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| Prabhupada Letters :: 1974 |
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16 December 2008 16 December, 1974 Bombay My dear Jayatirtha, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Dec. 5, 1974. Regarding the GBC meeting to be held in Mayapur 1975, the meeting should be held five days before the actual festival is to begin and it will be held in my presence. As far as your proposals are concerned the real thing is that we must make broader constitution of the management by GBC. But the difficulty is that our GBC men are falling victim to maya. Today I trust this GBC and tomorrow he will fall down. That is the difficulty. If the GBC men are so flickering then what to speak of the others. Unless this problem is solved whatever we may resolve it will not be very useful. We shall discuss this at our meeting. If the GBC men can ever manage properly then I shall get some time for writing my books. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami N.B. I have just spoken to Bhagavan dasa who received your call today. If by Krsna's grace, things go well here, then I may be coming to Honolulu in two weeks. Thank you for keeping the temple in sound condition. Please make sure that sankirtana, classes, etc. all continue without fail. ACBS/ps Labels: fall down, GBC, Mayapur letters | 02:10 |12 December 2008 12 December, 1974 Bombay My Dear Satadhanya das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated December 6, 1974 and have noted the contents. I am simply surprised how many people visited the temple on Ras Purnima and that so many Gitar Gans were distributed. I do not think so many people visited the other maths there in Mayapur. Regarding the construction you have not mentioned anything about the gate. I want that the gate should be there. The gate should be constructed before the wall is constructed. It is very nice that the work is progressing by having a hired man instead of a contractor. This is proper method for us. Gargamuni Swami has telegrammed that work on the kitchen has stopped and that money from Jayatirtha has not come. But Jayatirtha has told Brahmananda Swami that it was already sent. So what can I do? Anyway the work should not be stopped. This is not good. I am starting for Hawaii on this Saturday next and will return to India in late February or early March, 1975. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs Labels: book distribution, construction, Mayapur letters | 01:59 |28 November 2008 28 November, 1974 Bombay My Dear Jayapataka Swami: Please accept my blessings. Enclosed please find the copy of the letter to Gaura Govindas das asking him to come to Bombay. Why he has not yet come? I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs Labels: Mayapur letters | 02:18 |26 November 2008 Tuesday, 26 November, 1974 Bombay, India My Dear Damodara das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated November 12, 1974 with enclosed photograph. The photo is nice. Thank you. Yes, it is all right that you retire from the president post to do preaching. You are one of the elder students, so you should be careful to always set good example for the others. Maya is undoubtedly very strong, and we have to be very vigilant like soldiers in a fortress. We should not let maya enter into our activities, but keep all of our activities Krishna conscious. I have faith in you, so always try your best to serve Krishna and your spiritual master, and you will be all successful. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Labels: Mayapur, retire, Washington letters | 02:14 |17 November 2008 17 November, 1974 Bombay My Dear Jayapataka and Bhavananda Swami: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated November 10, 1974 and have noted the contents. Regarding not building the second story on the Prasdam Pavilion, whatever you think is best is all right. Whatever you all three consult and agree is all right. Hamsaduta has sent RS. 15,000/00 for the Food Program, and Bhagavan dasa has given the check to Gargamuni Swami for the Pavilion. So money is there. That is no difficulty. Only the projects must be finished by Gaura Purnima. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs Labels: Mayapur, prasadam distribution letters | 03:44 |15 November 2008 15 November, 1974 Bombay My Dear Gaura Gopala dasa: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 6/11/74 and have noted the contents. My program in India is not yet fixed up. I may go out in December to Honolulu. Anyway Yasomatinandana dasa has written you to come, if he has written you to come, then you can come immediately with the Hindi typewriter. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs Labels: Mayapur letters | 11:41 |8 November 2008 8 November, 1974 Bombay My dear Jayapataka Swami: Please accept my blessings. This is to inform you that yesterday Giriraja has sent by T.T. Rs. 2,25,000/- to American Express Bank a/c No. 090031. Now the wall and proposed rooms and other works must be finished by Gaura Purnima. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami cc: H.H. Gargamuni Swami, Calcutta ACBS/bs Labels: Mayapur letters | 00:28 |2 October 2008 Wednesday, 2 October, 1974 Mayapur Sausalito, California Dear Ken Kaffke: Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your card from Radha Kunda with enclosed Travelers Cheque for Dollars 50.00. I thank you for this, and I am glad to learn that you are appreciating my books. The opening of the Vrindaban temple has been postponed to after March, 1975, so if you like you can come to our Gaura purnima celebration at Mayapur and then to the Vrindaban festival at that time. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs Labels: Mayapur letters | 04:18 |1 October 2008 1 October, 1974 Mayapur Dear Ramesvara Prabhu: Please accept my humble obeisances at your feet. I am in due receipt of your letter dated September 5, 1974 and have discussed the contents with Srila Prabhupada. The Dollars 5,000 which you have collected for Food Relief may be sent for the construction of the Prasadam Distribution Pavilion here at Mayapur temple. One thousand people will be able to be fed at a time and it will cost Dollars 25,000. Gargamuni Swami has pledged to provide one half of the funds. Hamsaduta Prabhu has just sent Dollars 4,000 for Food Relief which will also be used for this project. Please send your money directly to Gargamuni Swami's Calcutta account, with a separate letter to this effect. Regarding the $10,000 already sent, Rs. 55,000/- is now in Calcutta and they are planning to purchase the grains necessary. The balance of the money was spent on the Vrindaban Janmastami Festival as a loan, of which Rs. 10,000 has been repaid. Bhagavan Prabhu has more complete details on how this was done. I hope this meets you in good health and spirits. Your servant, Brahmananda Swami Personal Secretary Approved: (signature) ACBS Labels: Los Angeles, Mayapur letters | 03:11 |26 September 2008 26 September, 1974 Calcutta Hooghly, India Dear Dinesh Candra Sarkar: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated August 6, 1974. I am going to Mayapur tomorrow morning, and you are welcome to come to our Sri Candra doya Mandir there and see me. I hope this meets you well. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=5067595350223589563&postID=7739416415780045065# Post Options ACBS/bs Labels: Mayapur letters | 06:05 |16 September 2008 Tuesday, 17 September, 1974 Vrindaban My Dear Prabhas das: Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter in Bengali. I request you to learn the doll making more perfectly, and when I shall go the the foreign countries by the month of April to New York, I will take you with me. In the meantime learn more perfectly the doll making. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs letters | 04:25 | 8 September 2008 8 September, 1974 Vrindaban My Dear Jayapataka Swami: Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 1/9/74 and have noted the contents. By the grace of Lord Nrsimhadeva I am improving in my health. Regarding the citizenship, you should apply as many as possible. You can read, write, and speak Bengali. So take citizenship. The local officers are in favor, so they will grant. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs Labels: citizenship, Mayapur letters | 02:12 |8 August 2008 8 August, 1974 Vrindaban My Dear Gargamuni Swami: Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 2/8/74 and have noted the contents. You have not mentioned anything about receiving my letter dated 14/7/74 about purchasing the Pani Hati property. I want to know about this, so I am enclosing the copy of the letter. Regarding Karandhara's comment that Mayapur and Calcutta were the best organized centers in India, that I know. I have full faith in you, and also Bhavananda and Jayapataka Maharaja. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs letters | 04:30 | 16 July 2008 16 July, 1974 Los Angeles My Dear Sudama Vipra Maharaja: Please accept my blessings. So I am here in Los Angeles, from tomorrow I am going to Dallas, from there to New Vrindaban, and then to London on my way to India. I am reaching India by July 26th to arrange for our grand festival in Vrindaban. I cordially invite you to attend our opening ceremony in Vrindaban because all our sannyasis will be present there. You also come there as a regular sannyasi and take part. That is my desire. Yes, it will be very nice if the Chinese boys come there to the Hong Kong center. That is our mission that that the local boys take up interest in our movement. While I was in Melbourne Tusta Krsna along with other friends met me there and took part in the Ratha yatra festival. He was so kind to pay me $700 for Mayapur-Vrindaban scheme. Similarly Siddha Svarupa Maharaja met me in San Francisco. He took part in the Ratha yatra festival and paid me $501 for Mayapur-Vrindaban scheme. So let us cojointly work for the satisfaction of Krishna. So long I am living I wish you all be strictly under my guidance without any fratricidal disagreement. There is very good scope for preaching our cult all over the world, so let us do it cojointly. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs Labels: Hong Kong, invitation, Mayapur, Vrindavana letters | 06:18 |9 May 2008 9 May, 1974 Bombay My dear Jayapataka and Bhavananda Maharajas, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 28, April, 1974. You write that you are very careful utilizing funds that are sent for that particular purpose. In all matters of management this careful attitude must be taken. I have been requesting my disciples for sometime to release me from the management aspects of ISKCON so I can be free to translate. And you two are managing one of our biggest centers. I cannot close my eyes when there are big management difficulties, so when I see things going wrong, money mispent, things not used properly, then I have to take part. But if you can relieve me of worry of management in Mayapur it will be a great relief for me. Krsna will give you more and more intelligence on how to do this if you sincerely endeavor. Up to 5,000 to 10,000 rupees for purchasing land there is always available from the Mayapur-Vrindaban Trust fund. You write that you now have Rs. 9000/ so another 10,000/ will be made available to you for this purpose. As for the hand-tiller from Japan that you are using on a trial basis, you should ask Bail Mardan to supply you this Japanese machine. He has good connections in Japan. He can provide you that same Japanese motor hand-tiller much cheaper or even free. The news that you are able to keep up the prasadam program which is now up to 1500 persons on Sunday is very welcome and I hope you can continue this without stoppage. The success of Bhavananda Maharaja's English lessons of the Varnasrama College has given me great pleasure and I am sure many devotees will come from this program. It is a first class idea. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sdg Labels: management, Mayapur, varnashram college letters | 04:27 |20 April 2008 20 April, 1974 Hyderabad Dear Bhavananda and Jayapataka Maharajas, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letters of April 15, 1974 and I thank you. My point of view is this: whatever money you require I am already sending and will continue without hesitation to send, but I must be satisfied the money is properly spent. The first point is if I send you money for a certain purpose it must be spent for that purpose. Money for land must be spent for land purchase; if I send money for constructing of a kitchen it must be spent for that. Also, if you purchase land it must be properly utilized. It is no use purchasing land to be wasted by costly laborers. If you actually produce some grains or vegetables, then where is the necessity for further money for maintenance. For maintenance we require 100 rupees per head without any risk for purchasing lands and cultivating the same. I understand there are only 20 men there at present, so utmost 2,000 rupees is necessary for maintenance. I am not competent to understand everything concerning what you plan to do, but that is my rough estimate. You have tried to explain by long letter which I have not gone through yet. In the meantime go on the above principle: money spent must be used for that purpose intended. That will keep it very clear. I know you are working hard and sincerely. I have no business to criticize you but as head of the institution or your spiritual master, it is my duty to find out your faults. Even Caitanya Mahaprabhu presented himself as faulty before his spiritual master. To remain faulty before the spiritual master is a good qualification so he is subjected to rectification. But if one thinks he is all perfect then there is no scope for rectification. Don't be sorry when I find fault. That is my primary duty. Canakya pandita says one must find fault with disciples and sons, it is good for them. I hope things are going nicely and progressively. The money is with Giriraja: he has send Rs 50,000 in two installments, the balance is kept with him and you will get it timely. Hope this finds you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sdg N.B. Previously, eighty thousand rupees was taken from Hyderabad for Mayapur. (RS 80,000.00) I am not sure of the exact sum but Gargamuni Maharaja will have a record of it. So now that Hyderabad construction is going on, this money is required by them. Please see that it is returned by you as soon as possible. Labels: faults, management, Mayapur letters | 02:13 |10 April 2008 10 April, 1974 Bombay Dear Bhaktijana, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter of April 1, 1974. Since you are facing so many difficulties alone in Harlem, New York City, I think it would be better if you return to Mayapur, under the direction of Bhavananda Maharaja and Jayapataka Maharaja, and I have no objection to your return there. Now that the building there is complete, we are making it an ideal asrama. So if you go back there, you must find a suitable engagement. It is not a place simply for sleeping. If you think you can find suitable engagement there and stay always engaged either in chanting, reading, cleaning or some other work, then it will be nice. As far as funds for returning there, you will have to take collection there in New York. So I think this plan, as suggested by you, is best. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sdg letters | 11:55 | 3 April 2008 Wednesday, 3 April, 1974 Bombay Dear Bhavatarani; Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter of March 24, 1974, and I have noted the contents. I can understand that due to material circumstances you are feeling distressed, and this sum of money which you are about to receive is also causing you distress because you don't know what is the best thing to do with it. I very much appreciate that although you are filled with doubts and suspiscions and although you have many of your own plans for what to do and how to live, you have, nevertheless put the matter before your spiritual master and asked him to direct you. This is a great qualification, and this attitude made Arjuna eligible in the Bhagavad-gita, to receive the full mercy of Krsna's instruction. I think the best thing is to contribute this money to the Mayapur-Vrindaban Trust Fund which you can do either in the U.S. or in India. You have learned from the devotees who have been here, what a large scope our plans are for these two centers in India. During the festival hundreds of devotees from countries all around the world all very much appreciated that these transcendental spots, Mayapur and Vrindaban are place of spiritual inspiration for all devotees of ISKCON. They are the best places in the world to come and chant Hare Krishna and prepare for going Back to Home, Back to Godhead. So you can help by your contribution so that all your Godbrothers and Godsisters can come and find shelter here. As for yourself and your child, these places are for you also. You can come to Mayapur where you can have a separate room, also Bombay this facility is there and it is very comfortable, or Vrindaban, or L.A. or wherever you choose. My only desire for my disciples is that they chant Hare Krishna Mantra at least 16 rounds, follow the rules and live in association of devotees then you will be happy and peaceful and not disturbed. As for money for Hawaii, that we will arrange in a different way. You can consult with Sudama Maharaja how to send money to the Mayapur Vrindaban Trust Fund whether through the Los Angeles Union Bank, which can be handled by Jayatirtha, or direct to my account in Vrindaban. I will be glad to hear from you further in this matter. You have already done much service in raising two children and sending them to Gurukula, so you should not be so disturbed by temporary inconveniences. You can also arrange from this contribution to go on paying tuition for your children at Gurukula, as far as possible. You can write me if you have any further questions. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta *or Liberty Bank, Honolulu where I have a/c letters | 20:59 | 3 April, 1974 Bombay Dear Jayapataka and Bhavananda Maharajas, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter and I have carefully noted the contents. As for the advance of Rs 25,000 so that work can continue at Mayapur, that has already been sent from New York by Bali Mardan. There has been some delay in receiving it here but from our Bombay BBT account we have already forwarded the sum of Rs 25,000 to Calcutta, so that question is already answered. You have the money and work should go ahead full force to be completed as agreed. As far as the cows suffering from no good shelter, why have you not built them something solid? I sent $5,000.00 on one occasion and then $4,000.00 previous to that, for construction for the cows. So why are they not protected? Your report on the harvest of crops is a paradox, when compared to the fact that you have to spend money for maintenance. If there is so much harvest, you have cows, vegetables, then why do you require money for maintenance? I have read in your letter how the brahmacaris find it very difficult to plough. It will be very difficult if we do not work the land ourselves. The difficulty can be overcome provided we are sincere. I think we can use modern machines, to drive a tractor, for example, is as easy as driving a car. Suppose we hire a tractor for the time being. I heard they are available from Krishnanagar. In America they take to agriculture; they are farmers although they are not Indians. So why can't the Americans work and farm in India? We just have to adjust in order to raise as much crops as possible for the animals and men. I have seen many farmers near New Vrindaban working nicely with tractors and growing food. One day Kirtanananda Swami hired one and within two hours he tilled many acres of land very nicely, although it was not even land. So in Mayapur it is even land; in a few hours we can till all the land we possess. My point is if somehow we cannot utilize the land then why purchase it at such expenditure? Self help doesn't mean Rs 10,000 spent monthly. As for working with the architects, if you think the soil test is necessary you can consult together, you two and Gargamuni Maharaja and Brahmananda Maharaja and decide yourselves. Tamala Krsna Goswami has no extraordinary experience, so you can do it yourselves. Tamala Krsna is sick now, recovering from a hernia operation, and after he has recovered he is going to America. Yes, it is a good idea to go preaching in Bangladesh. If possible some men may go there. Gargamuni has some experience; when he went there it was Pakistan but still he had good reception. If you go to Bangladesh and establish a center it will be a great achievement. We have a center in China and one in Moscow why not Bangladesh and Pakistan? As for Panca Dravida Swami, I know he is a good preacher and collector. Let him work there for some time and then come back. He is needed in South India and Acyutananda Maharaja is waiting for him. But it will depend on Panca Dravida, he can decide himself which part of the country he can preach best in. Wherever better facilities are we should work, it doesn't matter if it is Nadia or South India. So please go on all working together in cooperative spirit and do the needful; then I may be spared taxing my brain over so many matters and I can go on my real work of translating. I will be glad to hear your further progressive reports. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sdg Labels: agriculture, cooperation, Mayapur, self-sufficiency letters | 20:58 |22 March 2008 22 March, 1974 Bombay My dear Jayapataka Bhavananda, and Brahmananda Maharajas, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your express letter which arrived in Vrindaban March 19th, and I have noted the contents. Of course I do not know what is the actual expenditure, but I request you to finish the business as far as possible and the money will be supplied. But this time when I go I want to see that everything under construction is completed. Brahmananda Swami has already gone there to help you in this connection so kindly do the needful. Combine together and get the things completely done. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sdg Labels: construction, Mayapur letters | 11:26 | |
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