Vrindaban
28th November, 1976
The whole idea is that we are Iskcon, a community to be independent from outside help.
76-11-28
Vrindaban
28th November, 1976
Ahmedabad
My dear Yasomatinandana,
Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 11/30/76 (somehow mistakenly dated).
I am very encouraged by your book distribution report as also your enthusiasm to publish my books in Gujarati. One thing, what is the reason no local men are joining? This is wanted. Then the center there will become strong.
You say we must have a gosala trust, that is our real purpose. krsi-goraksya-vanijyam vaisya karma svabhava-jam, B.G. XVIII, 44. Where there is agriculture there must be cows. That is our mission: Cow protection and agriculture and if there is excess, trade. This is a no-profit scheme. For the agriculture we want to produce our own food and we want to keep cows for our own milk. The whole idea is that we are Iskcon, a community to be independent from outside help. This farm project is especially for the devotees to grow their own food. Cotton also, to make their own clothes. And keeping cows for milk and fatty products.
Our mission is to protect our devotees from unnecessary heavy work to save time for advancing in Krsna consciousness. This is our mission. So there is no question of profit, but if easily there are surplus products, then we can think of trading. Otherwise we have no such intention. We want a temple, a gosala and agriculture. A community project as in Europe and America. We are making similar attempts in India in several places. Immediately I'm going to Hyderabad to organize the farm project there. We have 600 acres. We have the permission from the government. There is no question of ceiling.
You may call the gosala: ISKCON Gosala and Farm Project Trust. The trustees shall be; myself as chairman, Pranlal Bhogilal, yourself, Gopala Krsna, Mahamsa, Hamsaduta, Karatieya Mahadevia, Aksayananda, and the life member you have mentioned in your letter (You haven't mentioned his name, but you say that he is an actor and has a farm of his own).
Hope this meets you in good health.
Your ever well-wisher,
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
ACBS/jda
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