a.c. bhaktivedanta swami
|
|
| Prabhupada Letters :: 1971 a.c. bhaktivedanta swami |
|
|
May 19, 2006 Wednesday, May 19, 1971 Calcutta My Dear Jadurani, Please accept my blessings and offer the same to the other artists. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 8th May, 1971 and have noted the contents carefully. So far as your questions are concerned, they are as follows: The demigods mentioned by you appear just like man, but very beautiful and very nice features also. They are having fair complexion with golden hue. Golden means milk mixed with a tint of reddish color or yellowish color. Lord Siva has two arms; Garuda is yellow in color; Kapiladev looks like a human being, as does Kalki. Kalki is bluish. Matsya is a full fish, bluish in color. Kurma is tortoise color. When Arjuna left his family connections, he went to the Himalayas. The picture may be shown of Arjuna going step by step to the Himalayas; Yes, occasionally devotees may be pictured with full head of hair instead of sikha. You should use your own discretion; the garb can be Vedic or American. There is no harm. Dress has nothing to do with the soul; Foods in the mode of passion are those that are very rich, such as kachori, halava, rasgulah, etc. They are also foods too much spicy. All this is described there in Bhagavad-gita. Vidura looks like a human being; "self-same body" means looking like material body. Any devotee always is in a spiritual body although it may appear material; Smoke is smoke; When Krishna says unto me, he means unto "me." So he should not be pictured with Radharani,* Why a snake? Being entangled in the qualities of material nature is very subtle, so why a snake? I am so glad to hear that the devotees are appreciating that everything belongs to Krishna. That attitude is very nice and should be maintained. Actually it is a fact. By illusion only we think things belong to someone else. And if the painters are new, certainly they should be given instruction. They should be helped in every way. Yes, do not take too much foodstuffs; take so that no remnants are left. Immediately after, the dishes should be washed, or paper dishes thrown away. But do not throw away prasadam. Better to take a little less than to have leftover for saving. That is not good. So from the very beginning you have had very good service--this painting. So do it continually and to your best discretion. That is your approved service. *Vasudeva, Alone [PAGE MISSING] letters | 12:32 | May 18, 2006 Tuesday, May 18, 1971 Calcutta My Dear Dinesh Candra, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 24th April, 1971 and have noted the contents carefully. Also I have received one letter from Yacov Shames and he acknowledges that he has been corresponding with you in regards to opening one branch there in Jerusalem. It is very much encouraging to note that you have made final arrangements for going to Jerusalem on 2nd June, 1971, accompanied by one brahmacari. You all have my full blessings and may Krishna help you all in this noble venture. Just as soon as you arrive there, you can let me know. Most probably I will be starting for U.S.A. via Bombay, by the beginning of June. First I shall go to London and then on to USA. Presently in Calcutta we are holding a huge Hare Krishna Festival in which 35,000 to 40,000 people are attending daily for hearing discourses on Srimad-Bhagavatam and Bhagavad-gita. We are distributing prasadam also. It is so much enlivening to see how the people are being so receptive to this message. It is all Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mercy. Please offer my blessings to your good wife Krsna Devi. Hoping this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/adb letters | 12:32 | May 17, 2006 Monday, May 17, 1971 Calcutta My Dear Atreya Rsi, Please accept my blessings. I have just recently received one letter from Bhavananda Prabhu highly requesting that you be initiated and I am glad to accept you as my duly initiated disciple. Your name I have given as Atreya Rsi Das. Of the seven great sages, Atreya Rsi was one. Also I have received your money order for beads, and they have been duly chanted on by me and are enclosed herewith. I am to understand that you have professional managerial experience and are presently engaging your talents to strengthen the managerial position of our N.Y. center. That is very valuable service and I thank you very much. We learn from Srimad-Bhagavatam that a person may be situated in any occupational duty. But the perfection of such activity is tested by the satisfaction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna. And because you are engaging your talents in His service, surely Krishna will be pleased upon you and give you all facility for advancement in Krishna Consciousness. Simply if you will regularly chant Hare Krishna Mantra, 16 rounds daily and without fail and rigidly follow the regulative principles of devotional life, read all our books and engage in Krishna's business 24 hours, your rapid advancement in Krishna Consciousness will be certain. Hoping this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/adb letters | 12:31 | May 17, 1971 Calcutta Professor G. G. Kotovsky Head, Department of Indian and South Asian Studies Institute of Oriental Studies USSR Academy of Sciences Armyansky Perlk 2 Moscow, USSR Dear Professor Kotovsky, I beg to inform you that a letter received from you in my Bombay address was redirected here some four or five days ago, but I have not received it as of yet. It appears that the letter is missing. I therefore request you to issue a duplicate of your letter under reference and send it to me to the above address immediately so that I can take action on it. Thanking you once more. Yours sincerely, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/adb letters | 12:30 | May 17, 1971 Calcutta My Dear Advaita, Please accept my blessings and offer the same to all the Press staff. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 27th April, 1971 and have noted the contents carefully. Yes, I have sent off the Preface to the enlarged edition of Bhagavad-gita As It Is, sent from Sydney, and you should have received it by now. So far as the dummy is concerned, I have not received it as yet. When did you send it, and where? But there is no need of sending another. Whatever you have selected is all right. So far as the cost of printing, one girl in Baltimore has donated $15,000 and I have advised that it immediately be sent to the Press; the remaining $5,000 will be sent by Karandhara. I have also received Pradyumna's letter, but I cannot understand what he is asking. It is not clear. It is wrongly written or something, so better to reject it. Neither I can guess what is the purport. Yes, very soon I shall go there. In the meantime get busy with the printing of Bhagavad-gita and that will encourage me to come there sooner. Hoping this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/adb letters | 12:29 | May 17, 1971 Calcutta My Dear Karandhara, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 6th May, 1971 and have noted the contents carefully. Now Dai Nippon has agreed to keep my book fund deposit separate and they admit that they never intended to intermingle the two accounts, so you can resume sending to them. The local GBC members and myself are considering a penguin size and style for KRSNA book, paper back edition in three parts completing the two whole volumes and selling at a cheap price of 75 cents per one part. Three parts will cost only $2.25. So what is your idea? According to their opinion, this cheap paper bound KRSNA book will have tremendous market in USA and Europe. Do you advise that such book shall be printed? On hearing from you I shall do the needful. But in my heart I want that KRSNA book in small or large form, should be distributed in every home who are English-speaking people. Yes, I advised Rupanuga to pay $10,000, but not from the book fund. Anyway, the book fund and BTG should be kept separate. Book fund collections should go to Dai Nippon now because I am thinking of printing small KRSNA books. For Bhagavad-gita AS It Is, one girl in Baltimore has donated $15,000 and a car. I have advised that the $15,000 be sent to N.Y. for printing of Bhagavad-gita and that the car be dispatched to India. I am awaiting their confirmation. If they send $15,000, then another $5,000 will complete the printing. The magazine should be published regularly, but if distribution is less, then the number of printing should decrease. Still if even distribution is smaller, we should follow the policy of 25 cents per copy. Artificially increasing distribution and having a big debt is not a very good policy. No, maintenance expenditures cannot come from the book fund. I do not understand why the press has moved and a new location fixed up, all for the cost of $10,000. What is the benefit of it? The Bhagavad-gita As It Is, is being attempted to be printed in ISKCON Press, but it is taking time--years. Does it mean in this way that the book fund will have to pay $1,500 per month and await printing? ISKCON Press is simply meant for printing our books and there must be sufficient work for printing; otherwise what is the use for maintenance? First of all it was suggested that the printing place would be situated in our N.Y. building. Now it has gone to another building. So I shall require the GBC members to inform me what is the actual benefit by such removal and keeping the press in a different building. The policy of maintaining a white elephant is not good. That is the immediate important business--how to distribute these books all over the world. So far as the per cent of discount, that will depend on your discretion. But quickly distribute all the books as soon as they are received. Yes, the record insert is very nice. Where was it printed? So far as the names of those accompanying me, for the tickets, that I shall let you know when I go back to Bombay, which will be sometime after the 24th instant. Hoping this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami P.S. Our Calcutta Festival (14th to 23rd May) is going on successfully. Daily 20-30 thousands of people attending & prasada distribution. ACBS/adb letters | 12:29 | May 16, 2006 May 16, 1971 Calcutta My Dear Bhavananda, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 5th April, 1971 and just received by me yesterday. I am so glad to hear how rapidly our New York center is expanding and how enthusiastic the devotees have become. That is first class qualification for making advancement in Krishna Consciousness. Yes, Mr. Faramarz Attar will certainly be a great asset to our society and I am glad to accept him as my initiated disciple. His spiritual name is Atreya Rsi. Of the seven great Rsis, one of them is Atreya Rsi. And Concetta Bologna has also been accepted. Her name is Bhadra Devi Dasi. Bhadra means gentle and is another name for Durga, like Subhadra. I have received their money orders for beads and they will be arriving by separate post. It is so much encouraging to hear how eagerly the high school boys and girls are taking to your preaching, so continue this program. All glories to Lord Krishna! And the devotees there are also so much eager. Very good. I shall be returning very soon. And thank you very much for your good feelings. Krishna will surely bless you. Yes, Svarupa Prabhu has my permission to get himself married to Suzy O'Neil. Please offer my blessings to all the boys and girls there in New York center. Hoping this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami P.S. The Calcutta function is going very superbly. ACBS/adb letters | 09:05 | May 15, 2006 May 15, 1971 Sydney My Dear Jayadvaita, Please accept my blessings. I have also received your letter along with Bali Mardan's and I am very much glad that Pradyumna is now with me for teaching him correctly this Sanskrit editing work. After he has become well trained that will be a great relief to me and it will benefit everyone by increasing the flow of our books and literatures. I am very much pleased that Bali Mardan is doing something in ISKCON Press as manager, and that you all like Advaita and Uddhava are cooperating to print my books. One thing, I do not regularly receive copies of books and magazines which are new, so if you will kindly send me whenever they come out sample copies of all our literatures, I shall be very thankful. As I have informed, Pradyumna and Syamasundara will be sending you regularly completed transcriptions of my translation work by post, that will avoid the high cost of sending tapes, which besides are very expensive and may be lost easily in mail, and because I am here if they have questions I can answer and make the final proofreading, and this will expedite everything. One thing, now you say the date for printing by MacMillan Co. is set for August 1st, but last time you said June 1st, so I am wondering how long this delaying business shall go on? Our Bhagavad-gita As It Is is so much important to the world for uplifting it from darkest condition of ignorance, but still we cannot give them it, that is our neglect. I shall appreciate if you can help to expedite the printing of Bhagavad-gita As It Is as quickly as possible. Hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher. A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sda letters | 09:05 | |
|
|
