a.c. bhaktivedanta swami
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| Prabhupada Letters :: 1971 a.c. bhaktivedanta swami |
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Nov 30, 2006 Tuesday, 30 November, 1971 Vrindaban My Dear Rupanuga, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter of November 10, 1971, and have noted the contents carefully. I am currently in Vrindaban with a party of 40 devotees, and we are having daily parikrama of the holy places. We shall return to Delhi tomorrow by coach. The officials and residents of Vrindaban have greeted us very nicely, and they are simply astounded to see our SKP chanting with great jubilation through the city streets. The Mayor has publicly proclaimed that I have done something wonderful, and practically speaking, they realize that before I went to the western countries no one there knew about Vrindaban. Now hundreds of visitors and hippies from your country come here to see Krishna's place. The Vrindaban devotees have understood that Vrindaban is now world-famous due to my preaching work, so they are all very much appreciating their hometown Swamiji. So far the posters for temple altars, if you have got extra money you can print the posters. But I am against the policy of our ISKCON Press charging exorbitant prices for books and other things which they sell to the temples. Our policy should be cost price, or if a little more (10% above cost) is required for other expenses, that may be added. But it is not that we are in business to make profit from each other. With the public, that is a different thing. But our real business is to spread Krishna Consciousness, and for that our centers require so many things like books, tapes, photos, like that--and these should be freely exchanged between the temples to be utilized nicely in preaching work, without profit-making. As far as Bhagavad-gita is concerned, I do not know why it is delayed. For the last three years you've been saying Bhagavad-gita is going to be printed and the last deadline was given by Advaita that it would be printed by the 1st October, 1971. Unfortunately, nothing has been done by now. Now it is December, 1971. If for printing one book it takes so much time I do not know how the other 60 books will be printed. I am very much depressed. The MacMillan Company simply wants to consider their business point of view. But we have to print our books just to present to the world. Please therefore have Dai Nippon print the books immediately, without any consideration by MacMillan Co.--promotion or no promotion. If by this time they have agreed to print the book from their side it is all right. Otherwise ask Dai Nippon to print immediately without delay. The photography exhibit for Delhi pandal arrived, but the exorbitant price of $240 plus shipping costs was too much for 70 photos, so I have advised them to pay only the actual cost price as will be determined by Gurudasa. I have seen the photo price list from Uddhava and the prices quoted are very high. He is simply taking advantage of our devotees' sentiment to make money, and this is not a very good position. There is no limit to expanding--you talk of expanding--we have to invest more and more to remain modern by purchasing machines, etc. But if the machines we have cannot even be utilized properly, then what is the use of expanding? I want that all of these big plans should be realized, and there will be no end to the resources Krishna will provide, but first there must be good management. Who will manage? But I have no objection if you can develop the Press by making outside profit with commercial work and investing--that is all right. I hope this meets you in good health and cheerful mood. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sda letters | 12:35 | 30 November, 1971 Vrindaban My Dear Krishna das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter undated, wherein you inform me that you will be arriving soon in Hamburg. I am very pleased that you are determined to rectify whatever may have been done in the past, in order to push on in Krishna Consciousness to a very bright future. Never mind the past. Now you appear very enthusiastic to work in Europe, and that spirit of working in this way is very encouraging. So now you organize everything with Hamsaduta and your godbrothers there so that this Movement may be spread very effectively in Europe. For a long time our centers in Europe have been suffering for want of literature and so many things. But now I see that in England things are going very nicely, and Hamsaduta writes me that everything is improving in Germany, and I hear that new centers are being opened. This is all very good news to me, because I consider that these western countries are the most important field for our work. So now do this work in a gradually progressive manner, and do not be concerned too much even there may be some temporary setbacks. Because we are in this material world we are not perfect, and so these setbacks are natural occurrences and we should not be too much disturbed by them. I am especially pleased that you want to organize a travelling SKP in Europe. We are doing the same thing here in India with very good results. And from all over the Society I get reports that such parties are having good success. So try to organize it very nicely in Europe also, especially to distribute our books and magazines, as many as possible. So far this printing of literature, there must always be sufficient stock for distributing everywhere you go. So you have to plan nicely in advance, either by consulting with ISKCON Press or by printing locally. Even if it is only a few pages, something must be there. You may organize your travelling party on the lines of a festival which moves from city to city, and if there is good field, a camp may be set up and you may carry on with our Hare Krishna Festival as long as there is good response. In this way, you may move from country to country as the weather permits. And you can equip yourselves to be completely self-sufficient--sleeping, cooking, everything. This program is very very pleasing to me. So far the Soviet Yatra is concerned, Syamasundara, who is with me here in India as my secretary, has made a plan with that boy Madhukar. Madhukar is in Delhi for the vacation months from his University in Moscow, so there have been discussions in Delhi and a plan has been made. You may consult with Syamasundara. what they are doing. I hope this will meet you in good health and cheerful mood. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sda letters | 12:34 | 30 November, 1971 Vrindaban My Dear Bahulasva, Please accept my blessings. I have received your letter of November 15, 1971, and I am very much pleased that our Chicago center is doing very nicely under your supervision. You may request the Prof. E. Dimac and Prof. Van Buitenin to review and write a forward for our Bhagavad-gita As It Is. That is very nice. I am very glad that you understand the importance of these books. Let us try to distribute them far and wide, as many as possible, and that is solid spiritual information or real preaching work. We stand on our Krishna philosophy, and because it has the full potency of Krishna Himself, there is no limit to the effect it will have upon the world if we remain sincere and convinced for spreading this philosophy purely. I like your idea to publish many small books especially meant for the layman class. ISKCON Press has just printed Topmost Yoga and Easy Journey, and you may order these from them. I have written and spoken ample stock for such articles and essays. Now it is up to our editors in N.Y. to select and publish them. Actually it was my original idea that our press should print many smaller books by the millions, but that they are not doing. Instead they talk of expanding more and more, but they cannot produce any big books. So you may approach Bhagavan das and Rupanuga with your suggestions for books, and among yourselves you just chalk out some practical plan. The example regarding the Swami's argument is that God is the ocean and the living entities are waves. So accepting this argument we may say that the waves are being formed perpetually and again, and they are mixing with the sea water. So what is the question of liberation? That is the example in Bhagavad-Gita. The whole material manifestation is generating and again vanishing. So we are not concerned with this kind of business. We are concerned to go deep into the sea and have our own individual identity exactly like the fish and other aquatic animals, and enjoy perpetually in the sea. This is liberation. This Mayavadi philosophy is very superficial, and therefore they cannot go deep into the matter and they are simply satisfied simply by suggesting the activity of the waves. I am very glad that you are challenging all of these so-called swamis and gurus. My Guru Maharaja appreciated devotees who boldly present our Vaisnava philosophy. We must take advantage of every opportunity to defeat these rascals and drive them away, so please continue this strong attitude. I shall be very glad to initiate anyone whom you recommend to become my disciple. I hope this meets you, your good wife, and your sons, Yamal and Arjuna, in good health and cheerful mood. Your ever well-wisher A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 12:31 | 30 November, 1971 Delhi The Chairman, Municipal Committee., Vrindaban, U.P. Dear Sir, POINTS OF APPLICATION 1) We are establishing various centres all over the world to propagate Krishna Consciousness, which means recognizing that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead; 2) Krishna's instructions in the Bhagavad-gita is the scriptural evidence of this fact; 3) The chanting of the Holy Name (the Hare Krishna Mahamantra) is the Vedic hymn; 4) Activities in the loving service of the Lord is the occupational duty of every man; 5) In other words we are preaching all over the world the principle of one God, one community, one scripture, and one occupation. This principle has been accepted practically all over the world. We have got an international body of students trying to preach this cult of Krishna Consciousness, and we are so pleased the people of Vrindaban (Brijbasis), as well as the Fathers of Vrindaban Town--all of them have appreciated our attempt. I am so much obliged to the devotee-residents of Vrindaban for their giving me the civic reception. We want to open a centre of magnificent proportions in Vrindaban City, as was discussed with Your Honor by my secretary, Sriman Ksirodakasayi das Adhikari. I therefore request you to give us the one-acre piece of land near the Dak Bungalow for this purpose. Thanking you in anticipation. In the meantime I beg to remain, Yours Sincerely, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 12:30 | Nov 27, 2006 Saturday, 27 November, 1971 Vrindaban My Dear Kirtiraja das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of you letter of November 14, 1971, and I have noted the contents carefully. I am very pleased that you have taken over responsibility for our ISKCON books mail-order department. I consider it one of the most important posts in our Society, so you must be very diligent to perform very nicely this immense work. I especially want that my books and literatures should be distributed profusely, but so far I understand this is not being done very perfectly. So I want that you all my students shall very vigorously try for this book distribution. Do not hesitate to use your American and European brains to increase, that is Krishna's special gift to you, now use it. Any activity which will please Krishna should be accepted favorably, this is our guiding principle. Now apply it in this way, by doing everything and anything for spreading this Krishna Conscious literature, and this is really pleasing to Krishna, know it for certain. Especially you must always be eager to supply all our branches all over the world with whatever literature they require, not that they must pay and then get books like ordinary mundane business. It is not that they shall not pay for books, but that payment must come gradually and in regular installments. We have to be prompt and gracious in this business of mail-order books, and I am very encouraged that you are enthusiastic to do everything required for increasing in this way. If the letter you receive in my name are simply requests for information, then you may answer on my behalf. However if there are questions of philosophy or for personal advice, you should either answer them by consulting Rupanuga or a senior devotee, or send them to me and I shall answer. You can send me a few samples of such letters and I shall see them. We are now printing our Hindi and Bengali BTG's in India, so you may now stop supplying my godbrothers in India to save postage. Instead, you send me the list of those you are supplying and we shall supply from here. If you require any Hindi or Bengali BTG's for distribution outside of India, you may write to Tamala Krishna on this point. I have no objection if you deal with Mr. Kallman. There's no question of stopping dealing with anyone if by such dealing we are spreading Krishna Consciousness favorably. But one thing, this Mr. Kallman does not give me any royalty for that record album--why is this? We can always manufacture that album ourselves if there is great demand. Or is there some contract? Why not find out that contract and send me one copy. Regarding prasadam, leftovers should always be taken if they have not spoiled or if they have not been touched by diseased persons. We should never waste Krishna prasadam. Best thing is to cook only what is required and then give each person what he wants. That is the Vedic system. The people sit in rows behind their plates and servers pass down the rows and put a very small portion of each foodstuff on each plate, unless there is some objection by a person then nothing is given. Then if anyone wants more, the servers pass up and down the rows continually and give more if anyone requests. In this way nothing is wasted and everyone is satisfied. I hope this meets you in good health and cheerful mood. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sda letters | 12:28 | 27 November, 1971 Vrindaban My Dear Lalita Kumar and Jambavati dasi, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter undated, and I have noted the contents carefully. You may name your daughter Mitra dasi, I have no objection. You may call your children as you like, but you should always inform my secretary to make sure the name is entered on our list to avoid repetition. Later, the children may be given another name upon initiation, as it is seen fit. You ask if children may be taken to ordinary medical doctors. Why not? Of course we do not always trust that these doctors maybe doing the right thing, but what can be done? The governing principle for our activity should be to do what is favorable for pleasing Krishna. So if your child requires medical attention to be fit for serving Krishna, then it is only practical she should get it. Same thing--if the government is giving you money, why not use it for Krishna? Only thing we must avoid cheating them or falsely claiming something to get money. Then we are risking our very high reputation as pious people. But if they are willing to give us money and food, then of course we should accept. I am very pleased that your preaching work is going on nicely. That is the test, that you are making devotees. Especially I want this school and college program. If only the intelligent class of men understand our Krishna philosophy, then our mission is successful. So try to attract these students with profuse prasadam and nice philosophy and they will appreciate more and more. Slow but sure, that is our motto--and class, not mass. So never mind some other Christian movements are getting many followers. The competition is beneficial for us. Everything is beneficial for Krishna consciousness if it is utilized properly. That is the art. Anything without substance will not last, so just demonstrate sincerely that we have got solid ground beneath us, not that we have only some sentiment, that's all. Many fanatic spiritual movements have come and gone, but without the flawless philosophy of Krishna, they cannot stand. Therefore I want especially that my books and literature should be distributed profusely. This is our substance, real philosophical information, not some weak sentiments. So try for this, to give all men this Krishna philosophy, and many real devotees will come with us back to Home, back to Godhead. I hope this finds you in good health and cheerful mood. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sda letters | 12:28 | 27 November, 1971 Vrindaban My Dear Abhirama das, Please accept my blessings. I have received your letter of November 19, 1971, along with sailboat plans, and I have noted the contents carefully. The plans are very nice, and I want that such a floating ISKCON be organized, but for financial questions you should consult with my GBC men and together you can chalk out your plan. But one thing, how practical is such a ship with so many sails? I understand that it requires very skilled men to operate such ship, so have we got such experience? Now we have got ships without sails that are also very nice, so is it not more feasible for us to operate one of these more simple ships? What do you think? I am very pleased that your all efforts to spread Krishna Consciousness Movement are meeting with success. Krishna has given you this gift, how to present KC to the public in a very tasteful manner, so now just utilize that facility and your life will be perfect. Actually, because you have given your life to Krishna, you are already perfect. But it is just like the ocean, if you are swimming in it you may swim forever and not reach the shore. Similarly, there is no limit to the perfection of Krishna Consciousness. Try to give this message to everyone, and the people will appreciate our Movement because we have got very solid ground of philosophy, and, more than that, our philosophy can be applied to our life and give good results. Especially I want that my books and literatures be distributed profusely, so try to do this, especially when you go in the schools and colleges. People must know that our Krishna philosophy will save the world from all kinds of dangerous conditions. We prove that when we compare our philosophy with any kind of ordinary so-called philosophy--we can defeat them all very easily. I am very encouraged that you are assisting me so nicely in this great mission, and I thank you very much. You may give your new child the name Purnima dasi, as you like. But one thing, always inform my secretary if there is a new name given to any of your children, so that a record may be kept. I hope this meets you and your good wife, Vijaya devi, in strong health and cheerful mood. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sda letters | 12:27 | |
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