a.c. bhaktivedanta swami
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| Prabhupada Letters :: 1975 a.c. bhaktivedanta swami |
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31 December 2008 31 December, 1975 Bombay My Dear Mahavisnu Prabhu, Please accept my blessings I am in receipt of your letter dated December 12, 1975. It is very unfortunate that Savitri devi dasi met with such a bad accident. The material world is full of danger at every step. Even a great devotee like Bhisma met his end by being pierced with hundreds of arrows, but he was so powerful that he waited in that condition to see Lord Krishna before he passed away. These are the examples of Bhagavatam, and we have to try to follow the instructions of such great personalities. Please offer my blessings to this nice girl and prayers for her well being. Regarding your getting married, I have no objection. However as a brahmacari you are not obligated to marry, what is the advantage to your getting married? that should be considered. if one can remain brahmacari that is best. Finish this life and go back to Godhead, that is the basic idea of Krishna consciousness movement. So you decide. The Edinburgh temple may be moved. However Hamsaduta Prabhu has suggested that if it is to be moved why not move it to Birmingham or Manchester where there will be more facility to preach and make life members and devotees. I hope this letter meets you well. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami P.S. As you have recommended, I accept Jagaddhatri devi dasi for 2nd initiation. Now you must hold a fire ceremony. She should hear the mantra from the tape recording through the right ear. Brahmana initiation means to be very clean, inside and outside. Inside by chanting the glories of the Lord, and outside by bathing regularly, washing hands and mouth after eating. Instruct her on all of these things and do it yourself, as [PAGE MISSING] ACBS/hda Labels: danger, Edinburgh, initiation, marriage letters | 01:56 |6 December 2008 6 December, 1975 Vrindaban My Dear Saksi Gopala Prabhu, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your nicely decorated letter. Thank you very much. From your letter it appears that you are a little confused. This means that the consciousness is not clear, brahma-bhutah prasannatma, na socati na kanksati [Bg. 18.54], the clear stage of consciousness is free from hankering and lamentation. As long as we are on the material platform, bodily conception of life we will hanker for so many things required for material supremacy. Therefore to clear this cloudy consciousness Caitanya Mahaprabhu recommended that one should simply chant the Holy name of God sincerely and hear it with attention. To chant dance, take prasadam and be happy. Marriage is not recommended. Are you prepared to get a job, live outside the temple in apartment, provide the wife with bangles saris and sex? Better you concentrate on this chanting and hearing process, teach others and give them prasadam. So you and Bhumadeva are doing this already, now be steady and increase it more and more. Hamsaduta will guide you in this engagement, he is there to help you execute your program. I hope this letter finds you well. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/hda Labels: marriage letters | 08:51 |3 September 2008 3 September, 1975 Vrindaban My Dear Nalinikanta das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated August 8, 1975 with enclosed check for U.S. 50.00. I have noted the contents of your letter. You have been married for a year and a half but do not have any desire for children. Then why did you marry? That is my question. If you do not want children, then why did you marry? You should not take sannyasa. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs Labels: marriage, Phoenix, sannyasa letters | 02:05 |2 September 2008 2 September, 1975 Vrindaban My Dear Omkara dasi: Please accept my blessings. I have seen your letter dated August 17, 1975 and have noted the contents. I never said there should be no more marriage. By all means legally you can get married. How can I object? They misunderstand me. Unless it is there from me in writing, there are so many things that "Prabhupada said." I have no objection to marriage, but to bless it by a fire sacrifice, that I am thinking that if they don't stay together, then it is not good. But if they can remain together for one year, then there can be fire sacrifice. But changing three times in a month husband and wife, that is not good. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs Labels: fire sacrifice, Los Angeles, marriage letters | 03:15 |1 September 2008 Monday, 1 September, 1975 Vrindaban My Dear Jayananda das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated August 11, 1975 and have noted the contents. What you have done is good. Why should you remarry? Rather you should take sannyasa. Now you are getting very good training. Why has Jayatirtha suggested you to remarry? In Delhi there is a certain kind of laddu which has such a taste, that anyone who has tasted it once, he laments, oh how I would like to taste again. And anyone who has never tasted, he also laments, oh I have never tasted. So one who has tasted, and one who has not tasted, both are lamenting. Wife is like that. You have already tasted, now you are lamenting. But my advice to you is not to try to taste again, otherwise your lamentation will increase. You have got no children, so you are free, so take sannyasa. Sex life is nasty, but out of illusion we think it is nice. Now you are experienced, so don't take sex life again. You should not take sannyasa out of sentiment nor artificially, but it is better to accept it anyway. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs Labels: marriage, sannyasa, sex life, Tampa, wife letters | 08:15 |13 July 2008 13 July, 1975 Philadelphia My Dear Narottamananda das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated July 4, 1975 and have noted the contents. Regarding your taking a second wife, you cannot do this. At least you cannot stay in our temple in Vrindaban. If you want to take a second wife, then you have to leave our Vrindaban temple. Whether you can maintain them and take some job and earn? Our temples cannot support you and your two wives. You will then want three, four, and more. Anyway as an American it is illegal for you to do this. We are trying to minimize sex and you are trying to increase it. Please give up this idea. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs Labels: marriage, polygamy, Vrindavan letters | 08:27 |27 June 2008 27 June, 1975 Denver My Dear Jnana das and Lilavati dasi: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated June 16, 1975 hand delivered by Brahmananda Swami. So now that you are married you work together to spread Krsna consciousness. Marriage means that one's service becomes doubled, but at the same time we have to be very careful not to fall into sense gratification. That tendency is there, and we have to be always vigilant. Best thing is to chant carefully our 16 rounds on the beads and always think of Krsna. Brahmananda Swami has given me a good report of the African program, so you two as man and wife make our movement solid there. This I want. I hope this meets you both in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs letters | 08:37 | 17 April 2008 17 April, 1975 Vrindaban My dear Nandarani, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated April 3, 1975 and have noted the contents. Your going away, I did not take very seriously. I am very glad that you have come back. You should remain with Dayananda. That is your duty. He is a very good boy. So, please remain always fixed in devotional service and live peacefully. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps Labels: Dallas, husband, marriage letters | 02:23 |15 February 2008 15 February, 1975 Mexico City My dear Gopiparanadhana das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Feb. 6th, 1975 and have noted the contents. Regarding your problem of not being able to get married, this is not the proper type of question to place before your spiritual master. I think you should discuss this matter with Rupanuga das. Anyway, you should be sure to follow all the regulative principles without fail and to chant at least 16 rounds daily. If you do these things, then in any position of life you will be satisfied. Krishna is fully aware of your every necessity and he will surely provide everything that you need for your bodily maintenance. You should have this kind of faith. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Svami ACBS/ps Labels: faith, marriage, New York letters | 18:41 |6 February 2008 Thursday, 6 February, 1975 Honolulu My dear Sri Govinda das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Feb. 3rd, 1975 and have noted the contents. Regarding your purchasing marble Gaura-Nitai deities, it is not necessary when you already have brass ones. Simply take care of the ones that you have very nicely. There is no need for buying others. Concerning the woman's duty, if she gets married, that does not necessarily mean that she must give up any of her service in the temple or on sankirtana, but she must also see to it that her household duties are not neglected. Yes, I want to come there again this year for the Rathayatra festival and presently you can arrange that interview with Hugh Hefner, if it is possible to have it during that time. I have accepted the devotees that you have recommended for 1st initiation and their names are as follows: Randall--Rathayatra dasa, Joseph--Jayakrsna dasa, Rodney--Ramakeli dasa, Ron--Ramananda dasa, Susan--Suprabha devi dasi, Deby--Danasila devi dasi. Their beads can be chanted by Kirtanananda Svami. I have also accepted, upon your recommendation, the five men for 2nd initiation. Let them hear the gayatri mantra through the right ear from the tape of myself chanting it. Their threads are enclosed along with mantra sheet. Make sure that everyone is pure by following the four regulated principles and chanting at least 16 rounds daily. Without these things, there is no spiritual life. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Svami ACBS/ps Labels: Chicago, initiation, marriage letters | 16:52 | |
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