a.c. bhaktivedanta swami
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| Prabhupada Letters :: 1967 a.c. bhaktivedanta swami |
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6 May 2004 Saturday, May 6, 1967 New York, New York My Dear Hayagriva, Please accept my blessings. You have nicely done (missing) Lord Caitanya Drama 1st Act. It is nicely done literature but when playing you will have to make it cut short otherwise it will take too long a time. I have given it over to Rayarama for reading. Rayarama has arranged for a press. We can now work our own press. So Back To Godhead and our books now can be printed in this press by our own men. I think you should now come back and see the printing work done nicely. You will hear more from Rayarama. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 6.5.04 | Saturaday, May 6, 1967 New York, New York My Dear Upendra, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter of May 4, 1967 and I am concerned about your (missing) for army mobilization. I am enclosing herewith a letter you may present to the authority and as a Divinity Student you must not be sent to the field. Chant Hare Krishna. Krishna will save you. Present our prospectus and all newspaper cuttings. Some new cuttings I am enclosing herewith. Also I would request you to pay the rent on room in which I was staying. The Society is short of (missing) and therefore you can assure Haridasa, Mukunda and Syamasundara that hence forward you should take responsibility for the rent of my apartment. Your ever well-wisher A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Enclosure: 4 letters | 6.5.04 | 5 May 2004 5 May, 1967 New York, N.Y My dear Ballabhi, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated April 27, 1967. 1 am very glad to learn that you are making advance in Krishna Consciousness very sincerely. While chanting Hare Krishna Hare Krishna you should always feel the presence of Krishna in Person and as soon as you remember Krishna in Person you can remember also about His talks with Arjuna. If you cannot remember Krishna in Person you should try to hear attentively the word Krishna, Hare as you go on chanting. The correct spelling of your name is Ballabhi. The meaning of this word is that one who tries to please Krishna in all respects. The spirit soul does not evolve like the body. The body has got six transformations, namely, the body takes its birth, it grows, it remains for some time, it produces some by-products and it dwindles and then it vanishes. All these six changes of the body are not applicable to the soul. The soul is permanent. It has no development, no decrease, no destruction, nothing of the sort as compared with the body. The only difficulty of the soul is that in the conditioned state of material body, the soul is supposed to forget its identity; by chanting Hare Krishna gradually the soul revives its identity or it comes out from the forgetfulness. This is not exactly development, but it is reviving one's consciousness. Everything will be gradually clear as you go on chanting Hare Krishna. Please try to chant at least 16 rounds of the beads and while chanting try to hear each and every word. That will make you advance in every respect. If you analyze yourself very scrutinizingly then you will find that you are spirit soul. How can you do it if you think of yourself, what you are, you will analyze that you are not this body, you are not this hand, you are not this leg, you are not this mouth, but you are something. And what is that something? That something is continuing. When you were a child that something was there, when you were a little more, a girl, then that same something was there and now you are a young girl,, the same something is there, and when you will be old enough, the same something is there. Therefore, this same something is there even you have changed your body in so many ways. Therefore next conclusion should be that even if you change to another body, that something will continue. Therefore that something will continue. All this truth about the soul will gradually develop as you go on chanting Hare Krishna. If you try to follow my instruction you will feel that my body is in your presence always. I know that you all devotees of San Francisco are very much anxious to get me back there and I am also trying to go back there as soon as possible, in the meantime go on with your chanting and hearing and everything will be all right by the grace of Krishna. I hope this will find you all right. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Labels: initiation, philosophyt, San Francisco letters | 5.5.04 |Friday, May 5, 1967 New York, New York My dear Kirtanananda, I am in due receipt of your letter dated May 1st 1967 and I am very pleased to go through it. Please accept my blessings. You are doing very nice alone, and Krishna will help you more and more. As you are managing our Montreal center, similarly, Mukunda and Haridasa and Syamasundara are also very nicely managing the center in San Francisco. I have received also one letter from Mukunda of the same date, May 1st, 1967 and he writes as follows: "I am happy to report that many more people are attending kirtana. Someone has made a beautiful technicolor movie (our first in Golden Gate Park) called `Hare Krishna.' It has sound, our voices." I am sorry that you have no good mrdanga, but if you send me a hundred dollars as I have already written to Pradyumna I can get a mrdanga and good harmonium for you so that you can have your kirtana very nicely. I am very much pleased to learn that our comments on the Bhagavad-gita are being appreciated by the audience in Montreal. Regarding printing, if I print the Bhagavad-gita in your country, it will cost not less than 12,000 dollars, out of this I have already secured about 5,000 dollars from one of my students at San Francisco and still I require 6 to 7,000 dollars. I do not know how to secure it, but the only hope is that I have my books. If you can organize the sales of my books, either you or Pradyumna, then there is no question of scarcity of money. I can go on printing so many books. But because the books are not selling nicely, neither there is sufficient money, so I am handicapped. Anyway, let us depend on Krishna and when He will desire, everything will be very nice. Perhaps you have heard that I have recovered out of that 6,000 dollars which had undergone in the belly of Sir Con Fraud. I have realised about 4700 dollars--the pleaders have taken about 1200 dollars, including Mr. Hill's lawyer, our lawyer Herzog and I have paid also something to Goldsmith. Anyway, that affair is closed. Now we are searching after a bigger place. So far we have not been able to find out a suitable place. We found out a very nice suitable place at 6th Street on Grand, but the difficulty is just on the side there is a butcher and the smell is obnoxious, so we could not do it. Now there is a bank building on Houston Street, so, that is very nice, but we do not know how to secure it; we are trying for it. I have already written to Janardana about his studies and I have requested him to have his M.A. degree by all means. You will be pleased to know that appreciation of our Back To Godhead and records has come from London and our disciple Dvarakadhisa, Donald Dougherty is arranging to send 100 records, 3 sets of books and Back To Godhead to London. This time they have made a very nice cover of Back To Godhead and the articles and poetry are very nice. I think they will dispatch to you, and you will enjoy them. Think over how to popularize our sankirtana. If we can popularize our publication then it will be very nice propaganda. You will be pleased to learn that yesterday we had a nice meeting in the City College, 138th St. There were about 200 students attending and the program began at 12 noon and ended at 1:30. First of all we chanted and prayed for 45 minutes, then I lectured for another 30 minutes then there were questions and answers for 20 minutes then again, there was chanting and kirtana and dancing for 15 minutes and at the end all the students danced and sang with me. They appreciated the meeting. If we can arrange such meetings in the schools and colleges it will be a very nice thing, because my purpose of coming here to enthuse the younger generation and it is very pleasing to me that Krishna is sending me younger generation and sincere souls like you. I think some of you like yourself, Satsvarupa, Brahmananda and Mukunda and Gargamuni, Acyutananda and all of you had already cultivated this Krishna Consciousness in your past lives, now Lord Caitanya wants that this movement should be spread in the western countries, so most probably in your previous births you were all Indians and cultivated this Krishna Consciousness. Now Lord Caitanya has placed you in the western part of the world so that you can now combine together and broadcast the holy message all over the world. Your detailed account of the receipt and expenditure is very nice, do your duty and Krishna will help you. I have got all approval of your activities and I am thanking you very much. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami NOTE: If you want to come here for 2 or 3 days it will be a very welcome suggestion. So we can talk together about our future programs, and it will be very nice. Hayagriva wants to hear from you. He wants that you should join his Editorial Department but he will only use you for Iskcon (word missing) of which he is very (missing). - ACB letters | 5.5.04 | Friday, May 5, 1967 New York, New York My dear Guru das and Yamuna, I am very much pleased to receive your writing and short letter dated 25th April, 1967. Please accept my blessings. I hope you are living very peacefully and chanting Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. I am very much pleased to see your good handwriting. I shall therefore request you to utilize your talent in the service of Krishna. I think if you write Hare Krishna Hare Krishna in the same style as you have sent me one specimen, on bigger type on canvas, say 30 inches by 20 inches in color or black and white, it would be a very good engagement for you and at the same time we can utilize those sign boards hanging in nice places. So if you have got time you can prepare immediately such signboards Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare, as you have sent me the specimen, on canvas. Make the canvas colored bluish Krishna color and write Hare Krishna in white. It will be very nice. I have very good appreciation for both of you, Guru das and Yamuna, you are two good souls, now you have combined. Live peacefully, chant Hare Krishna and be happy in your life. Thanking you, Ever your well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 5.5.04 | Friday, May 5, 1967 New York, New York My dear Mukunda, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated May 1, 1967 and thank you very much. You will be pleased to know that yesterday at noon at the City College of New York I had a very successful meeting amongst the students. There were about 200 students present, and at the last kirtana they all danced and sung with me, and there were 20 minutes of answers and questions. This meeting was arranged by the Philosophy Dept. Chairman, so it was very nice and successful. Regarding your inquiry about the individual soul present, I think you will remember that I have several times explained that throughout the whole cosmic creation, not only in the cosmic creation, in the Spiritual World also, the individual is full everywhere, they are numberless. In the material world, the number of souls are very small. In the Spiritual World the number of individual souls are far far greater than what they are here. The conditioned souls are just like prisoners, as we have got less population in the prison house, similarly, in the material world the number of individual souls are very small. So you may understand from me that the individual souls are everywhere, means, anywhere you go within this material world there are individual living entities, in all planets in the outer space, in the water, on the land everywhere. You have done right by attaching a lace on the mrdanga just to make it convenient playing while dancing. I request you to get more mrdangas, of course the first consignment of mrdangas and the cymbals I sent money from my personal book account but if you want more mrdangas you will have to arrange to pay. A first class mrdanga available in India is about ten dollars. I think you should get at least 4 mrdangas and teach, so that other students also can play on it, so if there are 3 or 4 mrdangas played at the park and there are about 20 pairs of cymbals then the kirtana will be more beautiful. We have to popularize this movement everywhere so if you send me 100 dollars then I can secure for you, one best harmonium and 2 mrdangas and 3 pairs of cymbals. What happened about your preparing the cymbals; if you prepare the cymbals there is possibility of being sold in New York, many pairs--so why don't you do it? But if you are not doing it then you must get it from India. It is very pleasing to hear that you are keeping the temple neat and clean, at the same time you bedeck the temple with flowers. I am very glad to learn that you have got a technicolor movie and it is very nice that it has sound added of our voices. I duly received the photos and immigration material, but neither the photos could be offset printed, nor could I use the immigration material as sent by you. Mr. Ypslantin the lawyer is going in his own way, so he does not take this material formerly I offered, so let the matter be done in his own; there is no other way than to depend on the lawyer. Similarly in Montreal also, Janis our student, Janardana is trying for a Canadian visa. Let me see what is done. I received a letter from your wife, Janaki. I think she is the foremost girl who is feeling my separation, so kindly inform her that I am very much pleased to learn that she is making progress considerably in Krishna Consciousness. I have also received a letter from her sister and her brother in law, Guru das, so I am replying to them separately. I think I shall address them care of our temple and when you receive you can re-direct if they are not there. I shall be very glad to receive some letters from you. Give me the weekly report of your activities at San Francisco. Thanking you once more, I am your ever well-wisher, Yours, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami N.B. I learn that in the temple there are sometimes men with no work. This should not be allowed. Every one must be busy with some work in Krishna Consciousness. Idleness is not Krishna Consciousness. Please take care of this omission I shall be glad to hear from you about this. - ACB letters | 5.5.04 | 4 May 2004 Thursday, May 4, 1967 New York, New York My Dear Syamasundara, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter of April 28, 1967, and thank you for returning the check. For the balance eight books you can send me your check conveniently, there is no hurry. It is so pleasing to me that you are giving service to Krishna by your intelligence, by your body, by your mind. Everything is very nice and this will make you more and more progressive in understanding Krishna Consciousness. I think you are feeling and understanding how you are making progress and I am very glad to see it. I am also very much satisfied to see you have got a good companion, your wife Malati. She is very nice. I have received her letter, please convey my blessings unto her. I know that you are not much for writing letters but you are much for work. This is very good proposal. Make the Rathayatra Festival very great success. This will be a great introduction in your city and people will appreciate it and if we can introduce successfully this Rathayatra Festival not only in San Francisco but also in New York and also in Montreal, then it will be a great success of my mission in this country. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta, Swami letters | 4.5.04 | Thursday, May 4, 1967 New York, New York My Dear Malati, Please accept my blessings. I am in receipt of your letter of the 25th, April 1967, and I am very glad to know the sentiment expressed therein. You are a very sincere girl and your sentiment is also very nice. One should always feel very humble, that will help one to make progress in Krishna Consciousness. So your humble feeling that you are shrouded by illusion is very nice, at the same time your feeling that Krishna Consciousness is so nice that it makes everything easy. You have desired me to return to San Francisco by the 1st of June. If Krishna wishes it is not impossible. My program was to go to Montreal but there is some difficulty about the visa so I may not go to Montreal, and in case I do not go it will be not difficult for me to return by 1st June to San Francisco. If I am not there by 1st of June by the 1st of July I must be there. Thank you very much. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 4.5.04 | Thursday, May 4, 1967 New York, New York My Dear Upendra, I am in due receipt of your affectionate letter dated April 26, 1967. Thank you very much. Please accept my blessings and I also thank you very much for your sandalwood book marker. It is wonderful. Everyone appreciated this present and I am keeping it very carefully. I am glad that you are changing your office time and you shall have more time to perform kirtana. I am glad that you have mentioned the first stanza of Prayer to Spiritual Master. I think you know the meaning of this stanza. The meaning of this stanza is that, this world is just like forest fire and spiritual master is just like the cloud on the sky. Therefore as the forest fire can be extinguished only by water from the sky, similarly, one can be peaceful and elevated in spiritual consciousness or Krishna Consciousness only by the mercy of a bonafide Spiritual Master. The process which you are following is very nice. Your humbleness and sincerity will make you more and more advanced in Krishna Consciousness. I shall pray to Krishna for your welfare always. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta, Swami letters | 4.5.04 | |
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