# Letters — undated ### Letter to Archbishop of Canterbury — Los Angeles, 1969 His Divine Grace the Archbishop of CanterburyLondon, EnglandYour Holiness, Please accept my respectful and humble obeisances. I beg to introduce myself as an Indian monk, following the Vedic principles of religious life. At present, I am in the renounced order of sannyasa (age 73) and preaching God Consciousness all over the world. I came to America in 1965, and since then, I have many followers belonging to both Christian and Jewish faiths. Thus far I have established 17 centers for Krishna Conscious temples throughout the United States, Canada, Germany, London, and France. My mission is in the line of Lord Caitanya, Who advented Himself 482 years ago in India, and Who preached God consciousness all over the country. His mission is to revive God consciousness throughout the world, on the basis of Srimad-Bhagavatam (Science of God). The basic principle of Srimad-Bhagavatam is that any religious faith which helps a man to develop Love of God, without any other motive, is transcendental religion. And the easiest process for this age is to chant the Holy Names of God. From this definition of religion as we find in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, the criterion test of religion is how it helps people to develop their dormant Love of God. This love is not artificially invoked, but it is aroused by association with devotees of the Lord and by hearing from the authorized scriptures. The human form of life is especially meant for this purpose of reviving our God consciousness because the better development of consciousness is found only in the human body. Animal propensities are found both in animal life and human life, and unfortunately, people are nowadays more concerned with the principles of sense gratification, or the animalistic part of life. Thus, the world is gradually declining in God consciousness. This tendency is very much deteriorating, and because Your Holiness is the Head of a great religious sect, I would be very pleased to meet with you, and perhaps chalk out some program for helping to alleviate the present Godless situation. The human society should not be allowed to continue in its present path at the risk of decreasing truthfulness, hygienic principles, forgiveness, and mercifulness. Without proper instruction on these principles, the human society is gradually degrading in the matter of religiosity and justice. At present, "Might makes right" is gradually taking the place of morality and justice. There is practically no more family life, and the union of man and woman is gradually degrading to the standard of mere sexuality. Our Krishna Consciousness Movement is meant for overhauling the whole situation. We are creating man of character, and we are training our disciples to become lovers of God, or Krishna. From the very beginning, they are trained to refrain from the following four principles of degradation: 1) sex life outside marriage, 2) intoxication, 3) meat eating, and 4) gambling and idle sports. Our teaching are based on the authorized movement of Lord Caitanya, the teaching of the Bhagavad-gita as the beginning, and the teaching of Srimad-Bhagavatam as the graduate study. I do not wish to prolong the body of this note further, but if you think that a meeting with you will be beneficial for the human society at large, I shall be very much pleased if You Holiness will grant me an interview. Thanking you in anticipation for an early reply. Yours in the service of the Lord., A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ### Letter to Artists — Unknown Place, Unknown Date [PAGE 1 MISSING]Page 2Endeavor means energy which is employed. Anything you do, there must be some activity. That is endeavor. In our devotional service, if the endeavor is right, then it is successful. So the painting is not very clear. The doer means the man. The place must be favorable. The activities must be authorized. The doer must be expert, the instruments must be fit and the help from the Supersoul may be adequate. These are the five causes for success and opposite are the five factors for nonsuccess. So I can give you hints only, but you must put life into the painting. For instance, from the business point of view, one man is doing some business. If he goes to the marketplace, it will be done very nice, since there are so many customers. Similarly one looking for spiritual life goes to where devotees are and associates with them. So one must go to a particular type of place for a particular type of activity. And the person acting must be well versed, or expert. Just as an expert salesman, his method of business is bona fide. The senses must be used in order to see if one is cheating, hear offers, etc. And above all is the help from the Supersoul who dictates in this way and so everything becomes successful, spiritually or materially, by these five factors. The picture of Yamaraja and Skanda is all right. But generally Yamaraja is portrayed in a fearful way and so is often pictured as black. That is all right. But actually he is a demigod and must be fair complexion. He is a mahajana and a Vaisnava as well and he is also very good looking. Skanda is Kartikeya. He is very beautiful and is situated on a peacock's back with bows and arrows and two hands. From the photograph, he appears to have many heads. But that is not correct. He only has one head. And he is considered the most beautiful personality next to Cupid. In India if a person is very beautiful, he is compared with Kartikeya. Regarding the picture for B.G. 2/62, now that I am seeing it, the snake is all right. Another name for the snake is kal. So the snake is kala, or time. Time is also death. As soon as the snake bites, everything is finished. Vasudeva means both two and four armed. At Kuruksetra both forms were shown to Arjuna. At Kuruksetra, Krsna is Vasudeva Krsna. Gaurasundara's drawing is done under my dictation, so it is authoritative and is perfect also. You can make improvements on that basis, but don't add or subtract anything. B.G. 7/15&16. The picture is all right. You can leave it if you wish, but Laksmi-Narayana would be better. B.G. 16/5&21. Radha and Krsna may remain. Similarly with B.G. 15/1-2. Introduction, pp.34 is also all right. So all your questions are good sign. You are always welcome to question me. It is my duty to guide you also, and I am always prepared. How else you will do your work? And this is also utilization of my valuable time, to give you suggestions. So far as Mahabharata is concerned, there is a Hindi translation, but I do not know of any English translation. But never mind. You can go on asking me as you have done in the past. Please offer my full blessings to all the artists there working with you. I am so much pleased upon you all and very soon I shall be going to N.Y. and thank you all personally also. Hoping this will meet you all in the best of health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ### Letter to Artists — Unknown Place, Unknown Date [PAGE 1 MISSING](2)Regarding your question, how could Visnu appear from the nostril of Brahma? The answer is that Visnu being all pervading, He can appear from anyplace. He appeared as Nrsimhadeva from the pillar. So, one may question how Visnu may appear from pillar, but actually He appeared. He is all powerful with inconceivable potency, and therefore He can appear Himself from anywhere He likes. When Lord appeared as a small hog from the nostril of Brahma He began to expand Himself more and more and gradually He became a gigantic boar. So these are inconceivable energy of the Supreme Lord. It does not, however, mean that Brahma's nostril is the birthplace of Visnu. The sun rises from the eastern horizon. That does not mean that eastern horizon is the birthplace of the sun. I hope you will understand the transcendental appearance and disappearance of the transcendental Personality of Godhead as such. In the Bhagavad-gita therefore it is stated that anyone who understands the transcendental position of the appearance, disppearance, and activities of Krsna becomes liberated immediately after quitting the present body. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ### Letter to Bhagavan ParisMy Dear Bhagavan Das; Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 5/8/74 with enclosed photographs of the house. This house is so nice. It is better than the other one. So you can purchase it. Enclosed is one letter from one person in Portugal which I am forwarding to you for necessary action. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Bhavananda BrooklynMy Dear Bhavananda; Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 20th February, 1971 and have also received the enclosed pictures and newspaper cuttings. All of them were so interesting to me. Thank you very much. You are doing so much for my Guru Maharaja. It is still more encouraging that the number of devotees in N.Y. temple is increasing. I wish that the number of devotees in every temple be more and more increased. I know that there are many young men in your country who are very frustrated but they have got one good quality. That is renunciation of this worldly attachment. From this platform they can very easily take to Krishna Consciousness. So our Krishna Consciousness Movement should be especially directed towards these frustrated persons. Make all our temples full with many devotees and after being trained up they should be sent to every town and village in your country so that they will be benefited as well as all others. So far as making speaking engagements is concerned, by all means you may do so but first of all I shall let you know definitely when I am going to N.Y. Then you can make many engagements in respectable circles. That will enhance the prestige of our society. Yes, let the devotees wait for initiation until I go there and under your care let them become more and more strong in Krishna Consciousness. I am looking forward to visiting N.Y. City. N.Y. is favored by me because I started this movement from there, and I wish to see that all the residents of N.Y. Krishna Consciously advanced. Please offer my blessings to the others there. Hoping this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/adb ### Letter to Brother — Jhansi, November, 1958 My dear Brother, Please excuse me if I have offended you by calling you my dear Brother. Actually you are my dear brother and when you know me you shall be pleased that I have called you as such. You are my brother in relation to our common and Eternal Father the Almighty Personality of Godhead Sri Krishna the revealing Author of the great book of Philosophy "Bhagavad-gita." And from this book of transcendental knowledge, I have known that you and all other living entities, in whatever form they may be, are all my brothers. But I know some other less intelligent brothers, who are now in the animal kingdom, will not be able to recognize me even if I address them as my dear brothers, for the reason of their being grossly enwrapped in material consciousness. But as you are a human being and as you have developed the consciousness of a human being, I have ventured to approach you and address you directly "My dear brother." Please therefore do not mistake my endeavor. You may be, although I do not believe it, one of those other brothers who do not believe in the existence of any Person like Godhead our eternal Father. But if you so believe, I shall tell you that you are mistaken. Your conviction as such is due to your either being misled by another waylaid brother or due to your failure to make communion with our Eternal Father. You are not therefore in the right consciousness if you do not believe in Him. I am prepared to convince you in every respect that there is our Eternal Father and He wants you and all of us to go back to our permanent home. If you argue that there is no such Father God at all, then I am still more prepared to argue with you in all seriousness. In that case you may kindly let me know your definite view points relevantly so that I may try to reply these points one by one. And should you desire to argue with me, then my only request to you will be that for all such arguments we must be always very sincere and serious. Once we are convinced in that way, we must be prepared to act accordingly. You may also argue that if there is any God at all, let Him be peacefully at His pleasure at any place He likes and we have no business with Him whatsoever. In that case I shall again say that you have every business with Him by re-establishing your forgotten eternal relation with Him. Suppose you are a rich man's son and you have left your home, forgetting your father's property, home and happiness. And if some body gives you information about your paternal property of immense value which you can inherit by your birthright claim, will you neglect that friend? I am sure you will not. I am able to give you such important information. I can challenge you that you are not happy in the present set up of your affairs. You may have in your possession your so called accumulated material wealth, health or happiness but still you are always feeling some insufficiency and frustration and thus you are not happy as you ought to have been. If you do not feel like this, then you must be either an abnormal man or a liberated saint or in gross ignorance of lower consciousness. Should you feel yourself abnormally happy, I shall ask you the following plain questions. They are as follows:—1) Do you like to die?2) Do you like to take your birth again?3) Do you like to be an old man?4) Do you like to be a diseased man? I am sure you shall reply to all these questions by saying the only word "No." If you think yourself happy then have you solved all the above problems in any way? Have your vast resources of material knowledge helped you in solving these seemingly common but very big problems? Do you think that you shall ever be able to solve the above problems at any length of time? If you say so, I shall again call you in abnormal condition. So do not become a madman in false conviction. Do not remain in ignorance for your problems. Be just like a fully developed conscious man and acknowledge that you have never been happy in the true sense of the term neither your ideal of happiness has ever been fulfilled. The way in which you are seeking to be happy or trying to make others happy in your manufactured ideology—is called "Maya" or illusion. By such illusory way of making yourself and others happy, you have simply been credited with creation of much disturbances and entanglement for all concerned. That is the record of history of the material world. Empire may come and empire may go, the problems of life remains the same. Please therefore be cool headed and patiently ask within yourself if you are really happy. The happiness which you are hankering after is possible to be attained as soon as you learn to introspect yourself within yourself. You are yourself your friend and you are yourself your enemy. You can raise yourself by your self effort and you can down yourself by the same effort. It is simply to know the direction and the way. In the right direction you can make yourself happy in the right way. Please therefore contact us and we shall help you to raise yourself to your normal happiness. It is no dream neither any bluff. You shall know yourself how far you have made progress in that path and our duty will be to help you only. Thinking that you shall be a prospective member of our League of Devotees, I am sending you herewith a copy of the Prospectus and I wish most sincerely that you should become an active member of this great institution. Pay or pay not you can become a member without obligation and the League welcomes you always accepting you as the Divine child. Yours Sincerely, For the League of Devotees, Abhay Charanarvinda BhaktivedantaSecretary. ### Letter to Brother — Unknown Place, September, 1955 Dear Brother, I am in due receipt of your kind enquiry and I am glad that you wish to become a member of the League of Devotees for learning the science & techniques of Theism or spiritualism of the highest standard. The Prospectus is enclosed herewith please find & decide for yourself for becoming a permanent member of this noble institution. The membership fees are mentioned below which is the extract from the Leagues registered rules & regulations. Rule 1. "The general body of the League will consist of members of the four orders of life namely (a) Brahmacaris (b) Grhasthas (c) Vanaprasthas (d) Sannyasis or Tyagis".Rule 4. "The members will be of three classes defined as class A, B and C in accordance with the membership fees paid. (a) Those who will contribute Rs 500/- and above per month will belong to the "A" class. (b) Those who will contribute Rs 50/- and above per month will belong to the "B" class. (c) Those who will contribute Rs 10/- and above per month will belong to the "C" class."Rule 16. "Every member is entitled to one vote either in person or by proxy at a general meeting held for its elections of the members of the Executive Committee or for any other purposes."If you think yourself unable to pay either of the above mentioned membership fees per month, then you can apply for free membership or for a lesser value of monthly subscription for consideration of the Executive Committee, who will decide on the subject. But if you become preacher member, in that case you will have to pay once Rs 10/- only for the degree of "Bhakti-sastri" which will be awarded to you by registered certificate of degree for your becoming preaching member of the League and doing the necessary preaching work on behalf of the League. The preaching work is conducted as follows:(1) As soon as you get the certificate of degree of "Bhakti-sastri" at once you become a bona fide preacher of this institution and for this you will have to read "Bhagavad-gita" regularly.(2) As you go on reading "Bhagavad-gita" question will arise in your mind for so many teachings in that Book & you are at liberty to ask us for answers of those questions which will be replied to you very clearly for your understanding.(3) Some of the general questions are already answered in different pamphlets & one of them is sent herewith for example and your understanding.(4) These questions & answers you will have to preach to others, so that both yourself & your audience will be benefited by that process.(5) If you cannot go to others outside your hearth & home, you can do the preaching work amongst your family members only and in this meeting your other friends, neighbors & relatives also can join.(6) Hold this meeting regularly for one hour in your home or any other suitable place near about your home, and chant the hymns or slokas of "Bhagavad-gita" with reverence & devotion. If possible the reading of Bhagavad-gita may be preceded & followed by a congregation chanting of the holy name of God as mentioned below—Hare Krishna . . . Hare Hare.(7) Now relevant questions that may be arising out in the meeting may either be answered relevantly & just according to the authority of "Bhagavad-gita". But if it is found difficult the question may at once be referred to us and it will be very nicely & clearly answered by us for clear understanding of all concerned.(8) Some of the audience also may be interested in becoming a preaching worker of this League & we shall be glad to substain him in the same way as we shall be dealing with you. We are interested more in preaching members than in the sleeping members. The motto of preaching shall always be aimed at the ultimate goal of life. The ultimate goal of life is to re-establish our lost relation with Godhead who is the Absolute Whole, and we all living entities are His parts & parcels. We have forgotten our relation with Godhead from time immemorial by somehow or other & due to our forgetfulness of the relation, we are roaming life after life in different species of bodies which are 84 lacs in number. This process of transmigration from one body to another after death is a __ of disease of the living entity & the chance of curing the disease is possible very effectively in this human form of life. The value of this human form of life is therefore immense and a moment lost of this life means a loss of immense value. Do not therefore neglect the time that you have been allotted by the laws of Nature and utilize it fully—not in the matter of animal life but in human life. Eating, sleeping, fearing & sense gratifying process are meant for the animal portion of our life, but as human being we have got the special prerogative for searching out the cause of our threefold miseries & to rectify it in this very life without any further loss of time. The League of Devotees stand to serve the humanity in this spirit & the preaching member's cooperation in this noble act of human behavior will reciprocally benefit both the League and its preaching members. The highest benefit that is possible to do to the humanity is this act of preaching for receiving the Divine Consciousness of the living being. By doing so, we do not only send a living entity back to home & back to Godhead but at the same time we ourselves also go back to home back to Godhead. Rise up to the occasion of this preaching work & be a real benefactor to the people in general & your family members in particular.[PAGE MISSING] ### Letter to BTG Friend — (Mathura U.P.), Dated as Postmark Tridandi GoswamiResidence: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami --- 1/859 Keshi GhatEditor: Back to Godhead P.O. VrindabanMy dear friend, Please accept my hearty greetings. I beg to inform you that a few copies of the "BACK TO GODHEAD" papers including the current and latest one are dispatched herewith to your address, and I shall request you to go through them with attention. This paper is devoted to the cause of saving the human being from becoming an animal again. The unrest of the world is not created by God, but it is so done by the misgiven mind of the sensuous man. You cannot bring in peace and prosperity simply by material activities. You have to attain to the standard position of real life. The reality of life does not depend on the temporary body and the flickering mind, but it is transcendental to all such material conceptions. You have to realize, therefore, the message of perfect life through your submissive aural reception and get it fixed up in your spiritual identity. By doing so you shall be happy both in this as well as in the next life. Please do not be carried away by the misgiven mind to conclude that the present life is all in all. You are eternal, and the present form of human life is a chance of realizing your eternal life. Do not spoil your life simply by serving the misgiven mind and the uncontrolled senses. Please do not become your own enemy by your own self."Back to Godhead" is a guaranteed literature to awaken your spiritual identity. It is essential and authorized. If you feel any doubt, please inquire from me, and I shall clear it up.,Please therefore be a regular subscriber to this valuable magazine published fortnightly. The nominal subscription for one year is Rs. 2/4/- only including Indian postage. And if you become a life subscriber by paying Rs. 51/- (fifty-one) at a time, you shall not only get the paper throughout the life without further payment but also you will help me to attempt for a wider circulation of the paper throughout the world. It is a mission of human welfare work, and I shall request you to extend your full co-operation. Thanking you in anticipation. Yours in the service of the Lord, Sd/- A.C. Bhaktivedanta SwamiEnclosures:(1) "Back to Godhead" papers.(2) Enrollment form.(3) Readers' appreciation ### Letter to Dhananjaya VrndavanaMy Dear Dhananjaya das; Please accept my blessings. Kindly send me a report immediately to the Johannesburg address. Hoping this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher; A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/hd ### Letter to Dixit BombayMy dear Dixit das; Please accept my blessings. I thank you for your letter dated August 26th, and have noted the contents. By the grace of Lord Nrsimhadeva I am improving in my health. I expect to be coming to Bombay as soon as Giriraja completes my new quarters on Hare Krishna Land. At that time I may see you. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs/hdb ### Letter to Dr. Ghosh Dear Dr. Ghosh; Please accept my greetings. I am in due receipt of your letter of 10 March 1974 and I have noted the contents carefully. I am very much pleased to learn you are so much advanced spiritually. I have seen your book, Pancamrta, and found it very interesting. I can understand you are following the impersonal aspect of the Absolute Truth, but I am glad to see you have chanted the Holy Name of Lord Krsna. This is the only process:kaler dosa-nidhe rajann asti hy eko mahan gunahkirtanad eva krsnasya mukta-sangah param vrajet[SB 12.3.51]In this age of Kali yuga everything is full of faulty things and the only remedy is to chant the Holy Name of Krsna. That is the injunction given in the Vedas. In any condition anyone can chant Hare Krsna Maha Mantra and by doing so one can be elevated to the highest platform. Param vijayate Sri Krsna sankirtanam This is a verse of Siksastakam by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. I am also very glad to hear you want to retire completely from materialistic life and devote yourself fully to the service of the Lord. The service of the Lord can be done directly as Krsna says, Sarva dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vrajam [Bg. 18.66]. There is no need of rendering service to the daridras in order to reach Krsna. Of course we can show our mercy to the daridras, there is not objection, but this philosophy that Narayana comes in the form of daridra to receive our service is against our philosophy. Daridra is daridra, Narayana is Narayana. Narayana demands service directly not through daridra. But we can show our mercy to daridra, that is a different thing. There are philosophic differences between other schools and the Bhagavad-gita. I wish that you live with us for some time. Wherever you like, either Mayapur, Vrindaban or Bombay. We have books, about 20 in number, about 400 pages each, especially on the basis of Srimad Bhagavad gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, Caitanya-caritamrta, Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu etc. I know you are very studious and I request you to become a member of our society so you can get all the books free of charge. Anyway, it will be a great pleasure for me if you can come and live with me for some time. From here, Vrindaban, I am going to Bombay, at the following address: Hare Krishna Land, Gandhi Gram Road, Juhu, Bombay. Conveniently you may try to come and live with me for some time. Our philosophy is Krsnas tu bhagavan svayam [SB 1.3.28]. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is Krsna and by His instruction we can become the supreme perfect:mam ca yo 'vyabhicarena bhakti yogena sevatesa gunan samatityaitan brahma bhuyaya kalpate[Bg. 14.26]You are also a devotee of Krsna, if you kindly try to understand this philosophy of bhakti yoga as stated by Rupa Goswami: anyabhilasita-sunyam jnama-karmady-anavrtam/ anukulyena krsnanusilanam bhaktir uttama [Brs.1.1.11].You have written to say you are 79 years old. I am also 78. You are such a learned medical man, if you preach Krsna consciousness to people it will be well received.yad yad acarati sresthas tad tad evetaro janahsa yat pramanam kurute lokas tad anuvartate[Bg. 3.21]I wish that in the fag end of life if you and I together can preach Krsna Consciousness all over the world, people will be benefited and all problems of the world will be solved. That is my conviction. I take the opportunity of sending this letter with your cousin-brother Mr. Zazumdar. He is a nice gentleman, almost of our age. I talked with him and felt great pleasure. Sometimes I think of going to Allahabad. So whenever I shall get the opportunity I may go, as I like the place. I am obliged to you for your remembering me even after so many years passed when we were together in Prayag Pharmacy. I hope this will meet you in good health. I am advising my men in Calcutta to send one copy of Gita Gan in Bengali and in the meantime I am presenting to you one copy of our Krsna Book Trilogy. You will find a list of my other books printed in the Krsna Book. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sdg ### Letter to Dr. Ghosh AllahabadMy dear Dr. Ghosh; Please accept my greetings. I wish to thank you very much, as I have received you letter of March 15, and noted its contents. As far as your coming here in Bombay you are welcome at any moment. I am here at least up until the 20th of April and you can come and stay sometime and try to understand the philosophy of the Krsna Consciousness Movement. After the 20th, I may be going to Hyderabad where we have a center, and if you like you may accompany me to Hyderabad. We can continually discuss the Bhagavad-gita. Our Krsna Consciousness Movement is based on the principles of Bhagavad-gita As It Is, without malinterpretation. Krsna says in the Fourth Chapteryada yada hi dharmasyaglanir bhavati bharataabhyutthanam adharmasyatadatmanam srjamyaham[Bg. 4.7]paritranaya sadhunamvinasaya ca duskrtamdharma-samsthapanarthayasambhavami yuge yuge[Bg. 4.8]The whole world is Krsna's property. The material world is a field of activities for the corrupt conditioned souls who desire to enjoy in imitation of the Supreme. For them, Krsna gives facilities for material enjoyment, but He wants the conditioned souls—after finishing their material enjoyment—to come back to Him with bitter experience of material existence. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gita there is the essence of Vedic instructions. The plan is that the conditioned soul may fulfill his desire for material enjoyment and at the same time be trained up in spiritual identity to come back to Godhead, back to home. As such, Bhagavad-gita contains the solution of all problems of the material world. Unfortunately, foolish people described as duskrtina, do not want to take instruction from the Lord, although it is completely perfect—but they select their own concocted leaders who are themselves blind, and therefore the world is in chaotic condition on account of rascal leaders in all fields. There are so many rascal leaders in politics, social life, cultural, philosophy, religion, etc. They are all misguided. Bhagavad-gita, therefore is the only light from which we can take direction for all our civic activities. Our Krsna Consciousness Movement was started only for this purpose. Sometimes back, when I was in Moscow, I had discussion with a big professor, Kotovsky, and I challenged him. "Where is the difference between the Communist philosophy and any other? Everyone has to accept a particular leader and follow his instructions under a brand of ism." But because leaders are all fools and rascals, the ultimate result of following them is disappointment. In the western countries there have been many revolutions, in France, England, Germany and Russia, simply to change leaders of this ism to that ism. In India also since India's contact with the western countries, there have been certain types of revolutions, and they are now going on. Recently in our experience there was attempt to drive away the British. This revolution changed India from dependence to independence, but factually the situation has deteriorated from bad to worse. We are old friends, we know that in Allahabad when I was there, ghee was selling for 1 kg. per 1 rupee, and now its costs 20-25 rupees per kg. In this way, things have not improved, in so many ways. This is due to imperfect leaders. Therefore our propaganda is to educate people to accept Krsna as the perfect leader in all fields of activity, and if people take to it seriously they will be happy in this life and after quitting this body he goes back to home, back to Godhead. There is no difficulty in understanding this philosophy in full brain and it is the urgent necessity that it be spread all over the world. Therefore the best service to human society is to educate them after the principle of the Gita, otherwise they are losing the chance of perfection in the human life and going down again to the circle of birth and death and transmigration in different species of life numbering 8,400,000. It is very interesting to discuss on this point and it will be a great pleasure for me if you come and stay with me for some time and preach this philosophy amongst the higher section of society. This is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita:yad yad acarati srestas tad tad evetaro janajsa yat pramanam kurute lokas tad anuvartate[Bg. 3.21]Thanking you in anticipation, Yours sincerely, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sdg ### Letter to Gatravan Daytona BeachMy dear Gatravan das; Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter and have noted the contents. I do not know why you are bringing this matter to my attention. I have appointed Rupanuga das as my GBC to take care of these matters. Do not bother my brain. I cannot understand what has gone on but I simply request you to return to the temple and take part in the activities. In addition you should chant Hare Krishna and read my books and cooperate with the authorities. If you engage yourself full time in preaching then there won't be any other time for these other activities. You should approach the other Vaisnavas in a very humble state of mind.vanca kalpatarubhyas ca krpa sindhubhya eva capatitanam pavanebhyo vaisnavebhyo namo namahDo not be puffed up but always be more tolerant than the tree. This is the prescription given by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs/hdb ### Letter to Giriraj Prabhu — Mayapur My Dear Giriraj Prabhu: Please accept my humble obeisances at your feet. I am in due receipt of you letter dated September 24, 1974 with enclosed copy of the Income Tax Notice. I have discussed toy letter with His Divine Grace and may reply to the points. Regarding the money you have transferred to Vrindaban, you have not mentioned what account, I assume it is No. 668, Punjab National Bank. Now they have taken commission of Rs, 305/80 as well as Rs. 5/- for telegram, but this must ve gotten back. Enclosed is a letter from the Vrindaban branch to the Bombay Head Office specifically requesting that no commission charges be made. So you should do the needful. Here at Calcutta we transferred money to PNB Vrindaban, and by showing this letter did not have to pay commission charges. Please let me know what is the outcome of this. Keep the balance of Am. Exp. a/c until the future. Regarding the repayment of the loan from the account, that Bhagavan knows more then me. It is not good that still the accounts are not in order. Regarding the Tax Comission, yes use Mr. Nair's letter that he wanted to give us the land at concession because we had no money at the time. Prabhupad replied that he would pay on installment and Nsir agreed because our cause is very great. We get so many donations of land. Prabhupad has asked me to write to Mahamsa Swami for him to send the Pulla Reddy letter. This letter from Mrs, Saroff is difficult to obtained at a later date. So you can mention the Vrindaban land in your appeal, but there are also many others. The most recent is a parcel of land donated in Orissa to ISKCON-Bombay. Enclosed please find the document. Similarly in foreign countries Bhaktivedanta Manor was given by George Harrison, and Alfred Ford is giving the Hawaii property, and when this is transaction is completed we can supply the relative documents. So because of the nature of out institution we regularly get donations of land which are not used for profit-making. Regarding the Life Membership increase, Gargamuni SwamiPresented strong arguments for not increasing it, but because of the situation indigenous to Calcutta. If you are getting success there, and similarly thay got success at Natadwara I understand, I suggest that we have the donar membership at Rs. 1,000/- and the life membership at Rs. 2,000/-. I will discuss it with Gargamuni Swami this weekend and try yo get some agreement. I hope this meets you in good health. Your servant, Brahmananda SwamiApprovedACBS ### Letter to Guru-gauranga GenevaMy dear Gurugauranga das; Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Sept, 1 1974 and have noted the contents. Regarding the marriage of Ramiya devi dasi; you can find out a suitable boy there, I think that Bhagavan das can arrange this. It is not necessary for Bilvamangala to marry this particular girl, another can be found out. Regarding the remarks of Prof. Jean Herbert, in Bhagavad-gita we find no instruction except devotional service or bhakti yoga. We have to prove this from the statements of the Bhagavad gita. We cannot accept the interpretation of an outsider. Regarding karma yoga the Lord says:yat karosi yad asnasi yaj juhosi dadasi yatyat tapasyasi kaunteya tat kurusva mad-arpanam[Bg. 9.27]This mad-arpanam is bhakti yoga. Similarly the Lord says:bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyatevasudevah sarvam iti sa mahatma sudurlabhah[Bg. 7.19]This means that jnana alone is not good unless the jnani surrenders to Krishna. Unless one does so his knowledge is not perfect. Similarly at the end of the Bhagavad gita the Lord says:sarva dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vrajaaham tvam sarva papebhyo moksayisyami ma sucah[Bg. 18.66]This is the ultimate goal to surrender to the Supreme Lord. This is the end of yoga. He also says at the end of the 6th chapter:yoginam api sarvesam mad gatenantaratmanasraddhavan bhajate yo mam sa me yuktatamo matah[Bg. 6.47]Of all yogas, karma yoga, hatha yogi, etc., one who always thinks of Krishna is the 1st class yogi. We are teaching people to become 1st class yogis in Krishna consciousness. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs/hdb ### Letter to Hansadutta VrindabanMy dear Hansadutta Maharaja; Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated July 24, 1976 and have noted the contents with care. You should carry on your sankirtana movement; you are fit for that. Wherever you like you can make your Hq.I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/pks ### Letter to Jananivasa — Bombay, November, 1970 My dear Jananivasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 23rd November as well as the encouraging newspaper article enclosed. Please forgive this late replay, but due to my traveling much of my mail has been neglected. Presently I am touring many cities in India and the response here has been very good. Actually everyone in India is a devotee; they have simply been misled by politicians and so many things. By Lord Chaitanya's mercy we are again reviving their original Krishna Consciousness, just as we are doing in all our centers all over the world. I am very glad to learn that your college program is doing so nicely there. Please continue in this way and also introduce our books into the classes and libraries. We want to reach the intelligent class of men and so this college program is of first rate importance. In your country they are very scientifically minded and so if Krishna Consciousness is presented to them nicely, surely they will take to this, the greatest of sciences. You can approach the professors in that way and try to arrange for accredited classes in Krishna Consciousness also. So far as getting yourself married is concerned, I have no objection. Be sure that you can meet the obligations of Grihasta order of life and then when you find a nice girl you may marry with my blessings. Thank you for your invitation to Columbus temple and I will be very glad to visit there when I return to the U.S. I will be going to New Vrindaban, so perhaps from there I can visit Columbus. Please offer my blessings to the other good devotees there. Hoping this will meet you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/adbSriman --- Jananivasa Das Brahmacharyc/o ISKCON Columbus318 E. 20th Ave. Columbus, Ohio 43201 ### Letter to Jayadvaja — 1975 My dear Jayadvaja das, Please accept my blessings. Your name is not Jaya Dharma but Jayadvaja das. Please chant 16 rounds and follow the 4 regulative principles. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ### Letter to Jayapataka MayapurMy dear Jayapataka Maharaja; Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter undated and have noted the contents carefully. Let Prabhu Svarupa transfer the land immediately, we shall do the needful. You are an intelligent boy so you can take it from me that this Haridasapur scheme is for making a link with Bangladesh, so we have to deal from that point of view. Let him collect the funds and see that it is done properly there. We shall organize a nice organization there. It doesn't matter that he cannot assure the full money. As far as the fresh initiation goes, we shall see later on. I am expecting to receive the land upon arrival. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/pks ### Letter to Ksirodakasayi LondonMy dear Ksirodakasayi dasa; Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Sept 1, 1974, and thank you very much for it. By the grace of Lord Nrsimhadeva I have recovered from the danger and am improving daily and I thank you for your prayers. I am very glad to learn that you are reading my books and preaching. That will make you happy, and the audience listening they will also become happy. I am very glad that you are taking up this active service of preaching. In Amsterdam you just try to deliver the fallen souls. Caitanya Mahaprabhu is known as patita pavana, the deliverer of the fallen souls. So as you have taken the vow of service you can deliver the most fallen souls by this Krishna consciousness movement. There in the temple they have got now Jagannatha Deities so let them worship and do it nicely. When you have got practice and 12 brahmana devotees then Radha and Krishna can be installed. Regarding the incense factory; yes, you can guide them but you should not be very much involved with business. Be on the sidelines and help them. Regarding the Hindi printing, no, you do not have to send the manuscript here, you can print there. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Ksirodakasayi > London My Dear Ksirodakasayi das;Please accept my blessings, I am in due receipt of your Sri Vyasa Puja offering and I thank you very much for it. I hope everything is going nicely in your preaching. Simply read my books and repeat what I have written then your preaching will be perfect. Your ever well wisher A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs/hb ### Letter to Ksirodakasayi — Calcutta, March 1972 To Ksirodakasayi: Proceed Vrindaban immediately. Await instructions. Bhaktivedanta Swami. ### Letter to Ksirodakasayi — Unknown Place, Unknown Date My Dear Ksirodakasayi, Please accept my blessings. We are getting a good opportunity to possess a nice house and a press in Vrndavana. So instead of making your headquarters in Delhi, if you live in Vrndavana and manage the printing affair and gradually develop a large press—what do you think of this idea? As you are conversant in both Hindi and English, you can train up some of our American and European students to speak Hindi. We can have a large center in Vrndavana. Please think this over and let me have your opinion as soon as possible. From Delhi, Vrndavana is not far. From Vrndavana you can easily go to Delhi, even daily. Many people of Vrndavana go to Delhi early in the morning and in the evening come back. Of course it is not a daily business, but our Delhi business can also be conducted if we make our headquarters in Vrndavana. Hope this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ### Letter to Madhudvisa MelbourneMy dear Madhudvisa Swami; Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your telegram regarding the baby boy born to Ram Prasad. So far the name is concerned you can call him Bhaktivardhana das. All my blessings are there for the child so that he may become a pure Vaisnava. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs/hdb ### Letter to Madhudvisa — Unknown Place, Unknown Date MADHUVISA SWAMIIF NO MEN AVAILABLE FOR HONG KONG WHATEVER YOU DECIDE IS ALL RIGHT ... A C BHAKTIVEDANTA SWAMI ### Letter to Madhudvisa — Unknown Place, Unknown Date MADHUDVISA SWAMIADDRESSED TRIVIKRAMA QUOTE PLEASE STAY AT LEAST ONE MONTH DO NOT LEAVE IT SHOULD NOT BE CLOSED I AM GOING TO SEE SITUATION BHURIJANA MAY ALSO BE PRESENTBHAKTIVEDANTA SWAMI ### Letter to Madira, c/o ISKCON Buffalo > 7, Bury Place; London, W.C.1; ENGLAND My Dear Madira Devi Dasi, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 18th August, 1971 as well as your check for $14.12 as daksina. Thank you very much for the same. If you have collected so much on Sankirtan from BTG distribution above the cost of the magazine, that means you must be a first class BTG distributor. That is very nice. Actually that is our most important business-to distribute our Back to Godhead magazine and if you will go on in this way with enthusiasm and determination for distributing BTG to everyone you meet then Krishna will surely bless you more and more. Hoping this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/adb ### Letter to Mahamsa Swami, February, 1977 > H.H. Mahamsa Swami Hare Krishna Land Nampally Station road Hyderbad Sree Dham Mayapur Dist Nadia, West Bengal India Dear Mahamsa Maharaj, Please accept my blessings. I have received your report from Hyderbad dated February 15, and have examined the contents. I am glad you are enthusiastic to carry out my proposal for regular kirtan and prasadam distribution. Not just in Hyderbad, but all over the world expenditure must be met to carry out this simple standard program. Innumerable centers may be opened, but their program is this, kirtan, prasadam and then philosophy. As for your cow protection on the farm, see that the cows are healthy and strong. Even if a cow doesn't give milk, feed her and just by her stool and urine she will be valuable. The cows are not to be touched for any reason, still they must be protected, not protected only under a certain condition. As for the children and Gurukula, the village children may learn English, but also they must learn how to plough. It is not that everyone has to be educated. It has become a fashion to learn English and then search out service in the cities. The sudras do not require English, but require how to plough. As for your request for money from the Trust Account for construction and water development, when you come to Mayapur we shall do the needful. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sdg ### Letter to Members — Bombay THE LEAGUE OF DEVOTEES INC.Under Societies Act No. XXI 1860Editor: "Back to Godhead"Founder Secretary: Goswami Abhay Charan Bhaktivedanta. Bombay Office: 93, Narayan Dhuru St. Bombay-3.Dated as post mark. On the Supreme Order of His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Maharaj, I beg to inform you that it is now high time to revive the divine consciousness of mankind, the people in general, modern leaders, philosophers, and religionists - considering the deteriorated world situation in every respect. Dormant divine consciousness of the living entity is developed in the human being by natural evolution but it is sometimes snubbed down by artificial force on account of too much desire to Lord it over the material nature. The result is that such mode of civilization renders people short-lived, slow in understanding matters important in life (spiritual knowledge), accepting the wrong way of perfection, unfortunate even in material prosperity and always disturbed by diseases and distresses. And these are some of the gifts of nature in the mode of Godless civilization. The above symptoms are now dominant all over the world in spite of the Godless leaders' various plans to bring in peace and prosperity upon the people. The only remedy is to revive the dormant divine consciousness by dissemination of spiritual knowledge. Back to Godhead is devoted to this mission for all round human welfare work with wider outlook and for this there are many appreciations by educated circle. It is now decided that copies of the above paper will be posted to the leading men of the world in the following scale: (1) Afghanistan 1,000, (2) America 10,000, (3) Argentina 500, (4) Belgium 500, (5) Brazil 500, (6) Burma 1,000, (7) Canada 500, (8) Chile 500, (9) China 10,000, (10) Czechoslovakia 500, (11) Denmark 500, (12) Egypt 1,000, (13) Ethiopia 500, (14) France 1,000, (15) Germany 5,000, (16) Greece 1,000, (17) Indonesia 500, (18) Iran 500, (19) Iraq 500, (20) Italy 1,000, (21) Japan 2,000, (22) Laos 500, (23) Mexico 500, (24) Monaco 500, (25) Mongolia 500, (26) Nepal 500, (27) Netherlands 1,000 (28) Norway 1,000, (29) Philippines 500, (30) Poland 500, (31) Saudi Arabia 500, (32) Sudan 500, (33) Syria 500, (34) Thailand 500, (35) Sweden 500, (36) Turkey 500 (37) Vietnam 500, (38) U.S.S.R. 10,000, (39) Yugoslavia 500, (40) Austria 500, (41) Bulgaria 500, (42) Finland 500, (43) Holy See 500, (44) Hungary 500, (45) Rumania 500, (46) Switzerland 500, (47) Australia 2,000, (48) Cambodia 500, (49) Ceylon 500, (50) Ghana 500, (51) Malaya 500, (52) Pakistan 1,000, (53) United Kingdom 10,000. It is expected that all intelligent men will join this spiritual movement for a total reformation. This propaganda work is a part of SAMKIRTANJAJNA recommended for the people of this age. The difficulty is that misguided people are more interested in the matter of sense gratification than in self-realization which is the ultimate goal of life. We have therefore taken up the difficult job to perform and it is our duty to do it. We invite you to cooperate with the mission for collective welfare and help in the matter of wider circulation of the spiritual propaganda made by the BACK TO GODHEAD.We shall request you to bear the cost of publishing, printing and distributing some issues of the BACK TO GODHEAD. This paper is issued twice in a month and the cost of 2 x 1,000 copies are as follows: -Printing Rs. 72/-Paper 50/-Posting (at concession rate of postage) 40/-Packing 8/-________Total Rs. 170/-________Rupees one hundred and seventy only. Please try to contribute the expenses for one, two, three or more up to 2 x 12 issues in a year. If not at least for one month in a year, you can accept the burden for God's sake and distribute the same with YOUR GOOD NAME PRINTED ON THE ISSUES AS A DONOR. This service of spiritual value with your hard earned money on behalf of Godhead, will be recognized by the Lord and you will be blessed with spiritual enlightenment in your life without fail. Please experience it factually exactly like a man fed in hunger. Sacrifice, charity and penances are three essential things for attaining spiritual light. The suggested way to you is the easiest one to cover all the above three important spiritual activities. Do not miss this opportunity. Kindly adopt it immediately and see the result how it acts. May good counsel prevail upon you. Please read the current issue of the paper which is donated by an enlightened soul and follow the example for your as well as the world's good. Thanking you in anticipation, Yours faithfully, Goswami Abhay Charan BhaktivedantaEditor: Back to Godhead and Founder Secretary The league of DevoteesEnclosure: - 1. ### Letter to Mr. Apparao HyderabadDear Mr. Apparao; Please accept my best wishes. I thank you for your letter dated nil and I am very glad to note your enthusiasm for becoming Krishna conscious. Actually we can see that by so much material endeavor, no one is becoming satisfied or happy. Rather the world is becoming a more hellish place to live. Therefore one who is able to take to Krishna consciousness is considered the most fortunate of men. To help people in this regard I have established my temple all over the world. Presently we have established a nice center in Hyderabad where you can take full advantage of the temple life. There you will be able to purchase our books, attend kirtana and lectures and take Krishna prasada every day. Our temple president Mahamsa Swami will be able to completely guide you. He will be able to engage you in Krishna's service. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs/hdb ### Letter to Mr. Gupta ChandigarhDear Mr. Das Gupta; Please accept my blessings. I have received your letter dated 7th August 1976 and have noted the contents. I am going to New Delhi by the end of the month. You can come there and take information. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/hs ### Letter to Mrs. Singhal 113 D.J. Rd.Ville Parle, W.Bombay 56My dear Mrs. Singhal; I thank you very much for your letter dated August 31st. Please accept my blessings. By the grace of Lord Nrsimhadeva my health is improving. I have informed Giriraja das that when he completes my quarters I will surely come to Bombay, and look forward to seeing you then. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs/hdb ### Letter to Nandarani, Unknown — Unknown Place, Unknown Date > OM3) What is the real meaning of Omkara?It is explained clearly in the twenty-first chapter of the Teachings of Lord Caitanya that the sound representation of Omkara is non-different than Krsna. Omkara is one of Krsna's innumerable incarnations and as such Omkara is completely transcendental. The impersonalist, however, has a tendency to place more emphasis on Omkara and less on the Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna. Lord Caitanya appeared specifically to teach personal love of God through the chanting of the supreme Name of Krsna. For purification we need concern ourselves with no other teachings than those of Lord Caitanya; and what He taught was that in this age of Kali there is no other way to achieve God-realization than by chanting the Holy Names Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. Omkara is there, and one may chant Omkara and achieve impersonal realization. But we are Vaisnavas and we are seeking the supreme perfection. Therefore we are chanting the supreme Name—Krsna My dear Nandarani, The answers are all right and you directly write him. Also invite him to question further if he does not understand. In this way go on and if there is difficulty consult me. ACBSP.S. Krsna has made all living entities perfect and therefore every living entity has independence. Misuse of independence is the cause of imperfection. Living entity being minute there is always a chance of misuse of his independence. This is unavoidable because that is the meaning of independence. ### Letter to Natalie Orloff MontrealDear Natalie Orloff; Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated August 5th, and am glad that you have had the opportunity to be in our temples in Toronto and Montreal and that you enjoyed the association of the devotees. Forgetfulness of Krishna means an unhealthy state of life which is symptomized by so many problems and distresses. So if we want to attain our natural happy state of life of full satisfaction, we must again take to the shelter of Krishna. Therefore we have established the Krishna consciousness movement, to let people attain again this healthy state of life. I hope you will continue to chant Hare krishna and carefully study our books which will guide you every step of the way to successful spiritual life. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ndb ### Letter to Nityananda New OrleansMy dear Nityananda das; Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter and have noted the contents with care. On your recommendation I am accepting the following disciples for first and second initiation: First Initiation: Michael Hyldahl—Vamsimohana dasaRodolfo Rios—Rasa-Vilasa dasaJames Lanclos—Jnana-natha dasaWillie Butch McCord—Vaninatha Raya dasaSecond Initiation: Jitamitra das brahmacaryHold a fire sacrifice and present the beads and gayatri mantra tape with brahmana thread at that time. The initiates should follow our four principles of Godly life namely; no eating of meat, fish or eggs; no gambling, no intoxication, and no illicit sex. All devotees must also chant the prescribed 16 rounds on the beads daily, without fail. Enclosed you will find one brahmana thread and gayatri mantra. After the fire sacrifice the tape of the gayatri mantra should be played into the right ear of the initiate. To become a brahmana means to be always clean outside by regular cleanliness and inside by chanting the Hare Krishna maha mantra. The beads for the first initiates should be chanted on by your GBC man and the names given at the time of the sacrifice. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/hs ### Letter to Pusta Krsna My Dear Pusta Krsna Maharaja; Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated July 18, 1976 and have noted the contents with care. I am very pleased that you are preaching for preaching is our main line. Harikesa Swami was also doing preaching work and now you are also. Preaching is the most important business. Although my personal service is also important, the preaching work comes first. I want everyone of our men to become first class preachers. So you want to preach that is best. Don't be worried, but go on with your preaching and you will be happy. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/pks ### Letter to Ramesvar Prabhu — Vrindaban > _HI Dear Ramesvar Prabhu: Please accept my humble obeisances. I am in due receipt of your letter dated September 11, 1974. In response to Srila Prabhupad has asked me to write you that what you have deducted from Guru Kripa's collection should also be transferred to Bombay account immediately. BBT must pay for these things, not that it should be deducted from the money being sent here for construction. Regarding the Dollars 7,500 Giriraj is supposed to have received, that I am enquiring from him, but in the meantime the balance, which comes to Dollars 22,490.63 should be immediately transferred to Bombay American Express account with notice by separate post informing me as such. I hope this meets you in good health. Your servant, Bramananda SwamiPersonal SecretaryApproved: A.C.B.S ### Letter to Ramesvara My Dear Ramesvara; Please accept my blessings. Enclosed please find one book written by Harikesa Prabhu called, Spiritual Dialectism. Please first of all print it in Back to Godhead magazine and if the response is good it maybe made into a book along the lines of Svarupa Damodaras book, The Scientific Basis of Krishna Consciousness. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/hd ### Letter to Rayarama — Unknown Place, Unknown Date My Dear Rayarama, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated March 9. So far the ideas for San Francisco or India are concerned, they are dropped for the time being. Better the press idea be fulfilled in N.Y. I have got a greater attachment for N.Y. than any other city of your country. You better stick to N.U. for the time being and do your money making schemes. The India plan will be fructified when I return there. So far the title Swami is concerned, although this word is used generally for Sannyasins, this Swami is my particular name as Sannyasi. Therefore, it must be suffixed at the end of my real name, A.C. Bhaktivedanta. So far the prefix "Swami" is concerned, every sannyasi has got to do that, but two ways Swami (Swami A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami --- ) is not good looking. The end "Swami" is necessary because it is my Sannyasa name. The first Swami may be transformed into Goswami, which is on the same order of Swami. Therefore, I use the prefix Tridandi Goswami and suffix Swami, as I have printed on my card enclosed herewith. That will be nice. In small lettering, it can be written above my name "Tridandi Goswami". Vaisnava sannyasins are known as Tridandi gosvamis, and Mayavadi sannyasins are know as only Swami. With reference to the boys holding kirtanas independently, our propaganda should be like that. That people may open different centers of their own, or each and every householder may have his own class at home. Not that everyone is required to join the society; they may take the idea from the society and introduce in their private life. And if possible, let us sell to them the paraphernalia of Kirtana, karatalas, mrdanga, Deities, etc. Hope you are well. P.S. No feasting in the evening of Caitanya's birthday. Fasting all day till evening moon rise. Then take Prasadam like Ekadasi. Next day you can have full swing feasting. On the birthday if can take a procession of Kirtana on the street it is very nice ### Letter to Rupanuga Washington, D.C.My dear Rupanuga Maharaja; Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated May 21st, 1974.I am not interested to spend money for your political party neither engage our men to divert attention from spiritual progress for political propaganda. So studying your letter thoroughly I have come to the conclusion you may stop the political program. It will not benefit our real spiritual position. My only idea was to point out to the public that unless you have purified leaders there is no possibility of advancement even in the material condition. I had no idea to spend money and energy of our society in a way which is not our real spiritual life. As for the Harmonist articles, they are not bad, but the same thing could be presented in our Back to Godhead. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sdg ### Letter to Satsvarupa, Hansadutta — Vrndavana, India, August, 1967 To: Sriman Satsvarupa BrahmacariSriman Hansadutta AdhikariBoston, Mass.[PAGE 1 MISSING]...but that we all dedicate our lives or our consciousness (no matter in what capacity) to Lord Krsna. If things can be worked out nicely within the temple, that's all right. But family life requires a certain amount of privacy and convenience, which may not always be available. I am simply concerned that you be happy and contented, so you can prosecute the most important thing, K.C., without being disturbed. Rupanuga and Damodara are both doing nicely in this regard, and I wish the same for you. Your appreciation of my Spiritual Master is very commendable. One who understands and appreciates the disciplic succession is certainly advanced, and we should always be very careful to give full respect to those who have so carefully handled this Divine Fruit of transcendental knowledge before us. Even a slight change will spoil it. That is why I have always been so careful to give you only those things which I have heard from my Guru MaharajaPlease extend my blessings to Himavati and any others who may be with you. Hope you are all well. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami --- Prabhus: Thank you for your letters. I am indeed enjoying my stay here in Vrindaban, and fully appreciate the great opportunity and responsibility that has been placed on me. My love to all. Kīrtanānanda ### Letter to Sharon Suzuki Sharon SuzukiP.O. Box 742Keaau, HawaiiMy dear Sharon Suzuki; Please accept my best wishes. I am in due receipt of your letter and I have noted the contents carefully. It is quite evident that you are feeling anxiety in your mind. The best way to overcome this, the way to control the mind is to become Krsna conscious. This is stated in the Bhagavad gita in the sixth chapter, that one has to control the mind otherwise the mind will become his worst enemy. The process for Krsna consciousness is that we control the mind through hearing and chanting. We hear the maha mantra, Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare and we hear the lectures from the spiritual master and read his books. Also we speak by preaching and by chanting. This is the easy method for controlling the mind, by hearing and chanting. So my advice to you is to somehow or other fix your mind on Krsna then you will experience peace of mind and your mind will be your best friend. I hope this meets you in the best of health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs/hdb ### Letter to Shastryji — Unknown Place, June, 1964 My dear Shastryji, I thank you for your granting me an interview yesterday morning but I was not successful in my mission because your dealing with me yesterday was more official than hearty. You asked me to send you my Srimad-Bhagavatam Part II with a note. This is not only expensive for me but also troublesome for me. Any way as you wanted me to send you a note. I am abiding by your order but I am doubtful whether you will have any time to go through my notes. The first thing is that here is the copy of your letter which you sent me on ______ after receipt of the 1st part.[TEXT MISSING]I beg to enquire if you had some time to go through the 1st part. If you have not gone through it there is no use for the 2nd part. The whole thing is to be completed in sixty parts of 400 pages. It is a mighty project and I am doing it alone. Here with please find one picture & literature for the publication. If you would have gone through the 1st part you would have actually felt how much important work I have undertaken not only for the benefit of India but also for all the world. If you actually want good government not only for India but also for all the world over, you must promote the sales of this publication either or you may purchase some thousands of copies of this publication of concessional rate & distribute both the same to all leading & thinking men of the world. Srimad-Bhagavatam is a ___ literature and it is specially needed at this hour of human disparity all over the world. So far I remember, you referred about the Education Ministry. But I may inform you that the Education Ministry has already approved of this publication and Special Sanskrit officer is purchasing 50 copies per volume. You can however order your other ministry to purchase 50 copies of each volume and distribute them as they like. The American Embassy is also purchasing 18 copies of each volume. You have desired that this important publication may be introduced in the ___ of all government unification. And if you do help me in this discretion, then I can peacefully finish up the job. I think the Government would have given me all encouragement for attempting such important work but I have not been so engaged till now. It is better late than never and I wish that in your Government I may not be neglected. ### Letter to Sir — Calcutta, May, 1949 Dear Sir, On the conclusion of the All Religious Conference held at Bombay very recently, I may submit that nothing practical has come out of it for uniting the different faiths of the world. The practical solution is lying in the transcendental message of Sri Krishna the Personality of Godhead as given by Him lately in the Bhagavad-gita. In this sacred philosophical discourse the Supreme Godhead declares Himself as the begetting Father who impregnates the seeds of living entities in the womb of Mother Nature who in turn gives birth all varieties of living species. So the plain truth is that the Supreme Godhead is the Father, the Nature is the Supreme Mother and all living entities so many children of Almighty Father Godhead and the Mother Nature. The whole arrangement is therefore a family unit and one should wonder as to why there is so much anomaly in this universal family affair. The answer for this is also given in the Bhagavad-gita. It is said that there are two classes of children in the creation of Godhead and nature. One class is called the daiva (godly) and the other class is called the asura (demonic or godless). As sons of the almighty Father Supreme Godhead, all the living entities have individual independence and when some of the children misuse the godgifted independence for their sense gratification and not to fulfill the plan of Godhead, they develop the demonic qualities and become asuras. But those who do not misuse the the godgifted independence for sense gratification they continue to remain as the Daivas. For sense gratification the asura children of Godhead and Nature forgets the plan of Godhead and thus they begin to exploit and trouble the mother Nature and other obedient children of Nature, for their own benefit sometimes centralized and sometimes extended. Those children who do not do like this are gods themselves distinguished from the asuras. The Mother Nature is, as She should naturally be, the most faithful mistress of Godhead and She becomes angry for the behavior of the Asura and thus assume the role of Daivamaya (generally known as the Mohakali, Durga, Bhadrakali etc.) and take at once Her grim trident and inflicts the weapon in the heart of the asura who is also Her son. The asura thus becomes subject to threefold miseries and this is done according to the plan of Godhead as the mother has to chastise the disobedient son in order to make him alright. This process of chastisement is necessary for the benefit of both the asura and the daiva sons in order to stop disorder in the great plan of Godhead. As sons as the asura, however, surrenders unto Godhead as the obedient son and servitor of the plan of Godhead the asura is turned into a devata. The angry mode of Mother Nature at once subsides and she appears to such godly sons as the most affectionate Mother in the role of Yogamaya (commonly known as Laksmi, Sita and Radharani etc)So according to Bhagavad-gita the whole trouble of the world is due to the increase in the number of the asura and decrease in the number of the daivas. Who is a daiva and who is a asura is clearly defined in the Bhagavad-gita. Thus the whole problem has to be solved according to expert advices and it is not possible to solve the world problem so easily as by holding occasional discussions by some who are already themselves under the influence of the asuric qualities. This should be done most scientifically which is above mistakes and illusion. As stated above the asura, as soon as he surrenders to Godhead makes the whole problem solved. But unfortunately the ____ to the threefold miseries of mother Nature and thus befooled by his repeated foolish activities will not easily surrender unto Godhead due to his long forgetful relation with the almighty Father. It is a hard job therefore to turn the asura to be a daiva but the process has been made easy by the Personality of Godhead Himself in the Bhagavad-gita. Mahatma Gandhijee took up this cause to begin with but he is gone without further progress in the matter. If we are intelligent enough we should again take up the matter more scientifically and do the job very nicely for the peace of the world. I have, according to the instruction of my spiritual master, chalked out a programme of work according to Bhagavad-gita and I wish to discuss it personally with your good self to give the plan a practical shape. Will it be convenient for you to see me for this purpose? I am prepared to go to you at my cost at wait upon you if so desired by you. Awaiting your early reply and thanking you in anticipation. Yours faithfully, ### Letter to Sir — Unknown Place, May, 1964 > FOREIGN FORWARDING LETTERS Dear Sir, With due respect I beg to request you to look into the papers despatched to your address under separate Book Post. In that book post you will find one copy of my theistic fortnightly paper BACK TO GODHEAD broadcasting exclusively everything about the Supreme Personality of Godhead. These topics about Godhead are delineated in a manner for understanding of any common man and it is high time that people of the world should now know about the Supreme Truth when they have had tried enough and failed in the matter of establishing peace in the world by so much attempt. The fact is that we all living energies in different species of life are all individual parts and parcels of the Supreme Energetic person as the son is the part and parcel of the father. The whole creation including all material or spiritual planes and planets are different parts and parcels of One Unit only but there are immense diversities in unity for variegatedness is the necessary paraphernalia of eternal pleasure which we are all seeking in the wrong way without the right information to have it. BACK TO GODHEAD can direct the right way of such happiness even in the material field by the simple adjustment of re-establishing our lost relation with Godhead. We wish that people may kindly read this paper for some time with due attention and critical gravity. We are always prepared to answer any relevant question in this regard from any quarter who may be seeking after the Absolute Truth. Although the messages contained in the pages of BACK TO GODHEAD are all gifts of the ancient sages of India who actually realized the Absolute Truth, yet at the present moment the so called leaders of India are too much enamoured by the western way of material advancement of knowledge. They are completely neglecting the treasure house of knowledge left by the sages. You, gentlemen, of the Western Countries have seen much about material science and yet peace is not within your control. In most cases you may be feeling the want of peace although you have enough in the matter. This basic defect of materialism remains undetected by the misleaders of India and therefore they are not serious about going BACK TO GODHEAD the ultimate aim of life's journey. I am therefore seeking your help in broadcasting this message of spiritual value through your good institution. I shall request you to go through the literatures sent to you per separate book post and let me know your reaction upon it. I am seeking your help for getting some addresses of the thoughtful men of your country who are leading the public opinion and to whom I may be able to send this important paper for consideration. Thanking you in anticipation and awaiting your early reply. Yours faithfully, A.C. Bhaktivedanta ### Letter to Sivananda — Unknown Place, Unknown Date My Dear Sivananda, Please accept my blessings. I understand from Krishna Das that you are improving in your health. Please take care of your health, and the two boys who are with you are just like your junior brothers and they will take care of you also. You can do whatever you find convenient because I know that whatever you do must be in accordance with our Krishna Consciousness movement. But do not leave these boys alone for the time being. They will never interrupt in your activities, they will obey your orders, and you will live there as their senior guardian, as my representative. Hope this finds you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ### Letter to Sri Ram Kumar Sri Ram KumarMagistrate and TehsildarP.O. Bassi (Dt. Jaipur)My Dear Sri Ram Kumar; Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your nice letter and am very pleased to read the contents. It is rare that an important man like yourself understands the prime importance of the Krishna consciousness movement. In the Bhagavad-gita Lord Sri Krishna says that it is the specific duty of the leaders of society to give an example of Krishna consciousness so that the common people will follow, yad yad arcarati srethas [Bg. 3.21]. Elsewhere in Bhagavad-gita the Lord says that it is the leaders of the society who can understand rightly this transcendental knowledge; imam rajaso vidhuh. So it is very good that you have understood and are following the Lord's instructions in this way. Now you should perfect your knowledge on a solid basis. At your request I am sending a set of my Krsna Books. Enclosed is the bill. You have enquired about Life Patron Membership, and the necessary form is enclosed. The donation is Rs. 2222/-, and when you become the member you receive these Krishna Books and all other books and magazines for the rest of your life. So you can either send payment for the enclosed bill, or you can send payment for the membership and keep the books. There are so many things to discuss that I suggest that you come here and see me if it is convenient for you. I am here in Vrindaban at least up until September 25th. I must leave Delhi the latest on October 2nd for Bombay. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Sriman Radha Mohan das Brahmacary, ISKCON Atlanta, ACBS/nkd L.A. 3/8/68 (?)My Satsvarupa, I have duly received your reports of Istagosti. They are very much interesting. Smt. Jadurani’s replies are very appropriate also(?). I am glad to learn that both in N.Y. and Boston the propaganda work is going on nicely. Similar reports are from Montreal. In San Francisco the kirtan is very nicely going on. I am leaving S. F. today. The tapes should be returned there hence forward. Hope you are well. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ### Letter to Srutadeva Washington, D.C.My dear Srutadeva das; Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated August 15th, along with the sankirtana news letter #19, and I thank you very much for it. You can continue sending me these news letters as you publish them weekly. It is this sankirtana which is the life and soul of our movement. Sankirtana and book distribution should go on together side by side. I am always glad when these activities are increasing and my pleasure is always increasing. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs/hdb ### Letter to Sudhindra Kisora Roy CalcuttaDear Sudhindra Kisora Roy; Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated August 18, 1975. It is very nice that you are chanting Hare Krishna and are very enthusiastic to read our literatures. Please take part as much as possible in the activities of our Calcutta temple there. Attend the arotrikas and the classes and read my books very carefully and chant on the japa mala beads 16 rounds daily. When I come to Calcutta next you can come and see me. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs/hdb ### Letter to Sukadeva 5 — Seattle, September, 1973 My dear Sukadeva Das: Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated September 10, 1973. I am accepting Rasala Das (Walter Mason Woods) as my initiated disciple. Please see that he chants Hare Krishna minimum 16 rounds daily on the beads and follows our regulative principles without fail. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs ### Letter to Sumati Morarjee — Unknown Place, 1969 To Sumati MorarjiInternational Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, in London, I shall try to see if there is any similar society here. But one thing I can suggest as you have asked me to give a thought to this problem, that Goseva, according to our Vedic injunction, is specially entrusted to the mercantile community. Of course, during the Hindu government in India, the kings were mostly Vaisnavas like Maharaja Pariksit, and he at once caught the Black man Kali who was attempting to kill a cow. But those days are no more. Neither there is a king like Maharaja Pariksit, nor the present government of India is inclined to give protection to the cows. But the mercantile community, specially the Gujaratis and the Marwaris are undoubtedly rich in India, and I do not know why such mercantile communities do not open large-scale dairy farms. That will certainly give actual protection to the cows. From Bhagavad-gita we understand that the Vaisya community is specially responsible for giving protection to the cows as much as the ksatriya kings are responsible for giving protection to the citizens of the state. As such, if you can organize-and I believe you can do so, because by Grace of Krishna, you are in good position amongst the mercantile community—big dairy farms with large pasturing grounds, then the problem of milk supply and cow protection will automatically be done. I do not know how much you will appreciate my this suggestion, but if you can do such organization, it will be a great service to the country and to the animals, and to this cause of Krishna Consciousness. If you be serious on this point then I can help you with all of my possible energies. Regarding your foundation: I am very glad that you have registered the Sumati Morarji Foundation with the aims and objects of imparting educational as well as cultural training to younger generation, but in this line of activities also I will suggest that you should impart transcendental training for their becoming Krishna Conscious on the basis of the principles of Srimad Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, Vedanta Sutra, and alloyed literatures, as I am trying to do here. You will be surprised to know that my humble service in this country is being highly appreciated by the younger section of the country, so if the younger section of all countries combine together on this cultural training of Krishna Consciousness, there will be great change on the present situation of the world. Music and dance and distribution of prasadam are the main items of my Krishna Consciousness propagation, and they are acting so nicely. Perhaps you know that I am organizing here a community center in West Virginia on a land of about 200 acres, and it will be a replica of Vrindaban. So it is my ambition, as foretold by Lord Caitanya, that the people of the world will be happy under the banner of Krishna Consciousness, and let us try our best for this greatest philosophy of life. Of course, medical and other relief work to the distressed persons are not objectionable items, but actually the people of the whole world are suffering on account of lacking in Krishna Consciousness. Anyway, I am trying, practically, struggling single-handedly in this great endeavor, and my financial strength is practically zero. And I think you have got sufficient knowledge about that. But if your newly founded institution cooperates with me, it will be a great success. So far donation to this foundation, naturally I shall be inclined to donate in kind. I have already printed my following books, Bhagavad-gita as it is, Srimad-Bhagavatam, Easy Journey to Other Planets, Teachings of Lord Caitanya, and so on, as well as our Back to Godhead magazine. And I shall be glad to donate free as many copies as your foundation may require from me. You shall be glad to know that by this time I have opened one center in Hamburg, West Germany, and one center in London, England. Please let me know if your steamer service is now open for London, Los Angeles, and Hamburg. Thanking you in anticipation and awaiting your early reply, Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ### Letter to Svati — India > LT_720200_A1 My Dear Svati devi, Please accept my blessings. I have duly received your letter dated January and I may inform you that I wrote you c/o your husband's parents in Berlin. So your husband has gone but you should not be too much worried, your husband will come back to Krsna consciousness, if not now then later. Anyone who has tasted the bliss of Krsna consciousness he cannot stay away for a very long time. So you should not be too much concerned. Do not be too much worried—forget the past, do not be attached to it for we are only thinking of how we may now please the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the devotees are always optimistic for the advancement of their spiritual progress. So in the meantime there is no question of any more marriage by you so you will become freed from the entangling grip of maya which means sex life. Just see, so many people are suffering so much just for a little sex life. I am so much disturbed by problems caused by sex life that I am not going to sanction any more marriages. Our devotees must do it at their own risk from now on and they must provide their own income for living together outside the temple or if they live in the temple they must live separately. So far as the other two children are concerned, they are not begotten by you but still it is important to save them for Krsna but if it appears impossible to get them back from the authorities never mind, that is Krsna's plan. So now you have one son and you should see very carefully that he is raised and educated nicely in Krsna consciousness. If you are eligible for financial help from the government you may take it as it is not desirous to keep baby children in the temple. I thank you for your statement. "I beg to always be of sound mind so that I may serve you unconditionally."And to answer your last question, where will I go at the time of death if I am thinking of my spiritual master? You will go to Him just as Krsna says in Bhagavad-gita chapter 8-9 that whatever we are thinking about at the time of death—we shall attain to that nature without fail. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ### Letter to Svati — Unknown Place, January 1972 My dear Svati dasi, Please accept my blessings. I have duly received your letter undated and have noted the contents carefully. Best way to maintain enthusiasm is by regular chanting with the devotees together in the temple and by having festivals. So you should immediately have one festival then everyone will be busily engaged. There are so many festivals that I can give you one for every day. Regarding your other questions: Children may be recommended for initiation when they are twelve years old. We should avoid as far as possible any physical punishment to train children. It is better to use sweet words or if it is absolutely necessary to punish then you may bind with ropes in one place or show the cane, but do not use—like that. I have recently explained to Aniruddha in Dallas school and you may write to him for details. The most important thing however is to see that somehow or other the children are always engaged in some kind of Krsna conscious activity, then they will naturally develop a taste for it and think it great fun even to work very hard for Krsna's pleasure. So in this way you as mother and father must take responsibility to deliver these nice children and that will be a very great service for Krsna. Hoping this meets you in good health and happy mood, Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ### Letter to Tamala Krsna BrooklynMy dear Tamala Krishna Goswami; Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated September 4, 1974. Regarding my health, I was lying almost unconscious. Now by the grace of Krishna, I am walking in the morning but I am still very weak. Neither do I feel any proper appetite. So the weakness is there, but I feel that I am progressing a little each day. So your preaching work is very encouraging to me. You have got the proper field now. So continue with the cooperation of Visnujana Maharaja, so that your example can be followed by others. Your program for distributing books and having the street festivals and then preaching and making devotees is very good. Also by teaching by your personal example and attending to the Deity worship is the most convincing. Example is better than precept. I am glad to note that the 24 hour kirtana was going on. It is by your chanting that I am now saved from the dangerous condition. It was very serious. Anyway regarding the constant 24 hour kirtana, you should not do anything impractical. I thank you for sending the thousand dollars to the ISKCON food relief. We are using the moneys that have already been sent from USA in Mayapur for purchasing grains. In Bombay they also have a very nice prasada distribution program. I have been receiving letters from Satsvarupa das Goswami about his successful library program so I think you also can take up this program in conjunction with your sankirtana festivals. Get standing orders for Srimad-Bhagavatam and Caitanya Caritamrta as many as possible. This is very good preaching work. So you may consult with Satsvarupa das Goswami and he can guide you in this program. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ### Letter to Unknown — Unknown Place, Unknown Date Bio dataPrevious name: Sankara PyneMira PynePresent name: Sankarsana Das(initiating name) Jalatala Devi DasiPermanent residence: 63, P. Tollygunge RoadCalcutta, 700 033Spiritual Father'sname: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami --- PrabhupadaYear of initiation: 1974, Sri Dham Mayapurfull disciple of Srila Prabhupada(1st and 2nd initiation)Relationship withSrila Prabhupada: Grand Nephew and Grand NieceDate of joining KrsnaConsciousness movement: September 1970 in Calcutta ### Letter to VARIOUS — Unknown Place, Unknown Date Dear Prabhus, The following are letters from His Divine Grace to particular devotees, these are to be considered the last of such letters, from now on all the letters will be answered by the GBC, thus leaving His Divine Grace to translate. Unless there happens to be any specific questions that cannot be answered by the GBC, then only will Prabhupada be disturbed, it is hoped that all devotees will read these very carefully. All Presidents should distribute these letters to all devotees, instead of hiding them in the files, which usually happens in most cases, thus very few devotees are actually aware of what is really going on in our Society. Thank you very much. Your servant, Jai Hari dasa Brahmacari. Letter No. 1 to Aksayananda MaharajaRegarding your questions, in the spiritual sky everything is spiritual, so Krsna has no need for living in the heart. They are seeing Krsna face to face always, so what is the use of being in the heart? Outside, inside they are always the same, even their heart that is also sat-cit-ananda. There is no mechanical arrangement like this material body for anyone in the spiritual, what to speak of Krsna. You can calculate how old is Lord Brahma. It is very difficult to say but only one day of Brahma in which we are, that has not yet passed. We have come in the middle of his first day. We find in Bhagavad-gita that Brahma's one day is equal to 1000 times 400,300 years. So we are fixing his one day, so similarly he has got one night of same duration, such month, such year, similarly such 100 years he will live. He is not even yet one day old, and there are millions of Brahmas and he is one of the smallest. Letter No. 2: Pat KellerI am very glad to hear that you are very serious to become a devotee of Krsna, and that your Christian background has led you to Krsna Consciousness. Actually there is no difference or contradiction between Christian religion and Krsna Consciousness movement, and because the science of devotional service is absolute, just like 2+2=4 in any country of the world, therefore we say it is nonsectarian and open for everyone. But one thing is, Krsna says in Bhagavad-gita mam ekam, "unto Me", so why we should divide our attention to others? "Sarva dharman paritajya, mam ekam saranam vraja:" just give up all varieties of religious dharmas and surrender unto Me, that is Krsna's final word. So if you want to make progress in Krsna Consciousness, do not divert your attention unnecessarily to other, "mam ekam," only unto Me, otherwise your spiritual life will not be very progressive. Letter No. 3: To Mahati dasiSo far dreaming is concerned, we regard dreaming condition as another form of illusion or maya, only more subtle, that's all. But just like we may be serving Krsna in our waking state and thinking about Him then, so also it is possible to dream about Krsna and the Spiritual Master and so many things. But generally we should not take such dreaming very seriously, these are not very important matters. But if we occasionally dream of Krsna, that is nice, that means you are making advancement in Krsna Consciousness. But do not take such things very seriously, important business is to become conscious of Krsna all the time by absorbing the mind, body, and words in pleasing Krsna, and that means following strictly the regulative principles and practices of devotional service, such as chanting, reading, attending arati, going for street sankirtana, like that, and engaging oneself full time in some work for Krsna. In this way, you will become too much busy serving Krsna and there will be not time for feeling emoions or dreaming, that is advanced stage of spiritual perfection. No. 5 to Tirthanga dasaI do not know how these doubts have come upon you. Why bother about all these things? They are not very important. Everything is explained in Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, why you are still asking? If you believe whatever the material so-called scientists are saying, that is your business, but I do not believe any of their so-called observations in outer space by the blunt material senses can be true without any doubt. So why you doubt Vedas and not scientists. I cannot even see into the next room, how I can see anything very surely so many millions of miles distant? But if someone who has been there tells me, then I can know everything about that place. So we must have to take the authority of experienced persons to get the truth, and what experience our so-called scientists have got? Can they deliver even an ant from the miserable conditions of this spot-life, from birth, death, disease, and old age? No. They have spent simply millions of dollars to make a show of their so-called learning and the resul is a handful of dust, that's all. So we are not very much impressed by them, neither we take their version as perfect. They will say that millions of years ago the human beings were primitive hunters. But if we see Vedic language, we can understand that their thought and language and intelligence was not that of primitive men, no. If you are looking for some excuse to doubt, then maya will always provide you. So this or that you may find out something flaw if you want. But Krsna says surrender unto Me and I will give you all protection, perfect knowledge of everything. You should not go to modern scientists for perfect knowledge. They cannot supply that. Krsna will supply you. Of course, sometimes there is allegorical reference in the Vedas, just like the body is called the city of nine gates, like that, so we may sometimes misunderstand due to our imperfect reading. Even it is true that they have landed on the moon, so what is their accomplishment? If I come to Earth planet and land in the Sahara desert, then I say, "Oh, this planet is a barren desert, no one lives here?" The moon may be like that or like this, so what does that help to our Krsna consciousness movement. We have nothing to do with moon planet or this planet and that planet in Krsna consciousness. We simply want to serve to Krsna, that's all. Do not be disturbed by these things. Simply go on with your work in positive mood. That will be best for you and for other also. After all intelligence to understand Krsna is not within the range of your material senses. You cannot make any experiments and calculations and expect to find Krsna. But if somehow or other you are fortunate enough to find out a pure devotee of the Lord, then you get opportunity to him, and as you surrender Krsna gives you the intelligence by which you may come to him, that is sure. No other process will give us any intelligence to understand things as they are, except Krsna consciousness. No. 6 Syamasundara to KausikaHere are the points in brief: 1) Anyone who comes to a zone from outside must sell books only, no collecting; 2) They must follow explicitly the directions of the local presidents, e.g. they cannot be independent and live separately from the temple. So I suggested to Dhananjaya that each day he designates an area of London for them to distribute in which we have never touched before, especially for instance South London, Greenwich, Woolwich, Brixton, Herne Hill, like that—so they do not interfere with our Oxford Street. So in this way you must control them, and if (they) object or disobey in any (way), they must be sent away; 3) Ultimately the decision rests with the President whether their presence in London (or anywhere else) is favorable for the local situation, or if it is unfavorable. That is Dhananjaya's discretion. If he feels they are doing more harm than good, then they must go immediately. If they bark at going out after you have asked them to go, go see Mr. Jordan or someone at the Home Office and get them deported. But if their presence is judged as favorable in London, they can remain under the following conditions: 4) That, above and beyond the wholesale price (for books) not the cost price (our price), but above the usual wholesale price charged to temples—as if they were selling books to another temple, which we are, in fact—any profit must be given to London center (or the local temple wherever they are working); 5) Besides that, they should not be expected to get any special privileges above and beyond those enjoyed by other devotees and they must strictly obey the same regimen and practices of devotional service which are followed by the others. In future, before anyone from outside can enter another zone for exploiting, they must settle-up first with the GBC man for that zone. In this case, Kesava did not inform me, and you all did right by consulting me when they came. Of course, the point is to sell as many of Prabhupada's books as possible, somehow or other, so if they are favorable in that way, and their activities are not detracting from the overall program, and they are playing fair by giving you minimum 50%, then I have no objection, if they remain there. Letter No. 11 Bali Mardana Gosvami to Karandhara: Jan. 31, 1973From now on the twelve GBC men will be acting as Srila Prabhupada's secretary on a rotating basis as Srila Prabhupada originally planned, and it appears that I shall have to go with Him to Australia, at least a couple of weeks, to explain the system to Madhudvisa Swami. Syamasundara prabhu will be shortly going to London via Los Angeles. You will probably be seeing him there shortly. He has many big ideas for increasing the preaching work, which he will probably tell you about. I have just received your letter regarding polygamy and Prabhupada has told me it should strictly be prohibited; although he does not object to the principle, we do not have the correct persons nor the correct time and place for putting it into practice. Letter No. 26-to a devotee. I have heard a rumor by . . . that you have been detected, along with . . ., smoking ganja or other things like that. This is not at all good, and I am very much disturbed to hear it. I had also got one report that you were previously smoking ganja at..... You are one of the important leaders, so if you are feeble and you are still victim of such habits, then the other members who are following your example will be led to ruination by you only. That will be the greatest disservice to Krsna, if we work so hard to make a man a devotee and then seeing the older members taking intoxication and doing all nonsense, they become lost to Krsna, that is the greatest sin. You may be forgiven once, twice, but more than that it is impossible. So I do not know why this weakness has come upon you, you are intelligent boy, but we shall not tolerate such nonsense again. Once before our Rayarama was also detected and exposed as a cheater and he left our society. So no one is exempt from being asked to leave, only I have gt also great affection for you personally and you have done so much service that I am little reluctant to become angry upon you. But do not involve the other devotees in your nonsense activities of intoxication. Now I am old man, I have become a little weakened, and I do not know how much longer I shall be able to push on this Krsna Consciousness movement in active preaching capacity. Therefore I have entrusted my right hand men, like GBC, sannyasis and men like yourself, to take up where I had left off and continue expanding and propagating KC all over the world as per the desire of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. In this way, you have got the opportunity of being favored by Krsna to become responsible leader of the human society, therefore I am simply surprised that you have again fallen under the spell of old bad habits. If you are actually intelligent and not simply pretending intelligence, then you will take this as a lesson and make repentance. If Krsna sees that you are sincerely repenting, He will excuse you. As austerity, you should forget these things and never again think about them in your mind. That will make you very strong. That is wanted, I want that all of my older disciples shall be very strong leaders of men. Actually, my plan is to one day be the ruling party all over the world and gradually infiltrate also your government. Throughout my life I have never thought any small things. Only about six years ago I could not even imagine how widespread and potent a force this KC movement would become, but now I am seeing that it is simply a miracle by Krsna that we are coming to the forefront of all other spiritual cultures in the world. So I think that in the future one day we shall become the ruling party, at least if we can do that in your country, then we may also do it everywhere else. So I am always thinking in this way, big plans on behalf of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But I can understand that such big plans will never come true unless the planmakers and executers of the plan remain always extremely purified. That is my only credit, that I have remained pure where all others have failed. Therefore this Hare Krsna movement is becoming stronger everywhere while the others are failing everywhere. And this Krsna Consciousness movement is running simply on the purity of its regulative principles. If the devotees, preachers, of our movement remain always pure by sticking strictly to the rules and regulations as I have given, that is, no eating of flesh, no intoxication, no illicit sex life, and no gambling, then without any doubt we shall conquer all other so-called spiritual cultures in the world very soon. So I think you understand these things, but why have you forgotten them? Imagine how I am feeling when I hear such ugly rumors being spread about my oldest and most trusted disciples. Naturally I am very much aggrieved and forlorn. But I know that whether you or someone else, the right persons will come forword to assist me in spreading Lord Caitanya's prediction to every town and village. So Krsna has given you every facility and opportunity to yourself become one of the big chiefs or primary instruments of Krsna in this important work, but if you neglect it then what can I do? That decision to become very responsible and cool-headed leader of men, that conviction must rest with youLetter no. 30. To Bhurijana dasa. Now you have left the Hong Kong temple and no one is remaining there. Of course, it may be, as you say, strictly a city for doing business and no one is interested in Krsna Consciousness seriously. But still it is one of the most important cities of the world, so do not neglect it completely, that will be discredit. I have very, very much appreciated the Chinese BTG, that is a great victory for us. So far I know, no one else Indian spiritual movement has produced such literature in Chinese language. That is a big credit for you. And you have mixed with the Chinese people and they have purchased, there is good response, so why we are leaving that place? Your plan is to go there from time to time to collect money from the Hindus for spreading Krsna Consciousness in other places in Far East, that is nice. But if there is good opportunity to preach amongst the Chinese population, why not try for it? It will not accomplish much to go to them from time to time and preach something and then go away, no. Rather here must be place for them to come and see how this Krsna Consciousness way of life is practically applied, such as deity worship, cooking, rising early, cleansing, study, like that. Otherwise they are reserved people, they will not be easily convinced, and only if there is place where they may attend for many years even will they gradually accept. So I think there should be center there at Hong Kong, and emphasis should be to preach and sell books to the Chinese persons. Just like we have done it in Nairobi, Africa. There are also many Indians living at that place, and they are also wealthy businessmen, and the African black people are poor, neglected, not very much educated. So at the beginning Brahmananda was mixing only with those Indians, and they were giving profusely money, and there were so many plans for temple and deities. In this way he was neglecting to do the real work which was preaching to the black Africans. No one Hindu who is rich and living in foreign place is very much interested to become devotee, it is show only, sentiment or custom. So I wanted that he should preach to the Africans and convert them to become devotees, that should be his real business, nevermind wasting time with so many nonsense Indians. And as soon as he did as I instructed, immediately he has got some black devotees, and he has removed himself from the entanglement of the Hindus, and he is making good progress spreading Krsna Consciousness amongst the native citizens. And there black devotees are making advancement and they are also going out to preach themselves to other places in Africa. So that should be the program in Hong Kong. I read(?) to the Chinese residents, do not bother with the Hindu businessmen except to collect for the preaching work. Actually, the Indians will be glad to donate if they see you are converting Chinese to their religion. They will provide immense funds for this purpose, because they have got interest for improving Indian and Chinese relations for their business. So preach widely and enthusiastically to Chinese population, especially to the young people, and they may not respond quickly, but they are very sober-minded, when they decide to join us that will be fixed decision. So in this way go on and make some Chinese devotees, then they will manage things and spread further to other places in China. After all, a large portion of the earth's population is Chinese origin, so why should we neglect them? If you can turn only one or two men to be devotees, they can do the rest themselves. There is one boy here in India, I think he is going to Malaysia very soon, Lalita Krsna, and he is Chinese boy. Why not invite him there to help you open nice center in the Chinese neighborhood so the preaching will go on? Otherwise you yourself consulting Madhudvisa Swami, try to make some solution to the problem. If we cannot persuade at least one local man to come forward, then we have missed the point. But if you try for that, praying to Krsna for helping you remain strong, He does not like to see His devotees upset or frustrated, so if you are determined and sincere Krsna will do everything, you needn't worry for anything. At least one will come out to take up Krsna's mission, that is sure. You request me for the purity to help on "engage in his eternal position as servant of Krsna, so I think that one soul is there in Hong Kong, Chinese boy, who can be helped by you. " why one soul, as preacher you will help many, many souls in that way, so try for that. Letter No. 33 To Ravindra-svarupa. So far as your course at the Temple University is concerned, that is the best platform for introducing our philosophy to the serious persons. And if they become sincere to learn the highest topics of subject matter or transcendental knowledge from us, that will be the perfection of their education. If you must read some other books of philosophers, even they are Mayavadis, as a sideline we can speak about them as comparative study. Otherwise our main aim is to study and preach Bhagavad-Gita and Lord Caitanya. Our purpose is to teach our own philosophy. Do not lose sight of that purpose or become distracted by other things. I have also made one book about other philosophies of your western philosophers, but I did not make compromise. My purpose was to defeat them and expose their nonsense propositions, in the light of Vedic knowledge or Krsna consciousness philosophy. That is our purpose. Regarding your other questions, Lord Jagannatha does not have His own planet. The whole spiritual world is a manifestation of the spiritual energy of Krsna, so Subhadra or Radharani, they are spiritual energy of Krsna, but there are varieties of different forms of that energy, that's all. Letter No. 34 To Ramananda. I have no objection to paying you something monthly for doing the Hindi translating work, thereby freeing you to devote your time 100% in this way, but I am hesitating for one reason only, that it is the common understanding of Krsna Consciousness or the science of devotional service rendered to Krsna that we shall serve Him spontaneously and without any desire for compensation for our service. Our service to Krsna is voluntary and we are interested only that He shall be pleased, not myself. Therefore the advanced devotee is ready to serve Krsna under all conditions of difficulty or scarcity, never mind other things, because he knows in his mind that by giving his full attention and energy to Krsna, that the Supreme Personality of Godhead will not disregard this and make him to suffer. No, Krsna is not like that. If He sees His devotee sincerely and seriously trying to serve Him, He is prepared to give His devotee anything and everything to mitigate any suffering conditions. That is mature understanding and realization of Krsna Consciousness. Of course, I can understand that you are a married man, with wife and children, but so are many of my students, and what will they think if I give you money for your devotional service? But I do not give them any money? They will think something discrimination. "Oh, he is Indian boy, therefore Prabhupada is giving him some special favor," like that. I do not want to set such example. It is not that I cannot pay you, I am easily able to pay you, and I am willing to pay you in principle, only I do not want to create any example which may be mistaken by other students. So under these circumstances, if you do not want to give your time and energy full time for translating and editing the Hindi work, unless there is some compensation of money, then what can I do? All of these American and European boys and girls, they have had enough of money, they are sons of millionaires and rich men of America, still they do not ask me for one farthing for their work. They could go out and make thousands of dollars a month as educators and skilled professional men, still they prefer to live with me and eat only a little rice from the floor, and sleep on the cold ground without cover, that is their advanced realization of spiritual life. Letter No. 36 To Jagamohini Dasi...whether we may prune the leaves of Tulasi, no, there is no question of pruning. But you can take for worshiping Krsna leaves from the Tulasi. First utilize the dead leaves or leaves which have fallen down, and if more leaves are required for worshiping Krsna, you may take them from Tulasi plant in this way: First approach Tulasi Devi and offer your obeisances, requesting her that for worshiping Krsna you want to take some leaves. Then if she allows you may take. There is no question of pruning in the manner of gardeners just to make nice beautiful plant for ornamental purposes. And if there are any dead branches, these may be made into beads, like neck beads, and if they are large branches you can make japa beads. There is no need to keep candle burning all night, but you can burn candle in the evening for one hour for Tulasi Devi, that will be nice. Letter No. 38 To Yukio Ogata and Mr. Kugillaty. Please accept my greeting and blessings of Lord Krsna. I am in due receipt of your kind card wishing me the best for the new year coming of 1973, and I thank you very much for thinking of me in this way. As you are thinking of me, so also I am sometimes thinking of you with fond appreciation how much you are helping us to push on this Krsna Consciousness movement all over the world. That is the perfection of spiritual life, when one may utilize his occupational duty to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In this way, although he is engaged in normal business pursuits, because he is contributing something of his energy for satisfying the Supreme, in return he shall be rewarded with something more satisfying than simple monetary considerations. Without such making sacrifice for God or Krsna, our life is only full of anxieties, worries, insecurities, and false ideas. Trying to be happy under these conditions is impossible. Still the materialistic men struggle to live long under great difficulty to tryto make a permanent settlement in the material environment, and everything is defeated at the moment of their death. So what is the use of such wasted labor? So we are most pleased that you and other good members and employees of Dai Nippon Company are giving such nice service to Krsna. That means you are getting benefit also. That means whenever Krsna is pleased by our working on His behalf, automatically everything becomes successful. He is the supreme proprietor of everything, so if He likes, He can give any amount of wealth, fame, reputation, like that. Therefore if one dedicates some portion of his energy to Krsna in this way, he is never the loser. And as you are wishing me the best in the new year, so also I wish you nice gentlemen and your co-workers at Dai Nippon the same. May Krsna bless you all more and more, in this year and all years to come. ### Letter to Ved Prakash ji — Unknown Place, Unknown Date My dear Ved Prakash ji, On Sunday morning 29/6/58, when you were speaking I was very glad to note that you have studied the whole question of social and spiritual upliftment of mankind in a very broader sense. I was also glad to note that your study is deeper than many of the so-called Sannyasis who take the shelter of yellow robe for solving the question of bread problem. And because you are a critical student of everything, I am sure that you will appreciate the teaching of Lord Caitanya when you hear them patiently and scrutinize the same by all practical tests. Lord Caitanyas presentation of facts is that you cannot kill the human propensities, but they can be changed for higher purposes. You said of annihilation of desire orVasana. But you can think on it very wisely ofVasanacan be stopped at all. No; vasana can never be stopped. The Vasana is an eternal function of the soul and as the soul is eternal or "Sanatana" souls so also is the Vasana Therefore Vasana can be changed only from one object to another. The mind is always a thinking and feeling organ. It does not matter what does it think but it is a fact that it thinks. I am sure that you cannot probably put the mind completely at rest without thinking something. So the quality of thinking feeling and willing has to be changed but we may not attempt to kill the mind altogether. That is an impossible fact because the mind acts even after the so-called death or after the annihilation of the material body. So far "Paropakara", which you have very nicely explained, is concerned—it is the only function of every living being. But what is the standard of "Paropakara" that should be known. On that way we must know the actual position of the entity entitled to received benefit. A patient suffering from a chronic disease may have many kinds of painful symptoms. The physician does not give much attention to the various symptoms of the disease but wants treat with the root cause. Therefore when we wish to render 'paropakara' we must know the actual cause of the miserable conditions. You cannot do any benefit to a fish on the land by any amount of earthly comfort. The fish must be allowed to go down to the water where every comfort is there for it. Therefore we have to take account of the living being and its real nature. The living being is an eternal spiritual fragment of the whole spirit A living being is called Sanatana or eternal whereas the absolute whole is also called Sanatana. And the Sanatana activities of the combination of the whole and the part are also Sanatana. These are the informations from all reliable sources of Vedic knowledge. Lord Caitanya's teachings are based on the above facts. If you give it patient hearing you will know how he wants to solve the whole problem. He is as much Vedic as anyone can claim but he is more than any Vedic scholar with limited qualification. Lord Caitanya's movement still awaits for being preached all over the world. And to broadcast anything all over the world—English language is the only medium of circulation. I shall be very much pleased if you kindly cooperate with this world movement very intelligently and be knowing it with all your reasoning powers. More when we meet on Sunday next at 10 am. Thanking you in anticipation. Yours Sincerely. ### Letter to Vegavan My Dear Vegavan das; Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated August 1, 1976 and have noted the contents with care. On your recommendation I am accepting the following disciples for first and second initiation: First Initiation: Bhakta Anders—Atma-nivedana dasaBhakta John—Yogindra dasaKaren Johnstone—Kama-gayatri devi dasiSecond Initiation: Turiya das brahmacariJamadagni das brahmacariRadhanatha das brahmacariParagati das brahmacariHold a fire sacrifice and the initiates should refrain from the four pillars of sinful life: no illicit sex no meat, fish or egg eating (only Krsna prasadam), no gambling, and no intoxication. All devotees must also chant the prescribed 16 rounds daily on the beads. Enclosed you will also find four brahmana threads and gayatri mantra. After the fire sacrifice the tape of the gayatri mantra should be played in the right ear of the brahmana initiate. To become brahmana one must be clean inside and outside; outside by regularly taking bath, and inside by always chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra. the beads for the first initiates may be chanted on by Sriman Jayatirtha das and they should be given these beads and names at the time of the fire sacrifice. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/hs ### Letter to Ādi-kesava Allston, MassachusettsMy dear Adikesava das; I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated August 20th. Please accept my blessings. I have also received the enclosed photographs which are very nice. Regarding taking the Deities out on travelling sankirtana, I think you can take guidance from Visnujana Maharaja and Tamala Krishna Goswami who are giving you the example in this connection. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs/hdb