Protect A Cow: Letters from Srila Prabhupada to Subala, Krishna devi and Dinesh from 1967-74

New York

22nd April, 1967

My dear Subala das and Krishna Devi,

Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter and ___ so very nicely made. I am enjoying your preparations daily and it is so ___ I am glad that you are prosecuting the ___ regularly and that will make you happy in the world both in this life and in the next. Make Kirtana your life and soul and He will give you all benediction.

Los Angeles

20th February, 1968

My dear Krishna devi,

I am very glad to receive your letter of 2/15/68. Please accept my blessings. I am expecting you every moment. Krishna is very kind. He does not let go anyone who might have done a little bit of service. So how can He allow you to forget Krishna. You may be dragged by Maya for the time being but by Krishna's Grace that will have only temporary reaction; I am very glad that you are doing so much for decorating Krishna's temple. I thank Danny also because he is helping you in the service of Krishna. So I am also with you and I shall do my best to help you in advancing your Krishna Consciousness. Hope you are well.

Your ever well-wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

San Francisco

30th March, 1968

My dear Subala,

Please accept my blessings. I was just thinking about you since you departed from this place and was anxious to get your letter, and I am very glad to receive it. By Krishna's Grace you are finding everything favorable, and I hope gradually you will find the atmosphere more favorable. I understand in New York it is still raining and little cold, therefore I am extending my stay here in San Francisco, for a few days more. We had many engagements in radio and television and similarly we are going to have more similar engagements. Here the kirtana performances are going on, as nicely, and people are taking interest in them.

The Radha Krishna statues prepared by Gaurasundara have been dispatched to Los Angeles through Aniruddha, and they are going to be cast in yellow brass. If one pair is successful then we shall get many pairs and one of the pairs shall be installed in your Santa Fe temple.

Please don't feel lonely. krishna is always with you and I shall pray for you and to Krishna also that you may make progress more and more in this faithful discharge of duties in Krishna Consciousness.

Thanking you once more.

Your ever well-wisher,

ACB

Montreal

13rd June, 1968

My Dear Krishna devi and Dinesh,

Please accept my blessings. I thank you very much for your letter of May 31, 1968, which is duly in hand. I had not heard anything from you in long time, so I was very glad to hear that you are doing well. I am pleased to hear that you have so nicely installed the Jagannatha Deities at your home, and that you are worshiping Them regularly with nice offerings of prasadam, incense and flowers, and also saying prayers before Them. That is very good. Please continue chanting and reading Srimad-Bhagavatam before the Deity, and you will progress nicely.

Yes, the coloring book idea is nice, but for now there is greater need of your service to Krishna in helping out the Santa Fe Temple. You have requested me in your letter to please advise you about your devotional service, and I shall tell you frankly that the best thing for you to do now is to help the Santa Fe Temple financially. You were originally entrusted with the responsibility of that branch, as you helped start it, and so it is your duty now to help maintain it, even you are not present there. If it is closed down, it will be great shameful to you. So, at the present moment your former husband, Subala, is struggling alone there, and there is urgent need of financial aid to him. Therefore, I request you to do this service; you and your husband should earn money nicely, and send to Santa Fe at least $100.00 a month. That will be good for you both, and good for me, and good for Subala, and the best service for Krishna. Krishna wants that you should do Him this service, to help maintain His Temple there, so I request that you shall do this immediately. And Krishna will be pleased upon you, and will give you all aid in serving Him in this way. That is my desire.

And, if after first giving service in this way, then, if you have got extra time and money, you can execute the coloring book idea, and I shall help you in the future on it. But the first duty is to help maintain the Lord's Temple as I have instructed. Hoping you are both well.

Your ever well-wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

67-04-10

New York

10th April, 1967

My dear Janaki Devi, Haridasa, Mukunda Das, Syamasundara Malati Devi, Hayagriva Das, Harsarani Devi, Devakinandana, Lilavati, Ravindra Svarupa, Haladhara Dasi, Upendra Subala Das, Krishna Devi, Dayananda, Nandarani, Jayananda, Ballabhi Dasi, Syamadasi, Ramanuja Yamuna Devi, Gurudasa, Yogamaya, Mr. Mathews, and all other devotees and friends,

Please accept my hearty greetings and blessings. I am so much obliged to you for your devotion and affection for me. I thought of you all throughout my journey from Francisco to New York and I was praying to Lord Krishna for your more and more advancement in Krishna Consciousness. On my arrival here I was received by hundreds of devotees and friends although Mr. Ginsberg was out of the town. One young professor from India first greeted me and told me that Swamiji you are doing here real work whereas others who have come from India, have simply formed some groups of old lady students without any real information of Indian original culture. Any way the reception in New York was very good organized by our students here and there was distribution of varieties of Prasadam to about 100 men in the temple. I was not least tired and after landing from the air ship although there was some blockade in my ear still I continued meeting for three hours. I am now very well although I am feeling your great separation. Please continue Kirtana as usual with devotion and you will make more and more advancement in Krishna consciousness. Hope you are all well and I beg to remain

Your ever well wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

67-04-22

New York

22nd April, 1967

My dear Subala das and Krishna Devi,

67-06-05

New York

5th June, 1967

My dear Krishna dasi, Subala das, Lilavati dasi, Yamuna dasi, Jayananda das, Upendra das, Malati dasi, Guru das, Syamasundara das, Haridasa, Mukunda das, Janaki, Aunt Edna Howell,

My dear boys and girls I am so much obliged to you for your prayers to Krishna to save my life. Due to your sincere and ardent prayer, Krishna has saved my life. I was to die on Tuesday certainly but because you prayed sincerely I am saved. Now I am improving gradually and coming to original condition. Now I can hope to meet you again and chant with you, Hare Krishna. I am so glad to receive the report of your progressive march and I hope there will be no difficulty in your understanding Krishna Consciousness. My blessings are always with you and with confidence you go on with your chanting Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.

Thanking you once more,

Your ever well-wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

67-08-27

Vrindaban

27th August, 1967

My dear Subala das,

Please accept my blessings. I am so glad to receive your letter dated 8/15, and pleased to read the contents. By Krishna's Grace you have gotten a nice old castle, and converted into a K.C. temple. I am also pleased to learn that people are taking an interest in the temple, and that you are getting some publicity started. K.C. is so that it will bring more and more, If you but go on chanting with heart and soul. It is Lord Caitanya's desire that you have opened this branch in such a distant place, and surely it will be a successful attempt. I have nothing to instruct you newly, but the same: simply chant in the beginning for 30-45 minutes then read somthing from the Gita or S. Bhagavatam, and then chant again in the usual way.

Please offer my blessings to Krishna devi dasi, Harsarani, Aniruddha das, Rasikananda das, and Jananivasa, and any others who may be with you. I am so pleased you have started this branch, as Kirtanananda did in Montreal. Please always keep the temple nicely cleansed, and put as many flowers as possible, burn candles and incense, offer fruits and nice food stuffs, chant and dance! If you would like some paintings, you can ask Jadurani in N.Y., and she will send you some.

I have already sent 3 mrdangas, and very soon will send more; and when they reach N.Y. you will get a mrdanga and a few pairs of kartel. Please keep in touch with you by your weekly reports.

So far my health is concerned, I am improving slowly, and I expect to return to you by the end of October next, as I too am missing you very much.

Your ever well-wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

67-09-29

Delhi

29th September, 1967

My dear Krishna Devi,

Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your short note regarding your marriage. So far I know that you are married with Subala das before me and as such you forget all your previous life. You are now liberated from all other obligations because you surrendered yourself unto Krishna. Such surrender has no more obligations to anyone. So far Subala is concerned he is also a surrendered soul and thus your combination is quiet apt for the service of the Lord. You have, by the Grace of Krishna, got a very nice place to develop a full fledged temple and your husband is becoming competent to conduct the service nicely. I have already given him instruction how to do things and that is published in the New Mexican paper. Please do follow the instructions both husband and wife, and help your God brothers and sisters to follow the instructions faithfully. Krishna is always with you provided you are sincere in His service and faithful to your Spiritual Master, that is the secret success. It is plain and simple, please try to be faithful and sincere. You are very intelligent and devotee of the Lord. Please know it that I do not approve anyone's separation who are married by me. If they disagree, they may live separately, but there cannot be divorce. When one is separate, one may fully devote in Krishna, but no more marriage. If this is not followed, I will not take part in anyone's marriage in the future. I hope you will understand me right and do the needful. Hope you are well.

Your ever well wisher

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

67-09-29

Delhi

29th September, 1967

My dear Krishna Devi,

Your ever well wisher

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

67-09-29

Delhi

29th September, 1967

My dear Subala,

Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter of the 13rd instant as also the press report dated 17th instant and I am so pleased to have them. You have nicely done some service to the Lord by opening this grand branch and certainly Krishna will bestow upon you His blessings. Krishna Consciousness is a transcendental science which can be revealed to a sincere devotee who is prepared to render service to the Lord. Krishna Consciousness is not achieved by dry arguments or by academic qualifications. Our senses are all blunt in the matter of receiving transcendental subject matter, but they are purified in due course of time by constant engagement in the service of the Lord. So yours and Krishna Devi's sincere effort to open a branch in Santa Fe is crowned with success by the Grace of the Lord.

The article in the paper New Mexican is very nicely writtrn and I offer my sincere thanks to Mr. Peter Nabokov, who begins the article with chanting of the Mahamantra. Please offer my thanks to all who joined you in this endeavor. I'm glad to know that Haridasa is there also. Each and every picture published in the paper looks very nice and the devotional postures of you all has very much pleased me. The secret of success in the matter of Krishna Consciousness is devotion to the Lord and the Spiritual Master. In the Vedas, the secret of success is described as follows:

Yasya deve para bhakti yatha deve tatha gurau

Yasya ete kathotha hi artha prakasyanta mahatmanah

``Anyone who has developed unflinching faith in the Lord and the Spiritual Master can understand the revealed scripture unfold before him.'' So continue your present aptitude and you will be successful in your spiritual progress. I am sure that even if I am not physically present before you. Still you will be able to execute all spiritual duties in the matter of Krishna Consciousness; if you follow the above principles. I thank you once more for your service.

So far as my health is concerned, I feel that I am now fit to return to your country. You can send me now an official invitation letter with guarantee for my maintenance and expenditure on printed stationery, and not only you, but also all the centers would send me such invitation so tht they may be used for getting my permanent visa. Kirtanananda and Acyutananda went to the American Embassy and it was learnt that such letter are required for getting a permanent visa.

The lecture as it appears in the picture seems to be very nice and I shall be very glad to know it's capacity to hold attendants. I am also glad to hear that you are carving Jagannatha Subhadra for the temple. If your temple accommodation is suitable then I shall install Sri Sri Radha Krishna Vigraha when I return back to the states. There are some Mrdangas in New York and you can get them for playing in your temple. The last line of your letter is very pleasing to me and I am happy to learn this temple is going to be the most important than all others. Please work for it and I shall join you very soon by the end of October 1967.

67-10-03

Delhi

3rd October, 1967

My dear Nandarani, Krishna devi, Subala das, and Uddhava,

Please accept my blessings. I am very glad to know that you are now in Los Angeles & organizing the most important temple. I had great desire to have our center in L.A. & by grace of Krishna you have fulfilled my desire. I had another great desire to open a temple in London and hoped also that Kirtanananda after accepting sannyasa would do this job. For this purpose he was given and introductory letter to a London lady along with expenses. However out of his whim he did not go to London but went directly to New York. This is a terrible example and it has shocked me. Your service attitude encourages me because Krishna can never be an order supplier. We should always remember that Krishna is the only order giver. His order is received through the agency of the spiritual master. The bonafide spiritual master is the manifest representative of Krishna. The spiritual master is described in the scriptures as good as Krishna because he is the most confidential servitor of Krishna. To please the spiritual master is to please Krishna. On this principle we must advance our Krishna Consciousness and there is no danger.

Dayananda, Nandarani and Uddhava first went to L.A. to open this branch & in the absence of Dayananda, Subala and Krishna devi have come to help. Whenever there is new branch of our society for Krishna Consciousness I become very very happy, & my blessings in heart and soul are with you. I went to your country for spreading this information of Krishna Consciousness & you are helping me in my mission although I am not physically present there but spiritually I am always with you. Our procedure is very simple and consistent. We chant, we read from Bhagavad-gita & Srimad-Bhagavatam and we distribute prasadam.

Another thing I request is that everything in the Temple should be kept nice and clean. Everyone should wash hands before touching anything of Krishna's. We should always remember that Krishna is the purest & similarly only the pure can associate with Him. Cleanliness is next to Godliness.

As to my returning to U.S., I wish to get a permanent visa this time so that I may work without being checked as to my moving. Please therefore consult Mukunda (S.F.), Brahmananda (N.Y.) Janardana (Montreal), Rayarama (Boston) & send me either immigration papers or permanent visa on the strength of becoming minister of the society. I am now 90% fit to go to your country. I am starting for Calcutta on the 9th and my address there is on the front of envelope.

Your ever well-wisher

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

67-10-08

Delhi

8th October, 1967

My dear Subala das,

Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Oct.2. It is noted that you are trying to appoint some public engagements as soon as I arrive. My program is that I am going to Calcutta tomorrow. The address is on the letter. From Calcutta I will let you know when I shall arrive there. Probably by the time indicated in your letter. I am very anxious to see you again. I am very much pleased with you & your wife's service to Krishna Consciousness.

Your ever well-wisher

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

67-10-29

Navadvipa

29th October, 1967

My dear Subala,

Please accept my blessings. I am very glad to understand that your service attitude for propagation of Krishna Consciousness is progressively increasing. Krishna Consciousness is such a nice thing that the more you work for the cause, the more you become enthusiastic to execute the purpose. Your wife is always assisting you so why make her unhappy by uttering something which are unnecessary & unpleasant? Even if you accept vanaprastha there is no restriction for keeping one's wife in company. Only a Sannyasi cannot have any connection with women. Just as a brahmacari. In my opinion, your wife & yourself are nicely executing my mission & please try to follow my instructions & you shall never be unhappy.

If you think I can be on television the first week in December, then you can arrange for it because I must be in your country by the middle of November. Hope you are well.

67-11-12

Calcutta

12th November, 1967

My dear Subala,

Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Nov. 4. I am very soon coming to San Francisco. I will let you know the exact date sometime next week. In Krishna Consciousness there is variety but there is no discord. We may fight with one another on the point of serving but that is not a discord. We must stick to the service of the Lord very seriously & that will help us make progress. In this connection I have written one letter, to Brahmananda the portion in which you may be interested is sub-joined herein.

``I do not want a crowd of Kirtananandas, but I want a single soul like Brahmananda, Mukunda, Rayarama & Satsvarupa . . . I have seen your statement regarding opening centers. I am not in agreement with Mr. Altman that we are expanding very thinly. In my opinion a single sincere soul can maintain a center. You know, I started the center at 26 2nd Ave. alone. I took the risk of $200. rent. At that time there were no assistants. Mukunda was a friend, but there was no responsibility for him for maintaining center. Gradually Kirtanananda, Hayagriva joined but they did not take any responsibility. Still, I was maintaining the establishment simply depending on Krishna and then Krishna sent me everything; men & money. Similarly, if a sincere soul goes out and opens a center in any part of the part, Krishna will help him in all respects. Without being empowered by Krishna nobody can preach Krishna Consciousness. It is not academic qualification or financial strength which helps in the matter, but it is sincerity of purpose which helps us always. Therefore I wish that you will remain in charge of Boston. Let Mukunda be in charge of San Francisco. Let Janardana be in charge of Montreal, Nandarani and Dayananda be in charge of Los Angeles. And let Subala das be in charge of Santa Fe. In this way, you will follow my example as I did in the beginning at 26 2nd Ave. That is preaching, cooking, writing, talking, chanting, everything one man's show. I never thought about the audience. I was prepared to chant even if there were no men present to hear me. The principle of chanting is to glorify the Lord & not to attract a crowd. If Krishna hears nicely then he will ask some sincere devotee to gather in such place. Therefore be advised that thousands of centers may be started if we find out a sincere soul for each & every center.'' More when we meet. Hope you are well.

Your ever well-wisher

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

67-12-08

Calcutta

8th December, 1967

My dear Krishna Devi and Subala das,

Please accept my blessings. I am glad to learn that you are going to re-open your Santa Fe temple. Please make it a point that once a center is opened should not be closed. I have already given charge of six temples to six boys. You and your husband must take charge of the Santa Fe center and Krishna will bestow all blessings upon you. I shall be very soon one of your guests. Hope you are all well.

Your ever well-wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta, Swami

67-12-08

Calcutta

8th December, 1967

My dear Krishna Devi and Subala das,

Your ever well-wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta, Swami

67-12-16

San Francisco

16th December, 1967

My dear Suabl das,

Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter of 12/14/67 and have noted the contents carefully. I hope in the meantime you have received my letter posted yesterday. I have already advised you that once a center opens it cannot be closed. Therefore my advise is that Srimati Krishna devi may look after the center for a few days during your absence for N.Y. when the things are mature and come back within 2 or 3 days. And for 2 or 3 days Srimati Krishna devi will manage and Krishna will give her all protection, don't worry. I have already given you a business suggestion namely manufacturing incense locally. Once you are successful in this attempt you will get money more than your expectation and spend it for Krishna's service. I hope you will understand me right and do the needful.

Hope you are well.

Your ever well-wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

67-12-21

San Francisco

21st December, 1967

My Dear Krishna devi,

Please accept my blessings. I thank you very much for your letter of Dec. 21, 1967. And I am glad to learn that you are getting strength in Krishna Consciousness so that you have decided to remain in the Temple in the absence of your husband. This is very nice. We should learn to depend on Krishna more and more. Actually, Krishna is always guiding us as Supersoul, but due to our forgetfulness, we do not understand that Krishna is friend everlasting. With advance of Krishna Consciousness one is able to realize that Krishna is always with His devotees--not only with His devotees, also with the non-devotees, but the devotees can recognize His Presence and the non-devotees cannot. The more you make advancement in Krishna Consciousness you will see Krishna everywhere. Not only on the bank of the river, but also on streets, trees, lampposts, and so on. The more you see like that you know you are making tangible advancement in Krishna Consciousness. Actually, there is nothing but Krishna all around us. This is explained in the Gita. He is the taste of water, light of the moon, the fragrance of the flower, light of the sun, sound of the sky, the power of the strong and so on. so one who is actually making progress in Krishna Consciousness, he can see Krishna everywhere. At every stage of life, who can avoid the sunlight, the moonlight, the fragrance of the flower, the taste of the water, the sound of the sky, and so on; but one has to learn it, that there is Krishna in all these varieties of existence. Without Krishna there is nothing. It is simply by the influence of Maya that we forget the relationship of Krishna with everything that be.

Simply always chant Hare Krishna and with faith in Krishna and the Spiritual Master. I am very glad Krishna is helping you and He will help you more and more in the future.

Your ever well-wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

68-01-26

Los Angeles

26th January, 1968

My Dear Daughter Krsna devi,

Please accept my blessings. Thank you very much for your letter postdated Jan 25, 1968, and I thank you very much for your proposal to come here and see me. I shall be so glad to see you and Danny personally as soon as possible. I requested you take charge of the Santa Fe Center because you were doing the job very nicely, and I still hope that your presence there will solve all the problems recently created. Mistakes there may be in our life, but if we stick to Krsna Consciousness, Krsna will surely put us on the right path. Your husband Sriman Subala das is living with me very peacefully, and he is carving Radha and Krsna, from hard wood. So this life of material existence is just like hard wood and if we can carve Krsna out of it, that is the sucess of our life.

So, at any circumstances you must not forget Krsna. I love you at my heart and therefore I gave you the name Krsna devi dasi. Don't forget Krsna even for a single moment; chant Hare Krsna loudly or slowly as it my be convenient. But don't forget to chant the Holy Name. I hope everything will be all right as soon as you come here with Danny, and I am awaiting your arrival with great interest. Hope you are well.

Your ever well-wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

68-02-20

Los Angeles

20th February, 1968

My dear Krishna devi,

Your ever well-wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

68-03-30

San Francisco

30th March, 1968

My dear Subala,

Thanking you once more.

Your ever well-wisher,

ACB

68-05-05

Allston, Mass

5th May, 1968

My dear Subala,

Please accept my blessings. I am in due reciept of your letter of April 30, 1968, and noted the contents. So your duty as you are doing, even nobody is coming in morning, Lord Jagannatha will hear your kirtana, because we are always in company with the Lord of the Universe. But I think Krishna has sent you one nice boy to help you. Please try to convince him rightly about the philosophy of Krishna consciousness and read Srimad-Bhagavatam and other literatures, from Back to Godhead, and I think this boy will be helpful to your activities there.

So far changing the place; we must give first consideration to the right place, not to the rent. Even the rent is high, we shall first pay for a place where many people come and go. Our New York center and San Francisco center is well situated because many newcomers pass through the street in front of the temple. Similarly if the present place is better, you may not change to other place for cheaper rent. Please try to convince that college boy who is coming and I hope he will be very much helpful to your activities.

Hoping you are well.

Your ever well-wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

68-05-14

Allston, Mass

14th May, 1968

My Dear Subala,

Please accept my blessings, I am in due reciept of your letter dated May 9, 1968. It is very nice that Hal Pappa is coming to our temple. Please hand over the enclosed letter which I write to him out of my natural affection for him. I think if he joins with you you will feet more encouraged in the service of the Lord.

I thank you one more for your endeavors in the service of the Lord, and We must bless you and help you in all respects. Hope you a are well.

Your ever well-wisher,

ACB

68-05-28

Allston, Mass

28th May, 1968

My Dear Subala,

Please accept my blessings. I thank you very much for your letter dated May 24, 1968, and it is very encouraging. I am sure Krishna will help you more and more because you are sincere servant of Krishna. He blessed in your endeavor and everything will be all right gradually, and it will be a great enlightenment for you how God helps those who help themselves, especially in the service of God.

Read Srimad-Bhagavatam and chant Hare Krishna and all other things will be adjusted automatically. Offer my blessings to Sriman Hal, who is taking gradual interest in Krishna Consciousness.

I am going to Montreal by middle of the first week of June, and I will stay there for some days. You can send me letters at that address after first of June:

Hope you are feeling well.

Your ever well-wisher

ACB

68-06-12

Montreal

12th June, 1968

My Dear Subala,

Please accept my blessings. I am in due reciept of your letter of June 10th, 1968, and noted the contents carefully. Yes, you can have the band play there in the temple as you are in great need of money to carry on there. When we are in need of money to carry on Krishna's work, then we can resort to whatever means there is available. So long it is always for Krishna and never for personal sense gratification. So you can try to get some money in that way.

You can observe Rathayatra Festival there on 27th june. Hope you are well.

Your ever well-wisher,

ACB

68-06-13

Montreal

13rd June, 1968

My Dear Krishna devi and Dinesh,

Your ever well-wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

68-06-23

Montreal

23rd June, 1968

My Dear Subala,

Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated June 17, 1968, and noted the contents with great pleasure. Rest assured that your hard labor and sincere exertion to serve Krishna will never go in vain. I hope that by this time you might have received a check for $100 from Hare Nama Brahmacari. And I have advised him to send you at least $50.00 per month for the next 3 months to help you. In the meantime, you try to become self sufficient. I have also advised Sriman Umapati Brahmacari to join you. He is now in San Francisco as in S.F. they will require his help during the Rathayatra Festival. I am advising him to join you just after the festival. I hope both of you will be good combination, because Woompati writes ``Subala is my good friend and it will give me great joy to work with him in your divine service.''

So you try your best with greater enthusiasm and Krishna will send you more and more help. Thanking you once more for your good endeavor, and I hope you are well.

Your ever well-wisher,

ACB

P.S. I have also asked Krishna Devi to send you some help. Let me see how does she respond. ACB

68-07-13

Montreal

13rd July, 1968

My Dear Subala das,

Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter of July 11, 1968, and it appears that things are not very happy there, in spite of Umapati's presence. How is it that you do not get any work? Umapati knows some technical work. Is there only work in the resturants, and there is no other work?

Another boy, Christopher Fynn, may be going there very soon. And this letter covered is addressed to him. He is, so far I learned from Janardana, he is educated boy, and try to live together very peacefully in Krishna Consciousness. The business of Krishna Conscious persons is to enjoy by mutual association on the basis of understanding Krishna from Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam. So when you become three together, you should utilize your time by discussions on Krishna, and chanting Hare Krishna. Even you do not get some job, Krishna will not put you into difficulty. But try to get some job, and work for the improvement of the temple. And whenever there is opportunity, try to chant in public parks, and collect some money from the gathering, and surely Krishna will help you in spreading this sublime gospel of Krishna Consciousness.

By the by, I require yo to find out the duplicate copies of Srimad-Bhagavatam, 2nd Canto, and a few chapters of the 3rd Canto, which are lying in my closet room, and send to me immediately. I want to prepare it for printing in Japan just after the printing of TLC is finished. I have decided it now definitely that all my printing works now shall be done in Japan. In America it is too expensive, and in India it is too much botheration. Therefore in future if there is money sufficient I wish to print each volume of my book, 5000 copies. Now, very soon we shall get 5000 copies of TLC and we have to organize the sales propaganda. If there is sale, then there is no scarcity of matter for printing. Mukunda has written that he is acquainted with some man for selling Back to Godheads, and you can just contact him to know further about it. I am sending you today the balance book sheets of TLC to Brahmananda. Hope you are well.

Your ever well-wisher,

While fixing this letter I have received your second letter also. I understand that you are purchasing a printing machine. When you have the machine some body must join you to work anybody you like and I shall arrange for that. If it is possible to print Srimad-Bhagavatam you can immediately begin it and I shall pay for the paper, binding etc. We want to print them immediately. If you can actually print our books in your ISKCON Press then a great problem will be solved. And if not any more I shall work with you provided you can give me the visa to stay. Please let me know how far you are ahead in this proposal.

Your ever well-wisher,

A. C. B.

68-08-21

Montreal

21st August, 1968

My Dear Krishna devi,

Please accept my blessings. I thank you very much for your letter dated August 1, 1968, which I received just yesterday, after the mail strike. Anyway, I am so much pleased to read the contents of the letter for your intelligent questions and many other things, and all mentioned there. The first thing is about your husband's endeavor to produce films of our activities. I very much appreciate this attempt and try to help your husband as much as possible in this matter. When you have no other engagement, at that time you can attempt to paint pictures if you have got taste for such artistic work.

I understand that you are sending $100.00 per month to Santa Fe, and I shall be glad to know for how many months, or how many installments you have sent there. Because I wanted you to send $100.00 say, for three months; I do not want that a branch should be continually maintained by other branches. Every branch should be self-dependent. Anyway I shall be glad to know how many installments you have already sent there, then I shall instruct you further. It may be that I may ask you to send me some help because my next attempt will be to start a press of our own, in New York, or in Montreal, which will cost about $5,000. I am so pleased to note that you are always ready to serve my cause and you are proper prepared to follow my instructions in the service of Lord Krishna.

Regarding the child problem: I may inform you that all our children born of the Krishna conscious parents, they are welcome and I want hundreds of children like that. Because in future we expect to change the face of the whole world, because child is the father of man. Anyway, I have seen Malati is nursing her child so nicely that she attended my meeting every day and the child was playing and she never cried. Similarly, Lilavati's child also never cries or disturbs the meeting. Lilavati was always present with her child, so it depends on the mother. How to keep the child comfortable, so that it will not cry. The child cries only when it feels uncomfortable. The child's comfort and discomfort depends on the mother's attention. So the best solution is that we should train our all first-day small babies in such a way that they are always satisfied and there will be no disturbance in the meeting, and there will be no complaint. But there cannot be any hard and fast rules that only children who are grown up, 7 or 8 years old, can be admitted and no other children can be admitted. That is not possible, and I am not going to sanction any such rule. Rather I shall welcome a baby from the very beginning, so that the transcendental vibration may enter into its ear, and from the very beginning of its life, it becomes purified. But of course, the children cannot be allowed to disturb in the meeting by crying; and that is the mother's responsibility to keep them comfortable, and not to disturb the meeting.

Regarding your question about Cintamani dham, I may inform you that all the planets in the spiritual world is known as Cintamani dhama. And Goloka Vrndavana is one of the planets. Regarding the Queens of Dvaraka, mostly they were devotees, and some of them descended from the Vaikuntha planets, or they were manifestation from Goddess of Fortune, Laksmi.

The lump of iron stone which was delivered by Samba, the members of the Yadu family wanted to destroy it, by rubbing on a stone, and the pulp made out of the stone gridded down on the bank of a river, and gradually it grew into log. So at the end all the members of the Yadu family when they were fighting, took advantage of the log and beat one another and thus the whole family was dead and gone.

Your humbleness in the matter of becoming my disciple is very much appreciated by me, and keep this mentality, always, and you will be happy and advance in Krishna Consciousness. With all my blessings, I beg to remain your

Ever-well-wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

68-08-21

Montreal

21st August, 1968

My Dear Subala,

Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated August 6, 1968. And I am very glad to know that you are pulling on. But one thing is that you must be self-independent, because for the time being, the students from other centers are sending you money and Krishna devi also has written me letter that she is sending through Dinesh a $100.00 a month. But how much you are spending and how much money you have received, please let me know. Because my next attempt will be to start a press. And I think in that press, your assistance will also be required. The press starting is very urgently needed, and in that case I shall be requiring at least $5000.00. So your center must independent, self-independent, I might ask the students to pay me something out of their income for my press starting. So I shall be glad to hear from you what is the position and how you shall be maintaining your center. The idea is that local devotees must manage the local temple. In case of emergency, the other temples may help, but that should not be continued, for all the time. I think you will understand me right.

Sacisuta also has written me that he was in Los Angeles, now he is in San Francisco, and he wants to go to Buffalo. I have asked him to go to Boston, because in Boston there is necessity of such person to help Satsvarupa.

What about your permission for chanting in the park? This process has become successful everywhere. So you must get the permission, some way or other so that there will be no difficulty for collecting the necessary expenses. If you can chant in the park and collect some contributions, and can sell our literature, that will be very good propaganda.

I think as soon as you become self-dependent, you should ask the boys who are sending you money not to send money to you, but to me, because I will be requiring for starting the press. I am glad to learn that you are also looking for some job, and if by Grace of Krishna, you get it, that will solve the whole problem. Hope this will meet you in good health, and awaiting your early reply.

Your ever well-wisher,

68-08-26

Montreal

26th August, 1968

San Francisco

My Dear Jayananda, Karatieya, Syama dasi, Dorothy, Visnujana, Dan, Tom, Russell, Michael, Krishna devi, and all my sons and daughters in San Francisco,

Please accept my blessings. I am so grateful to you for your invitation to come to San Francisco as soon as possible, and equally I am also anxious to go there, but for certain unavoidable reasons, I cannot immediately go to San Francisco. One of the reasons is that I may have to go to Vancouver and I am expecting instructions in this connection at every moment. So if I go to Vancouver then from Vancouver I shall go to San Francisco, and if I do not go to Vancouver, then probably by the end of September I must go to San Francisco.

I am in due receipt of your letter, Jayananda, dated August 21, 1968, and I am glad to learn that one Indian gentleman, Sri Ranchhoubha Patel, is returning to India and upon returning they will send two 18" marble Radha Krishna Murti, and certainly when you receive those Murtis, we shall have a grand festival. In the meantime, the Murti of Murli Manohar when arrives by the end of September, I must be present and do the needful nice ceremony. When I go to San Francisco, I shall deal with these Indian ladies and gentlemen, and in the meantime, keep them alive in the activities of our temple. It may be that we may open another center in San Francisco, near this Patel community. Anyway, let Murli Manohar come, then Radharani will automatically come.

Regarding the Associated Press: It is a very good opportunity to push our publicity through this sympathetic press. I have got so many things to say to such press representative, and if you can see the gentleman and arrange to send a representative here in Montreal, so it will be a nice opportunity to speak to them personally.

You wanted to send me one certificate for the police officer, and I also confirmed this, but I have not received as yet the certificate. If possible, please send it immediately.

I am so much pleased with the good reports of your Sankirtana party there, and please continue to spread our Krishna Consciousness movement in this way, and you will receive the blessings of Lord Caitanya. I am very happy to hear of the so many new boys and girls taking a sincere interest in this philosophy, and I am also very eager to meet with them when I come there to San Francisco.

In the meantime, please continue your very excellent work of spreading this Krishna Consciousness all over that part of the country, and try to attract more and more new boys and girls to this great movement.

Thanking you once more for your many kind letters of invitation, and hoping you are well and happy.

Your ever well-wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

N.B. Please send my stationery (like this sheet), which is lying with you there, if you have not yet done so, as we will be needing it very soon.

68-09-09

New York

9th September, 1968

My Dear Subala,

Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated Sept. 1, 1968, and I am so glad to learn that you have got permission to chant in the park. Previously you sent me the press clippings, and I have seen that so there was some difficulty, now by Krishna's Grace, you have got permission. Do not mind that the park is not visited by many people. But, if you chant many people will come. That will make your attempt successful. You will be glad to know that just yesterday I have arrived in San Francisco, and if you so desire, then I may go for a day or two to Santa Fe, but it will be very much expensive. Because I cannot stay more than three or four days there. Do you think that for three or four days you shall invite me, and spend so much money while you are hard up? So think over, but if you desire I can go there.

The San Francisco Sankirtana Party is doing very wonderful work, and I understand they are collecting also very nicely. And I have come here that a permanent Sankirtana Party may travel all over the country. Let me see what happens. Here the Indians who have come from the Gujarat province, they are generally devotees of Lord Krishna. They are offering their willing cooperation. Especially I have come for this purpose, how to engage them in Krishna Consciousness.

Hope this finds you in good health,

Your ever well-wisher,

ACB

68-09-26

Seattle

26th September, 1968

My Dear Krishna devi and Dinesh Candra das,

Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter of Sept. 24, 1968, and have noted the contents carefully. Yes, you can accept this proposal without any hesitation and get the loan from him. For service of Krishna sometimes we may agree to act in a way which may not be very agreeable to us. But in all cases, please do not agree to accept meat. Avoid such undesirable action very tactfully.

Hope you are both well,

Your ever well-wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

68-09-29

Seattle

29th September, 1968

My Dear Krishna devi and Dinesh Candra das,

Please accept my blessings. In continuation of my last letter, I have taken quotation from New York about record manufacturing and Brahmananda has sent me the following quotation as per leaflet enclosed herewith. Brahmananda says it will be still not cheaper so far printing of albums is concerned, so if we get 5000 albums, I have estimated, it will be more or less around 2000 dollars, or about 45 cents per record. So if Dinesh and you think that the record playing has come out very successful, then we must print 5000 copies. If you get $2000. from your father, that will be sufficient for 5000 copies, and if need be, we can arrange to invest one hundred or two hundred more, if so required. So you ask Dinesh to open correspondence immediately with Brahmananda, and it will be nice to print 5000 albums immediately.

The Sankirtana party is selling Back To Godhead nicely and if they display the record on a record player in the street, I think we can sell this album very nicely.* If you get a cheaper price than this rate, let me know, otherwise we may get it manufactured in New York. So far album art work is concerned, I shall ask Muralidhara to do it very nicely. So please let me know what you are going to do in this connection and I hope you are in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

*I understand stereo records are in greater demand than mono records. So you will have to do stereo records.

68-10-06

Seattle

6th October, 1968

My Dear Dinesh,

Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Oct. 3, 1968, and have noted the contents. I am preparing for going away from this place for somewhere else by the end of the next week. So you can come and see me at once on receipt of this letter and we shall talk in detail. Bring the following things also along with your film tapes, namely:

1. My passport and two certificates which are lying with Cidananda. These are very important documents and bring them within your inside pocket carefully.

2. Some files and large brown envelopes that are lying in San Francisco.

Krishna devi may not come with you because she is in mature condition. If you think your absence at this stage will not be advisable for Krishna devi's mature stage, then don't come.

Hoping you are both well,

Your ever well-wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

68-10-18

Seattle

18th October, 1968

My Dear Krishna devi,

Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your long letter dated Oct. 13, 1968. I am so glad to read it that you are writing your letter from hospital, and I thank you very much that you are so much enthusiastic that even in hospital bed, you are thinking of serving Krishna in different ways.

When I received the news sent me by your husband to Jayananda that you are going to be operated, I was little bit perturbed, but immediately I submitted my prayer to Krishna, and I am so glad that Krishna is so merciful. He has saved your life and your baby, it is very much pleasing to me. So I am so much grateful to Krishna, and you should also know that how much grateful we should all be to Krishna. Actually, your case was life and death, without Krishna's Mercy you could not be saved. At least one life was at risk, either your baby's life, or your life. But Krishna is so kind that He has saved both of you. Now feeling this obligation to Krishna, you should be more enthusiastic to serve Krishna and I am very pleased to learn that you have got a nice beautiful Krishna Conscious child, so raise her to full Krishna Consciousness, and engage yourself, your husband, then the family will be very beautiful happy family. You will enjoy in this world, and in the next world. So it is all very nice by the Grace of Krishna.

I am going to Montreal on the 23rd October, 1968, and from there I shall go to Santa Fe, and from there I shall go to Los Angeles. I understood that Dinesh was to see me this Sunday, but if it is not possible to see me on Sunday, then the next chance will be to see me at Los Angeles. I think the Sankirtana party can sell the records very nicely, and you can directly correspond with Tamala Krishna. They are also going to Los Angeles just after my departure.

Hope this will find you in good health, and pray to Krishna for your quick recovery.

Your ever well-wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

68-11-19

Los Angeles

19th November, 1968

My Dear Dinesh and Krishna devi,

Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Nov. 17 and 14, respectively, and I have noted the contents carefully. I understand that Dinesh's present job is very tedious and hampering, but because you are now a family man, you must have some steady income. So unless you find out a better job, how can you give up the present one? We step forward when we understand that the forward step is on a sound basis, then we get on the rear step. Your record and film business is not yet started so there is no certain income. The scheme which you have submitted is very nice and appears to be very practical and sound, and you are also very intelligent. Your idea is also very glorious. You want to serve Krishna with all your energies and intelligence, so I have got all support and approval of this scheme, but until you have got some income, how can I advise you to give up your present job, especially when you are a family man. Of course, if you find it too much tedious, then there is no other alternative but to give up the job and depend on Krishna, and He will do the needful.

Regarding Kallman: The contract is in New York, there in a file, but this Mr. Kallman has failed to abide by the contract. He printed 10,000 copies of the record, but he did not pay a single cent. Although the contract was that he would pay me 15 cents per record. You can consult your father what is the position. I think Mr. Kallman has broken the terms of the contract, but Brahmananda told me that he has taken a letter from Brahmananda adjusting this account. Of course, Brahmananda had no power to adjust this account without my sanction. So you can inquire from Brahmananda what is the position. Otherwise, the contract is already broken. So by joint consultation with your father and Brahmananda you can do the needful. I understand you are coming here by the 23rd instant, and when we meet we shall discuss on this point broadly. But Mr. Kallman is very intriguing. But when he comes before me, he presents himself as a great devotee. So this is the position. But he has not paid me a single cent, that is a fact.

Hope you are all well, and I shall be expecting to see you very soon,

Your ever well-wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

69-03-22

Hawaii

22nd March, 1969

My Dear Dinesh,

Please accept my blessings. I am sorry that I could not acknowledge receipt of your albums which I duly received, although I could not play them for want of machine. But I have received Mukunda's opinion about it. He says that it is super excellent to say the least. They are going to have it played by the BBC in London. Similarly, Govinda dasi is going to play it here in such important station. We are going there this morning for about an hour of music and discussion on the station here. So I hope you will be successful in your adventure.

Regarding Syama's kirtana; it is also nice. But it does not behoove that I shall sing with her. Let us see how much she is advanced in Krishna Consciousness. And then we shall think of full cooperation.

Hope you are well, and convey my blessings to Krishna devi and your daughter.

Your ever well-wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

P.S. I have also received on letter from Krishna devi and your picture of Birbhadra. It is very nicely posed. __ great-grandchild of Srimad ___ Das Balaji. Thanks.

When Purusottama will go to S.F., you will send me the tape-recorder with him.

69-04-22

Buffalo

22nd April, 1969

My Dear Dinesh,

Please accept my blessings. I thank you very much for your letter dated April 20, 1969, and the tape of our Sankirtana recording and prayer. Everyone who has heard it here is very satisfied with the result, and I thank you very much for your efforts in this connection. I am enclosing herewith one letter from Brahmananda, and you can understand from this how much this recording is being appreciated.

Hope you are well.

Your ever well-wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

69-04-25

Allston, Mass

25th April, 1969

My Dear Dinesh,

Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated April 22, 1969, and I have carefully noted the contents. I have already acknowledged receipt of your nicely taped kirtana recording. I think that the mrdanga sound should be a little more increase, and the tampura sound should be decreased. When the chorus is chanting in response to the leader, the mrdanga is not very distinctly heard. Therefore, it should be increased. As for when this record will be pressed, I think this should be done as soon as possible, because everyone is already wanting this record. If you cannot get it pressed immediately, then I have asked Brahmananda to arrange for the pressing. I have heard that Dai Nippon Company can give such pressing at a competitive price. The jacket design you have described sounds nice, so you may develop it in this way.

I hope this will find you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

69-05-15

Columbus, Ohio

15th May, 1969

My Dear Dinesh,

Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated May 11, 1969, and I have carefully noted the contents. Regarding your idea of pressing a 10" record, if you can sell these in ordinary stores, that's all right, but don't depend simply on temple sales. Depending on temple sales is not businesslike. You must plan your work in a businessman's way, so you cannot depend upon our centers for all sales. In the temple there are devotees, there are not businessmen, so you cannot depend on them for doing business; neither can you expect advice about business dealings from me. I have given you a department to manage nicely, and if there is some profit, you may give some for my book fund, but I cannot be consulted for advice in how you should manage the particulars of your business.

Please convey my blessings to your good wife, Krishna Devi, and to your daughter, Visnuarati. I hope this will meet you all in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

69-06-10

New Vrindaban

10th June, 1969

My Dear Dinesh,

Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated June, 6, 1969 and the copy of the agreement which you sent. The first thing is that I have already given you my word, so there is no need of an agreement with me. My word is final agreement, but if you want it for business reasons, I have no objections to sign it. But the wordings are not always clear. Another thing is although I have brought this Sankirtana Movement to the Western World we cannot make it copyrighted. The Sankirtana Movement is not my invention. So how can it be copyrighted? Besides that, as you will find in the album of my previous recording, the chanting of Hare Krishna is going on since time immemorial. So Hare Krishna cannot be copyrighted, although the tune in which I sing with my disciples, that may be made copyrighted. I have no objection to sign this agreement, but don't be misled that the chanting of Hare Krishna or Lord Caitanya's Movement can be made copyrighted.

There are some points in the contract which are not very clear, so you may explain them to me further by post. The points are as follows: ``ISKCON shall have the sole and exclusive right and authority to collect preserve and distribute all tangible expressions of said sound vibrations.'' ``Said sound vibrations shall be fixed in a tangible form solely by ISKCON'' ``ISKCON shall have the exclusive right to any existing sound recordings contained in any medium of fixation that have been previously recorded by the SWAMI'' ``ISKCON shall have the sole and exclusive right to use the name and likeness of the SWAMI for all purposes and activities encompassed by this agreement.''

So upon hearing from you on these points I shall send you back the agreement duly signed by me. I am very much encouraged by the statement of your letter, but I must let you know the pros and cons of this agreement.

Please convey my blessings to Krishna Devi. I hope this will meet you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

69-06-13

New Vrindaban

13rd June, 1969

My Dear Dinesh,

Please accept my blessings. I thank you very much for sending me the broadcasting tape containing varieties of our Sankirtana Movement and it has come very, very nice. I have received one letter from Mukunda that you are already in negotiation with him for complete cooperation with the Beatles in future, and this is very nice program. Most probably I shall be going to London by the end of July, and from different sources I can understand that the Beatles are becoming interested in the Sankirtana Movement. In the meantime you may have received my letter to you dated June 10th in which I have asked you to explain some lines mentioned in the agreement between you and me. So I am expecting your reply, and upon receipt of it, I shall immediately send you the signed agreement as you have sent it to me.

Please offer my blessings to Krishna Devi and Visnuaratrik. I hope this will meet all of you in good health. Thanking you once more for the tape.

Your ever well-wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

69-06-15

New Vrindaban

15th June, 1969

My Dear Krishna Devi,

Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Ekadasi, June 19, 1969, and I have noted the contents with pleasure. I am so pleased to note that you are chanting nicely and that Krishna is encouraging you in so many ways. This is the actual position that if we are sincerely chanting our rounds, following the prescribed regulative principles, and avoiding the ten offenses, then very quickly Krishna sees our efforts and He gives all encouragement to such sincere soul. Then with this taste of Krishna Consciousness, we become more and more attracted, so more and more Krishna gives encouragement, and then more and more we increase in our desire to serve Krishna in pure Krishna Consciousness. So in this way there is an unlimited ocean of nectar of devotional service which eternally increases on and on. When we begin this sublime chanting process, or even if we simply hear the sound Hare Krishna, then we have begun our journey back to the Spiritual Kingdom, back to Godhead. So please continue to be serious in your chanting, and then surely Krishna will save you and all the other sincere souls who are so fortunate to have taken to this movement.

I am pleased to learn that you are thinking of putting together a cookbook of our Krishna prasadam recipes. I understand that in London, Yamuna Dasi has already done some work on this same project, so you may correspond with her in this connection. I know that at our feasts especially many persons become interested in preparing foodstuffs in this way, so this cookbook is a nice thing to instruct such persons in preparing and offering nice prasadam for the Lord. So when there is some tangible book ready for publication, please inform me, and we shall try to arrange for its publication. I am pleased to note your description of the increasing interest in vegetarian diet in this country. Actually, the practice of meat-eating is very detrimental to spiritual life, because in spiritual life the goal is to become free from all sinful reactions, and meat-eating means simply to force oneself to suffer the sinful reactions of killing our fellow living entities. So as many people will be taking to practicing spiritual life through the influence of our Sankirtana Movement, such cookbook will be very important, and you should work for this as you are able. Please convey my blessings to your husband, Dinesh, and to your child, Visnu Arati. I hope this will find you all well.

Your ever well-wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

69-06-17

New Vrindaban

17th June, 1969

My Dear Dinesh,

Please accept my blessings. I have just received your letter dated June 13, 1969, and I have carefully noted the contents. I quite follow you that you are planning to work conjointly with our London party. So I am sending you back the agreement duly signed by me, and I hope you will do the business side of these records with the Grace of Lord Caitanya. If you wish to go to London, I have no objection. The Sankirtana picture which you sent, I do not follow if you want to print this picture in the next album cover, or what is your idea of sending it. Anyway, it is very nice, and I thank you for enclosing it. Please immediately send to me one copy of the contract so I may keep it here in my files.

Convey my blessings to your wife and child. I hope this will meet you all in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

69-07-03

Los Angeles

3rd July, 1969

My Dear Subala das,

Please accept my blessings. I thank you very much for your letter dated June 25, 1969, and I am pleased to note the contents. By Krishna's blessings surely you will find a nice place soon, and your enthusiasm for Krishna's service will be fulfilled. Srila Rupa Goswami has recommended six principles for advancement in Krishna Consciousness: enthusiasm, patience, conviction of success, executing the regulative principles, honest endeavor, and association with devotees. So these six principles you try to follow very rigidly, and wherever you go you will be successful. I am confident that Krishna will help you, because two centers, Los Angeles and Santa Fe, were given start by you, and they are still existing. But this time, Philadelphia, you should not leave half finished. Philadelphia is a very nice place, one of the most important places in your country, so try to stick there, and all facilities will be given to you by Krishna.

I hope this will meet you in very good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

69-07-03

Los Angeles

3rd July, 1969

My Dear Subala das,

I hope this will meet you in very good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

69-07-08

Los Angeles

8th July, 1969

My Dear Subala das,

Please accept my blessings hundreds upon hundreds of times for your successful attempt. I appreciate your service very much. Now organize the center in Philadelphia very nicely as you have got a good place, and it will be my pleasure to visit whenever there is an opportunity. Now you will have good assistance in the persons of Lalita Kumar and Gopinatha, and if you require more men, you can ask Tamala Krishna and he will help you. The LA center is now specially meant for training devotees and dispatching them in different centers wherever they are required. So open correspondence with Tamala Krishna, and I also will tell him to assist you as far as possible.

Regarding your arrest by the police, it was Krishna's desire, so that it is now authoritatively admitted that we are not guilty. You can take a certified copy of the judgement. This will help not only your center, but other centers also. It will be of considerable aid in getting permission from the police. You take this copy immediately and make several photostat copies, and send to every center and one copy to me. Get mrdangas and karatalas from New York. Keep our books and magazines sufficiently, and make propaganda. You are now a veteran devotee, so you can help others and yourself nicely. Simply you have to execute the principles very rigidly and faithfully. Then everything is there, and all success is at your command. Regarding you taking a job, I hope if you properly execute your activities, you will have no lack of money. In the beginning there may be a little hardship, but everywhere it has proved successful. I have information from Brahmananda that last month they collected about $2,400. So after all, it is all Krishna's money. When He sees us very faithful and trustworthy, He gives up His money for expenditures. Simply pray to Krishna that you may be able by His Grace to serve Him nicely. Our prayer of the Hare Krishna Mantra means addressing Radha and Krishna for being engaged in Their service. Hare Krishna means ``Oh Hare, Oh Radharani! Oh Krishna! Please engage me in Your service so that I can get relief from the service of Maya.'' Just like a person resigns from an inferior quality of service and accepts a superior quality of service, similarly, our prayer to Krishna is to give us relif from the inferior quality of service to Maya, and to be engaged in the superior quality of service to Krishna. Service we have to render, and the whole process is to accept the superior quality of service in Krishna Consciousness. I hope this finds you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

69-07-08

Los Angeles

8th July, 1969

My Dear Subala das,

Your ever well-wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

69-07-31
Los Angeles
31st July, 1969

My Dear Subala,

Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated July 26, 1969, and I have noted the contents with pleasure. I am glad to learn that the Philadelphians are quickly taking some interest in our Krishna Consciousness Movement, and you are simply standing on the corner wearing robes and the people come to purchase copies of Back To Godhead. So if you can continue in this way, letting them hear your chanting and selling Back To Godheads, then all success is automatically there. I remember that my Guru Maharaja would often send young boys out to sell literature of Krishna Consciousness, and if they would come back having sold only a few issues, Guru Maharaja was very, very pleased. Now you report that you have sold 300 issues of Back To Godhead in just a few days, so I know that Guru Maharaja is very, very pleased with your work. Actually, in all of our centers our Sankirtana Party and Krishna Consciousness literature is becoming more and more popular. Perhaps you have heard that Brahmananda has already made arrangements to increase the number of copies printed from 20,000 to 25,000. This is all very encouraging, so continue to increase your sales of Back To Godhead as far as possible. You are a serious worker, and Krishna will reward your efforts with success.

This Monday I returned from San Francisco where they performed the Rathayatra Ceremony, and it was tremendously successful. There were about 10,000 people who joined us for the day, beginning from 12:00 in the afternoon, and lasting till around 10:00 at night. All through the day these people were feeling the bliss of Krishna Consciousness through chanting, dancing taking Prasadam, watching puppet stories about Krishna, and hearing us speak on Bhagavad-gita. The local papers printed nice pictures and stories about our Festival, and when we have them reprinted I will send a copy to you. Please offer my blessings to the others, and continue in the nice way you are doing now.

I hope this will meet you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

69-08-06
Los Angeles
6th August, 1969

My Dear Subala,

I beg to thank you very much for your letter of August 2, 1969, and I have noted the contents. I am glad to learn that you are selling BTG increasingly, and it is giving me pleasure increasingly. Now in Boston they have decided to make profit of $1,000 per month by selling BTGs, and similarly you try to do that. Satsvarupa has now purchased a large house on the strength of this profit. So in selling BTG not only are we doing first-class propagation work, but also we are making profit to support the temples and facilitate other activities. You have mentioned that Chris has contributed $500, and you are considering sending this to me. This idea is nice, and you may do it. I am thinking that the press department may immediately be begun now in Boston in the new house, so there is necessity for funds for purchasing printing equipment and the necessary paraphernalia for printing our many books. Any extra money you have you can send to me, and when you require some money, I shall supply it. But try to become rich by selling BTG. There is possibility of making profit of at least $1,000 per month.

Please offer my blessings to the others. I hope this will meet you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

69-08-19
Los Angeles
19th August, 1969

My Dear Subala,

Please accept my blessings. I thank you very much for your letter of August 14th, 1969. You have got some good souls assisting you, and that is a good sign. Please take care of these boys and keep them fixed up in Krishna Consciousness. In our lifetime, if we can fix up at least one soul in Krishna Consciousness, Krishna immediately recognizes the service. The spell of Maya is very strong, and to save a living entity from such clutches is the greatest service to the humanity. Please go on with your work with enthusiasm and faith in Krishna. He will give you all assistance. When I go to New York I shall like that both you and Chris may come to see me there.

I hope this will meet you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

69-09-09
Hamburg
9th September, 1969

My Dear Subala,

Please accept my blessings. I beg to thank you very much for your letter of September 2nd, 1969, sent along with a contribution of 100 dollars for my book fund. I am pleased to learn that Sridama and Rohini Devi are there with you in Philadelphia. Sridama is nicely trained for Sankirtana activities so he will be a great boon to your center. He is a very good boy, and I am always grateful to him for the nice personal service he rendered to me while I was in Los Angeles. On Vyasa Puja Day, the Vyasa Puja booklet was read aloud in the ceremony at the temple, and your article was very much appreciated by all. This Thursday I am going to London, so future correspondence may be addressed to me there.

Please offer my blessings to the others. I hope this will meet you all in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

P.S. I shall be glad to hear from Sridama also.

69-10-16
Tittenhurst
16th October, 1969

My Dear Subala,

Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letters dated September 26, 1969, October 3, and October 12, 1969, and have noted the contents carefully. I thank you very much for your contribution of $500 to the starting of our press in Boston as well as your $15 contribution to the maintenance fund. I am always encouraged to hear of your nice activities in Philadelphia, and gradually I expect that our Philadelphia temple will play more and more an important role in the propagation of the Krishna Consciousness Movement. The people of the world are looking for some way of being happy and making solution to their problems, and we are presenting the best and easiest method of making final solution of all the discrepancies of life and achieving the highest bliss, which is eternal. So if we are persistent in our propaganda methods, then surely many, many persons will have the good sense to take advantage of our movement, and thereby attain the highest goal of life, unalloyed devotional service to the Supreme Lord Krishna.

In London things are going on nicely, and last evening we had a meeting in Conway Hall and several hundred persons were joining us in chanting and dancing. After the meeting one reporter from the biggest London newspaper came behind the stage to get further information about our movement for publication in his paper. So I am very encouraged to see the nice reception that the people and the news medias are giving to our activities in London. Last week we were given official permission by the city authorities to have our temple at 7 Bury Place. Already there has been great public interest in this temple, so by Krishna's Grace there shall be a very successful temple established in London very soon.

Please offer my blessings to the others. I hope this will meet you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

69-10-31
Tittenhurst
31st October, 1969

My Dear Dinesh,

Please accept my blessings. I beg to thank you for your letter dated October 21, 1969 along with a contribution of $25. I have already acknowledged receipt of your new record. Regarding the disciplic succession coming from Arjuna, disciplic succession does not always mean that one has to be initiated officially. Disciplic succession means to accept the disciplic conclusion. Arjuna was a disciple of Krishna and Brahma was also a disciple of Krishna. Thus there is no disagreement between the conclusions of Brahma and Arjuna. Vyasadeva is in the disciplic succession of Brahma. The teachings to Arjuna was recorded by Vyasadeva verbatim. So according to the axiomatic truth, things equal to one another are equal to each other. We are not exactly directly from Vyasadeva, but our Gurudeva is a representative of Vyasadeva. Because Vyasadeva and Arjuna are of equal status, being students of Krishna, therefore we are in the disciplic succession of Arjuna. Things equal to the same thing are equal to one another.

Regarding your second question about Sanjaya, he was a student of Vyasadeva, and by the mercy of Vyasadeva he was able to receive the message of the conversation of Krishna-Arjuna. Thus Sanjaya was able to speak to Dhrtarastra about the conversation on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra. Regarding your final question, the marginal potency means internal potency. But because the marginal potency sometimes comes within the external position, therefore, in spite of its being internal potency it is turned to marginal potency. This is stated in Visnu Purana: Any potency of Krishna is spiritual energy, but due to varieties of actions a section is called marginal potency or external potency.

Please offer my blessings to your good wife, Krishna Devi, and daughter, Visnu Arati. I hope this will meet you all in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

69-11-02
Tittenhurst
2nd November, 1969

My Dear Krishna Devi,

Please accept my blessings. I beg to thank you very much for your letter dated October 21, 1969 and have noted the contents. It is very good news that Visnu Arati is advancing nicely in Krishna Consciousness and I know that you and your husband will always do your best to bring her up on the right path of Krishna Consciousness. To raise one soul to Krishna Consciousness is counted by Krishna as a very great service, so you do this duty carefully and Krishna will surely bestow His blessings upon you. I am also glad to learn that you are developing more and more a taste for thinking of Lord Krishna and His devotees. Such thinking is required, and you will see that as you think in this way, your taste for relishing the nectar of such meditation will increase more and more. This is called the limitless ocean of the nectar of devotion. This ocean is unending, and therefore the pleasure of relishing the nectar of this ocean is also increasing unendingly. Regarding your questions, yes, a woman can certainly reach the perfectional stage of devotion to Krishna. And the gopis of Vrndavana are the best example of this. They are simple cowherds girls, and Lord Caitanya has praised their worship of Lord Krishna as the highest form of worship. Krishna Consciousness is transcendental to all such mundane considerations as if one's body is male or female. This is the meaning of spiritual: Krishna Consciousness is beyond the limited bodily idea.

Regarding your other questions, the Yadu dynasty completely destroyed itself because Krishna wanted this. So far as initiating disciples is concerned, anyone who is qualified can do this. For example, Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura was householder and Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati was staunch brahmacari, yet they both were qualified for initiating disciples. Regarding your question about feeling emotions during kirtana, these are real spiritual emotions. Spiritual emotions can not be experienced by the fallen soul; but one who is feeling spiritual emotions is not actually fallen. That is the benediction of this Sankirtana Movement that it elevates one to the highest position of spiritual experiences. Regarding your final question about Laksmiji, she never has conjugal relations with Lord Narayana. Neither does she desire to have conjugal relations with Krishna. Her desire is to follow the Gopis of Vrndavana. Please offer my blessings to Damodara, Madhusudana, Kancanbala, and of course your family. I hope this will find you all in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

70-02-17
Los Angeles
17th February, 1970

Washington, D.C.

My Dear Krsnadevi,

Please accept my blessings. I am very much pleased to read your letter dated 13 February, 1970, and thank you very much for your appreciation. Now I see that in our society the girls are more intelligent than the boys.

The way of discussion with Dr. Staal requires a little bit of knowledge in the sastras which is called siddhanta. In the Caitanya Caritamrta it is said that nobody should be neglectful of the siddhanta because by siddhantic conclusion one becomes firm in Krsna Consciousness. So these siddhantic conclusions are being mentioned in all my books, and the boys and girls in our Krsna Society should now give more attention for studying the books very attentively. And to get the strength, one should chant the beads sixteen rounds without fail. In this way, when the devotee is constantly engaged in Krsna Consciousness, at that time, Krsna will give all intelligence from within how to make steady progress in Krsna Consciousness.

I hope in Washington center you will ask all the boys and girls to follow this method, because henceforward we will have to face many scholars and philosophers to stabilize our Krsna Consciousness movement.

I have received the Uher tape recorder, and Devananda will try to use the machine according to Dinesh's instructions.

Please convey my blessings to all the boys and girls in Washington Temple. Hope this will meet you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

ACBS:db

70-03-15
Los Angeles
15th March, 1970

Philadelphia

My Dear Subala,

Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 12 March, 1970, and I am so much pleased to learn about your gradual progress and success in preaching work. You are a sincere devotee, and Krishna will give you more and more chance for preaching His glory.

I am very glad to know that you have arranged a nice meeting in the National Conference of Christians and Jews. I am sending herewith copies of my address to the Japanese people, as well as the preface to my book, KRSNA. They will help you to have some clear idea of our Krishna Consciousness Movement. You know them all, and still this will be a great help.

Try to convince in the meeting that the difference between animal society and human society is that the human society has in some form the ideals of Krishna Consciousness or God Consciousness. That is religion. Religion without God Consciousness has no meaning, and God Consciousness means we are eternally related with Him. He is the Father, and everyone of us is the part and parcel or son. He is the Supreme Leader, and we are subordinates. He is the Supreme Maintainer, and we are completely dependent on Him.

Whatever we possess, including our body and our self, everything, belongs to Him. When one is completely in sense of this fact--he is God Conscious. And unless a living entity becomes God Conscious, which is his constitutional position, he cannot be happy. So this is our propaganda. There is no question of sectarianism. Every religion should have this aim in view. But that system of religion which teaches development of God Consciousness is first class. We have to estimate by the result, and not by the formalities. So this Movement, Krishna Consciousness, very quickly develops this God Consciousness, and it is very easy to adopt it.

But at the same time, we must remember that a sinful man cannot develop God Consciousness. The four pillars of sinful life are: 1) no illicit sex, 2) animal killing or animal eating, 3) indulgence in intoxication in any form, and 4) take to the life of gambling. We therefore request all religious institutions to check their followers from the reactions of these four principles of sinful life, and that will pave the way of developing God Consciousness, and thus all the people will be happy.

It is not a question of following this religion of that religion. It is a question of philosophy of life. Our Krishna consciousness philosophy is practical, easier, and based on sound reasoning and philosophy. We place them before impartial, thoughtful men of the world, and we are certain that they will find it sublime.

Hope this meets you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

ACBS:db

70-04-11
Los Angeles
11th April, 1970

Philadelphia

My Dear Subala,

Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your two letters dated 30th and 31st March, 1970.

Regarding religion, not only at present, but also in the past, all of them are described as pseudo-religions. The Bhagavat has condemned such pseudo-religion in the second verse of the first chapter, first canto. Under the spell of material energy, man is forgetful of his eternal relationship with God. They create some religion to derive some material benefit as they create political organization for mutual undisturbed sense gratification. So religion is also a part of that concept of life. As such, in most of the religions you will find some instruction on morality and goodness, and God consciousness is superfluous.

So except Krsna Consciousness or Bhagavata Dharma or religion of the Bhagavata, any other system of religion is only pretension, that is the fact. It is not therefore surprising that your impression of the meeting of the Jews and Christians, where you had opportunity to speak, was that they were lacking so much in God-consciousness. So far we are concerned, our principle is to live with God as actual fact, and not to make God a supplying agent. Our process is different because we want to supply God everything--whatever we have got and whatever we have not got.

Regarding your need for men, Krsna will give you many assistants, don't worry.

I have ordered for you big Radha Krsna murtis for which you will have to donate $400 to my book fund. All centers are selling our literatures very nicely, you also try for it. Whether you have got sufficient stock of all our books--Bhagavad-gita, TLC, Srimad-Bhagavatam, Easy Journey, etc.? If not, then get them from Brahmananda.

I have not yet received the package of matched cloths which you have sent, but when it is in my hand I shall properly utilize it as directed by you.

Hope this will meet you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

70-05-19
Los Angeles
19th May, 1970

My Dear Dinesh,

Please accept my blessings. I understand from Devananda that you are in immediate need of the Sony machine, therefore I am sending it through Satsvarupa. You can take it from him, and when you have finished your business or you have got a similar or better machine, you can return it to me.

I wanted to keep this machine only for the reason that the mechanical arrangement is easier. The other machine which you have supplied is undoubtedly of superior quality as I see that a few tapes recorded on this machine have come out very nice, but there are several practical defects also. Sometimes the tapes become twisted. Anyway, it is working and Devananda is handling it. If it goes on like this I may not require the Sony machine.

So Satsvarupa is returning to Boston today (Tuesday), and you can get the machine from him as soon as you go there. I understand that you are also expected there within a few days.

Hope this will meet you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

ACBS:db

70-06-26
Los Angeles
26th June, 1970

My Dear Dinesh,

Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 12th June, 1970, and noted the contents. I have also received the copy of the letter which you have submitted to the Embassy of India.

Regarding this permission from the Indian Consulate, it must be taken somehow or other. It is very important.

I am very glad to know that you are maintaining a nice program of Sankirtana in the Washington area. Yes, this Sankirtana is our prime means for attracting sincere souls back to Krsna consciousness, so continue to improve your Sankirtana as far as possible. It is very encouraging that you have received written permission from the police to chant and take collections. This permission is very important. Please send a copy of the letter to me for reference.

So it is very good that your sales of literature are very good and improving more. But Gargamuni informs me that the payments for BTGs and book sales are not being sent. So the best thing will be to keep daily count of your stock and how many magazines and books sold, then regularly on Sunday the sales may be totalled for issuing a check to the amount owed to the book fund and to BTG account. Then on each Monday the check may be sent to Los Angeles. So you do this regularly.

Regarding your schedule of temple activities, it is approved by me. So please continue this program of classes, Sankirtana, Deity worship, offering and distribution of Prasadam, and working in Krsna's service. This simple full twenty-four hour schedule will make your life perfect.

So your plan to visit the heads of each of the embassies in Washington to give them some Prasadam and explain our philosophy of Krsna Consciousness Movement is very nice. So do it with great seriousness and Krsna will give you all further intelligence. Regarding the proposal of a new center in Trinidad, that is a nice idea. I know that there is a large Indian community there. For the time being just try to train up this nice older woman who is staying with you. Give her all facilities and instruction for understanding our Krsna consciousness way of life.
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70-08-01
Los Angeles
1st August, 1970

New York

My Dear Dinesh,

Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 27th July, 1970, and noted the contents. Yes, I have received the Tandberg Speakers and they are very nice sounding. We are playing the tapes which I have recorded on this machine in stereo and they are very nice.

Nowadays, I am not making tapes because of a little blood-pressure trouble. As soon as I am a little peaceful I shall make tapes and send to you as desired by you.

The prospect of your opening a new branch is very good. If you can, do it. This opening of centers is required. However, Krsna Consciousness does not depend on the place, on the contrary, it depends on the person who is free from duality. So why another part of the world for opening a new branch. There are many places in this country where it is important to have our branches.

I am very glad to note your eagerness for expanding your service. This attitude is very nice and it is required of the devotee at every stage. So do it very enthusiastically with great faith and patience strictly following the regulative principles. Your good wife and yourself should set the example as model Krsna consciousness householders by your careful observance of all our Krsna conscious principles and thus make your lives successful.

Hope this will meet you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

ACBS:ds

70-09-25
Calcutta
25th September, 1970

My Dear Dinesh,

Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated September 17th, 1970. Regarding the letter from Mr. Gangulee, it is very nice that he has agreed to write it and the copies should be attached to each and every visa of the devotees as you have mentioned--that is very good proposal. But regarding taking the visas, they are already coming, Hamsaduta and Himavati are already here and I have received telegram that the others are leaving London and expect to be here on the 3rd of October. Anyway, you are managing the affair nicely so far, so please see whatever remains to be done is finished up properly. This is an important matter and up to now it is going on well. So whatever you do in this connection, I am sure of its being alright.

I am very glad to learn that both you and your good wife, Krsna devi, and your daughter, Visnu Arati, are together in Boston. Your all engagements sound to be very suitable, so please execute your duties in Krsna Consciousness and be happy. I am especially pleased that you are taking charge in the Boston area of placing my books and literatures in the local school-college libraries and you have already had success with placing all our literatures in the two most important libraries of Harvard University and the Divinity School. When I spoke there sometimes back our Krsna Consciousness philosophy was very much appreciated, so I think this is an important place for our literatures to be available to the students and faculty. Please go on with this engagement enthusiastically and Krsna will give you all success in the venture. You are intelligent and hard working devotee of Krsna and Krsna will bless you for this very fine service which you are rendering unto Him.

Devananda Maharaja has sent you a separate letter which will be self explanatory. We are having some troubles with the electrical machinery here.

Hope this will meet you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

71-02-16
Gorakhpur
16th February, 1971

Boston

My Dear Krsna Devi,

Please accept my blessings. I am so glad to have received your letter dated 23d January, 1971 and have noted the contents carefully. So far as opening a center in Israel, I have all approval. Immediately you can open correspondence with one boy from Israel who has written me twice to come there and open a center. He is very eager to help. His name and address are as follows: Yacov Shames; c/o Dr. Ritchie; 79 Rehov Bait Vegan; Bait Vegan; Jerusalem, Israel. So make arrangements with the government and go there immediately. I have all blessings for this enterprise. Try and preach Krishna Consciousness in this part of the world. So you go there husband and wife with child and start a center. If you are successful in your effort, then I may stay with you a few days there before going to London.

I'm so glad to learn that your daughter is growing into such a nice Krishna Conscious child and very soon she will be a great help to your activities. I've seen many pictures of our Krishna Conscious children. They are nicely chanting and clapping. It is very good sign. Here in India our preaching is very nicely going on, and especially to our membership program there is a good response. So work very enthusiastically and Krishna will bestow all His blessings upon you.

Your husbands letter along with yours is very encouraging and I have answered it separately. I'm so glad to know that both of you are enhancing your Krishna Consciousness by mutual cooperation. May God bless you. You are all helping me by abiding the orders of my Spiritual Master, His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami maharaj and He'll be pleased upon you who are His grand spiritual children. So this program to open a branch in Israel has got all my approval.

Yes, you can set up a Guru-Gauranga altar and if you can offer full arati ceremony, that is nice. Panca-tattva are most merciful.

Hoping this will meet you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

ACBS/adb

71-02-16
Gorakhpur
16th February, 1971

Boston

My Dear Dinesh Candra,

Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 23d January, 1971 and enclosed with one letter from your good wife Krsna Devi. It is so much encouraging that you are distributing our books so nicely in the Boston area and especially that several bookstore chains have taken so many copies of KRSNA book and TLC So see to it that this program continues there in Boston with increasing volume. That will be a great success for our missionary activities.

Yes, you can see to making more records, certainly. The more our movement is increased, the more the demand for these records will be there. People here in India are also wanting these records. So you can send one copy of every record as samples here immediately to the above given Bombay address. Records are exempt from our life membership program. Also the new recording described by you meets my approval, so do it nicely. You can send the booklet here as soon as it is ready.

So far as your establishing one center in Israel, I have already written Krsna Devi about this. I have all blessings for you both in this regards, so you may go there immediately.

Hoping this will meet you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

ACBS/adb

71-04-13
Bombay
13rd April, 1971

Boston

My Dear Dinesh Candra and Krsna Devi,

Please accept my blessings. Last time I heard from you, you wanted to go to Jerusalem to start one center there and I agreed. Almost everything was settled up. What happened next? I thought that you had already gone. Presently I am making plans for going to Australia, Malaysia, and Russia also and I was planning to go to Jerusalem as well on my way to Russia. So let me know immediately in this connection what your plans are.

Just today I received another letter from Yacov Shames in Jerusalem (c/o Dr. Ritchie: 79 Rehov Bait Vegan; Bait Vegan; Jerusalem, Israel) and he is very much anxious to have me visit there, so I have consented that on my way to Russia I will go there for some time. I asked that you correspond with this boy in my previous letter but he makes no mention of it. What happened? Please let me know as soon as possible.

Hoping this will meet you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

ACBS/adb

71-05-18
Calcutta
18th May, 1971

Brooklyn

My Dear Dinesh Candra,

Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 24th April, 1971 and have noted the contents carefully. Also I have received one letter from Yacov Shames and he acknowledges that he has been corresponding with you in regards to opening one branch there in Jerusalem.

It is very much encouraging to note that you have made final arrangements for going to Jerusalem on 2nd June, 1971, accompanied by one brahmacari. You all have my full blessings and may Krishna help you all in this noble venture. Just as soon as you arrive there, you can let me know. Most probably I will be starting for U.S.A. via Bombay, by the beginning of June. First I shall go to London and then on to USA.

Presently in Calcutta we are holding a huge ``Hare Krishna Festival'' in which 35,000 to 40,000 people are attending daily for hearing discourses on Srimad-Bhagavatam and Bhagavad-gita. We are distributing prasadam also. It is so much enlivening to see how the people are being so receptive to this message. It is all Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mercy.

Please offer my blessings to your good wife Krsna Devi. Hoping this will meet you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

ACBS/adb

71-07-13
Los Angeles
13rd July, 1971

My Dear Dinesh Candra,

Please accept my blessings and offer the same to your wife Krishna Devi, daughter Visnu Arati and Kulasekhara Prabhu. I am in due receipt of your very encouraging letter dated 30th June, 1971 and have noted the contents carefully. Your endeavor is very much appreciated. Thank you very much. You have my all good wishes. Success or no success, it doesn't matter; you have come to Israel with your family and that is my pleasure. All blessings upon you.

So for the time being, you can stay in your apartment, have discourses and hold kirtana and whoever voluntarily may join, no one can object. Whoever comes, give him nice prasadam. For the time being this can be done. There is no need of outside engagements if they are not possible to get. If you can, that's all right. But inside activities should go on. So live peacefully and whatever service you can render is all right.

You should preach on the position of God. You can describe how God Consciousness can be developed. We are not presenting another God. We shall talk on God, his nature, His exalted position, his omnipresence and how we can realize him. For example in Bhagavad-gita we can realize, as it is stated there, that God is in everything extraordinary. We can realize God in the taste of water. When we are thirsty and drink water, the nice taste which quenches the thirst, that is God. So gradually you can introduce and disclose that according to the Vedic faith God is called Krishna, just as he is called Jehova or Allah. Indirectly you can say that God has no name but because we are accustomed to understanding everything by giving some nomenclature, so God has names which are ascertained by His activities. For example God is creating, so if I call God ``the master of the world'' (Jagadisa) then what is the wrong there? And who can deny that God created the world?

We are not concerned with the common man because they will think that we are criticizing. So speak on general features of how we understand God. God is called great in every religion. Our appreciations of greatness are six in number. These are stated in the Krishna Book Introduction. So you have to introduce the matter of God scientifically, and that will be appreciated by any reasonable man. If we say that your God is like this and our God is like that, then there will be great disturbance. Simply speak on general topics, that God is like this. Then let them read our literature and ask questions. In this way try to push on our missionary activities.

Hoping this will meet you in good health.

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

P.S. In answer to Krishna Devi's questions: I have not received your cook book as of yet; mustard seed, etc.--these are exciting spices and should be avoided; Vegetable ghee is all right if real ghee is not available or easily acquired.

So far my coming to Israel, I will be glad to come but I do not know yet if it is possible. But when my program is fixed up I will let you know, probably by the first week in August.

71-11-20
Delhi
20th November, 1971

My dear Sudama,

Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter of November 4, 1971, and I am very pleased to hear that you have got some more devotees to assist you. Now you plot out a program with them how best to spread Krishna Consciousness in Japan. Our process is to infiltrate. We should not bother very much for their red tape, just rely on Krishna and by our determination everything will happen nicely according to His plan. These governments exist only for saying no, so I am not very optimistic that any government will ever help us.

Sankirtana means preaching, so for some time try in other ways to spread our Krishna philosophy anywhere and everywhere, by selling books, as many as possible, by holding kirtana and classes in schools and college--wherever there is preaching, that is Sankirtana. You have an American brain, now use it to think of new ways to preach in Japan.

As you have recommended, I am sending under separate parcel a set of initiation beads for Randy Prabhu, duly chanted on. His new name shall be Rama Dulal das Brahmacari. I am also sending one copy of Gayatri mantra and sacred thread duly chanted by me to Shatyananda das. Hold a fire yajna and give Gayatri to Shatyananda. If you do not have one, you can get a copy of a tape of me reciting Gayatri mantra from Karandhara. One thing is that the tape should be heard through earphones into the right ear. The fire yajna can be held for both devotees.

The plant which you sent me is not Tulsi devi. I have no special instructions concerning Dai Nippon at this time. I shall probably be coming there to Tokyo on my return to Los Angeles by late Spring, I will let you know the date as soon as possible.

I hope this meets you in good health and cheerful mood.

Your ever well-wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

ACBS/sda

Vrindaban

My dear Subala,

Please accept my blessings. I have received your letter from Kanpur dated July 2, 1972, and I have noted the contents therein. Yes, singhania will not help us very much, but if he wants to sponsor a ten-day ``Hare Krishna Festival''* in Kanpur from Sept. 22 to Oct. 1, 1972, that will be nice. If I am in India at that time, I shall be pleased to attend. In future, you may join either Tamala Krishna's party or Gargamuni's party for preaching tour, this alone preaching is not good.

Hoping this will meet you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

ACBS/sda
*or ``Bhagavat Dasaha'' which means ten days of transcendental discourses on the science of Bhagavan reading from Bhagavad-gita as it is as well as that from Srimad-Bhagavatam. If I attend, I shall let you know timely so that you could give publicity sufficiently. Most probably I shall attend.
ACB

72-09-22
Los Angeles
22nd September, 1972

Vrindaban

My dear Tamala Krishna, Subala,
Gurudasa, and Bhavananda,

Please accept my blessings. I have received your joint letter dated Sept. 17, 1972, and I am very much encouraged that you are all big men gathered together there in Vrndavana to launch the building project of ISKCON Temple. I have full faith that you will do the needful by consulting all together how to do everything, therefore I have called you all there. But one thing is Bhavananda promised to remain in Bombay to finish up the conveyance deed business and not to leave there until it was finished. He was sent from Calcutta especially, but he was also silent. So I do not know as yet what has been the position regarding the conveyance and no one has kept me informed what is the position there. So this business worries me all the time, why he has been silent?

But I am pleased to understand that something will be concretely done in Vrndavana at last, that is my dream, to build a simple temple just like Govindaji's that is not so difficult. Now these men are joining us and cooperating to do the construction and engineering work, so I think my dreams will be finally realized at last.

I am leaving Los Angeles around 6th October and we have a few days program in San Francisco. From there we shall fly to India, stopping three days in Manila, and we should land in Delhi by the 16th October. I shall inform you details. One thing, I want to know how the preparations are being done for the second annual hare Krsna Festival and Bhagavata-dharma Discourses at Delhi starting around the 6th of November. If you can get that LIC grounds again that will be first class. Now we have got many many books in India and I want to raise the funds for our building projects at Bombay, Vrndavana and Mayapur by selling these books widely all over India, so these pandal programs are a golden opportunity to sell many many books, so make arrangements like that.

Hoping this meets you all in good health,

Your ever well-wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

ACBS/sda

74-09-05
Vrindaban
5th September, 1974

Honolulu

My Dear Sudama and Subaladas
Goswamis:

Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letters dated July 29, 30, August 6, 28 and 29th and telegram dated August 6, 1974 and have noted the contents. This restaurant program will not work. Do not attempt. You have to organize that new house. The restaurant is not at all advisable at the present moment. Restaurant is a very difficult thing.

Best idea is for Subala to go to Fiji and preach. That is the business of sannyasi, not opening restaurant. Restaurant is for grhastha. Preaching is first. Subala should go there and tactfully manage and get men from Australia. Mr. Punja has written that he is arranging the ticket and will give assistance. So do it nicely.

I hope this meets you in good health.

Your ever well wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

ACBS/bs

74-10-15
Mayapur
15th October, 1974

Lautoka, Fiji

My Dear Subaladas Swami:

Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated September 20, 1974 and I was very glad to read the contents. I thank you for following the order of your spiritual master. This is the motto of our spiritual life: yasya prasadad bhagavata prasadao. My other godbrothers they are concerned with litigations, politics, and diplomacy, so what is the pracara? As far as I am concerned I have the blessings of my guru maharaj. I do not need anything else. That is how I went to your country, just to try to carry out his order. By his blessings it has come out successful.

So work diligently. It is a good place. Take more devotees from Australia, and organize it nicely. You have got a good field. You are an old, experienced worker, and I have full confidence in you. Krishna will bless you in this attempt. There I have seen the Indian people are very receptive.

Next time I return to USA by that way this coming April I may go to Fiji, so please arrange.

I hope this meets you in good health.

Your ever well wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

ACBS/bs

74-10-24
Mayapur
24th October, 1974

Lautoka, Fiji

My Dear Subaladas Swami:

Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated October 7, 1974 and have noted the contents. I am glad that you have arrived there on my order and have already begun the preaching. Krishna will supply everything to you, according to your capacity for preaching purely the message of Lord Caitanya. There I have found the Indians very cooperative for our movement, and you have had good experience in India preaching, so you are the right man to go there. You are sannyasi and the people will automatically respect you. So be ideal in behavior following strictly the rules and regulations. Now you are getting more men, so organize everything carefully, and inform me what is the progress.

Brahmananda Swami says that because of his experience in Africa, you should be careful in registering the Society. Yes, it must be in the name of ISKCON, with my name as Founder-Acarya. Check to see that only Fiji citizens can register the Society there, and if necessary you can have others as the officers.

I have already written you that I would like to come there when I return to USA in April, so please arrange for it.

I hope this meets you in good health.

Your ever well wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

ACBS/bs

74-11-13
Bombay
13rd November, 1974

Lautoka, Fiji

My Dear Subaladas Swami:

Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated October 23, 1974 and have noted the contents with much joy. You have done something tangible, and I am pleased that you are simply carrying out my order without any consideration of your self-interest. This is wanted for progress in spiritual life. So as you have pleased me, you should take it that you have pleased Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is for this I have given you sannyasa, to be prepared to go anywhere on my order and preach sincerely and purely without any other consideration. So I thank you very much in this regard.

Cooperate with Mr. Punja, and chant Hare Krishna and distribute prasadam for the time being. This should be your program. When we get sincere devotees, trained up brahmanas, we shall install Deity there, not before then. It is good that you are getting men from Australia to assist you. Most probably I will be going to Hawaii in mid December, so if you like we can go to Fiji also.

I hope this meets you in good health.

Your ever well wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

ACBS/bs

74-11-25
Bombay
25th November, 1974

Lautoka, Fiji

My Dear Subaladas Swami:

Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated November 13, 1974 and have noted the contents. Regarding your registration, it should be clearly stated that no property can be sold or mortgaged without my express sanction. I am glad to note that you have got three brahmacaris there. Train them up nicely.

Yes I am pleased by your attempt there, and Krishna will bless you undoubtedly. I am always for that purpose. Kindly ask me your problem and I shall try to give you advice. Krishna consciousness can only be increased by chanting, reading our books regularly, and strictly following the rules and regulations.

Krishna is in His name, so He is always present with you. Never think that you are without the association of Krishna. Yes, guru and Krishna are always with you.

So far your health is concerned, so far the body is there the question of health and unhealth will always be there. Sometimes there will be complaints, and sometimes not. In the Gita Krishna says these things come and go like the seasonal changes. So we have to tolerate. Caitanya Mahaprabhu advises trnad api sunicena/taror api sahisnuna. We must be tolerant like the tree and humble like the blade of grass. Such persons can chant the Hare Krishna mantra and preach. In Bombay we are undergoing so many tribulations. What can be done?

I hope this meets you in good health.

Your ever well wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

ACBS/bs