a.c. bhaktivedanta swami
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| Prabhupada Letters :: 1975 a.c. bhaktivedanta swami |
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30 July 2008 Wednesday, 30 July, 1975 Dallas Dear Jacquetta Buell: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated July 21, 1975 and have noted the contents. It is a very good sign that although you are not happy now you know it is only because you are not in the company of Krishna and the devotees. It is true that in the past there was some mismanagement in our Honolulu temple, but I was there recently, and it is nicely organized. But, since you have moved to San Francisco, I advise you to go there to our very nice temple in Berkeley. All the things you say you are yearning for are there. Radha Krishna are being worshipped, and there are many devotees there. So I am sure that if you go there and join with the devotees, all your problems will be solved, Krishna Consciousness is so nice. As for your desire to follow the path of the gopis, that can only be done by following the rules and regulations of devotional service in the association of devotees. Once you have joined the temple, then we can see about Deity worship. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs Labels: San Francisco letters | 16:20 |30 July, 1975 Dallas Mr. Gordon T. Gattone Woodlynne, New Jersey Dear Mr. Gattone: I am in due receipt of your letter dated July 20, 1975 and have noted the contents. Your feeling on seeing the Ratha Yatra in Philadelphia, which you say cannot be expressed in words but which has since given you great peace in your life - is not astounding. In the authoritative transcendental literature which we have published as The Nectar of Devotion, it is stated that one can be liberated from all material suffering simply by seeing the Ratha Yatra cart passing. You say, "I am not sure I want to learn more," but a human being should desire to know the science of God consciousness, which is the most important part of human life. Krishna consciousness is not sectarian. One should not think that because he is a Jew or a Christian he should not read the Bhagavad-gita. The Bhagavad-gita As It Is is pure knowledge. It tells us of our relationship as eternal spirit soul with the supersoul Lord Krishna the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In no other philosophy will you find such a clear conception of God. So I request you to kindly study with seriousness our books, and you may compare Krishna consciousness with other philosophies. Yours sincerely, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs Labels: Ratha Yatra, sectarian letters | 16:20 |30 July, 1975 Dallas Srimatis Jagaddhatri, Pasupati, Pamela & Sailogata devi dasis My Dear Daughters: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated July 29, 1975 and have noted the contents. Regarding the problem of how to be aggressive on Sankirtana and submissive in the temple, my request to you is that you should go on being aggressive on Sankirtana. I myself was aggressive in coming to your country. No one invited me. Even you boys and girls did not invite me. But, I came and I preached aggressively, and therefore you are now my disciples. So now you well know you have to approach the men and women of your country, and it may appear that superficially that you have to disturb them. They are doing their business peacefully, and you come and disturb them, "Please take this Krishna book." Of course it is good that you are concerned about being chaste, shy, and submissive amongst your godbrothers. Canakya Pandit said that every man should see all other women as mother, and similarly a woman should see all men as son. So what is your difficulty? If you are completely aggressive on Sankirtana, there should be no material aggressiveness and pride remaining. You have to distinguish between devotees and non-devotees. Aggression for the cause of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu is pure. If you become completely absorbed in such aggression to spread Sankirtana Movement, there will be no question of wanting to lord it over in the temple. Preaching purifies us of these material tendencies for sense gratification. It is simply a matter of time that you will see this. Do not worry. Krishna will help you. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs Labels: aggression, book distribution, controversy, Dallas, sankirtan letters | 16:19 |29 July 2008 Tuesday, 29 July, 1975 Dallas My Dear Deoji Punja: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated July 28, 1975 with enclosed plans for the Fiji temple. Regarding the land, if it cannot be transferred then you should give the use of the land to ISKCON with a formal lease for 99 years with an option to renew. Your purpose that the land cannot be transferred will be served because a temple on leased land cannot be sold or transferred. So your purpose will be served. ISKCON is locally registered with yourselves as the incorporators, and the lease can be made. So do the needful. The adjacent land, that can also be purchased. The money can be collected locally. Regarding my coming there, yes I shall go there again and again because there is temple there. I was always thinking of how Fiji can be developed and organized. It is a nice place. Regarding the plans you sent, it is not clear whether the front stairway leads to the temple or the first floor rooms. There should be a space for a large kitchen for preparing mass prasadam. The first floor kitchen seems too small for this purpose. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami N.B. There should also be one pujari room for keeping the Deity paraphernalia nearby the Deity. ACBS/bs Labels: construction, Fiji, land letters | 16:18 |29 July, 1975 Dallas My Dear Cyavana Swami: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of several letters from Shakti Mati, also your telegram reading as follows: REGARDING OPENING OF SEPARATE TEMPLE MOMBASSA ASIANS ATTITUDE AND MOTIVES OF NAVAYOGENDRA HIGHLY QUESTIONABLE AND MAKE SUCH A PROPOSITION QUITE IMPOSSIBLE SITUATION HERE DIFFICULT AS IS AND WE CANNOT UNDERSTAND THE VALUE OF A SPLIT IN OUR EFFORTS TO SPREAD KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS AFRICA FULL REPORT WILL FOLLOW AND CAREFUL CONSIDERATION IS HUMBLY REQUESTED--YOUR SERVANTS CYAVANA SWAMI AND MANAGING COMMITTEE ISKCON AFRICA. I have also received a letter from Shakti Mati's son. I have been very much disturbed to learn of the difficulties in Africa. As the leader there you should not have allowed this dissension to take place. Shakti mati is an elderly woman and can do important work with the cultured Indian society, and she also speaks Swahili. She must be given an important position as a manager. She can work under Brahmananda Swami. They may have had some disagreement with you, but expert management means to engage all of the devotees and not allow them to split into different parties. Your action of sending a letter to the leader has disturbed me. Why have you taken this rash action without consulting me or Brahmananda Maharaja? You should immediately withdraw that letter. I want that you approach Navayogendra with all humility and ask his forgiveness for the beating. In this way you can rectify things. You must bring them back. Otherwise if you cannot do it, then you should come here to me and we shall discuss it personally. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs Labels: disagreements, management, Nairobi letters | 16:17 |29 July, 1975 Dallas My Dear Tulsi das: Please accept my blessings. Upon your request I accept the following as my disciples and their names are: Mihallais Gitsis--Nandagopa dasa; Jamie Cray-- Mahapurusa dasa; Terry Dann--Priyatmaja dasa; and James Mason--Kamalanatha dasa. I also accept the following disciples as twice born brahmanas. Devamrta dasa brahmacari and Gopiparanadhana das brahmacari. Their threads duly sanctified by me are enclosed. Please have the beads chanted upon by a GBC sannyasi and hold a fire sacrifice. The brahmanas should hear the gayatri mantra with the right ear from my recorded tape. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami N.B. Also initiated are: Dan Richardson--Gopagopisvara dasa and Beatrice Matusow--Bahubhavini devi dasi. ACBS/bs Labels: initiation, Los Angeles letters | 03:18 |29 July, 1975 Dallas My Dear Gurukrpa Swami: Please accept my blessings. From your telephone conversation with Brahmananda Swami I understand you have paid DNP another $28,000.00. You are keeping 10 men there in Japan, and even if the collection will not be so much as you were doing, that is all right, just as long as it goes on. Regarding setting up a jewelry business in Japan, that is all right. That the men started with $50 and now have $25,000 worth of stock is a good business. Are they our men? Regarding investing in a new restaurant, it doesn't matter it may be $100,000. If there is profit there, then you can invest. I want that all of our householders be engaged in managing these restaurants. You cannot sell the Hawaii house. It is a good house, and I do not approve selling it. If you want to expand, then you can purchase other houses for residences. I do not want any of our houses to be sold. I have no objection to your moving the farm on the same island with the temple, but you can purchase a farm separate and keep the present house. What will be gained by selling the house? I do not like this idea. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs Labels: Hawaii, management letters | 03:16 |29 July, 1975 Dallas My Dear Hamsaduta das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated July 21, 1975 and have read the contents carefully. I am very glad that you had a nice Ratha Yatra there, and that even more people attended this year. It doesn't matter that the ratha was smaller. The people know that the police have reduced the ceremony. Anyway, do not try to agitate the police. Whatever they say, you follow. We want the ceremony, that's all. Regarding getting a different house in the City, that's nice. In the City purchase a first class house, and the Indians will pay for it. Now the Indians are interested to come to the temple, and in the City they will take more interest. Yes, utilize the land at the Manor, and purchase a first class building in the City. There are many churches that are vacant. Find out one. I saw many nice churches when I was there with Dayananda. He has much information about them, but he does not remember. If required he can go there for one month and find out some church and negotiate. There is one Paddington Church. Also there is one I saw with a weak roof, but we can repair it. There was also a YMCA building available near our temple. So you find out some nice building or church. You can send the new German publications to New York. I am going to New Vrindaban on August 20th. I am glad you are selling the books nicely there in Germany. Therefore I have elected you BBT Trustee. Sometimes you should come to L.A. to see the BBT affairs. Ramesvara and Jayatirtha they are doing it, but still sometimes you may come and check. Sometimes you may come and sometimes Bhagavan das may come. Regarding your being depressed, you are becoming older, but so also am I an old man. But, you should not be depressed on account of advanced age. Krishna will help you. I do not think you have done wrongly in your management, and still now I do not think you have done wrongly. Rather you are wrongly depressed. But, for you this feeling of insufficiency is good for progress. No one should think that now I am complete. It is good to think that I am incomplete and useless. Actually Krishna is unlimited, and our energy is limited. Actually we cannot serve the unlimited, but Krishna's unlimited mercy induces us to serve, and He accepts. Actually we are unworthy. He is so kind that He accepts our little service as if it were very big and great. Regarding your wanting to leave your family and take sannyasa, what is your family? You live aside from your wife, and you have no children, so you are already sannyasa. Anyway we can consider later on. First we have to push this movement. That is most important thing. Grhastha or sannyasa it doesn't matter. First we have to know the science of Krishna consciousness. Caitanya Mahaprabhu never said everyone had to take sannyasa. We should just be after becoming the pure servant of Krishna. Regarding my coming to London, yes I will come immediately after Janmastami and Vyasa Puja from New Vrindaban. So it will be in the very beginning of September. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs Labels: BBT, Bhaktivedanta Manor, depressed, sannyasa letters | 03:15 | |
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