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| Prabhupada Letters :: 1974 |
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28 December 2008 28 December, 1974 Bombay My dear Jagadisa, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Dec. 9, 1974 and have noted the contents carefully. Regarding your first question, you have not committed such a serious offense. My request is that you atone for your actions by engaging in devotional service with great enthusiasm. Wherever your health is good, you should remain there and serve. Regarding Gurukula I am very happy to hear that the financial crisis has passed. That is very good. This is real management. As far as the children are concerned, people are accusing us sometimes that our children are undernourished, underfed and note cared for properly. So it is good that you are seeing that they are happy and healthy. They should be given milk at least 8 ounces a day if possible 16 ounces a day. Dahl, capati, rice, vegetable this will keep them fit. If possible a little bit of fruit also. As for fixing up the Deity house in Dallas with marble altars, this is not necessary for now. We shall see later on. For the time being organize the health, education and care of the children and continue the Deity worship as it is going nicely now. Deities are satisfied with bhakti not marble. Therefore try to increase the bhakti. I think that you should immediately try and get the church in Toronto. Take it immediately. Church is always cheaper as there are not many other purchasers. This way we can bargain with them and bring the price down. The psychology behind it is that the Christians will hesitate to tear down a church. They would rather see it still standing. Gradually you should buy all the churches and make them into temples. There are so many churches actually they should give us these churches free, if they were actually God-conscious. But they are sectarian. Anyway purchase this church immediately. It is not very costly. $200,000 you can arrange. If it is available from BBT at this time then I have no objection. You can make the $150,000 loan from BBT. I do not know though if that much is available. Increase the Rathayatra festival in Chicago. Make it twice as big, that will be very nice. This festival must be introduced wherever possible. It is so nice. In connection with your using your efforts to make television shows, no, that is not important now. Don't waste time in this way. Better to have nice festivals like Rathayatra festivals. If they see us on television show then the next moment they will forget. But if they come to a festival and participate that is eternal benefit. Now you are raising your third child. So more and more you are becoming responsible for these living entities who are your dependents. You must see that they do not take birth again in this material world. That is your duty. Therefore you and your good wife must endeavor strongly together to become fully Krsna Conscious through this simple, sublime process that I have given. By simply following this process without deviation, chanting 16 rounds, following the four regulative principles, attending classes and mangala arati, rising early, these things will gradually bring you to the platform of pure love of Krsna. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps Labels: Chicago, Church, gurukula, Rathayatra, Toronto letters | 06:44 |17 December 2008 17 December, 1974 Bombay Cobourg, Canada Dear Mr. Quinn, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Nov. 1, 1974, and have noted the contents. Thank you for your kind sentiments. You are a very fortunate person that you have come into contact with our Krsna Consciousness movement. The perfection of human life is to somehow or another advance in spiritual life and achieve love of Godhead and go back to Godhead, back to home. The animals and lower forms they can not achieve this perfection of life. So in this human form of life we have to consider ourselves very fortunate and take advantage in this human form. Because in the next life we don't know what kind of body we may have; maybe dog, maybe pig, maybe tree, maybe fish. So we must take advantage of this human form of life. My recommendation to you is that you somehow or another put yourself in a situation so that you may have as much association with our devotees as possible. Either remain in the temple or visit the temple frequently with your family. If you continue to read our books very carefully and try to understand our philosophy very deeply, this is nice. Also it is a must that you chant Hare Krsna at least 16 times daily on your beads and follow all of the regulative principles that we have given. If there are any questions on these points you can discuss with Jagadisa Prabhu in Toronto or any of the devotees in Toronto. I hope this letter meets you in good health. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ps Labels: Toronto letters | 02:18 |22 November 2008 22 November, 1974 Bombay My Dear Krsnakatha Das, Please accept my blessings. I am in due reciept of your letter dated September 30th, 1974 and have noted the contents. So far I know the paintings are coming out nicely from the press so if you like you can remain with your wife in Montreal. You can also paint like Devahuti does by the instructions of the press managers. There is no hindrance of your being a householder so far as distributing books are concerned. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu had many householder disciples who would preach Krishna Consciousness. I understand recently in Toronto the entire temple distributed many Isopanisads and other books. So you can engage your self in spare time in this book distribution without any hindrance. Side by side you can also paint pictures for Krishna. In this way fully engage yourself in Krishna's service. That is what I want. Nothing else. I hope this meets you in good health, Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/BS/vdd letters | 06:25 | 24 October 2008 24 October, 1974 Mayapur My Dear Uttama Sloka das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated September 27, 1974 with enclosed plans for the new temple and it is all very nice. You are taking on a big responsibility, and I am very pleased. Toronto I think is a very important city in Canada, and it is fitting that you are contemplating to make a first class temple there. Do everything very carefully, in consultation with Jagadisa Prabhu, and do not spend anything unnecessarily. Whatever money we are getting it is from Krishna, so nothing should be misspent. You can make the interior of the temple in the same design as the Chicago temple with a balcony and the same type of Deity room. I liked the Chicago temple very much when I was there, so make it like that. We are making our temples very nice and gorgeous so that people will come and take Krishna consciousness. Just like here at Mayapur, because we have this very nice house, people are coming to visit and stay. They attend the aratis and listen to my lectures, and take prasadam. If we did not have this house, then they would not come. So this is the meaning of a temple. There must always be activity. Not that we have a nice house for comfortable living. We simply want to bring people back home, Back to Godhead. That is the purpose of our temples, of our books, and our festivals, and preachings. I will like to come and visit your temple the next time I return to USA. I think I can come to Toronto directly from London. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs Labels: construction, Toronto letters | 03:02 |29 September 2008 29 September, 1974 Mayapur My Dear Jagadisa das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your telegram dated September 25, 1974 as follows: REQUEST PERMISSION TO PURCHASE BUILDING IN TORONTO STOP PRICE $200,000 RENOVATIONS $100,000 STOP VERY REASONABLE FOR TORONTO CONSIDERING THAT PROPERTY COSTS IN TORONTO AMONG HIGHEST IN NORTH AMERICA STOP LOCATION SIDE LAYOUT PRICE ALL FEATURES EXTREMELY SUITABLE PLEASE REPLY IMMEDIATELY JAGADISA So, if suitable you can purchase this house immediately. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs Labels: building, purchase, telegram, Toronto letters | 12:06 |5 September 2008 6 September, 1974 Vrindaban Dear Mr. Svoboda: Please accept my best wishes. Thank you for your letter dated July 25, 1974 and I am glad to know that you have come to appreciate our Krsna consciousness movement and the philosophy we are trying to spread throughout the world. I hope you will try to regularly visit our temple in Toronto and have association of the devotees and attend the classes on the Bhagavad gita. So far as your translating the Gita, I suggest you write to Hamsaduta das Adhikari who is in charge of this area of the world. You can get his address at our Toronto temple. He will be able to advise you further in translation work. Actually not only the problem of nationalism, but every problem of the world is due to a lack of Krsna consciousness. That is the only scarcity. So try to learn this philosophy nicely in association with other devotees and certainly you will be able to do great benefit to your fellow countrymen. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs Labels: Toronto, translation letters | 02:02 |6 September, 1974 Vrindaban My Dear Jagadisa das: Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter and have noted the contents. So you may remain wherever you may be peaceful. You may resume your GBC duties as secretary for the Central U.S.A. Zone. GBC means that one must be ideal Vaisnava. That means there must be strict observance in following all the rules and regulations. This is your main responsibility, and then to see that all others are following strictly. Then everything will be all right. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs letters | 02:02 | 20 August 2008 20 August, 1974 Vrindaban My dear Mr. Arora, Please accept my best wishes. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter undated. I thank you for your very nice sentiments. I appreciate the affection that you have for our movement. Please continue to go to the temple and upon recommendation from the president, we shall see about initiation. I shall be glad to see you either here in India or when I return to the West and we can talk further. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs/ps Labels: Toronto letters | 20:59 |13 August 2008 Tuesday, 13 August, 1974 Vrindaban My Dear Amsu das: Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated July 23, 1974 and have noted the contents. Regarding the worship of our Gaura Nitai by women pujaris, we worship Lord Caitanya in His householder life when He was with His wife, and not as a sannyasi. So, it is alright for women to do this service. But, besides this, service is spiritual and there can be no material designation. In Bhagavad-gita it is stated by Lord Krishna, striyo vaisyas tatha sudras te'pi yanti param gatim. The principle is that everyone who is properly initiated and following the rules and regulations can worship. This activity can not on the material platform. According to the smarta vidhi, women cannot touch deity during menstrual period but the goswami viddhi allows. But it is better not to do it. One thing is that the seva can never be stopped for any reason. This also for the cooking. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs/ps Labels: Deities, Toronto, women letters | 06:34 |13 August, 1974 Vrindaban My Dear Uttama Sloka, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated July 18th. Thank you for your report of the Toronto activities. Regarding the initiations, I think that everyone has been initiated in New Vrndavana recently. Regarding women worshiping the deity, in the Bhagavad-gita it is stated, striyo vaisyas tatha sudras te'pi yanti param gatim. The idea is that everyone who is properly initiated and following the rules and regulations can worship the deity. I hope this letter meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs Labels: Deities, Toronto, women letters | 06:34 |9 August 2008 9 August, 1974 Vrindaban Dear Natalie Orloff, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated August 5th, and am glad that you have had the opportunity to be in our temples in Toronto and Montreal and that you enjoyed the association of the devotees. Forgetfulness of Krishna means an unhealthy state of life which is symptomized by so many problems and distresses. So if we want to attain our natural happy state of life of full satisfaction, we must again take to the shelter of Krishna. Therefore we have established the Krishna consciousness movement, to let people attain again this healthy state of life. I hope you will continue to chant Hare krishna and carefully study our books which will guide you every step of the way to successful spiritual life. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/ndb Labels: Toronto letters | 04:34 |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 |24 January 2008 24 January, 1974 Honolulu Dear Jagadisa, Please accept my blessings. Enclosed is a copy of a letter I have recently received from Bahudak, president of our Vancouver temple within your jurisdiction as GBC of Canada. Bahudak's description of his plans to move to a farm are not clear, nor have I received any letter from you in this regard, as he implies. What will be the program at this farm? How will people be attracted there? Who will work it? What about the present temple. He appears to plan to want to "close the door" to their present temple. So he has asked me for a decision, but until I know more clearly what is his plan, I cannot decide. This matter should be taken up by yourself, so please consult with him and give me a cool-headed appraisal of what Bahudak is thinking and what is the actual situation in Vancouver. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sdg Labels: farm, Toronto, Vancouver letters | 12:17 |8 January 2008 Tuesday, 8 January, 1974 Los Angeles Dear Jagadisa, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your GBC report dated December 31, 1973, and I have carefully examined the contents. It is encouraging to me that you are closely supervising our five centers in Canada, and from the most recent report it appears that things are going nicely. My idea in forming the GBC is that I may be spared from the management and use my time for translating books. So please continue to correspond and occasionally visit the centers in your zone to see how they are doing. Our program as we have received it from Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is perfect, now you simply have to implement it without any changes. Your emphasis on book distribution is quite right. I can understand in the northern centers it is very cold now, and yet you report they are still going out for sankirtana party. Please convey that I extend all blessings to those boys and girls who are trying to distribute our books even under difficult conditions. Regarding Spiritual sky incense business in Canada, the best thing is if you can find some competent managers to handle this so all your time is not spent in selling incense. I understand that you have taken it on because you wish all the centers to be financially sound. So now that you have been managing the business for four months, you should find a suitable manager to take it over. Are you approaching universities and schools and attempting to get our books placed in classes? This is another important phase of our preaching work. My present itinerary is to leave for Hawaii on January 14 and then reach New Delhi, India by the first week in February. I am very concerned that our temple in Vrindaban be completely constructed by Janmastami next, and I am going to personally see to the progress of that project. I hope to see you in Mayapur for the celebration of the Appearance Day of Lord Caitanya when all GBC shall sit down and chalk out the next years program. Hope this finds you in good health. I am enclosing the gayatri mantra for Atigarvita devi upon your recommendation. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sdg Labels: GBC, initiation, itinerary, Toronto letters | 15:10 | |
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