a.c. bhaktivedanta swami
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| Prabhupada Letters :: 1967 a.c. bhaktivedanta swami |
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31 Dec 2004 Prabhupada Letters :: 1967 contains 242 individual letter reproductions in chronological order from January - December 1967. View them in their entirety in the archive section - 1967 letters - below right. Use Google Custom Search (immediate right) to search for specific letters from 1967. View - Today's Letter - at Letters :: Anthology >> letters | 31.12.04 | Sunday, December 31, 1967 San Francisco, Calif. My Dear Rayarama, Please accept my blessings. My joy has no bounds when I received your calendar so nicely imagined. Now I think Krishna has selected the right person for our propaganda department--Sriman Rayarama Brahmacari! A sincere worker is always recognized by Krishna. I do not know how shall I thank you, but I am confident of my future hopes in the sincere students like you, Brahmananda and others; & now if I die I will die blissful, the work will go on. Here, all the students, especially Gaurasundara and Govinda dasi are taking my personal care. Upendra and Uddhava they are personally cooking for me, and Mukunda is personally looking after my permanent visa. So I see all round hopes; there is nothing to be disappointed in my service to Krishna. Let us go on with our work for Krishna for His satisfaction and for the benefit of the whole world. Thank you once more for your great service. I have already sent the contract signed by me and given Brahmananda full power of attorney to do best as he likes. I think if they accept our philosophy in total, we can make some compromise with Hayagriva and Kirtanananda. But they cannot interpret our philosophy in their own way. Thanking you once more for your great service. Hope you are well. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Enclosure-1 Labels: legal, publication, visa letters | 31.12.04 |30 Dec 2004 Saturday, December 30, 1967 San Francisco, Calif. My Dear Madhusudana, Please accept my blessings. I am so happy to read your letter dated Dec. 28, 1967. And I am very concerned that due to your sincerity and service mood you have improved in Krishna Consciousness excellently. Whatever allocation of duty there may be, if we try to execute such specific duty sincerely, that alone can make us much more advanced in Krishna Consciousness. In the Bhagavad-gita, it is stated that for the fixed up devotee there is one duty. This duty is understood through the transparent medium via media of the Spiritual Master. It is better service to Krishna and Spiritual Master in a feeling of separation; sometimes there is risk in the matter of direct service. For example, Kirtanananda was giving me direct service by massaging, cooking for me, and so many other things; but later on by dictation of Maya, he became puffed up, so much so that he thought his Spiritual Master a common man, and was existing only on account of his service. This mentality at once pushed him down. Of course, those who are sincere devotee, they take direct service as an opportunity, but the illusory energy is so strong that it acts on this doctrine of familiarity breeds contempt. Kirtanananda was thinking I was existing on his service, instead of realizing I was giving him opportunity to do me some service. My advice to you is to continue your good attitude that you are keeping now and this alone will help you in advancing your cause of Krishna Consciousness. I am pleased that you are very diligently assisting Rayarama. Rayarama is a sincere worker and by assisting him you will be benefited. You are doing your best and I shall advise you to continue this attitude. Regarding smearing on the Body of Lord Jagannatha: You should always know that the Body of Lord Jagannatha is spiritual. We are given the chance of serving the Spiritual Body and according to Revealed Scriptures, we should serve the Transcendental Body of the Deity just as we try to serve our worshipable personalities. To continue a sense of devotion, it is better to wash the Body of Lord Jagannatha with hot water so that we may have the feeling that Lord Jagannatha is more comfortable. We should offer foodstuffs to the Deity and allow enough time to eat them. These are all transcendental sentiments. At Vrindaban, the Deities are offered foodstuffs and time is allowed as in the case of others. Yes, before offering anything to the Deity you must be satisfied that it is a first class offering and there is no objection if you taste it by smelling. But you should not smell for other purposes. The whole idea is that devotional service should always be immune from sense gratification. I am very glad that you are prepared to go to Vrindaban. Many students, boys and girls, are also prepared here to go to Vrindaban. I am just in negotiation for a good place for you and as soon as it is fixed up, we shall go to Vrindaban, at least one dozen students. Acyutananda and Ramanuja had very good reception and they are planning to preach Krishna Consciousness and to open a branch there, and I have encouraged them in that idea. My dream is that at least one dozen students shall remain in Vrindaban and trained up nicely, and sent for preaching work all over the world. Hope you are well. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Labels: deity, maya, Vrindavan letters | 30.12.04 |December 30, 1967 San Francisco, Calif. My Dear Satsvarupa, Please accept my blessings. I have received back the tape which you have typewritten. The inquiry about porce should be force. Today I am sending you two Krishna Conscious lectures, tape recorded into the dictaphone. Please write them properly and send me one copy. The best thing will be as soon as you typewrite the two, send me one copy after editing as you were doing formerly. I'll keep one copy with me, you keep one copy with you, and if further editing is required for which another copy should be kept with you. You will be glad to know that yesterday I have signed the agreement with MacMillan for publishing Gitopanisad, and also, Mr. B. K. Nehru was met by me day before yesterday and he has promised to help me in getting the permanent visa. So far my health is concerned, Gaurasundara is keeping me quite fit by massaging and Govinda dasi is supplying me upma. Perhaps you have never tasted what is upma. But if Jadurani can prepare it I shall send the formula. Hope you are well. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Labels: Bhagavad-gita, contract, publising letters | 30.12.04 |December 30, 1967 San Francisco, Calif. My Dear Acyutananda and Ramanuja, Please accept my greetings. I have become too much anxious about you. Please accept my blessings and let me know the news of Delhi affairs. I have sent you a letter to Vrndavana address but have received no reply. Here I am well and delivering lectures with evenings meetings. Yesterday I met Mr. B. K. Nelson and he's arranging for my permanent visa. Yesterday I have also signed the agreement with MFS MacMillan Company for publication of Gita. Please reply to this letter immediately and let me know all the reports. Hope you are doing well by the grace of Lord Krishna. Awaiting your early reply. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Labels: Bhagavad-gita, contract, India letters | 30.12.04 |29 Dec 2004 Friday, December 29, 1967 San Francisco, Calif. My Dear Brahmananda, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 12.27.67, along with the MacMillan Co. agreement form. Prior to this letter I have received your other two letters, but I was expecting this letter, so I did not reply your prior letters earlier. I am sending herewith the agreement duly signed by me. Regarding Mr. Alan Watts introduction, I may inform you if the books will sell nicely by Mr. Watts introduction I do not mind his nonsense. The other gentleman Professor Edward Dimmock of the University of Chicago who is a student of Vaisnavism is willing to give some introduction. But you say he is not well known. For me, either Professor Dimmock or Mr. Watts both are nonsense. Now for selling purpose, if you think Mr. Watts is nice, I have no objection. I give you full power of attorney in this connection. Whoever you like you can accept. Regarding other books printed by, published by, or distributed by some European firm is very welcome. You have got also the full power of attorney in this connection. Krishna has sent you to me to help me in my mission. As you are my sincere spiritual son, Krishna will dictate to you what to do in this connection. So I have full faith in you and you can determine as Krishna speaks within your heart. Regarding Hayagriva and Kirtanananda, if they come again we should accommodate them and should not continue the misunderstanding that has been engineered. I think Hayagriva is anxious in having his name printed in the publication of Gitopanisad. I do not have any objections that his name may be mentioned as one of the editors helping in the editing of Gitopanisad, just to encourage him and keep him in our camp, in case that he may come back and accept our philosophy and resume his editing talent. He has commited a blunder, but just so that he may be encouraged to come back you may mention his name also along with Rayarama's. He is not so convinced of his impersonalist philosophy. It is only due to Kirtanananda's influence that he has left us. Yes, please send the $500.00 to the United Shipping Co. as I have instructed. When you go to India you may see the manager of Scindia and talk with her with the letter of introduction that I shall give you. It is my decision that you do not leave until the MacMillan agreement is completed. Your idea of manufacturing the incense in one center is my idea also. Here in S.F. Gargamuni has told me that he is arranging for it to be produced. From here all the temples will be supplied, not that every temple should make it. I have received the Dwarkin and Sons letter. I have not received any letter from Acyutananda as of yet so please wait till I have received a letter before you write him. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami P.S. Please deliver MSS. to M.s M&Co. as much as already complete. Labels: Bhagavad-gita, editing, media letters | 29.12.04 |December 29, 1967 San Francisco, Calif. My Dear Jadurani, Please accept my blessings. I thank you very much for your letter of Dec. 23(?), 1967, and I am glad to hear you are doing so nicely in Krishna Consciousness. Regarding your questions: This incidence is in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Bhismadeva, when he was lying on his arrow bed before passing away, Lord Krishna, accompanied with the Pandavas, came to see him. Ordinarily, Bhismadeva was worshipper of Lord Visnu, but he knew also that Krishna is the same Lord Visnu. When Krishna came to see Bhismadeva on his death bed, Bhismadeva remembered Krishna in His fighting feature at the battlefield of Kuruksetra. Bhismadeva wanted to see Krishna angry, he knew that Krishna was very kind upon him, but to make a front he displayed a chivalrous mood, pretending to kill Arjuna, although he knew it very well that no power in the world could kill Arjuna while he was shielded by Krishna Himself as his charioteer. Yet he tried to agitate the mind of Krishna, but Arjuna he almost killed. Actually, Krishna thought it that Bhismadeva was to see Him in His angry mood and supposed to be broken in His promise, to fulfill the desire of Bhismadeva He got down from the chariot and took a wheel of the chariot, going forward as if to kill Bhismadeva Bhismadeva, as soon as found Krishna in that angry mood, he gave up his fighting weapons and prepared himself for being killed by Krishna. This attitude of Krishna pleased Bhismadeva very much, and at the time of his death he recalled back the angry feature of Krishna. He was a military man so he was pleased to see Krishna in military spirit, as much as the Gopis wanted to see Krishna as the most beautiful lover. There is no difference between the attitude of the gopis and Bhismadeva in the matter of exchanging transcendental mellows between God and His devotee. Krishna can be loved in any feature and because he is absolute there is no difference to love Krishna as a military man or as a simple Gopi. During the day the two sides would battle, and at night they would visit one another's camps, just like friends, talking and eating together. Bhisma was accused of not trying hard enough to kill the Pandavas, due to affection for them. So, he said, tomorrow I will kill all five brothers, and these five special arrows I shall kill them with. For safekeeping Bhismadeva gave the five arrows to Duryodhana, who had accused Bhisma of too much affection for the Pandavas. Formerly, Duryodhana had made promise to Arjuna that he could someday ask for some favor, so Krishna, knowing all these things, sent Arjuna to Duryodhana for asking favor of giving the arrows to Arjuna. So as the promise was made, Duryodhana gave Arjuna the arrows, that night. Next day, Bhisma knew it was Krishna who arranged all this, and so he told Duryodhana, today it will be either Arjuna or I, but one of us will die. And so he fought very hard to kill Arjuna, but with Krishna as Protector, no one in world could kill Arjuna. Krishna's body was pierced, here and there, all over as you like. As military man, Bhisma had no right to shoot the chariot driver, but he knew Krishna's body is not material, and will not be harmed, so he took pleasure in piercing the body of the Lord. Bhismadeva became so pierced with arrows that he laid down and with the arrows all standing on end, all over stuck through his body. Yes, Lord Brahma and Lord Siva came and were there in the sky with many demigods, and throwing flowers. You can consult Srimad-Bhagavatam second part. The picture and contents of the article appearing in Harvard Crimson is very nice. Krishna has already recognized you as one of the prophets of this missionary work, and I approve this statement. Please go on in Krishna Consciousness and I'm sure even in my absence you will be doing nicely acting as prophet. Hope you are well. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami P.S. I have received your Namakali wrapper. Thank you very much. - ACB Labels: questions letters | 29.12.04 |December 29, 1967 San Francisco, Calif. My Dear Balai dasi, Please accept my blessings. I thank you very much for your letter of Dec. 26, 1967. In reply I am very happy to hear you are doing so nicely in executing this Krishna Consciousness. Please go on chanting Hare Krishna, and typing, cooking, cleaning or whatever the engagement for Krishna; that way you will always be happy. To answer you question regarding your names: Balai is the name of Baladeva., Krishna's elder brother. His wife is called Balai dasi, or His girlfriend is called Balai dasi. Baladeva. is not different from Krishna. He is first expansion from Krishna. All the incarnations and expansions begin from Baladeva. Lilasukha is name of Bilvamangala Thakura; this Bilvamangala Thakura was a great devotee of Krishna and he wrote a famous book Krishna Karnamrta, recognized by Lord Caitanya. Kancanbala was one of the gopis in the association of Krishna. Indira was also one of the gopis in the association of Krishna. Ekayani was the wife of a great sage who was in the Satya Yuga when all persons were paramahamsas or liberated persons. Ekayani's husband was a liberated person. Hope you are well. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 29.12.04 | |
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