a.c. bhaktivedanta swami
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| Prabhupada Letters :: 1975 a.c. bhaktivedanta swami |
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7 December 2008 7 December, 1975 Vrindaban My Dear Hrdayananda Maharaja, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 22 November 1975 and the new books in Portuguese and Spanish. They are very nice and the reports of sales are also very encouraging. If Radhavallabha Prabhu can help you that is all right, but you have to discuss this with the BBT trustees. No you should not install Gaura nitai deities if you do not have the required Brahmins. Better wait. Yes you print all my books, if you can sell then why not print. Print as much as possible and store them if necessary. But you must pay regularly the BBT loans that is not to be neglected. I hope this letter finds you well. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/hda Labels: BBT, Los Angeles letters | 04:46 |4 December 2008 4 December, 1975 Vrindaban My Dear Acyutananda and Yasodanandana Swami, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated November 28, 1975. The pictures are very encouraging, and the reports of your life membership and book sales is also nice. There is tremendous field in India for selling books, if you continue this effort you will soon be compete with America. Gopala Krishna Prabhu is arranging to print Srimad-Bhagavatam Hindi, First canto Vol. I 5,000 copies, also Bhagavad-gita as it is. So there is a big field, in India 600,000,000 people. In every home there should be at least one BBT publication, so the field is very big. I hope this letter meets you both well, keep me informed. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/hda letters | 09:46 | 14 November 2008 14 November, 1975 Bombay My dear Ramesvara das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your October BBT report dated November 5, 1975 and have noted the contents. The report of the BBT Library Party is very encouraging to me that the main library of Harvard told us they would be honored to complete the collection of our books. Just see. This is wonderful. Still University of New Brunswick has ordered our books even though they do not order religious books. This is a success. This quote by the head of their religion department of Oberlin is very important: "I think the best feature of the Hare Krsna Movement is that it is providing scholars with authorized translations of the rarest books on Krsna-bhakti." This should be quoted and printed in a pamphlet. Also the fact that at Colorado Springs Library that eight volumes of their Bhagavatams had been taken out seven times in the past year. This should be published. You print one poster, big type, and put the quotation of the Oberlin professor. You can title it: "How Our Book Are Being Received" and have the quotation of the professor, the professor's remarks. This will be a good advertisement for our books. This book distribution, that was my Guru Maharaja's purpose. He said that I have got so many temples and now in Calcutta I have got a marble temple, but I would have wished that if by selling the marbles I could publish and distribute books. Now by the mercy of His Divine Grace Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja Prabhupada I am doing both by the co-operation of my American disciples. I am constructing so many marble temples and I am distributing so many books on Krsna consciousness. This does not mean that I am excelling my Guru Maharaja, but it is the mercy of my Guru Maharaja that he is giving me the facility for doing both. That is good that Ranadhira is taking over BBT mail order. I hope the meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd Labels: BBT, library book distribution, Los Angeles, report letters | 11:20 |20 October 2008 20 October, 1975 Johannesburg My dear Radhavallabha dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of the 4 volumes of Caitanya-caritamrta and your letter dated October 1, 1975 and I have noted the contents carefully. Concerning the synonyms, henceforward I am adding the synonyms myself. From yesterday night I have begun adding the synonyms as it doesn't save very much time to have the synonyms. The Upadesamrta can be composed in the Bhagavatam format in the size of the pocket NOD. I hope that this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/pks Labels: BBT, Los Angeles letters | 02:52 |15 September 2008 15 September, 1975 Vrindaban My Dear Ramesvara das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your August BBT Report and the August BBT Trustees Report. I have received the latest appreciations from the professors. These should be all collected and published in a booklet. I see from your report that you are planning this. 1,000 copies should be sent here to India, and you may send 250 copies of this and your new catalog to Vrinda Book Co., 30/1B College Row, Calcutta--700009. They are attempting to sell our books all over India. Nitai has sent additional chapters of Sixth Canto with Tamala Krishna. He is also expecting to send more in a couple of days. You have written: "The BBT is capable of keeping up with Prabhupada's pace at this time and we humbly request all devotees to respect Prabhupada's desire to fulfill his dreams of publishing and distributing thousands and millions of volumes of Srimad-Bhagavatam in Twelve Cantos all over the world by not disturbing him at this time with problems and decisions that can be made by his direct representatives, the GBC Secretaries." Yes, this is wanted. I want to increase my work. Brahmananda Swami and Gopala Krishna were suggesting that I go to some other place in India, but if Tamala Krishna flies 10,000 miles to lodge some complaint against Jayatirtha what can I do? If you all leaders cannot work together, then how can you expect the others to cooperate with you? Differences may be there, but still you have to cooperate together, otherwise where is the question of my being relieved of so many problems and decisions? That is good that you are taking discount from the unsatisfactory printing from Donnelly Co. Hardbound abridged Bhagavad-gita will be nice. What is the Prabhupada Maintenance a/c? How is the money collected and how is it dispersed? I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs Labels: BBT, cooperation, disagreements, Los Angeles letters | 02:42 |4 September 2008 4 September, 1975 Vrindaban My Dear Cyavana Swami: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated August 14, 1975 with enclosed copy of letter to Shakti Mati and the proposed BBT and Spiritual Sky argeements. So it is good that Shakti Mati is again living in the temple. Keep her nicely. She is woman, so you call her Mother. As soon as you call her Mother, that I am so fallen please save, you are so great, then she will be very pleased. She is very talented and can organize the Pujari Dept. You say that the devotees are not enthusiastic, but this is important for spiritual life. Without Deity, then we are just sleeping and eating, and again they will return to hippie life. They must take care of the Deity very carefully. I saw once the film of the Deity installation there, and it was done very nicely, so why are they now slackening? Shakti Mati can teach others how to do things. They should assist her. It is very good that the Government is cooperating by giving land. It is a good opportunity. Do it nicely. Do not worry about the political situation. Try to convince the African leaders that we have nothing to do with politics. We are trying to unite the whole human society under the flag of Krishna consciousness, love of God. That is our mission. If we get African devotees, then we are successful. So already some are coming. Now keep them fixed, and they will bring others. That is nice that the Africans from South Africa are coming from there and joining you. The philosophy of South Africa is simply on the bodily platform. It is all nonsense. Can they be sure that in their next life they will be South Africans? The BBT arrangement you have made is all right, but Brahmananda Swami says that it may be difficult for the temples to maintain by giving to both the Book Fund and the Building Fund. So if it is not possible that the temples maintain themselves by giving 45% to the BBT and 45% to the Building Fund, then use the Building Fund for maintenance. But the BBT must get its money. That is the prime responsibility of every temple. So let the temples pay the BBT 50% and when you require money for construction, then we shall see. I understand you want to print Swahili literature with Dai Nippon and it will cost U.S. 8,000. So Dai Nippon gives BBT-L.A. credit, so let them order, and you pay L.A., even if you can transfer funds yearly. It doesn't matter. This publishing work is very important. I approve for you to get books from BBT-L.A. at reduced prices, at the cost price, the same as India is getting. You can inform Ramesvara that I give my sanction. Regarding my coming there, I want to come, especially your Mauritius program is attractive, but my present state of heath will not allow me to travel outside of India. I am not having any appetite so I am eating less. By eating less where is the energy for travelling? Upon your recommendation I accept the children of Rasa-lila as my disciples. There spiritual names are Radhika devi dasi and Sanatana das Brahmacari. You can chant on their beads. I know the devotees there are working hard, especially as you have mentioned Prabhanu, Sharma, Dinanath, Jnana das, Caitya-guru, Jalakara das, and Pusta Krishna Swami. Because you are all cooperating with me, so much has been done. When I was alone I was taking so much trouble, but now there are so many assistants. But now you have to manage things very carefully and relieve me from the management so I can translate my books. But I do not want to see that everything deteriorates by your management. If you cannot increase then you should at least maintain what I have established. Yes, you are correct in feeling sorry for mistreating Shakti Mati and Nava Yoginder. Hitting the devotees is not good. We have to teach by our example. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami N.B. Now I have decided that I must come to Africa. So my visa for South Africa is valid up to October 18. Therefore I shall leave from Bombay approximately October 1 for Mauritius and stay there for one week. Pusta Krishna Swami may come there and take me to South Africa since none of my servants have S.A. visas. I shall stay in South Africa for one week. Then Pusta Krishna Swami may take me to Nairobi and I will stay there for one week and go to Mombassa if you think. Then I shall return to Bombay by the end of October. So you arrange this program. ACBS I shall decide later on. ACBS/bs Labels: Africa, BBT, initiation, itinerary, Nairobi, publishing letters | 02:12 |29 July 2008 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 |4 July 2008 4 July, 1975 Evanston, Illinois My Dear Giriraja das: Please accept my blessings. I have received your report via telephone and it is a very good news that you have received the NOC for the construction of the temple. So, you begin the work, and money will come to you by the grace of God. Don't worry, just finish the buildings as soon as possible and somehow or other money will come. In Bombay you collect as much as you can, and the balance money will be sent rest assured. I am instructing Ramesvara to send Gurukrpa's collection to Bombay. So you just finish all the buildings as soon as possible. You must also keep proper account. Not a single farthing should be wasted. I will see the accounts personally when I return to Bombay. Regarding the money you are taking for the rooms, this must be carefully done. As soon as you take money and allow a person to stay in your place, then the money can be considered by him as rent. The Rent Act is so subtle in India. If you have to call the police to eject a man, the police will not do it. They will see that the man is living there only, but they will not ask how he got there. That is a matter for the courts to settle. And in India court business is very troublesome. Practically it is useless because you have to bribe. This is Kali Yuga; you have to pay money to get justice. Neither will it be sufficient for you to print on the registration form that the visitor signs that you have some right to bar entrance. Making your own law on the registration form has no value. You know of that Mr. Mukherjee who refuse to leave our place even when you called the police. In Tirupati they have a nice system. You have to see how the hotels and dharmasalas are doing it. What laws there are to protect them. People are very cunning nowadays, and we have to be careful. You should manage the whole thing very nicely, just like in Tirupati they are managing so many buildings very carefully. [TEXT UNCLEAR] India to organize large scale book distribution. He can help Yasomatinandana Prabhu. Yasomatinandana is sincere but not a business minded. But, if sincerity is there, other things will come. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami N.B. All money sent to Bombay from L.A. is BBT money and must be paid back by you to the BBT account in Bombay. The money sent to you is on loan basis and must be paid back. You can pay back conveniently. We shall help you, but you must pay back. Also One of the rooftop blocks may be dedicated for stocking books as go down. You may select the largest one available. If you fit it with book shelves that are away from the wall and not touching one another; i.e. the shelves should be wide enough to accommodate only one row of books and each shelf should be separated by a space wide enough for a man to pass; then you will not have the rat problem. The Chand Society flat may not be sold. It can used as office and residence of Vaikunthanatha and Yasomatinandana. Two rooms used as residence and one room office and stock. The BBT should provide facilities for offices and stock go down. BBT should pay for the rooftop go down. By my calculation you should be able to sell in India at least four lakhs of Rupees worth of books per month. You simply have to organize it. What is the report of Hyderabad? ACBS ACBS/bs Labels: BBT, Bombay, building, rooms letters | 00:44 |21 June 2008 21 June, 1975 Los Angeles My Dear Gopala Krishna das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated June 14, 1975 with enclosure hand delivered by Palika dasi, and I have noted the contents carefully. Yes, I have received your letter dated May 26, 1975. So it is good that you are meeting with the Government officials and they are taking interest. Yes, you arrange for a big festival in Bombay and get them to come. That will be very nice, but not exactly on Gaura Purnima as we will be in Mayapur, but afterwards. Why are speaking of a loan for Bombay construction when you have already taken two lakhs from the Book Fund? What do you mean that you want another loan? Why are you again asking for a loan? Why is Giriraja not writing? Regarding the Vrindaban Gurukula land, yes, I shall arrange to pay. Don't worry. I have already told Pranava. The money will be paid. This I have already said. Complete the negotiations and the money shall come. All instructions have already been given. Regarding the maintenance for Vrindaban, that must come from Tejiyas in Delhi. Whatever he is sending, that you must use. If he can send only Rs.. 7,000/--, then you should maintain with that Rs. 7,000/- per month is no joke. Are other temples there spending like that, , Rs. 18,000/-- per month? I do not like that Madras should pay for Vrindaban maintenance. Neither should Aksayananda Swami go out of Vrindaban on a collecting party. His business is to remain there and organize the temple program. I have heard reports that Dhananjaya is not following the schedule. So Aksayananda Swami must be there if Dhananjaya is not so expert. Also, the guest house should be organized to make income. Why have we invested so much money in the guest house? Please organize this. Regarding your making Yasomatinandana das BBT administrator, I have no objection, but I think he can be better engaged in printing work. Actually he has no business experience. Of course he may be trained up, but in the meantime he should not be in charge. I have given him charge of the publishing work, but what is he doing? Better not to change. Yes, the accounts must be kept very carefully. The book inventory must be recorded, and what is collected and what is spent must be there. One thing I want is for the book sales to be organized there in India. There are many English books selling there on the market, and there are many English publishing houses. So why it cannot be organized? Even if our own men cannot do the selling, we can hire some agents to do it. Our books are very much appreciated in India, and the people will purchase. Even the clerks they can purchase the small books. We have so many small books. This kind of preaching work is very important. The people must be given some impression of our philosophy. Regarding the food distribution program, you spend whatever is collected. Why are you asking me? Regarding Vrindaban construction, you may have all of the creditors submit their final bills and together with the accountant you check them vigilantly and make a full settlement. Then conveniently we shall see how the further work will be done. Now I am very much doubtful. I think there has been some cheating. It is my habit to see that money is not being squandered. If money is spent unnecessarily, I feel very badly. You are collecting with great effort, and I do not like to see it spoiled. I am thinking that Guru-krpa's collections may be used for book publishing only. He can print books in Japan and send there to you for selling in India. From these sales, you can spend 50% on construction and 50% on Hindi publishing. And anyone who can manage such an organization, he can manage the BBT. But one must do it. It is simply a matter of organization. We can send you unlimited number of books. You simply have to apply your brain how to sell them. Then you will have plenty of money. This my mission you know started when I came alone to your country by selling my books, and still whatever money we are getting it is coming from the book selling. So it is already proven how important the book-selling is. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Labels: BBT, Bombay, book distribution, publishing, Vrindavan letters | 09:53 |17 June 2008 17 June, 1975 Honolulu My dear Bhakta, Jayananda, and Bahulasva, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letters dated June 13rd and 15th, 1975 and have noted the contents. It sounds like things are going very nicely there. I will come for Rathayatra festival and then I shall see the new building also. The photos were very nice. Regarding the sannyasis convincing men within the temple that they should leave and go with them on their parties, that is not at all good. I have never approved of this action. You can tell them. Everyone is concocting something of their own. It must be checked. The sannyasis should work with what men they have got and they cannot secretly convince men in the temples to leave their duties. Those duties also must be done and they are just as important as any other service. Regarding the books being sold for less than $4, that we shall discuss in L.A. with Ramesvara. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami N.B. Why did you publish this college program book independently and unauthorized? Any literature that is to be published on behalf of the movement, must be authorized by the BBT Trustees. You have not even mentioned my name in this book. This is not at all good. Why have you done this? ACBS/ps Labels: BBT, concoct, San Francisco, sannyasa letters | 04:00 |19 May 2008 19 May, 1975 Melbourne My dear Hamsaduta dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated May 15th, 1975 and have noted the contents. Your pair of slippers is very nice. Thank you very much. Thank you for sending my coat to Melbourne. It is a little cool here. Your program in Germany is a good one. There is no need of establishing a deity for the time being in these places you have mentioned. Simply make a nice preaching center. Yes, while you are in India you may appoint other competent devotees to take responsibilities. I am very pleased with the life member program as well as the annadan program. That is a very good idea. Regarding BBT affairs, European publications are your main business, but for the time being, you must also see to the accounts and managing of the BBT in USA. Bhagavan can also be another BBT trustee. His name can be added to the list. It is approved by me that you get the books for only 20% above the cost of printing. Regarding the farm, whatever money I had, they have taken 3 1/2 lakhs in India. Giriraja tooks 2 lakhs and Jayapataka Swami took 1 1/2 lakhs. So, you can provide the funds from Europe I think. As far as machines are concerned, it is better to avoid using them as far as possible. I am enclosing one letter that I have recently written to Mahamsa Swami concerning the farm for your information. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Where is Himavati? ACBS/ps Labels: BBT, Bhaktivedanta Manor, Germany letters | 06:05 |26 February 2008 26 February, 1975 Miami My Dear Jayatirtha and Ramesvara, Please accept my blessings. I have today advised the Bank of America, Los Angeles branch to transfer the whole amount of the two fixed deposits to their Bombay branch, account number 16026, in favor of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Mayapur Vrndavana Fund). Kindly see that it is done. I hope this finds you both in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami enc: Letter to Bank of America, L.A. Labels: bank, BBT, Los Angeles letters | 11:49 |6 February 2008 6 February, 1975 Honolulu My dear Radhavallabha das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Feb. 3, 1975 and have noted the contents. Thank you for distributing my books everyday. This is a nice program for the press workers to increase enthusiasm. The sample that you sent me of the new design for the BBT logo is approved by me. For the sake of consistency, you can also use it on the cover jacket. Every volume of Srimad-Bhagavatam as well as Caitanya Caritamrta must be fully complete with an index, list of references, glossary, Sanskrit pronunciation guide, and index of Sanskrit (or Bengali) verses. This will be best. I will be glad to see you all (at least 15 of you) in Mayapur for our festival. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Svami ACBS/ps Labels: BBT, Caitanya Caritamrta, New York letters | 16:51 | |
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