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| Prabhupada Letters :: 1974 |
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20 December 2008 Friday, 20 December, 1974 Bombay Dept. of Medicine McMaster University St. Joseph's Hospital Hamilton, Canada Dear Dr. Santosh Kumar, Please accept my greetings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 18, November 1974. I thank you very much for your kind appreciations of our movement. Actually this Hare Krsna Movement is going all over the world, because the message of Lord Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is spoken. I am just like a peon carrying the message of Lord Krsna and Lord Krsna's message, being perfect, it will be appreciated everywhere in any part of the universe. So far others are concerned, as you spoke of Satya Sai Baba, he wants to claim himself as Bhagavan, unfortunately. He can not give any faultless message. The definition of Bhagavan is given in the sastras as one who possesses six kinds of opulences. Nobody is greater than Bhagavan, Krsna. Therefore if we take Krsna's message we will actually be benefited, otherwise not. It will be partial and insufficient. In reply to the last part of your letter I request you to understand properly the message of Bhagavad-gita and other Vedic literatures. You are an educated Indian. According to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhus order every Indian should learn properly the Vedic conclusion and preach all over the world. That is the best welfare activities. You can be very much help to our present activities, so you can be better than others invited from India. I request you to read our books and whenever you find difficulties you can ask me for clearance and it will be my duty to serve you. I thank you once again for your very kind appreciation of our Hare Krsna Movement. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/psk Labels: Canada, faultless message letters | 11:16 |19 December 2008 Thursday, 19 December, 1974 Bombay Bridesville, Canada My dear Bahudak, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated Dec. 3, 1974 and have noted the contents. The pictures of your newly installed Deities are very very nice. And you can name them Sri Sri Radha-Madan Mohan. The Deity worship should be done very carefully and nicely. Sri-vigraharadhana-nitya-nana srngara-tan-mandira-marjanadau yuktasya bhaktams ca niyunjato'pi vande guroh sri-caranaravindam ** You should make sure that there is nice arati program; six arati daily at least. You should make sure that there is nice fresh, clean dress every morning, nice bathing ceremony every morning, nice offerings of prasadam. You should see that the Deity is tended for and cooked for only by the duly second initiated brahmanas. The Deity should have nice flowers everyday etc., etc. You should try to bring Them up to the highest standard, such as we have in Los Angeles or New Vrndavana. Sri Sri Radha-Madan Mohan have kindly descended in Their arca vigraha form now you must receive Them with that consciousness. And by serving Them you will all develop pure love of Krsna. Thanking you for helping me in my mission. Occasionally send me report of how things are going on there. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps letters | 02:22 | 15 December 2008 15 December, 1974 Bombay Bridesville My dear Bahudak, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated November 21, 1974 and have noted the contents. I am very glad to hear about your new farm-asrama existing there. We want to develop many such farms all over the world. Your are enthusiastic and intelligent and it appears that you are managing in nicely. Why not call it New Gokula instead of New Mayapur. I think that is better. It is alright that you have purchased machinery and are using on the farm but if you can do without as much as possible that is better. It sounds as if the living conditions there may be a little extreme. But if the devotees can learn to tolerate as you say they are determined, and can stay and work there that is very good. And I give all encouragement to them. Krishna says in the Bhagavad-gita; matra-sparsas tu kaunteya sitosna-sukha-duhkha-dah agamapayino 'nityas tams titiksasva bharata [Bg. 2:14] "O son of Kunti, the nonpermanent appearance of happiness and distress, and their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons. They arise from sense perception, O scion of Bharata, and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed." So remember Krishna's instructions in the Bhagavad-gita and continue to work with all enthusiasm and encourage the others also to do the same. As far as you opening a local Gurukula program there, I have no objection if it can be done nicely. So consult with Satsvarupa Maharaja for further instructions. To develop a farm community such as the one you are doing, it requires much hard work and endurance. But if you work sincerely then Krishna will give you all facilities and men. Therefore continue working and follow the good example that the devotees in New Vrndavana have set and everything will go very nicely. If you have any specific questions you can refer to New Vrndavana and they may be able to help you. Upon your recommendation I have accepted the following as my disciples, and their names are as follows; Doug--Daksina das Robert--Ranjita das Margie--Madhumati devi dasi Danny--Dharmarupa das Sharon--Subhavrata devi dasi Their beads may be chanted on by Kirtanananda Swami or Tamala Krsna Goswami. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps N.B. Also I have accepted Partha, Uttama, __, Bhadra for 2nd initiation--threads enclosed. Labels: Canada, farm, initiation letters | 02:07 |8 September 2008 Sunday, 8 September, 1974 Vrindaban My dear Vibhavati devi; Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated August 29th, 1974 and have noted the contents. So whether you are alone or with your husband you must continue to follow the regulative principles. Why there should be any misunderstanding between a Krishna conscious husband and wife. This is not good. Anyway wherever you get place, you should go and always remember Krishna and never forget Him for a moment. I hope this meets you well. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs/hdb Labels: Canada, husband, misunderstanding, wife letters | 02:20 |10 May 2008 10 May, 1974 Bombay My dear Jagadisa, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated April 26, 1974 and noted the contents. I can appreciate that you are traveling widely in your recently expanded zone and you plan to first become acquainted with the temple presidents by traveling is good. As far as you leaving Uttama Sloka in charge of Toronto and sending Sripati to Montreal, that is alright. I know Sripati was already there in Montreal and he is experienced. Regarding your Gurukula report, why are the older boys being sent to New Vrindaban? What are the facilities like, what is the program there, what is the need for them to move? As things are not fully explained in your letter, I am inquiring regarding this very important change. As for buying a new house and land in order that the pre-school children may go there, what is the need of them being separate. If they cannot rise early, why should you take care of such young ones at Gurukula. But if they are rising early and attending arati, then why must they be separate from the other little children? Please explain further. You are right when you say Deity worship must be maintained. This is most important. I know Nandarani is expert in Deity care but I think she is working with the children. Your wife is also expert, so she can maintain the sewing and Deity worship program. But the standard must always be kept up. Sankirtana is also a part of Vaisnavism. All our activities are a part of Vaisnavism. So Sankirtana should also be developed at Dallas. Yes, I have heard myself about Winipeg, that it is a big city in Canada. So if you think it better to move Regina center there that is approved by me. Yes, you plan to keep headquarters 1/2 year in Chicago and 1/2 year in Dallas, that is approved by me. Please send regular reports. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sdg Labels: Canada, Chicago, Deities, gurukula, sankirtan letters | 12:34 |21 March 2008 21 March, 1974 Bombay Dear Jagadisa, Please accept my blessings. I have accepted those devotees who you have recommended for first initiation, and their spiritual names are as follows. Keith Haslar--Kamsahanta dasa Lorraine Haslar--Lokadrsti devi dasi Drew--Duryodhana guru dasa Be sure to carefully train them in offenseless chanting, by avoidance of the ten offenses to chanting. You may chant on their beads and hold a fire yajna. Hope this finds you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sdg N.B. I am also enclosing sacred thread and gayatri initiation for the following second initiate recommendations. Girijadhava das Brahmacari, Kasi ram das Brahmacari, Taraknath das Brahmacari, and Sukra das Brahmacari. Have them hear the tape of the mantra in the right ear. I think you are aware that this second initiation should be taken very gravely and not childishly, so please impress upon them their new obligations. At this time I am also sending you two accepted initiates from the Regina, Canada center as follows: Norman Allard--Nandikesvara dasa, Linda Allard--Mandari devi dasi. Labels: Canada, initiation, Toronto letters | 11:24 |18 March 2008 18 March, 1974 Vrindaban Dear Uttama Sloka, Please accept my blessings. I have accepted for first initiation the devotees recommended by you, and their spiritual names are as follows: Rick Richert--Revati-prana-natha dasa Kevin Douglas--Kesisatru dasa Be sure to instruct them on the ten offenses and their obligation to chant at least 16 rounds daily, without fail. You may send their beads to Rupanuga Maharaja for chanting, and you may hold a fire yajna in the temple. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sdg Labels: Canada, initiation letters | 11:20 |6 March 2008 Wednesday, 6 March, 1974 Mayapur Dear Krpasindhu, Please accept my blessings. Thank you for your report of activities in the Regina, Canada temple and your presentation of pictures of Radha and Krsna Deity which are very attractive. I hope you are becoming more enthusiastic by your stay in Mayapur and when you return to Canada you will go on increasingly in your preaching work. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sdg Labels: Canada letters | 12:31 | |
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