a.c. bhaktivedanta swami
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| Prabhupada Letters :: 1975 a.c. bhaktivedanta swami |
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18 December 2008 18 December, 1975 Bombay Taunus, West Germany My Dear Tulsi Das, Please accept my blessings. Thank you very much for your nice letter. I can understand from your letter that you are very intelligent. Generally India people are not taking up this movement, although it is their original culture, they are now in favor of economic development and technological advancement which can never do any good to the people in general, neither material nor spiritual. After all a living being lives by the grace of God. He cannot eat nuts and bolts, however nicely they may be manufactured. We live by food grains, vegetables and milk products as it is stated in the Bhagavad gita, "All living bodies subsist on food grains which are due to rains come by proper proformance of sacrifice." Human life is meant for sacrifice to please Visnu. bhoktaram yajna-tapasam sarva-loka-mahesvaram [Bg. 5.29] "The sages knowing me to be the ultimate purpose of all sacrifices, the Supreme Lord of all planets, and the well wishing friend of all living entities, attain peace from the pangs of material miseries." So if we want to be happy in this life and the next we have to worship Visnu. But Gandhi did to satisfy Visnu? He was trying to satisfy his country, and his country killed him. He manufactured so many things which were never found in Bhagavad-gita. Throughout the Bhagavad-gita Krishna is encouraging Arjuna to fight, and Gandhi manufactured non-violence from Bhagavad-gita. Everyone in India knows the Mahabharata, the great battle of Kuruksetra, 640,000,000 soldiers gave up their life in that battle, and Krishna was personally instructing Arjuna to fight, and Gandhi took Bhagavad-gita and preached non-violence. So what was his understanding. At the end of his life he frankly said, "I don't believe there was ever such a historical person as Krishna." So what did Gandhi know about Bhagavad-gita? My only credit is that I have presented Bhagavad-gita as it is, without any speculation, or interpretation, therefore for the first time in the history of the world people are accepting it and living practically according to the principles of Bhagavad-gita. I understand that you are translating Bhagavad-gita as it is into Malayalam language. Hamsaduta has spoken to me about you. Please send me a sample, and we will see about it's publication and distribution in India. Maybe in the future you will like to come to India and help preach this message to your countrymen. I hope this letter meets you well. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Labels: Bhagavad-gita, Gandhi letters | 01:49 |8 December 2008 Monday, 8 December, 1975 Vrindaban Sri Krishna C. Batra Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry Dear Sir, In reply to your letter dated 26 November 1975, I beg to submit herein that our International Society for Krishna Consciousness is a Bhakti yoga asram as it is enunciated in the Bhagavad-gita. The main purpose of the society is to understand the nature of God and our relationship with Him. The very word yoga means connecting link with the supreme being. We accept Krishna as the supreme being, and nobody is equal to him or greater than him. How he is supreme is lucidly explained in the Bhagavad-gita, and we try to revive our eternal relationship with him. In the Bhagavad-gita itself there are different processes of yoga systems, karma yoga, jnana yoga, dhayana yoga, hatha yoga, bhakti yoga and so many patterns of yoga. Others may practice different patterns of yoga, and we can understand that everyone is trying to pass on the path of yoga, but bhakti yoga is the ultimate goal, and if anyone is actually interested to understand God as he is, he has to come to the platform of bhakti yoga. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gita that after many many births of practicing yoga, when one is actually mature he surrenders himself at the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate vasudevah sarvam iti sa mahatma sudurlabhah [Bg. 7.19] So this bhakti yoga is practiced by varieties of rendering service to the Lord, They are divided into nine prescribed methods as it is called sravanam, kirtanam visnoh, smaranam pada sevanam, arcanam vandanam dasyam, sakhyam atma nivedanam [SB 7.5.23]. The actual path to understand God is bhakti yoga as it is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita, bhaktya mam abhijanati yevan yas casmi tattvatah tato mam tattvato jnatve visate tad anantaram [Bg. 18.55] "One can understand the Supreme Personality as he is only by devotional service. And when one is in full consciousness of the Supreme Lord by such devotion, he can enter into the kingdom of God." This bhakti yoga is identical with Krishna consciousness this is also confirmed in Bhagavad-gita, Yoginam api sarvesam, mad gatenanteratmana, sraddhavan bhajate yo mama, sa me yuktatamo matah. [Bg. 6/47] "And of all yogis, he who always abides in me with great faith, worshiping me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with me in yoga and is the highest of all." So we teach our students how to think of Krishna 24 hours and thus become devotees of Krishna. When one becomes a devotee he worships Krishna by the above nine varieties of bhakti processes and remain always an obedient servant of Krishna, and the vivid example is Arjuna, how he engaged himself on the battlefield of Kuruksetra although he was not willing to kill the enemies on the other side, although they happen to be very near and dear kinsmen of Arjuna. The conclusion is, when one gives up his concocted ideas of perfection and takes to Krishna consciousness just to render service to the Lord by following his direct order this perfection is actually attained by a pure devotee, so much so that a pure devotee constantly engaged in the service of the Lord can get direct orders from the Lord, and then follow perfectly the instructions of the Lord. Our society is open to everyone without any discrimination of cast, creed, color, sex, or position, anyone can join us and be trained up in Krishna consciousness. That is evidently proved that we have got more than 100 centers all over the world, including Africa, or other supposed backward countries. Everywhere the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra is being chanted without any difficulty and all of them are becoming pure Vaisnavas. They are completely giving up the four principles of sinful activities, namely illicit sex life, meat eating, intoxication, and gambling, and thus they are making progress in the matter of understanding Krishna consciousness very perfectly. The addresses of our India centers are listed as follows, ISKCON Bombay, Hare Krishna Land, Gandhi Gram Rd. Juhu 54. ISKCON Hyderabad, Hare Krishna Land, Nampally station Rd. Hyderabad. ISKCON Delhi, 19 Todar Mal Lane, Bengali Market, New Delhi. ISKCON Calcutta, 3 Albert Rd. Calcutta 17 (Near Hindi High School). ISKCON Mayapur, P.O. Sri Mayapur Dham, Mayapur District Nadia, West Bengal. Just this month we have sent preachers to Ahmedabad and Kanpur for opening centers, and we are planning to build a gorgeous Krishna Arjuna temple at Kuruksetra in co-operation with the late home minister G.L. Nanada. We have published more than 50 big books in the English language such as Bhagavad-gita as it is, Caitanya Caritamrta, Srimad-Bhagavatam, and others. For a complete catalog of our publications write the secretary at New Delhi temple. Thank you for your interest. Respectfully yours, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/hda Labels: Aurobindo, Bhagavad-gita letters | 04:53 |27 November 2008 27 November, 1975 New Delhi My Dear Ramesvara Prabhu, Please accept my blessings. I am in receipt of your letters dated November 18th and 20th 1975. I have noted the contents carefully. The incident with Purusottama is now a closed chapter, in the future be more careful, we have got enemies as well as friends, we have to be careful. I was very happy to receive the new edition of Bhagavad gita the make up is very nice. Every time I see a new publication of my books it gives me so much enthusiasm that my life is increased by 100 years. Thank you for helping me so much. The report of Ghanasyama Prabhu selling standing orders to the head of the Mormon church is very encouraging to me, may Krishna bless this boy. Practically speaking there is no religion in the world, the only true religion is Bhagavata Dharma, that is the original religion of the human society, whatever else there may be passing as religion has come after Vedic literature. The whole world is in darkness, so we are bringing light in the shape of Srimad-Bhagavatam. Therefore this is the best service one can render to the human society, to give knowledge, how to go back to home back to Godhead. The BTG No. 12 is also nice. In India the biggest circulated spiritual magazine is Kalyana printed by Gita press at 95,000 so you have far surpassed them, thank you, the magazine is very nice. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/hda Labels: Bhagavad-gita, BTG, Srimad Bhagavatam letters | 02:27 |24 October 2008 24 October, 1975 Mauritius My dear Ramesvara das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated October 11, 1975 and I have noted the contents with care. Concerning the print of the painting "showing Bhagavad-gita being worshipped," I do not consider this suitable for using in our books. I hope that this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/pks Labels: Bhagavad-gita, Los Angeles letters | 03:07 |28 September 2008 Sunday, 28 September, 1975 Ahmedabad Prem J. Batra Ruparel College, Sr. B.A. Matunga, Bombay My Dear Prem Batra: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated September 19, 1975 and have noted the contents. I am very glad that you are seriously trying to understand our Krishna consciousness philosophy. It is Srila Jiva Goswami who has presented very high philosophy in his Six Sandavas. Regarding your question about the difference between the mind and the soul, in the Bhagavad-gita it is directly said that the mind is inferior energy in a subtle form, and soul, jiva, is superior energy. So they are completely distinct. Mind is not spiritual, but mind is a subtle material form. When the soul becomes captivated for enjoying the material world instead of rendering service to Krishna, that is the beginning of his falldown. When the living being thinks himself to be the enjoyer, that is called false ego. His constitutional position is to serve Krishna. So this false egotism degrades him to pollute the intelligence and the mind. So mind and intelligence are already there in the soul, but in the conditional stage the same mind and intelligence become polluted as false egotism or enjoyer. The bhakti process is to purify everything. The mind is not the soul but is a venue for expressing the soul's desire. So if the mind is purified, then things go on nicely in its original position. If he does not go on rightly he falls down in conditional life. The whole yogic system is to convert the mind from matter to spirit. You can utilize the mind in both ways. When the mind is spiritually trained up it is the best friend of the soul, and when the mind is materially polluted, it is the worst enemy. The Bhagavad-gita states: bandhur atmatmanas tasya yenatmaivatmana jitah anatmanas tu satrutve vartetatmaiva satru-vat "For him who has conquered the mind, the mind is the best of friends; but for one who has failed to do so, his very mind will be the greatest enemy." [Bg. 6.6] For those who are grossly materialistic persons, for them the yogic system is recommended, otherwise if the mind is directly engaged engaged at the lotus feet of Krishna, the senses automatically become engaged in Krishna's service; and that is the liberated stage. Chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra is the direct process for curing the mind of all materialistic contamination. Take to this process and be happy. You have asked many questions, and I am glad that you are going to join our movement. I am going to South Africa tomorrow for one month, and when I return to Bombay, you can come and see me at that time. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs Labels: Bhagavad-gita, mind, soul letters | 10:21 |5 September 2008 Friday, 5 September, 1975 Vrindaban Lecturer in Commerce St. John's College Agra, U.P. My Dear Sri Arjuna Das: Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated August 31, 1975, and it is very encouraging that you have tried to understand our philosophy so quickly. As I am travelling all over the world, I see that people are not satisfied. The dissatisfaction of the whole human race is being manifested in different ways. As sometimes the root disease becomes manifest by different symptoms. So far we understand from authoritative sources the dissatisfaction of the human race can be mitigated only by the acceptance of Krishna consciousness. The Bhagavad-gita confirms this: bhoktaram yajna tapasam sarva loka mahesvaram suhrdam sarva bhutanam jnatva mam samtim rcchati [Bg. 5.29] Another example can be given that if by taking care of the cage of the bird without taking any care of the bird within the cage, certainly the bird will be restless and unhappy and create disturbances. We require the help of many, many young men like you to understand this philosophy thoroughly and preach this movement in an organized way all over the world. Fortunately some young men cooperated with me in the USA, therefore I have been able to push on this movement in the western countries. Similarly if some of the young, educated men like you in India join this movement, we can change the present situation of poverty and restlessness all over India. In the Bhagavad-gita the procedure is described very elaborately for acting in all fields. We have to simply understand it and accept it, then everything will be peaceful and in a happy situation. Krishna appears for this purpose. He leaves behind His instructions so that in the future people could take His help and guidance. But, if you do not accept His instructions, then how can you be happy? I am here in Vrindaban for some time. If you conveniently come and stay with me along with some of your interested friends, I shall be happy to convince you how this Krishna consciousness movement is so needed all over the world. I hope this meets you in good health. More when we meet. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs na vyabhicarati taveksa/yaya hy abhihito bhagavato dharmah/sthira-cara-sattva-kadambesv/aprthag-dhiyo yam upasate tv aryah [Bhag 6/16/43] Labels: Bhagavad-gita, educated, India letters | 01:16 |18 July 2008 Friday, 18 July, 1975 Berkeley Indianapolis, Indiana Dear Bhaktin Susan Newman: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated nil and have noted the contents. Do not waste your time with this study of monkeys. What will you learn by this? Better to hear from Lord Krishna Himself in Bhagavad-gita than to waste your time in this way. Chant Hare Krishna and read our books very carefully. I am going to New Vrindaban at Janmastami, so you can come there for the celebrations. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs Labels: Bhagavad-gita, reading letters | 05:40 |27 June 2008 27 June, 1975 Denver My Dear Bhagavan das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated June 20, 1975 and also the French Gita blue prints. Is that the paper that it will be printed on? This paper is very nice. I have also seen the Spanish literature you have published. Why you do not use the literature they are publishing for South America? Your qualification is that you can live amicably with anyone. Even if one is an offender to you, you do not become agitated. This is a Vaisnava qualification. I am glad to hear of the improvements of Amsterdam temple. That you are now getting so many more people for the feast program means that the management is very much improved. Yes, I am looking forward to coming to France to see the castle. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs Labels: Amsterdam, Bhagavad-gita, Paris, translating letters | 04:34 |10 June 2008 10 June, 1975 Honolulu Concord Housing Society Juhu Scheme, Bombay My dear Radha Krishna Dhawan, Please accept my greetings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated April 29, 1975 and have noted the contents. Yes, we are trying to set a perfect example according to the Bhagavad-gita as it is, how to execute simple living and high thinking. We are not interested in any material comforts of life which are limited and temporary. We are interested in solving the real problems of life, birth, death, old-age, and disease. These problems must be solved, and Krishna gives the formula in the Bhagavad-gita. So, we are preaching that simple formula given by Krishna, and people are trying it and finding real happiness in life, therefore the Hare Krishna movement is an undeniable success. Everyone is accepting. I am very glad that you are also accepting. Please visit our temple there in Juhu as much as possible, and try to read our books. We have many books, about 50 400 pages long each, as well as many smaller ones. Study this movement carefully and you will find it very rewarding. I hope this meets you and your good wife in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps Labels: Bhagavad-gita, Bombay letters | 19:47 |10 June, 1975 Honolulu My dear Mr. Van den Tak, Please accept my greetings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 1-6-75 and have noted the contents. Your endeavor to prove scientifically the existence of re-incarnation is not very practical. It is like bringing a cannon to kill a mosquito. It is not required to bring a cannon to kill a mosquito, similarly any sane man can understand the principle of re-incarnation. There is no need of giving some long so-called scientific explanation. Explanation is already given in the Bhagavad-gita, as it is. Krishna, the Supreme Authority has already explained, and you should accept and understand His explanation and then try to make others understand. You should visit our temple in Sydney. The address is: Corner Wrights Rd. and Drummoyne Ave., Drummoyne N.S.W. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps Labels: Bhagavad-gita, scientists, Sydney letters | 03:47 |11 May 2008 Sunday, 11 May, 1975 Perth, Australia Sri K. C. Nigam Convenor, All India Spiritual Conference Durgadevi Road Kanpur, INDIA My dear Mr. Nigam, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated March 11th, 1975 and have noted the contents. Now, I am on world tour. At present, I am staying in Perth, Australia, then in one week, I shall go to Melbourne, then Fiji, then Honolulu where I will stay for at least one month. Then I shall go to Philadelphia and San Francisco, etc. I am very glad that you are holding some spiritual conference, but my only request is to follow the standard method of spiritual consciousness. One must know first of all, what is the spiritual basis. Anyone who is accepting this body as the self, he is no better than the cats and dogs. One must know what the spirit soul is within this body. He is eternal part and parcel of God, therefore, his only business is to revive his eternal relation with God and work on that fundamental basis so that he can achieve the ultimate goal of life. The whole thing is instructed in the Bhagavad-gita. If we accept the teachings of Bhagavad-gita, as it is without unnecessary commentary on it, then our spiritual movement will be successful. But, if we manufacture something out of our own concoction, it will never be successful. This is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita: yah sastra-vidhim utsrjya vartate kama-karatah na sa siddhim avapnoti na sukham na param gatim "But he who discards scriptural injunctions and acts according to his own whims is headed for a hellish destination." [BG 16:23] I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps Labels: Bhagavad-gita, coference letters | 18:54 |8 April 2008 8 April, 1975 Mayapur Artists Academy 85, Vasant Nagar, Nagpur My dear Mr. Roy, Please accept my greetings. I am in due receipt of your kind letter dated 27th march, 1975 and have noted the contents carefully. The process of opening a center somewhere is that we go there and hold classes for one week on the teachings of Bhagavad-gita and if the people like, then we'll open a center. Actually, the teachings of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu that in every town and village there will be a center of Krishna Consciousness, is essential. People must co-operate. If not, then they will have to suffer. So, I am very glad that you have come forward, being one of the leaders of the cultural community. I am very much enthused by this. Our ideology is standard. It is not anything new, but it is very old. It is not anything concocted. ajo nityah sasvato 'yam purano na hanyate hanyamane sarire The living entity is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain [Bg. 2.20]. I would like to take this opportunity to invite you to our Vrndavana festival which will be held on the 20th of April up to the 27th of April. We will be opening our temple there. If you can come, then we can talk in detail about a center at Nagpur. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Svami ACBS/ps Labels: Bhagavad-gita letters | 06:16 |5 April 2008 Saturday, 5 April, 1975 Mayapur Dr. G. Ghosh Gyan Bhawan Allahabad My dear Dr. Ghosh, Please accept my greetings. I am in due receipt of your two letters dated March 20th and March 23rd, 1975 and have noted the contents very carefully. I thank you very much for your kind invitation and, tentatively, I accept it. Most probably, we shall go to Allahabad from Vrndavana by the 28th of April, 1975 and stay there for a week, and then start for Bombay on the way to Australia by the 5th of May I wish to hold classes on Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam for one hour in the evening and one hour in the morning. I do not know if gentlemen there will spare so much time. If not two hours, then I shall hold one hour Bhagavad-gita class, and I wish to see how people there appreciate our missionary activities. It is strictly on the basis of Lord Krishna's teachings as they are presented by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. That is our mission. So, if people become interested in our philosophy, then we shall consider the other two items, namely, the nursery school and dispensary. So far dispensary is concerned, we have none all over the world. It will be a new attempt. So far the school is concerned, we have got in Africa and America, and we have got men experienced to teach on our line. But for dispensary, we have no experience at all. I do not know how you are at the present moment about your health but I request you again to come to Vrndavana about the 20th of April. Then we shall discuss elaborately and make a decision. Otherwise, if you do not come, we will go as already decided and open a nice center there if possible. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Svami ACBS/ps Labels: Bhagavad-gita, Srimad Bhagavatam, Vrindavan letters | 20:53 |2 April 2008 2 April, 1975 Mayapur Canoga Park, California My dear Mr. & Mrs. Kimmel, Please accept my greetings. I have received your kind offering of guava jam through your daughter, Urvasi devi dasi. I wanted to thank you very much for becoming so much interested in our Krishna Consciousness movement. Actually, because Krishna Consciousness is the nature of the soul, it is not unusual that one becomes attracted to the method. We are trying very hard to give everyone in the world, in all walks of life, a chance to hear the message of Krishna and to take up the process which is recommended in the Bhagavad-gita for becoming freed from the cycle of birth and death, and thus go back to the kingdom of God to render eternal service to Him. I sincerely hope that you will continue the process as your good daughter has done and achieve the perfection of human life. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Svami ACBS/ps Labels: Bhagavad-gita, family life letters | 20:52 |14 March 2008 14 March, 1975 Tehran Mr. Dennany Miami, Fla. 49071 My dear Mr. Dennany, Please accept my greetings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Jan. 28th, 1975 and have noted the contents. Thank you very much for reading and appreciating my books. Please continue to do so as much as possible and visit our temple in Miami frequently. You mentioned in your letter that you had read many other Bhagavad-gitas before you read mine and that none of them revealed as much to you as Bhagavad-gita As It Is. The reason is because we do not change the actual meaning of the gita at all. Many other commentators due to poor fund of knowledge tamper with the lines of Bhagavad-gita and twist the meaning for their personal motives, but we do not do like that. We present it exactly as it is; without any additions or subtractions. That is perfect in every way and therefore it is actually having a tremendous effect all over the world. The original words of Lord Krishna have unrivalled potency and anyone who is fortunate enough to hear those words and tries to apply them to his life becomes perfect. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Svami ACBS/ps Labels: Bhagavad-gita, Miami letters | 13:52 |6 March 2008 Thursday, 6 March, 1975 Brooklyn Mrs. Mohini H. Singh Consul & Director Indian Cultural Centre San Francisco My Dear Mrs. Singh, Please accept the blessings of Lord Krishna. I thank you for your kind letter of invitation dated 21st of Feb., 1975. I am just on my way to London from here (New York), and from there I shall have to go to Tehran, Iran, and then back to India by the 15th of March, 1975 for arranging the birthday anniversary of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu at our Mayapur center, (District Nadia), West Bengal, India. Therefore I am very sorry to inform you that I shall not be able to attend the auspicious meeting which you are going to hold on the 23rd of March. I am advising therefore my senior disciple, His Holiness, Kirtanananda Swami to attend the meeting and I hope he will be able to present the proper view of our Krishna Consciousness movement. Our movement is completely a spiritual movement, therefore sometimes it appears to be a little different from the materialistic cultural movement. In the Bhagavad-gita, the spiritual hint is there in the beginning of the lesson to Arjuna. Krishna wanted to pick up the spiritual soul from within the body: dehino 'smin yatha dehe kaumaram yauvanam jara [Bg. 2.13]. So, the spirit soul is within the body. Unless we catch up the spirit soul within the body, there is no question of spiritual life or culture. Still, we are trying to push this movement in the western countries and many of them are taking it very seriously. I hope Sriman Kirtanananda Maharaja will be able to convince you further in the meeting and I hope you will give him some time to speak on the subject matter on my behalf. Further in order to convince people more about this movement philosophically and scientifically, we have published up to date about 50 books. So, if you kindly give me a nice booth for demonstration of the books, it will be a great opportunity to introduce our literature amongst the intelligent class of men. Our books are already recognized by the academic section of universities. They are a standard, authorized collection and I hope you will give us proper facilities to utilize the opportunity. Thanking you once more for your kind invitation. Yours sincerely, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Svami ACBS/ps Labels: Bhagavad-gita, San Francisco letters | 12:25 | |
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