a.c. bhaktivedanta swami
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| Prabhupada Letters :: 1973 a.c. bhaktivedanta swami |
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4 May 2007 Friday, 4 May, 1973 Los Angeles My Dear Bhavananda: Please accept my blessings. Since leaving India more than one month I have not received any report of the Mayapur project, how it is going on. So I may request you to write me in this regard. I want that the building must be completely finished before my next return. So please tell me what is the position there. I have requested men to come there to Mayapur. They will bring paintings for decorating the building especially the temple hall. Please see also that they get trained up nicely in making the dolls and the mrdangas. I want to solve these two problems. We will want these dolls in London and other places, so please do the needful. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami P.S. Please be kind enough to send me a report at least fortnightly ACBS/bs letters | 12:44 | 2 May 2007 Wednesday, 2 May, 1973 Los Angeles My Dear Jadurani: Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated April 25, 1973. Regarding the drawing for the TLC, you can do it in the same lines as it was done previously. Your drawing for the room of Sanatana Goswami is approved by me. Also approved by me is the sketch by Pariksit Das. Now you can go on making the pictures more and more beautiful and by so doing go back home, back to Godhead. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs Labels: art, Brooklyn, publishing letters | 12:43 |1 May 2007 Tuesday, 1 May, 1973 Los Angeles My Dear Amogha das Adhikari: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated April 19, 1973 and have noted the contents. I am sorry to learn that you had to leave your engagement in Indonesia. Anyway, so now you are in Australia, so you can consult with Madhudvisa Swami as to what to do there in Indonesia, and you also consult with Karandhara Prabhu as to the passport problem. If necessary, you can take the Australian citizenship. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs Labels: Australasia, Brisbane letters | 12:43 |1 May, 1973 Los Angeles My Dear Giriraja Das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your two letters dated 25.4 and 26.4 and have noted the contents carefully. I have noted that you have said about there being new law that licensee is tenant or owner. I do not know what to do on this, but the fact is that we are the proprietor. In the contract it states that we must pay Rs. 2 lacs and within the first year then the conveyance must be given, the another Rs. 2 lacs the next year thereafter up to 14 lacs being paid. So the first 2 lacs they've already taken from us, so the transaction is completed. Tactfully they did not give us the conveyance. So now they have given neither conveyance or returned our money, but the deal is completed. So when they shall give the conveyance, then we shall pay the balance. But, you all have cancelled our claim, that weakens our case. So, why not let the Rent Court settle up and determine the rent of the land, and we will pay the actual rent of the land. . So in all ways we are the occupiers--as licensee, tenant, or owner. So what we actually are, that should be settled up. Regarding apartment, Karatieya says that we can purchase in the name of Society. But, if individual name is required, then my name can be given as Founder-Acarya. If there is some complication, then don't purchase. Keep the money in the bank, and try your best to get Grand Paradi land. If nobody can purchase [PAGE MISSING] Labels: India, land, management letters | 12:42 |30 April 2007 Monday, 30 April, 1973 Los Angeles Sylmar, California My dear Lynne Ludwig, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter from California dated November 27, 1972, and I have noted the contents carefully, although due to extensively travelling and preaching tour in India, I have not yet got the opportunity to reply you at length until now. Your complaint is that you have met two of my young disciples in California and they appeared to you as having "a very negative outlook towards the people they meet." Of course, I do not know the case, what are the circumstances, but kindly forgive my beloved disciples any unkindness or indiscretions on their part. After all, to give up one's life completely for serving the Lord is not so easy thing. And Maya, or the illusory material energy, she tries especially hard to try to get back and entrap those who have left her service to become Devotees. So sometimes in the neophyte stage of devotional service, in order to withstand the attack of Maya and remain strong under all conditions of temptation, young or inexperienced devotees will adopt an attitude against those things or persons possibly harmful, threatening to their tender devotional creeper. They may even over-indulge in such feelings just to protect themselves, and thus they will appear to some non-devotees, who are perhaps themselves still very enamoured by the material energy of Maya, as being negative or pessimistic. But actual fact is that this material world is a miserable, negative place, full of danger at every step, duhkhalayam asasvatam [Bg. 8.15], temporary abode of death, birth, disease and old-age, home of suffering and pain only. To come to that platform of understanding of things as they are, that is not a very common thing, and therefore such persons who attain to it, they are described as great souls: mam upetya punar janma duhkhalayam asasvatam napnuvanti mahatmanah samsiddhim paramam gatah [Bg. 8.15] This verse is spoken by Krishna, or God, Himself in Bhagavad-gita so who can be more final authority? That means that anyone who has understood that the material worlds are places of misery and temporaryness, duhkhalayam asasvatam [Bg. 8.15], they never return here again, and because they are mahatmanah, the great souls, Krishna keeps them with Him, having qualified themselves to escape this nasty place by becoming His pure devotees. So the point is that to make advancement in spiritual life, everything material, unless it is utilized to serve and please Krishna, must be viewed with a pessimistic eye. We are not very much hopeful for any lasting pleasure or satisfaction for our deepest cravings within this realm of gross matter. You refer to the word love several times in your letter, but actual fact is there is no love in this material world. That is false propaganda. What they call love here is lust only, desire for personal sense-gratification; kama esa krodha esa rajoguna samudbhavah maha-sano maha-papma viddhy enam iha vairinam Krishna tells Arjuna, His disciple, that "It is lust only . . . which is the all-devouring, sinful enemy of this world." In the Vedic language, their word for materialistic love as we call it at present day; kama lust for material desire, not love. The word for love, actually love we find in Vedas is prema, meaning one's love of God, only. Outside God, there is no possibility of loving. Rather it is lusty desire the whole range of human activities, whatever and whenever, so long with this atmosphere of matter, the every activity of the human being - or any living entity - is based upon or given impetus, and thus polluted, by the attraction between male and female, sex-desire. For that sex-life, the whole universe is spinning round - and suffering! That is the harsh truth. So-called love, here, means "you gratify my senses, I'll gratify your senses," and as soon as that gratification stops: immediately there is divorce, separation, quarrel, hatred. So many things there are, going on under this false conception of love. Actual love means love of God, Krishna. Everyone wants to repose his loving tendency in some object which is in his opinion worthy. So it is a question of ignorance only, poor fund of knowledge, where to find that Supreme Lovable Object actually worthy to accept and reciprocate their love. People simply do not know, there is no proper information. Anything material, as soon as there is some attachment, it will kick you upon the face, deteriorate, disappoint you--it's bound to dissatisfy and frustrate you, that's a fact. So these young boys in your country, and all over the world, they are accepting. "Yes, that is fact," and they are getting the right information from Krishna: bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate vasudevah sarvam iti sa mahatma sudurlabhah "After many births and deaths, he who is actually wise surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare." [Bg. 7.19] Again Krishna uses the word mahatma, great soul. So these are not ordinary boys and girls, our devotees, that you have met, no. They are to be considered as actually wise, great souls, because they have experienced in so many births the miserable disease of material life and they have become disgusted. Therefore they are seeking higher knowledge, something better, and when they find Krishna and surrender unto Him, they become mahatma, actually in knowledge. This material world is just like a prison-house, a punishing place just to bring us to that point of becoming disgusted and surrendering at last to Krishna, going back to my original mature of eternal life of bliss and complete knowledge. So these devotees, that is their credit, they have done what is "very rare" amongst all men in the human society, sudurlabhah, very rare. So after surrendering to Krishna, that will be the final receptable for investing his love: in God. If somehow or other anyone develops their dormant love of God - love of god is present there in everyone. Just like fire is there in the unlit match, covered-over - if Krishna becomes the Supreme Adorable Objective, the Supreme Friend, the Supreme Master, the Supreme Lover - then, oh, he shall never again become disappointed or unhappy. Rather, because his loving propensity is rightfully placed. mac-citta mad-gata-prana bodhayantah parasparam kathayantas ca mam nityam tusyanti ca ramanti ca [Bg. 10.9] The devotee, one whose life is surrendered to Krishna, is always enjoying great satisfaction and bliss and he is constantly enlightened, always positive, not negative as you say. The advanced devotee is the friend of everyone: yoga-yukto visuddhatma, purified soul engaged in loving devotional service to Krishna, sarvabhutatmabhutatma, he is dear to everyone and everyone is dear to him. And in another place Krishna claims that: yo mad bhakta sa me priya, that His devotee who is very dear to Him, advesta sarva-bhutanam, maitah karuna eva ca, is not envious but is the kind friend to all living entities. The devotee is supposed to be, furthermore, equal to everyone, panditah sama-darsinah [Bg. 5.18], never discriminating; this one good, this one bad, no. So these are the descriptions of the more advanced stages of Krishna Consciousness devotees, when has got mature knowledge by development, and at present many of our students are young boys, they are learning gradually and the process is so effective, certain, and authorized that if they stick to it they will come to the right point, as you say, of loving. But that love is not material, that is our point, so it may not be judged on the on the false sentimental platform of ordinary mundane dealings. So to say they are not loving, that maybe true from the materialists point of view - they have given up affection for family, friends, wife, country, race, like that, all based upon the bodily concept of life or flickering sense - gratification - they have become little detached from Maya's love, or lust, and they want Krishna's love, or endless, full, rewarding love. But they have not yet developed to that point, that's all and we cannot expect that all of a sudden, being addicted to so many bad habits, your countrymen, will give up eating flesh, taking intoxication, sex-life, and so many other nasty things, and become overnight great self-realized souls. That is not possible. That is utopian. Just becoming initiated as Krishna's devotee puts him in the topmost category of human society: sa buddhiman manusyesu, sa yuktah krtsna-karma-krt: "He is intelligent among human society, he is in the transcendental position, although engaged in sorts of activities." [Bg. 4.18] And such devotee, no matter he has not advanced yet to the highest level of spiritual understanding, still he is to be considered the most exalted personality never mind he has got any temporary frailties: api cet suduracaro bhajate mam ananya-bhak sadhur eva sa mantavyah samyag vyavasito hi sah "Even if a devotee commits the most abominable actions, he is to be considered saintly because he is properly situated." [Bg. 9.30] As you will say, to err is human, so in the neophyte stage we may always expect some discrepancies are there. Kindly see the things in this light and forgive their small mistakes. The big thing is they have given their life, everything to Krishna - that is never a mistake. Your ever well-wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Labels: disagreements, philosophy letters | 13:25 |29 April 2007 Sunday, 29 April, 1973 Los Angeles My Dear Atreya Rsi Das: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated April 25, 1973 and have read the contents carefully. Regarding purchasing the Washington D.C. Temple, yes, we can do it. We can invest $70,000.00, and Damodara can pay $700 per month net rent. So you negotiate, and we shall purchase in name of M-V Trust. But, here in L.A. we have invested $63,000 in one house and we are getting $800 per month rent. So you consult with Karandhara and do the needful. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami P.S. What happened about the Columbia club house? Labels: Brooklyn, M-V Trust, Washington letters | 13:24 |29 April, 1973 Los Angeles My Dear Madhudvisa Maharaja, Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated nil and have noted the contents. Your letter has been forwarded to London, New York, and then to here. Regarding Sudama Vipra I have heard that he is in South America, but would like to have it confirmed so please write me in this regard. But you should stay there in Australia; it is not necessary for you to go to China. Regarding reading Mahabharata, why divert your attention in this way? Bhagavatam is also Mahabharata. There are so many books I have presented already, so whatever you have got, just become expert in that. There are many things still yet to be learned. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami letters | 13:24 | 29 April, 1973 Los Angeles My Dear Kirtanananda Maharaja: Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated April 24, 1973 with enclosed daksina check for $200.00, for which I thank you very much. Yes, I will come for the ground breaking ceremony because it is special event. So you please send tickets for four of us to come. Regarding the initiations, enclosed are four mantra sheets and one sacred thread chanted on by me for the four brahmanas, and I am pleased to accept the following as my initiated disciples: Sarvesvari dasi (Shelly); Gunyarupini Dasi (Ginny); Gomata Dasi (Gale); Vajresvari Dasi (Elly); Lajjavati Dasi (Lynn); Isvara Das (Mark). So you perform the fire yajna for the brahmanas and let them hear the Gayatri Mantra from the tape which I have recorded into their right ear, and you may chant upon the beads for the first initiates. I hope this meets you in good health. Your ever well wisher; A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/bs Labels: initiation, New Vrindaban letters | 13:23 | |
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