a.c. bhaktivedanta swami
|
|
| Prabhupada Letters :: 1975 a.c. bhaktivedanta swami |
|
|
30 November 2008 30 November, 1975 New Delhi My Dear W.J. Carpenter, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter. Material life means attachment for women, children, friends, countrymen, position, wealth, and good name. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam material existence is compare to a forest full of plunderers, dacoits, jackals, tigers and other ferocious animals. The jackals are compare to one's wife and children. In the dead of the night jackals cry very loudly, and similarly one's wife and children in this material world also cry like jackals. The children say, "Father is wanted: give me this, I am your dear son." Or the wife says, "I am your dear wife. Please give me this. This is now needed." In this way one is plundered by the thieves in the forest. Now knowing the aim of human life, one is constantly being misguided. The aim of life is Visnu, or Krishna (na te vidhu svartha-gatim hi visnum). Everyone works very hard to earn money, but no one knows that his real work is to serve Krishna, the supreme personality of Godhead. Instead of spending money to advance the cause of Krishna consciousness, one spends his hard earned money on clubs, brothels, liquor, drugs cigarettes, slaughterhouses and so forth. All these activities are sinful, and because we are engaged in such sinful activities constantly we are constantly reaping the result of our sinful work, which is suffering in one way or another. But even if one is pious he cannot escape from the sufferings of material existence in the shape of Birth, death, old age and disease. Therefore the only solution to all problems of life social economic, or political is to surrender to Krishna. Krishna says, "the material nature is very difficult to overcome, but one who has surrendered unto me can very easily cross beyond it." So to surrender to Krishna is not difficult all we have to do is follow the instructions given by Krishna in Bhagavad-gita under the guidance of his representative, the spiritual master. So you are already chanting Hare Krishna, now simply try to give up these four habits of sinful life, and the best way to be successful in this attempt is to associate with the devotees of the Lord. Therefore we have established so many temples of Krishna. You simply go there, the devotees are very kind, you will be welcome and by their association automatically you will make advancement and purify your life. We have got a temple in London, 7 Bury Place WC I and one in Hertfordshire given to us by George Harrison. So you go there and everything else will come. I hope this letter finds you well. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Labels: householder, London letters | 02:29 |30 November, 1975 New Delhi My Dear Manasvi Prabhu, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated Nov. 18, 1975. Now you are living peacefully with your family, that is good. Best thing is if you continue your employment at the book store, try to sell my books there if possible. Visit the New York temple regularly with your family and try to help them as far as possible, I think you should not attempt to make life members at this time. Maintain your wife and children by working honestly, attend the temple programs as far as possible and in this way live peacefully as a grhastha following the four regulative principles of spiritual life and chant Hare Krishna on beads and at home with family. That will keep you pure. I hope this letter finds you well. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/hda Labels: householder letters | 02:29 |12 January 2008 12 January, 1975 Bombay My dear Kirtiraja das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Dec. 31, 1974 and have noted the contents. Any householder devotee who is working full-time (with his wife) as a sankirtana book distributer, of temple managerial duties, artist, cook, etc. shall be provided food, shelter, and other bare minimum necessities by the temple itself. They should not cook their own meals separate from the temple meals. If they have children, then some minimal allowance may be given according to the number of children. If they want anything extra or over and above what the temple president sees as absolute necessity, then they should work outside - the temple cannot pay for anything beyond the bare necessities. And definitely, the BBT cannot pay any salary to anybody. Our philosophy is "simple living and high thinking" - not sense gratification. The temple presidents and leaders (elder students) must show this by example. Temple or asrama means for renunciation and renounced persons. If one is engaged in self-realization process, then his material necessities become almost nil. Persons who do not like this can work outside. Regarding food-stamps and welfare, if we have to fabricate some lie, that is not good. It can be done only if it is completely honest. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps Labels: householder, Los Angeles, simple living letters | 15:34 | |
|
|
