a.c. bhaktivedanta swami
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| Prabhupada Letters :: 1971 a.c. bhaktivedanta swami |
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Sep 28, 2006 Tuesday, 28 September, 1971 Nairobi My Dear Cidananda, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letters dated 12th and 15th September, 1971 respectively and have noted the contents. I am so glad to hear how you are doing well. I am always thinking of you and praying to Krishna when you will be relieved and join us again. But in any circumstance simply go on chanting Hare Krishna Mahamantra and think of Krishna always. So you should take it that your hospitalization is an opportunity of chanting Hare Krishna mantra 24 hours. After all we are not this body so bodily disorders cannot hamper our advancement in Krishna Consciousness. So long the tongue is active we can chant. Even if the tongue is not active we can think of Krishna. Someway or other if we can keep in touch with Krishna that is our success of life. Yes, taking meat was undoubtedly a great offense, so don't do it again consciousness or unconsciously. Krishna will excuse you for whatever you have done, but don't do it again. Hoping this will find you in rapidly improving health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 18:41 | 28 September, 1971 Nairobi My Dear Giriraja, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 17th September, 1971 and have noted the contents carefully. So far translating is concerned, I see that Mr. Ganguly's translation is better. There are only some mistakes in spelling in the Sanskrit verses. So if somebody can rectify these spelling mistakes then Ganguly will do nicely for translating work. So far Chenchal is concerned, he is yet to learn a little more. The difficulty is that unless one is in our line of thought it is very difficult for him to translate nicely. If Mr. Ganguly would have come to our line of thought or, in other words, become one of us as a student, he could have improved nicely. Chenchal may associate with us and it will take some time to come to the perfectional stage. And what has happened to Amrtananda? Has he left? You have not mentioned a thing about him. On the whole I am soon returning to Calcutta because you are going to hold a function from the 21st October. Probably I shall leave this place by the end of the second week of October and stay for a few days in Bombay and then I shall go to Calcutta in due time when your function will be held. So when I go to Calcutta I shall meet with Chenchal and Ganguly and see how things can be done for the Bengali magazine. So far Hindi is concerned, Ksirodakasayi das Adhikari will be in charge and I have given him all instruction. Perhaps he is already reached Delhi. For Hindi translation both Rohininandan and Dr. Rao are there. Hoping this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/adb letters | 18:40 | 28 September, 1971 Nairobi My Dear Sons and Daughter, Please accept my blessings. Upon the recommendation of Mohanananda Prabhu I have gladly consented to accept you three as my duly initiated disciples. Also I have received your check as daksina for $75. Thank you very much for the same. Your beads have been duly chanted by me and they are enclosed herewith. I have given you the spiritual names as follows: (K. Cristoph)--Rajamohan Das Brahmacari. Rajamohan means Krishna, the one who captivates even the king. (R. Purcell)--Gauramohan Das Brahmacari. Gauramohan means the attractive feature of Gauradesa, or Bengal; that is Lord Caitanya. (Kathy Prabhu)--Kumkum Devi Dasi. Kumkum is the red powder which is used extensively by the gopis and Krishna. I am so glad to learn that you all have been such a great help to Mohanananda Prabhu there in our Dallas center. I can understand that you are all very sincere boys and girls and are very eligible candidates for going back to home, back to Godhead. And the process is simple. Follow the regulative principles, chant at least 16 rounds of beads daily, read our literatures, go for street Sankirtana, etc. In this way keep yourselves engaged in Krishna's business 24 hours and you will be really happy in this life and in the end reach the Supreme destination. Hoping this will meet you all in good health, and working hard to make our ISAVASYA school a grand success. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/adb letters | 18:39 | Sep 27, 2006 27 September, 1971 Nairobi My Dear Danavir, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 11th September, 1971 and have noted the contents. I am so glad to hear how nicely Mrs. Dossa is doing and how she is engaging in devotional activities. She is a neophyte, so try and help her in every activity so that she may become fixed up. And if Chayadevi can help her children I have no objection. At your recommendation I have consented to give second initiation to both Sriman Traidas and his wife Pramada. Two copies of Gayatri mantra are enclosed herewith as well as one sacred thread duly chanted by me. First of all you must secure one tape of me reciting Gayatri mantra. Makhanlal in Seattle has one copy. Then you must hold a fire yajna for the two devotees as you have seen so many times before. Then let them each hear the tape through the right ear, privately and individually, reading the paper and repeating each word. Beforehand you can instruct them how to chant on the fingers. Then you can get the thread on Traidas's body. So far your visions are concerned, that is all right but better you give your attention for hearing more. That is essential. Don't speculate in the mind; simply hear. That is the process. I am so glad to hear how nicely Trilochan is distributing our books. Please offer him my blessings. Also offer the same to Kamala Devi, Traidas, Pramada, Visnu das, Kanisari, Scot, Dick, Chayadevi and Ray Prabhus. Hoping this will meet you all in the best of health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/adb letters | 18:38 | Sep 26, 2006 Sunday, 26 September, 1971 Nairobi My Dear Madhudvisa Maharaja, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of you letter dated 14th September, 1971 as well as the one of Tusta Krishna dated 9th September and have noted the contents. Subha Laksmi is a very popular singer and dancer. I know in Delhi the Ramakrishna mission with the help of Subha Laksmi singing and Prime Minister Nehru presiding, in one day they raised fund 10 lakhs. So it requires good organization and selling of tickets, etc. I think alone Subha Laksmi can contribute 5 lakhs by her performance. So this is a good opportunity to take her help. I think you should not dictate the dates for her performance. Let her fix it up and do the needful according to her convenience. In the matter of the Amersey house, we should take into consideration the hospital just by the side of the house. So if we perform kirtana whether it will be an inconvenience to the hospital establishment. That is to be ascertained. The Peddar Road property sounds very nice, so negotiate seriously for it, taking help from Mr. Chambria. In the meantime, if possible you can send me a little description of the house. We require a big hall. That is essential. What is the use of taking the Neapensy Road apartment if kirtana is not allowed? Better forget this place. So far Akash-Ganga, the month to month payment is very nice arrangement, so go on with it. So far your idea to invest money, the first consideration is whether the investment will be insured or not. If it is, then you can establish what is your expenditure for one month and then calculate it for one year and then invest that amount so that the interest received will cover your expenditure. But this is not such a good proposal. Better that you maintain yourself by monthly subscription of cash and kind from so many persons. Then preaching will go on and so many persons will be benefited. Rsi Kumar's idea to purchase a bus is a good idea, but who is going to sponsor it? It requires some expert management. You can correspond with Dayananda in London and see if it is feasible. Hoping this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 18:38 | 26 September, 1971 Nairobi My Dear Tamala Krishna, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 17th September, 1971 and have noted the contents carefully. So far the program you have fixed up, I have no objection. Here in Nairobi we have got many engagements as well as in Mombassa. So I think by the 15th October or still earlier it will be possible for me to return to India. So you can fix up the program as mentioned by you. Yes, if we can establish such a Krishna Conscious school, certainly it will be very much attractive. That was my first suggestion in Bombay. The first thing is that we will have to select teachers. Whether our men who are already there will be able to teach. Of course teaching will be elementary. Satyabhama in New Vrindaban has written a book for children. So you can immediately ask her. I think many of our girls can take up this business. Lilavati, Satyabhama and I don't know who else; there are many who may take up this work. Some of them may go to India. But factually, so far I have studied the situation, American boys and girls are a little restless. So it is subject matter to be decided by the GBC and I think you should consult with all other GBC members how to do it. There are many things to be done in our missionary activities but the GBC is not yet very strong to take up all the things and do them nicely. There is a big project in Mayapur also. So consult seriously the GBC whether all these things can be taken in hand simultaneously. It requires a very cool brain and expert management. Both in Calcutta and in Bombay there is discrepancy in accounts. You wanted to check them by auditors but so far I know the auditors will not pass any account not supported by regular vouchers. For all expenditures there must be regular vouchers. Here last night I was talking with one Mr. Patel at whose house we are staying now. He said that even for travelling expenses, the auditor requires vouchers in which the taxi cab number is also required to be mentioned. The auditor does not accept any expenditure without proper voucher. If the expenditure is not supported by proper voucher, the amount is debited to the personal account. Regarding model making, I don't think Nara Narayana is capable to do that. The only boy capable I know is Ranchor Das Adhikari in London who did the architectural drawings for the Mayapur scheme. So you can immediately open correspondence with him and see if it is possible. Hoping this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/adb letters | 18:37 | Sep 25, 2006 Saturday, 25 September, 1971 Nairobi My Dear Madhucara, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 14th September, 1971 and have noted the contents. I am so much pleased to hear how you are so enthusiastic for distributing our books and literatures. Krishna will surely bless you. This book distribution program is our real propaganda work and Krishna is giving you intelligence how to do it nicely. Thank you very much. So far your getting yourself married is concerned, I have no objection if it meets with Karandhara's approval. It appears that Lilasakti is a very good preacher, so help each other to become better and better preachers of this Krishna Consciousness movement. Don't fall astray. Separation is absolutely forbidden at any time. Always think of Krishna and be happy. I am in due receipt of your daksina and that of Purusottama also ($10. check). Thank you for the same. Hoping this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/adb letters | 11:51 | 25 September, 1971 Nairobi My Dear Bhakta Das, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 14th September, 1971 and have noted the contents. Also I have received the two sacred threads enclosed and they have been duly chanted by me. At your recommendation Paratrikananda, Surya das, Annapurna and Lilasakti may all be given Gayatri mantra. Enclosed please find four copies. The procedure for initiation should be as follows: First of all secure the tape of me reciting Gayatri mantra, either from Karandhara in L.A. or from Jayananda in Berkeley. Then you can hold a fire yajna. Then the devotees should hear the tape individually, privately, and through the right ear. They should repeat each word. Then you get the threads on the boys' bodies. So far purchasing the new temple is concerned, if Karandhara feels that it is better to wait for some time before purchasing then it is all right with me. New devotees are coming. That is a sign of your sincerity. Krishna is sending. And you are distributing over 1000 BTG per week. That is most encouraging. Maintain this program and you can be sure that Krishna will give you a new temple very soon. Please offer my blessings to the others there. Hoping this will meet you all in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/adb letters | 11:50 | 25 September, 1971 Nairobi My Dear Saradia devi, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 15th September 1971 and have noted the contents. Krishna has blessed you with a very nice child, Ananga dasi, and I am very much pleased to note how she has got some affection for Lord Jagannatha. That is very nice. And actually there is no harm in her playing with Jagannatha but how the Deity will be kept from being mishandled or kept in a dirty place or even thrown away at the whim of the child? You cannot always check her. Therefore to such a small child the Deity of Lord Jagannatha should not be given. Let her grow up a little so that she can follow some instruction in this connection and then you can give her. Hoping this will meet you in good health. Please offer my blessings to your daughter also. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/adb letters | 11:50 | 25 September, 1971 Nairobi My Dear Sri Galim, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter undated and have noted the contents. I can see that you are a very sincere servitor of Lord Krishna and that you have a sincere desire also for pushing on this Krishna Consciousness movement. Thank you very much. If you remain sincere and enthusiastic for spreading Caitanya Mahaprabhu's message then surely He will give you all facility to do so, you can be sure. And Krishna says in Bhagavad-gita that He will give you all intelligence in this connection. Everything will become revealed to you. Just like now we are commentating on the Western philosophers in the light of Krishna consciousness. I never studied different philosophy or science but Krishna has given me the intelligence how to defeat their nonsensical proposals. Soon these commentaries on the Western philosophies will be transcribed and published in a book entitled "Thus They Talked." So Krishna will give you all intelligence how to push on this movement. Already you have a program for preaching at the university and you should continue this program more and more. The universities are always good field for preaching and distributing our literatures also. So work very hard and just depend on Krishna and surely you will be successful. Please offer my blessings to the others. Hoping this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/adb letters | 11:49 | Sep 24, 2006 Friday, 24 September, 1971 Nairobi My Dear Sukadeva, Please accept my blessings. Just recently I have received one letter from Pavanadeva Prabhu requesting second initiation at the recommendation of both yourself and Karandhara. So I am enclosing herewith one sacred thread, properly made and duly chanted by me and also one paper with Gayatri mantra. The procedure should be as follows for presenting Pavanadeva with sacred thread: First you must secure a tape of me reciting Gayatri mantra from Karandhara in L.A. or Jayananda in Berkeley. Let Pavanadeva hear the tape privately and through the right ear. He should recite, after me, the words aloud. Beforehand you can show him how to chant (count) on the fingers. Then you must hold a fire yajna before you get this thread on his body. Please offer Pavanadeva my blessings and acknowledge receipt of his letter. The proper spelling of his name is shown herewith. So far my health is concerned, I am quite all right now. Only there was a slight indication of heart attack but Krishna saved me. It was not very acute. So long Krishna will keep me fit I will go on working, so you devotees should pray to Krishna that I might go on serving Him up to the last point of my death. Hoping this will meet you all in good heath. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/adb letters | 11:49 | 24 September, 1971 Nairobi My Dear Gaura Hari, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your very encouraging letter dated 4th September, 1971 and have noted the contents carefully. Your service is most valuable in spreading this cult of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. The process you have adopted is just right for preaching Caitanya Mahaprabhu's cult. When Caitanya Mahaprabhu was personally present, He used to send His most confidential disciples to go out on the street and canvass house to house to accept the Sankirtana movement. Even if the magistrate would object to such Sankirtana movement on the complaint of some demons, Caitanya Mahaprabhu would still send out his disciples and at the same time He exhibited a great civil disobedience movement on account of the magistrate's order to stop Sankirtana. The idea is that Sankirtana must be pushed on, even there are some difficulties. That is our mission. So tactfully, according to place, time, and surroundings, try to push on this Sankirtana cult as far as possible and Krishna will be very very much pleased upon you. I am also very much pleased for your activities and I have all my blessings for you. Please continue this activity and be blessed. At your recommendation I have gladly consented to accept Guy as my duly initiated disciple. His letter and beads are enclosed herewith. Also enclosed are three sacred threads duly chanted by me as well as four papers with Gayatri mantra for the four devotees you have recommended for second initiation. You should secure the tape of me reciting Gayatri mantra from Makhanlal in Seattle. Let each devotee hear the tape privately, one at a time, and through the right ear. They should have the paper in front of them and hear and repeat each word. Beforehand you can show them how to count on the fingers, and beforehand hold a fire yajna and get the threads on the boys' bodies. Hoping this will meet you all in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/adb letters | 11:48 | 24 September, 1971 Nairobi My Dear Makhanlal and Tilaka Devi, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letters dated 30th August, 1971 and have noted the contents. Also I have received the check for $80 as daksina from Tilaka Devi Dasi and I thank you very much for the same. It is interesting to note that her father is consulate general for Madras. He can help us if he gives an introductory letter in favor of Madhudvisa Swami to see the ambassador in Delhi. We want this ambassador should take part in the big function we are going to hold in Mayapur. So far Mr. Dhawan is concerned, I am enclosing herewith one letter in the name of Brahmananda Swami in regards to opening a center in Nigeria.* I am so glad to hear that Von Prabhu is executing such valuable service to Krishna. Please give him my blessings. So he is giving such nice service; that is his qualification. So if you feel that he is ready, then he may take initiation by mail and we can give him a certificate also and that will save him from the draft. Your proposal for a grhastha travelling Sankirtana party is a very good one but the temple work should not be neglected. Both things should go on simultaneously. Our process is to work on Bhagavata and Pancaratriki systems simultaneously. Deity worship is pancaratriki system and preaching is Bhagavata system. If we keep both systems in a regular way that will help us solidly in our advancement in Krishna Consciousness. So far my health is concerned, there was a slight indication of a heart attack but it was not very acute. Krishna saved me. I have had many times such slight heart attacks since 1970 but it does not hamper my activities in Krishna Consciousness. So long as Krishna will keep me fit I will go on working. So you devotees should pray to Krishna that I can go on giving Him service up to the last point of my death. Supersoul is sitting in everyone's heart, so when He hears the effect of hearing is there. So it is to be understood that the Spiritual Master is also hearing. Please offer my blessings to the others. Hoping this will meet you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami *Brahmananda Swami has written Mr. Dhawan asking for six round-trip tickets from Kenya for going there to establish a center. ACBS/adb letters | 11:47 | |
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