a.c. bhaktivedanta swami
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| Prabhupada Letters :: 1967 a.c. bhaktivedanta swami |
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8.04.2004 Friday, August 4, 1967 Vrindaban, India My dear Brahmananda, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 8.3.67. Don't be afraid of my being attacked by maya. When there is fight between two belligerent parties, it is always expected that there will sometimes be reverses. Your country and the western world is mostly under the grip of Maya and the modes of nature in passion and ignorance, and my declaration of war against the maya is certainly a great battle. Maya saw me very successful within one year, so that I got so many sincere young flowers like yourself and others, so it was a great defeat to the activities of maya: western country youngsters giving up illicit sex, intoxication, meat eating and gambling is certainly a great reverse in the activities of maya. Therefore she took advantage of my old age weakness and gave me a death dash. But Krishna saved me; therefore we should thank more Krishna than eulogize maya. So far my present health is concerned I think I am improving; at least I am taking my lunch better than in N.Y. So as soon as I am a little fit to return to the field of battle I shall again be in your midst. Regarding your question about Lord Caitanya's thinking himself lower than the grass, it should be understood spiritually. The dimension of the spirit soul is 1.10,000 part of the hair tip; so the spirit soul is certainly smaller than the grass. Caitanya Mahaprabhu was teaching us as a teacher, so he represented himself as an ordinary living entity; but as the Supreme Brahman he is greater than anything. I am glad that you had a demonstration of kirtana at the home of the Consul General. Whenever you meet you should strictly speak the Truth without any consideration of future material gains. If we are sincere servants of Krishna, our material necessities will never be hampered. But I was anxiously awaiting your reply about your meeting the Ambassador, Mr. B.K. Nehru, with my books. After your presentation of the books and personally seeing him and his reactions I shall begin correspondence with him. We need his help in so many ways. I am glad that Sri Radha Krishna Murti etc. has arrived. For the present you can keep the murti packed. I am expecting to return within six months, as I told you; and maybe earlier, calculating on the present improvement. I have already instructed you that Gargamuni should get married. They should get a marriage certificate as soon as is possible. In the temple the ceremony should be observed by chanting Hare Krishna before the fire, offering the clarified butter with the word Saha, and the bride and groom should exchange their garlands before the Lord Krishna deity and promise not to be separated in life. They should know it that bodily relation between the husband and wife is secondary; primary factor is that both should help one another in the matter of advancement of K.C. I sang this mantra at the airport: Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, HE (twice); Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, raksa mam; Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, pahi mam; Rama Raghava, Rama Raghava, Rama Raghava raksa mam; Krishna Kesava, Krishna Kesava, Krishna Kesava, Krishna Kesave pahi mam. You have written nothing about MacMillan. Please let me know about this. Please send $30 from three centers, and also some stationery. I am sorry the old chariot broke down. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 4.8.04 | 8.03.2004 Thursday, August 3, 1967 Vrindaban, India My Dear Murari Das, I am so glad to see your letter dated 7-19-67. Both Kirtanananda and myself reached safely on 14 July at Midnight, after undergoing customs etc., we took shelter at our temple in Delhi at about 3:00 a.m. Still we could not sleep all night. Due to that, I became indisposed and was obliged to stay there for three or four extra days. I have now come to Vrindaban on the 31st., and am staying at the Radha Damodara Temple. You have inquired about the import of Murari Das: Murari is another name for Krishna; therefore one who is pledged to become the servant of Krishna is called Murari Das. I am so glad you are playing music for Krishna. It is a great service of your talent. Anyone's special talent should be engaged in the service of the Lord, and thereby becomes successful in his life. I think that you can go on playing on your guitar and make it successful for Krishna kirtana. You do not require to learn freshly about sitar. We are not meant for learning something new for the service of the Lord; but we have to engage whatever talents we have already got. Our life is short but any type of education is great and long; so the best part of valor is to utilize properly whatever qualifications we have got for the service of the Lord. If you think still that you want a sitar, I will reqeust you to make correspondence with Messrs Dwarkin and Sons, Esplanade Calcutta. Please convey my blessing to Lilavati, who is so sincere in the service of the Lord. Hare Krishna! Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 3.8.04 | 8.02.2004 Wednesday, August 2, 1967 Vrindaban, India My Dear Brahmananda, Please accept my blessings. In continuation of yesterday's letter signed by Kirtanananda. I may further inform you that the MacMillan contract is very important. I have already confirmed the terms, and you are herewith authorized to sign on my behalf. If the contract is bonafide, then there is no need of printing the books at my responsibility either in Japan or in India. I shall be satisfied with the commission and shall only be glad to see that the books are being read by hundreds and thousands of men. Whatever profit may be derived from it will be utilized for development of the American House here. I would have been very glad if Hayagriva, yourself, and Rayarama, along with Kirtanananda, would have been present combinedly and give a start to the American House. Negotiations for the plot of land is going on and as soon as it is settled we shall begin the work. Kirtanananda is feeling the warmth of the city a little tediously. For me this warmth is little bracy. Anyway, you try to fructify this contract and it will be a great relief to me. We have already written to Hayagriva to return to N.Y. and deliver the mass. copy over to MacMillan; the balance part of Gitopanisad which is being edited should be finished as soon as possible; and wherever necessary he may consult me by mail. The first three vols. of S.B., completing the first canto, may be published in one vol. without the sanskrit, i.e. only translation and purport. Similarly we can publish the second canto in one vol., and so on, one vol. per canto. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta letters | 2.8.04 | August 2, 1967 Vrindaban, India My Dear Students, Please accept my blessings. I am always thinking of you, and I am feeling separation. I wish to return at the earliest opportunity. I cannot stop my western world activities and I have taken leave from you for only six months; and it may be that on or before I will come to you again. So continue your activities with great vigor. I shall always pray to Krishna for your steady advance, but try to follow the principles which are necessary to strengthen oneself in the matter of spiritual advance. Never think that I am absent from you. Physical presence is not essential; presence by message (or hearing) is real touch. Lord Krishna is present by His message which was delivered 5,000 years ago. We feel always the presence of our past Acaryas simply by their immutable instructions. I hope you will understand me right and do the needful. Kirtanananda says from my bodily feature that I am improving. I am also feeling like that. ACB letters | 2.8.04 | August 2, 1967 August 2, 1967 Vrindaban, India My dear Mukunda, I have not heard anything from you since I have come back to India. Vinod Kumar who was supposed to reach U.S.A. on visitor's Visa is not granted the same. Please see if it is possible for him to get Immigration Visa. The forms are sent herewith please do the needful & let me know the result. I am awaiting to hear from you at an early date. Improving gradually. My Blessings for all & Janaki. Your ever well wisher A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 2.8.04 | 8.01.2004 Tuesday, August 1, 1967 Vrndavana, India To: Sriman Satsvarupa Brahmacari & Sriman Hamsaduta Adhikari [PAGE 1 MISSING] ...but that we all dedicate our lives or our consciousness (no matter in what capacity) to Lord Krsna. If things can be worked out nicely within the temple, that's all right. But family life requires a certain amount of privacy and convenience, which may not always be available. I am simply concerned that you be happy and contented, so you can prosecute the most important thing, K.C., without being disturbed. Rupanuga and Damodara are both doing nicely in this regard, and I wish the same for you. Your appreciation of my Spiritual Master is very commendable. One who understands and appreciates the disciplic succession is certainly advanced, and we should always be very careful to give full respect to those who have so carefully handled this Divine Fruit of transcendental knowledge before us. Even a slight change will spoil it. That is why I have always been so careful to give you only those things which I have heard from my Guru Maharaja Please extend my blessings to Himavati and any others who may be with you. Hope you are all well. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 1.8.04 | |
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