a.c. bhaktivedanta swami
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| Prabhupada Letters :: 1975 a.c. bhaktivedanta swami |
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4 December 2008 4 December, 1975 Vrindaban Addis Ababa, Ethiopia My Dear Cyavana Maharaja, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated November 17, 1975. I have noted the contents carefully. The program you have suggested can be discussed at the Mayapur GBC meeting. At Mayapur each year a program is chalked out for the entire year, and that is to be executed till the GBC meets again. I hope this letter finds you well. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 09:47 | 23 November 2008 23 November, 1975 Bombay Addis Ababa, Ethiopia My dear Cyavana Swami, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 16/11/75 and am glad to read the contents. I am glad that you are traveling and preaching. This is the business of a sannyasi. Please follow my order in this regard. Africa is huge field, so you have plenty of opportunities for traveling and preaching. This will keep you enthusiastic. So do not neglect it. Of course if the young people there are interested, then you should stay there to instruct them. Then if you can collect and send money to Nairobi, that is very good. In this way their debts can be paid. I am also glad to see that you are taking seriously the Life Member program. So many Life Members they are complaining they are not receiving books or they are not being treated nicely. So if you can rectify this situation, that would be very good. So far your becoming GBC is concerned, yes, I had wanted that, but there are so many complaints. This is not good. GBC must mean that by his managing, there is not any complaints so that I can be relieved in order to do my translation work. Anyway, you go on with your preaching program and we shall discuss this matter in Mayapur meeting time. In the meantime I am sending Brahmananda Swami to rectify the situation in Nairobi and later on we shall see. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd Labels: GBC, Nairobi, sannyasa letters | 09:39 |21 November 2008 Friday, 21 November, 1975 Bombay My dear Bhumata devi dasi, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated October 13, 1975 and also your poem enclosed and have noted the contents. I am very glad to note your enthusiasm for spreading Krsna consciousness and that you want to increase your propaganda work. This is the main thing--to always be anxious how to spread the glories of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mission. I note that you have got this dedication and I am very pleased. I have noted your ten requests and I think that yes, there should be a GBC man who I have delegated who can take care of these matters. So Satsvarupa Maharaja, he is the right man. Regarding your request for Krsna consciousness marriage, oh yes, certainly Satsvarupa Maharaja, he can perform the ceremony. Regarding sending the gifts and offerings, is it cash or kind? I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami N.B. I think you may send to Bombay address, but you have to be careful if you are sending money in the mail. You can consult with Satsvarupa Maharaja how best to do this. ACBS/BS/mdd letters | 08:39 | 10 November 2008 10 November, 1975 Bombay My dear Alanatha das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your two letters dated 26th and 27th September 1975 and have noted the contents. Upon your recommendation I am accepting the following as my initiated disciples. Their names are as follows: Johnnie--Jamadagni das; Maggie--Vedatita devi dasi Christine--Samhartri devi dasi I also accept for second initiation Vrsnivallabha das Brahmacari. Enclosed is the sanctified mantra thread and mantra sheet. It is your responsibility as the president of the temple to see that these devotees strictly follow the rules and regulations such as chanting 16 rounds minimum on the beads. Sixteen is the minimum; one can chant more. There is no harm, but one at least must chant the fixed number of rounds. You should hold a fire sacrifice and they may hear the mantra from my recorded tape through the right year. The beads may be chanted on by Hamsaduta. Regarding the controversy that is going on there in Stockholm, what is the reason. This must be considered at a full meeting of the GBC. You may suggest a way to mitigate this difficulty and if it is not accepted, then both of them should resign. I know that Hamsaduta is very expert in selling books but books are not only for selling but also for reading. Now has the GBC become more than Guru Maharaja? As if simply GBC is meant for looking after pounds, shilling, pence. The GBC does not look after spiritual life. That is a defect. All of our students will have to become Guru, but they are not qualified. This is the difficulty. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd Encs. Labels: controversy, GBC, initiation, qualified to be guru, Stockholm letters | 00:01 |16 October 2008 16 October, 1975 Johannesburg My dear Jayatirtha das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated September 28, 1975 and I have noted the contents carefully. There is no question of removal at the present moment. We shall sit together in Mayapur if there is any complaint against one another. At the Mayapur meeting, whatever we have decided that is good for one year. So if anything has to be done it will be decided by majority decision of the GBC. I do not wish to give any decision without the GBC's verdict. My only grievance is that I appointed GBC to give me relief from the management but, on the contrary, complaints and counter-complaints are coming to me. Then how my brain can be peaceful. Naturally, I want to see that all of my centres are going nicely, so is it not possible to mitigate the differences of opinion and work smoothly, conjointly. So best thing is that we wait for the Mayapur meeting and decide there combinedly what to do. The local management has to be done by temple president, GBC should see whether management is going on nicely, and if there are any discrepancies that will be discussed at the GBC meeting in Mayapur. That is the process. Sannyasis are meant for preaching only. That is the principle. But, contrary to the principle if things are being embezzled then how can I save them. How one man can manage the whole world affairs? This is my concern. So far I know you are approved manager, so why complaints are there I do not know. I hope that this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/pks Labels: Berkeley, GBC, management, sannyasa letters | 01:51 |16 October, 1975 Johannesburg My dear Ajita dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Oct. 1, 1975 and I have noted the contents carefully. If you see problems in the Stockholm center why don't you try to reform it by your example and practical application of our philosophy. If I have to be involved in every dispute, then what is the need for the GBC? GBC is there for this purpose. However, if there is some serious difficulties, just now I can not give decision. If it is not settled, then it can be discussed at Mayapur. I hope that this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/pks letters | 01:51 | 29 September 2008 29 September, 1975 Ahmedabad My Dear Hamsaduta das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your two letters dated September 10th & 16th, 1975 and have noted the contents carefully. Regarding the propaganda for Russia, it is a very good idea to include the interview and the Marx discussion in the same book. After publishing the book, there is no question of distributing it underground by smuggling it into Russia. Sell it openly outside of Russia. It will be for people coming to visit our temples who come from there. You can advertise that ISKCON Books in Russian language are available in such and such place. That they cannot stop. Regarding the logo of the German Caitanya Caritamrta, it is o.k. Regarding the Bury place temple, the girls are taking care of the Deity, so how can you completely stop it. Not many women should stay there, but at least five can stay in a room. Why should they occupy two floors? Only one floor may be given to them. Regarding your dealings with Bhagavan dasa, when two GBC's are concerned, the whole GBC must consider. What can I do? I have appointed the GBC not to fight amongst yourselves but to manage. If there is fighting then how will you manage? So the whole GBC committee. must decide if there is fighting. Regarding the Hyderabad project, you will be the principal man for finances. I have received report that they have planted 20 acres of paddy, some being bashmati and rest local variety. Regarding Dr. Wolf, why has he gone against us? First of all consult with Svarupa Damodara. What is his complaint? Regarding the reports of Japan, therefore the police have stopped Gurukrpa. I have sent Trivikrama Maharaja and one man to go there and maintain the center and preach. There is good potency there. I do not want to see it closed. Regarding your idea for a Gujarati newspaper, no it is better to sell our Gujarati books. We shall print and sell our own books. Yes, you can open a restaurant in Edinburgh. Regarding Bharadraja, I have no objection to him coming. What is he doing in L.A.? Only on Sunday can you keep the Deity curtains open throughout the afternoon. Regarding the Frankfurt temple and the Deity program, unless we have got our own building, this proposal of installing Deity should be postponed. Do not install, unless we have got our own building, the large Deities. And, the Nrsimha Deity should be installed only in a separate temple building. The Deity must have its own temple. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Labels: Bhaktivedanta Manor, GBC letters | 09:22 |26 September 2008 26 September, 1975 Ahmedabad My Dear Jagadisa das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated September 6, 1975 and have noted the contents. Regarding the difficulty with Gurukula what can I reply? This is your responsibility. The GBC can decide what to do. Instead of spending money there, if the government is specifically passing the act against us, then we can spend that money in the Gurukula in Vrindaban. We are getting land adjacent to our temple and on Radhastami I laid the foundation stone for a Gurukula. We shall put up a suitable building there. In India there is no such government regulative law. I see that all the temple presidents are not to your liking. So how will you manage? If all the presidents are bad and not to your liking, then let the GBC consider what to do. You say that Karandhara was being supported by Jayatirtha, but Karandhara does he have any position still? He has no official position I do not think. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs Labels: Chicago, GBC, gurukula letters | 06:14 |18 September 2008 18 September, 1975 Vrndavana My dear Satsvarupa Maharaja, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your GBC monthly report for August dated September 7, 1975 and have noted the contents. I have received a copy of the review written by the Cornell professor and it is very encouraging. I am having them reproduce it here for distribution to the libraries in India. I have also requested Ramesvara to make a booklet of all these reviews. I'm glad to hear that Miami has got their new property and temple. I understand they have many mango trees there. When is the mango season there in Florida? I am very fond of mangoes and when they are produced on our own property, then they become more palatable. It is a fact that if you purchase fruit in the market, it is not as palatable as if it comes from your own tree. Even Caitanya Mahaprabhu's devotees were very fond of mangoes. Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He immediately produced one mango tree at the house of Srinivasa and He was daily distributing mangoes. Regarding Houston temple, it is best thing if they recruit their own men as the other temples are doing. I find that in the United States and also in Europe there are many Indians in every city. Encourage them to take part in our programs. Regarding St. Louis, I know that Makhanlal is a very good boy. Perhaps it is better for him not to have such a wife. I thank you very much for your report. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/mdd letters | 03:25 | 1 July 2008 1 July, 1975 Denver My Dear Sat Krita dasa: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter undated June 23, 1975 and have noted the contents. I have organized the GBC for the purpose of spreading Krsna consciousness all over the world. In this way I am trying to become free from the management in order to translate my books. Therefore there is no need to form a separate new committee. of 64 members. Let each zone and center push on in their area of the world. If such an international committee. is to be formed, it can be done by the GBC. You can make your further suggestions to Jagadisa. I am glad your son is doing well in Gurukula. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs letters | 03:10 | 23 June 2008 23 June, 1975 Los Angeles My Dear Mahajana das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated June 21, 1975 and have noted the contents. As far as this matter is concerned, it is my desire that you consult your local Governing Body Commissioner Jayatirtha das. Now I am desiring more and more to have time for translating my books, not that I have to become involved in every question. For this reason I have installed the GBC. Now I have given the guideline that 50% of a householder's income should be donated to the temple. If there is any disagreement, it may be taken up with Jayatirtha. I hope this meets you and your family in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs Labels: GBC, Los Angeles letters | 04:10 |16 June 2008 16 June, 1975 Honolulu My dear Narayana dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated June 10, 1975 and have noted the contents. Regarding your report on Hanuman, I am forwarding your letter to Hrdayananda Goswami who can present this problem to the GBC for their solution. I have accepted Saunaka dasa for 2nd initiation. His thread and mantra sheet are enclosed. Let him hear the tape of myself chanting the gayatri mantra through his right ear. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps Labels: Costa Rica, GBC, initiation letters | 03:57 |4 June 2008 Wednesday, 4 June, 1975 Honolulu My dear Satsvarupa dasa Goswami, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated May 31, 1975 and have noted the contents. Thank you very much for working so hard to distribute my books in the Libraries. This is very much pleasing. You will make your whole country Krishna Conscious in this way. Regarding the book review booklet, it can be included in another small booklet which I have just told Ramesvara to print called, The Hare Krishna Movement. The Miami situation is a great discredit for us because we have made such a bad impression on the neighbors that they have had us kicked out. This is because of nasty management. Rupanuga was the GBC, and now you are, why it cannot be made clean? Abhirama has proved his poor management, so he must be replaced. If you sell the old buildings and buy some land as proposed, it may be very nice. One thing is though, if the management continues to be so nasty, then that place will also be ruined. Management must be done very nicely otherwise it is useless. Regarding your staying in Houston, yes, but do not neglect your other business. Jagadisa can take over New Orleans management. Yes, you will be my GBC traveling secretary in August. Regarding, Bon Maharaja, I am actually authority accepted by authority. In the Caitanya Caritamrta it is said, krsna sakti vina nahe nama pracar. So, now the Hare Krishna movement is world known, and learned scholars, etc. give plaudits to me as Professor Judah has. So, then why I am not authority? Nobody says Bon Swami has done it, or Vivekananda, or any other swami. There are so many yogis and swamis coming, but nobody is giving credit to them, they are giving the credit to me. So, why I am not an authority? If Krishna accepts me as authority, then who can deny it? Besides that, in 1933, Bon was given the first chance to preach Lord Caitanya's movement in London. He remained there about four years and not a single person could be converted to become a Vaisnava and he was receiving regularly RS 700 per month for his expenditure, being supported by the whole Gaudiya Math institution, and still, as he could not do anything appreciable, he was called back by Guru Maharaja. Then where is his authority? Our authority comes from Parampara system. If the Guru was not satisfied with him and called him back, and since then, he gave up connection with Gaudiya Math and started his own institution, then how he becomes authority? And in spite of all these things, if he is still authority by his own imagination, then people should ask him what he has been doing for the last 40 years, about the objective of Gaudiya Vaisnavism. Even if he thinks that he has done, certainly he has not done better than me. Under the circumstances, accepting him as an authority, I am greater and better authority than him. So, all Vaisnavas are authorities to preach Krishna Consciousness, but still, there are degrees of authorities. On the whole, if his motive is to suppress me and if that is why he has come here, how we can receive him? He has already given one Professor a wrong impression. He may be treated as a guest, if he comes to our center, give him prasadam, honor him as an elder Vaisnava, but he cannot speak or lecture. If he wants to lecture, you can tell him that there is already another speaker scheduled. That's all. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps Labels: authority, Bon Maharaja, Gaudiya Matha, GBC, Los Angeles letters | 03:28 |8 April 2008 8 April, 1975 Mayapur My dear Mr. Fitzgerald, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated March 21, 1975 and have noted the contents. These things should be decided by the GBC. Let them make a decision on the matter. You have already sent letters to them, so the problem is in their hands. I cannot deal with so many managerial problems. The GBC is there to releive me from so many problems such as this one. I hope that you will continue your service nicely following all of the rules and regulations and that you are chanting 16 rounds daily on your beads. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Svami ACBS/ps letters | 06:18 | 8 April, 1975 Mayapur My dear Mantrini dasi, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated March 26th, 1975 and have noted the contents. In order to start the proposed project in your letter you must have full sanction of the GBC. Then I will approve of it, if they approve it. Do not try to start any project independent of the GBC. I want that everyone will co-operate nicely with the GBC. Please follow all of the rules and regulations very carefully and chant at least 16 rounds daily. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps letters | 06:15 | 18 March 2008 18 March, 1975 Bombay My dear Narayana Dasa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated March 4, 1975 and have noted the contents. Hanuman is not GBC. If he cannot work under Hrdayananda Gosvami, then he must work under me. He cannot be independent. I never said he was GBC. You should continue your programs there under the direction of Hrdayananda Gosvami. If Hanuman wants to preach there as long as he does not create any disturbance, he can preach there. I am enclosing one letter to Hanuman which you may present to him explaining his position. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Svami ACBS/ps Labels: Costa Rica, disagreements, GBC letters | 11:34 |18 March, 1975 Bombay My dear Hanuman, Please accept my blessings. I have received one letter from Narayana dasa, saying that he has been informed by some of your men that you are GBC there and that he must subjugate to your authority. I never said that you were the GBC there. You cannot say that. If you are unable to work under the direction of Hrdayananda Gosvami, then you must work under my direction, but you are not independent. You cannot interfere with the programs that are now going on there. If you can work co-operatively, that is wanted, but if you cannot work with Narayana, that doesn't mean that you can disturb his program. He is working hard under the direction of Hrdayananda Gosvami. He is not under your authority. If you want to preach there, that is alright, but you cannot interfere with the work that Narayana is doing. If there is any difficulty, we can discuss it in India. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Svami ACBS/ps Labels: Costa Rica, disagreements, GBC letters | 11:34 |3 February 2008 3 February, 1975 Honolulu My dear Patita Uddharana das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letters dated Jan. 18th, and 27th, 1975 and have noted the contents. Your column in the Gujarat Samachar is a great way to preach Krishna Consciousness to the Indians there in London. They will become very much familiar with our ideas and goals by reading it regularly. Please continue it nicely. Regarding the other points mentioned in your letter, Hamsaduta prabhu has said that he can take care of these matters. Actually, I have requested that these type of matters be brought before the GBC instead of me. I am trying very hard to find time to write my books, so I want to be relieved from so many questions. Please work co-operatively with Hamsaduta and everything will be very successful. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Svami N.B. You can allow the sacrifice in the Manor for Mrs. Mehta, but as with with the weddings, they must pay for the room. (Don't have it in the temple room.) She can bring her own brahmanas. Labels: Bhaktivedanta Manor, GBC letters | 12:01 |2 February 2008 2 February, 1975 Honolulu My dear Rupanuga das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated nil and have noted the contents. Regarding the idea of suing the U.S. Government, it is better not to make such a move. Try to solve all problems with the local scale. The GBC men who are here now have considered this point and decided that it would not be wise to sue the Govt. at this point. According to Jayatirtha prabhu, Jagadisa's proposal for BBT loan has already been rejected. BTG is not meant for advertising ISKCON Food Relief. Regarding instruments for temple kirtanas, karatala and mrdanga are sufficient. There is no need of other instruments. Keep negotiations going for that building. It will be very nice if we can get that building. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Svami ACBS/ps letters | 11:55 | 2 February, 1975 Honolulu My dear Puranjana, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letters dated Jan. 6, 13, and 17, 1975 and have noted the contents carefully. Hamsaduta is here with me now and I have given the letters to him. They have all been read and discussed by the GBC members who are present here. I want that the GBC should relieve me of this management burden and in the future, all such questions should be taken up with the local GBC member. If no satisfactory solution can be reached, then other GBC members may be consulted. The GBC can formulate proposals and submit them to me for approval. So, kindly co-operate with Hamsaduta and thereby help me use my time to finish my translating work in my old age. Whatever money is owed to the BBT, that should be paid. As far as record distribution is concerned, if you have no big books, you may temporarily continue, but give a book with each record. With record distribution alone, the result is temporary. They will hear it for some time and throw away. Book distribution is solid. Even if they do not read, simply by touching they are benefited. It is so much powerful. You can purchase records from Hamsaduta. Do not manufacture yourself. The BBT fund there has money, so your Bhagavad-gita in Dutch language can be printed with that money. I shall be anxious to see it. Anyway, work combinedly and everything will come out successful. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Svami ACBS/ps Labels: Amsterdam, book distribution, GBC letters | 11:53 | |
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