a.c. bhaktivedanta swami
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| Prabhupada Letters :: 1967 a.c. bhaktivedanta swami |
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15 Apr 2004 Saturday, April 15, 1967 New York, New York TRUE COPY of Letter under separate post with Gramophone Record AND A CHEQUE FOR RS 50.- My dear Sri Krishna Panditji, Please accept my greetings. I am in due receipt of your letter of the 9th instant and have noted the contents carefully. As promised by me previously I am sending herewith the Gramophone Record of my Kirtana and short speech thereof. I hope you will enjoy it. I am very sorry to learn that Srimati Bahuji is suffering from Pyorrhea. It is due to excessive Betel chewing. Any way I am sending herewith a small cheque for her treatment. Please accept it with my blessings. Regarding printing work, I am prepared to guarantee for payment to the press if the printing is first class just suitable to the American taste. If Joshiji appears to be not interested why not yourself do the work and I am prepared to pay you as stated in my previous letter. Regarding your introduction to my disciples here, you can immediately note down the following address. He is interested in importing musical instruments from India. If you can immediately arrange to supply from Delhi things like Aggarbatti, Dhupa, Musical instruments, Varanasi Sari, Bronze cymbals, Printed matters, Printed cloths from Agra and Farukhabad etc, you can do very good business and make profit not less than Rs 200.- per month or more. Add only 5% on the purchase price or sometimes less than 5% on purchase values and you will be do good business. But if you can not write in English how you will make correspondence with them. You must write in English or get it done by some one who knows English. Unless you write in English how can you deal with them. Please note down the following address immediately and correspond with him giving reference of my name: Mr. Michael Grant 518 Frederick Street, San Francisco, California 94117. Regarding my room in the temple, I can understand that you want to use it for many other purposes and you cannot agree to use it exclusively for my Bhagavatam Printing. I do not wish to disturb you. As you are very much anxious to get the room vacated, I have decided to vacate it without delay. I have advised Srimad B.V. Narayana Maharaja of Mathura (Kesavji Gaudiya Matha) to vacate the room without delay. When he goes to the Temple please help him as far as possible and he will certainly vacate the room for your other religious purposes as you have informed me in your letter under reply. In conclusion I may inform you that I can introduce to you many names in this country provided you can arrange for correspondence in English. Who will read your Hindi letters. Please note that without English you cannot be in touch with the outer world at least in Business. Why not train at least one of your sons in English correspondence and I will help him in doing our world business and your family will be profited. Hope you are well. Your ever well wisher. A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami My Sri Krishna Panditji, The above letter was to be posted by air mail. But my students have posted it along with the Gramophone Record by ordinary mail. So it will take some time to reach you. I therefore send the copy of the above letter by air mail so that you can know the reply of your letter of the 9th instant. Kindly help Narayana Maharaja in clearing the room. Awaiting your reply. Yours etc. A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 15.4.04 | 14 Apr 2004 Friday, April 14, 1967 New York, New York My Dear Kirtanananda, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter of the 12th instant and have noted the contents very carefully. It is very pleasing to learn that you had very good Kirtana on the 11th instant night with many devotees. Forget everything and go on with your Kirtana that will bring us all transcendental bliss. I received all letters from Janardana and I have duly replied to them including one meant for his grandmother who is ailing for some time past. You are all good souls and therefore Krishna has sent you all for giving me chance to serve Krishna. Regarding permanent Visa from Canada it is very welcome suggestion. As I have told you several times that I want at least twelve trained devotees and let us tour all over the world for preaching the gospel of Krishna Consciousness. That will satisfy me. Now we have both records and books and I have ordered for more books from India and I have now money to print the Gitopanisad. Janardana's friend Mr. McGill certainly can help me in this connection. Why not make me an Hon. teacher in the Religion Department for teaching the cult of Lord Caitanya which is the living religion of the world. All other religions of the world are carried by more sentiments than philosophy but Caitanya cult is full of philosophy and transcendental sentiments or emotions. I am enclosing herewith certificates of my bonafides and see if you can arrange for my Permanent Visa from Canada. Mr. Ypslanti the Lawyer for my Visa asks me not to go to Montreal because as soon as I cross the border of U.S.A. I shall not be allowed to enter U.S.A. until I return to India and apply for new visa. And He is simply taking time to draw some more fees. Under the circumstances if it is possible for me to get Canadian permanent Visa through the good office of Mr. McGill then I can immediately start for Montreal. Please let me know how far it is possible and if Janardana has made any progress in this connection. "Why we cannot eat meat", to answer this question the staight reply is that "because Krishna does not eat meat". We are concerned with Krishna Consciousness so our eating is dependent on Krishna Consciousness. We cannot eat, cannot do, cannot think, cannot will or can do nothing without Krishna consciousness. By nature one has to eat some weaker living being and therefore animals are eaten by man, vegetables are eaten by animal or the weak is eaten by the strong and therefore one living being is eaten by another stronger living being. But there is a systematic rules and principles for eating and a human being is to eat Krishna Prasadam. If Krishna would have eaten meat, we would have also eaten His meat Prasadam. We are concerned with Krishna Prasadam. In this connection please consult my writing in Srimad-Bhagavatam third volume page 822 "One living being is the food for the other" also please consult page 984 "The principles of Cow Killing" ACB letters | 14.4.04 | Friday, April 14, 1967 New York, New York My Dear Janardana, Please accept my blessings. I hope you have duly received the note sent for your grandmother. Although we have spent $500.00 till now for my permanent Visa, our Lawyer is not yet successful. He does not advise me to cross the borders of U.S.A. otherwise the Visa which is now extended to February 1969, will be cancelled. And I cannot return to U.S.A. It is very difficult to deal with these lawyers. Now if it is possible for me to have Canadian Visa as Kirtanananda has suggested in his letter under reply and which you have also confirmed that it can be done, then please do it immediately and I can start for Montreal never mind it is cancelled here. You will find herewith two certificates of my bonafides in the matter of my becoming the teacher of Caitanya Cult. I have got my books also. So if I am appointed as teacher I think the whole problem is solved. I hope you will try for this and let me know what is the opinion of Mr. McGill who is your friend. Jadurani also has drawn one design for the Montreal Prospectus enclosed herewith please find. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Enclosure: 3 & 1 Letter from N.Y.U. letters | 14.4.04 | 13 Apr 2004 Thursday, April 13, 1967 New York, New York IHA YASYA HARER DASYE KARMANA MANASA VACHA. MIKHILESVAPYAVASTHASU JIVAN MUKTA SA UCYATE, by work, words & mind. "A person, who is always anxious to render service unto the Supreme Lord Hari, as His eternal servitor, in all conditions of life he is considered to be liberated even though within the material body" My dear Kirtanananda, Please accept my blessings and convey the same to all devotees there. I am in due receipt of your letter of the 10th instant and have noted the contents with great delight. Your mutual understanding with Sriman Janardana making Krishna as the center of attraction is very much enlightening to me. Transcendental jealousy is not wrong but it is absolute. In the transcendental world there are jealous parties also like the party of Radharani and the party of Satyabhama. Radharani and Satyabhama are always jealous of one another but the center is Krishna. There are many material examples also. There are many political parties in a state but in spite of all political jealousies they are one in serving the state. Similarly Krishna being the center all competition and jealousies for serving Krishna the best is always Absolute provided such jealousies do not come down to the material plane. Krishna consciousness means to increase the number of persons in Krishna consciousness. Therefore it is the duty of a Brahmacari to go door to door as beggar and enlighten people in Krishna consciousness. Whenever you go to some person he will hear something from the devotee about Krishna consciousness and that will be very much beneficial for both the devotee and the person who hears the devotee. In India the Brahmacaris are meant for begging from door to door for the Spiritual Master. But in your country this activity is not allowed, therefore some devices like selling the publications recruiting members, inviting them to our meetings and likewise activities must be taken by the Brahmacaris and that will be nice. Grhasthas or the householders have responsibility of family therefore whatever contribution they can offer for the Society is welcome. After all, Krishna is the ultimate Person. We are just trying to serve Him. Your conviction that we have to supply the demands of Krishna and not to demand anything from Him is the pure devotional philosophy. The followers of Lord Caitanya never makes Krishna the Order supplier but the devotees become the order supplier of Krishna. Krishna wants that all His bewildered sons may be turned towards Him and therefore the more we are able to turn devotees of Krishna the more our service is recognized. We have to work practically how this mission can be well organized. Residential quarters for students and others on terms of our rigidity is very good project. We should increase this project like Y.M.C.A. organization without any profit. We shall supply nice Prasadam at cheap rate and we shall give shelter to persons who will abide by our rules. That will help in increasing the numbers of devotees because they will attend our lectures and take our Prasadam and will have opportunity to hear Srimad-Bhagavatam etc. I think we should make an experiment of this project during the world Exposition. I understand that you are going to take sanction of India Govt for distribution of the literatures. But the present India Government has a phobia against anything which is religious fervour. The best thing would have been to have one small stall for ourselves from the Exposition authority without any cooperation of the Indian Pavilion. Then we would be able to function independently. If we distribute our Prasadam, our literature, try to sell our books and other literatures and go on playing our records and sell them, I think that will be proper utilization of our Krishna Conscious energy. If possible try to work on this line. When I think of Indian Government I become at once hopeless on account of the secular procedure. I have approved your prospectus and I am sending herewith copies of certificates about my bonafides from Gaudiya Vaisnava Societies in India. Our Gaudiya societies are many many times older than the Ramakrishna Mission. I am the only representative in U.S.A. of my 500 hundred years old societies in India. If Ramakrishna mission can have all facilities from U.S.A. Government for preaching their cult and allow all Ramakrishna Mission Sannyasis remain here, why I shall not be allowed to remain here for propagating Lord Caitanya's movement. Anyway I have now certificates from my Godbrothers in India where we have got very big organizations in the matter of Krishna consciousness and let me see how things take shape. Today I am going to initiate five devotees who were waiting for me while I was at San Francisco. Hope you are well and awaiting your early reply Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Enclosures: 7 letters | 13.4.04 | 12 Apr 2004 12 April, 1967 New York, New York My Dear Mukunda, Please accept my greetings and hearty blessings. I hope in the meantime you have received my previous letter informing my safe arrival in New York. Today I have received the certificates from India and the copies are enclosed herewith. Please immediately consult your Lawyer friend who wanted this certificates and do the needful. I must have now the Permanent visa otherwise I cannot go to Montreal and work will suffer very much if I do not go to Montreal by the next month. Kindly let me know what you have done in this connection and I shall wait your letter with interest. I heard that for appointing a teacher-foreigner expert in particular subject one has to submit application with $25.00 fees and certificate of bona fides of the teacher sponsored by some American. The form I got from the office of Immigration is perhaps lying at San Francisco. Anyway you wanted the certificate which is now obtained and now you can do the needful quickly and let me know what you have done. Please offer my blessings to all my devotees and specially Janaki Devi. Awaiting your early reply. I hope you are following the prescribed routine work for holding the classes and shall be glad to know about it. Your ever well wisher. A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Enclosure: Copy of the certificate. N.B. I have not heard anything about the printing affair of Bhagavad-gita. letters | 12.4.04 | Wednesday, April 12, 1967 New York, New York Dear Mr. Dambergs Senior, Kindly accept my greetings. I am unknown to you but I have heard about you from your very good grandson Sriman Janardana (Janis). I have heard that you have been ailing since a long time but I have heard also that you are a great devotee of Lord Jesus Christ. It is very good. I am also an insignificant servant of Lord Jesus Christ because I am preaching the same message as Lord Jesus did. I'm preaching God consciousness or Krishna consciousness. Fools thought that Lord Jesus Christ was dead by crucifixion but He resurrected. All living entities are parts and parcel of the Supreme Lord and therefore they are also eternal. All our ailments are due to the external body. Although we have to suffer some time from bodily inconveniences specially in the old age, still if we are God conscious, we shall not feel the pangs. The best thing is therefore to chant the holy name of the Lord constantly. I would request you to chant always God's holy name. We are chanting God's holy name always and instructing our students to do so. If you have any holy name for God do chant it always and it will do you the greatest benefit. And by chanting so when you will be remembering Him always then your transfer to the Kingdom of God is guaranteed. When you return to the Kingdom of God there is no necessity to come back again to the rotten world full of miseries. The Lord Has millions of holy names and you can chant any one of them and each and every name of the Lord is full potential. We are chanting God's name as, Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. We chant the abovementioned holy name because this name was chanted by Lord Caitanya the father of this movement of Krishna Consciousness. We follow Lord Caitanya's footprints to achieve very quick result. I would advise you also to follow the principle. Krishna means the most attractive reservoir of Pleasure. Who does not want such pleasure? Therefore we want Krishna and nothing more. Hope you will understand me right. May Krishna give you all peace of mind. You are so lucky that you have got a nice boy like Janis as descendant of your good family. He will render you greatest service to your family by his becoming Krishna conscious, Yours very sincerely A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 12.4.04 | Wednesday, April 12, 1967 New York, New York My Dear Janardana, I am in due receipt of your very long letter of April 10,1967. On the same day I received also your wife's letter requesting me to pay $300.00 which she gave in loan to the Society. I have at once replied to her letter through Rayarama that the money, $300, which she has given in loan to the Society must be returned to her, and I am glad that you are going to repay next week. If you, however, find any difficulty to repay her, then write to me and I shall manage to send her the $300. Of course it will be difficult for the managers to send $300 while they have lost $6,000. Still, I do not wish to put your wife into trouble for the money which she faithfully loaned to the Society. So kindly let me know that you are going to repay her loan. Otherwise I shall send her the money. I can understand that there is some difficulty in meeting the regular expenditure of your Society--namely $350, as you have stated in detail. I apprehended this difficulty in San Francisco when you first informed me of opening a branch in Montreal, and I discouraged the enterprise. But you were, both you and Kirtanananda, all enthusiastic. Now when you have opened it is not good to close it; that will be a discredit for the Society. Try to continue the branch by cooperation. I can understand that you are a family man. You cannot expend the whole amount you earn, but as your wife has proposed that she can allow you to spare 50%. So either 50% or any per cent you can easily spare for the Society, we shall welcome. Don't be overburdened. We don't want anyone to be overburdened. Rather I shall ask Kirtanananda who is not a family man to take the whole responsibility. So don't be agitated. Prosecute Krishna consciousness in peacefulness. One thing I shall request you and your wife: to translate into French all our books. The Society will be obliged to you by your intellectual service more than by money; because you are a family man and you require money. I hope this will satisfy you. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 12.4.04 | |
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