and make them fit for working and chanting. In this way, they will be purified and everything will be nicely organized. We require some men only like your good self to co-operate with this movement. The necessary things in this connection will surely by supplied by Krishna. Simply we want some sincere worker like your honor. Up to date, I am working chiefly with my foreign assistants and disciples. In India, for them there is language difficulty, otherwise they are ready to work in Indian villages also. Besides that, they have visa problems. Under the circumstances, I require immediately some willing, educated worker for this purpose. So, kindly reply this letter to my Honolulu address as follows: 51 Coelho Way, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.Thanking you in anticipation. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Radheswarananda Goswami **Date:** March 15th 1975 — **Location:** Tehran > Goswami Radheswaranandac/o H.K. Ajudia, Advocate At-Jam-Jodhpur 360530Gujarat State, INDIA My dear Sri Radheswarananda Goswami, Please accept my humble dandavats. I thank you very much for your letter dated Feb. 8th, 1975. I am now on world tour. I left Bombay on Jan. 24th, 1975 and traveled to Hong Kong, Japan, Hawaii, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Caracas, Miami, Atlanta, Dallas, New York, London, and now I am at our Tehran center as above mentioned. And again, I am going back to Bombay tomorrow. So, your proposal is very nice. I wanted to take a party of sankirtana movement all over India, if some of the leaders like you co-operate with us. So, I am reaching Bombay tomorrow and I shall stay there until the 19th. If possible, please come and see me at my Bombay center as follows: Hare Krishna Land, Gandhi Gram Road, Juhu, Bombay 400 054. Or, if the letter does not reach you in time, I am inviting you to come to our festival at Mayapur from the 23rd-27th of March. Then we have also got the opening ceremony for our Vrndavana temple on April 10th, 1975. If it is convenient for you, please try to come and join the ceremonies. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Radhey Syam Kripalu **Date:** February 3rd 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Bhaktivedanta Manor My dear Radhey Syam KripaluSarasvati das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 29-1-75 and have noted the contents. I thank you very much for your very nice painting of Krishna. It is very beautiful. I am glad that you are feeling happy in Krishna Consciousness. Please continue to follow all of the rules and regulations very carefully and strictly so that your spiritual life will flourish. Rise early, chant 16 rounds, attend mangala arati and classes and you life will be perfect. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps --- N.B. I do not remember your name very well. Could you tell me where and when you were initiated? If you would tell me this information, I could put it in our files. Thank you ### Letter to Rakesh Sharma **Date:** September 30th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Rakesh Sharma2704 West Terrace Dr.Augusta, Georgia 30904 My Dear Rakesh Sharma: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated September 19, 1975 and have noted the contents. You are born in brahmana family, so your forefather's blood is there, and now you are thinking like a brahmana. So it is all Krishna's grace. You have already given up meat eating, etc., and if possible you can live in our temple and execute devotional service. This will save your life in Krishna consciousness. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Rama **Date:** May 22nd 1975 — **Location:** Melbourne > Melbourne My dear Rama dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your note and daksina totalling $142 (New Zealand). Thank you very much for this presentation. Please try very hard to remain fixed-up in devotional service to Lord Krishna, always chanting Hare Krishna (at least 16 rounds), following the four rules, and reading my books frequently. Do not deviate from the path that I have chalked out for every one of you, and be happy in Krishna Consciousness. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Ramacandra **Date:** April 19th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Caracas, Venezuela My dear Ramacandra dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated nil, and I have noted the contents. Please try your best to come to our temple in Caracas and to follow all of the rules and regulations very carefully. Follow the advice of the devotees there and in this way you can make nice spiritual advancement. Do not try to concoct your own method for developing Krishna Consciousness, simply do as the disciples are doing in our center. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Ramacandra **Date:** July 8th 1975 — **Location:** Evanston > Illinois Denver My Dear Ramacandra das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated July 4, 1975 and am glad to know that you are happy in Krsna consciousness. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Ramanand **Date:** July 5th 1975 — **Location:** Evanston > Illinois Gorakpur My Dear Ramanand das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated June 5, 1975 forwarded to me from Vrindaban. When I return to India I shall go to Gorakpur and talk with you in detail. I understand that Gopala Krishna Prabhu is soon to be going to visit you. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Ramesvara **Date:** January 1st 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Los Angeles My dear Ramesvara, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letters dated Dec. 15th and 27th and have noted the contents. Hansadutta is here and we have discussed many of the points and questions in your letters. You can discuss with him for the details. You are secretary so, you should go on with normal business, budget the money and write regular reports. Your idea of letting New York have the 200,000 dollars worth of books to help them get the building is good. Do it. Regarding the length of books, it is alright if it goes a little over 400 pages, but don't let it become 500. Whatever fund is collected for food distribution should be sent to India. Why is it not sent? The other funds coming from sales of books can be accounted for properly, so where is there any fraud? Sometimes a salesman can say something extraordinary in order to sell something, but that is not fraud. Just like they are selling this oil, saying that if you rub it on your bald head, hair will grow. Where is the case where a bald man's hair grew from this oil? But the government is not charging with fraud. Don't use these UNICEF cards, that will not be good. You can make ISKCON FOOD RELIEF cards. But the money collected using this card must be sent to India where we are actually feeding people. If we simply speak nicely to a person and try sincerely to get him to take the book he'll take it. Why should we adopt unfair means? We should not do anything which will create a bad impression or make us unpopular. People are after these books, they are hankering for them. We don't need to take cheating method. I never had to use any cheating method when I first began. I simply presented the real thing. Basically and practically speaking everything that is done sincerely for Krishna's satisfaction is perfect. But we have to be very very careful in our dealings with others so that they will not take the wrong view. Just like the gopis. They left their homes in the dead of night to go and meet this young boy Krishna for kissing and embracing. To the ordinary person, this is sinful, but to the devotee, it is worshipable and it is considered the highest form of devotion even by Lord Caitanya who was himself a very strict sannyasi. Therefore we are very careful not to discuss this rasa-lila in the presence of ordinary men because they will only misunderstand and commit offense. While dealing with the ordinary men, we must spread this movement in such a way that they will not misunderstand us and take offense. Try to sell as many of my books as possible to your best ability. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Ramesvara **Date:** May 15th 1975 — **Location:** Perth > Australia Los Angeles My dear Ramesvara, Please accept my blessings. Caitanya caritamrta is complete (12 parts) and only 3 parts are published, and now the 5th Canto is almost finished, so why these books are not being published? This is our first business. Immediately, these pending books (17 in total) must all be published. Why the delay? The US printer's binding is better than Dai Nippon. So, some may be printed in US and some in Japan, but the pending books must be finished in a very short time. When I see so many books pending, it does not encourage me to translate. When I see books printed, I become encouraged to write more and more. We can talk this over more in Hawaii. Now, you and Hansadutta expedite the publishing work. That is your business. And push on the selling. You request Tripurari Maharaja in this connection along with the others. Now, Bhavananda Swami and Gargamuni Swami are there. They are also expert in pushing this on. By combined effort, publish as quickly as possible and immediately Caitanya-caritamrta should be done. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Ramesvara **Date:** May 19th 1975 — **Location:** Melbourne > Los Angeles My dear Ramesvara dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated May 7th, 1975 and I have noted the contents. I am extremely happy to hear that a firm of young lawyers are now working with us to help us spread this movement by helping us to flood the world with our books. This is very welcome news. Things are looking very favorable for us, now we simply have to try even harder to sincerely carry out Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's orders and He will be pleased to provide us with more and more facilities. Co-operate nicely with one another and strongly push on this mission by printing and distributing our books in unlimited quantity. Yes, let Hayagriva come to Los Angeles, he is very intelligent. He is becoming more enthused. That is very good. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Ramesvara **Date:** July 4th 1975 — **Location:** Evanston > Illinois Los Angeles My Dear Ramesvara das: Please accept my blessings. I may inform you that in Bombay they have received the sanction for constructing the temple in Juhu. Until further order whatever money you collect should be sent to Bombay. You should print books as far as possible, and whatever money you collect should be sent to Bombay. Gurukrpa has informed by telephone that he is sending you almost $75,000.00. This should be sent to Bombay. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Ramesvara **Date:** July 12th 1975 — **Location:** Philadelphia > Los Angeles My Dear Ramesvara das: Please accept my blessings. Herewith please find the following the three checks:1. No. 2-134/710 on Lake View Bank, Chicago for Dollars 21.00.2. 6-12/410 on National City Bank, Cleveland for Dollars 300.00.3. No. 5-161/110 on Barclays Bank, Boston for Dollars 10,000.00.Please transfer this money to Syndicate Bank, Vrindaban Branch, account No. 3871 in favor of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs --- , and send the duplicate copy of the transfer advice to me. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ### Letter to Ramesvara **Date:** August 21st 1975 — **Location:** New Delhi > Los Angeles My Dear Ramesvara das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated July 12, 1975 and have noted the contents. Yes, when Krsna was present, the religious principles were going on nicely, but when He retired back to His abode, then deterioration infiltrated. But Srimad-Bhagavatam is the sunshine Purana by Vyasadeva to open the eyes of the conditioned souls. It is the sound representation of Lord Krsna. Regarding your desire for all twelve cantos, you will get it, rest assured. Your so much ardent desire will be fulfilled by Krsna. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Ramesvara **Date:** August 26th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Los Angeles My Dear Ramesvara das: Please accept my blessings. Now Bombay is requesting that more money be sent. So please send them US 50,000 to Bank of America, Bombay. Also I am told that Gargamuni Swami has pledged to send Vrindaban US 1,000 monthly but he has not sent anything this month. Please see why he has not done it yet for this month. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Ramesvara **Date:** September 15th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Los Angeles My Dear Ramesvara das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your August BBT Report and the August BBT Trustees Report. What is the Prabhupada Maintenance a/c? How is the money collected and how is it dispersed? I have received the latest appreciations from the professors. These should be all collected and published in a booklet. I see from your report that you are planning this. 1,000 copies should be sent here to India, and you may send 250 copies of this and your new catalog to Vrinda Book Co., 30/1B College Row, Calcutta—700009. They are attempting to sell our books all over India. Nitai has sent additional chapters of Sixth Canto with Tamala Krishna. He is also expecting to send more in a couple of days. You have written: "The BBT is capable of keeping up with Prabhupada's pace at this time and we humbly request all devotees to respect Prabhupada's desire to fulfill his dreams of publishing and distributing thousands and millions of volumes of Srimad-Bhagavatam in Twelve Cantos all over the world by not disturbing him at this time with problems and decisions that can be made by his direct representatives, the GBC Secretaries." Yes, this is wanted. I want to increase my work. Brahmananda Swami and Gopala Krishna were suggesting that I go to some other place in India, but if Tamala Krishna flies 10,000 miles to lodge some complaint against Jayatirtha what can I do? If you all leaders cannot work together, then how can you expect the others to cooperate with you? Differences may be there, but still you have to cooperate together, otherwise where is the question of my being relieved of so many problems and decisions? That is good that you are taking discount from the unsatisfactory printing from Donnelly Co. Hardbound abridged Bhagavad-gita will be nice. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Ramesvara **Date:** September 29th 1975 — **Location:** Ahmedabad > Los Angeles My Dear Ramesvara das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated September 19, 1975 and have noted the contents. Why has Dr. Wolf gone against us? What is his complaint? Just consult with Svarupa Damodara. Regarding the airport distribution, I have personally seen that they do not create any disturbance. They speak quietly and on the side, and no one is disturbed. Yes, Swami Bon is envious. What can be done? Here the Hare Krishna People film by Yadubara is very much appreciated. Just encourage Yadubara to make more films. He can do nicely. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bsN.B. --- You have published the photo of Krishna Balarama Mandir in Caitanya Caritamrta. I want that this picture should be printed and 1000 copies may be sent to %Vrindaban and they can paste it on some boards, and people will purchase ### Letter to Ramesvara **Date:** October 3rd 1975 — **Location:** Mauritius > Los Angeles My Dear Ramesvara das: Please accept my blessings. In Bombay I have paid in advance Rs. 25,000/- to Bhavananda Maharaja for Food Relief poor feeding; so whatever you have collected for poor feeding may be sent to Bombay Bank of America. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Ramesvara **Date:** October 16th 1975 — **Location:** Johannesburg > Los Angeles My dear Ramesvara dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Sept. 27, 1975 and I have noted the contents carefully. Concerning the expenses listed of phone calls, you should minimize phone calls. Concerning loans to temples, loans should be limited to a certain extent. Monthly installments should be regularly reminded and taken payment of. So far Kirtiraja is concerned, preaching is our first business and ordering is routine work. Anyone can learn and manage the ordering department, but preaching requires special qualification. So Kirtiraja, if he is qualified for preaching he can be replaced for routine work of order execution. I hope that this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/pks --- P.S. Concerning Prices of books to Nairobi, if it is not very difficult for you, you can accept this. Our main purpose is to distribute books not making extraordinary profit. I think India and Africa, both are poor countries; so it is up to you ### Letter to Ramesvara **Date:** October 17th 1975 — **Location:** Johannesburg > Los Angeles My dear Ramesvara das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated September 19, 1975, and I have noted the contents carefully. If Dr. Wolf has become envious then we must simply avoid him. What is his complaint? The idea of the nursery school is very good idea. I have instructed Pusta Krishna Swami to issue one newsletter to the temple presidents, GBC, and sannyasis concerning the nefarious activities of Swami Bon. Kindly copy this and send out to all the temples accordingly that they should have no dealings with Swami Bon or others who are envious. You will find this letter enclosed. I hope that this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/pks ### Letter to Ramesvara **Date:** October 24th 1975 — **Location:** Mauritius > Los Angeles My dear Ramesvara das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated October 11, 1975 and I have noted the contents with care. Concerning the print of the painting "showing Bhagavad-gita being worshiped," I do not consider this suitable for using in our books. I hope that this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/pks ### Letter to Ramesvara **Date:** November 7th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Los Angeles My Dear Ramesvara das: Please accept my blessings. I have received your report on the telephone to Harikesa. This is very funny thinking in our society that you want to spend for this boat, and that Tulsi das wants to take sannyasa because he is feeling sex agitation. First of all there is no sanction to purchase this boat from the BBT. We are not interested. Tulsi das is affected by sex, and he wants to take sannyasa? This is nonsense. Is sannyasa so cheap? He will be a victim. He is not fit for sannyasa. His mind is not fixed up. Everyone wants to fulfill their whimsical desires; this is going on. Let him stay with Tamala Krishna for sometime, and if he is recommended, then he can take sannyasa. He cannot make any separate program. He is not fit to stay separate. He must remain with another experienced sannyasa and be trained up. Another thing, why are you always calling on the telephone? Are you such important men that you have to call all over the world? We are poor men sons, what can I do? But, why are you always calling on the telephone? I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs --- N.B. Please let me know why Purusottama Das was supplied books (S.B.) for corrections ### Letter to Ramesvara **Date:** November 14th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Los Angeles My dear Ramesvara das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your October BBT report dated November 5, 1975 and have noted the contents. The report of the BBT Library Party is very encouraging to me that the main library of Harvard told us they would be honored to complete the collection of our books. Just see. This is wonderful. Still University of New Brunswick has ordered our books even though they do not order religious books. This is a success. This quote by the head of their religion department of Oberlin is very important: "I think the best feature of the Hare Krsna Movement is that it is providing scholars with authorized translations of the rarest books on Krsna-bhakti." This should be quoted and printed in a pamphlet. Also the fact that at Colorado Springs Library that 8 volumes of their Bhagavatams had been take out 7 times in the past year. This should be published. You print one poster, big type, and put the quotation of the Oberlin professor. You can title it: How Our Book Are Being Received and have the quotation of the professor, the professor's remarks. This will be a good advertisement for our books. This book distribution, that was my Guru Maharaja's purpose. He said that I have got so many temples and now in Calcutta I have got a marble temple, but I would have wished that if by selling the marbles I could publish and distribute books. Now by the mercy of His Divine Grace Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja Prabhupada I am doing both by the co-operation of my American disciples. I am constructing so many marble temples and I am distributing so many books on Krsna consciousness. This does not mean that I am excelling my Guru Maharaja, but it is the mercy of my Guru Maharaja that he is giving me the facility for doing both. That is good that Ranadhira is taking over BBT mail order. I hope the meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Ramesvara **Date:** November 20th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Los Angeles My dear Ramesvara das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your BBT Trustees report dated November 11, 1975 and have noted the contents. I note that under transfers you have sent $25,000 to Gurukrpa Swami in Bombay. When was this and why was it done? Please send the details. I note that for the new printing of the abridged Gita, Dia Nippon, there were mistakes. Why there should be mistakes? Mistakes makes the book useless. You must be very, very careful. It will be detrimental to the sales. Regarding the proposal for a new warehouse, what is the rent that you are presently paying for your warehouse? I think if you can go on renting, that is better. Personally I do not have a financial brain. But my Guru Maharaja, he preferred rented house rather than one's own house. At least India, a rented house is preferred than possessing one and that is practical. I have received your telegram regarding the one million copies of Back to Godhead printed and also the Spanish Gita. This is solid work. Thank you very much. I have also received a batch of letters of appreciation from professors such as from Anderson College, Alderson-Broaddus, University of Leicester, University of St. Andres and Brandeis University. All these letters are very valuable and they may be added to the quotation book, The Krsna Consciousness Movement is Authorized. Gopala Krsna has informed me that you have deducted $77,000 for the last shipment of books to India. But this was to be a gift. This money is meant for construction, so you should not deduct this amount. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd --- N.B. Whether you think it is necessary to bring the artist Indra Sharma to U.S.A.? He says that his daughter is also required to assist him, so you will have to pay for two tickets. What will be the advantage of his coming there? So far I see there is no objection against our art work, but if you think it is necessary I have no objection. I do not want to see money wasted, that's all ### Letter to Ramesvara & Co **Date:** September 1st 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Los Angeles My Dear Ramesvara & Co., Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated August 31, 1975 and the six new volumes of Caitanya Caritamrta. So the books have increased, and they are all very nicely done. I think I may stop all touring and just sit down here for translating. You have taken seriously the publishing and also the distribution of these books, and that is the success of our mission. You have taken seriously this work and I know that my guru maharaj is pleased with you because he wanted this. So by this your endeavor you will all go back home back to Godhead. Let me first of all finish Srimad-Bhagavatam, then we can take up others. So I wish to also thank you for your cooperation. Because of your cooperation, therefore I has been possible. For me to publish alone the first three volumes, I had to take so much trouble, but by the cooperation of you American boys and girls now this has become possible. You promised on Vyasa Puja Day, and it has come, although Nitai has come a little late just after our ceremony. Anyway, what you have done is good. Nitai has said he has brought advance verses for 7th Canto, and this will help me. Nitai was to come on the 20th but now he has come with the substance, so I am very much pleased. The pictures are all wonderful. The artists tease me with so many questions, about this and that, but they have done nicely, so it is all right. So you all go on with your work, and I will pray to Krsna for your ever advancement in His service. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Ramesvara Prabhu **Date:** November 27th 1975 — **Location:** New Delhi My Dear Ramesvara Prabhu, Please accept my blessings. I am in receipt of your letters dated November 18th and 20th 1975. I have noted the contents carefully. The incident with Purusottama is now a closed chapter, in the future be more careful, we have got enemies as well as friends, we have to be careful. I was very happy to receive the new edition of Bhagavad gita the make up is very nice. Every time I see a new publication of my books it gives me so much enthusiasm that my life is increased by 100 years. Thank you for helping me so much. The report of Ghanasyama Prabhu selling standing orders to the head of the Mormon church is very encouraging to me, may Krishna bless this boy. Practically speaking there is no religion in the world, the only true religion is Bhagavata Dharma, that is the original religion of the human society, whatever else there may be passing as religion has come after Vedic literature. The whole world is in darkness, so we are bringing light in the shape of Srimad-Bhagavatam. Therefore this is the best service one can render to the human society, to give knowledge, how to go back to home back to Godhead. The BTG No. 12 is also nice. In India the biggest circulated spiritual magazine is Kalyana printed by Gita press at 95,000 so you have far surpassed them, thank you, the magazine is very nice. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/hda ### Letter to Ramesvara Prabhu **Date:** December 3rd 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Los Angeles My Dear Ramesvara Prabhu, Please accept my blessings. I am in receipt of your very encouraging letter dated November 27, 1975.Your report of book sales is over encouraging. You are all becoming very very dear to my Guru Maharaja. I started this movement by book selling. I was never a beggar for money, but I was writing books and selling. My Guru Maharaja very much liked my writing and he used to show others in my absence "Just see how nicely he has written, how he has appreciated." He encouraged me, and my Godbrothers, they also like my writing. After I wrote that poem for Vyasa Puja of my Guru Maharaja they used to call me Poet. Anyway, I was working writing books and publishing BTG alone, but I could not give the thing shape, so I decided to go to U.S.A. and now you all nice boys and girls have helped me so much, it is all the mercy of Krishna. Thank you very much. You can send one full ticket for Gopala Krishna's wife E. Khanna and one ticket (If necessary) for his son 2 1/2 years old D. Khanna to Gopijanavallabha in New York. The money many be taken from Gurukrpa's money. New York, Bombay, Delhi, immediately. I hope this letter finds you well. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/hda --- P.S. For the child a half fare will be required ### Letter to Ramesvara Prabhu **Date:** December 9th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Los Angeles My Dear Ramesvara Prabhu, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated December 1, 1975. I have noted the contents carefully. Regarding sending money, you have promised to send 50,000 per month to Bombay. So now the project is underway, so you have to keep sending. You keep your enlivened position. I was just talking to Hansadutta about the good fortune of America, that Krishna consciousness is there and if you can cover the whole America with Krishna consciousness that will be good for the whole world. I hope this letter finds you well. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/hda ### Letter to Rasarani **Date:** May 22nd 1975 — **Location:** Melbourne > Melbourne My dear Rasarani devi dasi, Please accept my blessings. I thank you very much for your note and your offering. Always remain engaged in the service of Krishna. That is the sure and safe method to be safe from the grip of Maya. Maya will never touch you if you are cent percent serving Krishna. Follow the rules carefully, chant at least 16 rounds, read and study my books deeply, and in this way be enthusiastic about going back to Godhead in this life. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Ravindra Svarupa **Date:** February 2nd 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Philadelphia My dear Ravindra Svarupa das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Jan. 26, 1975 and have noted the contents. Thank you for distributing my books there very nicely. Try to increase it more and more. You mentioned in your letter that you are doing a lot of deity worship and cooking due to lack of sufficient brahmanas. So why don't you ask your GBC man for some brahmanas (at least one) to come and releive you of this service so that you can spend more of your time preaching and distributing books. A temple president should have more time for preaching. That is important. Regarding your question about the loan for the building, Ramesvara and Jayatirtha have suggested that you be given a 4,000 dollar loan from the BBT. So, I think that will be nice. I have accepted Joe and tim as my disciples and their new names are respectively; Yamunapriya dasa and Tattvavada dasa. Their beads may be chanted on by Kirtanananda Svami. I have also accepted upon your recommendation, Kamalatika devi dasi for 2nd initiation. Let her hear the gayatri mantra through the right ear from the tape of myself chanting. Her mantra sheet is enclosed herein. The photos are very nice. Try to spread this movement as far as possible. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Ravindra Svarupa **Date:** June 27th 1975 — **Location:** Denver > Philadelphia My Dear Ravindra Svarupa das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated June 22, 1975 with enclosed clipping. It is a very important article. The magistrate has given a very good judgement in our favor and a very good certificate that this is bona fide religion. I have given the clipping for publishing in our "Back to Godhead" magazine. Yes, I am coming to your city on Friday morning July 11, 1975 from Chicago. I look forward to meeting the professors. July 15 is all right, as I may be going to San Francisco on Wednesday, July 16. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Revatinandana **Date:** January 16th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Los Angeles My dear Revatinandana Svami, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Dec. 27, 1974 and have noted the contents. Your program sounds very nice. Please go on with this work continuously preaching and as far as possible, try to sell some books also. Regarding your fasting, if you are sick, then fasting is the best medicine. For disease and unwanted guests, if you do not give them food, they will go away. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Revatinandana **Date:** June 8th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Laguna Beach My dear Revatinandana Swami, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated May 29, 1975 and have noted the contents. Yes preach as much as possible. Preaching is our life. Travel, here and there, holding kirtana, distributing prasadam and books and speak our philosophy very nicely. I have accepted Doc and Shari for 1st initiation and their names are as follows: Dharmadhyaksa dasa and Sri Radha devi dasi. Make sure that they continue to follow the principles, chant 16 rounds and read studiously and their spiritual advancement will be guaranteed. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Revatinandana **Date:** October 6th 1975 — **Location:** Durban My Dear Revatinandana Maharaja, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Sept. 19, 1975 and I have noted the contents carefully. It is best that you travel with Visnujana Maharaja and Tamala Krsna Goswami. Our mission is a continued effort and we need not give up the association of devotees simply because there is a difference of opinion how to preach our philosophy. If your conviction is strong and evidential, then try to convince them of your ideas for spreading Krsna Consciousness. Our principle is to simply repeat what we have in our books. But, it is very dangerous to live outside the association of devotees. If you must live a more solitary life for some time, then you can go to our temple in Mayapur or Vrindaban, and they can give one small room there and you can chant and read. I can advise the temple authorities there to permit you to do so without disturbance. In either case you can take boiled vegetables, boiled rice, a little milk, once a day, and this is very easily digestible. I am also taking like this. Living outside the association of devotees is dangerous and unnecessary. You must, however, give up the association of Jamadagni and Kanupriya. Their company will not be beneficial to your Krsna consciousness. I hope that this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/pks ### Letter to Revatinandana **Date:** November 7th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Laguna Beach My Dear Revatinandana Swami: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated October 17, 1975 and have noted the contents. You are happy because you are chanting, dancing, reading Srimad-Bhagavatam and all the books. If you do these things regularly, then your life is a success. I am glad that things are going on better there. For lecturing, any one of our members can speak. Simply one has to memorize the purports and then speak in one's own language. Anyone who chants and follows the rules and regulations, where is there room for anxiety for him? You are an old, experienced devotee; so you behave like this and teach others to do so wherever you may stay. You can preach independently as you have suggested, but do not deviate from our principles. You can start out small and then increase it if is successful. I want our men to go town to town village to village to preach Krishna consciousness. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami --- ACB/bs ### Letter to Rocana **Date:** September 26th 1975 — **Location:** Ahmedabad > Bridesville, Canada My Dear Rochana das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated September 17, 1975 and have noted the contents. Upon your recommendation I am accepting the the following as my initiated disciples, and their names are: Dennis and Paula—Jnanamudra das & Trailokyasundari devi dasiTimothy Moore—Yoginatha dasPeter and Carol Fortany—Rukminisa das and Vedagarbha devi dasiKen Perry—Parampadam dasMarlanee Boyadjian—Yasodanandapatni devi dasiPlease see that that they will follow our rules and regulations and chant minimum 16 rounds daily. I also accept for second initiation Mahidhara das and Pracetana devi dasi. Enclosed is the sanctified thread and the mantra sheet. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Rocana **Date:** December 17th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Bridesville, B.C., Canada My Dear Rocana das, Please accept my blessings. Thank you for your letter dated November 30, 1975. First of all produce your own food grain, milk and vegetables, eat as much as absolutely necessary, don't eat more, and in this way keep your health. Follow the regulative principles and then if there is time left over you can divert your attention. But I think you should not waste your time in any other thing except Devotional service and maintain the body in proper order. Unnecessarily you should not waste your valuable time. I hope this letter finds you well. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/hda ### Letter to Rsabhadeva **Date:** June 27th 1975 — **Location:** Denver > Laguna Beach My Dear Rsabhadeva dasa: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated June 22, 1975 and have noted the contents. I am accepting the following for second initiation as twice born brahmana and their threads are enclosed duly sanctified: Anatacharya das, Gupta das, and Rasatoonga dasi. I also accept the following as my disciples and their spiritual names are as follows: Arthur Davis—Arka dasa; Ken Kilmer—Kumunda dasa; Kim Kilmer—Kundara dasa; Racy Niciu—Rucirangada dasa; Robert Queen—Rama Sriyah dasa; Russel Noles—Radhapati dasa. Please see that they are all chanting 16 rounds on their beads and following the rules and regulations. We have to become very strict in this matter. To go back home, back to Godhead is not an easy thing. It requires great discipline of body and mind, and performance of pure devotional service. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Rup Ram Sharma **Date:** November 29th 1975 — **Location:** New Delhi Dear Rup Ram Sharma, I thank you very much for your invitation card on the occasion of your fortunate girl Anu Karna with Sriman Hari Kantaji. Please convey my blessings to the newly married couple to become Krishna conscious and be happy in life. I am going to Vrindaban next week and I invite you to come to our Krishna Balarama temple, Raman reti Vrindaban. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/hda ### Letter to Rupanuga **Date:** January 9th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Brooklyn My dear Rupanuga das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Jan. 2nd, 1975 and have noted the contents carefully. Regarding the new building, if it is suitable, never mind if it is a little more or less, you should get it. We can rent the unused space, and the householders can live in the building as long as they have separate floors. One thing is that they must be fully engaged. Don't make a hotel for free boarding and lodging. Everyone must be full-time engaged and the best engagement for them is to sell books. That will be very nice. Don't allow anyone to simply eat and sleep. All should attend classes 2 or 3 times daily, chant 16 rounds, and go out for street sankirtana. Eating should be minimized. Too much eating leads to too much sleeping, and then sex desire. So, management should be done very carefully to see that there is not easy-going, lazy attitude which will only end in fall down. Regarding the controversy about book distribution techniques, you are right. Our occupation must be honest. Everyone should adore our members as honest. If we do something which is deteriorating to the popular sentiments of the public in favor of our movement, that is not good. Somehow or other we should not become unpopular in the public eye. These dishonest methods must be stopped. It is hampering our reputation all over the world. Money collected for feeding people in India should be collected under the name ISKCON Food Relief. Not any other name. And every farthing of that money must be sent to India, or better yet, buy food grains there and ship them here and we will distribute. But every farthing collected for that purpose must be used for that purpose. I have already sent one letter to Ramesvara explaining these points. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps --- N.B. Your idea of having the "summer institute" at your farm is nice ### Letter to Rupanuga **Date:** January 17th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Brooklyn My dear Rupanuga das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated nil and have noted the contents. Why is it that money that has been collected on behalf of ISKCON Food Relief program has not been sent to India? Where is that money? This is not good. If you are not intending to send for food distribution, then do not collect in the name of Food Relief. Whatever is collected for India food distribution, must be sent as soon as it is collected, to India. You should send it to: Bank of America, International Society for Krishna Consciousness, Mayapur-Vrndavana Fund, account no. 16026 in Bombay. It must be sent, otherwise it will be a discrepancy. The plan that the lawyer has proposed to you is very good. There can be two separated accounts, ISKCON Food Relief, and BBT.Let Gopala Krishna come to India immediately. When he comes, he can get approval from Delhi for importing grains. Secure the new building. Be cautious. Do not spoil the negotiation. That building is very nice. We want it. The Bulletin that you have sent is very nice. Pancaratna has done very nicely. Maybe you can approach all the constituent members of the CSR (mentioned on the 2nd page) for giving us facility to expand our preaching work even more. Regarding Harikesa, I thought he was going to London to take standing orders of books from the libraries there. Anyway he is there now, he can be engaged as you both see it fit. Consult amongst yourselves. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ### Letter to Rupanuga **Date:** February 2nd 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Brooklyn My dear Rupanuga das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated nil and have noted the contents. Regarding the idea of suing the U.S. Government, it is better not to make such a move. Try to solve all problems with the local scale. The GBC men who are here now have considered this point and decided that it would not be wise to sue the Govt. at this point. According to Jayatirtha prabhu, Jagadisa's proposal for BBT loan has already been rejected. BTG is not meant for advertising ISKCON Food Relief. Regarding instruments for temple kirtanas, karatala and mrdanga are sufficient. There is no need of other instruments. Keep negotiations going for that building. It will be very nice if we can get that building. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Rupanuga **Date:** August 21st 1975 — **Location:** New Delhi > Deaplane, Virginia My Dear Rupanuga das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated August 3, 1975 and have noted the contents. Regarding the Washington temple why are you selling the present building? Why are you changing it? We are not businessmen that we sell for profit and then move the Deity. Develop the farm in New York nicely. Show by example what it means plain living and high thinking. Regarding the letter to the lawyer, I have heard from Brahmananda Swami that the lawyers did not like the letter and threatened to Ramesvara that if it was not retracted then they would bring suit. So if necessary then retract it. Do not write in a way to accuse them. Just terminate their service. So after retracting, then write a new one. Regarding your questions, no, the large Deity can never be moved, not at all. Regarding remarriage, no, remarriage should be always discouraged. Remarriage means encouraging sense gratification. Our mission is to curtail sense gratification. Three times marrying in a year, this is not good, and they are doing this. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Rupanuga **Date:** September 18th 1975 — **Location:** Vrndavana > Dela Plane, Virginia My dear Rupanuga das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letters dated August 29 and September 7, 1975 with enclosures. The matter regarding by-laws and the articles of incorporation should be definitely brought up at our annual Mayapur meeting. One thing: why is that so few temples are sending the affidavits? You should see that this is done. This is the important thing. No one should go against this principle. We have discussed this matter thoroughly. Please see that it is done. Regarding Washington, D.C. temple, it is the capital of your country. Therefore, the building there must be suitable. Do things very nicely there. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Rupanuga **Date:** September 29th 1975 — **Location:** Ahmedabad > Delaplane, Virginia My Dear Rupanuga das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated September 19, 1975 and have noted the contents carefully. What is the street address of the new building in New York? The consent letter has been sent from Vrindaban. You should minimize the expenditure and increase the income, otherwise how will you liquidate the debts? I understand that you are saving on the milk bill by supplying your own milk from the farm. This is wanted. If these farm projects are successful, then all this industry will be closed. We do not have to make propaganda, but automatically people will not want. The people are innocent. The rascal leaders say it is primitive to remain on the farm, but to do business in the city and become rogue and rascal, that is advanced. They have dog race, horse race, gambling, coca cola, pepsi cola—all unnecessary. There is no use for it but the business is going on. They take to cigarette and T.V. because they have no good engagement. They are chewing the already chewed. That is nice that the parents are donating. They will donate more and more, because they see here is something good. Regarding the new New York house, yes, let me know when I shall have to go there to see. I have more houses than anyone else in the world, but I am not allowed to stay. The richest man in the world does not have such facilities. They have one or two, but in each place it is fit for prince, and they do not have as many as I have. And, the wife of Bali Mardan how was she giving such a bluff? This woman is very dangerous. I see that in every center we are getting good income, and it is all from the sale of the books. Philadelphia temple must have a proper place. Regarding Washington temple yes Brisakapi can be now recognized as the temple president. I give my consent for the present temple to be sold and you may purchase the other one as you have described it. Regarding Boston, yes you may utilize the funds as you have indicated. People are coming forward to donate. They are actually seeing. These boys were drug addicted, and now they are saintly. They do not smoke even. They talk only of God. So you get from all the farms all your necessities, then it will be successful. Fodder, milk, grains, vegetables, and animals and man will be satisfied, and you can chant Hare Krishna. No unnecessary cow killing, and no unnecessary needs of the body. The woman's SKP party, that is very good. I hope this meets you in good health. A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Rupanuga **Date:** November 9th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Dela Plain, Virginia My dear Rupanuga das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated October 21, 1975 and have noted the contents. It is not good that all of the temples are spending more than they are receiving. They should rather save more and not exceed on the expenditures. I do not think that the jewelry business should be encouraged. We are after preaching, not money. Their endeavor should be utilized for selling books. That is different from the endeavor of selling jewelry. I do not think that this attempt should be encouraged. Our principle is tyaga, or renunciation, which means to renounce material activities as far as possible. What plans are there for the book distribution for the bicentennial celebration in Philadelphia? Regarding Baltimore, again deficit. This is not a good sign. Regarding the Sankirtana Newsletter, then stop it. If the BBT does not pay for it, then stop it. The temple cannot afford to publish it, and if the BBT does not pay for it, then stop it. But it is good attempt. Regarding Atlanta, everywhere again expenditures more. Why was the airport distribution closed down in Atlanta? I am glad that their farm project is successful. Milk, fruits, flowers and also food grains can all be produced in the farm. Cannot flowers be produced in the farm? This will reduce their expenditure and tulasi also. It is good that the New York income was more than the expenditures. The description of my room there in the new building sounds very nice. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Rupanuga **Date:** December 7th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > New York My Dear Rupanuga Prabhu, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated November 24, 1975. Upon seeing the pictures of the doll exhibit I thought it was some of our devotees play acting. This boy Saptaratha Das has done the dolls very very nicely, now make a museum for the public. This doll making was one of the programs of my Guru Maharaja, and the exhibit used to tour India. That same exhibit, although falling apart, is still touring India today and people are appreciating it. So develop this program, I am very pleased with this boys work, encourage him. Our cows are happy, therefore they give plenty of milk. Vedic civilization gives protection to all the living creatures, especially the cows, because they render such valuable service to the human society in the shape of milk, without which no one can become healthy and strong. In your country the dog is protected, and the cow is killed. The dog is passing stool and urine in the street, he is considered the best friend of man, and the cow is all pure, stool, urine, and milk, but they are taken to the slaughter house and killed for food. What kind of civilization is this. Therefore we have to preach against all this nonsense. How is the New temple building in New York? I hope this letter meets you well. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/hda ### Letter to S. N. Mukurji **Date:** October 16th 1975 — **Location:** Johannesburg > S.N. Mukurji Senior Divisional Engineer Damodara Valley Corporation P.O. Maithon Dam (P.1)Dist. Dhanbad, Bihar, India My dear sir, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 5/8, and I have noted the contents carefully. In India we have got so many centres. Which ever is convenient for you, you can join and live with us. I hope that this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/pks ### Letter to Sacimata **Date:** November 12th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Frankfurt My dear Sacimata dasi, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated October 23, 1975. So I understand that you are doing the layouts for the German Back to Godhead and also the Swedish Back to Godhead. The Swedish Back to Godhead was very nice. I am very much appreciative. What I suggest for you is to translate articles that have been written by myself or the devotees as they are published in the English Back to Godhead because unless you are conversant with the philosophy, it will be difficult for you to write authoritatively. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Sahadeva **Date:** February 2nd 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Houston My dear Sahadeva das adhikari, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Feb. 1, 1975 and have noted the contents. What is the difficulty if you immediately start preaching in the colleges? At the present moment, Tamala Krishna Gosvami is looking for men who are interested in preaching at the colleges. Why not contact him and work together with him? That will be very nice. There is no necessity of your going to India. Better to begin preaching work immediately. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Saksi Gopala **Date:** December 6th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban My Dear Saksi Gopala Prabhu, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your nicely decorated letter. Thank you very much. From your letter it appears that you are a little confused. This means that the consciousness is not clear, brahma-bhutah prasannatma, na socati na kanksati [Bg. 18.54], the clear stage of consciousness is free from hankering and lamentation. As long as we are on the material platform, bodily conception of life we will hanker for so many things required for material supremacy. Therefore to clear this cloudy consciousness Caitanya Mahaprabhu recommended that one should simply chant the Holy name of God sincerely and hear it with attention. To chant dance, take prasadam and be happy. Marriage is not recommended. Are you prepared to get a job, live outside the temple in apartment, provide the wife with bangles saris and sex? Better you concentrate on this chanting and hearing process, teach others and give them prasadam. So you and Bhumadeva are doing this already, now be steady and increase it more and more. Hansadutta will guide you in this engagement, he is there to help you execute your program. I hope this letter finds you well. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/hda ### Letter to Sama **Date:** October 20th 1975 — **Location:** Johannesburg > Catonsville, Maryland My dear Sama dasa, Please accept my blessings for you, your wife, and your new baby daughter, Sarada devi dasi. I am in due receipt of your letter dated October 8, 1975 and I have noted the contents carefully. Thank you very much for the pictures of Baltimore yatra, especially I have appreciated the beauty of the Gaura-Nitai Deities which you are going to install. Where were these Deities made? I herein accept your proposal for first initiation as of Francis (Tulasiballabha das) and Carol (Ujjvalaprada dasi). Now, I am accepting them on your recommendation so you must convince them of the seriousness of following the four regulative principles and chanting a minimum of 16 rounds japa daily. Hold a fire-yajna and do the needful in this connection. I hope that this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/pks ### Letter to Sama Priya **Date:** August 16th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Boulder Creek, Ca My Dear Sama Priya devi dasi: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated July 30, 1975 with enclosed checks for Dollars 50.00 and 5.00. Thank you very much for it. I appreciate your sentiments for your spiritual master, and I will pray to Krsna for your continued spiritual advancement. You simply have to keep yourself always in the fire of Krishna consciousness. Read my books daily, chant 16 rounds, and worship Lord Caitanya in your home. If you do this maya will never touch you. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Samjata **Date:** March 14th 1975 — **Location:** Tehran > Melbourne My dear Samjata, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letters dated Feb. 3rd and Jan. 20th, 1975 and have noted the contents. Thank-you for the newspaper clipping. This proves that Krishna Consciousness is more attractive than material success. Krishna has given you a nice responsibility there in Australia, so work nicely with the devotees there and remain always strong in Krishna Consciousness by following all of our rules and regulations very carefully and chant at least 16 good rounds daily. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Sanat Kumara, Daniel, Yudhisthira **Date:** June 24th 1975 — **Location:** Los Angeles > Nairobi My Dear Sanat Kumar, Daniel, and Yudhisthira: Please accept my blessings. You have been recommended for initiation by Brahmananda Swami and Cyavana Swami, and I am pleased to accept you as my initiated disciples. They have given me a very nice report of your activities and I am glad to know that the government authorities are taking interest in our movement. It is a good sign. So you go on with your preaching and be very careful to follow the rules and regulations, chanting 16 rounds daily and abstaining from eating animal flesh, intoxicants, gambling, and illicit sex. Your names are Sanat Kumar—Sarva vit dasa; Daniel—Danda dasa; Yudhisthira—Yogisa dasa. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Sanatana **Date:** June 10th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Alexandria, Australia My dear Sanatana dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated June 6, 1975 and have noted the contents. No, you should not bother with all this nonsense. Astrology will not save you at the time of death. My Guru Maharaja was a great astrologer and astronomer, but he gave it all up. It is meant for the karmis. We have no interest in such things. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Sandipani **Date:** March 14th 1975 — **Location:** Tehran > Puerto Rico My dear Sandipani dasi, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Feb. 21, 1975 and have noted the contents. I thank you for you kind sentiments and I am glad to hear that you are feeling happy in Krishna's service. This is a good sign of advancement. Keep yourself strong in all respects by following very carefully all of our rules and regulations without fail. If you try sincerely, Krishna will help you, He will supply all strength and ability. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Sankara Pyne, Mira Pyne **Date:** September 3rd 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Sankara and Mira Pynec/o Sri Krishna Candra Pyne P-63, Tollygunge Road Calcutta-700033 My Dear Sankara and Mira: Please accept my blessings. I am very much pleased with your Vyasa Puja offerings. Both of you have done very well. I am very pleased to know you are making progress in Krishna Consciousness and following the rules and regulations. Next time when I come to Calcutta, I shall initiate Mira. In the meantime go on with your duties as prescribed by me which will be always pleasing to me. Thanking you very much. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Saptaratha **Date:** August 4th 1975 — **Location:** Detroit > Buffalo My Dear Saptaratha das: Please accept my blessings. I have seen a photo of the dolls you have made of Krishna lifting Govardhana Hill and also Balarama. Your son has sent the photo. So you have done it very nicely. Go on with this work. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Sarvavit **Date:** July 26th 1975 — **Location:** Los Angeles > Mombassa, Kenya My Dear Sarvavit dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated July 15th, and I am very glad to read the contents. I am glad to learn that you are getting good training by Cyavana Maharaja and you should take your post of temple president as a very serious matter. It is your responsibility to always exhibit a Krsna conscious example. You should always be thinking how to spread Krsna consciousness to the African people. This is our mission—to save suffering humanity from the path of repeated birth and death. The way to become free is only by becoming pure devotee of Krsna. You should simply stick to our principles and everything will come out all right in our preaching work. You should publish profusely literature in Swahili and distribute. This is very important. This mission has been established simply on the publishing and distribution of my books. So get them translated and published as soon as possible. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Sat Krita **Date:** July 1st 1975 — **Location:** Denver > Dallas My Dear Sat Krita dasa: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter undated June 23, 1975 and have noted the contents. I have organized the GBC for the purpose of spreading Krsna consciousness all over the world. In this way I am trying to become free from the management in order to translate my books. Therefore there is no need to form a separate new committee of 64 members. Let each zone and center push on in their area of the world. If such an international committee is to be formed, it can be done by the GBC. You can make your further suggestions to Jagadisa. I am glad your son is doing well in Gurukula. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Satcitananda **Date:** July 25th 1975 — **Location:** Los Angeles > Vrindaban My Dear Satchitananda das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter from Vrindaban and am very engladdened to hear of your report how things are going on. You have given me great pleasure and I thank you for your attempt to please me. Regarding your going to Malaysia, at the present moment we are not going to open a temple there. We first want to see that the Vrindaban temple is going on very solidly. So go on with working there in Vrindaban for the time being, and when I return to Vrindaban in October I shall speak to you personally. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Satkrita **Date:** May 9th 1975 — **Location:** Perth > Australia Phoenix, Arizona My dear Satkrita dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated April 8th, 1975 and I was unable to note the contents. Why do you write such a crazy letter? You cannot write like a normal person? Anyway, I hope that you are following all of the rules and regulations very carefully without any deviation. Try to work hard for Krishna and co-operate very nicely with the temple authorities. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Satsvarupa **Date:** January 19th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Los Angeles My dear Satsvarupa Maharaja, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Jan. 5th, 1975 and have noted the contents. Thank you very much for doing your work so nicely. I was very pleased to receive the review on the 1st volume of the third canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam written by professor Mehta from the University of Windsor. If you can send more similar reviews on my books, I would very much appreciate it. I am keeping a folder on such things and we can print a small book to distribute that will contain such reviews so that people will see what a great impression our books have on the intelligentsia of the world. Regarding your question about the controversial talks going on, this kind of talk is not befitting my advanced students. This is childish. In Krishna's service, there is no inferior and superior. Deity worship is just as important as book distribution. It is not material. As mentioned in the Bhagavatam.sravanam kirtanam visno smaranam pada-sevanamarcanam vandanam dasyam sakhyam atma-nivedanamSravanam kirtanam is the beginning—to chant and hear. Book distribution is under this category of sravanam kirtanam. The next item is smaranam. If somebody simply remembers the Supreme Lord, that is also as good as sravanam kirtanam. Then there is arcanam. That is also as good as the others, but one who simply becomes engaged in arcanam and does nothing of sravanam kirtanam, his position becomes in the material field. Any one of the nine processes is as good as the other. There is no question of inferior or superior. But out of all of them sravanam kirtanam is very important. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu while instructing Srila Rupa Gosvami, has said how the seed of devotional service sprouts and increases by watering the root by the process of sravanam kirtanam. So, these two items are very important in devotional service, but that does not mean that the other items are inferior. Srila Jiva Gosvami has stressed kirtanam especially in the age of Kali. Even if there is arcanam for sanctifying the contaminated mind, it must be accompanied by sravanam kirtanam. So, you are all advanced students. You should understand the importance of each and every item of devotional service. Do not make any misunderstanding by devaluating any of the spiritual activities. You are one of the advanced students. One who distinguishes a particular type of service as inferior or superior, he does not know the value of devotional service. It is all transcendental. Whatever item is suitable, that is accepted as very elevated. Just like Maharaja Pariksit. He simply listened to Sukadeva Gosvami. That is sravanam. And Sukadeva Gosvami simply narrated Srimad-Bhagavatam. This is kirtanam. Prahlada Maharaja simply contemplated—smaranam. Prthu Maharaja simply did deity worship—arcanam. Arjuna only remained as friend of Krishna—sakhyam. Hanuman remained only engaged in carrying out the order of Lord Ramacandra—dasyam. And Bali Maharaja surrendered everything to Krishna—atma-nivedanam. So, any devotee executing any one of the nine is transcendentally glorious. One devotee may be proud that his process of service is the best. That is not inglorious. This is called transcendental competition. Everyone should feel proud of his particular type of devotional service, but that does not mean that other types of service are inferior. Everyone should feel proud of becoming sincere servant of Krishna, but the pure devotee never minimizes the importance of other devotees. Krishna is the enjoyer of varieties of service. It is not stuck up with any particular type of service. Krishna takes pleasure with devotees even by fighting service. When Grandfather Bhisma was trying to injure the body of Krishna by sharpened arrows, in full devotion in the mellow of chivalry, Krishna was feeling the piercing of the arrows as good as worshiping him with soft rose flowers. The conclusion is that everyone should be very very sincere. There is no more the question of inferior or superior. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/psN.B. --- I have accepted Bhakta Seth for first initiation. His name can be Sesa das. You may chant his beads. Also, I have accepted Maha Buddhi das and Mahadyuti das as my duly initiated brahmanas. Let them hear the gayatri mantra through the right ear from the tape of myself chanting it. Their threads and mantra sheets are enclosed herein ### Letter to Satsvarupa **Date:** February 15th 1975 — **Location:** Mexico City > Dallas My dear Satsvarupa Maharaja, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Feb. 8th, 1975 and have noted the contents. Thank you very much for sending the book reviews. Send more if you can. These are very very encouraging. I am keeping a collection of these reviews and I show them to big big scholars and professors when they come to see me. They are very impressed. Regarding your lecturing in the college classes. This is a very good program also. Why not continue it? I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami --- ACBs/ps ### Letter to Satsvarupa **Date:** June 4th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Los Angeles My dear Satsvarupa dasa Goswami, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated May 31, 1975 and have noted the contents. Thank you very much for working so hard to distribute my books in the Libraries. This is very much pleasing. You will make your whole country Krishna Conscious in this way. Regarding the book review booklet, it can be included in another small booklet which I have just told Ramesvara to print called "The Hare Krishna Movement." The Miami situation is a great discredit for us because we have made such a bad impression on the neighbors that they have had us kicked out. This is because of nasty management. Rupanuga was the GBC, and now you are, why it cannot be made clean? Abhirama has proved his poor management, so he must be replaced. If you sell the old buildings and buy some land as proposed, it may be very nice. One thing is though, if the management continues to be so nasty, then that place will also be ruined. Management must be done very nicely otherwise it is useless. Regarding your staying in Houston, yes, but do not neglect your other business. Jagadisa can take over New Orleans management. Yes, you will be my GBC travelling secretary in August. Regarding, Bon Maharaja, I am actually authority accepted by authority. In the Caitanya Caritamrta it is said, krsna sakti vina nahe nama pracar. So, now the Hare Krishna movement is world known, and learned scholars, etc. give plaudits to me as Professor Judah has. So, then why I am not authority? Nobody says Bon Swami has done it, or Vivekananda, or any other swami. There are so many yogis and swamis coming, but nobody is giving credit to them, they are giving the credit to me. So, why I am not an authority? If Krishna accepts me as authority, then who can deny it? Besides that, in 1933, Bon was given the first chance to preach Lord Caitanya's movement in London. He remained there about four years and not a single person could be converted to become a Vaisnava and he was receiving regularly 700rs. per month for his expenditure, being supported by the whole Gaudiya Math institution, and still, as he could not do anything appreciable, he was called back by Guru Maharaja. Then where is his authority? Our authority comes from Parampara system. If the Guru was not satisfied with him and called him back, and since then, he gave up connection with Gaudiya Math and started his own institution, then how he becomes authority? And in spite of all these things, if he is still authority by his own imagination, then people should ask him what he has been doing for the last 40 years, about the objective of Gaudiya Vaisnavism. Even if he thinks that he has done, certainly he has not done better than me. Under the circumstances, accepting him as an authority, I am greater and better authority than him. So, all Vaisnavas are authorities to preach Krishna Consciousness, but still, there are degrees of authorities. On the whole, if his motive is to supress me and that is why he has come here, how we can receive him? He has already given one Professor a wrong impression. He may be treated as a guest, if he comes to our center, give him prasadam, honor him as an elder Vaisnava, but he cannot speak or lecture. If he wants to lecture, you can tell him that there is already another speaker scheduled. That's all. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Satsvarupa **Date:** June 9th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Los Angeles My dear Satsvarupa Maharaja, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letters dated May 9, June 5, June 6, 1975 and have noted the contents. So, work very nicely to encourage Abhirama and the others to very enthusiastically carry on our program there in Miami, even though there may be so many difficulties. I will be coming to Denver temple on the 27th, of June approximately, from L.A. on my way to Chicago. I can stay in Denver 6 or 7 days. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Satsvarupa **Date:** September 9th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Los Angeles My Dear Satsvarupa Goswami: Please accept my blessings. I have been informed by Brahmananda Maharaja that only six temples have sent copies of the Affidavit that I have requested from each temple. Please see why they are not sending. From St. Louis I have received not only the Affidavit but also a "Quit Claim Deed." This decree very nicely expresses very clearly that the property cannot be sold without written permission by myself or the GBC. Such a declaration should be from all centers. Please see to this. Also I want that all centers follow the following procedure for handling the money. Whatever income is there, every cent must be given to the treasurer. Immediately he records it in the book. Then daily he deposits everything in the bank. For the expenditures, he withdraws from the bank the petty cash by check signed by himself and the President. Then the expenditures are checked by the President to see how the money is being spent. The important thing is that all monies must be given to the treasurer and he records it and every day deposits everything in the bank. And whatever is spent that also is withdrawn from the bank. This will stop the embezzling that is going on. Please arrange for this and inform me. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Satsvarupa **Date:** September 18th 1975 — **Location:** Vrndavana > Boston My dear Satsvarupa Maharaja, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your GBC monthly report for August dated September 7, 1975 and have noted the contents. I have received a copy of the review written by the Cornell professor and it is very encouraging. I am having them reproduce it here for distribution to the libraries in India. I have also requested Ramesvara to make a booklet of all these reviews. I'm glad to hear that Miami has got their new property and temple. I understand they have many mango trees there. When is the mango season there in Florida? I am very fond of mangoes and when they are produced on our own property, then they become more palatable. It is a fact that if you purchase fruit in the market, it is not as palatable as if it comes from your own tree. Even Caitanya Mahaprabhu's devotees were very fond of mangoes. Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He immediately produced one mango tree at the house of Srinivasa and He was daily distributing mangoes. Regarding Houston temple, it is best thing if they recruit their own men as the other temples are doing. I find that in the United States and also in Europe there are many Indians in every city. Encourage them to take part in our programs. Regarding St. Louis, I know that Makhanlal is a very good boy. Perhaps it is better for him not to have such a wife. I thank you very much for your report. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Satsvarupa **Date:** October 21st 1975 — **Location:** Johannesburg > Los Angeles My dear Satsvarupa das Maharaja, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated September 29, 1975, and I have noted the contents with care. Concerning your debate with the professor who claims that if God knows everything then His foreknowing makes men very much like puppets or machines. Persons who think of God like himself has no knowledge of God. He immediately becomes a mudha, fool rascal. Avajananti mam mudha [Bg. 9.11] . . . God is omniscient and omnipotent. He knows everything what is going to happen. Therefore to save the living entity from future calamity He says, sarva dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. . . So although He knows what is going to happen in the future, He can cancel all that was going to happen by His Grace, that is God's omnipotency. For a devotee, the future destiny is changed as confirmed in the Brahma-samhita:yas tvindra-gopam athavendram aho sva-karma-bandhanurupa-phala-bhajanam atanotikarmapi nirdhahati kintu ca bhakti-bhajamgovindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami[Bs. 5.54]"Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto the original Personality of Godhead, Govinda, Who regulated the sufferings and enjoyments of fruitive activity for everyone—from the heavenly King Indra down to the smallest insect (indra-gopa). That very Personality of Godhead destroys the fruitive karma of one engaged in devotional service."So anyone who surrenders to Krishna, his destiny is changed by the omnipotency of God. He takes charge of the devotee and guides him how the devotee can go back to Home, Back-to-Godhead. This is the Mercy of God. He knows everything and still He says "sarva dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam braja . . . [Bg. 18.66]" But, you are thinking God like you, what is destined is going to happen and even God cannot change it? Then God is impotent? This is their version, not God's. God says surrender to Me and I shall cancel all your destiny, aham tvam sarva papebhyo moksayisyami ma sucah . . . God will save you from the destiny that you have created by misuse of your independence. He knows but still He is so kind. Surrender has nothing to do with your destiny, that will depend on you (the spirit-soul) because you have a little independence, a little freedom. Theirs is atheistic argument. God is not only omniscient, but also Almighty. Predestiny is there but it is cancelled if you surrender to Him, otherwise God is not the controller. Theirs is like karma mimamsa philosophy, that God is our servant and He must reward me according to my activities. If you surrender to Krishna there is no more predestiny. He knows if you do this you must suffer, so why do you suffer. You take His advice. Even if he says predestined, so why don't you surrender to Krishna now, and get out of this material condition. Concerning our use of analogy. We do not bring in imperfect analogy, but we follow the instructions of the Sastras strictly. Our authority is on the basis of Sastra, not analogy. So, Vyasadeva while giving the history of creation says "Janmadyasya . . . adhikavaye" . . . so He impregnated the heart of Brahma with all the designs of creation. So what is wrong there? If I instruct someone you do like this, and he does it, then what is the difficulty? This is the system. Our authority is sastra. We give analogy for the general mass of people who have no faith in sastra. Analogy is not proof; sastra is proof. Foolish people cannot understand or accept, so we use analogy. The conclusion is not drawn from the analogy but from the sastra. We don't use a combination of logic and authority, we use authority. Logic we use to convince someone who doesn't accept the authority. The basic principle is authority. Vedas say that cowdung is pure and we accept it. There is no logic, but when we practically use it we see that it is correct. The logic of using analogy is called in the sastra "sakha candra nyaya." It is easier to focus on the moon through the branches of a tree. The moon is great distance away, and you say that it is just through the branches. So you can focus more easily on the moon because 2 points joined make a straight line. So focusing on the nearby object helps us to focus on the far-away object. This is the use of analogy. So there is no question of stagnation in Krishna Consciousness. Krishna is unlimited. The more we advance in Krishna Consciousness, the more we understand about Him. We cannot finish the process of understanding Him. The little more that we advance, we see still that He is far away. Even Krishna couldn't understand His position in relationship to Radharani, therefore, He took the position of Radharani to understand Himself as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. I hope that this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/pks ### Letter to Satsvarupa **Date:** November 9th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Los Angeles My dear Satsvarupa Maharaja, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated October 11, 1975 from Boston along with enclosed clippings and enclosures. You are doing solid work. Krsna will be pleased with you. You are a sincere student from the very beginning of your spiritual life and I wish that you may advance more and more. The clippings for Nalini Kanta who is running for the mayor of Phoenix is a good advertisement and we are getting good publicity. But be careful not that he may be implicated too much. There is a proverb which states that one should pick up the fish without touching the water. I think you can understand me on this matter. Yes, my books should be introduced as regular reading in all courses. There are many evidences of the professor's certificates, so these can be utilized as proof of how our books are being appreciated. Now Cyavana Swami has made one inquiry from the Nobel Foundation for getting myself recognized as Nobel Prize for literature. Enclosed is the correspondence and you will see that one can be nominated by professors of literature and theology at universities and university colleges; so I think if you take up this matter and pursue it, you can get some professors to make the recommendation, such as Professor Judah, who is very familiar with our movement. Also, enclosed is one letter from Karttikeya MahaDevia who suggests in this regard and also Mukunda Prabhu from London has telephoned that the Encyclopedia Brittanica will be containing an article of 350 words on myself in their publication. So far your lecturing is concerned, you simply put in your own language the purports of our books. That will make your lectures successful. And everywhere you can refer to the book, Hare Krsna and Counterculture, written by Professor Judah. So in the Western countries they are selling their churches and farms which we require. That is also Krsna's plan. In U.S.A. there is enough land and if we organize we can become very big party—Hare Krsna party. We can occupy America and make them all become Krsna conscious. Regarding the St. Louis farm, yes, we can work and build some small cottages with thatched roofs provided we get men. It is very encouraging; you should get this farm. Ten at least are sufficient to run a farm. Regarding Denver, it is very good that they are regularly having kirtana in the colleges and that three new brahmacaries have joined. Just see the result. And also one new householder couple. Regarding the devotee taking a second wife, it is all right from Vedic culture, but is not right from American law view point. That you have to adjust. Regarding Miami, it is very good news that they have gotten their land and they have got cows and it is good news to know that the cows will live on eating the mango leaves. This is the injunction of Krsna in Bhagavad-gita to produce enough food both for human beings and the animals and you become happy. The animal is happy. If the animal is happy he will produce enough milk so what is the use of killing them. By these activities I am must trying to satisfy my spiritual master and you are all trying to help me, so I am very much obliged to you. This is real co-operation on the platform of love. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mddN.B. --- I am glad that you are appreciating the new Caitanya-Caritamrta's. It is all the mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu ### Letter to Satsvarupa **Date:** November 20th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Los Angeles My dear Satsvarupa das Gosvami, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated November 10, 1975 and have noted the contents. Krsna will guide you how to increase the library distribution. Do not worry. Just do it sincerely and with a cool brain. Regarding Miami temple, you say it is a paradise. So that must be because it must be better than the former place. But they must keep the whole temple site very neat and clean. This is very important and please instruct them on this. Abhirama, he is an intelligent boy. He can do and he can manage. Simply you have to encourage him and see that he shows good example to all the devotees and they will all work very enthusiastically under his leadership. Regarding Denver, why are they doing business? This creates a bad atmosphere. We shall only do one business and that is book-selling. That's all. As soon as you become karmis after business, then spiritual life becomes damaged. This business should not be encouraged any more. Doing business and not sankirtana, this is not at all good. Visaya chadiya kabe suddha ha'be mana/ kabe hama herabo sri-vrndavana. "When the mind is completely purified, being freed from material anxieties and desires, then I shall be able to understand Vrndavana and the conjugal love of Radha and Krsna, and then my spiritual life will be successful." One has to engage himself in devotional service, giving up the engagement of manufacturing pounds, shilling, pence. Sankirtana is very good, but grhasthas under condition can do other business, only if they give at least 50%, but sankirtana is the best business. Our Denver temple is situated in a very nice place. It is our own house, so it must be managed very nicely. Please encourage Kurusrestha in this regard. He is very good devotee, very sincere and intelligent. I have seen the photograph you sent of the Houston temple. It is very impressive building. It looks like a secretariat building. I want that our Mayapur festival there should be booths showing our activities. There should be one booth showing all the photographs of our temple buildings. This will be very impressive. Even big, big businessmen, they haven't got such branches all over the world as we have got. And our business is with honor. Why not purchase the Houston temple? And I am glad to note the successful program in Gainesville temple. Regarding the Africa preaching, in South Africa it was very successful. Although they do not like Indians there very much, still in the university when I spoke, all the European audience, they clapped after and then they purchased my books very enthusiastically. It was very encouraging. Anyone who is not biased and fanatically sophisticated will like our books. Yes, I am doing Srimad-Bhagavatam, trying to finish. I am trying my best. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Saurabha **Date:** July 25th 1975 — **Location:** Los Angeles > Vrindaban My Dear Saurabha das: Please accept my blessings. I have received one letter from Swami Bon Maharaja regarding his meeting with you to show you the land he is willing to spare for our Gurukula project. Which land did he show you? What is the area of the land? Is it suitable for Gurukula? I want the land just in front of our temple. The entrance to the Gurukula will be on the road, and we shall partition this land from the rest of the land with a wall. I shall talk further in detail with Bon Maharaja personally when I return there to Vrindaban. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bscc: --- Bombay ### Letter to Saurabha **Date:** August 3rd 1975 — **Location:** Detroit > Bombay My Dear Saurabha das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated July 25, 1975 with enclosed sketch and I have noted the contents carefully. Regarding the land offered by Bon Maharaja, if it cannot be in our name then we shall not take it. Why he cannot lease the land, or sell it to us? He wrote me that I can develop the Gurukula "as I desire," but who will possess the land? I am prepared to cooperate with him, but if our money is there, then also our management must be there. What does it mean that he would like to come with me for preaching? Does he want to travel with me? Regarding the east side adjacent land, why don't you purchase it? The price has already been settled at Rs. 20/- per sq. yard. You should immediately purchase. The money is there in the bank, so go to the bank. Why there so much delay? So many men are there, Gopala Krishna, Pranava, etc. What is Pranava doing? The M-V Trust will pay, so do not worry about Vishvambar. What is his family business? Anyway, purchase the land first, then we shall see about the scheme. If there is some difficulty about investigation of the sellers properties, then go together to the D.M. and arrange for the seller not to be investigated if possible. You are all simply writing letters to me. Without my personal presence there you cannot do anything. Simply correspondence. Anyway, be careful there is no underhanded dealings in this transaction. It is very much risky, so be careful. Regarding Bombay, yes the tenants have no right for recreation area. They are paying for the rooms at much less price, so they can remain in their rooms. They cannot have playing ground. This is not in the Rent Act. We cannot spare any land. We will construct land on all available space. They can go to the public park for playing. All vacant land should be developed with buildings. We want sufficient income. Yes, please send me regular report of the Bombay construction. I am very much anxious and will be glad to receive your regular reports. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Shaktimati **Date:** August 18th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Nairobi My Dear Shakti Mati devi dasi: Please accept my blessings. I have received report from Brahmananda Swami that you are still living outside the temple. This is not good, and I would request you to immediately return to the temple. And they must receive you nicely. They are your spiritual sons and daughters, so Mother and children must live together in the temple. Please especially see that the Deity worship is going nicely. You are an experienced lady, and you can teach especially the girls there to cook nicely for the Deity, to prepare flower garlands nicely for the Deity, to clean and dress the Deity nicely. You organize this to the first class standard, as I have seen they are doing in Los Angeles and in London. Then people will be automatically attracted. You know how to do these things, and they must take instruction from you. And, you can let me know how things are going on there. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Siddha Svarupananda **Date:** October 20th 1975 — **Location:** Johannesburg > Haiku, Hawaii My dear Siddha Svarupa Ananda Maharaja, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Sept. 25 with enclosed Guru-daksina and I thank you very much. I am pleased to accept your recommendation for the first initiation of William and Barbara Renaroza. Their names are Sakari das and Sivadasi respectively. Now hold a fire-yajna for their initiation and request them to honor the vow of following the four regulative principles and chanting of minimum 16 rounds japa daily. I hope that this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/pks ### Letter to Siddhasvarupa **Date:** April 2nd 1975 — **Location:** Mayapur > Honolulu My dear Siddhasvarupa Maharaja, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 12th of March, 1975 and have noted the contents. Thank you for your kind donation of 1,000 U.S. Dollars. Your small booklet seems very nice. I am very glad that you have taken my request to heart and that you are now preaching in so many nice ways. This is very satisfying to me. You are executing the duty of a sannyasi very well by this preaching. Now continue it and you will simply become more and more expert in your preaching ability. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Sir Ramgoolam Reewoosagur Kt **Date:** September 19th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban Dr. The Rt. Hon. Sir Ramgoolam Reewoosagur Kt., M L.A. Prime Minister of MauritiusGovernment House, Port Louis, MAURITIUSYour Excellency: Please accept my best wishes. I am in due receipt of your kind letter dated September 11, 1975 and I thank you very much for your kind invitation to visit Mauritius. I am pleased to inform you that I am arriving at Port Louis from Bombay on the afternoon of September 30th instant. I look forward to meeting with Your Excellency. Yours sincerely, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Sivani **Date:** March 14th 1975 — **Location:** Tehran > Laguna Beach My dear Sivani devi dasi, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Feb. 18th, 1975 and have noted the contents. To take shelter of the Spiritual Master means to follow his instructions. So, you should be very careful to not deviate even a little bit from the order of your Guru. You should be very careful to chant 16 rounds daily and read all of the books carefully. You should attend mangala arati and classes. And you should follow the four regulative principles without deviation. If you do these simple things, you will make steady advancement in Krishna Consciousness and there will be no fall downs. Regarding your young boy, do not be sorry because he is a little mischievous. This is only natural for a young boy. It is not anything unusual. Pray to Krishna that he may become a great preacher and try yourself to train him for that by being Krishna Conscious mother. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Sivarama **Date:** December 7th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Winnepeg My Dear Sivarama Prabhu, Please accept my greetings. From your report I can understand that things are going on there very nicely. When I first came to America I never imagined that this movement would spread so far and wide. I thought that my Guru Maharaja has ordered me to try to spread his teachings in the English language, so let me try. In a country where everyone is trained from childhood to indulge in sinful activities who will accept these restrictions, no meat fish and eggs, no intoxicants, no gambling, no illicit sex life. These things are the life and soul of western people, and I never imagined that even one person would accept. But by the mercy of my spiritual master and Krishna the thing has taken shape. I am so much indebted to you nice boys and girls who are helping me in this mission that I always pray to Krishna for your advancement in Going back to Godhead more and more. Thank you. I am accepting the student you have recommended for Brahmin initiation, their names as follows; Dharmaprana das Brahmacari, Natha Das Brahmacari, Misrami Devi Dasi, and Lalita Devi Dasi. Hold a fire ceremony, and let the students hear the mantra from the tape recording through the right rear. Brahminical life means to be very very clean, inside and out. Inside by chanting and hearing, and outside by bathing three times daily, if not possible at least two times, but never less than once. Bathing after passing stool. The qualifications of the Brahmanas are described in the 18th Chapter of Bhagavad gita verse 42 "Peacefulness, self-control, austerity, purity, tolerance, honesty, wisdom, knowledge and religiousness—these are the qualities by which the brahmanas work." So see that these instructions are being followed nicely. I hope this letter finds you well. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/hda ### Letter to Sravanananda **Date:** August 21st 1975 — **Location:** New Delhi > Madras My Dear Sravanananda das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated August 16, 1975 with the enclosed clipping from the "Hindu." It is very nice, and it is very good that you got responses all over India. Madras is a good field, so do your work there very carefully, and you will be very successful. Do not waste any time, but work always to please Krishna within your heart. He is witnessing everything. He only wants us to constantly remember Him. Is it very difficult? I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Sri Ananga Mahan **Date:** May 11th 1975 — **Location:** Perth > Australia Sri Caitanya Gaudiya Math Puri My dear Sri Ananga Mahan dasa, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter in Bengali dated 16-4-75 and have noted the contents. It is understood that you are arranging for passport for going to the foreign countries and if you will get it, there will be no difficulty to see our temples in the foreign countries. I hope you have at least 7,000 rs. for your ticket along with return ticket. There will be no difficulty to stay in our different temples and when you are ready, you can write to my Honolulu address as follows: 51 Coelho Way, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. I will reach there by the end of this month. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Sri Arjuna **Date:** September 5th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Arjuna Das Lecturer in Commerce St. John's College Agra, U.P My Dear Sri Arjuna Das: Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated August 31, 1975, and it is very encouraging that you have tried to understand our philosophy so quickly. As I am travelling all over the world, I see that people are not satisfied. The dissatisfaction of the whole human race is being manifested in different ways. As sometimes the root disease becomes manifest by different symptoms. So far we understand from authoritative sources the dissatisfaction of the human race can be mitigated only by the acceptance of Krishna consciousness. The Bhagavad-gita confirms this: bhoktaram yajna tapasam/ sarva loka mahesvaram/ suhrdam sarva bhutanam/ jnatva mam samtim rcchati [Bg. 5.29]. Another example can be given that if by taking care of the cage of the bird without taking any care of the bird within the cage, certainly the bird will be restless and unhappy and create disturbances. We require the help of many, many young men like you to understand this philosophy thoroughly and preach this movement in an organized way all over the world. Fortunately some young men cooperated with me in the USA, therefore I have been able to push on this movement in the western countries. Similarly if some of the young, educated men like you in India join this movement, we can change the present situation of poverty and restlessness all over India. In the Bhagavad-gita the procedure is described very elaborately for acting in all fields. We have to simply understand it and accept it, then everything will be peaceful and in a happy situation. Krishna appears for this purpose. He leaves behind His instructions so that in the future people could take His help and guidance. But, if you do not accept His instructions, then how can you be happy? I am here in Vrindaban for some time. If you conveniently come and stay with me along with some of your interested friends, I shall be happy to convince you how this Krishna consciousness movement is so needed all over the world. I hope this meets you in good health. More when we meet. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bsNa --- byavicarati tabeksa yaya hi byavihito bhagavato dharma. sthiracarasatvakadambesu aprthak dhiyo yam upasate tvarya. (Bhag 1/16/43) ### Letter to Sri B. D. Joshi **Date:** July 14th 1975 — **Location:** Philadelphia > Sri B.D. Joshi6608 Hagen Blvd.El Cerrito, Ca. 94530 My Dear Sri Joshi: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated July 6, 1975 and your invitation to come to your house. I thank you very much for it, and shall be please to come on July 19th. I shall be accompanied with up to six disciples. I am starting for San Francisco tomorrow and shall be staying at our new temple located at 2334 Stuart St. Berkeley, Ca. You can come and see me. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Sri B. Kanungo **Date:** March 26th 1975 — **Location:** Mayapur > Sri B. Kanungo General Manager (Sales)4, Fairlie Place,Calcutta—7000001 My dear Sri Kanungo, Please accept the blessings of Lord Caitanya. I thank you for your kind letter dated March 24th, 1975 and I have noted the contents carefully. I am sending my disciple Gaura Govinda dasa brahmacari as my representative. Please give him all facilities and help him to do as is necessary. He will in form you of any other details you may need to know. Thanking you, I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Sri D. N. Mishra **Date:** December 8th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Sri D.N. Mishra M.A., B.L. Advocate179 Balarama Dey Street,Calcutta—6 My Dear Dina Natha, Please accept my greetings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 6 December 1975 and noted the contents. I am coming to Calcutta by beginning of February when I shall see to the matter personally. I had been to Kuruksetra with the idea of constructing a temple, the negotiations are going on with the late home minister G.L. Nanda. So far my injuries are concerned, by the grace of Krishna and good wishes of friends and relatives it is already completely cured. Thank you very much for your kind inquiries. I hope this letter meets you well. Sincerely yours, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/hda ### Letter to Sri Govinda **Date:** February 6th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Evanston, Illinois My dear Sri Govinda das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Feb. 3rd, 1975 and have noted the contents. Regarding your purchasing marble Gaura-Nitai deities, it is not necessary when you already have brass ones. Simply take care of the ones that you have very nicely. There is no need for buying others. Concerning the woman's duty, if she gets married, that does not necessarily mean that she must give up any of her service in the temple or on sankirtana, but she must also see to it that her household duties are not neglected. Yes, I want to come there again this year for the Rathayatra festival and presently you can arrange that interview with Hugh Hefner, if it is possible to have it during that time. I have accepted the devotees that you have recommended for 1st initiation and their names are as follows: Randall—Rathayatra dasa, Joseph—Jayakrsna dasa, Rodney—Ramakeli dasa, Ron—Ramananda dasa, Susan—Suprabha devi dasi, Deby—Danasila devi dasi. Their beads can be chanted by Kirtanananda Svami. I have also accepted, upon your recommendation, the five men for 2nd initiation. Let them hear the gayatri mantra through the right ear from the tape of myself chanting it. Their threads are enclosed along with mantra sheet. Make sure that everyone is pure by following the four regulated principles and chanting at least 16 rounds daily. Without these things, there is no spiritual life. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Sri Govinda **Date:** June 8th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Evanston, Illinois My dear Sri Govinda dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your invitation dated June 5, 1975 and have studied it carefully. One year ago, I already accepted the invitation of Philadelphia temple for their Rathayatra and they are holding it on the same date as you. So, I may not be able to come there for the festival, but I can come there for a few days stay on my way from Los Angeles to Philadelphia, probably about the 8th or 9th of July, and I shall have to leave Chicago on the 11th of July in order to attend the Philadelphia Rathayatra. If this is alright with you, then we can do it like that. If you like, you can set up those appointments and meetings during that time. That will be nice. I will be seeing you all at that time. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Sri Kamalapati Tripathi **Date:** May 7th 1975 — **Location:** Perth > Australia Sri Kamalapati Tripathi Minister of Railways Government of India, New Delhi My dear Sri Kamalapati Tripathi, Please accept my Namaskara. Since I met you in New Delhi, I went to Kuruksetra to attend the meeting of Manava Dharma organized by Sri G.L. Nanda. The enclosed letter to Mr. Nanda will speak for itself how I appreciated the grand place of Kuruksetra. I wish to organize this holy spot for spreading Krishna Consciousness all over the world and the suggestions that I have given to Mr. Nanda may be carefully read by you also. And I shall be glad to know whether any co-operation from your side is possible in this attempt. I shall be glad to hear from you at your earliest convenience. Thanking you in anticipation. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Sri Krishna C. Batra **Date:** December 8th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Sri Krishna C. Batra Sri Aurobindo Ashram,Pondicherry—605002 Dear Sir, In reply to your letter dated 26 November 1975, I beg to submit herein that our International Society for Krishna Consciousness is a Bhakti yoga asram as it is enunciated in the Bhagavad-gita. The main purpose of the society is to understand the nature of God and our relationship with Him. The very word yoga means connecting link with the supreme being. We accept Krishna as the supreme being, and nobody is equal to him or greater than him. How he is supreme is lucidly explained in the Bhagavad-gita, and we try to revive our eternal relationship with him. In the Bhagavad-gita itself there are different processes of yoga systems, karma yoga, jnana yoga, dhayana yoga, hatha yoga, bhakti yoga and so many patterns of yoga. Others may practice different patterns of yoga, and we can understand that everyone is trying to pass on the path of yoga, but bhakti yoga is the ultimate goal, and if anyone is actually interested to understand God as he is, he has to come to the platform of bhakti yoga. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gita that after many many births of practicing yoga, when one is actually mature he surrenders himself at the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Bahunam janmanam ante, jnanavan mam prapadyate, vasudevah sarvam iti sa mahatma sudurlabhah [Bg. 7.19].So this bhakti yoga is practiced by varieties of rendering service to the Lord, They are divided into nine prescribed methods as it is called sravanam, kirtanam visnoh, smaranam pada sevanam, arcanam vandanam dasyam, sakhyam atma nivedanam [SB 7.5.23]. The actual path to understand God is bhakti yoga as it is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita, bhaktya mam abhijanati, yevan yas casmi tattvatah, tato mam tattvato jnatve, visate tad anantaram. [Bg. 18.55] "One can understand the Supreme Personality as he is only by devotional service. And when one is in full consciousness of the Supreme Lord by such devotion, he can enter into the kingdom of God." This bhakti yoga is identical with Krishna consciousness this is also confirmed in Bhagavad-gita, Yoginam api sarvesam, mad gatenanteratmana, sraddhavan bhajate yo mama, sa me yuktatamo matah. (Bg. 6.47) And of all yogis, he who always abides in me with great faith, worshiping me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with me in yoga and is the highest of all. So we teach our students how to think of Krishna 24 hours and thus become devotees of Krishna. When one becomes a devotee he worships Krishna by the above nine varieties of bhakti processes and remain always an obedient servant of Krishna, and the vivid example is Arjuna, how he engaged himself on the battlefield of Kuruksetra although he was not willing to kill the enemies on the other side, although they happen to be very near and dear kinsmen of Arjuna. The conclusion is, when one gives up his concocted ideas of perfection and takes to Krishna consciousness just to render service to the Lord by following his direct order this perfection is actually attained by a pure devotee, so much so that a pure devotee constantly engaged in the service of the Lord can get direct orders from the Lord, and then follow perfectly the instructions of the Lord. Our society is open to everyone without any discrimination of cast, creed, color, sex, or position, anyone can join us and be trained up in Krishna consciousness. That is evidently proved that we have got more than 100 centers all over the world, including Africa, or other supposed backward countries. Everywhere the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra is being chanted without any difficulty and all of them are becoming pure Vaisnavas. They are completely giving up the four principles of sinful activities, namely illicit sex life, meat eating, intoxication, and gambling, and thus they are making progress in the matter of understanding Krishna consciousness very perfectly. The addresses of our India centers are listed as follows, ISKCON Bombay, Hare Krishna Land, Gandhi Gram Rd. Juhu 54. ISKCON Hyderabad, Hare Krishna Land, Nampally station Rd. Hyderabad. ISKCON Delhi, 19 Todar Mal Lane, Bengali Market, New Delhi. ISKCON Calcutta, 3 Albert Rd. Calcutta 17 (Near Hindi High School). ISKCON Mayapur, P.O. Sri Mayapur Dham, Mayapur District Nadia, West Bengal. Just this month we have sent preachers to Ahmedabad and Kanpur for opening centers, and we are planning to build a gorgeous Krishna Arjuna temple at Kuruksetra in co-operation with the late home minister G.L. Nanada. We have published more than 50 big books in the English language such as Bhagavad-gita as it is, Caitanya Caritamrta, Srimad-Bhagavatam, and others. For a complete catalog of our publications write the secretary at New Delhi temple. Thank you for your interest. Respectfully yours, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/hda ### Letter to Sri Mohan Masundar **Date:** January 9th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Sri Mohan Masundar402/1a Netaji Subhas Candra Bose Rd.Calcutta-47 My Dear Sri Mohan Masundar, Please accept my greetings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 29-12-74 and have noted the contents. Regarding my assistance in the producing of your film, if you are producing it in India, it is impossible for me to assist you with manpower. I have no sufficient men in India to give you. If you can join our asrama that will be very nice for you. But you have some business to take care of with your daughters, etc., so, finish up your business and then you will be free to join us anytime you like. I will be returning to Calcutta in March. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Sri N. Tombi Singh **Date:** November 12th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Sri N. Tombi Singh, M.P.(Lok Saba)108 South Avenue New Delhi Dear Sri Singh, I have received a letter from the Manipur Gita Mandal in Imphal dated August 18, 1975 inviting me and my disciples to Manipur for putting on my programs. I am prepared to go to Manipur with 6 or 7 or my European and Indian disciples in April, 1976. So if you can arrange for my going there, I am prepared. Thanking you, Sincerely yours, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mddc.c. --- Kulachandra SinghSecretary, Manipur Gita MandalDr. T. H. Damodar SinghAtlanta, Georgia, U.S.A ### Letter to Sri P. D. Shastri **Date:** November 14th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Sri P.D. Shastri Advocate Dairy House Savasi Baroda, Gujarat Dear Sri Shastri, Please accept my best wishes. I am in due receipt of your letter undated as well as your handwritten book, the Gita as it has appeared to me. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu strictly followed Krsna. That is his grace: yare dekha tare kaha krsna upadesa/ amara agajnyaya guru hana tara ei desa: [Cc. Madhya 7.128] "Instruct everyone to follow the orders of Lord Sri Krsna as they are given in the Srimad-Bhagavatam and Bhagavad-gita. In this way become a spiritual master and try to liberate everyone in this land." (Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila, Chapter 7, Verse 128.)This means that Caitanya Mahaprabhu advises everyone, especially every Indian, to become a guru under His order. And when there is a question what is His order, that is explained in the next line: you simply repeat the instructions of Krsna, that is, Bhagavad-gita, to everyone whom you may meet. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mission is as good as that of Krsna, but sometimes non-devotees misunderstand purposefully or foolishly the instruction given by Krsna in the Bhagavad-gita. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu says that you strictly follow the instructions of Krsna and preach it to everyone. Therefore our Krsna consciousness movement is based on the advise of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to preach the Bhagavad-gita As It Is.I hope this meets you well. Yours sincerely, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Sri Raj Kapoor **Date:** August 26th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Sri Raj Kapoor R.K. Films & Studios Tromby Road,Chambur, Bombay-71 Dear Sri Kapoorji: Please accept my greetings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated August 14, 1975 with enclosed check for Rs. 2222/- and Membership form. Sometimes in the year 1954 if I am correct I had the chance of meeting you in Jhansi. At that time I was trying to organize my movement with the help of some young men at the Bhakti Bhavan, Jhansi. So after ten years of struggle, in 1965 I went to USA, and by the grace of Krishna it has become successful all over Europe, America, Canada, and Australia. As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita; yad yad acarati sresthas, tad tad evetaro janah, sa yat paramanam kurute, lokas tad anuvartate [Bg. 3.21]. "Whatever action is performed by a great man, common men follow in his footsteps. And whatever standards he sets by exemplary acts, all the world pursues.". Your donation to this movement and your becoming the Patron Member is a very great thing, and it will ensure others who will also follow in your footsteps. So I am very much grateful to you. Please visit our Hare Krishna Land Juhu for Janmastami and Vyasa Puja Day on the 30th instant. I think the Mayor of Bombay will preside over the meeting. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Sri Ramchandra Chabriaji **Date:** September 11th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Sri Ramchandra Chabriaji Soa Palaco Road26, Strand Road Bombay-1 My Dear Sri Ramchandra Chabriaji: Please accept my blessings. Here in Vrindaban we have constructed one Guest House by our Krishna Balarama Mandir. The Guest House contains 44 Guest Rooms not including the rooms for our own men. I wish that you may kindly come here to Vrindaban to train up my men how to organize and run the Guest House nicely. I think one week will be sufficient. We shall pay all your expenses in coming and going from Bombay. I am here in Vrindaban, and shall look forward to seeing you. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Sri Rameshji Mahalingam **Date:** August 31st 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban Dear Sri Rameshji Mahalingam: Please accept my greetings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated August 12, 1975 and have noted the contents carefully. I am very sorry for the incidence which has taken place between you and my devotees. So you may please note it that I am dealing with these foreign students and teaching them to become Krishna devotees, and some of them being neophytes may sometimes commit some offense. There is nothing surprising in this, but their ardent desire to convey the idea of Krishna consciousness is always laudable. Of course we have to speak the truth but very palatably. These neophyte devotees have not yet learned how to speak the truth palatably, but gradually they are learning. Certainly Hindu culture does not allow illicit sex, eating meat, fish or eggs, taking intoxication, or gambling. If Indians, after going to the foreign countries, learn this behavior, certainly it is not good. The only fault on the part of the devotee is that he could not present the things very politely. So you know the nature of the Western young men, so toleration is needed by you considering the position of the other party. Anyway I beg to apologize on behalf of my student, and shall solicit the pleasure of your goodness to visit our temple regularly. One should not be angry and eat his meals on the floor just because someone has stolen his plates. This is a Bengali saying. The logic is that if one's plates are stolen by a thief, we should not become angry and decide not to purchase new plates and eat on the floor. I hope this meets you in good health. Yours sincerely, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Sri Singh **Date:** November 12th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Manipur Gita Mandal Paona Bazar Imphal, Manipur 795001Attn: Kulachandra Singh, Secretary Dear Sri Singh, I am in due receipt of your letter from Imphal, Manipur dated August 18, 1975 forwarded to me by my disciple Dr. Svarupa Damodara das. I am prepared to go to Manipur with some of my European and Indian disciples some time in April, 1976. I have written to Sri. N. Tombi Singh in New Delhi as per your instructions. Please find enclosed copy of letter. I hope this meets you in good health. Sincerely yours, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mddc.c. --- Svarupa Damodara das, Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A ### Letter to Sri Tikandas J. Batra **Date:** December 9th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Sri Tikandas J. Batra Kurla Rd., Andheri,Bombay—400-093 My Dear Tikandas, Please accept my blessings. Thank you for your letter dated December 6, 1975. In the beginning of publishing Back to Godhead I was printing with Sarasvati Press in Calcutta, but the others I cannot remember. Regarding your question, There is really a place as Vaikuntha, beyond this dark material universe. In the material world if our consciousness is changed to Krishna then even here is vaikuntha consciousness. This is very easy to understand. Suppose one is a foreigner in India, but still he can continue his European or American consciousness. The process for doing this is bhakti yoga and the beginning of that process is hearing and chanting the Holy Name of Krishna, Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. Please chant Hare Krishna and be always in Krishna consciousness. I hope this letter finds you well. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/hda ### Letter to Sri V. S. Murthy **Date:** November 14th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Sri V.S. Murthy Lecturer in Physics Maharani Sri Jaya College Bharatapur, Rajastan Dear Sri Murthy, Please accept my greetings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 8/11/75, and have noted the contents. At present I am at Bombay and you are welcome to come and see me and we shall discuss these things broadly. And if possible I am prepared to go to Bharatapur and speak my views on spiritual advancement of life. So for our guidance Krsna has spoken everything in Bhagavad-gita. Unfortunately so-called scholars and saintly persons have misguided the people by making different interpretations of the divine instruction unnecessarily. That is the cause of the ruination of our culture in India. There is all round guidance in Bhagavad-gita for social, political, religious, educational, cultural and philosophical and in all matters of guidance, but instead of taking guidance from Bhagavad-gita, they are now enamored by the external feature of modern civilization. It is said therefore, na te viduh svartha gatim hi visnuh: "They do not know that the supreme self-interest is to know Visnu."I am very glad to see that you have detected the deficiency in our educational system, but still there is time before complete ruination if we take seriously this Krsna Consciousness Movement. If you can, come here, we shall provide for your staying here for some time. We have got guest rooms and arrangements for prasadam. I hope this meets you well. Yours sincerely, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Sridhara Maharaja **Date:** January 15th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Navadvipa My dear Sripada Sridhara Maharaja, Please accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet. I beg to inform you that I have arranged for the opening of the temple in Vrndavana on Sri Ram Navami day by the 20th of April 1975. Perhaps you know it that the ceremony was to take place on last Janmastami, but as the temple was not finished at that time, it could not be. Therefore, it was postponed. I wish to know whether your Holiness will kindly participate in this ceremony during that time to install the deity properly according to the Hari-bhakti-Vilasa regulations. His Excellency, the Governor of Uttar Pradesh has kindly consented to join us during the ceremony. So, I shall be very glad to hear from you in this respect by return post. I am obliging. I hope this meets you in good health and thanking you in anticipation for an early reply. Yours obediently, A.C. Bhaktivedanta SvamiACBS/ps ### Letter to Sridhara Maharaja **Date:** February 14th 1975 — **Location:** Mexico City > Navadvipa Personal My dear Sripada Sridhara Maharaja, Please accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet. I thank you very much for your kind letter dated 1-1-1975 and I have noted the contents with great pleasure. I left India on the 26th January from Bombay and I went to Hong Kong and Tokyo. Then I went to Hawaii and I received your letter there. Then I went to Los Angeles. Now I am staying at our Mexico City temple at the address below. Here the Mexicans are taking part in sankirtana and Deity worship very nicely. They have become very good devotees. In the neighboring countries like Venezuela, Argentina, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Trinidad and the Dominican Republic we have also got our temples. So, I am touring in these temples to see how things are going on, and by the grace of Krishna, everyone is becoming Krishna Conscious. I shall be reaching India by the 15th of March and by the 20th of March, I shall be in Calcutta. If possible, Sriman Govinda may see me in Calcutta in our temple at 3 Albert Road, near Camac St. off of Theater road. At that time, I may be informed about your health and then I shall do the needful. As you have mentioned in your letter under reply that you cannot take any active part in executing the performances, I have asked my assistants in Vrndavana to take help from the local panditas in Vrndavana to do the needful. I have asked them to invite all different categories of saintly persons and devotees to take part in the ceremony. I am very much thankful to your Holiness for your good wishes in the matter of my preaching work. Factually, it is all being done by the grace of Prabhupada and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, otherwise it was not possible. Srila Prabhupada was very much fond of publishing books and he especially advised me to preach in English language. So, by his blessings, we have now about 30 big books of 400 pages and more than 20 small booklets in English and all of these books and booklets are being translated into French, German, Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese, Swahili, Hindi, Bengali, Gujarati, Italian, etc. Thanking you once again for your kind letter and more when we meet. Yours affectionately, A.C. Bhaktivedanta SvamiACBS/ps ### Letter to Srutadeva **Date:** January 16th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Evanston My dear Srutadeva das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Jan. 3, 1975 and have noted the contents. Thank you very much for your sincere endeavors to distribute my books widely. If you continue with such desire and determination, Krishna will give you all strength to increase more and more. I appreciate your Sankirtana Newsletter greatly. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Srutadeva **Date:** May 19th 1975 — **Location:** Melbourne > Catonsville, Maryland My dear Srutadeva dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your weekly sankirtana newsletters. I am always happy to hear of increasing book sales. These reports are very encouraging to me. Our real business is to print and distribute books. By doing this business, you are all becoming recognized by Krishna. Please try to continue working so nicely for Krishna, following the rules and regulations, chanting 16 rounds, and studying my books and you will finish your business in this material world in this life and enter into the spiritual world to live with Krishna eternally. Don't become discouraged by an so-called problems. Make your program simple, that is to say, always make sure that you are somehow or other engaged in Krishna's service, and the best service is preaching or engaging others in Krishna's service. So continue in this way and be happy. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Srutadeva **Date:** August 11th 1975 — **Location:** Indre > France Catonsville, Maryland My Dear Srutadeva das: Please accept my blessings. I have read this weeks newsletter, and I like it very much. You are doing very nice service. I have got all blessings upon you, and I am ordering all temples to send you regular news. You may send them a copy of this my letter. You are a very nice boy, and you should be encouraged. It is very nice, and a great service to our cause. But, everyone should read it, otherwise what is the use? I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Srutadeva **Date:** September 18th 1975 — **Location:** Vrndavana > Catonsville, Maryland My dear Srutadeva das, Please accept my blessings. I was in due receipt of your Sankirtana Newsletter, Volume 2, Number 23. The report from Denver regarding the legal judgment of Judge M. Winner is giving intelligence to the judge also. It appears that the airport officials are defeated. I have heard that in some of the airports they are making announcements telling the people not to purchase our literature. This is impeding our religion and is therefore blasphemy. This cannot be allowed. You should take this to the courts; let people know what they are doing. They cannot impede our right. It is simply wonderful that Carudesna dasa has distributed in one day 210 big books. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/Bs/mdd ### Letter to Srutakirti **Date:** October 20th 1975 — **Location:** Johannesburg > Honolulu My dear Srutakirti dasa, Please accept my blessings. After very long time I've received your letter and this has given me very much satisfaction. By Krishna's Grace you have now a lot of experience travelling with me and I hope it will be possible to manage the restaurant better and better. My blessings to your wife and child. Another thing, out of 5,000 dollars I have received 4,000 dollars I think. One check which was sent to Paris I did not receive. It was informed to Paramahamsa at the time that I did not receive the check but I didn't know what happened next. Please let me know at the Bombay address. I hope that this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/pks ### Letter to Stokakrsna **Date:** September 7th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Spiritual Sky Culver City My dear Stokakrsna das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter undated and have noted the contents. Yes, you can come here and I know you can do many things, but whether you will stay here. It's like Nanda Kumara. He came and after one day he wanted to leave and return. So you should not uselessly spend money. If you are going to come, then you should remain and do work. You can come on tourist visa and stay for 6 months. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever-wellwisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Subhalaksmi **Date:** May 20th 1975 — **Location:** Melbourne > Melbourne My dear Subhalaksmi devi dasi, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter along with your daksina of $80. Thank you very much. Please continue to sell my books as much as possible in huge quantities. This is very pleasing to me. Try to maintain the standard of a perfect person as is given in the Bhagavad-gita, and do not deviate from this wonderful method of Krishna consciousness. Follow the rules very carefully, chant at least 16 rounds, and read our books over and over. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Sucharu deva **Date:** January 6th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Madras My dear Sucharu deva dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated nil and have noted the contents. I have written Mahamsa Svami one letter asking him if it is possible for you to return to Hyderabad. Wherever you go always be sure to chant at least 16 good rounds and rise early, attend mangala-aroti, study my books and serve Krishna without stop. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Sucharu deva **Date:** January 19th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Hyderabad My dear Sucharu deva das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated nil and have noted the contents. Please try and work nicely with Mahamsa Svami. He is very nice devotee and he can help you to be engaged in Krishna's service with great enthusiasm. I will be coming there shortly—in April, for a large pandal program. You can see me then. For the time being, try to be very staunch in following all the rules and regulations. Chant 16 rounds daily, attend mangala arati and classes, etc. and you will be very happily engaged in the service of the Supreme Lord, Sri Krishna. Never let a moment go by without engaging in at least one of the nine devotional processes. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Suci **Date:** November 4th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Nairobi My Dear Suci devi dasi: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter as I was leaving the temple to come here to Bombay. You have rightly said that the best way to associate with the spiritual master is to follow his instructions. There are two ways of associating, by vani and by vapu. Vani means words and vapu means physical presence. Physical presence is sometimes appreciable and sometimes not. Therefore we should take advantage of the vani, not the physical presence, because the vani continues to exist eternally. Bhagavad-gita for example is the vani of Lord Krishna. Although Krishna was personally present 5,000 years ago and is no longer present physically from the materialistic viewpoint, still Bhagavad-gita continues. So you have correctly concluded. Nairobi temple is very nice, and there is great potency there. Now just cooperate with Shakti Mati and organize things nicely. This is wanted. Also you may thank Parvati for making the sandesh I took on the plane. She has made it very nicely. She learned the art. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Sudama **Date:** June 8th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Evanston, Illinois My dear Sudama, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated June 2, 1975 and have noted the contents. Last time, when I saw you in Hawaii, and I saw that you had become mad, I was very surprised how you had become like that. So, I prayed to Krishna to bring you back. Now, be very careful. Don't make any mistakes. Keep company with Bhavananda. He is very sincere. Also keep Gargamuni with you. Now, the scholarly section of society is accepting our philosophy. Perhaps you have seen Professor Judah's book. So, we have got so many things to do, strictly on Lord Caitanya's principle. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Sudama **Date:** September 11th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Tampa, Florida My Dear Sudama Maharaja: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated August 20, 1975 and have noted the contents. I am glad that you are doing nicely in Krishna consciousness, and that you are reading my books and preaching. Tamala Krishna Goswami also gave me a good report of your activities. So now continue. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Sudhindra Kisora Roy **Date:** June 10th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Sudhindra Kisora Roy Govt. of India Overseas Communications Service International Telegraph Office Poddar Court, Calcutta 1INDIA My dear Sudhindra Kisora Roy, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 21-4-75 and have noted the contents. Please continue to visit our temple in Calcutta as often as possible. I cannot very well understand what your letter says due to typing errors and spelling and grammar. But even if there may be some problems, always try to remain in Krishna Consciousness. Do not give up chanting the Hare Krishna mantra simply due to some external difficulties. Under all circumstance you should always chant Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. This will protect you from all danger of being influenced by Maya or the material energy. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Sukadeva **Date:** January 12th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Seattle My dear Sukadeva das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Dec. 25, 1976 and have noted the contents. I have also just received one letter from Gandharva das. I have requested him to come to India and live with me for some time. I think that will solve this problem. Please set a strong example of Krishna Consciousness for all the devotees there who are under you care. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Sukadeva **Date:** February 2nd 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Seattle My dear Sukadeva das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Jan. 24, 1975 and have noted the contents. If you can acquire that building in Seattle, it will be very nice. Jayatirtha like it very much and he recommended that you should be given the loan for 10,000 dollars. So, if it is there you can take it. Regarding my coming there on this tour, I think it will not be possible this time, but maybe next time after Mayapur and Vrndavana festivals when I come back to the U.S., I can come there and visit you temple. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Sukadeva **Date:** September 18th 1975 — **Location:** Vrndavana > Honolulu My dear Sukadeva das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated September 10, 1975. Your letter will be reviewed during the Mayapur annual meeting. That is the time to take up such matters. You all should co-operate and then things will go on very nicely. We should not bring in politics. That is a very nasty thing. Anyway, this matter will be reviewed at Mayapur. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Sukadeva **Date:** September 26th 1975 — **Location:** Ahmedabad > Honolulu My Dear Sukdev das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated September 8, 1975 and have noted the contents. Yes, the girls when married to a brahmana, still they have to be recommended. She may be recommended by her husband. Upon your recommendation I accept Sita devi for second initiation. Enclosed is the mantra sheet. She must hear the recorded tape I have given through the right ear. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Sukadeva **Date:** November 9th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Honolulu My dear Sukadeva das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated October 3, 1975 and have noted the contents. Regarding your question about prosecuting Manasvi, this is a local management problem. Do I have to say on this matter? So Gurukrpa has given you the instruction. So therefore you should issue some warrant. But why has Gurukrpa advised you if you are unable to do it? Why are you asking me this question? Stop this business. Regarding putting in the new temple floor, marble, and extending the Deity room, yes, that is nice. And your plans to have marble Panca-Tattva Deities, that is also good. You ask whether you should make your life's endeavor to have a temple on every island, but I say first of all improve the present temple, then talk of others. Regarding your request for initiation. I am accepting the following as my initiated disciples and their names are as follows: Steve Frederick Ricciardi—Puranarsi; Eric Duncan Botts—Santiparayana; Michael Stanely Misiak—Dharmajivana; David John Smith—Ādi Karta; Ronald McClelland—Sarvasatya; Michael Delare Bodhaine—Munisvara; Carissa Annette Crammer—Mahavisnupriya. And for second initiation I accept the following as twice-born brahmanas: Godruma das Brahmacari, Bharata das Brahmacari and Daksa das Brahmacari. Enclosed are their sanctified threads and mantra sheets. You should hold a fire sacrifice and it is your responsibility to see that these devotees strictly follow the rules and regulations such as minimum chanting of 16 rounds daily and following the four regulative principles as well as attending the aroti and the classes. You should lecture to these devotees on the importance of this for their progress in spiritual life, otherwise they will again be carried away by maya. I hope this finds you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd --- N.B. I have received one letter from Trivikrama Maharaja requesting that Sacideva das and his Japanese wife and two children come immediately to Japan. He is required there. So I request you that you should send him there immediately. This is very important. He also has a valid missionary visa for Japan so his presence is required there now. ACBS ### Letter to Sukadeva **Date:** November 13th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Honolulu My dear Sukadeva das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of the booklet on the Kau Farm on the big island of Hawaii dated October 26, 1975. The thing is that to mortgage your present house is not at all good. There is a Bengali saying that one should not borrow money to purchase a gold earring. So I do not approve of this mortgaging transaction. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Supriya **Date:** March 18th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Detroit My dear Supriya, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated March 9, 1975 and have noted the contents. Thank you very much for your kind sentiments and the $100 daksina. Upon the recommendation of your temple president Govardhana dasa, I am accepting you as my initiated disciple. Your name can be Sukrta dasa. I am hoping that you will fulfill your promise to chant at least 16 good rounds a day and to follow all of the four regulative principles. These things are of the utmost importance. Your beads will be sent along with Govardhana dasa. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Susan Newman **Date:** July 18th 1975 — **Location:** Berkeley > Bhaktin Susan Newmanc/o The Catheart's7411 Countrybrook Drive Indianapolis, Indiana 46260 Dear Bhaktin Susan Newman: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated nil and have noted the contents. Do not waste your time with this study of monkeys. What will you learn by this? Better to hear from Lord Krishna Himself in Bhagavad-gita than to waste your time in this way. Chant Hare Krishna and read our books very carefully. I am going to New Vrindaban at Janmastami, so you can come there for the celebrations. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Sushil K. Arora **Date:** September 18th 1975 — **Location:** Vrndavana > Mr. Sushil K. Arora% Lotus PO Box 761, Station AToronto 1, Ontario Canada My dear Sushil K. Arora, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated September 11, 1975 with enclosed check for 250 rupees. I thank you very much for it. I am glad to know that you have appreciated our movement and are taking active interest. I very much enjoyed my stay in Toronto and I hope that everyone there, all the devotees, especially amongst the Indian community, will co-operate to spread our movement in Toronto and establish a very nice temple. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Svadhan Kumar Mullick **Date:** May 11th 1975 — **Location:** Perth > Australia Svadhan Kumar Mullick Calcutta My dear Svadhin Kumar, I am in due receipt of your letter dated 1st Vaisakh, 1382. So, I am enclosing herewith one introduction letter to my disciple Bhagavata dasa, in care of our temple at #3 Albert Road, between Camac St. and Hungerford St. near the Hindu school. So, you can go there and present the introduction letter and he will do the needful. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Svarupa **Date:** October 16th 1975 — **Location:** Johannesburg > Los Angeles My dear Svarupa dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in receipt of your letter dated September 27, 1975, and I have noted the contents carefully. Your program of life-membership is a good idea. Thank you very much. I hope that this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/pks ### Letter to Svarupa Damodara **Date:** November 21st 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Atlanta My dear Svarupa Damodara das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated November 9, 1975. Regarding Manipur, I have replied your letter on November 12th and have informed them that we will be able to go to Manipur in April of 1976. And I am glad to note that Dr. Wolf is ready to help the German translation work. I know that he is a sincere devotee and I pray for his ever advancement in Krsna consciousness. I am glad to note that your book about the origin of matter and life is progressing very well. This will be a great challenge. From the Srimad-Bhagavatam we learn that the universe is like a tree with the roots being upwards. The pole star which is situated within the Asking question starts constellation is the root. The universe is pivoting around the pole star. That is one movement. The second movement is that the sun is revolving around the universe, or as if it were going around the tree. That is the second movement. The sun is not fixed. If this is proved, then their whole scientific theory collapses. According to them, the stars are all suns. The stars may have the same composition as the sun but they are not suns. The Brahma-samhita says that the sun is the king with unlimited light and temperature. The Srimad-Bhagavatam sublime literature describes all these things and it was written five thousand years ago. And they say that five thousand years ago there was no civilization. That Srimad-Bhagavatam has this information proves that Indian civilization is the oldest civilization. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Svarupa Damodara **Date:** December 17th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Atlanta My Dear Svarupa Damodara Prabhu, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated November 29, 1975. I have noted the contents carefully. Your book is selling very nicely in south India, people are appreciating it very much. This scientific book should be done very carefully, so that people in general may not be mislead by the over intelligent scientists. There are so many contradictory things, but we have our authority and they have their authority. Our knowledge is from vedic scriptures which we accept as definite and without any mistake. A modern scientist believes that there was no civilization before 3,000 years, our Bhagavatam was spoken by Sukadeva Goswami 5,000 years ago and he is explaining "as I have heard it from authority", so we have got parampara system for millions of years. If there was no civilization before 3,000 years, then how this subject matter of knowledge could be discussed? How could it be received through the param-para system? So there is contradiction certainly. But the statement that there was no civilization 3,000 years ago can be adjusted by the conviction that there was civilization, millions and millions of years ago. For more information regarding vedic astronomy you can consult any learned astronomer, there are many in Calcutta, my Guru Maharaja was also very learned in this field. My point is life comes from life. They say life has come from chemicals, so how these things can be adjusted? Besides that the scientists change their theories after some years, this proves that they have no perfect knowledge, otherwise where is the necessity of changing? That is the basic point of our argument. Perfect knowledge is never changeable. If we can prove that life comes from life, or the soul is from the super soul, then all other things can be brought into serious consideration. So you try to prove that chemical combination can never bring about life, this is our main argument. If we can prove this particular subject matter, that the soul cannot be manufactured by combination of chemicals, then gradually we can prove that vedic knowledge is perfect, while other sources of knowledge by speculation and imagination are all wrong. The other day I was talking on the morning walk about the sun globe. They say because it is fiery there cannot be any life there, but sometimes we see a big iron factory is full of flames from the chimney at a long distance, but does it mean there is no life in the factory? Fire is one of the five material elements, and Bhagavad-gita says that the soul is never burnt by fire. So in the sunglobe globe if the living entities have a fiery body, just as fish have body suitable for living in the water, so how is it that there is no living entity in the sun globe if they have a body suitable to live in the sun globe? In the vedic literatures it is said that there are germs (agni pok) within the fire. There are so many contradictions, but we have our own defence. Why should we blindly accept imperfect scientists, they are imperfect because they are changing their position in the name of progress. The word progress is used when there is imperfection at the beginning. So this regular changing of standard knowledge in the name of progress proves that they are always imperfect. It is a fact that they are imperfect, because they gather knowledge with imperfect senses. At any rate we cannot deviate from vedic knowledge. Regarding coming to Mayapur festival, you must come, because after that we are going to Manipur. I will send your corrections to the editors. Thank you. I hope this letter finds you well. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/hda ### Letter to Svarupa Damodara **Date:** February 15th 1975 — **Location:** Mexico City > Atlanta My dear Svarupa Damodara dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Jan. 20th, 1975 and have noted the contents. I was very glad to receive your letter and to hear that you are feeling very happy in Krishna's service. I will be coming to Atlanta around the first week of March. Rupanuga prabhu has informed me that he will call a meeting of all the scientists in the movement at that time in Atlanta. So I will be seeing all of you there. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Svarupa Damodara **Date:** June 23rd 1975 — **Location:** Los Angeles > Atlanta My Dear Svarupa Damodara dasa: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated June 20, 1975 with enclosures, and I thank you very much for it. It is very good that you are progressing with the book proving scientifically that Lord Sri Krishna is the origin of life. Yes, do it slowly but surely. It is important work for our preaching mission. As you say you are thinking of retiring from the university, yes, as you are not a family man, you can do it for better service to the Lord. Regarding Manipur, you said that there is a Govinda temple there and that they are willing to hand over the management. I think somebody came to see me in India about it, but I don't exactly remember the name. The best thing will be for you to retire and take charge of such a noble project. Regarding your question about the jiva soul in the heart and the jiva soul within the cells, they are separate. Both are jiva atmas, but a particular jiva belongs to a particular body. There is the jiva in this body, but there are also jivas within the cells. Just like I am living within this apartment, but does it mean that no other living entity can live here. There are so many ants, flies, bugs, they are also living within the apartment. Even in my stool there are thousands of living entities. Your second question is not very clear what you want to ask, but the fact is that each and every living entity is covered by two kinds of bodies, one subtle and one gross. So the subtle body causes the living entity to take another gross body. We have got experience that in dreaming the gross body is inactive while the subtle body is continuing activities; and again in deep sleep the subtle body is continuing activities. The living entity after being carried by the subtle body to another gross body, it sometimes remains in deep sleep in the womb of the mother. Then gradually the subtle body begins to act within another gross body. When this gross body is fully developed befitting to come out of the mother's body, that is called another birth. Again he changes to another gross body imperceptibly. Just like in the film thousands of pictures are moved imperceptibly. It looks that the body in the picture is moving, but the audience cannot understand that there are so many pictures in the spool. They think that the picture is moving. Similarly every second every moment we are changing the body. Those who are not sober cannot understand how the spirit soul is changing from one body to another. Krsna therefore says that this change of body can be appreciated only by the dhiras. dhiras tatra na muhyati [Bg. 2.13]. While those who are not dhiras cannot understand how the soul is changing from one body to another. There are two kind of men, dhira and adhira. The modern education is producing only the adhira class who are neither sober or educated. Therefore the majority of the population cannot understand how the soul is transmigrating from one body to another. They are only interested in wine and woman under the impression of the bodily concept of life. Therefore out of so many scientists in this country only you and the few others are understanding the importance of this subject matter. manusyanam sahasresu [Bg. 7.3]. So please work very hard, following our rules and regulations and you will always remain in the fire of Krsna consciousness. Regarding your asking me to come to Atlanta, it may be possible. That I shall see. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ### Letter to Svarupa Damodara **Date:** July 5th 1975 — **Location:** Evanston > Illinois Atlanta My Dear Svarupa Damodara das: Please accept my blessings. I have read Dr. Wolf's letter addressed to you dated July 1, 1975. I think he has given you good, sane advice. I think you should not think of relinquish your job without meeting me and discussing the matter deeply. Don't do anything out of sentiment. You must make the best use of a bad bargain. Unless you keep your job, you will not be considered an important man in the material sense. And, if you are not an important man, then who will listen to you? I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bscc: --- Dr. W.H. Wolf-Rottkay, California ### Letter to Svarupa Damodara **Date:** August 31st 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Atlanta My Dear Svarupa Damodara das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated August 6, 1975 with enclosed photo of the Gaura Nitai Deities. It is very nice how you are worshiping the Deities. Our movement of Krishna consciousness is not dry. Your letter was pleasing to me. I am glad that you have keen interest in the Institute program. Be ready, as I am negotiating. As soon as it is complete, I shall send a telegram for you to come. In the meantime request all GBC's to send lists of all our disciples who have B.A., M.A. or Ph.D. degrees. I am glad to know that you are getting nice cows for your farm. If you have good cows then you will have good milk, which is the most important food. We are giving cow protection in the very place where they are eaten. At Bon Maharaja's Institute there is enough land for also keeping cows. I was not able to come to Atlanta because I was called here to India on urgent business. Also I was feeling inconvenient by so much travelling. Regarding your question, so long they are not getting the human form by natural elevation, they are under the laws of nature. "prakrteh kriyamanani, gunaih karmani sarvasah [Bg. 3.27], "Material nature is helping to bring him to the human body, or human species. When a human being is civilized he can take knowledge from Vedic literature. So in Kali Yuga the Srimad-Bhagavatam is the essence of Vedic literatures: nigama kalpa taror galitam phalam [SB 1.1.3].So by study of Srimad-Bhagavatam under the bona fide spiritual master, one becomes aware of the full value of life, and then he revives his original Krishna consciousness. That is the perfection of life. The individual soul is already under specific material nature, and the process is going on in lower grades of life, but in the human form of life by advancement of education, one can become above the modes of material nature. That chance is given to him. This is stated in the Bhagavad-gita: "yanti deva vrata devan [Bg. 9.25]." So if he likes he can go back to Godhead, "yanti mad yajino 'pi mam," and stop this transmigration process. Then he comes again perfect in Krishna consciousness. We are trying to bring the human society to this stage of life. In human life even in the lower stage of modes of nature, he can come to the higher stage. That is our movement. In the animal form there is no chance, only in the human form. Unfortunately the modern mode of education is to kill the chance. In animal stage of life it is very dangerous. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs --- N.B. The negotiation with Bon Maharaja is not very feasible. It is too much encumberous. So if it possible, you start the Institute in USA. Do you think it is possible here in India or in USA? ### Letter to Svarupa Damodara **Date:** September 30th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Atlanta My Dear Svarupa Damodara das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated September 16, 1975 addressed to Brahmananda Swami. The purpose of the Institute is to achieve the distinction of human life. The human being is meant for understanding his real identity. If a human being becomes entrapped with this body which may be American, Indian, brahmana, ksatriya, and so many other designations, then he remains on the platform of cats and dogs. A dog or a cat is thinking he is such and such. Similarly a human being thinks he is this and that designation, then he remains in the dog and cat category. The Institute will be primarily for those who have not entered our temples. The subject matter will not be different from what is taught in our temples. There will be no difference between our temples and the Institute, but the Institute will be official for the general mass. It will be a formal education and they will get degree. It will be open for everyone, including those who have already entered our temples, they may also participate. But, the subject matter should not be different from what is in the temples. I hope this meets you in good health. I have heard that Dr. Wolf has turned against us. What is his complaint? Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Svarupa Damodara **Date:** October 24th 1975 — **Location:** Mauritius > Atlanta My dear Svarupa Damodara das, Please accept my blessings. Since a long time I have not heard from you. About a week before when I was in passing from Durban to Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, I saw several factories for preparing chickens. The modern scientist, they say, from chemical life has come, or life from matter. So, I suggested that a little chemical composition may be made by the scientists with some yellow color, and why not put this artificial egg in an incubator and get more and more chickens. If they cannot produce even a chicken or even an egg of chicken, how can we believe their very big, big talks. In the words of Bhagavad-gita, they are described as mudhah, mayaya-apahrta jnana. Besides that, can you tell me what is the scientific opinion of the days being consecutively Sunday then Monday, then Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and last Saturday? What is the history of this set-up? (from Sunday to Saturday).According to our sastra, sun is first, then moon, then Venus, Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn, like that. In other words, from Bhagavatam we understand that the moon is 1,600,000 miles above the sun. If that is true, then is it possible to go to the moon planet by persons who can never imagine to go the distance to the sun planet? Under the circumstances, if we say that they have never gone to the moon planet, is it exaggeration? You are a scientist, I hope you will reply these 2 points scientifically. If the moon planet is actually far away from the sun planet, how they can go there and publish in the paper that the moon planet is the nearest planet. Enclosed you will find one form for application to a new professorship that has opened up in the big university here in Durban, South Africa. It is a university only for Indian students, and the rector there is very much impressed and eager to have one of our men with the educational qualifications to come and take the seat of professor there. The rector wants an experienced teacher for Vedic Culture. The whole Vedic Culture is discuss in our books. I think that you shall be able to do this job very well. Please fill out the form enclosed and return to the Johannesburg Temple, 59 Muller Street, Yeoville, Johannesburg, South Africa. When mentioning your qualifications, you can also mention that you are a Bhakti-sastri from (ISKCON). I hope that this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ### Letter to Svarupa Damodara **Date:** November 12th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Atlanta My dear Svarupa Damodara das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated October 11, 1975. I had never received your letter of September 21st and the invitation for going to Imphal for Manipur Gita Mandal. So I have now written them a letter as per enclosed and please find enclosed the copies. So we shall go there in April, 1976 and I will take some of my disciples who are good kirtana men. So you also should come and join in this program. Please arrange for that. Regarding your letter of September 21, yes, it is a very good idea to have a meeting at the Mayapur meeting time to thoroughly discuss the Bhaktivedanta Institute. So please do the needful. It will be a great service if you can organize such an Institute in the U.S.A. In Dallas there is one former army base which is now vacant that has a number of buildings and enough land. It is located about 70 miles from the city of Dallas. So you should immediately correspond with Jagadisa. It is very big and nice. I think we should take it for the Bhaktivedanta Institute. The climate there is also nice. I am glad that you are doing lectures in the various universities. When you go, take all of our books and keep them in your front. We have got so many books for study. I am forwarding you the letter which Dr. Wolf has written me. I have not replied it, but you can reply it as you think fit. Also enclosed is one article sent to me by Hayagriva about the new discovery which creates turmoil and confuses the physicists. The material scientists, they are discovering so many particles, but they have not yet discovered the soul. In Bhagavad-gita we learn:apareyam itas tv anyamprakrtim viddhi me paramjiva-bhutam maha-bahoyayedam dharyate jagat[Bg. 7.5]That the jiva-atma is the superior particle and these other particles are all inferior. So this is their business, to discover the inferior particles and neither have they discovered the superior particle which is one ten-thousandth the tip of a hair. Simply they are wasting their time. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Swami Sachchidanand Bharati **Date:** May 11th 1975 — **Location:** Perth > Australia Swami Sachchidanand Bharatic/o Mohan Chand Agrawal Dropadi Bhavan, Baldeo Ganj Kosi Kalan (Mathura) U.P. INDIA Dear Sir, For the time being, we don't want the books you have mentioned in your letter dated 23-4-75. In the future, if we need any of them, we shall let you know. In the meantime, if you have got any source for distributing our books (English), the list is enclosed herewith. If you want the complete catalog, you can get it from our Vrndavana temple: Krishna Balarama Temple, Raman Reti, Vrndavana, Dist. Mathura. Thank you. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Swami Sahajananda **Date:** October 12th 1975 — **Location:** Durban > His Holiness Swami Sahajananda,Divine Life Society of South Africa,P.O. Box 19069,Dormerton, Durban, 4015 My dear Swamiji, Please accept my humble obeisances. I beg to thank you very much for your kind letter dated 10th October, 1975 and it is very encouraging as you write to say: "As many spiritual leaders are often deriding the Godhood of Lord Krishna, it is gratifying that your great movement is disseminating His greatness and thus keeping alive our devotion to Lord Krishna." It means that Your Holiness is a great devotee of Lord Krishna. So, out of your natural humbleness you have presented yourself as my "humble child." Certainly, in consideration of age, you are my child but I see in devotion you are greater than me. So as you are a devotee of Lord Krishna you are my guru. Thank you very much. It has become a fashion nowadays amongst the politicians, scholars, and so-called swamis to deride Krishna. This is very dangerous position. Any blasphemous activities to Krishna will not affect His body. He has no material body, therefore prayers or accusations do not affect Him. He is always kind and equal to everyone.samo 'ham sarva-bhutesuna me dvesyo 'sti na priyahye bhajanti tu mam bhaktyamayi te tesu capy aham[Bg. 9.29]"I envy no one, nor am I partial to anyone. I am equal to all. But whoever renders service unto Me in devotion is a friend, is in Me, and I am also a friend to him." But, those who are deriding the Godhood of Krishna are considered as demons and raksasas. There was only one raksasa at the time of Lord Ramacandra who did not care for the Lord and attempted to kidnap his wife so he took away maya-laksmiji from Narayana. The result was that he became ruined with his whole family and kingdom. In this age of kali there are a number of Ravanas deriding the Godhood of Lord Krishna and Lord Ramacandra, and they will meet with the same result as it was done in the case of Ravana. So it is a dangerous position of the whole world that they have become all godless or atheists in different degree or manner. It is the duty of saintly persons to save these rascals from ruination. So, I wish that a devotee of Lord Krishna like you may conjointly work in propagating Krishna Consciousness to save the fallen souls from going down to the darkest region of hell. I am quoting one verse from the Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto 7, chapter 5, verse 31:na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnumdurasaya ye bahir-artha-maninahandha yathandhair-upaniyamanaste pisatantryam-urudamni baddhah[SB 7.5.31]Thank you very much for your kind letter. With my best wishes and regards, I beg to remain, Yours sincerely, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/pks ### Letter to Taitreya **Date:** June 19th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Hawaii My dear Taitreya, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter and check for $1,000 and I thank you very much for this contribution. So, fortunately you have got a very good husband, and you are also a very good wife. So, live co-operatively and help him in writing essays which he has done very nicely. In this way, both of you will be happy and successful in life. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Tamala Krsna **Date:** January 31st 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Brooklyn My dear Tamala Krishna Maharaja, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Jan. 16th, 1975 and have noted the contents. Your report is very very encouraging. It means really preaching Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's message. Do that and be blessed. Krishna has given you a special duty, so carry it very faithfully and enthusiastically. The more you preach, the more you become recognized by Krishna and the more He gives you intelligence how to preach. You are a good representative of Radha Damodara. You are very fortunate that Radha Damodara is traveling with you and giving strength and intelligence. All glories to the assembled devotees. Regarding your meeting with Satsvarupa Maharaja and your 3-fold attack plan for preaching on the campuses, it is a very good idea. Do it. I know that you are practical. Instead of talking 100 times and doing nothing. That I want. This is a very good plan. You can call Revatinandana Svami also to join you. He is a good preacher also. If you think in terms of Krishna's instructions, then Krishna will give the intelligence how to execute. Strictly adhere to Krishna's instructions and He'll give intelligence how to execute them from within your heart. Regarding the idea of having the younger boys travel with you, the question is whether the government will object or not to our taking small boys in a sankirtana van. If there is no objection, then you can adopt this program immediately. It will be a very nice program. The US has got immense potentiality for accepting Krishna Consciousness. So, do service to your country-men, as well as Krishna simultaneously. Your country has been glorified on account of her children like you. Krishna has has own plan for using your country-men for this movement. So, accept Krishna's mercy and do the needful. It is not just my desire, it is the desire of Lord Caitanya, then my Guru Maharaja, then it is my desire, and that desire should be executed by you all; then it will be accepted. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu accepted the Bharata-bhumi, but at least one person from Bharata-bhumi has accepted this cult and handed it over to you so, see that this desire takes practical shape. Your photo is very nice. I'll keep it to show others. Very encouraging. I want to organize such a program in India. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Tamala Krsna **Date:** November 13th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Tampa My dear Tamala Krsna das Gosvami, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter undated and I was very pleased to read the contents. This is Lord Caitanya's blessing upon you that you are executing his order. Prthivite ache yata nagaradi gram/ savatra pracara haibe mora nama. You are doing this very nicely. I heard that the Western Zone distributed more than your Radha-Damodara Traveling Sankirtana Parties. Is there a competition between you and Jayatirtha Prabhu? That is nice. The BBT says that they are publishing at the speed of my translating and that you will distribute at the pace of their publishing. That's nice. But still I am ahead in my translation work. They owe to me now the 6th Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam. I am working on the 7th Canto already. I am very pleased that already you have held 50 festivals in the colleges. Param vijayate sri-krsna-sankirtana. And param vijayate American boys. Yes, you are doing very nicely. So many Vaisnavas have taken birth in America. Now America is going to be glorified. So many people are afraid of the American CIA. But now they will welcome Americans as American Vaisnavas. Now maintain your status quo. You are in a very good position. To manage a sankirtana party nicely is more precious than all other activities. That is the verdict of Bhagavad-gita and the mission of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. We have received good reports from Europe, Paris, Geneva, Amsterdam. And Bhagavan is doing very well. We have just now received Italian Easy Journey and Isopanisad. The Bombay temple progress construction is now begun. It was started by you. It is a very nice project. The temple is very large and magnificent and there are so many facilities for guests, restaurant, theater. So I am remaining here to see that the temple construction is completed. We hope that it may be completed within three months. Now it is understood from the report of Ramesvara that Jayatirtha's zone is Number 1 and that you are Number 2. How is this? I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Tamala Krsna **Date:** December 18th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Phoenix My Dear Tamala Krishna Maharaja, Please accept my blessings. Thank you for your letter dated December 4, 1975 I have noted the contents with great pleasure. Your letter is very very encouraging to me. I do not know how you are selling so many books. There is no instance in history where religious books were sold with such enthusiasm and success. Is there any such history? The Christians have spread their teachings all over the world, and they have only one book, so we have got already 40, Big books published in English, therefore if we distribute, as you are distributing we cannot even imagine the result. Your program is very nice, please continue more and more. Yes we can print instead of 20,000, 50,000 copies of the first editions of each book, ask Ramesvara to do it. Your idea for holding Jagannatha festival in the big cities is approved by me, do it. yes you come in January. I hope this letter finds you well. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/hda ### Letter to Tapana Misra **Date:** May 26th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Natural Sky Alameda, California My dear Tapana Misra dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated May 6, 1975 and have noted the contents. Thank you for your kind donation of $50. Regarding your business, if Jayatirtha and the others give their sanction, then I have no objection. The most important thing is that you must follow all of the rules and regulations very strictly. Then everything will be very nice. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Tejiyas **Date:** January 20th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > New Delhi My dear Tejyas das, Please accept my blessings. Herewith please find the corrected copy of Gita Gana. Do the needful immediately. The bearer of this letter, Krishnagraja das, is going to Delhi on a mission to see the Home Member. So, give him all help in this connection. If you have got the Hare Krishna film, please make it available for his use. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Tejiyas **Date:** May 12th 1975 — **Location:** Perth > Australia New Delhi My dear Tejyas dasa, Please accept my blessings. Enclosed is one letter addressed to Acarya Prabhakar Misra. Please find. I do not know his address in Delhi, but I am sure that you know it. Please meet him and hand this letter over to him or forward it by post as is convenient for you. Please also keep in constant contact with Laxman S. Agarwal and his genius wife also. Try to encourage them to construct the temple in their factory as soon as possible. Also keep in constant contact with that Oriya Minister of Defense. I forget his name. Try to get some acres of land near the Buddha Jayanti Park. I wish to develop a Janmastami Park there and invite all the residents of New Delhi there to observe a grand festival on Janmastami day. I wish to construct a grand temple of Krishna Balarama and keep many cows in this park. The residents of New Delhi will be very much encouraged to visit this park. That is my ambition. Both the Deputy Minister of Defense (the Oriya Minister) as well as Mr. Agarwal can give us substantial help in this progress. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Tejiyas **Date:** June 10th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > New Delhi My dear Tejyas dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated May 29, 1975 and have noted the contents. Yes, I have seen the spot for the factory-mandir. Go ahead with the plans and send me a copy of the plans. It is very nice that Mr. Patnai will help us. Persist in that direction. He will be a great help if he can get some land for us. Also Mr. Agarwal can try. We want to have a park in front of Buddha-Jayanti park. We shall call it Krishna-Jayanti Park. We can have our temple there, along with gosala, etc. Try to arrange these things. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Tejiyas **Date:** July 13th 1975 — **Location:** Philadelphia > New Delhi My Dear Tejiyas das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated July 1, 1975 and have noted the contents. It is nice that Mr. Agarwal wants to construct a temple for us in Meerut. It is a good, big city. Regarding the Jaipur land, yes it is situated in an important place, a good locality although a little deserted. If Mr. Jaipuria gives the land and builds the temple, we can take it. Many pilgrims go there. I am enclosing a copy of my letter to him. It is a very good suggestion to open the vanaprastha institute. The elderly people can live there according to the Vaisnava principles and worship the Deity and take prasada. I also want to open the Varna Ashrama College there as there is sufficient land. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs --- N.B. You should check with the authorities that we can get an import license for importing printing paper in an equivalent amount to all the foreign exchange we have sent to India. We can print the books there, and many will be exported to Africa, U.K., Fiji, etc ### Letter to Tejiyas **Date:** August 15th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > New Delhi My Dear Tejiyas das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated July 26, 1975 and have noted the contents. Regarding the importation of printing paper, it will not be as gift, but it will be paid for from India in foreign exchange. We have sent so much foreign exchange from America and Europe, now we want permission to send out the same amount for purchasing foreign paper. Just like in 1967 when I returned to India. When I wanted to go out, for purchasing my ticket, they would allow only if I had brought in foreign exchange. I showed the bank receipts for encashing the foreign exchange I had brought in, and they immediately granted permission for me to purchase my ticket. So following the same principle we want permission to purchase printing paper up to the amount of foreign exchange that we have sent into the country. In this connection you can find out in the Import/Export Department on e Mr. Mukherjee who is the son-in-law of the late Mr. N.C. Chatterjee. Mr. Chatterjee was my personal friend, and some 10 years ago promised to help me. So if you find Mr. Mukherjee, he can help you. Regarding your feeling yourself as unqualified, whatever you can do, then do it, but you should try your best for Krishna. This is important. Ultimately everything is depending on Lord Krishna. You just have to always remember this. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Tejiyas **Date:** October 16th 1975 — **Location:** Johannesburg > New Delhi My dear Tejyas, Please accept my blessings. I have received one telegram from Navayogendra stating "Congratulations. All devotees will receive visa for three years confirmed." Please explain the situation there to me. I have not received any further information yet concerning this. Also, Pusta Krishna Swami is going to purchase one car for my travelling purposes in India and for this I want you to get him a three year visa from the government. The following information will be helpful. Paul Howard DossickPassport number—Z2269551Issued—U.S. Embassy London, England on May 5, 1975Expiration date May 4, 1980Birth date Feb. 8, 1950Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.Please forward the visa to him in Johannesburg as quickly as possible. Also, kindly find out what are the regulations if a tourist brings (drives) his car into India and forward this information to Pusta Krishna Swami in Johannesburg. I hope that this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/pks --- P.S. Does it mean that the 50 devotees who we applied for will get three year visa or that all devotees will get three year visa? ### Letter to The Manager Syndicate Bank **Date:** November 11th 1975 > Syndicate Bank Vrindaban Branch Dist. Mathura, U.P.Att: The Manager Juhu Road, Juhu, BOMBAY 400 054 Dear Sir: I refer to Fixed Deposit No. 024337/1475 dated 11/7/75 in my personal name A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs --- for Rs. 1,41,186/01 date due is 10/10/75.This Fixed Deposit Receipt is in Vrindaban, and you may note down that this Fixed Deposit should be extended for three months from the due date. On my return I shall present the Fixed Deposit Receipt to you for necessary action. Also, regarding Fixed Deposit No. 024364/1689 for Rs. 86,275/98 due date 3/11/75, this Fixed Deposit should be extended for three months from the due date. You may reply to me at the above address in this matter. Yours sincerely, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ### Letter to The Statesman **Date:** October 25th 1975 — **Location:** Mauritius > "The Statesman,"Calcutta—1, India Attn: Advertising Dept Dear Sir: Please accept my greetings. We are interested in advertising in the important daily Indian newspapers. If you can kindly send me the respective contract rates of advertising, at the same time our society being a charitable religious concern to propagate God-consciousness all over the world, if there is any special concession for us. On hearing from you we may begin full-page advertising in your daily newspaper. Thanking you, Yours sincerely, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/pks ### Letter to The Times of India **Date:** October 25th 1975 — **Location:** Mauritius > "The Times of India"New Delhi, India Attn: Advertising Dept Dear Sir: Please accept my greetings. We are interested in advertising in the important daily Indian newspapers. If you can kindly send me the respective contract rates of advertising, at the same time our society being a charitable religious concern to propagate God-consciousness all over the world, if there is any special concession for us. On hearing from you we may begin full-page advertising in your daily newspaper. Thanking you, Yours sincerely, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/pks ### Letter to Thomas McCarthy **Date:** September 12th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Mr. Thomas Mc Carthy P.O. Box 446Kapaa, Kauai Hawaii, U.S.A My Dear Thomas McCarthy: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter and have noted the contents. If you want to donate the profits of your store to the Book Trust, you can do by sending to the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, 3764 Watseka Ave., Los Angeles, Ca. Att: Sriman Ramesvara das. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Tikandas J. Batra **Date:** November 30th 1975 — **Location:** New Delhi My Dear Tikandas J. Batra, Please accept my blessings. Thank you for our letter dated Nov. 26, 1975. I do not know where one could find copies of the old Back to Godhead started by me back in 1944 it is a long time ago. If you write to our Los Angeles center they may be able to send you some of the back issues of the more recent publications. Regarding your question about Brahma Samhita, it was found by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu in a temple on his travels thru south India. There are supposed to be 100 chapters, but this is the only chapter which is known to date. Regarding your question about Vaikuntha; the example is The King and the bed bug, both of them are sitting on the same throne, but the business of the King is to rule and the bed bug's business is to bite. The place is the same, but the consciousness is different. It is said the Lord is situated in everyone's heart, so that means Krishna is also in the heart of a hog, and he is also in the heart of a demigod, but that does not mean that God has become a hog, or a demigod, God is always in Vaikuntha. Similarly, those who are God conscious, Pure devotees of the Lord, they are always in Vaikuntha, there is nothing like material for them. I hope this letter finds you well. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/hda ### Letter to Tirthanga **Date:** March 14th 1975 — **Location:** Tehran > Berlin My dear Tirthanga dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Feb. 28th, 1975 and have noted the contents. Regarding your questions, the main things is that whatever is required by you and your family to live nicely in Krishna Consciousness, that much you should accept. Do not take more than what you actually need. And you should give what ever you can to the temple as donation. Nothing is compulsory. Whatever you kindly pay, that will be accepted. Regarding sending children to Gurukula, that is also optional, not compulsory. The most important things are that you follow very carefully all of the rules and regulations such as rising early, and having mangala arati and classes, etc. and that you chant at least 16 rounds daily without fail. These things are most essential for your spiritual advancement and then everything will be alright. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Tony, Linda, Yajna Sarasvati **Date:** May 26th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Wellington, New Zealand My dear Tony, Linda, & Yajna Sarasvati, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated May 20th, 1975 and have noted the contents. I am very glad that you are trying to live Krishna Conscious lifestyle. If you simply try to follow very carefully the prescribed method that has been chalked out for us in the vedas, refrain from eating meat, having illicit sex life, taking intoxications, and gambling, and try to chant 16 rounds on you beads daily, read our books regularly and discuss them, rise early, and eat only Krishna prasadam. By following this path and associating as much as possible with pure devotees, you will go back to your original state—pure spirit soul, eternal servant of Krishna. Please visit our temple there in New Zealand and take advice from them how to advance in Krishna Consciousness. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Touati Lakhdar **Date:** November 15th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Frankfurt Dear Touati Lakhdar, Please accept my best wishes. I am in due receipt of your letter dated October 21, 1975. I am glad to learn of your interest in Krsna consciousness. You should take up this chanting of Hare Krsna mantra very seriously. The devotees in the Frankfurt temple will instruct you how to do it. In this way you can become cured of any mental anxiety. Krsna consciousness is something non-sectarian. It does not depend on Hindu religion or Moslem religion. So if you chant the Lord's name and pray to Him, "What service can I render?", then soon you will advance in Krsna consciousness. I hope this meets you in good health. Yours sincerely, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Tribhuvanatha **Date:** January 8th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > London My dear Tribhuvanatha das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Jan. 5th, 1975 and have noted the contents. Regarding your coming to India, I was told by Bhagavan das that you wanted to leave England and that it would be good for you to come to India, so I said that I had no objection of your coming to India. But if you can stay there in England and continue your festival program, that will be best. It is a very nice program. You should increase it as much as possible. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Tripurari **Date:** January 16th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Atlanta My dear Tripurari das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letters dated Jan. 1st and 5th, 1975 and have noted the contents. My general request is that you all distribute as many books as possible and at the same time be very careful in dealings with others so that they may not become irritated with us. Your book sale statistics are astounding. I am so much pleased. Please continue distributing such nice quantities and try to enthuse others more and more. You are sincere, so Krishna will give you all intelligence, strength and everything else you may need to distribute millions and millions of books. I have written letters to Ramesvara and Rupanuga in regards to the recent controversies about book distribution methods to be used by our men. You may refer to those letters if you like. Regarding the two boys you mentioned, they can receive initiation in Mayapur as long as they are recommended by the temple president or GBC. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Tripurari **Date:** November 9th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Evanston, Illinois My dear Tripurari Swami, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated October 13, 1975 and have noted the contents. I am glad to learn of your success at the Chicago airport for distributing 800 big books and collecting $4000. I think you should distribute more parties to go in different parts of the U.S.A. Regarding adding the name Krsna to the airport name, anyway you tried. This is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's blessings that everyone of us should become a sadhu and preach Krsna consciousness. So far Krsna consciousness is concerned, we have got new and sufficient number of books and if we read them carefully and reproduce the purports in our own language, that is perfect preaching. I am very much obliged to you and your government that both the people and the government of America do not put any hindrances in distributing our books. This kindness of your nation will cause the blessings of Lord Caitanya to be showered upon them and the higher section of American people will all of them become Krsna conscious. So many books they are reading, so will there not be any effect? I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Trista Hubbarth **Date:** May 3rd 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Gaylord, Michigan Dear Trista Hubbarth, Please accept my greetings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated March 25th, which I have only received recently due to touring. You have very thoughtfully asked me what do I think of the Self Realization yoga and meditation. We are not concerned with other religions or yogas in terms of competition or sectarian spirit. Actual spiritual knowledge is to take the authoritative statements from the scriptures and from the great acaryas, spiritual masters in disciplic succession. Other's opinions are not important. For example, in the Bhagavad gita, Lord Krsna gives His opinion, but He is accepted as the Supreme Personality of Godhead by all the great sages of the Vedic philosophy including Vyasadeva the compiler of all the scriptures, as well as Narada, Brahma, Siva and in the modern time, Ramanuja, Sankaracarya, Lord Caitanya, etc. They all confirm that Krsna is the supreme truth, the Personality of Godhead. Although this is plainly described throughout the Vedas, you will not find it in the teachings of the so called swamis and yogis who are teaching nowadays. Therefore you have intelligently discovered that in my Bhagavad-gita the approach is very different from what you have found elsewhere. That is because I am not trying to avoid Krsna or give some misinterpretation, but I have accepted the actual Bhagavad-gita, wherein Krsna says, Mattah parataram nanyat [Bg. 7.7], there is no higher than Me. Nowadays so called gurus are promising us that we ourselves can become equal to God or that God is impersonal, or that everyone is God, but nowhere is this stated in the Bhagavad-gita or any other Vedic literature, nor is it taught by any of the great spiritual masters above mentioned. My point is that when we say "self realization" it does no means that one should realize that He is the Supreme. Real self realization means to understand that you are the eternal servant of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and perfection is to develop love or bhakti, loving service in relationship with that Supreme Personality of Godhead. One who teaches other conclusion from that of the Bhagavad-gita and the succession of acaryas is certainly not a guru, and in fact according to Lord Krsna, he is a fool, (the word Krsna uses is mudha, ass, rascal). So we have to examine whether the person who is presenting himself as our guru is actually in knowledge of the science of Krsna or whether he is leading us away from Krsna, or leading us to hell in the name of yoga mysticism. In this connection, the chanting of Hare Krsna is very efficacious because it develops personal relationship with the Personality of Godhead and cleans the heart of sinful reactions. Please go on reading our literatures and pray to Krsna to give you the right direction from within how to approach a bona fide spiritual master for advancing in spiritual life. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sdg ### Letter to Trivikrama **Date:** November 9th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Ohaza, Japan My dear Trivikrama Maharaja, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated October 30, 1975, and I am glad to hear from you, that you are carrying out my order there in Tokyo. What is this stealing and violence. This is not good. By stealing, did Gurukrpa Maharaja collect that money? Stealing is not our business. Our business is to become Krsna conscious. Caesar's wife must be above suspicion. This is our program. I am writing a letter to Sacideva instructing that Sukadeva should send him immediately to you in Japan. What is that pleasant surprise? I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Tulsi **Date:** July 29th 1975 — **Location:** Dallas > Los Angeles My Dear Tulsi das: Please accept my blessings. Upon your request I accept the following as my disciples and their names are: Mihallais Gitsis—Nandagopa dasa; Jamie Cray—Mahapurusa dasa; Terry Dann—Priyatmaja dasa; and James Mason—Kamalanatha dasa. I also accept the following disciples as twice born brahmanas. Devamrta dasa brahmacari and Gopiparanadhana das brahmacari. Their threads duly sanctified by me are enclosed. Please have the beads chanted upon by a GBC sannyasi and hold a fire sacrifice. The brahmanas should hear the gayatri mantra with the right ear from my recorded tape. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs --- N.B. Also initiated are: Dan Richardson—Gopagopisvara dasa and Beatrice Matusow—Bahubhavini devi dasi ### Letter to Tulsi **Date:** October 22nd 1975 — **Location:** Johannesburg > Los Angeles My dear Tulsi das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated October 13, 1975 and I have noted the contents with care. I have marked how you are making mrdangas. Make many mrdangas. It will solve a great problem. Concerning your idea to go port to port by ship, why waste time and energy. Don't spoil money purchasing boat. Port to port we can go by airplane. I hope that this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/pks --- Nb. On your recommendation, I am accepting the following devotees for initiation:1st. Initiation: Miriam Bicks (Dhrti devi dasi)Karen Wilson (Krsnastuta devi dasi)Connie (Pusti devi dasi)Maddonna (Kulapriya devi dasi)Bhakti Pete (Mahanidhi das)Ann Matesow (Yuvati devi dasi)Jim—(Ksamabhudi das)2nd Initiation: Gajapati das, Pundarika Vidyanidhi, and Raksana. Enclosed you will find 3 brahmana threads, and you may hold a fire-yajna emphasizing the importance of strictly following the 4 regulative principles, and chanting daily minimum of 16 rounds japa ### Letter to Tulsi **Date:** December 18th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Taunus, West Germany My Dear Tulsi Das, Please accept my blessings. Thank you very much for your nice letter. I can understand from your letter that you are very intelligent. Generally India people are not taking up this movement, although it is their original culture, they are now in favor of economic development and technological advancement which can never do any good to the people in general, neither material nor spiritual. After all a living being lives by the grace of God. He cannot eat nuts and bolts, however nicely they may be manufactured. We live by food grains, vegetables and milk products as it is stated in the Bhagavad gita "All living bodies subsist on food grains which are due to rains come by proper proformance of sacrifice" Human life is meant for sacrifice to please Visnu. Bhoktaram yajna-tapasam, sarva-loka-mahesvaram [Bg. 5.29], "The sages knowing me to be the ultimate purpose of all sacrifices, the Supreme Lord of all planets, and the well wishing friend of all living entities, attain peace from the pangs of material miseries"So if we want to be happy in this life and the next we have to worship Visnu. But Gandhi did to satisfy Visnu? He was trying to satisfy his country, and his country killed him. He manufactured so many things which were never found in Bhagavad-gita. Throughout the Bhagavad-gita Krishna is encouraging Arjuna to fight, and Gandhi manufactured non-violence from Bhagavad-gita. Everyone in India knows the Mahabharata, the great battle of Kuruksetra, 640,000,000 soldiers gave up their life in that battle, and Krishna was personally instructing Arjuna to fight, and Gandhi took Bhagavad-gita and preached non-violence. So what was his understanding. At the end of his life he frankly said, "I don't believe there was ever such a historical person as Krishna". So what did Gandhi know about Bhagavad-gita? My only credit is that I have presented Bhagavad-gita as it is, without any speculation, or interpretation, therefore for the first time in the history of the world people are accepting it and living practically according to the principles of Bhagavad-gita. I understand that you are translating Bhagavad-gita as it is into Malayalam language. Hansadutta has spoken to me about you. Please send me a sample, and we will see about it's publication and distribution in India. Maybe in the future you will like to come to India and help preach this message to your countrymen. I hope this letter meets you well. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ### Letter to Tulsi **Date:** June 28th 1975 — **Location:** Denver > Los Angeles My Dear Tulsi das: Please accept my blessings. I have received your request for initiations and I accept the following as my disciples and their spiritual names are as follows: Robin West—Rathagrahi dasa; David Moore—Disa dasa; and Dorrie Winham—Dharmada devi dasa. I also accept the following as twice born brahmanas and their threads are enclosed duly sanctified: Citraka dasa, Ameyatma dasa, Guruttama dasa, Urjasvat dasa, Padmahara dasi, Manya dasa, Parvata Muni dasa, Nikunjavasini dasi, Krsna Lauliya dasi, Caitanya Simha dasa, and Racitambara dasi. Now hold a fire sacrifice and impress upon them that they are taking vows before Radha Krsna, the spiritual master and the assembled Vaisnavas. It is a serious business. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Tulsi **Date:** July 7th 1975 — **Location:** Evanston > Illinois Los Angeles My Dear Tulsi das: Please accept my blessings. Upon your recommendation I am accepting the following as my initiated disciples and their names are: Barbara Stark—Bhrama Karika devi; and Bhakta Ned—Nirguna dasa. I also accept for second initiation Mahaswara dasa. His sacred thread is duly enclosed sanctified by me. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Tusta Krsna **Date:** December 2nd 1975 — **Location:** New Delhi My Dear Tusta Krishna Swami, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 21 November, 1975. Every student is expected to become Acarya. Acarya means one who knows the scriptural injunctions and follows them practically in life, and teaches them to his disciples. I have given you sannyasa with the great hope that in my absence you will preach the cult thruout the world and thus become recognized by Krishna as the most sincere servant of the Lord. So I'm very pleased that you have not deviated from the principles I have taught, and thus with power of attorney go on preaching Krishna consciousness, that will make me very happy as it is confirmed in the Guru vastakam yasya prasadat bhagavata prasadah just by satisfying your Spiritual Master who is accepted as the bona fide representative of the Lord you satisfy Krishna immediately without any doubt. I am very glad to inform you that Sudama Vipra Maharaja is also now following my principles. So I am very very happy to receive all this news. Thank you very very much. Keep trained up very rigidly and then you are bona fide Guru, and you can accept disciples on the same principle. But as a matter of etiquette it is the custom that during the lifetime of your Spiritual master you bring the prospective disciples to him, and in his absence or disappearance you can accept disciples without any limitation. This is the law of disciplic succession. I want to see my disciples become bona fide Spiritual Master and spread Krishna consciousness very widely, that will make me and Krishna very happy. I hope this letter finds you well, Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/hda ### Letter to Tusta Krsna **Date:** February 2nd 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Auckland, New Zealand My dear Tusta Krishna Svami, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Jan. 12, 1975 and have noted the contents carefully. Thank you for the 1,000 dollars (in checks). I am very happy to hear your report. Krishna is giving you facility there to develop a very nice varna-asrama society in New Zealand. Try your best to develop an ideal society there to set a perfect example for the human society of how one can live very simply, chanting Hare Krishna and developing love for Krishna. Make sure that you keep the whole program pure by carefully following all of the rules and regulations that I have given, rising early, attending mangala arati and holding classes, chanting 16 rounds daily, observing the four basic principles, no intoxication, meat-eating, etc. Then everything will be a great success. You are an intelligent boy, so, I think you can understand how to manage things very nicely there. I hope to be seeing you in Mayapur this year. The festival begins about the 25th of March. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami --- Sriman Siddhasvarupa Maharaja is with me here. I met Sudama Vipra _ acarya at Hong Kong ### Letter to Tusta Krsna **Date:** May 20th 1975 — **Location:** Melbourne > Auckland, New Zealand My dear Tusta Krishna Swami, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated May 14, 1975 and have noted the contents. Thank you for the U.S. 226 dollars and the A. 50 dollars daksina. I am very glad to hear that you are keeping yourself busy preaching. Don't become a dead man. Always preach. It is very nice here in Melbourne. The temple is very beautiful. I will leave from here on the 23rd for Fiji and stay there for two days. Then I shall go to Honolulu and stay for at least one month. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Tusta Krsna **Date:** June 10th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Auckland, New Zealand My dear Tusta Krishna Swami, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated June 6, 1975 and have noted the contents. I accept Kerry Welsh for 1st initiation. His name is Krodhaha dasa. You can give him the name at his ceremony. Keep on preaching. Preaching is our life. Introduce our books, then everyone can understand, if he has good brain. I shall be leaving Hawaii on the 20th of June for LA. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Tusta Krsna **Date:** November 9th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Albany, New Zealand My dear Tusta Krsna Swami, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated October 16, 1975 along with the enclosed letters from persons you are recommending for initiation. I have no objection to your recommending these devotees, but whether you are acting as a sannyasi and observing all the rules and regulations and keeping yourself in sannyasi dress? On your confirmation I shall accept all these boys and girls as my disciples. So long as one continues to follow the rules and regulations, he continues to be my disciple wherever he may be. Regarding the restaurant, this is a very good program and I am glad to hear of it. We have also started a restaurant in Honolulu and it is going on very nicely and we are getting good profit. If you take details from Srutakirti das Adhikari, he is in charge of the Govinda's Restaurant and he may be able to help you. It is a very good idea for people to come to our vegetarian restaurant and take so many nice things, especially the panir, fried cheese, and sandesh, kachori, rasagulla, samosa and in this way they will forget their meat-eating. If you make a soup of fried panir with asafoetida and ginger, this will replace lobster soup nonsense. Of course we are not interested in giving them vegetarian food; we are wanting to give them prasadam. Then gradually they will become devotees. The varnasrama college means to train people in varnasrama life. In human society a section of people must act as strict brahmanas. Similarly, another section must act as strict ksatriyas, still another as strict vaisyas, and the rest will be considered as sudras and less than sudras or the candalas. This is a materialistic division, but spiritually anyone can be elevated to the transcendental position simply by devotional service. This is the sum and substance of the Vedic education. If you and Siddha Svarupa Maharaja can organize such an institution following yourself the rules and regulations then it will be very glorious thing and I shall be very happy. But in any case both of you do not forget to come to Mayapur during Caitanya Mahaprabhu's birth ceremony. Let us act co-operatively, maybe sometimes separately, but the central point and aim should be one—Krsna. Your idea for the scholastic institution as discussed with you and Siddha Svarupa Maharaja is a very good idea. Now we have got so many books—almost 50 books of 400 pages—so this institution can be affiliated with some nearby university. Then the students will get their degrees of Bachelors and Post Graduates Pd.D. We have enough matter to qualify a person in academic career. At least we can offer the degree of DD—Doctor of Divinity by affiliating ourselves with some neighboring recognized university. The farming and opening the restaurant are correlative—in farming you produce enough milk and milk products, at least ghee, and the ghee is dispatched to the restaurant in the city and with that you prepare first-class samosas, kacoris, vegetables, halava—so many things people will like very much. The principle is that not a drop of milk should be misused. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Upendra **Date:** November 10th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Vrndavana My dear Upendra das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated October 10, 1975 and I have read the contents in entirety. So I thank you very much for your sentiments. Why not stick to Vrndavana. I am coming there soon and again we shall associate. Now you should extend your visa and stay there and stick to that holy place. Ultimately Vrndavana is our goal of life. I am glad to note your program and that you are also studying Hindi. This is very good. I very much appreciate your service. In the kitchen you should please see that nothing is wasted. Yes, you will be blessed by Vrndavana-Isvari. I am coming there very soon and things will be adjusted. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Urvasi **Date:** July 25th 1975 — **Location:** Los Angeles > Mombassa, Kenya Dear Urvasi dasi, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated July 18, 1975 and have noted the contents. I am glad to learn that you are taking up Krsna Consciousness under the guidance of Shaktimati prabhu. You should follow her example. She is an experienced devotee. You assist her and help spread Krsna consciousness especially amongst the Asian community there. I have given permission for Shaktimati and Navayogendra to combine together for establishing a temple there in Mombassa especially for the Asian community so you also assist in this endeavor. Be sure to follow the regulative principles of chanting 16 rounds without fail each day. Also, we do not take any coffee, tea, or cigarettes, meat, fish, or eggs, illicit sex, or any gambling. Be sure and read my books very carefully, Bhagavad-gita, then Srimad-Bhagavatam, and then Caitanya Caritamrta. You should read every day without fail and become fixed in our philosophy. If you are going to England, we have our temples there so there should be no difficulty for you to remain in Krsna consciousness. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS:bs ### Letter to Uttamasloka **Date:** January 16th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Toronto My dear Uttamasloka das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Dec. 31st, 1974 and have noted the contents. Yes. The way that you should make the altars is that there should be three separate rooms, doors, and altars. That will be very nice. Thank you for your wonderful sankirtana results. It is very pleasing to me that you have sold so many books. Now, continue and increase. I have accepted for 1st initiation the 6 persons you you have recommended. Their names are as follows: Earl—Harideva dasa, Geoff Meek—Govinda bhakta dasa, Lucien—Laksminatha dasa, Tim—Trilokanatha dasa, Tuija—Tribhuvanesvari dasi, Cathy—Ksiracora dasi. Their beads may be chanted on by Kirtanananda Svami. I have also accepted Purnamasi devi dasi and Rudrani devi dasi as my duly initiated (secondly) disciples. Their gayatri mantra sheet, are enclosed herein. Let them hear the gayatri mantra through the right ear from the tape of myself saying it. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/psEnc: --- 1 mantra sheet ### Letter to Uttamasloka **Date:** December 11th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Evanston, Illinois My Dear Uttamasloka Prabhu, Please accept my blessings. I read your Sankirtana news letter with great relish. Europe and America are in great danger, this Hare Krishna movement is enveloping them. The Sankirtana devotees are very very dear to Krishna. Because you are doing the field work of book distribution, Krishna has immediately recognized them as true servants. Just like during war time, a farm boy or ordinary clerk who goes to fight for his country on the front, immediately becomes a national hero for his sincere effort. So Krishna immediately recognizes a preacher of Krishna consciousness who takes all risks to deliver his message. It is called Dhira brata—determination. These boys and girls are mahatmas, mahatmanas tu mam partha, daivim prakrtim asritah, bhajantyananya manaso, jnatva bhutadim avyayam [Bg. 9.13] "O son of Pritha, those who are not deluded, the great souls, are under the protection of the divine nature. They are fully engaged in devotional service because they know me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, original and inexhaustible." This verse is applicable here, if these boys were under material nature they would not take so much risk, they are mahatma, they are real mahatma, not that long beard and saffron cloth mahatma. They are unswerving in their determination, dhira vrata. All glories to the American devotees! I hope this letter finds you and all the sankirtana devotees well. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/hda ### Letter to Vahna **Date:** May 26th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > New Vrndavana My dear Vahna dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated May 12, 1975 and have read the Cintamani poetry book. It is indirect, impersonal and useless. Who will read these things? Krishna's name is only mentioned in two poems in the whole book. What is this? There are so many poems written by great acaryas. Why do you try to concoct something like this? It is not in our line. How is that our Kirtanananda Swami is there and he has approved printing this? It is a waste of time, paper, money, ink, and labor. There is so much work to do for spreading this Krishna Consciousness. Who will become attracted by such things as this. You should all spend more time reading my books very carefully and stop all this unnecessary manufacturing. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps --- N.B. Why there is no picture of Krishna on the cover? If you have the desire to write poetry, better if you read one chapter of Krishna book very carefully. Then put it into poetry. But, do not concoct anything. There is no need for that type of poetry. If you do this, I think it will be appreciated nicely ### Letter to Vaikunthanatha, Bahulasva **Date:** March 14th 1975 — **Location:** Tehran > San Francisco My dear Vaikunthanatha and Bahulasva, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letters dated March 1, 1975 and have noted the contents, along with the newspaper article. Thank you very much for sending this article. It is very good news. It appears that this scientist has become very intelligent. Yes, try to meet with them somehow and make arrangement for them to meet with me when I come for the San Francisco Rathayatra. That will be very nice. Such persons should be given the chance to study our books very carefully. In this way they will actually understand what is science. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Vedavyasa **Date:** August 4th 1975 — **Location:** Detroit > Taunus, West Germany My Dear Vedavyasa das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated July 8, 1975 and have noted the contents. Regarding your going to Los Angeles, if Dr. Wolf suggests that you come, you should do it. At least you can come as tourist, so there should be no difficulty. So you should consult with Dr. Wolf. Regarding your questions, you may not be so advanced that you will take the karmi remnants as prasada. The karmis should not be given so much that there is waste. You can give them a little, and then if they like you can give them more. This system should be introduced everywhere. I have seen myself that so much prasada is being left. This is not good. Regarding the attitude for taking prasada, if you think it is something palatable, so let me take more and more, then that is sense gratification. But, still it is prasadam so it will act. Prasad is transcendental, but one should not take too much. Sannyasis may take the maha-prasada but not to overeat. Caitanya Mahaprabhu was taking, but on principle he was avoiding. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Vijaya **Date:** January 21st 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Lautoka, Fiji My dear Vijaya das, Please accept my blessings. I hope that everything is going nicely there in Fiji. I have heard that Mr. Punja is now enlivened to work with us again. This is very good. He can help us in many ways, and he is a devoted man. You are a devotee, so this is the process, yasya prasadad bhagavata prasadao . . . So, kindly follow my instructions very carefully and work co-operatively with Asta Siddhi das. That will be good for you and the people in general. Do not deviate in any way. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Vinode Kumar Chudamani **Date:** May 19th 1975 — **Location:** Melbourne > Vinode Kumar Chudamani B.A.L.L.B.Krishnapuri, Mathura, U.P., INDIA Dear Sir, While I am in Australia (Melbourne) at the above address, I received your Hindi newspaper "Vraja-Garima," but unfortunately, I don't see anything written about Brajendra-nandana, Krishna. So far we are concerned, we are preaching the glories of Krishna throughout the world, to glorify Brajendra-nandana Hari. Our Krishna Consciousness movement is going on in the Western world very appreciatively. We have published about 50 books of 400 pages each and they are going well. Recently, we have received a report from our headquarters in Los Angeles, California, USA, how our books are being accepted by the authorities. I think if you want to glorify Vraja, as you like to say, "Vraja-Garimi," then we can co-operate very nicely. We can publish many books in Hindi translated from our English books, and distribute them to the Hindi knowing public, both in India and abroad. If you are interested, please correspond with me at the following address; where I will be going very soon: 51 Coelho Way, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Viruha **Date:** April 19th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Paris My dear Viruha dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 2-4-75 and have noted the contents. This body belongs to Krishna and therefore we must always keep it in healthy condition to the best of our ability, but if due to some past sinful activities, we are suffering some bodily miseries we should not become discouraged. Devotional service must continue under all circumstances. This material body is actually a bad bargain because it is prone to suffer, but we must make the best use of this bad bargain. That means to always be engaged in the service of Krishna without fail. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Visala, Visalini **Date:** April 2nd 1975 — **Location:** Mayapur > Mayapur My dear Visala and Visalini, Please accept my blessings. I am in due reciept of your letter dated March 27th, 1975 and have noted the contents. Thank you for your kind donation of 501 rs. My simple request to both of you is that you continue to endeavor sincerely in Krishna Consciousness, being very careful to follow all of our principles very seriously and try to co-operate fully with this Hare Krishna movement in spreading the message of Lord Caitanya all over the world. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Visalini **Date:** January 1st 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Vrndavana My dear Visalaini devi, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Dec. 12, 1974 and have noted the contents. You can work on the hair sets while the Deities are taking rest. Regarding your other questions, they can be answered by your temple president or GBC man. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Vishvambar Dayala **Date:** December 12th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Sri Vishvambar Dayala,Raman Reti,Vrindaban, Mathura (U.P.) My dear Vishvambar Dayala, Please accept my blessings. I acknowledge receipt of donation* from your mother Srimati Narayani Devi, which donation shall be used for the purchase of Gurukula land. The stone bearing your mother's name in both Hindi and English will be laid down at the proper place just after the registration of the land. Thanking you, Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/AKS --- *received with thanks Rs. 53,000-00 in cash ### Letter to Vishvambhar Dayala **Date:** December 15th 1975 — **Location:** New Delhi > Sri Vishvambhar Dayalac/o Krishna Balarama Temple,Raman Reti, Vrindaban, (U.P.) My Dear Vishvambhar Dayala, Please accept my blessings. I understand that Sri Bhawatyaji has come to Vrindaban for transferring land for Gurukula. I hope by the time this letter reaches you, you will have finished the transaction. The other day Goswami Nrsimhavallabha's son did not come to see me, so kindly finally once more approach the Goswami and let me know if he is at all interested to take up the translation work as he has informed me that he has already translated a part of the book which I gave him. Then immediately send the translation work to me in Bombay or you can read it yourself, compare with the original book and if possible re-write or copy and send it to me at the Bombay address. On hearing from you finally about this matter I shall decide to appoint one translator either in Delhi or Bombay. Please take it as very important and do the needful. I hope this letter meets you well. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/hda ### Letter to Visnuprasada N. Decai **Date:** January 2nd 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Visnuprasada N. Decai > Chairman, Managing Comt. > Fourteen Co-op Housing Society > JVPD Scheme, Bombay-56 Dear Sir: I thank you very much for your kindly visiting our land the other day. Along with your secretary, Mr. Ramanbhai B. Tolat. The thing is that we are in a little difficulty on account of our entrance road being very narrow. Therefore, I request you to give up your strip of land in front of our Hare Krishna Land for opening the road which will facilitate the traffic congestions. Our Hare Krishna Land is an international institution for preaching Krishna Consciousness all over the world. So, I am seeking your sympathy for these world-wide activities. The other day, your secretary informed me that you will construct a community hall on the road-side, but I know that the strip of land in front of our land will not be required by you. Neither it can be used for any other purpose. So, if you will kindly recommend your committee to give for this great cause, Krishna will be very much pleased upon you without any doubt. Thanking you, In anticipation, I am awaiting your reply. Yours faithfully, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Visvakarma **Date:** November 9th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Toronto My dear Visvakarma das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated September 3, 1975 with the enclosed statement about Van Maharaja. So I have now issued orders that all my disciples should avoid all of my godbrothers. They should not have any dealings with them nor even correspondence, nor should they give them any of my books or should they purchase any of their books, neither should you visit any of their temples. Please avoid them. I have received your telegram that you have purchased the church which I have seen when I was there in Toronto. So this is very good news. Please send me the details. Upon your recommendation I am accepting Rodney Mort as my disciple and his name is Jitakandarpa. I also accept Nakadi das Brahmacari for brahminical initiation. Enclosed is his thread and mantra sheet. So you should hold a fire sacrifice and lecture on the importance of following the rules and regulations, chanting 16 rounds and all the devotional principles. This is your responsibility as the president of the temple. You must do it yourself and see that they also do it. This is the perfect way of teaching. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd --- N.B. What about that devotee from England who was to come to India? When I was in Toronto you agreed to send him. Now he is immediately required here in Bombay for construction supervision. I received your cable that you have purchased that church. Congratulations. What are the details? My blessings to Mr. Batra. ACBS ### Letter to Visvambhara **Date:** December 27th 1975 — **Location:** Ahmedabad My Dear Visvambhara das, Please accept my blessings. I wrote you one letter regarding the translation work of Nrsimhavallabha Goswami and sons. I have not received any reply from you although I am very much anxious to know the result. In the meantime I have written one letter to the Punjab National Bank, the copy of which will speak for itself is sent herewith. Please induce them to open the branch as soon as possible. The money is ready for being deposited. I hope this letter meets you well. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/hda ### Letter to Visvambhara Dayala Agarwal **Date:** October 20th 1975 — **Location:** Johannesburg > Sriman Visvambhara Dayala Agarwal,Vrndavana My dear bhaktaji, Please accept my blessings. Since I have left India I have received no report from Vrindaban, how things are going on. I am very much anxious to know. Kindly immediately on receipt of this letter send me a report especially touching on the following points:1. Whether the Gurukula land is purchased by this time.2. Whether Kasiramji has given the front land legally.3. Whether temple management is going on without any loss of money. Herewith please find one letter for Digambhar Singh Chowdhury your friend. The letter speaks for itself, as you will see, and now we have to hold meetings for organizing the Krsan community, better the Vaisya community, for producing food and milk. I have given the idea, now you have to organize it properly. I hope that this will meet you in good health, and please reply this letter along with Digambar Singh Chowdbury's reply to Bombay address where I am returning by the end of this month. Please offer my blessings to all your friends, especially Sethji Bisanchand and Kasiramji. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/pks ### Letter to Vrnda **Date:** July 26th 1975 — **Location:** Los Angeles > Winnipeg, Canada Dear Vrnda devi dasi, Please accept my blessings. I am in receipt of your letter, undated. Regarding the booklet, "A Guide to the Care of Srimate Tulasi devi," yes, the book is very nice. It is approved. But one thing is that no sprays can be used, not at all. Tulasi is a worshipable plant so there is no question of using any sprays. The best thing is to simply daily water tulasi devi and keep her clean. Nothing else is required. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to W. D. Currier **Date:** June 16th 1975 — **Location:** Unknown Place W. D. Currier, M.D.,Pasadena, CAYES NO(1) Milk products. ___X___ _______(2) Eggs. _______ ___X___(3) Cereals, grains, nuts, seeds. ___X___ _______(4) Vegetables and fruits. ___X___ _______(5) Seafoods. _______ ___X___(6) Beef. _______ ___X___(7) Lamb. _______ ___X___(8) Pork. _______ ___X___(9) Fowl - chicken, duck, turkey _______ ___X___(10) Fruit juices. ___X___ _______(11) Vegetable juices. ___X___ _______(12) Vitamin and mineral supplements. ___X___ _______SIGNED: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami --- X sign here ### Letter to West Coast Temple Presidents **Date:** October 5th 1975 — **Location:** Mauritius > West Coast Presidents My Dear Devotee Presidents: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated September 21, 1975 with enclosures. This is very bad. These reports about Japan are coming from all over the world. This is very disturbing to me. Their own original face is coming out. This is not at all good. Now you have to do what you have to do to rectify the situation. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to W.J. Carpenter **Date:** November 30th 1975 — **Location:** New Delhi My Dear W.J. Carpenter, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated nil. Material life means attachment for women, children, friends, countrymen, position, wealth, and good name. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam material existence is compare to a forest full of plunderers, dacoits, jackals, tigers and other ferocious animals. The jackals are compare to one's wife and children. In the dead of the night jackals cry very loudly, and similarly one's wife and children in this material world also cry like jackals. The children say, "Father is wanted: give me this, I am your dear son." Or the wife says, "I am your dear wife. Please give me this. This is now needed." In this way one is plundered by the thieves in the forest. Not knowing the aim of human life, one is constantly being misguided. The aim of life is Visnu, or Krishna (Na te vidhu svartha-gatim hi visnum) Everyone works very hard to earn money, but no one knows that his real work is to serve Krishna, the supreme Personality of Godhead. Instead of spending money to advance the cause of Krishna consciousness, one spends his hard earned money on clubs, brothels, liquor, drugs cigarettes, slaughterhouses and so forth. All these activities are sinful, and because we are engaged in such sinful activities constantly we are constantly reaping the result of our sinful work, which is suffering in one way or another. But even if one is pious he cannot escape from the sufferings of material existence in the shape of Birth, death, old age and disease. Therefore the only solution to all problems of life social economic, or political is to surrender to Krishna. Krishna says "the material nature is very difficult to overcome, but one who has surrendered unto me can very easily cross beyond it." So to surrender to Krishna is not difficult all we have to do is follow the instructions given by Krishna in Bhagavad-gita under the guidance of his representative, the spiritual master. So you are already chanting Hare Krishna, now simply try to give up these four habits of sinful life, and the best way to be successful in this attempt is to associate with the devotees of the Lord. Therefore we have established so many temples of Krishna. You simply go there, the devotees are very kind, you will be welcome and by their association automatically you will make advancement and purify your life. We have got a temple in London, 7 Bury Place WC I and one in Herts. Given to us by George Harrison. So you go there and everything else will come. I hope this letter finds you well. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ### Letter to Yadhavacarya **Date:** February 15th 1975 — **Location:** Mexico City > San Pedro, California My dear Yadhavacarya das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Feb. 6th, 1975 and have noted the contents. I think in connection with film making, you should contact Yadubara das adhikari in Los Angeles temple. He can help you and give you advice as to how is the best way to work in this way. He is experienced in this field. I understand from your letter that you are now in prison. Anyway, you can use such a situation as an opportunity for preaching Krishna Consciousness. I am very glad to hear that you have already distributed some books in prison. Please try to keep yourself fixed in Krishna Consciousness by chanting 16 rounds daily and following the four regulative principles strictly and reading my books very carefully. These things will keep you nicely in Krishna Consciousness so that wherever you are you will remain strongly fixed in the service of the Lord. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Yadunandana **Date:** February 2nd 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Dallas My dear Yadunandana das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Jan. 22, 1975 and have noted the contents. Regarding your child, the vedic philosophy is that the miseries of the material body must be tolerated. When material body is there, we must expect so many problems. Considering these things, it is up to you to decide what to do. It seems to be the best thing to continue our Gurukula program in Dallas, at least for now. However, the GBC is considering building another school at New Vrndavana since one very wealthy man has offered to do so. You can contact Kirtanananda Svami in this connection. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Yadunandana **Date:** May 14th 1975 — **Location:** Perth > Australia Dallas My dear Yadunandan, Please accept my blessings. I have just been informed by my servant, Srutakirti, that the young children, under twelve, are not allowed to use their japa beads while chanting. This policy is not good. Why this change has been made? I never said they should not use their beads. That is our business. They must be taught how to respect their beads. How they can learn unless they use them? That is the trouble with you westerners, always changing. No changes should be made without first consulting with my GBC representative. So, the children should immediately be allowed to chant on their japa beads. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sda ### Letter to Yadunandana **Date:** June 16th 1975 — **Location:** Honolulu > Dallas My dear Yadunandan dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated June 12, 1975 and have noted the contents. Now, everything has been rectified. That is good. Please continue executing your Krishna Conscious activities, strictly following all of the rules and regulations carefully. Always remain engaged in the service of Krishna and you will be sublime. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Yamuna **Date:** October 22nd 1975 — **Location:** Johannesburg > P.O. Box 65Murphy, Oregon My dear Yamuna devi dasi, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated October 11, 1975 and I have noted the contents with care. The picture of the cows shows that they are very nice and friendly. You have my consent to go ahead with your plan of pratistha for Sri-Sri Radha-Krishna arca vigrahah. You may call them Radha-Banabihari. The idea of a woman's asrama is good. Those not married, if there is not provision for separate living quarters for them in the temples, they can go there. It is very risky having single women living in the temples, especially where there is no suitable living quarters. I hope that this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/pks ### Letter to Yashma Sarna **Date:** December 11th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Srimati Yashma Sarna,Muhuroni close, Ngara Rd.P.O. Box 28946,Nairobi, Kenya,East Africa My Dear Yashma Sarna, Please accept my blessings. Thank you for your letter dated nil. Thank you also for your kind donation of 800 Shillings. The process of Krishna consciousness is very simple. Everything belongs to Krishna, so our only duty is to give everything for Krishna's service, and chant Hare Krishna. So you chant regularly and make advancement. In February I am going to Calcutta and then Mayapur, so you can see me there. I hope this letter finds you well. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/hda ### Letter to Yasomatinandana **Date:** April 9th 1975 — **Location:** Mayapur > Vrndavana Dear Yasomatinandana, Pranavaand Pradyumna, Please accept my blessings. Our deity installation ceremony is to be held on the 20th and the function was to begin three days before, namely, the 17th of April. So, instead of the 17th, you can make it the 16th. That will satisfy everyone. Srimad Bhimasena Vedacarya may be informed in this way and do the needful. Please let me know the result at Hyderabad by phone or if somebody is coming there, through him. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Yasomatinandana **Date:** July 8th 1975 — **Location:** Evanston > Illinois Bombay My Dear Yasomatinandanana das: Please accept my blessings. I am enclosing some correspondence with Goswami Radheswaranand. There is one reply to him and also his latest letter. So you go to Saurastra and see what is the possibility of opening centers there. I want that we should open up more centers in India. When I return to India I shall go there to Saurastra. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Yasomatinandana **Date:** September 7th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Auckland My dear Yasomatinandana das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated August 11, 1975 with the enclosed letter from Laksmana devi dasi. I have already sent a telegram that I accept her for brahminical initiation. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd ### Letter to Yasomatinandana **Date:** December 7th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > Ahmedabad My Dear Yasomatinandana Prabhu, Please accept my blessings. You wanted one white assistant for facilitation of your work in Ahmedabad, so we have selected the best man for this work, Sriman Hai Haya Das Adhikari. I understand that you wrote one letter to Gopala Krishna disapproving sending Hai Haya. He is approved manager and why you thought that there is some politics. I am very much surprised to hear all this. Anyway he is going there, work with him cooperatively and everything will be successful. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ### Letter to Yasomatinandana **Date:** December 17th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Ahmedabad My Dear Yasomatinandana Prabhu, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated November 11, 1975, I have noted the contents carefully. The program you have outlined is very nice, however I cannot go on long time procession because I am called by nature, I can go at most one hour. So I shall come there on 25th morning. I hope this letter finds you well. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/hda ### Letter to Yasomatisuta **Date:** January 4th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Hong Kong My dear Yasomatisuta das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Dec. 19, 1974 and have noted the contents. I am very glad to hear of your translating work there. This is very encouraging. Please continue it with full enthusiasm. I was told by Brahmananda Svami that you have finished 3 chapters of Gita already. So, I have asked that it be immediately printed and then as soon as you translate 3 chapters of Gita already. So, I have asked that it be immediately printed and then as soon as you translate 3 chapters more it can be printed. In this way the whole book will be done in six volumes. Regarding your question, you can always use some equivalent to the words Supreme Personality of Godhead. That will save the situation. The real thing is that you are trying to serve Krishna, He will give you all intelligence. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Yogamaya **Date:** March 14th 1975 — **Location:** Tehran > Los Angeles My dear Yogamaya devi das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your short note (dated nil) and poem. The poem is very nice. You are understanding the philosophy nicely. Keep yourself strongly fixed in Krishna Consciousness by following all of the rules and regulations. Rise early, attend mangala arati, and class. Chant 16 rounds daily without fail and observe the four regulative principle. In this way, you can realize Krishna in every step of life. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Yogescandra **Date:** December 7th 1975 — **Location:** Vrindaban > New York My Dear Yogescandra Prabhu, Please accept my blessings. Thank you for your letter dated December 2, 1975.You always have my blessings, the father always wishes that the son may be more successful than himself. This is the spiritual conception. If one is doing well, then the materialistic persons become envious and try to check his progress. This was actually so with Prahlada Maharaja, he was only 5 years old, he was preaching Krishna consciousness to his school friends, and the father Hiranyakasipu became so envious that he attempted to kill his 5 year old son in so many ways. Krishna consciousness is just the opposite, if someone is doing well then the attitude of the devotee is to give him all facility to go on and improve more and more. Yes we are running on the mercy of the spiritual master, to understand this point is to get mercy more and more. Yasya prasadat bhagavata prasada. I hope this letter meets you well. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/hda ### Letter to Yuvraj Thakura Sahib **Date:** December 31st 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Sri Yuvraj Thakura Sahib,Sanand Palace,P.O. Sanand, Dist Ahmedabad,Gujarat My Dear Yuvraj Thakura Sahib, Please accept my blessings. I am prepared to organize Gujarat by traveling village to village. You said that you could help me in this respect and also supply a car. So as soon as it is ready I shall accept, please let me know. I thank you very much for your kind hospitality for me and my disciples while I was there. With my blessings for your family. I hope this letter finds you and your good wife well. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/hda ### Letter to Ādi-kesava **Date:** January 2nd 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Boston My dear Ādi Kesava das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Dec. 24th, 1974 and have noted the contents carefully. The thing is, we should have a little common sense in all activities. The example can be given that women by nature do not forget to dress very nicely although always engaged in household affairs. Deity worship or lecturing in the colleges is just as important as book distribution. So, these things must be done very nicely and at the same time, book distribution should be done. Not that we should do one thing at the sacrifice of another. That requires a little common sense. Factually, we should be engaged 24 hours in Krishna's service and everything should be done very nicely and perfectly. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps ### Letter to Ādi-kesava **Date:** January 16th 1975 — **Location:** Bombay > Boston My dear Ādi Kesava das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Jan. 8th, 1975 and have noted the contents. Regarding your proper engagement, you should first discuss that with your GBC and try to work something out together. Regarding your questions. I have already answered the most important question. "How to please Krishna?"—by following all the regulative principle that I have given you, chanting 16 rounds and reading my books scrutinizingly. Everyone must do these things, otherwise they cannot understand Krishna Consciousness. I have accepted the four persons that you have recommended for second initiation and their threads and mantra sheet are enclosed herein. I have also accepted the six persons you have recommended for first initiation. Their names are: Edward—Sadasiva dasa, Robert—Rupa dasa, Susan—Sitapati dasi, Theothora-Tryadhisa dasi, Mildred—Mahalaksmi dasi, David—Dharmasetu dasa. Their beads can be chanted on by Kirtanananda Svami. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/psEnc: --- 3 threads and mantra sheet